C45
Is it just a coincidence?
Because Liena herself acted differently from her previous life, her fate may have changed through a chain reaction with unknown intermediate steps.
But still, there was something unclear.
Liena had also spent several years searching for the ambassador's daughter but had only discovered her name and that she lived in the capital. Even with Cassius' intelligence and her own connections.
There was very little information. In her last life, the ambassador did not want his daughter's tragic death to become a public interest, so he only exposed minimal information to the media.
And at that time, Liena was just a commoner. There was no way to know information that was not published in the newspaper.
However, Ethel found her. And that happened just before the divorce trial. As a result, maximum advantage can be taken of the ambassador's favor.
Is it really a coincidence? A terrifying assumption crossed her mind.
"It's impossible that she went back to the past like me..."
The accident that had continued without stopping suddenly stopped.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Because her second brother asked with a concerned expression on his face.
"Eh? Why do you say that?"
"You look a bit pale..."
"Oh! It's not a big deal. I was wondering how my sister-in-law found the ambassador's daughter. I couldn't find her for so long."
"If that's the case, it's here."
Leheim pointed to a corner of the newspaper.
"My sister-in-law's lawyer is a divorce attorney. She often advises people who want to divorce but are not in a good financial situation."
According to the article, the ambassador's daughter was among them, and Ethel saw Diana while visiting her lawyer's office. Thanks to her resemblance, she remembered Ambassador Leok's story and helped her find her parents.
"Did my sister-in-law know the ambassador?"
"I don't know."
Leandro tilted his head.
"What does my older brother know about my sister-in-law?"
A sharp question arose without him realizing it.
When Leandro was puzzled, Liena quickly added with a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to blame you. I'm a bit tired these days."
"When you get home, rest a bit. And this is just my guess... Maybe she saw him in passing when she passed through the capital for a family gathering. Ethel used to go out alone often."
Leheim agreed.
"That's where nobles get some fresh air."
"But Ambassador Leok doesn't participate much in social activities, maybe because of the loss of his daughter."
"It's not like he completely cut ties with the secular world. You also exchange greetings."
Indeed, it was a deliberate approach to get to know him in advance so she could find his daughter in the future.
Liena relaxed and put down the newspaper. Ethel's luck seemed quite good, but it was not an incoherent explanation.
"That's right. What was I thinking? Regression is not common."
While dealing with Ethel for the past two years, she never had the impression that she remembered her past life. It didn't seem like she was enveloped in the blessings of the goddess like herself.
Above all, regression did not provide a clear way to find the ambassador's daughter. If that were the case, Liena would have found her earlier.
But...
"I'll have to find out more about this later, just in case."
There's nothing wrong with being cautious.
"It's time to start."
At the Duke's words, Liena stood up. Anyway, it was time to focus on the trial that was just around the corner.
---
20 minutes before the trial.
I sat in the plaintiff's waiting room, took a deep breath, and calmed my mind. It was the moment I had been waiting for so long, but when it was in front of me, I got nervous.
I thought about sharing some comfort with someone who must be fed up and tired of it.
"Haha, you can do it. You can do it."
Sharon, who was sitting in front of me, seemed to be more nervous than I was and was murmuring something.
Not that I didn't understand. Sharon felt a great sense of responsibility for this trial from the beginning. Moreover...
I got up from my seat and opened the door a bit.
"Where is the second court?"
"This way."
People kept entering the courtroom. There are many. This may be Sharon's first trial with so many spectators.
Since my divorce and Leandro's divorce were a hot topic, there were countless people who wanted to attend.
As it is in name and appearance the second court of the Imperial Central Court, there are many spectators, and it is said that more than 100 times more participation requests were received.
"Originally, the audience members would be selected purely by lottery... Not today!"
I could barely contain the mischievous laughter that was about to burst out.
If you choose it this way, will it be filled with Liena's fan club members or Cassius' people?
Today's trial clearly took place under the influence of the emperor. And the emperor disapproves of Cassius, who has become too powerful.
According to Terence's secret council, those favorable to Cassius were eliminated in advance among the applicants. Additionally, the emperor intervened in the selection of the judges.
Of course, according to the principle, the trial is conducted by a judge unrelated to the parties involved in the trial. They should try to remain as neutral as possible.
"But as judges are also human, they have good and bad emotional feelings."
The judge in charge of today's trial is from the Balhail family. Balhail had been close to the Duke of Birod for generations, and Birod's influence tilted due to Cassius.
It's a relationship that can't help but be uncomfortable. However, the relationship is not so hostile that Cassius protests the impartiality of the verdict. Anyway, it wasn't bad for me.
Well... In fact, this was my interpretation of the situation as positively as possible, and of course, there was more than an element of anxiety.
"What the emperor wants is for Cassius to get into a dirty public fight over family matters, not a divorce."
The emperor only "accidentally" learned of the discord between young Duke Cassius and his wife through his son and took steps to ensure a trial was held.
Terence said he regretted not being able to provide more help from his father, but he made the right decision. From now on, it wasn't good for the emperor to know that his son and I, a married woman, were entangled.
"Even in the novel, the emperor tries to connect Terence with women from prestigious families. Although the villain, who has no interest in love or anything like that, didn't even pay attention."
In other words, the limit is that the trial was not favorable to Cassius.
And Judge Balhail had never presided over a divorce trial before. In other words, it's unclear what opinion he had about divorce.
Sharon said that, as a judge, one tends to be more flexible than rigid. I can only hope that this flexibility also applies to divorce.
"More than anything, the biggest problem right now is..."
Suddenly, a beautiful face appeared.
"Can I come in?"
It was Terence, leaning the upper part of his body into the room from outside.
"Oh, of course! Welcome!"
I felt it last time too; this person is very good, but there's something about him that often makes people crumble.
Upon entering the waiting room, Terence lowered his hood.
"There are so many people that even if I just blend in, it won't be noticed."
"If you blend in? Aren't you busy with other things today?"
"I'm done. I was in a hurry to see the trial."
"No way... are you an audience member?"
He responded with a cheerful smile.
"Yes. I applied and was lucky enough to win."
"Is this really luck? And you never said anything like that."
"I was planning to surprise you."
Then, he took a beautifully wrapped box from his pocket and handed it to me.
"It's a gift."
"Is it chocolate? Wow, I heard this is very hard to find."
Recently, the brand of a dessert shop that has been very popular in the capital has attracted attention.
"I had the same luck."
... Is it really luck?
"Aren't we going to enter into a fierce battle soon? It's a sugar contribution to give you strength."
"Haha, I'll eat well."
As soon as I took a bite, it melted in my mouth, and I could understand why it was so popular.
For some reason, I felt relaxed. When I offered one to Sharon, she said, "How could I eat one...?" while looking into Terence's eyes.
Terence opened the door, saying, of course, and his servant, Jack, who had been outside, entered holding several identical boxes in his arms.
Sharon finally ate quietly, and her eyes lit up with a face of ecstasy.
"This is how high-quality chocolate tastes!"
She seemed as relaxed as I was. Laura and others also took a snack to cheer up their bad mood.
"Really... thank you very much, Tay."
"Well. I just got lucky."
One thing was certain. This is definitely not luck.
The man, with a smile as if hiding a secret, looked around.
"But I can't see him."
"Oh... Actually, I was thinking the same thing."
I hardened my expression. It was because Cassius' head butler had not yet appeared.
"That's strange. I sent a carriage there two hours ago."
As there was no message even after the agreed-upon time, I asked Robbie to check, but Robbie also said there was no news.
At that moment, the door burst open. Robbie, with a pale face, shouted.
"This is a big problem! The witness tried to come here but was caught by the duke's people!"
Something was not right.