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Chapter – 21
Honestly, I had been a little worried. Would he really be able to speak freely in front of the Emperor?
But like someone who had been waiting to confide in another, Baron Taylor’s trembling voice began to flow.
“…Ha. I don’t even know where it all went wrong. My wife, Rosenny… she is a truly lovely woman. Our marriage wasn’t built entirely on love, but I loved her with all my heart.”
The Baron seemed ordinary at first, nothing special in his appearance.
Yet when he began talking about his wife, his face softened.
Eyes curved naturally, lips lifted with ease—he looked gentle in a way that almost made me feel warm inside.
“I had a crush on her. She was a commoner, the daughter of a small merchant who supplied food to our family. I had known her since childhood and had liked her for a long time. But Rosenny fell in love with another.”
Even while recounting the story of his wife demanding a divorce, he looked happy.
Could love really bring such joy?
I had always believed marriage was unnecessary, that happiness in marriage was rare, that spouses were often burdens or worse.
But looking at the Baron, my heart tingled—it was unfamiliar, almost alien.
“One day, I heard that a monster appeared near the capital. Rosenny’s family faced serious financial trouble due to issues with their supply business, so her brother took the lead to hunt the monster. Monster hunting pays well if successful.”
The Baron poured the hot tea brought through the servant into his mouth in one gulp, but I could not wait for him. The story had begun.
“But the plan failed. Her family, already struggling, now had to cover all costs for injured or deceased mercenaries. Moreover, her fiancé, who had gone on the hunt with her brother, died. Her family collapsed under the burden.”
I shivered at the thought of such a tragic household.
“I have to ask, as your lawyer, you must be honest with me… You weren’t involved in that, right?”
“Absolutely not. I’d stake my life on it. Though it may seem suspicious… I assure you, it is not my doing.”
He sighed, a hopeless expression on his face.
“I see why it might look suspicious. Even a murderer, hiding the truth, must tell the lawyer everything. So it’s truly not you?”
“Yes. From the start, the mission was reckless. Everyone worried, including me. I warned them against taking such a risk… but no one listened.”
His awkward smile trembled.
“Anyway… when I realized her family was drowning in debt, I decided to pay it off. Not for anything in return, just because… I liked them. I even paid compensation for the death of her fiancé.”
I felt my chest tighten. How could someone willingly pay off such debts, almost self-sacrificially?
“I never intended to force her to do anything. But apparently, her father and she felt burdened. One day, her father came to ask me to marry his daughter.”
“Marriage?”
“Yes. But you see… you cannot touch or see someone you cannot beat—someone already gone. Though I had loved her for life, I hesitated because her heart belonged to the fiancé who had passed.”
Yet, he smiled awkwardly, recalling the happiness of that moment.
“Then one day, Rosenny came to me. She said, ‘Let’s marry.’”
His lips lifted slowly, carrying a subtle yearning.
“I couldn’t believe it.”
“I was happy, I suppose.”
“Yes. But even so, I worried that I could never surpass the deceased fiancé in her heart. I had to feel jealousy toward the one who had passed. Still, wanting a brief happiness, I decided to marry her.”
He fiddled with his hands, then lifted his head.
“So we married. I wanted children, but Rosenny didn’t. It was fine. We were really happy for five years. But recently, she began to collapse frequently, felt dizzy, even vomited. I thought maybe she was pregnant… but it was illness.”
“Illness?”
“Yes. The doctor said medication over time would help, but she continued to waste away. Then, suddenly, she told me… she wanted a divorce.”
His jaw, marked with a walnut-like crease, trembled.
“Do you know why now?”
His eyes glistened as he spoke. I hurriedly handed him a handkerchief, not used to seeing a man cry.
“Rosenny said… even if just for one day… she wanted to live as his woman.”
“What…?”
“Her fiancé, who had gone missing after the monster hunt, had been seriously injured, lost his memory, and only now returned. She asked for a divorce to live, even for a day, as his wife.”
“Ah… if that’s the case… wouldn’t it be better to let her go? Her heart is already given to another. Letting her go might ease your pain.”
I spoke seriously, giving advice.
Even though taking the case would benefit me financially, my heart went out to him.
Still, he said firmly:
“No. I do not want a divorce. Even for a moment, she wishes to be that man’s partner? I cannot let her go.”
“If that’s your feeling, I won’t try to persuade you further. Your wife is already the at-fault spouse, so a divorce trial isn’t even possible. But if you have evidence of her affections for another, you can defend yourself.”
“I see.”
He stood and handed me a bundle of papers.
“Here’s the basic information and evidence that she maintained a secret affair with her former fiancé.”
I could only imagine the anguish of collecting this.
“Thank you. I’ll likely visit several times.”
“It’s fine, as long as she doesn’t get the divorce she wants.”
His intentions were clear.
“I understand what you want. Then, I shall go.”
A lawyer doesn’t persuade their client—they listen and act according to the client’s wishes.
Even after leaving the reception room, I found it difficult to step away.
Baron Taylor left a good impression, and that made me worry even more.
“Let’s return.”
“I… would like to hear Rosenny’s side of the story.”
“Even if you do, nothing will change.”
“If what she wants is truly a divorce, and being together is hell for Baron Taylor, it might be better to try persuading him.”
“So, despite pretending I wouldn’t take the case, it seems my curiosity is piqued?”
I flinched. Something in my heart pricked sharply.
