I Married a Sick Husband Vol. 2 Chapter 38

A few days later, a trial was held over the disposition of the Duchess of Schwartz.

 

Numerous aristocrats who could not suppress their curiosity at this unprecedented incident participated as spectators.

 

 “Oh, look over there.”

 

 “It’s Princess Schwartz!”

 

Of course, Catarina was included.

 

She felt deep shame at the sight of those who looked at her and whispered.

 

‘I can’t believe this, Catarina is being humiliated like this!’

 

 In fact, she shouldn’t have come here.

 

 It was because she received a request from the Duke of Schwartz.

 

‘Remember. Never, no matter what happens, go to court.’

 

 ‘Why the hell, Father?  I haven’t seen my mother’s face since that day!’

 

 ‘But still no!  Maybe Meredith will be offended by your face.’

 

 ‘Wh-what?’

 

‘What if she shows no leniency to your mother!’

 

In short, Duke Schwartz was paying attention to Meredith.  It was very unpleasant.

 

 ‘How!  Can the great Schwartz family be careful of an illegitimate child?’

 

But now Meredith was no longer ‘a mere illegitimate child’.

 

She is the empress, of the noble moon, of the Valtejain Empire.

 

So there was  for Catarina to feel insulted by that fact… but….

 

 ‘How did our family end up like this!  To suffer such an insult!  I can’t stand it!’

 

 She didn’t admit it, and she didn’t intend to admit it either.

 

 Even when the sky fell, Meredith was forever, lesser than a worm or a rat, a filthy being.

 

 ‘Do you think I came because I wanted to come?  I didn’t want to come to a place like this either!’

 

 Even so, she came all the way to this place, enduring the glare and gossip of many people.

 

 This was because she was strictly forbidden from visiting the Duchess until the trial.

 

 In other words, Catarina had never seen her mother’s face since that day.

 

 At first she tried to listen to her father.

 

But when I thought of my mother trembling alone in the dungeon, I couldn’t stay still because I was worried.

 

‘How fragile you are….’

 

So she finally defied her father’s strict orders and appeared in court.

 

Although, of course, she covered her features as much as possible with a veil, most of the people around her recognized her and grumbled.

 

‘How long do I have to wait?’

 

It was while Catarina was grumbling inwardly and biting her lip.

 

“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are entering. Everyone please stand up and bow.”

 

As the trial was about to begin at last, the emperor and his wife showed up.

 

People rose from their seats and bowed to the sun and moon.

 

Catarina was also reluctant, but she was forced to get up.

 

Before long, Theodore’s voice was heard in a low voice.

 

“Let the sinner in.”

 

Shortly after the emperor ordered, a woman appeared in the courtroom with her arms bound.

 

She was the Duchess of Schwartz.

 

She had a look that gave a glimpse of the hard time she had in prison.

 

Her messy hair that couldn’t even be tied properly, her haggard and greasy face, her sunken eyes. And even her dress, which was stained with dust and grime.

 

It was the look of a person who had gone through a great ordeal.

 

“Mother!”

 

Catarina, shocked by the sight of the Duchess of Schwartz, forgot where she was at for the moment and cried out in a loud voice.

 

Catarina’s cry drew everyone’s attention to her.

 

‘That… ! I told you to stay home!’

 

The Duke of Schwartz also spotted Catarina and clenched his teeth with an expression of bewilderment.

 

But Catarina had no time to worry about that.

 

“Mother, mother!”

 

“Catarina…!”

 

The Duchess of Schwartz, who discovered Catarina, also called her daughter in a shrill voice.

 

“Mother!”

 

“Catarina!”

 

“Princess Schwartz, Duchess of Schwartz, please be quiet!”

 

In the end, Felix restrained Catarina.

 

“How dare you speak loudly in the sacred courtroom while their majesties are present! If you cause one more commotion, I will kick you out.”

 

At Felix’s warning, Catarina had to grit her teeth and hold back her rising emotions.

 

The Duchess of Schwartz was also forced to keep her mouth shut, and only then did the courtroom regain its quietness.

 

“It’s very difficult to hold a trial.”

 

Theodore muttered in a voice only Meredith could hear.

 

“Today, this place is held to judge the Duchess of Schwartz for her grave crime of daring to slap the Imperial Empress at her birthday party.”

 

Today’s trial was conducted by Felix, who was the emperor’s secretary and concurrently the judge of the imperial court.

 

“Duchess Schwartz, do you admit that you slapped Her Majesty on the cheek in public?”

 

“….”

 

“If you continue not to answer, I will set up a witness.”

 

At those words, the Duchess of Schwartz bit her teeth and opened her mouth.

 

“… I admit to it.”

 

Although all visits were forbidden until the trial, there was only one person the Duchess of Schwartz met.

 

‘Be sure to be obedient in the courtroom. Make sure you respond compliantly.’

 

She was Empress Dowager Blair.

 

‘Understood? So I can use my influence too. You don’t want the sentence to be increased for the offence, right?’

 

‘……’

 

‘You don’t want Princess Schwartz to marry without her mother, do you?’

 

Those words, which sounded oddly threatening, made the Duchess of Schwartz change her mind.

 

No matter how disgraceful this situation is and no matter how humiliating it is, for now, she has to live.

 

Since you have the next chance to take revenge, to live, I decided to give up and go in.

 

She promised to do so and get out of prison.

 

That’s why…

 

“I… … I admit to slapping Her Majesty the Empress.”

 

More than she thought, she felt dirty.

 

It was unbearably painful to see her noble and innocent self on her knees in front of that vulgar and unclean illegitimate child.

 

It was like being pierced all over her body with a sharp needle.

 

Her lips were trembling and she felt like she was about to pass out.

 

“Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

 

Even so, for now, she had to finish this situation without any problems.

 

“I have committed a mortal sin.”

 

Meredith felt somewhat embarrassed by the Duchess of Schwartz’s docile attitude.

 

‘… She’s not a person to act like this.’

 

After I became the empress, she was someone who hated even treating me with any respect.

 

Is she apologising in front of me?

 

‘…. You’re asking for mercy.’

 

Without difficulty, she was able to interpret the intent.

 

“Great. You mean to admit guilt.”

 

Felix seemed unsurprised and calmly continued the trial.

 

“Excuse me, Your Majesty the Empress, but would you please elaborate on the circumstances of that day?”

 

“I just celebrated her birthday by attending her birthday party that day and giving the Duchess of Schwartz a gift.”

 

“What was the gift?”

 

“A hand fan.”

 

Meredith answered in a soft voice.

 

“The Duchess has always liked fans.”

 

“But how did that lead to insulting Her Majesty the Empress?”

 

“I’m not quite sure. I just said that I gave it to her as a gift because she has liked fans since I was a child.”

 

Meredith answered in a voice that did not understand the reason.

 

“She suddenly got angry and slapped me on the cheek.”

 

“…..”

 

“I was very surprised too.”

 

Of course, many things were omitted from Meredith’s testimony.

 

But Meredith was sure that the Duchess of Schwartz would never reveal the story behind the lines.

 

‘She would never do that because of her pride.’

 

The Duchess of Schwartz was horrified that her husband had an affair with another woman over her, a wife from a prestigious family.

 

It was for that reason that she turned her(Meredith’s) own birth into her sickly second daughter. It was pride.

 

Therefore, there is no way that she herself will reveal the truth about her words that have driven her out of control. Never.

 

That is why…

 

“I wonder if you were a little excited?”

 

This situation was entirely in Meredith’s hands.

 

“Anyway, fans are things that remind us of the past.”