CHAPTER 50…………………………………….
A short while later, the head butler was riding atop the horse being driven by the intruder who had stormed the carriage.
Clinging tightly behind the rider as they raced forward, he had a good idea of who it was.
“Tay-nim.”
The man who had come to Cassius Castle with Idel.
His exact identity was unknown, but Idel seemed to trust him, so Cayden had never bothered to ask.
A few days ago, when Cayden had visited the law office of the lawyer named Sharon, he had briefly passed this man at the entrance.
Back then, he had been wearing a hood pulled low, as if deliberately hiding himself.
“Speak carefully,” the man said. “At this speed, you might bite your tongue.”
The horse was running that fast.
Cayden asked the first thing on his mind.
“Are they dead?”
The image of the knights he had seen before fleeing flashed through his head.
Each one had been collapsed and sprawled out.
Cayden didn’t know what exactly had happened.
That ominous crimson light had stolen his vision in an instant.
After a few dull impacts—
Only this man had been left standing above him.
“They’re not dead,” Tay replied. “Killing them here would only make things messier.”
Indeed.
If several knights of the ducal house died, Cassius would never remain silent.
That much was obvious.
Cayden asked his next question.
“How did you know I was here?”
“…It’s complicated,” Tay said. “Just think of it as… I attached my power to you.”
“…What? When did you—”
“The last time we met.”
He meant the moment outside the lawyer’s office.
“Did you expect things would turn out like this?”
“I thought it was entirely possible.”
Then he added, without dressing his intentions up in lies the way Cassius knights often did—
“To be honest… unlike my employer, I don’t have a particularly kind personality.”
“I assume the worst first.”
Cayden swallowed dryly.
So he had suspected Cayden might change his mind.
“You were worried I might disappear after agreeing to testify… so you prepared a way to track me.”
“If that upset you, I apologize.”
“…No.”
Cayden shook his head.
“It was the right judgment. Thanks to that, I’m being rescued now.”
“Idel doesn’t know about this.”
“I told you, it’s fine.”
“There is nothing in this world that could make me resent her.”
“So don’t worry about it.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Looking up, Cayden saw the sun had already tilted noticeably toward the west.
“Can we make it in time?”
“Even if it’s impossible…”
Tay’s voice hardened.
“We have to make it possible.”
Though he said that, Cayden could tell time was dangerously tight.
Tay had clearly handed the cleanup over to subordinates and rushed out immediately.
And more than that—
“Are you… unwell?”
“You’re sweating…”
Because Cayden was pressed close behind him, he could feel it.
Tay’s temples were soaked, and his face looked pale.
“The tracking range was wide,” Tay said. “It was bothersome.”
“Don’t concern yourself.”
“This always happens when I use power.”
“But—”
“I’m truly fine.”
“And besides…”
Tay glanced downward and smiled faintly.
“I have holy water personally bestowed by the Goddess of Victory.”
The canteen hanging around his neck swayed with the gallop.
Back in the Courtroom
Forty minutes passed in an instant.
The trial resumed.
The head maid stepped up to the stand.
“I, Marianne Neuer, swear before Miela, in accordance with my conscience, that I will speak nothing but the truth in this court.”
Pharrell confirmed her basic information.
“Ms. Neuer, you are the head maid of House Cassius, and the chief overseer of all servants working in Cassius Castle, correct?”
“That is correct.”
“Though the head butler stands above me in title, he has withdrawn from active duty for some time, so in practice I manage the castle in full.”
“So, in other words, you are the representative of the servants?”
“One of my duties is to listen to each servant’s voice and speak on their behalf.”
“You were also close to the young duke and duchess?”
“By nature, yes. I am involved in most household affairs.”
“Then as the servants’ representative, can you describe what the marriage of the plaintiff and defendant was like over the past two years?”
How dare that woman…
Pharrell spoke smoothly.
“This is necessary to prevent the tragedy of a broken family. Please.”
What a performance.
She had come here fully prepared to testify, yet now she pretended reluctance.
Marianne began hesitantly.
“To begin with… I cannot say how Young Madam truly felt about life in Cassius.”
“She was a good person, but… she never really allowed us close.”
“We tried, in our own way, to bridge the distance between us, but all our efforts failed.”
“What efforts, specifically?”
“Um…”
“We offered gifts, but she refused them every time.”
“We invited her to servant-hosted festival banquets, but she rarely appeared.”
Then, with a downcast expression, she added—
“Our gifts and gatherings must have been too insignificant.”
In that moment, I became the cold-hearted woman who rejected the sincere devotion of her inferiors.
The shocking thing was—
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
Not exactly.
The “gift” was Rienna’s portrait, and the “banquet” was nothing but Rienna worship!
At first, I had tried too.
But how was I supposed not to get sick of it?
All I ever heard was—
How adorable, beautiful, brilliant, wise, kind, and silk-hearted Lady Rienna was.
Endlessly.
They brought new portraits and expected me to praise her too.
They held poetry readings—
And every single poem was about Rienna.
In the end, I had given up completely and limited my interaction with Cassius servants to the bare minimum.
My mouth itched to expose the truth right there—
But it wasn’t a good move.
People wouldn’t understand unless they lived it.
It was too abnormal.
Even if I said it plainly, they’d think I was exaggerating.
Or worse—
I’d just look like a petty sister-in-law who hated Rienna so much she couldn’t tolerate a little bragging.
Pharrell continued.
“How did the young duke view married life?”
“It is true that he was passive in his relationship with Young Madam.”
“He always felt sorry about it.”
“And why do you say that?”
“Because one day, he summoned me and told me…”
“He said that since he could not be by her side, I must care for her well and serve her devotedly.”
Ah.
So this was how they framed it.
The same words—
But completely romanticized.
As if him dumping his responsibility on others was some noble act.
After that, Pharrell questioned her in detail about our daily lives.
The intent became obvious.
“The young duke was always buried in work.”
“The capital? I’m usually in Ashton, so I don’t know much about his life there.”
“But I rarely saw him resting.”
In contrast—
“Young Madam stayed in her room often.”
“Oh, sometimes she attended book clubs.”
“Or went shopping.”
On the surface, it was about our activity range.
In reality—
It was criticism.
A husband working himself to the bone.
A wife lounging around doing nothing.
That was the image they wanted to leave behind.
The spectators’ gazes toward me seemed colder.
But… thank you, Head Maid.
You’re saying exactly what I expected.
I exchanged a glance with Sharon.
When Pharrell finally finished, she stepped forward.
“We also have several questions for Ms. Marianne Neuer.”
The judge asked if she agreed.
The head maid accepted without hesitation.
Her confidence was clear.
She believed she would leave no opening.
“Ms. Neuer,” Sharon began, “you spoke of the plaintiff’s lifestyle.”
“Did you truly speak only the truth?”
“Of course. Not a single lie.”
“How strange.”
“Can the mistress of a great house like Cassius truly be that idle?”
“That is because Young Madam was never entrusted with the duties of mistress.”
“And why not?”
“If the young duke serves as the lord’s proxy, then isn’t the lady of Cassius Castle the young duchess?”
“By custom, yes.”
“But custom is not absolute. Exceptions exist.”
Marianne answered calmly, as if she expected this.
“Young Madam was not accustomed to managing the inner household of a great family like Cassius.”
And she even had “grounds.”
“It is… forgive my bluntness…”
“But Young Madam’s birth family, House Wallis, is not well-off.”
“In noble families, children are typically educated in such matters before marriage.”
“But Wallis was too busy surviving day by day.”
“They could not afford such luxuries.”
Pharrell cut in smugly.
“We have confirmed this with Count and Countess Wallis as well.”
“We submit their written testimony as evidence.”
“And so Lady Rienna, who had long overseen the household, continued acting as mistress.”
Sharon asked sharply—
“If she wasn’t accustomed, shouldn’t you have entrusted her with the role and helped her learn beside you?”
“I am only a servant—”
Pharrell interrupted again.
“Your Honor, this exceeds what the witness can answer.”
“But since the plaintiff insists, I will respond.”
The judge nodded.
“Proceed.”
“Lady Rienna’s role as mistress was only temporary.”
“Once the plaintiff became accustomed to life in Cassius, the authority would be transferred.”
“The plaintiff was never told this in advance.”
“Is that so?”
“Then there must have been a communication issue.”
“It’s fortunate the misunderstanding has been cleared now.”
“Wait, what—”
“Furthermore, the plaintiff speaks as if this is unprecedented.”
“But it is not.”
Pharrell waved documents.
“Consider House Grain.”
“Due to the countess’s poor health, the count’s elder sister acted as mistress for years.”
“The plaintiff is perfectly healthy.”
“Then consider this.”
“The late Empress Dowager was foreign-born.”
“Until she learned the imperial language, the former Empress Mother fulfilled the role of national matriarch.”
“The plaintiff is not foreign.”
“But it was judged she could not immediately fulfill the mistress’s role.”
“Based solely on the word of Count and Countess Wallis, who are accused of abusing her?”
“At the time, there were no such accusations.”
“And there are countless other cases.”
He piled even more papers onto the desk.
The judge’s face tightened.
But Pharrell smiled.
“However, these are not direct evidence, so we will not submit them.”
The judge visibly relaxed.
He’s drowning the court in quantity.
Cassius truly had terrifying information-gathering power.
Not only had they collected obscure precedents from everywhere in a short time—
They had organized them flawlessly.
With Pharrell’s eloquence and endless examples, the judge and spectators slowly began leaning toward the defense’s logic.
Pharrell concluded confidently, tying his victory knot.
“From the complaint, the plaintiff argues she was treated so unjustly she could not maintain the marriage.”
“But she merely could not exercise the rights of mistress due to unavoidable circumstances.”
“In all other respects, she was treated with honor befitting a duchess.”
He cited my monthly allowance, Leandro’s gifts, and my lavish wedding.
“And not only materially.”
“The servants also sincerely revered and served her.”
The head maid testified:
“We always worked to ensure her life remained comfortable.”
“And under the young duke’s orders, we hoped to ease her loneliness even slightly.”
“If anything, we simply were not enough…”
Sharon’s voice sharpened.
“Can you swear before God?”
“That you never once neglected her, nor treated her disrespectfully?”
“I swear.”
“I would stake my entire being on it.”
“Did you truly see her as mistress?”
“Without question.”
Her resolve was flawless.
As if Rienna herself had trained her.
No matter how sharply Sharon pressed afterward, it was useless.
The tide had fully turned.
The head maid sensed it too.
And drove the final nail.
“Young Madam… please.”
“Please come back.”
“We’ll do better. We’ll serve you better.”
“So please…”
At her desperate plea, I closed my eyes as though resigned.
“Then… can you grant me one request?”
The head maid blinked, startled, but nodded eagerly.
“Anything. Just say it!”
“I want you to say loudly…”
“‘About the young lady.’”
“…Pardon?”
“Don’t ask why. Just do it. Please.”
“….”
She was the one who said she’d do anything.
And the woman who claimed she always served me “respectfully” couldn’t refuse.
“…About the young lady.”
“I can’t hear you. Louder.”
“About the young lady.”
“Sorry, louder.”
“About the young lady…!”
The judge began to speak, confused—
But Sharon raised her hand, stopping him.
“You promised you’d do anything.”
“And yet you can’t even shout?”
Provoked, the head maid finally screamed at the top of her lungs—
“ABOUT THE YOUNG LADY!”
And then—
A second shout exploded through the courtroom.
“PLEASE DON’T SPEAK THAT WAY ABOUT THE YOUNG LADY!”
That second voice—
Was not from the head maid’s mouth.
But it was her voice.
Her mouth hung open, frozen.
Yet her voice continued.
“On the surface, it sounds reasonable…”
“But Young Madam’s logic has a flaw.”
Now—
My voice.
“What flaw?”
The head maid’s voice again:
“The head maid’s authority comes from the mistress.”
“That would be true if Young Madam were the mistress.”
“But Young Madam is not the mistress, is she?”
It was a conversation.
One we had once exchanged in Cassius Castle—
On Lady Rienna’s birthday festival.
A conversation I had recorded…
Using the artifact that originally belonged to Rienna.
