C50
Some time later, the butler rode on horseback, led by the warrior who had burst into the carriage. He guessed who the figure running alongside him was.
"Tay-nim."
The man who arrived at Cassius Mansion with Ethel. He didn't know his exact identity, but he thought Ethel trusted him, so he didn't bother to ask.
A few days ago, when he passed by the office of the lawyer named Sharon, he crossed paths with him at the entrance, and judging by the hood he wore, he seemed to be hiding his identity.
"Please speak. Be careful because you might bite your tongue."
The horse was running this fast.
"Are they dead?"
Images of the Knights he saw before the departure came to his mind. They all lay lifeless and scattered around.
Even Kayden, who was on the scene, is unaware of the details of the incident. A dark red light of sinister appearance took away his vision for a moment, and after several blows were heard, only this man was looking at him.
"They're not dead. If we kill them here, it will only complicate things further."
It was clear that Cassius would not stay still if several family knights died.
Next, the head butler asked the question that interested him.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Well, it's a bit complicated, but I'll just explain that I granted you my powers."
"No, when...?"
"The last time we met."
He referred to what happened in front of the lawyer's office.
"Did you really expect it to turn out like this?"
"I thought it was likely to happen. Actually, that too..."
Unlike Cassius's knight, the man did not lie about his true intentions.
"I don't have a good personality like my employer's, so I suspect everything."
The head butler swallowed dry saliva. It meant that he doubted his change of heart.
"You were worried that I might disappear suddenly after saying I would testify, so you came up with a way to locate me."
"I'm sorry if I offended you."
"... No. It was a proper decision. Thanks to you, I was rescued like this."
"Ethel doesn't know."
"It's okay. It didn't hurt my feelings, so you can stop worrying."
"That's good."
Looking at the sky, the sun was noticeably tilting toward the west.
"Will we make it in time?"
"Even if it's impossible, we must make it possible."
The man said that, but the head butler easily realized that time was running out. Didn't he leave the cleanup to a subordinate who came with him and left in a hurry?
Moreover.
"Hey, where does it hurt? You're sweating cold..."
He noticed it because he was pressed against the man's back to avoid falling off the horse. He had sweaty temples, and his complexion was somewhat pale.
"It was a bit bothersome because the tracking range was too wide. Don't worry. This is what happens when I use my power."
"But."
"It's really okay. Especially for me..."
The man looked down and smiled gently.
"Because there is holy water granted by the Goddess of Victory herself."
The canteen hanging around his neck trembled.
* * *
Forty minutes passed quickly, and the trial resumed. The head maid stood in front of the conference table.
"I, Marianne Neuer, swear by the Goddess Miella that here I will only speak the truth, according to the conscience of my heart."
Farrell confirmed simple personal information.
"Mrs. Neuer is the head maid of Duke Cassius and the general manager of the employees working in Cassius Castle, right?"
"That's right. There is a head butler above me, but he has left the front line for a while, so I am actually managing the castle overall."
"In a word, can you say that you are a representative of the workers?"
"One of my duties is to listen to the opinions of each servant and represent them."
"Were you close to the young duke and the young duchess?"
"I suppose so. I am involved in all family matters."
"Then, as a representative of the employees, can you tell me how the marriage between the plaintiff and the defendant has been for the last two years?"
"How can I dare...?"
"This is necessary to prevent the tragedy of the destruction of the family. Please."
They are very good at playing. She presented herself as a witness with the full intention of testifying.
"First of all, I don't know how the young lady felt about life in Cassius. The young lady was a good person, but she did not allow us to approach."
Marianne began to speak hesitantly, pretending she couldn't resist Farrell's request.
"We wanted to reduce the distance between us and our young lady in our own way, so we tried many things, but all failed."
"What specific attempts were made?"
Oh… I used to give her gifts, but she always rejected them, and I invited her to banquets held among the employees every day of the festival, but she rarely showed up.
PleaseAdded this with a stern expression.
PleaseIt might have been because the gifts and events we prepared were nothing special.
At that moment, I became a heartless person who completely ignored the sincerity of my subordinates.
Surprisingly, what the maid said wasn't a blatant lie. It's not a lie….
"PleaseThe gift was a portrait of Liena, and when I went to the banquet, all I received were compliments for Liena!"
At first, I did my best to befriend them. But how could I not get tired of endlessly hearing about Liena?
I heard about how cute, beautiful, intelligent, wise, kind, and silky Liena was until my ears bled.
This isn't the end. They brought the new portrait of Liena and expected me to praise it as much as they did, and when I went to a poetry reading, it was all about Liena.
In the end, I had only minimal interaction with Cassius' employees.
I really wanted to expose the truth immediately, but it wouldn't be a good choice.
"You won't know unless you experience it yourself."
It's such an unusual case that even if you tell the truth, people will think it's exaggerated or won't feel much empathy.
"I'll be the only one who hates her sister-in-law so much that she can't listen to the servants' boasts."
Farrell's interrogation continued.
"How did the young duke seem to view married life?"
"It's true that the young Duke was passive in his relationship with the Little Lady. He always regretted that."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because one day he called me and asked me to. He asked me that no matter how much he couldn't be with her, please take good care of the little lady and serve her with the utmost respect."
They say that the words 'ah' and 'uh' are different, but that's exactly what it is now. The fact that Leandro left his work to others was portrayed in a very romantic way.
After that, Farrell asked in detail about our daily life. The intention behind the question was quickly revealed.
"The young duke has always been immersed in work. The capital? Well. I'm mainly in Ashton, so I'm not sure how it is in the capital. Anyway, I haven't seen him relax much.
Otherwise.
"There were many occasions when the little lady stayed in her room. Oh, sometimes she would go to reading clubs. Or shopping."
Nominally, it was to discover how different our behavior ranges were, but in reality, it was to subtly criticize me.
A wife who plays and eats at home all the time compared to her hardworking husband. That was the impression Farrell and the head maid wanted to leave on others.
It might have been my mood, but it seemed like the public's gaze towards me had turned colder.
"But… Thank you, head maid."
For saying exactly what I expected.
I exchanged looks with Sharon. When Farrell's brief interrogation ended, she left.
"We also have some questions for witness Marianne Neuer."
When the judge asked about her intention, the head maid accepted without hesitation. The confidence that she would never show any gaps was evident.
"Mrs. Neuer, you mentioned the plaintiff's life a moment ago. Did you really tell the truth?"
"Of course. There's not a single lie."
"It's a bit strange. Is it possible that the hostess of a large family like Cassius is so calm?"
"Because the duties of a hostess were not entrusted to the little lady."
"Why? Isn't the young Duke Cassius more than just the lord's agent, and the owner of Cassius Mansion is the young duchess?"
"As customary, yes. But that doesn't have to be the case. Surely there will be exceptions."
The head maid responded calmly, as if expecting us to delve into the topic."
"The young lady is not accustomed to managing the house of a large family like Cassius.
There was also a solid basis for deciding that she didn't know.
That's... It might be presumptuous to say this, but the Wallace family is not in a good situation. In aristocratic families, it is common to educate children in related knowledge before marrying them off. However, in Wallace, which is busy earning a living every day, it is said to be a luxury.
Farrell intervened sarcastically.
This is a fact that I have confirmed with Count and Countess Wallace. I will present the testimony as evidence.
That's why Lady Liena, who was in charge for a long time, continued to play the role of hostess.
Sharon asked a reasonable question.
If she's not accustomed, shouldn't she be taught and helped to get used to it?
How could a simple servant like me...
Farrell intervened again.
Your Honor, this is a question the witness cannot answer. However, since the other party is very curious, I would like to answer for her.
Proceed. Please speak.
Princess Liena Cassius has assumed the role of hostess for a limited time. It was planned that one day, when the plaintiff got used to life in Cassius, she would also relinquish the rights of the hostess.
The plaintiff never heard anything like that before.
Is that so? It seems there was a problem in the communication process. I'm glad that the misunderstanding has been resolved.
Wait a minute, what does that mean...?
Furthermore, the plaintiff speaks as if it's a huge problem, but in reality, it has precedents.
He pulled out several papers.
Let's look at the Counts of Grain. The elder sister of the count acted as hostess for several years instead of the ailing Countess Grain.
The health of the plaintiff is perfectly normal.
And what about cases like this? Her Majesty, the former Empress, was from a foreign country. While Her Majesty the Empress was learning the imperial language, Her Majesty the Dowager Empress at that time fulfilled her duties as the mother of the nation.
The plaintiff is not a foreigner.
However, it was reasonable to judge that it would be difficult for her to immediately play the role of hostess.
Do you only believe in the words of Count and Countess Wallace, who are suspected of mistreating the plaintiff?
Because at that time, there were no such suspicions. Also, there are many cases where someone other than the original hostess took on the role on behalf of the hostess due to unavoidable circumstances. Like in these cases.
Farrell piled up another stack of papers on the desk. The judge's face was tense.
However, it's not direct evidence, so I won't present it.
The judge sighed in relief.
"They compete based on quantity."
I glanced quickly at the copies of the stack of papers they handed us.
As expected, Cassius's ability to gather information was remarkable. There's no way anyone could have compiled such cases, but not only did they obtain a large amount of information from various places in a short period, but they also organized it clearly.
Thanks to Farrell's fluent speech and numerous examples, the judge and the public were gradually being persuaded by the other party's logic.
Looking at the contents of the lawsuit, it seems that the plaintiff claims that Cassius treated her unfairly to the point that she couldn't maintain a marital relationship.
Farrell declared as if concluding his victory.
The plaintiff just couldn't exercise her rights as a hostess due to unavoidable circumstances, but she was treated with dignity as a hostess in all other aspects.
Saying this, he cited examples like the monthly dignity maintenance fee I received, the gifts Leandro gave me, and my wedding, which was celebrated with such extravagance that it would be a shame to follow.
Of course, this doesn't mean it was only the material part. The people who attended to her really admired and served her.
The head maid testified to that.
"We always tried to make the lady's life comfortable. Also, I hoped that by following the young Duke's orders, I could fill the lady's loneliness to some extent. Seeing things like this, it seems it wasn't enough...
Sharon asked impatiently.
Can you swear to God that you never neglected the plaintiff or showed a disrespectful attitude toward her?
I swear. I can bet everything on it.
Did you really consider the plaintiff as your hostess?
Undoubtedly, yes.
It was as if she had received a complete acting guide from Liena, and she was determined and without a single trace of confusion.
Afterward, Sharon insisted on asking several sharp questions, but it was in vain. It seemed that victory had already completely shifted to the other side.
The head maid also seemed to have sensed the atmosphere and performed passionately as if she were opening a gap.
"Little lady, please. Please come back now. We will do our best to please the little lady. So please.
I closed my eyes like a person resigned to such a sincere appeal.
"Then, can you do me a favor?
The head maid seemed a little embarrassed but gladly agreed.
"Just say anything!
I want you to say 'about the miss' out loud.
"...What? Why?
Don't ask why, just say it. Please.
...
The person who said she would do anything with her mouth was the head maid. Moreover, there was no way she, who always attended to me "courteously," could refuse my request.
"About the miss."
The head maid murmured with a suspicious look on her face.
"I can't hear well. Louder.
"About the miss."
"I'm sorry, louder.
"About the miss...!"
The judge tried to say something about our conversation, which had no clear meaning, but Sharon raised her hand and stopped him.
"Did you say you would listen to all my requests, but you can't even shout?
She was starting to get irritated when I provoked her, and the head maid shouted even louder.
"About the miss!"
"Please don't talk like that about the miss!"
A loud shout echoed in the courtroom.
The second words didn't come from the head maid's mouth. But the voice was the maid's.
The maid's voice continued while the maid remained stunned with her mouth open.
"It may seem reasonable at first glance, but there are gaps in the Little Lady's logic.
This time it was my voice.
"What gaps?
The maid's voice again.
"The authority of the head maid comes from the hostess. It would be true if the lady were the hostess. But the lady is not the hostess.
That was a conversation the head maid and I had in Cassius Castle.
The day of Little Liena's birthday festival. At that time, I recorded the conversation with a device that originally belonged to Liena."