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Chapter – 30
I knew this would happen. That’s why, instead of pushing for an amicable divorce, I had prepared for trial. I clicked my tongue as I looked at Rozenny.
“How shameless—being the at-fault spouse and still expecting a share of the property. It’s beyond bold.”
I even felt disgusted. How could someone be so consistently shameless?
“Anyway! You should divide the property! The judge seems to have forgotten in all the chaos, so please make a ruling on the assets immediately!”
“Hrm… division of property…”
Only then did the judge start scanning through the documents he had been organizing.
“Your statement, counsel.”
I had expected this. Rozenny had told her ex-fiancé—and my client—Chesper that she would receive a large portion of the property after the divorce. But…
“As you can see, Rozenny Gelas contributed nothing to the increase of Baron Taylor’s estate. On the contrary, she spent recklessly and wasted the assets.”
“When did I ever!”
“The documents have already been submitted.”
For a moment, Rozenny glared at the Baron.
“You kept records of everything I spent?!”
“No. My client didn’t provide any information herself. I only received a detailed account of the items Rozenny purchased at a well-known salon in the Empire.”
“H-How could you get that?!”
“With the help of an associate.”
The Emperor had personally handed it over. For the happiness of his close friend, and to make sure that friend wasn’t just helplessly crushed like a dry chestnut, the Emperor had intervened.
He gave it on the same day we submitted the divorce petition to the court. Seeing such documents prepared so quickly made me acutely aware of the Emperor’s power.
And the documents themselves were terrifying. Rozenny’s weekly expenses exceeded what ordinary citizens could live on for five years. She celebrated everything: her birthday, her debutante anniversary, her wedding anniversary, even the day she was proposed to—all while bleeding Baron Taylor of money.
I hadn’t expected it to be this extreme, so when I first received the documents, I was utterly shocked.
The judge, upon receiving the documents, immediately furrowed his brow.
“Is this real?”
“Yes. Every detail is true. And this only includes what she spent at the salon—nothing else.”
The judge’s gaze slowly moved toward Rozenny.
“You spent quite extravagantly, Rozenny Gelas.”
“W-What does that have to do with property division!”
Rozenny, faced with the judge’s cold stare, could only sputter in anger.
“I only did what my husband told me—spend freely with the money he gave me! That has nothing to do with property division!”
I spoke up quickly to point out the reality to foolish Rozenny.
“It does matter. Property division considers one’s contribution to increasing the assets. Over the five years of your marriage, you didn’t contribute to the estate’s growth—you only indulged in luxury. Therefore, you have no share of the assets accumulated over those five years. As evidence, we submitted documents proving your lavish spending while you were the Baroness. Judge, please refer to Exhibit 3.”
“Hrm…”
After studying the documents for a while, the judge nodded.
“Indeed, Rozenny Gelas contributed nothing during her five years as Baroness Taylor. Therefore, Rozenny Gelas, there are no assets subject to division.”
“That’s not fair! You must divide his property!”
Like a child demanding candy, she flailed and cried.
“There’s nothing to divide! I lived with him for five years! And there was property accumulated before that—I should get that too! I’m not asking for just five years’ worth; I’m asking for the wealth he had before we married! Isn’t that what a divorced spouse deserves?”
“Property acquired before marriage is not subject to division.”
“W-What! That’s impossible! So you’re just going to kick me out?”
“Kick you out? No. You’ll be escorted out properly.”
“If there had been a child, you could have discussed alimony or even inherited property if Baron Taylor were at fault. But Rozenny Gelas, you are entitled to nothing.”
As I scolded her, the judge continued explaining the situation.
If there were a child, she might have been entitled to property. But there was none, and Rozenny had even been determined not to have children. Their marital relationship had been neglected. So the hypothetical of a child was irrelevant.
“Hah…”
Still, Rozenny stubbornly tried every way to get money.
“Then, alimony! At least give me alimony! Judge! I deserve it! I sacrificed myself for a man I didn’t love for five years! Even if I’d sold my body, I’d have gotten millions in gold—this, at least, is mine!”
How could someone be so shameless?
“Have you forgotten that you are the at-fault spouse, Rozenny Gelas?”
“What at-fault spouse? I just wanted to live with the man I loved. Why is that…”
“That is precisely why you are the at-fault spouse. Married people cannot be with other men. Do you think that’s acceptable? You may love someone, but a married person must not look at anyone other than their spouse.”
“So what! I still want alimony. Judge! Give me alimony. Considering all I went through, I deserve it!”
“Alimony is not awarded like that, Rozenny. And, this isn’t really the place to discuss it, but I had to decide when to bring it up…”
“What!”
Watching her rant, I smiled more brightly than ever.
“Don’t you realize that the man you claimed to love only approached you for money?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Are you trying to turn this against him?”
“Honestly, it’s unrelated to the divorce, so I didn’t want to say anything. But the man you loved—who you even hurt my client, Baron Taylor, for—was addicted to gambling. He pretended to die while trying to earn big money by fighting monsters. You didn’t know?”
This was a theory based on the circumstances revealed so far. But what came next would show whether my guess was correct.
“Lies!”
Her face hardened mercilessly as she shouted.
“No, that doesn’t matter. So what! It’s fine if a man gambles—what’s the problem?”
“Moreover, there was no memory loss. He remembered everything from the past. That fairytale story of him coming back after five years remembering only you? That never happened.”
“No, you’re just making things up to despair me. Why would I believe that?”
“Well, go check it. Even that he lived with a rich widow for five years—if you investigate, it will come out.”
“No! That’s impossible! He wouldn’t look at another woman!”
Normally, a judge would stop discussions unrelated to the trial. But this judge—perhaps because he specialized in divorce cases, or by coincidence—continued watching Rozenny and me with interest, having already encountered us in three hearings.
“Well, the man you call your only love—he flirts with any woman. If you don’t believe me, go sit quietly at the inn where he stays at night. Every day, he tries to charm different women, calling them ‘baby’ or ‘lady,’ doing everything he can.”
“Wha…? Baby?”
Apparently, the word baby was particularly special to Rozenny. Her face stiffened mercilessly at the mention.
“No… that’s impossible. He loves me so much!”
“Love is funny, isn’t it? But Rozenny Gelas, how did I figure all this out? The answer is simple: all of this came from the man who tried to seduce even me. He said he came back for money. And he said that you planned to get money by even killing my husband.”
Her face turned completely pale.
“What is this story?”
The judge looked at me as if highly entertained.
“No! I never said I’d kill my husband! That… that was just… he said that’s how he could get money easily. Surely I wouldn’t actually do that!”
