The trial of the divorce lawsuit is just around the corner. Selena had to do double work and re-investigate the case for another reexamination for both parties. 

Beside her, Derrick was watching her as she went through pages and pages of the filed documents after she noticed a loop on a couple’s divorce lawsuit. 

It was hardly an important case, but the involved sides are what exactly concerns them. The former wife of Count Brandon, who is further identified in the empire as the wealthiest man in his time.

His wife, Stella, filed a divorce after learning of his infidelity with a baron's daughter. Stella is the child of Duke Haston, a man who's selected as the emperor’s outstanding counselor.

The Duke implored his majesty to bring justice upon his daughter's pain and this is how it happened. She sued her husband for cheating with another woman, and she has given proof and evidence of his affair. 

However, as the wealthiest man, bribing the judge was easy. She went up in a Local Court to judge her lawsuit case, but the count bribed the judge leading to the former countess' loss.

So, the duke appealed for a significant seat. It would have been the emperor’s duty to examine the case, but unfortunately, the empress had chosen to return to her office. 

The empress office handles this obligation, so this case is her duty as one in the higher table. The only problem would be—the loophole in Stella's case, and it will be problematic if it is being discovered only to be used against her.

Still, because she's desperate, means that Stella wanted to end her marriage with her husband greatly. Their relation is not how the count is claiming in his letter. 

That's right, if it's a loophole, then she needs a solution to counter the attack. It's a small loophole but can cause a massive dilemma. 

She exhaled displeasingly. "Maybe I should visit Lady Stella myself?" 

Her secretary naturally smiles at her. "Is there a need for it?" he asked. 

"That is not the issue here, because it doesn't need to be, but if the situation of the loophole can cause such damage, I need to talk to her directly to learn the story. So, and of course, it’s not limited to Stella only."

He blinked in confusion, but even after his rough thinking, he couldn't comprehend her majesty’s intention at all.

"You'll take part too," she smiled and nodded. "Go have a talk with Count Brandon to ask his point of view about these claims and his wife."

He looked at her with a pleasing smile, and then he bowed. "Your majesty, please explain to me more clearly."

Selena chuckled. "Is that not clear enough?"

"No!"

Truthfully, his honesty made her feel at ease. The office was unusually tense when she started; she worried she might look like a fool trying to impress someone, but her secretary was there to support her. 

"We need to at least learn their story, not just on Stella's side, we also need to understand the side of the suspect. It's not good to evaluate them based on a one-sided story. Besides the loophole, we need to learn how they ended up in the court so I can classify my judgment."

He tilted his head. "Don't we have that on the court already?"

"Yes, we do, but it's limited. The court can only stage the direct problem, but not the side problem both may have undergone."

He gave her a long pose, and then he nodded. "We have not implemented such a standard even in the past monarchy, so I am surprised you came up with such an idea."

It's not that it wasn’t implemented, but because it was evolving throughout the era of monarchy. Problem is—no one changes the standard of the courtroom, and it always stays the same. 

The former empress, if not crazy, didn't care about the livelihood of the empire’s citizens. The emperor takes over this kind of task, and if not, the use of 'courtroom' has become the former empress's pleasure for power.

But if no one goes on and tries to change, even if she's an empress, doing the same routine as the former empresses will not improvise the court system of the Alvadiz Empire. 

This country divulges so many problems that the author had written in order to flourish the Batian Empire where the main story plot had begun. As the author of the story, she is guilty of what she has written and done to this country. 

"Alvadiz is a proud empire of prosperity and peace, but what about justice and wisdom? Do we lack some? Or how about balance and fortitude?"

She smiled and she looked at the documents while she was simply twirling it on her fingertips.

Derrick nodded, and he bowed. "I will do as told, your majesty." 

He’s assured that she was just peculiar. Of course, Derrick is not stupid and irrational. He knew about the things Selena had done in the past; he was aware and had seen her cruelty. 

The first day he was called in her chamber’s, he thought she just wanted to appoint another break shift just to go shopping. He didn't want her to show it, but he fell into silence and confusion, when he saw her, who loves leisure, wearing a dress that didn't fit her taste. 

He’s still not convinced until she had spoken about overtaking her duties as an empress. Although, at that moment, he thought maybe she's bored, and she needed something to play with. 

Soon, his hunch misled him. That same day after the empress talked to the church, she barged into her office in such a wrecked state. 

Even though she got hurt so badly, with bruises all over her hand, and her dress was nowhere beautiful, she refused to leave and she pressed on to her work like nothing happened. 

He continued watching her for the past three days and now she finally proved to him that she really changed and she's different to the person who she was when she was pregnant. 

She happily looked at him, and she confidently nodded. It seems he's no longer dull beside her, and Selena was happy knowing that Derrick had eventually shown a friendlier atmosphere in front of her.

It is something he had never shown two days ago. 

━━✣━━

Derrick carried out his task after he left the empress, Selena alone in the office as she continued her duties.

Her remaining work is probably some of the detailed lines of paperwork sent to her from the emperor's office, and after she finishes, she looks at the ticking clock on the wall as if it was about passing the afternoon at one. 

Her scheduled visit to Stella’s house has been set at 2:30 pm, which means she has the remaining time to prepare. Since she disguises her visit as a "tea" business with Lady Stella, and covers up her motives.

If she submits an official visit, this might spark some issues of personal bias, so she chose to go unofficial, which means she didn't need to report to his majesty about her activities. 

The maids who're temporarily working as her servants were given instruction to help Selena dress up for her appointment. A trendy seasonal attire was fine with her, even if that dress is simple and less attractive.

At the time she was about to depart, a maid stopped her. 

"Your Majesty, the emperor suspects that going out of the palace might cause another occurrence, so he appointed Marquis Rohas as your personal and escort knight."

An escort knight? If she recalls clearly, the empress has her own personal knights before, but she fired them because they were reporting her movement to his majesty, the emperor.

If he insisted on sending her bodyguards, it must be about that day. Still, she is the empress, and as an empress, she is vulnerable and can be a target of anything deemed dangerous.

He might have thought it would be a problem if something were to happen to her. She is the empress and maintaining knights beside her is a decent manner as someone in a higher position.

Besides, it is Marquis Rohas, so that means that she doesn't need to bring many knights as long as the marquis is following her. She believes in Rohas ability, he can keep her safe. 

She nodded, and she went out. Unaware of what it may uphold, when she looks, the carriage had already been there, and a knight remained beside it. She soon perceives the emblem on his shoulders. 

It is the marquis, unlike the emperor, with a natural beauty. The marquis is different. Not only does he have short hair, and a white pearl skin, he does not also hide the scars on his body. 

He has long eyelashes, and white silver eyes. His hair is as short as a woman, his structure shows that he is a man. 

Wielding the finest sword made of magic stones, he does not hesitate to bring with him all the time. Marquis Rohas was recognized as the emperor's wild black sheep, unlike Asher Brigate as the emperor's dog. The wild black sheep works in the shadows to protect the emperor.

How could such a man become an escort to a filthy, villainous empress? It would have been a waste of time... So, how does the marquis feel about escorting her?

She grasped her dress as she stepped down. Then she gently gazes at the man standing by for her arrival.

"I did not expect an escort, and I truly appreciate that you chose to escort me during your busy day," she said, as humble as she can. 

The marquis gave a quick look as he opened the door. "It's my duty, and this is an order of his majesty, the emperor," he said with his hand extended, ready to lend her a helping hand.

She smiles, and she happily accepts his help and she takes his hand softly.