My Ex-Fiancée Is the Female Lead in the Romance Novel

10 – Trial (2)

The day for the breakup trial is approaching. As I watched the servants busily walking around the garden with umbrellas under the drizzling rain that started in the morning, I turned around at the sound of the maid calling me.

“Brother… Master? The coachman said he was ready. Please let me know if you are leaving anytime.”

“What about your father?”

“The Marquis is also ready.”

“Then let’s start right away.

I decided to go to the carriage first and wait for my father to come out. On the way to the carriage, I refused the hand of the servants who tried to put an umbrella on me, and I put on the umbrella myself and walked to the carriage.

After a while, my father also got into the carriage, and the coachman started encouraging the horse in a louder voice than usual, whether he wanted to give strength to the horse or to give strength to me.

Unlike other trials, the divorce trial proceeds without the presence of nobles.

It’s not that one side did anything wrong to be punished unilaterally, it’s because you can’t make the great nobles a spectacle for others.

The trial is held in one of the relatively small conference rooms among the various conference rooms in the Imperial Palace.

There were at most two people from the duke’s family, two from the marquess’ family, and three from the imperial family, so there was no need for a large room.

As I expected, it was quite crowded when I arrived in front of the imperial palace.

They parted like waves when the marquis’s carriage tried to pass by, opening the way.

The group was mostly reporters, and there were also commoners with no equipment in between.

In the old days, such an act of encamping in front of the imperial palace would never be forgiven, but as the times changed, it was not uncommon for reporters to wait in front of the imperial palace to quickly deliver news on important issues.

However, no matter how much they were, they didn’t have the courage to ask questions while pulling up a nobleman’s carriage, so they kindly cleared the way for us and let us go.

After getting off the carriage, the palace attendants guided us into the palace. Of course, we knew where the meeting hall was today, but we thought about various things as we followed the attendants.

“Cesar, did Her Highness, the 4th princess, really convince His Majesty the Emperor?”

“You have to believe it. Anyway, there is enough evidence that Seria was dating other men.”

“However, with that alone, it is difficult to establish a clear cause for divorce. As you know, infidelity is more common than you think in aristocratic society.”

“No. Besides that, there is one more.”

The Duke of Argenta has several interests in our family estate. Therefore, for me, it allowed me to keep track of the movements of the mines, guilds, etc., In which the duke had an interest.

I didn’t play for a week either. I gathered all the evidence and reasons I could gather. It is only up to the heavens how to decide.

* * *

When we arrived at the courthouse, all the Argenta family members had already arrived.

I felt faint at the sight of the Duke of Argenta for the first time in a while.

He was given the title of duke with only one military feat and reigns as the number one in the imperial military. Looking at his huge body and face covered with scars, you naturally shrink in front of him.

The duke confirmed that we had entered and then came closer to greet his father.

“Marquis, it is unfortunate that we met like this.”

“Duke, it’s too bad that I met you like this.”

The Duke of Argenta has a complex about his origin. Having a father, Baron Jun, he was criticized for all his actions after entering politics. And the word that those pointing out always used was the word ‘from humble origins’.

That’s why he always considers the most important thing to keep his prestige intact.

Of course, the expression on the duke’s face was not so bright when he participated in such an infamous trial. At a glance, it was obvious that he was glaring at me and his father.

“How much did the Argenta family do for Lombardy? It is to have such a wasteful trial held.”

“We are grateful for the kindness the Argenta family bestowed upon us. We look forward to continuing a strong relationship in the future.”

“Do you think we can expect a good relationship after all this?”

The Duke of Argenta said in an absurd tone.

After the war of nerves between my father and the Duke of Argenta calmed down to some extent, I could see Seria looking at me from the other side.

The feelings of resentment towards me dripped from her eyes as she looked at me.

Her brother was sent to the east due to the urgent situation on the eastern front, so today there were only two members of the Duke of Argenta, Seria and the Duke.

I just felt dumbfounded that Seria was looking at me like that, and soon turned her head to empty space.

As this situation continued for a while, the door to the trial hall opened and the emperor and princes entered one after another.

“Meet the Imperial Sun and Little Sun.”

As soon as the duke and father had the courtesy to the members of the imperial family, the emperor sat down and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Duke, Marquis Nice to meet you. It’s not a good thing, so I’m not in a good mood, but it’s better to go through the trial quickly.”

“Of course.”

The emperor looked lethargic and troubled with everything in the world today, just like before.

Could it be that the 4th princess failed to persuade the emperor?

I sat down at the emperor’s command, feeling uneasy inside.

“Now that everyone is seated, let’s proceed with the trial. Originally, it is customary to hit at least a hammer, but I hope you understand that I don’t have the energy to hit it, so it goes without such a procedure.”

“Of course. Your majesty.”

“Your Majesty’s health comes first.”

At the words of the father and the duke, the emperor laughed loudly.

“Yes, it makes me happy that you are worried about me.”

The emperor spoke again after a while.

“As everyone knows, today is a trial regarding the breakup of marriage between Argenta Seria and Cesar Lombardi. Lombardi, who first submitted the letter of divorce to the imperial family, will be given the right to speak first.”

I stood up when the Emperor gave us the right to speak.

I made an appointment with my father in advance that I would speak on behalf of my father at this opportunity to speak, so I opened my mouth without hesitation.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, as you know, Lady Argenta and I have made a pact to be together forever.”

Starting with these words, I accused each of Seria’s atrocities.

When she showed me about 10 pictures of her attending a masquerade without my knowledge, of being with a man, of a man sitting in a cafe and having a friendly conversation, and similar pictures, the emperor said that he was a bit harsh. I could see that he nodded his head a little.

“And crucially, the image of Lady Argenta and the 2nd Prince kissing each other was released to the media. Besides, there are many eyewitnesses. It is, in fact, a case of infidelity. I asked for this trial because I decided that I could never continue this engagement.”

As soon as I finished what I had to say and sat down, the first prince, who had been listening to me, opened her mouth.

“It definitely deserves a reason for breaking up. No matter how tolerant the Empire is to infidelity, having as many affairs as I do seems to be a sufficient reason for breaking up the engagement.”

The Duke of Argenta has no choice but to support the second prince. It seems that the first prince knew that and supported the breakup of our marriage with Seria in order to keep us from joining the second prince’s side by alienating us from Argenta.

It was obvious that the faces of the second prince and the duke would wrinkle at the words of the first prince. I naturally turned her head to look at Seria, who was perched in front of me.

She was unexpectedly calm. Until yesterday, she was the one who even showed sincerity in coming to me directly so as not to break up the marriage, but today, somehow, she is Seria who doesn’t talk to me at all and just stares at me.

I sensed something strange about her condition, but she quickly erased it from her mind.

Because there are many more important things than that now.

“Your Majesty, this is the information about the divorce trial so far.”

The Duke of Argenta personally delivered the paper he had prepared in advance to the emperor and princes.

“Interesting, but what can you find here? Duke of Argenta?”

At the first prince’s question, Duke Argenta didn’t blink an eye and began to explain the data written on the paper.

“As you can see, there have been 61 trials regarding divorce in the Empire so far. However, never once has an affair been approved for an affair. Therefore, while my daughter’s infidelity is shameful, it cannot be recognized as a reason for breaking up the marriage.”

When the Duke of Argenta finished speaking and sat down, the emperor was still expressionless and the second prince had a more relaxed expression than before. And while the first prince who had been supporting me didn’t say anything about her, I got up from my seat.