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Chapter – 32
It was a bombshell statement that absolutely no one had anticipated. Naturally, the most dumbfounded of all was Baron Taylor.
“W–What did you just say?”
“I’m pregnant!”
Just as the verdict was about to be delivered, Rozeni screamed the words as if in desperation. Even the judge was forced to halt mid-sentence.
“……Pregnant?”
“Yes. You wanted a child, didn’t you? Th-that’s why I couldn’t take medicine even when I was sick. It was all because of the baby. Right, that’s why I endured everything. I couldn’t harm the child, could I?”
“…….”
Baron Taylor said nothing. He simply stared at Rozeni in silence.
“So let’s not get divorced. You can’t raise a child without a father. So…!”
“Rozeni.”
“Yes! Isn’t this wonderful? Aren’t you happy?”
“How many months along are you?”
Words like wonderful or happy never left his mouth. Instead, Baron Taylor asked in an ice-cold voice.
“About three months, I think. It’s our baby. You should be happy—what kind of reaction is that? Are you just too shocked? That’s understandable. We didn’t have a child for five years, after all…”
“Truly… truly…”
At that moment, Baron Taylor’s expression slowly changed. On a face that had shown no anger until now, layers upon layers of rage began to pile up.
“Huh?”
“Is this because you think having a child will let you get property division or child support?”
“How can you say something like that! Do I look that materialistic? Absolutely not!”
“Not?”
“Yes! You wanted a child, and now there is one, so I’m just telling you!”
“I see. Then you wouldn’t mind if I provided absolutely no support to that child, would you?”
Rozeni’s lips trembled violently.
“How can you say that! It’s your child!”
“So in the end, you are after my wealth.”
“Honestly…! You’re supposed to be happy.”
“Ha… truly.”
Suppressing his fury, Baron Taylor finally spoke in a much calmer voice than before.
“Rozeni. Even if I wanted to let this slide, I can’t. Just where did you leave your sanity?”
“What? What nonsense is that? Sanity? Are you calling me stupid now?”
“I’m not insulting you—I’m stating reality. Rozeni, we haven’t had marital relations for half a year already. And yet you say it’s a three-month-old child…?”
“Huh? Has it really been th-that long?”
Confusion flooded Rozeni’s once-confident face.
“You said I smelled, that I was filthy, that my lower body was disgusting. You said the marriage had been horrific from the beginning. You said those revolting things not that long ago. And then you said you couldn’t stand it anymore and forbade me from even touching you starting half a year ago.”
Incredible. After shredding someone’s heart with words like that, she still dared to lie about being pregnant.
“Th-that’s… I mean… right! It’s not three months—it’s been half a year, half a year. Haha.”
“And yet your belly isn’t showing at all?”
“…….”
“Stop lying. You’ll be exposed immediately.”
“So what! You can still get pregnant even without sleeping together!”
She looked like the Virgin Mary from a past life right in front of them…
“Stop spouting nonsense.”
Only now realizing the limits of her lies, Rozeni pushed out her lower lip.
“So what if it’s another man’s child? No—never mind. Let’s stop. Let’s stop everything. Your Honor, please deliver the verdict.”
“Wait a moment. Whose child it is doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“…What?”
“We can just raise it with love. Who cares whose child it is? You love me, don’t you? Is there anything happier than raising the child of the woman you love?”
How could someone say such things? Amazing didn’t even begin to cover it. Beyond shameless—this was a spectacle.
“…You really do say anything just because your mouth is attached.”
“Honestly, you’re happy too. You wanted a child, and it’ll look like me—how pretty would that be? So let’s not divorce and raise it as ours. Okay?”
“…That’s enough.”
At last, the judge spoke, having endured enough.
“I’m talking to him right now! Don’t interrupt!”
How shameless could she be? Even yelling at the judge, Rozeni forced an awkward smile. The judge, utterly dumbfounded, repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, deep wrinkles forming on his chin.
“Answer me! We can just keep living like this, can’t we? Huh?”
“You don’t feel even a shred of guilt, do you?”
“Huh?”
“No guilt about seeing that man behind my back, or about carrying his child. None at all. All you’ve done today is talk about yourself and act like the victim, haven’t you? If I’d received even one sincere apology, I might not have taken it this far.”
“N-no, I—I’m sorry. I’m just too ashamed to say it.”
She twisted her body coquettishly, smiling sweetly.
“So let’s not take it that far. Okay? We won’t divorce, right?”
“No. That’s not what I meant by ‘the end.’ We will divorce, of course, and I’ll receive compensation. What I meant was what comes after that.”
“Don’t be like this!”
“Your Honor.”
“Fel, why do you keep calling the judge? I’m not finished talking! When did I finish talking—!”
“If you continue causing a disturbance in court, you will be removed immediately.”
“No!”
The judge struck the gavel sharply.
“Rozeni Gellas is hereby ordered to be removed from the courtroom—”
“N-no! I’ll be quiet. I’ll stay still. I will, so… um… so…”
While she hesitated, the judge rapidly delivered the verdict like gunfire.
“The divorce between Baron Fel Taylor and Rozeni Gellas is ruled to be due solely to Rozeni Gellas’s fault. Accordingly, all assets she acquired through Baron Taylor during the marriage are confiscated and ordered to be paid as alimony. Furthermore, as Rozeni Gellas made no contribution whatsoever to asset growth during the five-year marriage, no property shall be distributed to her.”
“W-wait a moment!”
The gavel had already fallen.
There was no turning back. Nothing more she could do.
And yet, like someone clinging desperately to hope, she leapt from her seat and rushed toward Baron Taylor.
“Taylor. Don’t do this. Huh? Tell them to pretend this never happened. I’ll never ask for a divorce again. Please, please!”
“…….”
“I’ll live loving you quietly. Just don’t divorce me.”
“Stop it. I have nothing more to say to you.”
“No! I still have things to say!”
At that moment, Taylor looked toward one of the Taylor household’s knights nearby.
“Go immediately and sell all the furniture, dresses, jewelry—everything sellable—from the former baroness’s room. Also, from this moment on, strictly prohibit Rozeni from entering the barony.”
“Yes, sir.”
“W-wait! What are you talking about? Why are you selling my things? Why am I banned from entering?!”
“The court has already ruled, Rozeni. Those were all things I bought for you anyway. They were never yours—I’m simply reclaiming them.”
“That’s ridiculous! I have my own things! I do!”
“You didn’t even bring a single scrap of cloth when you married. What could you possibly have? Stop the nonsense and accept reality.”
“Fel!”
Baron Taylor didn’t even spare her a glance. He simply turned and walked away.
Desperate, Rozeni clung to his waist. In the end, it was the emperor—who approached after the trial—that forcefully shoved her arm away.
She collapsed onto the floor.
“Kyaaah!”
Yet no one looked at her.
Lying sprawled on the ground, Rozeni glared resentfully at the emperor and Baron Taylor.
“Fel, my stomach hurts so much. I think something’s wrong with the baby. You pushed me—I’m in pain!”
At that moment, Baron Fel Taylor looked at her.
“How is that my concern? It’s someone else’s bastard.”
“W-what…?”
The emperor added calmly,
“A woman who cheats while married, and a man who sleeps with a married woman. From that fantasy combination comes filthy blood. Do you think that child would be happy?”
“W-what did you say?!”
“So accept it, for the child’s sake. If I were that child, I’d choose death over being born to parents like that.”
“N-no…!”
There was nothing more she could do. The emperor’s knights blocked her path, preventing her from reaching either the emperor or the baron.
“I’ll spread rumors! I’ll tell everyone you’re a heartless man who abandoned a devoted wife! Fel—Fel! Please listen to me! Please…!”
Having lost everything she once held, Rozeni’s hysterical cries were all that filled the space.
