I’ll Be the Heroine’s Competent Divorce Partner - Chapter 102
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 102
“That’s right! What about all the investment I’ve made in you until now? What if your marriage prospects get ruined because of this incident? What about the damage the family will suffer through that…!”
If it had been the usual Elodie, she would have been terrified by Elder Brother’s intimidation and shrunk her shoulders.
Or she would have immediately bowed her head in apology.
But this time, Elodie didn’t do that.
She simply kept her eyes wide open and looked straight at David.
“Hmm, investment.”
After mulling over those words for a moment, Elodie shrugged her shoulders smugly.
“But that investment wasn’t for my sake, was it?”
“…What?”
“The marriage you’re demanding of me in the first place, Elder Brother, is it really for my benefit?”
“Elodie!”
“You speak as if you’ve bestowed some great favor, but I think Elder Brother is overestimating himself too much.”
At that calm response, David’s face turned red and blue.
But Elodie’s words weren’t finished yet.
“Also, about what you just said about betraying the family. I find those words truly ridiculous.”
“What did you say?”
“Is it really for the family? Not for Elder Brother?”
David, who had flared up, raised his voice.
“My interests as the head of the family are the family’s…!”
“No.”
Elodie shook her head firmly.
“Elder Brother is merely the head of the family. The family is formed by its members coming together.”
Her unwavering, calm gaze looked straight at David.
“And Elder Brother is unjustly pressuring the members with that one phrase about being for the family.”
“Are you trying to lecture me right now?”
“Don’t you realize that saying that itself is unjust pressure?”
David was left speechless.
Elodie let out a short sigh.
“For the Laventess Ducal House to develop in the future, that patriarchal atmosphere you lead needs to be reformed. But well…”
Elodie, who had trailed off for a moment, let out a hollow laugh.
“Judging by what Elder Brother is saying, the family’s future improvement is completely hopeless.”
It was outright mockery.
David’s face contorted with rage.
But just then.
“Did you see this?”
“You too? No, how could this happen…!”
The surroundings suddenly became noisy.
The spectators who had been moving around the area began gathering in small groups, putting their heads together to look at something.
It seemed like they were looking at a magazine.
‘What is it?’
David frowned.
Somehow he had a bad feeling about this.
At the same time, David’s lawyer came running urgently from far away.
“Your Grace! Please take a look at this…!”
The lawyer glanced sideways at Elodie and Isabel, then hurriedly led David to a secluded area.
“What on earth is going on?”
“Please check this out.”
The lawyer opened a thick magazine and held it out to David.
David, who had been looking down at him casually, widened his eyes in shock.
“What the hell is this!”
* * *
At that moment, in the jury room.
The jurors were sitting in small groups, engaged in heated discussion.
Before returning to the trial, they were sharing their opinions about this case together.
“I think Duke Laventess’s side makes more sense.”
The juror who had been bribed by David was the first to speak up.
“Logically speaking, there’s no reason for His Grace to lie, is there?”
“That’s right. The Grand Duchess’s testimony was also consistent. Who would just stand by and watch their niece commit adultery?”
“Besides, I heard the Grand Duchess was very fond of the Scofield Baron’s daughter. If there had been such an inappropriate relationship, she would have naturally stopped it.”
The other jurors quickly chimed in agreement.
They were all people who had received a hefty sum from David.
“Furthermore, the Duchess claims she received inappropriate treatment from the family, but that’s too… isn’t it just a lack of patience as the lady of the house?”
“Honestly, causing a disturbance over such a trivial matter is more strange. She seems rather sensitive.”
“Are you all being serious?”
But then.
Count Roberto, the only one among the jurors who hadn’t been bought, raised his voice in opposition.
The Count frowned and continued speaking.
“You seem to be looking at this too one-sidedly. When we consider the evidence and witnesses, the Duchess’s side has much more substantial grounds.”
“But they’re consistently claiming there was no adultery.”
“And it’s not like the Scofield Baron’s daughter, who was pointed out as the other party, gave any testimony either.”
“Rather, isn’t Count Roberto being too lenient toward the Duchess?”
The jurors began adding their comments to the Count one by one.
Just when Count Roberto couldn’t hide his exasperated expression.
“Ah, so you’re all here!”
One juror appeared belatedly.
Another jury member scolded him as if for all to hear.
“You’re late, Baron Holland.”
“I apologize. But there’s something you absolutely must see.”
In the hands of the jury member who answered thus was a single magazine.
“What on earth could be so important to cause such a fuss?”
The jury members made no effort to hide their indifferent expressions as they peered at the magazine.
But that lasted only a moment.
“…This can’t be.”
A sigh escaped from between Count Roberto’s lips.
The count suddenly raised his head.
“This interview, that is to say…”
At the same time, the jury members had an intuition.
That this interview would have a tremendous impact on the trial.
* * *
And so an hour passed.
The courtroom was filled with a completely chaotic atmosphere.
“That magazine interview earlier…”
“My goodness, I was truly shocked!”
The spectators couldn’t contain their excitement and chattered away.
Even the jury members who were seated were having conversations among themselves.
It was obvious.
They must be talking about that damned magazine interview.
‘Damn it!’
David glared at Isabel with an anxious expression.
Isabel had now returned to her usual calm demeanor.
Once again, the situation had been reversed.
Now it was David, not Isabel, who had become desperate.
“Everyone please maintain order.”
Just then, the judge who entered the courtroom calmed the people.
“I announce that during the recess, the Duchess’s side has added two witnesses.”
Witnesses?
Curiosity filled the spectators’ eyes.
On the other hand, the faces of David’s side became completely rigid.
“The court has decided to permit these witnesses, and we will now resume the trial.”
The judge spoke in a clear voice.
“Let the witness enter.”
The witness who stepped forward this time was a maid with an honest-looking appearance.
David slightly furrowed his brow.
‘Wait, that maid is….’
She was the maid who used to serve Marisa before.
I know she’s been serving Catherine recently though?
‘Why is that maid appearing as a witness for Isabel’s side?’
Following that damned interview, Catherine’s closest maid suddenly pops up?
I had an ominous feeling.
At the same time, the witness standing at the witness stand opened her lips with a nervous voice.
“I, Judy, swear to give only truthful testimony without falsehood according to my conscience.”
Cautious words followed.
“I was once a maid who served the Grand Duchess, no, the Duchess Dowager. Now I serve the daughter of Viscount Scofield.”
Duchess Dowager.
And the daughter of Viscount Scofield.
When these two names, which could be considered key figures in this trial, appeared, people stirred greatly.
“The Duchess Dowager disliked the Duchess. So she ordered me to….”
Gulp.
Judy swallowed her dry saliva and continued speaking.
“She ordered me to report every move of the Duchess.”
“….”
“….”
As if cold water had been poured over them, the atmosphere turned chillingly quiet.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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