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Chapter 30
“Is it true that the plaintiff, Marchioness Radian Scanan, demanded a divorce from the defendant, Marquis Iriot?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Has your intention changed even now?”
“No, it has not.”
The people were impressed by Radian’s calm and steady answers, neither rushed nor hesitant. Even though there seemed to be no one on her side in this courtroom of over a hundred people, Radian showed no sign of nervousness or discomfort and remained composed and dignified. Some admired her, while others frowned at her ruthlessness, but Radian maintained her consistent attitude and continued the trial.
“Do you admit that the plaintiff caused a disturbance at Crown Prince Leonard Irehen’s engagement ceremony?”
“No, I do not admit it.”
“Witness, can you describe what happened at the time?”
At the judge’s words, someone stepped forward. A person both Radian and Iriot knew well—Viscount Ginadeon.
“Yes, I swear upon the Goddess Vasana that I will speak only the truth.”
Despite it being a holiday, Viscount Ginadeon was wearing his uniform. On his left chest, the insignia of the Imperial Knights gleamed. His intention behind wearing it was obvious. A witness in uniform naturally appeared more credible, but to Radian, it also felt oppressive.
Radian covered her mouth with her hand. As she quietly stared at Ginadeon, people thought she was nervous. However, she was actually trying to suppress the corners of her mouth from rising.
Of all people to present as a witness—Ginadeon. There must have been many other choices. The fact that Iriot chose someone who would inevitably be on his side proved that he wanted to end this quickly and decisively.
Unaware that this would become a noose tightening around his own neck.
“I witnessed everything from the beginning. Marchioness Radian Scanan deliberately used her appearance to isolate Duchess Shan Scanan and Lady Sylvia Scanan.”
“Isolated them, you say?”
“Yes. Whenever someone tried to speak to the Duchess or Lady Sylvia, she would divert their attention by speaking to them instead. It looked as though she could not stand not being the center of attention.”
“Marchioness Radian, is this true?”
“No, it is not. As far as I know….”
“I asked the Marchioness. You were not even present at the scene at that time, were you?”
The skilled lawyer bit his lip at the judge’s words and wiped sweat from his temple with a handkerchief. From the beginning, the judge had been repeatedly interrupting and preventing him from properly arguing his case, as if hoping Radian would make a mistake.
“That is not true. I was wearing a uniquely designed dress at the time, so people approached me to ask about it, and I merely answered their questions about the dress. I did not attempt to flirt or draw attention.”
“There are many unique dress designs released every day. Are you saying everyone was interested only in your dress?”
“My dress was a style never seen before—designed without the need for a corset, both comfortable and beautiful. I will submit it as evidence.”
The lawyer brought out a box from below, opened the lid, and showed the dress to the court. Wrapped in thin packaging, it was still beautiful and drew admiration from the audience.
“Hm… it is quite pretty.”
“True. If it’s that kind of dress, people would be interested.”
“It’s so beautiful. Can we ask where she bought it later?”
“Silence! Order in the court!”
The judge frowned and struck the gavel again, clearly displeased that things were not going his way.
“Witness, continue your testimony.”
“Yes. Even if it was not intentional, Duchess Shan, perhaps feeling hurt at being ignored, had some drinks. Then she lightly scolded Marchioness Radian, whom she regarded almost like a daughter. However, even though the Marchioness was not drunk, she cornered the unfortunate Duchess Shan and exposed the family’s shame.”
It was an extremely biased testimony. One could even doubt whether he had witnessed it himself.
“Can you specify what kind of shame?”
“Yes. Without any shame, she claimed her own virginity in front of many people and exposed her husband’s failings, staining not only him but also the entire ducal family! If she had even considered how much this would damage the family’s reputation, none of this absurd situation would have occurred. Women are more foolish and simple than men and often act without thinking of consequences, but Marchioness Radian took it to an extreme.”
The courtroom stirred. This was not a place with only men. There were wives attending with their husbands, mothers with their children, and young ladies accompanying their parents.
“Why would he say something like that?”
“You need to understand the context, idiot.”
“He’s not entirely wrong. There are studies saying women have weaker spatial awareness and are simpler than men.”
“Do you actually agree with that?”
“Ah, no, I… I basically think men and women are equal.”
“What a coward. Afraid of being scolded by women, so you won’t even speak the truth.”
The atmosphere quickly split into a divide between men and women. However, since many also felt Ginadeon’s remarks were excessive and unnecessary, most—except for a few men—began to side with Radian. The tide was not bad.
“Plaintiff, would you like to present your argument?”
“Yes, I will.”
Radian took a deep breath and began.
“Honorable Judge. Until that engagement ceremony, I was someone who loved my husband and sincerely respected my in-laws. However, after that ceremony, my life changed completely. You must understand what divorce means for a woman. Even events like the Viscountess Gracia case would not be surprising if they happened again.”
The Gracia Viscountess case had occurred over twenty years ago. Even though her husband had been unfaithful, the court ruled in his favor, claiming that the wife had committed one of the seven virtues of a woman—jealousy—and the woman took her own life with a dagger in the courtroom.
It was said that the bloodstain from that incident still remained somewhere in the court, and that on rainy days, her spirit wandered nearby, weeping.
“Men can remarry freely after divorce, but women’s remarriage is nearly impossible even after widowhood. After divorce, they live lives so miserable they are difficult to imagine.”
At her words, everyone nodded. In this world, even if a husband died a day after marriage, it was considered virtuous for the wife to enter a monastery and dedicate her body to God in mourning. No matter how good her natal family was, they would not accept a divorced daughter for the sake of honor. In the end, a noblewoman raised in a greenhouse, unable to earn her own living, would either spend her life donating enormous sums to a monastery or die miserably on the streets.
“Nevertheless, the reason I requested a divorce is to protect and honor the Scanan family.”
“What do you mean by that?”
It was absurd to claim that divorce—something that would inevitably become a stain in history—was for the sake of protecting the Scanan house.
If the duke had not been warned to keep silent or have his mouth torn apart after the trial, Shan—who was glaring as if he wanted to tear Radian apart—would have spoken at least ten times already.
The duke stared at his daughter-in-law with dull eyes.
“One year ago, after my husband confessed that he was physically unable to have children, I told a lie in front of the family—that I was the one who was infertile. It was a white lie, meant to spare them the pain of thinking their son was unable to have children. For a year after that, I endured being treated as someone who would end the family line, but I bore it with love.”
Thud. Radian struck the floor with her palm. The audience, who had been listening intently, gasped in surprise and widened their eyes.
“That was my mistake. After that, a deep rift formed between me and my family. I tried to fix it, but it could no longer be healed. My mother-in-law, Duchess Shan Scanan, also eventually reached her breaking point and said those things at the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony. Only then did I realize it was my fault. I should have revealed the truth from the beginning and discussed everything sincerely as a family. Even if it went against my husband Iriot Scanan’s wishes. But suppressed emotions eventually erupted, and we ended up hurting each other beyond repair. Even if I now try to restore our relationship, the emotional gap is too deep. I believe it is better to sever the bond than to try to untangle it.”
As she spoke, Radian found herself thinking strangely. The judge and the Scanan family, who had repeatedly interrupted or ignored her earlier, were now listening without saying a word until she finished.
‘What are they planning?’
“You said it is better to sever the bond than to untangle it. But is that only your opinion? Others might try to fix it instead.”
“The treatment I received in the Scanan household for one year was like an abuse I would have had to endure alone if I could not bear children. But if the responsibility lies with my husband, it becomes unforgivable abuse. Everyone was both perpetrator and bystander. Even if the whole family tried to mend this bond, no one knows how long it would take. However, I do not want to place guilt on my family for something they naturally feel. Just my presence in Scanan territory makes them feel guilty and uncomfortable in their own home. For that reason, I have not returned since the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony. And for the same reason, I earnestly request a divorce.”
Radian’s flowing, relentless words gradually began to persuade the audience.
“How can she think of divorcing the people who hurt her?”
“She’s just doing it for herself. Don’t be fooled.”
“No, idiot. What woman would divorce just for herself? Do you even know what kind of life she’d live?”
“I understand, but… to divorce for that reason? Just how kind is the Marchioness? It’s hard to believe.”
“She’s like a saint—no, a living goddess. I support her.”
“I do too. If this is truly what she wants.”
“Me too.”
Public opinion was rapidly turning toward Radian. As the murmuring grew louder and the proceedings became difficult to continue, the judge struck the gavel again.
Bang. Bang.
“Silence in the court. Defendant, would you like to present your argument?”
“Yes. I will.”
This time, Iriot stood. He looked at Radian with sorrowful eyes. That expression alone made people question the situation.
“I do not understand why this situation had to escalate to this point. I too tried to keep the secret until the end, but unfortunately, I now must speak, as it seems the honor of the family cannot be restored without revealing my wife’s secret.”
