C50
Some time later, the butler rode on horseback, led by the warrior who had burst into the carriage. He guessed who the figure running alongside him was.
"Tay-nim."
The man who arrived at Cassius Mansion with Ethel. He didn't know his exact identity, but he thought Ethel trusted him, so he didn't bother to ask.
A few days ago, when he passed by the office of the lawyer named Sharon, he crossed paths with him at the entrance, and judging by the hood he wore, he seemed to be hiding his identity.
"Please speak. Be careful because you might bite your tongue."
The horse was running this fast.
"Are they dead?"
Images of the Knights he saw before the departure came to his mind. They all lay lifeless and scattered around.
Even Kayden, who was on the scene, is unaware of the details of the incident. A dark red light of sinister appearance took away his vision for a moment, and after several blows were heard, only this man was looking at him.
"They're not dead. If we kill them here, it will only complicate things further."
It was clear that Cassius would not stay still if several family knights died.
Next, the head butler asked the question that interested him.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Well, it's a bit complicated, but I'll just explain that I granted you my powers."
"No, when...?"
"The last time we met."
He referred to what happened in front of the lawyer's office.
"Did you really expect it to turn out like this?"
"I thought it was likely to happen. Actually, that too..."
Unlike Cassius's knight, the man did not lie about his true intentions.
"I don't have a good personality like my employer's, so I suspect everything."
The head butler swallowed dry saliva. It meant that he doubted his change of heart.
"You were worried that I might disappear suddenly after saying I would testify, so you came up with a way to locate me."
"I'm sorry if I offended you."
"... No. It was a proper decision. Thanks to you, I was rescued like this."
"Ethel doesn't know."
"It's okay. It didn't hurt my feelings, so you can stop worrying."
"That's good."
Looking at the sky, the sun was noticeably tilting toward the west.
"Will we make it in time?"
"Even if it's impossible, we must make it possible."
The man said that, but the head butler easily realized that time was running out. Didn't he leave the cleanup to a subordinate who came with him and left in a hurry?
Moreover.
"Hey, where does it hurt? You're sweating cold..."
He noticed it because he was pressed against the man's back to avoid falling off the horse. He had sweaty temples, and his complexion was somewhat pale.
"It was a bit bothersome because the tracking range was too wide. Don't worry. This is what happens when I use my power."
"But."
"It's really okay. Especially for me..."
The man looked down and smiled gently.
"Because there is holy water granted by the Goddess of Victory herself."
The canteen hanging around his neck trembled.
* * *
Forty minutes passed quickly, and the trial resumed. The head maid stood in front of the conference table.
"I, Marianne Neuer, swear by the Goddess Miella that here I will only speak the truth, according to the conscience of my heart."
Farrell confirmed simple personal information.
"Mrs. Neuer is the head maid of Duke Cassius and the general manager of the employees working in Cassius Castle, right?"
"That's right. There is a head butler above me, but he has left the front line for a while, so I am actually managing the castle overall."
"In a word, can you say that you are a representative of the workers?"
"One of my duties is to listen to the opinions of each servant and represent them."
"Were you close to the young duke and the young duchess?"
"I suppose so. I am involved in all family matters."
"Then, as a representative of the employees, can you tell me how the marriage between the plaintiff and the defendant has been for the last two years?"
"How can I dare...?"
"This is necessary to prevent the tragedy of the destruction of the family. Please."
They are very good at playing. She presented herself as a witness with the full intention of testifying.
"First of all, I don't know how the young lady felt about life in Cassius. The young lady was a good person, but she did not allow us to approach."
Marianne began to speak hesitantly, pretending she couldn't resist Farrell's request.
"We wanted to reduce the distance between us and our young lady in our own way, so we tried many things, but all failed."
"What specific attempts were made?"
Oh… I used to give her gifts, but she always rejected them, and I invited her to banquets held among the employees every day of the festival, but she rarely showed up.
PleaseAdded this with a stern expression.
PleaseIt might have been because the gifts and events we prepared were nothing special.
At that moment, I became a heartless person who completely ignored the sincerity of my subordinates.
Surprisingly, what the maid said wasn't a blatant lie. It's not a lie….
"PleaseThe gift was a portrait of Liena, and when I went to the banquet, all I received were compliments for Liena!"
At first, I did my best to befriend them. But how could I not get tired of endlessly hearing about Liena?
I heard about how cute, beautiful, intelligent, wise, kind, and silky Liena was until my ears bled.
This isn't the end. They brought the new portrait of Liena and expected me to praise it as much as they did, and when I went to a poetry reading, it was all about Liena.
In the end, I had only minimal interaction with Cassius' employees.
I really wanted to expose the truth immediately, but it wouldn't be a good choice.
"You won't know unless you experience it yourself."
It's such an unusual case that even if you tell the truth, people will think it's exaggerated or won't feel much empathy.
"I'll be the only one who hates her sister-in-law so much that she can't listen to the servants' boasts."
Farrell's interrogation continued.
"How did the young duke seem to view married life?"
"It's true that the young Duke was passive in his relationship with the Little Lady. He always regretted that."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because one day he called me and asked me to. He asked me that no matter how much he couldn't be with her, please take good care of the little lady and serve her with the utmost respect."
They say that the words 'ah' and 'uh' are different, but that's exactly what it is now. The fact that Leandro left his work to others was portrayed in a very romantic way.
After that, Farrell asked in detail about our daily life. The intention behind the question was quickly revealed.
"The young duke has always been immersed in work. The capital? Well. I'm mainly in Ashton, so I'm not sure how it is in the capital. Anyway, I haven't seen him relax much.
Otherwise.
"There were many occasions when the little lady stayed in her room. Oh, sometimes she would go to reading clubs. Or shopping."
Nominally, it was to discover how different our behavior ranges were, but in reality, it was to subtly criticize me.
A wife who plays and eats at home all the time compared to her hardworking husband. That was the impression Farrell and the head maid wanted to leave on others.
It might have been my mood, but it seemed like the public's gaze towards me had turned colder.
"But… Thank you, head maid."
For saying exactly what I expected.
I exchanged looks with Sharon. When Farrell's brief interrogation ended, she left.
"We also have some questions for witness Marianne Neuer."
When the judge asked about her intention, the head maid accepted without hesitation. The confidence that she would never show any gaps was evident.