CHAPTER 47…………………………….
At this moment, I hated Pharrell almost as much as I hated Leandro. And his nonsense wasn’t over yet.
“Furthermore, the plaintiff hurled severe insults at the defendant in the main estate, in front of the defendant’s gathered family, simply because the defendant briefly forgot their wedding anniversary.”
I did call him an idiot, sure—but the way he said it made it sound like I’d screamed at him in front of the entire Cassius family.
I only said it when we were alone upstairs.
What Pharrell was claiming wasn’t exactly a lie, but it was a clever rhetorical trick designed to mislead the listener.
“The acts the plaintiff described earlier—such as investigating her or following her—are also nothing more than misunderstandings that arose during the defendant’s attempts to persuade her and improve their relationship. The defendant is in great distress due to the plaintiff’s series of actions, but he does not wish for the family to fall apart. The defendant still loves the plaintiff. Therefore, the defendant cannot accept divorce under any circumstances.”
The judge turned to Leandro.
“Do you have anything further to add?”
Leandro, looking noticeably thinner than before, opened his mouth.
“Even if I was busy, it is true that I was wrong to make my wife feel lonely.”
He cast a fervent gaze toward me across the podium.
“I regret that deeply. If I’m given just one more chance, I will try harder. Please… stop this divorce.”
The gallery stirred again.
Leandro looked pitiful—and sincere.
Did this man take acting lessons from his sister or something?
Of course, Rienna would have coached him carefully in preparation for the trial—teaching him how to win hearts by appearing weak.
More than five villains had already been ruined after picking fights with her, only for her to burst into tears first.
Just as expected, they weren’t easy opponents.
For a moment, my resolve wavered.
Could I really hold out against them without the head butler?
No. Trust Terrence. Wait.
Strangely, believing that he would bring the butler safely helped me stay calm.
I met Leandro’s gaze without flinching.
“You say you love me, yet you paint me as such a terrible person. If that is your love, then I refuse it.”
“…!”
Several spectators nodded.
The defendant’s side was inevitably contradictory—claiming love while simultaneously condemning me.
But Leandro had no choice.
I was exposing his faults one by one, and if he responded too gently, he would be cornered.
If we had children, he could have argued that we should endure for their sake—but we didn’t.
And he couldn’t claim something as shallow as wanting the dowry mine.
Nor could he say he wanted to preserve an alliance between noble families—because Wallace brought Cassius absolutely no benefit.
In the end, their best argument was this:
The real fault lay with me, so I had no right to demand divorce.
Yet despite that, Leandro still loved me enough to stay with me.
It could be interpreted as devotion…
But the moment the balance tipped, it would become unbearably awkward and dangerous.
I clenched my hands tightly.
I had expected something like this, but that didn’t make it any less infuriating.
What the hell is he even saying? This bastard…
Aside from calling him an idiot in anger, everything else was nonsense.
I would destroy every word of it.
After hearing both sides, the judge summarized the matter.
“It seems the key issue in this case is whether the defendant’s actions constitute grounds for judicial divorce under Civil Code Article 408. Plaintiff’s representative, if you have evidence, please present it and speak.”
Sharon stood.
“We request a witness: Laura Emerson, a maid who previously worked at Cassius Castle. She is the person who observed the plaintiff’s life most closely.”
Pharrell immediately objected.
“Objection! Laura Emerson is a maid brought from the plaintiff’s natal family. She is highly likely to give biased testimony.”
“Laura was hired by House Wallace only one month before the marriage.”
That was true.
Normally, when nobles marry and one joins the other family, they bring attendants with them.
Wallace was too stingy to hire even one maid properly, but they still tried to maintain appearances when marrying into Cassius.
“Furthermore, Cassius paid Laura’s wages for the last two years. Would she truly lie just to take the young duchess’s side?”
“She was recently dismissed from the ducal castle. She has plenty of reason for resentment.”
“She was dismissed unfairly, and the head maid acknowledged this and apologized. The matter was resolved amicably.”
With both sides clashing, the judge made his decision.
“It does not appear to be a serious issue. The plaintiff’s witness request is accepted.”
Pharrell’s brow twitched briefly, but he quickly returned to his rigid expression.
Laura confirmed her identity and stepped up to the podium.
Though nervous, she calmly accepted the oath.
“Oath. I, Laura Emerson, swear before the goddess Miela that I will speak only the truth, according to my conscience.”
Sharon began the examination.
“You served my client closely for the past two years, correct?”
“Yes. Lady Idel trusted me and made me her personal maid.”
Sharon asked various questions about her duties, and Laura listed them carefully.
They were buying time until the head butler arrived.
Watching them work so hard for me made my chest tighten.
I had to divorce—for their sake, too.
Finally, Sharon reached the heart of the matter.
“You were very close to the plaintiff. In your view, what was the usual relationship between the couple like?”
“Honestly… there wasn’t much to say. The young duke rarely sought Lady Idel out. I can count on one hand the times I saw them together outside of visits to the capital.”
“Truly? You served her exclusively for two years.”
Laura nodded.
“They slept in separate rooms from the beginning. They only ate together during special occasions. Many days passed without them even seeing each other.”
“Would it be fair to say they met two or three times a week?”
“At first, yes… but after half a year, at most two or three times a month.”
“And one of those times would be for Cassius family gatherings in the capital.”
“That’s right. And in months without family gatherings… they didn’t meet even once.”
Someone in the gallery let out a sigh.
No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t normal.
Pharrell raised his hand sharply.
“Objection! There are many cases where spouses cannot meet often due to special circumstances!”
“Your Honor! I am questioning the witness.”
“Correct. Unless it is a crucial rebuttal, the defense should refrain from interrupting during examination.”
In the imperial court system, interruptions were allowed.
But excessive use was discouraged.
In my position, delays would have been welcome—but right now, it was only interference.
He’s applying pressure.
Pharrell’s true aim wasn’t to win that objection.
It was to wear down the opposing side by constant attacks.
Using the Cassius name to intimidate a much younger lawyer.
Too bad for him.
Sharon wasn’t the type to be shaken.
If she were, she wouldn’t specialize in divorce cases—despite the poor reputation, threats from spouses, and unstable income.
Without wavering, she continued.
“You said earlier that they met two or three times a week early on. Was their relationship better then?”
“No. Lady Idel had simply… given up.”
“Please explain.”
“In the beginning, Lady Idel approached him many times. She asked to eat together, to go for walks. But each time, the young duke refused immediately.”
“So the distance was not by the plaintiff’s choice.”
“Yes! Lady Idel was always hurt. She even cried. One day she went to his office without notice, and he turned her away at the door…”
My tragedy unfolded through Laura’s voice.
Laura, fully immersed, reenacted the past passionately.
Honestly, it was exaggerated.
My tears had come from yawning, but she assumed otherwise.
Even when I denied it, she thought I was just embarrassed.
Well… it benefits me, so fine.
It stung to be remembered as a woman clinging desperately to Leandro, but it was a small sacrifice.
As the number of sighing spectators grew from one to five, my suffering tale ended.
Sharon asked a few more questions, skillfully batting away Pharrell’s interruptions.
Then—
“One last thing, witness.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“When the young duke rejected my client, did he truly seem that busy? The defense claims he was so occupied that there were months he couldn’t see his wife even once.”
“Well… I wouldn’t say he seemed idle, but I’m not sure he was that busy.”
Laura spoke thoughtfully.
“There were times when he was simply resting in his room, and Lady Idel came, but he said he wasn’t in the mood. Once, during tea time, Lady Idel appeared and he silently left for a walk instead.”
“My examination ends here.”
The courtroom fell heavy with silence.
Leandro’s treatment was too cruel.
In divorce trials full of severe grounds, this might seem mild—
But because Leandro had built such a good public image, the gap felt enormous.
The higher someone stands…
The harder the fall.
