Justice Jaber raised his hand to signal, and the leading elder, standing on a wooden stool behind a trumpet-shaped megaphone, spoke:
"Your Honorable Judge Jaber, ladies and gentlemen, I stand here today to expose the hypocritical face of this human. She entered the country as a chef and dared to cook for Princess Sunny with 'cursed ingredients'—this is an insult to dwarves! I propose that she be permanently expelled from this country, taking her recipes with her, heretic!!"
The last sentence was addressed to Xu Milu, and the other six potatoes—no, the six elders—all chimed in in agreement:
"Brother is right, heretics! Expel them!"
"Big brother, second brother is right, expel the heretics! Long live desserts!"
"Eldest brother, second brother, and third brother are right. Expelling heretics is of utmost urgency!"
"Big brother, second brother, third brother, and fourth brother are right! Expel the heretics! Desserts are the world's treasure!"
"Eldest brother, second brother, third brother, fourth brother, and fifth brother are right. Heretics should be banished!"
"My brothers are right, expel them! Expel them, expel them!"
The short, stocky elders spoke in unison, pushing and shoving each other like a rolling plate of potatoes.
Xu Milu almost burst out laughing.
Is this really not some kind of big comedy performance?
"Silence! Silence!!"
Justice Jeb tapped his gavel and looked in Xu Milu's direction: "Ms. Milu, do you have any explanation for these accusations?"
Xu Milu suppressed a laugh, straightened her back, and said in a serious tone:
“Your Honor, the mandolin fruits I used for cooking are all non-toxic, so the charge of poisoning the royal family is completely unfounded.”
She looked around and said loudly:
"Elders, I have a question. If it is inedible, why do you still call it 'food'?"
The elder's expression froze; he clearly hadn't realized it was a paradox.
"It burns our throats, it makes our stomachs feel like they're on fire, it only causes us pain, it must be the devil's curse."
The elder patted his chest and said, "Using it in cooking would go against the wishes of our ancestors!"
"Today, I will prove to everyone that the plant Queen Missy has studied all her life produces a burning sensation that is merely a spicy flavor on par with sour, sweet, bitter, and salty, and is not some food cursed by the gods—"
Xu Milu unfolded the bundle in front of her, revealing various colors of mandolin peppers inside:
"Because I stand here, I am the most powerful proof."
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