『Greze has its own laws.』
Clara’s mind kept wandering as she recalled Cassia’s confident words.
Today, thanks to Paul relieving her of her duties and telling her to keep the Madam company in her room, Clara was spending a rather leisurely afternoon watching Cassia nap.
Her mind was full of thoughts.
From the moment she came to Greze, Clara had experienced hell. Her husband, Matthew Holton, was a beast whether he drank or not. Forced, unwanted intimacy had become a routine occurrence, and the rare days without his fists felt like blessings.
Her father, who had sent her to Greze hoping she would help with the merchant guild’s work, pretended not to hear when she begged him for help. He only gave her useless advice, telling her to try and please her husband.
20 years old. Clara was still young. Such a reality was too hellish to bear alone. Yet, lacking the courage to die, she had stubbornly held on. Even entering the castle as a servant was an attempt to fill the financial hole created by Matthew squandering their money on booze.
But what was this? What was happening to her life?
Clara felt as if she were dreaming. The Madam she met after entering the castle, though two years younger than her, was mature beyond her years and kind. She cherished a mere servant like her as if she were a sister. That alone was enough to fill Clara’s heart.
She hadn’t wished for anything more.
But that wasn’t all.
Cassia had handed her another document.
It was a divorce paper. Something even Zester, the Lord, couldn’t easily push through without the husband’s consent.
Clara still couldn’t believe Cassia’s declaration that she would ensure an amicable divorce and make Matthew pay for the atrocities he had committed. Although the Simonee Empire granted maximum autonomy to each territory on the continent, it was not without its limitations.
This was especially true for marital crimes and divorces. Many women’s divorce requests were dismissed because the circumstances were difficult to determine. There had been no hope of escaping Matthew.
『Once my husband wraps things up, it would be best for you to move into the castle as a live-in maid. Who knows when or how that madman might try to torment you again.』
Clara recalled Cassia’s words and pinched her flushed cheek.
“Ouch!”
It hurt. So this wasn’t a dream.
What exactly did the Madam see in her to care for her from beginning to end like this? Punishing her husband, getting her a divorce, and letting her live in the castle.
Clara slowly approached the sleeping Cassia, listening to her soft breathing. She sat on her knees and stared intently at her lady’s face.
‘If an angel descended to the human world, won’t they look like this?’
As soon as she thought that, she felt a wave of embarrassment and she secretly laughed.
Her madam may look small and frail but she was certainly not what she appeared to be.
18 years old. A woman who was so mature and broad-minded that it was hard to believe she was really that young. Even though she had only known Cassia for a little over a week, Clara could see Cassia’s character clearly.
It was also surprising that she wasn’t just kind. Clara had clearly come to the castle to explain her situation with Matthew and get help, yet out of fear, she started making excuses.
Clara clicked her tongue in amazement, remembering how Cassia had firmly corrected her.
『I am not asking you whether you want to report your husband right now. The decision to report him is mine.』
Clara’s chest swelled painfully with gratitude. She puffed out her cheeks, forcing herself to hold back the tears threatening to burst.
Her husband was a terrifying and difficult man, worse than a stranger, and the father who sent her to Greze treated her thoroughly like a chess piece. Cast alone into a scary world, she had felt as if no one was by her side.
The gratitude and affection Clara felt for the kind Cassia and Paul was so profound that it outweighed their short time together of just a week.
‘I need to say thank you.’
As she swallowed her tears and rubbed her eyes, Cassia stirred, and her eyes opened slightly.
“A-ah! Madam, are you awake? Did I disturb you?”
“…No.”
Cassia caught Clara’s wrist before she could spring away.
“The sun was too bright that it was blinding me even with my eyes closed.”
“….”
“I slept well, thanks to your shade.”
Seeing Cassia’s gentle smile, Clara finally burst into tears. Cassia said nothing, only watched quietly as Clara repeatedly wiped her tears with her sleeve.
Eventually, Clara stopped her long cry, and smiled sheepishly, sitting on the edge of Cassia’s bed.
“May I stay here then and keep blocking the sun for you? So you can nap a little more, Madam.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Holding the hand of Clara, who sat with her back to the sunlight streaming through the window, Cassia settled back into her nap, smiling with satisfaction.
***
『You said you want to become a great man, didn’t you?』
『Then I want to see the face of a leader, one who rules his territory amazingly. So that not only I, but all the people of the territory can trust and follow you.』
The first mission Cassia gave him came quite quickly. Zester recalled Cassia coming to find him early in the morning to inform him of the whole situation, and he read and re-read the report she had left behind.
Zester was in a state of considerable shock. Paul, who had been watching him maintain a stunned silence for quite some time, spoke up carefully.
“Um, Master.”
“Yeah.”
“May I ask how you intend to handle this?”
“First…I have to ask something. Paul.”
“Yes, Master.”
Paul nodded with a smile.
“Really, in my territory…”
“Yes.”
“Is it true that a bastard like this is living here?”
“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes yesterday. Miss Clara still bears the marks from the assault that have yet to heal so there is more than enough evidence.”
Zester swallowed at Paul’s immediate response.
Zester clasped his hands together and pressed his forehead against his hands, trying to calm his boiling rage.
Greze territory, which was granted to him by the Emperor, was small with nothing to see. It had only two villages, the population could be counted on one hand, and due to the harsh environment, people only left. There had been zero influx of new people for three years. Perhaps the foreigner James Cromwell, who recently started the wig business with him, and the barbarians and mercenaries who became the castle’s troops were the only new additions.
In any case, in this shabby territory, which he found too embarrassing to show his wife, Cassia, the only thing he was happy about were the simple-minded people. In large territories with many people, criminals causing trouble would inevitably pop up every day, so the one advantage of Greze was that the crime rate was practically at zero.
Yet, now he learns there’s a crazy son of a bitch like this?!
Zester was frustrated as he studied every detail of the report, which was densely filled with Cassia’s elegant handwriting. And it just so happened to be the husband of the maid Cassia had taken such a liking to.
“Paul.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Up until now, how many times have I…… received a crime report?”
“Including this one, three times. The first was the winter before last, the dispute between the Felice family and the Müller family over a calf”
“This makes three. The first, two winters ago, the dispute between Felice and Müller over a calf.”
“Right. The cows gave birth on the same day, and one calf…”
Zester narrowed his eyes, mumbling as he recalled the time.
“…It got out of the farm’s fence, right?”
“Yes. They both insisted it was the calf born from their own cow, and since they couldn’t agree on a solution, they submitted a report requesting a trial for a property dispute. But it was resolved without even needing to go to trial. Because the calf would only suckle from the Felice family’s cow.”
“Uh-huh, right. And the second one…”
“The second one was from this summer. Mrs. Ganache, who does handicrafts, reported Miss Laura, who was helping her for wages, for theft. A hundred handmade handkerchiefs which were supposed to be sent to the Varnan territory disappeared overnight, and the reason was that Miss Laura was the only person suspicious enough to be the culprit.”
“Right, right. That happened. But then it turned out Mrs. Ganache’s husband took the items without telling her, right? Because he wanted to go to Varnan a day earlier and sell them.”
“Correct. Due to than incident, Miss Laura and Mrs. Ganache grew even closer. I understand they are both incredibly busy right now because the Madam offered to look for an export route for their handicrafts.”
Zester nodded stiffly, then let out a hollow laugh.
This was a territory which had no problems even without laws. No, it used to be such a territory. However, this report was completely different from the previous cases, which Zester hadn’t even bothered to worry about.
The castle had a prison for criminals to be held until trial, and an execution ground where trials and punishments were to take place. Of course, the prison had never held anyone, and the execution ground was nothing more than an empty lot.
Zester, who had never once punished the people he ruled as a leader, stared at the report Cassia had presented with a tense face.
Zester had sole authority over the methods and severity of punishment. The autonomy granted to each territory by the Imperial Family gave the lord full authority to punish his subjects.
Therefore, deciding what punishment to inflict on the accused, Matthew Holton, who assaulted his wife, was a matter he could easily decide after a little thought.
But the problem was…
Zester swallowed hard and pulled out another report he had shoved to the corner of the table.
Cassia had brought two documents. One was the report requesting punishment for Matthew Holton, and the other was divorce papers to officially end the marital relationship between Matthew Holton and Clara Holton
While punishing criminals was at Zester’s discretion, filing for divorce was a different matter.
All legal disputes involving family relationships and status among Imperial citizens had to go through the Imperial Court, and the Imperial laws governing them were problematic. Official divorce was impossible without the ‘agreement’ of both parties.
This was because Imperial law was thoroughly based on the doctrines of the state religion, the ‘Church of Orobas’. The Church of Orobas believed that spouses were soulmates and were to remain together even after death.
Due to this, even if one partner died untimely, the other had to remain ‘married’ on paper. For this reason, many noble couples prepared divorce papers in advance to prepare for the future.
In other words, he had to get a divorce agreement before punishing Matthew Holton. If the report was true, the man was clearly a scumbag that towered over all scumbags, so it was doubtful he would cooperate obediently.
Zester rubbed his forehead and let out a weary sigh.
Recognizing his distress, Paul quietly stood by his side and carefully offered.
“Since getting the divorce agreement comes first, how about gently coaxing Matthew Holton to handle the matter?”
Even after hearing Paul’s words, Zester didn’t reply.
He had to beg a good-for-nothing bastard who beat his wife like a dog and guzzled booze every day for an agreement?
No matter how much he thought about it, that Imperial Law was rotten.
Zester could vaguely grasp that the direction Cassia desired was entirely different from Paul’s advice, which was rather admirable of him.
『I want to see the face of a leader, one who rules his territory amazingly.』
How could gently pleading with a criminal to spare his poor wife possibly be the face of a leader who rules his territory amazingly?
Zester seemed to make up his mind and his voice turned cold.
“Enough. Arrest that bastard right now.”
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