Most of this type of stories where the protagonist has either read the story as a fiction before transmigration, or has regressed from a doomed future, goes smoothly, because they have a proper grasp of the present events.
It's just like when we give an exam.
If we have the proper knowledge and understanding of the subject, even if the questions in the test are slightly different from the questions we had practiced, it's manageable.
But, if we had only practiced the questions and not the subject itself, the slightly different questions in the test would seem completely foreign to us.
This is exactly what's happening in my case.
I made the mistake of just reading the first event of this webnovel story from that text file, and look how much of a mess this has become.
And, the worst part is I don't actually have a plan to get out of this.
If I had read the story into further future, there must have been a way for me to clear my name here.
But, now I have no idea.
Now, the only saving grace is to be honest and testify what exactly happened there.
Moreover, that girl is present too, despite having been converted to an incomplete vampire.
Was she reconverted to a human?
Anyway...
Her testimony would also matter in this verdict, and I don't think she has any reason to lie about what happened.
"So, Dorian Valen, what do you have to say in your defense?", the Principal asked me.
"May I know, what exactly I am being charged with?", I asked, feigning innocence.
The principal narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, his fingers laced together as he leaned forward.
The room was silent — the kind of silence where your heartbeat felt louder than your voice.
"Charges of assaulting a noble of high standing," he said. "Specifically, Lady Laurel Barriston. On the first day of your arrival, no less."
Assault. On Laurel Barriston.
So this was that girl's name.
He referred to her as Lady, which meant she must be of higher nobility.
Higher than mine, of course.
Which implied that her family wouldn't let this incident slide, no matter what.
Maybe among the people sitting in front of me, one is from her family.
It was best for me to be honest here.
"I was just walking down the street, when I heard someone calling for help. As I turned towards that narrow alley, I saw Lady Laurel being attacked by a stranger. Then I tried to save her, but found out that the stranger was a vampire. I was able to fend him off, but we both got injured in the process. Then, all of a sudden, Lady Laurel started attacking me without any reason, which I defended with all my might, which is when, the Student Council President, Miss Alicia Rowan, arrived there."
I looked at the Principal's eyes, and said it. "That's all that happened."
A heavy pause followed my final words, lingering in the air like a blade waiting to fall.
No one moved. No one spoke.
Then came the sound of fingers tapping against wood — measured and deliberate.
The Principal was watching me, unmoving, yet clearly processing every word with a sharp mind.
The Principal leaned forward, his eyes hardening.
"A vampire, you say?" he repeated.
"Yes, sir," I replied firmly, my voice steady.
He hummed — low, skeptical. "That's strange. We couldn't find any trace of foreign mana at the scene. None, except yours and Lady Laurel's."
My heart dropped.
What?
No trace? That couldn't be right.
I felt that thing. The sheer malevolence of its aura. The blood-binding circle. The air had practically been pulsing with cursed mana. How the hell could there be nothing left?
Unless—
Unless someone cleaned it up.
Someone wanted it gone.
But I didn't have time to voice that theory.
The murmurs around the chamber began to grow louder, suspicions already shifting away from doubt and into conclusion.
Still, I didn't give up.
"There's an eyewitness here," I said quickly, clutching at the last thread of hope. "Lady Laurel herself. She was there. She knows I didn't—"
Before I could finish, a voice from the jury thundered across the room, cutting me off.
"You are not worthy of addressing her, mongrel!"
It was a middle-aged man, face sharp and lined with self-importance.
"She is a noble daughter of the high court," he spat. "How dare you speak as though you're her equal?"
My fists clenched, my nails digging into my palm.
The Principal raised his hand with cold authority. "Enough. This is a trial, not a circus. The accused is permitted to present witnesses in his defense."
Then he turned to the side. "Lady Laurel, please come forward."
The courtroom fell into a reverent hush as she stood.
Laurel Barriston — dignified, calm, her golden hair tied back, her eyes sharp and unflinching — walked to the stand. Her footsteps echoed in the hall, soft but unhesitant.
She looked like she belonged here.
Like I was the intruder.
I met her gaze as she stood before the tribunal. A flicker of something crossed her expression — pity? No, that wasn't it. She didn't look away. Didn't flinch.
"My lady," the Principal said. "You've heard the defendant's statement. What do you recall of the incident?"
She gave a small nod, and then… she lied.
"He's the one who attacked me," she said smoothly. "I was walking alone near the alley when he came at me out of nowhere. We struggled. I tried to defend myself. That's how we both got injured."
It was so seamless, so confidently said, that for a moment I almost doubted my own memory.
Gasps and mutters rippled across the courtroom.
My breath caught in my throat. I stared at her, stunned.
"What—?" I muttered, then raised my voice. "That's a lie! You're lying! I saved you, damn it! I was the one who—who risked everything!"
Her eyes shifted to me.
Calm. Cold. Deadly.
"This is what really happened," she said softly, almost kindly. "Perhaps he hit his head and forgot. Or perhaps he's just trying to save his skin."
The whole room tilted.
Even the Principal's face hardened with disappointment.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I wanted to believe that she was manipulated, blackmailed, anything—but the calm on her face said otherwise.
She wasn't confused. She wasn't coerced.
She was choosing this.
The Principal turned back to me, expression unreadable.
"Dorian Valen," he said, "given the testimony and lack of corroborating evidence, we ask you now to make your final statement."
I stood there, staring at the floor. My fists trembled.
They wanted a confession. A quiet, neat ending.
I raised my eyes, meeting his gaze without blinking.
"I'm not guilty."
Silence.
"I don't care if you don't believe me," I said. "I don't care if the evidence was cleaned up or if she decided to throw me under the carriage. I know what I saw. I know what I did. I saved her. I fought that vampire off with my own blood, and this is the thanks I get? Fine."
I took a step forward.
"But I won't lie to protect your comfort. And I won't confess to something I didn't do."
My voice rang out, louder than I'd intended, echoing against the marble walls.
The Principal leaned back in his chair slowly, his hands folding once again.
"You are either a masterful liar… or a very unfortunate fool," he said coldly.
Then came the final verdict.
"Dorian Valen, keeping in mind all the evidences and testimonies, you are found guilty of assaulting Lady Laurel Barriston, in front of this Court."
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Author's Note :
Please comment down anything you think about the story so far, as it gives me motivation to write further.
Also you can suggest on how to move the story forward.
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