C54
¡Bang Bang Bang!
The sound of the judge's gavel striking slowly three times in a row drew attention.
"There was an involuntary mishap, but please remain silent. Please return to your seats now."
When the conversation settled down, and I sat down, the judge spoke again.
"I have listened carefully to the testimony of the two witnesses. It seems that the defense has no witnesses to summon or evidence to present on this matter."
The audience listened attentively to the judge's next words as the verdict approached slowly. But what came out of his mouth was completely different from their expectations.
"It's too late, so today's trial will end here."
For those who were expecting the trial to end today, it was like a bolt from the blue.
"The next date will be two days from now, at 2 p.m. You can all go back. Thank you for your effort."
"What? I thought it would end today."
"It got cut off during a very exciting part."
The judge hurriedly left the room, leaving behind people making loud noises.
I looked back and thought.
"It seems he has decided that it's no longer his role to control the situation."
It was a trial that discussed the fertility of Leandro, the heir of the great Duke Cassius. Neither the judge nor the emperor would have expected a serious issue to arise in this trial.
It is a very delicate matter. It can have a significant impact on the succession structure of the Cassius family.
From the moment the judge first heard this story, he must have been deeply concerned about the emperor's intentions, Cassius's reaction, and the social repercussions that would stem from it. So, let's postpone the conclusion for now.
Perhaps I should ask the emperor first in secret. How do you want to handle this? Or he can convey his meaning there first.
"Anyway, it's not important now."
It is a fact that today's trial has come to an end. It is an area where I cannot touch the judge or the emperor.
"Young Duke, it's okay. We just have to quickly return to the mansion and prepare a response."
Farrell stood up and comforted Leandro. There was a slight sneer in his eyes as he passed by us and glanced sideways.
A smile that seems to suggest that no matter how much you run, luck in the end is with Cassius. The leisure of a believer in the luck goddess named Liena.
"I'm sorry."
Sharon spoke to me in a weak voice.
"I wanted to finish it today if possible, but I'm not good at that."
"Don't blame yourself too much."
"It's because I'm angry. I wanted to help you as much as you recognized me. But…"
She whispered softly.
"In the end, it turned out just as Ethel-ni expected."
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.
"I know. The head butler barely got halfway, but the end was what I expected."
I knew it would be like this. Of course, the best outcome would have been for the divorce to be decided in the circumstances that prevailed for us.
"But how can things be so easy in this world?"
The judge was also an ordinary human who backed off when faced with a problem that escaped his control.
Certainly, the words exchanged between the judge and the emperor were areas I couldn't touch, but that didn't mean I had nothing to do.
"Come on, let's go back quickly. It's time to end this struggle."
I gathered my things and left the room with Sharon. As it was a trial with a large audience, the guards considered allowing the plaintiff and defendant to leave first.
Therefore, I could face the audience before they overflowed. Leandro and Farrell, whom I had just seen, and the Cassius family waiting for them outside.
Duke Cassius looked at me and rolled his eyes.
"What did you do to seduce Kayden?"
In the duke's mind, I was already an evil woman who corrupted the innocent butler.
"Seeing you ask those questions calmly, I guess you haven't heard the whole trial yet."
As if what I said was true, Leandro looked away, and Farrell frowned.
Of course, it's not easy to say it. The news that his son was once again under shameful suspicion.
"Well, talk about it step by step with your family. I have separate matters."
I declared, looking directly at the duke.
"I'll see you at the Cassius residence tomorrow at 10 a.m."
"Who agreed to that?!"
"Don't want to? I'll go with Mr. Kayden."
"…!"
"Soon, a lot of people will come out. For them, we are an interesting spectacle. Especially your son."
The duke looked at Leandro. His complexion still wasn't good.
"Anyway, we won't be able to talk quietly here, so please let me visit you tomorrow. I'll also bring Mr. Kayden, with whom the Duke would like to talk more at this moment."
"Ethel Wallace, you..."
"If you don't want to, you can stay here and act like a monkey in the zoo. I'm leaving."
An angry voice escaped from the duke's teeth.
"Fine. Make sure to come to Cassius tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you."
Truth be told, my legs were trembling. After all, he was a man with two terrifying nicknames: war demon and duke demon.
The force he emitted on his own felt like it would crush an ordinary person like me. To not show weakness, I used all the strength I had to maintain an upright posture.
"That's what I expected."
"Hmph! Let's go."
Duke Cassius swirled his cape and led his family toward the main gate of the court.
"Sister-in-law."
Liena remained in her seat, looking at me as if she had something more to say.
"Liena!"
However, she also had to turn her back on her father's support.
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Plaintiff's waiting room.
About ten minutes after Sharon and I returned here, the butler and Laura also appeared.
Although we couldn't secure a tangible victory, the atmosphere was quite good. Not only did the head butler act confidently in front of the speakers' table, but in the end, we took full control of the trial.
I grabbed the hand of the head butler and shook it.
"He arrived safe and sound!"
The butler who appeared afterward seemed like an angel or a saint. It was as if there was a halo above his head.
The butler laughed as if embarrassed.
"I'm sorry. Because I got caught."
"No. As long as the results are good, everything will be fine."
"I heard that you arranged a meeting for tomorrow morning."
"Yes, I informed him earlier, but if he doesn't want to, I can go alone."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I can't do that. As the father of that child, it's a past I'll have to face someday."
We were planning to negotiate tomorrow at the Duke Cassius's house.
"Let's make his nose very flat."
My determination flared up, remembering Duke Cassius, who completely forgot the mistakes he had made and accused the butler of being a traitor.
"Well, but..."
I looked toward the door that was no longer open behind the butler.
"Where's Tay?"
Terence must have used his power since the head butler arrived at the court on time, but for some reason, I couldn't see him.
The butler's expression darkened.
"He..."
After hearing his continued story, I ran out of the waiting room.
-----------------------
I ran through the garden behind the Central Courtyard. Colorful flowers with fragrant aromas welcomed me, but I wasn't interested.
I think it's around here...!
When asked about Terence's whereabouts, the butler replied.
"He accompanied me to the front of the court, but after letting me into the building, he disappeared somewhere. He asked me to tell Ethel-nim to go back first after the trial."
It was a comment that didn't seem special at all. Terence isn't an idle person, and he might have left because something else came up.
But what can I say, there was an anxiety that made me hesitate. For some reason, it didn't seem like he would stop watching the trial easily.
"You said you were looking forward to the hearing, said you thought my plan was interesting, and actively cooperated in repurchasing the jewels."
Terence's face as he smiled blinked in my mind.
I asked the head butler for details on how he got here. The butler seemed embarrassed, but at the same time, he confessed the truth, relieved.
"He asked me to keep it a secret because you would be worried, but in reality..."
Terence is not in good condition because he used a lot of power to find the head butler.
"If it's the water Terence has been drinking, it's probably the medicinal tea I prepared for him."
The medicinal tea has the effect of relieving the headaches Terence suffers after using his powers.
It's definitely better than not drinking anything.
"But it's not all-powerful!"
The medicinal tea was excellent for getting rid of the headaches he regularly felt, but not enough when he used his power. Even more so when a lot of power was used.
When Mikhail, the male protagonist of the novel, consumed a lot of his power, he went to Liena instead of the medicine cart. Because she, blessed by the goddess, was the fundamental solution.
"If we look at the fact that he brought the head butler here, it's probably not a serious condition."
My reason was telling me that, but my concerns did not diminish. I headed to this place where I could feel the strongest nature in the area.
A similar situation appears in the novel. The scene where Terence hides in the forest after excessively using his powers.
If it was some kind of ingrained habit, there was a high possibility that he would come to this garden this time too.
"Have you heard the news? The divorce trial of Duke Cassius."
"Of course. Everyone is going crazy about it now."
I quickly hid among the bushes when I heard the sound of people talking.
"I came prepared, but be careful, be careful."
Currently, I'm dressed differently than I was during the trial. This was the clothing Sharon gave me when she caught me while I was fleeing.
"Who is in the spotlight these days? If you're going, wear these and use a hat!"
That was the outfit I packed to elude journalists when necessary. For a moment, my thoughts didn't reach that point. I'm too agitated too.
Two people who looked like judicial officials passed by, absorbed in their conversation.
"Even the grand Duke Cassius can be really petty."
"I know. Didn't he lie for his employer? Wasn't he fired for causing trouble during the trial?"
"But is that really true? That the young duke can't work at night."
"Those kinds of things were said before. At that time, Cassius was trying with all his might to silence the rumor..."
I didn't hear anything more because they moved away from where I was.
In any case, public opinion seemed quite unfavorable to Cassius.
Exactly what I expected.
But there was no movement in the corners of my mouth. Strangely, I wasn't very happy.
"Ugh."
I need to find Terence quickly.
"Why that sigh? Aren't these good news?"
A familiar voice fell from above. The source of the sound was the treetop right next to me.
"Tay!"
Terence was sitting on a thick branch. The leaves were dense, so if you looked closely, you could see his form.
"You're here!"
"Why did you come?"
"... What?"
For some reason, his voice sounded cold.
"Didn't you hear the message that you should go back first?"