Chapter 42…………………………………………………….
The crest of the Leoc royal family was the symbol of the Kingdom of Leoc.
But just because someone was from Leoc didn’t mean they could display it freely.
In the Empire, the only person who could so boldly hang the Leoc royal emblem on a carriage like that was…
“It’s the Leoc ambassador!”
Sure enough, the soldiers surrounding the carriage were wearing Leoc military uniforms. They were the ones responsible for the embassy’s security.
The sudden appearance of such an unexpected figure threw the reporters into confusion.
“Is there a trial today that involves the ambassador?”
“I haven’t heard anything like that!”
Judging by the carriage, this wasn’t a personal errand. The ambassador was here in an official capacity.
If the ambassador himself had come all the way to the courthouse, that was a scoop.
Not only the journalists, but even the citizens fixed their attention on the white carriage entering through the main gate.
Soon, the door opened, and the ambassador emerged. The reporters tried to approach despite being restrained by Leoc soldiers.
“Ambassador! What brings you to the courthouse today?”
“Is there some kind of diplomatic conflict between the Empire and the Kingdom of Leoc?!”
The ambassador smiled gently.
Those who knew him even a little found it strange.
He was always stiff and formal, never one to show even a hint of looseness. Was something good happening?
“No. Today, my role is simply to escort an important person here.”
An important person?
Who could possibly be important enough that even the Leoc ambassador would personally escort them—someone said to be untouchable even by the Emperor?
“Allow me to introduce her. My benefactor… and an honored guest of the Kingdom of Leoc.”
A woman soon stepped down from the carriage.
The people who saw her could only gasp in shock.
Someone completely unexpected—
No, someone they had expected to come… just not from there, not in this way.
Pink hair like spring blossoms.
Eyes like emerald jade.
The very woman whose portrait had appeared countless times in the newspapers lately.
“Th-that’s… Idel Cassius…?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
The woman in a simple yet elegant white dress spoke.
“I am Idel Cassius. And I am also someone who intends to remove the name ‘Cassius’ from mine at last.”
Before anyone could even react, the ambassador continued.
“There is one more person I wish to introduce here today. Come now—step forward.”
Another unexpected figure…?
That thought flashed through everyone’s mind.
But no one recognized the young woman who descended next.
The ambassador looked at her with indescribable tenderness.
“This child is my daughter, Diana… whom I lost more than twenty years ago.”
Everyone was stunned.
There was no one here who didn’t know the story of the Leoc ambassador’s missing daughter.
He had searched for her desperately for years.
The ambassador’s daughter had returned.
A scoop no less sensational than the divorce of the Cassius couple.
The reporters, driven by professional instinct, immediately fired off questions.
“Where did you find Miss Diana?”
“How were you certain she was truly your daughter?”
“Now that you’ve found her, will you be returning to your homeland?”
Then, one reporter asked the question that pierced straight to the heart of the matter.
“Is Miss Diana’s return connected to Lady Idel Cassius?”
The ambassador nodded without hesitation.
“Yes. Lady Idel is the one who found my daughter and personally brought her back to us. She is the benefactor of my lifetime.”
The shock only continued.
People stood there dumbly, mouths open, overwhelmed by the flood of new revelations.
“I have also informed the Leoc royal family of this. His Majesty the King was overjoyed to hear that his cousin has been found.”
The reporters snapped back to their senses, scribbling furiously into their notebooks.
“He has urged me to return as soon as possible to show him my daughter’s face, so I expect I will be leaving my post temporarily. I will not be resigning as ambassador. Ah, and the Leoc royal family has formally invited Lady Idel as an honored guest.”
That was why the ambassador had called her a guest from the start.
Idel Cassius truly was an honored guest of the Leoc royal family.
“I have a duty to look after Lady Idel until she visits Leoc. And should my benefactor ever require assistance, I am willing to provide it—of any kind.”
That last sentence carried weight.
It sounded almost as though he meant he would even involve himself in Idel’s personal matter of divorce.
The ambassador gave an order to his soldiers.
“Escort her safely inside.”
“Yes!”
The Leoc soldiers moved in perfect formation, clearing a path through the crowd.
Idel walked calmly under their protection.
Only then did the reporters remember all the questions they had been waiting to ask her, and they surged forward.
“Just one question! How do you feel right now?”
“Could you explain in more detail how you found Miss Diana—”
“Do you truly have no intention of withdrawing your decision to divorce?!”
But Idel didn’t spare them a single glance.
She exchanged only quiet nods with the ambassador and his daughter.
Before entering, she left just one sentence behind.
“Everything will be made perfectly clear in court.”
For the reporters—most of whom weren’t allowed inside—the suspense was unbearable.
* * *
“It’s like a marketplace out there.”
I muttered, glancing toward the chaos outside.
“Since not just anyone can enter the courthouse, you should be able to rest assured.”
Vineta, who had been beside me, returned wearing a plain white shirt after removing her Leoc uniform jacket.
She had blended unnoticed among the soldiers and entered with me.
“You could’ve gone ahead with Sharon and prepared first.”
“A guard must always stay at your side. Don’t think of separating me again like last time.”
She was referring to when I’d brought Anna to the ambassador’s residence.
“That was because Anna was so intimidated by me…”
With Vineta—quiet and armed with a sword—right beside me, I worried Anna might panic.
“So what? We’re together now.”
“From now on, I’ll accompany you even to the restroom.”
“That’s a bit—”
“I’m joking.”
“…You can joke?”
We continued our light conversation as we headed toward the assigned waiting room.
But at the far end of the corridor, someone stood as if waiting for us.
“Madam.”
It was Leandro Cassius, clinging like a leech.
“Would it kill you to go to your own waiting room and sit quietly?”
Leandro ignored my words completely and said only what he wanted.
“Even if you were forced into marrying me… I will make you happy from now on.”
Good grief.
This man truly only thought about himself.
“I’m tired of talking. See you in court.”
“Just a moment. Please, speak with me—”
Up until then, I’d assumed another tedious back-and-forth was about to begin.
But this time was different.
“Brother, I have something to say to my sister-in-law.”
Riena suddenly popped out from behind him, staring straight at me.
“What? Riena, you?”
She smiled at her flustered brother.
“Yes. So step aside for a bit.”
“What are you planning to talk about—”
“I’ll persuade her properly. I’ll make her change her mind. Trust me.”
“…Alright. I’m counting on you.”
Leandro looked between us, then withdrew helplessly.
Honestly… what an idiot.
He couldn’t even handle his own divorce, so now he was leaving it to his little sister?
I already knew what kind of person he was, but still… all I could do was sigh.
Riena, whose intentions were impossible to read, stared at me quietly.
“Will you step aside as well?”
She was speaking to Vineta.
“That is not possible. I am Lady Idel’s guard.”
“I don’t know how you hired her, but she’s awfully loyal. Tell her to move away for just a moment, Sister-in-law.”
Truthfully, I had nothing I wanted to say alone with Riena.
But something felt… off.
Something was different.
I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.
She didn’t look that different from usual, but—
A vague instinct told me not to ignore this discomfort.
“Fine. But we’ll change locations.”
We moved somewhere with no foot traffic. The courthouse was large enough that it wasn’t difficult.
“Vineta, could you stand a little farther back?”
At my request, Vineta widened the distance.
Far enough not to hear us, but close enough to rush in instantly if needed.
“So. What is it you wanted to say?”
Suddenly, Riena clasped both my hands.
“W-what are you doing?”
Then her eyes filled with tears.
“I heard from my brother… about how the Wallis family treated you so terribly all this time. It must have been so hard.”
…So what?
“I understand how you feel. When I was at the orphanage, I fell out of favor with the headmistress too. She was a horrible woman. She even stole the children’s food money, so we were often left starving. I was beaten a lot too.”
I knew that from the novel.
Riena, being an unusually un-cute child, had been especially disliked by the headmistress.
Of course, after being adopted into House Cassius, she thoroughly punished the woman—exposing all her corruption and sending her to prison.
Well… before she could even rot there, she ended up dying at the duke’s hands.
Duke Cassius wasn’t the type to let someone live after treating his precious daughter that way.
“So I think I know what you want, Sister-in-law.”
Her grip tightened.
“You want to pay the Wallis family back, don’t you?”
“I’ll help you.”
“…What?”
“That revenge.”
I was speechless for a long moment.
Revenge on Wallis?
I had never once thought about something like that.
Of course, I hated them for how they treated Idel—and me.
But I didn’t have the heart for something as grand as revenge.
Besides… it felt like they’d collapse under their debts someday without me doing anything.
Rather than dwell on a bitter past, I wanted to move forward.
“I promise. I’ll take responsibility. I’ll help you with revenge, and I’ll make sure Brother treats you properly. Even if the marriage was forced… you actually like him too, don’t you?”
“So withdraw the divorce lawsuit.”
