How to Handle a Yandere Harem - Zetro Translation

The jury room was an imposing chamber, its walls adorned with dark, polished wood panels that gave the space a solemn, almost foreboding atmosphere. High ceilings loomed above, where heavy chandeliers cast a dim, golden light over the room. The chairs where the jury members sat were equally grand — large, ornately carved wooden thrones that emphasized the weight of the decisions made at this place.

Thick, crimson drapes hung from the tall windows, partially drawn to allow slivers of sunlight to creep in, casting dramatic shadows across the floor.

In the judge chairs sat Emma and Seda, their expressions serious as they faced the center of the room. Elizabeth was seated there, her posture slumped, as if the weight of the world had settled on her shoulders. Her usually vibrant eyes were dulled by exhaustion, and her long hair, typically well-kept, was now tangled and unkempt, a clear sign of her distress. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any given moment.

“I… I’m so sorry, I was just… I saw him with another woman, then….” Elizabeth’s voice trembled as she stumbled over her words.

Her attempt at an apology came out jumbled and childlike. She was on the verge of breaking down completely.

Seda, sitting straight-backed in her chair, began the trial. Her long, dark brown hair was tied back in a tight, no-nonsense bun, accentuating the seriousness of her expression. Her brown eyes, sharp and unyielding, locked onto Elizabeth. She wore a judge’s outfit — a robe of deep black, its fabric heavy and authoritative, contrasting starkly against her stern features.

“Elizabeth, you did more than just act impulsively,” Seda’s voice was calm but firm, each word measured and deliberate. There was no room for sympathy in her tone, only the gravity of the situation.

“Yeah… Liz-chan, you were out of your mind,” Emma chimed in, her voice softer but no less serious.

She shared the same judge’s outfit as Seda, the black robes draping over her slim frame, though the severity of her attire did little to hide her natural beauty.

Her vibrant red hair cascaded in loose waves down her back, and her striking red eyes added a touch of warmth to the otherwise cold room.

Freckles dotted her cheeks, giving her an almost youthful appearance despite the sternness of the situation.

“I know what I did was wrong, but please, just think about it! I saw a woman hugging Adriel out of the blue, and I went crazy…” Elizabeth’s voice wavered as she spoke, her eyes darting nervously between Emma and Seda. She knew she had crossed a line, but the real fear gnawing at her insides was what her punishment would be — more specifically, what Emma would propose.

Unlike Seda, who was known for her measured, often forgiving judgments, Emma was a wildcard. She could be just as impulsive as Elizabeth, and when it came to dishing out punishments, Emma had a reputation for being harsh. Elizabeth’s mind raced, imagining all the ways Emma might decide to make her pay for her actions.

“I propose that Elizabeth be punished with one month without interacting with Adriel in any way…” Emma’s voice cut through the air like a blade, her red eyes gleaming with a mix of determination and a hint of something more mischievous.

“I… that’s too harsh… please don’t do it…” Elizabeth’s desperation bubbled over as she tried to plead her case.

The thought of being cut off from Adriel for an entire month was unbearable, a punishment far worse than anything she had anticipated.

But her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. Seda, who had initially seemed hesitant, was now seriously considering Emma’s proposal.

“Well… in another scenario, that would be too harsh… but you hurt Adriel…”

Panic surged through Elizabeth.

If Seda agreed with Emma, her fate would be sealed. But then, a spark of an idea flickered in her mind. She needed to divert their attention, shift the blame, or at least share it. Desperation led her to grasp at straws.

“Wait… Akuma… he’s the real culprit here…” Elizabeth blurted out, her mind scrambling to piece together a strategy.

She knew it was a long shot, but if she could redirect the focus to Akuma, maybe, just maybe, she could mitigate her punishment.

Seda’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t dismiss Elizabeth’s claim outright. Instead, she leaned back slightly, signaling that she was open to hearing more.

“Continue…”

Elizabeth knew that now was her chance. If she could convince them that Akuma had a hand in this, she might just avoid the worst of Emma’s wrath. She took a deep breath, her mind racing to find the right words to sway the judges in her favor.

“It was Akuma who gave this quest to Adriel. He even made sure that none of us would interfere with it…” Elizabeth began, her voice gaining a bit of confidence as she laid out her case.

Seda listened carefully, but her expression remained skeptical.

“Akuma may be a troublemaker, and we know we’ll have to deal with him eventually, but why would he act now? Besides, all of the girls and that guy were after Norisa, not Adriel. And let’s not forget that Adriel tried to explain this to you, but you kept attacking him…” Emma started to protest.

“I know… I was wrong, so very wrong… but they were after Adriel too. They wanted to sell him for a good price… Maybe Akuma was planning to make some money off our Adriel.” Elizabeth’s voice trembled slightly, but she pressed on.

She knew that even though Seda wasn’t as emotionally driven as she was, the safety of Adriel had a way of stirring emotions in Seda too.

Seda’s gaze softened just a fraction as if Elizabeth’s words were beginning to penetrate her logical exterior.

“Well… I do have some information that Akuma is currently in hiding from a girlfriend he put in a cell. Maybe he needs money to stay hidden.”

Elizabeth’s mind raced as a new idea sparked.

“Then… how about this for my punishment? I’ll go after Akuma’s girlfriend… alone. Once I find her, we can sell Akuma’s location to her.”

“That wouldn’t be a punishment at all!” Emma interjected, clearly unimpressed with the suggestion.

Seda held up a hand, silencing Emma.

“Hmm… I see where you’re going with this, Elizabeth. You will track down Akuma’s girlfriend, but until you find her and sell Akuma’s location, you’re not allowed to interact with Adriel in any way.”

“Please… she deserves a harsh punishment…”

“Emma…”

“She hurt Adriel just because she went crazy…”

Emma wanted to get rid of Elizabeth for a while.

That way, she would have one less opponent competing for Adriel’s attention.

(That wretched Elizabeth.)

“Emma… you would have done the same if that picture had been sent to you. Elizabeth needs to be punished, but that doesn’t mean it has to be that harsh!”

“I… I agree…”

Elizabeth wasn’t happy at all, but the outcome was better than she had hoped.

Instead of being unable to interact with Adriel for an entire month, she only had to complete a quick task and then return.

(I’ll finish it in a day… hehehe… maybe even less than that…)

“But —” Emma started to protest again, her voice sharp with disagreement.

“That’s my final decision. It’s all settled for now,” Seda declared, her tone brooking no further argument.

Even Emma, as upset as she was, had no choice but to withdraw. The final word came from the strongest, and in this case, that was Seda.

With that, the judgment ended, and Elizabeth was left to contemplate the task ahead of her, the weight of Seda’s decision still suppressing her.