Chapter 11
“I am here officially as the lawyer. Watch your words, Marquis Azbeck.”
He had been about to shout but his lips trembled.
“Respect the lawyer. This is a courtroom. Your power outside these walls doesn’t work here.”
“Yes, yes. Anyway, unlike some people, I don’t divorce to ruin the family’s reputation.”
“Yet, you’ve had children with other women and brought them here. That’s quite contradictory.”
“Anyway! I’m not divorcing. I can’t! Is bringing the children a problem?”
“Yes. It is a problem. Having relations with other women during your marriage, and not just one but multiple, is enough reason for divorce. On top of that, the Marquis’s wife cared for the children with love, yet she suffered verbal abuse from the previous Marchioness. That alone is enough.”
I approached the judge and handed over the documents.
“This is proof that the five children of the Azbeck Marquis have different mothers.”
“Hoo…”
The judge glanced at the documents briefly before looking at the Marquis. The review took much less time than before.
“Do you have anything to say, Marquis Azbeck?”
“Whatever I say, it seems you’ll grant the divorce anyway. Just do it. Go ahead.”
He shook his head in defeat. After resisting divorce so strongly, his attitude had suddenly changed. I felt unease creeping up again.
‘Is he giving up because none of the children sided with him? Or… is there another reason?’
It seemed more likely the latter.
“Then I will issue the verdict.”
“The divorce between Tella Azbeck, Marquis, and Lily Azbeck, Marchioness, is granted. The defendant, Marquis Azbeck, has had relationships with other women and fathered illegitimate children since his youth. Furthermore, considering the emotional abuse by the previous Marchioness and his neglect of it, the responsibility for this divorce lies with Marquis Azbeck. He will pay 70% of his wealth as alimony.”
Then, the Marquis chuckled. Even in the situation of losing the divorce and having to pay a huge alimony, he laughed.
A shiver ran down my spine.
“Do you have any objections?”
“No. Let it be so.”
The Marquis answered first. Seeing that, the Marchioness slightly glanced at me and pulled me closer.
“Is it… alright to proceed like this?”
“…Will you trust me just this once?”
“Yes. Let Rabiel handle it. This is enough for me. Just knowing my children… love me this much is enough.”
The Marchioness held the hands of Andria and the other children tightly.
I worried someone might be unhappy with this or side with the Marquis, but none of them felt sorry for their father.
“Thank you.”
“Does the Marchioness have anything to say about the verdict?”
“After the divorce is granted, I understand there’s a two-week grace period before it becomes final, Judge.”
“So?”
“I’m satisfied with the divorce approval, but I’d like some adjustment regarding the alimony. That’s why I request the two-week grace period.”
“Isn’t that enough?”
The judge squinted slightly at her insistence on checking.
“I believe the judge’s verdict is perfect. I just need to confirm a few things, that’s all.”
“Then so be it. It’s your right.”
The Marquis’s face darkened.
“Where is that written? Once a verdict is given, it should end! Why a grace period?!”
“This is also your right, Marquis. The grace period doesn’t mean the divorce is undone.”
“No… I want the verdict confirmed immediately! Divorce granted, alimony given!”
“Not granting the divorce or refusing alimony isn’t what’s happening, Marquis. It’s just a short grace period.”
Despite the judge’s explanation, he kept shaking his head.
“Why have a grace period! If so, give me the right to immediate enforcement too!”
“The party at fault always complains.”
“That’s…!”
“Regardless, the two-week grace period doesn’t undo the divorce, so don’t worry, Marquis.”
“No…!”
At that moment, I was certain.
“Something’s going on, lawyer.”
Andria whispered first.
“I can see that too.”
“You knew and requested this, right?”
“Yes. It was strange how he resisted the divorce but would give alimony so easily. We need to check.”
The Marquis slammed the desk in frustration when the judge didn’t react at all.
“Damn it!”
I stood, clicking my tongue at him.
“Is slamming the desk enough?”
“You… cursed woman!”
“I’m a lawyer.”
“Lawyer, my foot! You just talk too much!”
“But Marquis, it seems there’s an even bigger issue than the divorce. You look very angry.”
“Shut up!”
He ground his teeth and glared at us fiercely.
“Raising children is useless. Your wife is already in that state.”
“Mother, let’s go back.”
“You little brats! Are you planning to ignore me now?!”
“No. Father, since Mother is no longer the Marchioness, no one else is taking care of her, so we do it ourselves.”
Hearing that, the Marquis seemed speechless. He sniffed, turned his head sharply, and walked out.
I then urged the group forward.
“Let’s check the Marquis’s assets.”
“Can we really check them?”
I handed over the documents from the judge.
“Even with the two-week grace period, the divorce is confirmed. The alimony ratio is clear, so we can check his assets. I’m not sure if the Marquis knows, but submitting this to the court office will reveal all assets within hours.”
I immediately requested asset verification from the court office.
After giving a bit of money for faster processing, the results came in thirty minutes. At least for now, paying to speed things up was legal.
And what I feared became reality.
I took the document and went to the Marchioness and the children.
“There’s not a single asset left.”
“What do you mean?”
“There must be something. The family’s wealth…”
“Before Andria Azbeck inherited the Marquis title, the paperwork was completed. All the Marquis’s assets were transferred to someone else. That’s why he handed over the title—so that the assets tied to the title wouldn’t count for alimony.”
“Transferred to whom? If it’s to us…”
I shook my head firmly.
“He gave it to someone else to prevent a return lawsuit. If it were given to family, we could reclaim it through a lawsuit, since that would be illegal.”
So that’s why he appeared so relaxed all along.
The Marchioness finally spoke, biting her lip.
“What should we do now?”
“The chance of recovering it is extremely low.”
“Then let it go. I don’t need the assets. I now know how much my children love me, and I’m free.”
“No, Mother. We can’t let it go like that.”
“No. It would just be more trouble.”
“But we should still file a formal claim. It would be a shame to let it go.”
“What are the chances?”
Andria, holding her mother’s hand, asked.
“If the other party doesn’t acknowledge it, it could be a long battle. Honestly… maybe around 10%.”
“I don’t mind if it takes long. We’ll take care of Mother for the rest of her life. She’s had enough of the family’s wealth from childhood. But I’m angry Father did this. He didn’t want to pay alimony at all, so he handed the title to me instead.”
I nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Then, the eldest, Andria, gripped her mother’s hand firmly as if making a decision.
“The good thing is, the Marquis title is already mine. Even if Father appears as the Marquis outside, he cannot exercise any real rights. Lawyer, I want to file a claim for the assets on Mother’s behalf.”
