🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 6
Something Smells Suspicious
Seeing Diabella approach him with a sharp, triangular glare, Raymond unconsciously took a step back.
“Marchioness! Should three dormitory buildings be enough?”
Fortunately, the construction supervisor stepped between them at that moment.
“That should be sufficient. How many excellent teachers we can bring in will depend on the Marquis, though.”
Diabella shot Raymond a dissatisfied look and said, “…Teachers?”
More than that, had she just called him something like “that Marquis bastard”? I must have misheard.
Raymond rubbed his ear for no reason.
“To think you’d build a school for the villagers. Truly, Marchioness, you are so benevolent and gracious.”
The construction supervisor bowed his head, praising the Marchioness with obvious admiration.
“A school…?” Raymond said, stunned. “You mean this is a school you’re building right now?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Her Ladyship took pity on the villagers, who have so few opportunities to learn, and ordered a school to be built for them. Truly admirable! She asked me to keep it secret because she wanted to surprise the Marquis, so I’ve been dying to say something. Do you like it?”
The supervisor looked at Raymond with expectant eyes, practically begging for praise.
“Ah…”
Caught completely off guard, Raymond lost for words. So she wasn’t building some luxurious house to stay in after the divorce at all—she was building a school.
Raymond forced himself to stay calm and glanced at Diabella from the corner of his eye.
Noticing him looking, Diabella lifted her chin even higher.
“Hmph!”
With her chin raised as if she owned the sky, Diabella slowly and elegantly lowered her gaze.
Raymond was definitely taller than her, so he knew she couldn’t actually be looking down at him, but under that look he somehow felt himself shrinking to nothing.
“Madam… I think I may have misunderstood something…”
Diabella suddenly turned away with a sharp flick.
Given her past behavior, she had secretly pushed this project forward because she assumed he would question her motives and oppose anything she did.
Still, when he saw the finished result, he had thought he would at least recognize her sincerity, maybe even be a little pleased—even if he did not praise her outright. What, did he think everything she did was just her throwing a tantrum because she didn’t want to divorce him?
Diabella turned back and shot him a glare, leaving him with one final remark.
“Petty tyrant narcissist.”
“?”
Raymond’s eyes widened at the strange, but somehow terrifying, curse-like phrase.
‘In my entire life, I’ve never been insulted like this. I have no idea what that means. And yet… even though I don’t know the meaning, why do I feel like I do?’
As Diabella left after saying that, Raymond hurried after her.
“I-I apologize, Madam.”
“Then don’t say things you don’t know.”
“Quite right. I jumped to conclusions based on what others said. I apologize.”
“Why do things you’ll have to apologize for in the first place?”
“Madam… I… did make a mistake, but your language seems to be getting a bit shorter again…”
“Oh? So I’m not allowed to speak to myself now? You talk to yourself in honorifics too, do you?”
“Y-You…?”
Ah. Oops, that was a mistake.
Diabella quickly stuck out the tip of her tongue and brushed over it.
“Anyway! From now on, I’m divorcing you, and I hope you won’t doubt that I’ll leave within a month.”
“I understand. I understand that this is your wish…”
“Yes. Make sure you understand it clearly. I’d leave right now if I could, but the physician said I still need more rest. You saw the documents I sent, right? If you don’t believe me, call the physician and ask.”
“No, I wouldn’t doubt that much.”
“Really? That’s a relief. Though who knows? You may just be the kind of person who’s been fooled all your life.”
Diabella narrowed her eyes and looked at Raymond.
Raymond’s face flushed a little with embarrassment.
“And after you accept the divorce papers, please send me a receipt.”
“A receipt for what…?” Raymond asked. “Do you think I’d steal the divorce papers or something?”
“Well, who knows?”
Diabella shrugged.
Then she added, “I know the divorce won’t be finalized immediately. I just want to make sure it’s properly filed and processed. Just in case.”
“I would never! …Understood. I will make sure to send the receipt within the week.”
Raymond, who had almost flared up again, barely calmed himself and answered.
‘Steal the divorce papers? As if I’d ever do such a thing. I’ll submit them as soon as I return. But… is she serious?’
Raymond looked at Diabella carefully, his expression unreadable. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he asked her:
“Ah, come to think of it. Did you return the tax money to the villagers?”
“Yes. I’d done something foolish and absurd. I hope I managed to clean it up, even if belatedly.”
“That sounds strangely like you’re talking about someone else.”
Well, because it was someone else. It wasn’t even me who did it.
Diabella thought that to herself. But what could she do? It was this body that had done it.
Honestly, why would the previous owner of this body do something so stupid? Diabella held her head in her hands while silently cursing the former Diabella.
“Madam? Is your illness acting up again?”
“Yes, well…”
Diabella spoke as if reflecting on it.
“After barely surviving that near-death experience, I realized the things I’d done before were wrong. At the time, I think I really wasn’t in my right mind. So, even if it’s late, I wanted to do something to apologize to the villagers.”
Raymond stared at her with widened eyes.
She was serious.
Even when she asked about the receipt, he had still been suspicious. But now he could see it—she was truly preparing to divorce him and leave.
Raymond felt relieved.
And yet… a strange emotion stirred within him.
‘She really is leaving?’
This was the moment he had long been waiting for.
He had grown sick and tired of her constant troublemaking and chaos, and he had wanted her gone from his life for a long time.
He had suspected she would never leave obediently, so he had doubted her every move.
But she really was going to divorce him.
How fortunate was that?
And yet, for some reason, a corner of his heart did not feel all that relieved.
Why was that?
Raymond didn’t know what this feeling was.
‘Maybe I just feel guilty for being harsh to someone who was sick.’
That was probably it.
‘I am simply too compassionate for my own good.’
Raymond shrugged.
That must be why he had tolerated the Marchioness for so long when he should have gotten rid of her long ago.
He patted his own shoulder lightly, as if in sympathy for his own suffering.
‘What are you doing?’
Ah. Right. He had forgotten Diabella was standing in front of him.
At the sight of her expression—a crooked smile with one corner of her mouth lifted—Raymond flinched.
That was definitely the same look she gave when she called him “annoying.”
“Ah, cough… So a school is being built. The villagers will surely be pleased. You’ve done something good for once.”
“Yes, ‘for once,’ indeed.”
Diabella said with a small sneer.
“Ah, that wasn’t what I meant…”
Raymond fumbled.
“Well, it’s true I’ve mostly just caused trouble until now.”
Diabella admitted it lightly.
Even if that was true, Raymond felt awkward for failing to properly praise someone for doing something good. These days, why did standing in front of her make him so nervous, so watchful?
“Oh my, Marquis! What brings you all the way here?”
At that moment, a carriage slowed and came to a stop. Angelica peeked out from inside and greeted him warmly.
“Oh, I had some business to take care of…”
Raymond replied while cautiously glancing at Diabella. He still hadn’t properly told Diabella what he planned to do about the baron’s daughter, and now he’d ended up in a three-way confrontation.
“Looks like I’m invisible to you?”
Diabella, who had been standing behind Raymond, stepped forward.
“Ah… Marchioness, you’re here as well. How is your body… are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thanks to you, I drank some excellent medicine and am wonderfully healthy.”
“…”
Angelica bit her lip, unable to figure out what to say.
“What happened with that investigation you mentioned before?”
At Diabella’s question, Raymond turned from Angelica to face Diabella with a troubled look. Then he spoke in a low voice, as if whispering:
“Well… since there is no concrete evidence that the baron’s daughter intentionally handed over poison, it is difficult to decide on any punishment for now…”
In truth, Angelica was probably on her way to be investigated even now. Since there was no solid proof, they couldn’t forcibly detain her. Instead, he had ordered her to come to the Marquis household for questioning over the next few days.
But even so, for her to stand there so casually and confidently… Raymond felt ashamed in front of Diabella.
“…”
Diabella swallowed a sigh.
Of course.
“Your understanding is truly boundless, Marquis!”
Angelica, who had been eavesdropping with perked-up ears, hurriedly climbed down from the carriage. Then she bowed deeply to the Marquis.
“I truly never, ever committed such a terrible act, even in my dreams! I was so worried that the Marchioness might have suffered harm from something so unexpected… sob…”
‘Of course she ends every sentence with tears again. Still, if you’re going to say you were worried about me, wouldn’t it sound more sincere if you actually looked at me while saying it?’
Diabella shook her head.
“Truly, I cannot begin to express how deeply I appreciate the Marquis’s generous understanding. Just the other day, when you overlooked the fact that the Marchioness sold off an heirloom necklace, I was deeply moved.”
“…”
Silence fell at the sudden remark.
What’s with you?
Why are you dragging me into this again? Why bring up old business?
And wait… an heirloom necklace?
“…Was that necklace an heirloom?”
Diabella blurted it out without thinking.
She vaguely remembered reading something about Diabella’s misdeeds in the novel. There had been a line about her selling off a necklace given to her by the Marquis, and him being furious about it—but she hadn’t known it was an heirloom. That detail hadn’t been in the text.
Maybe because the novel didn’t center on Diabella, a lot of details had been glossed over.
“Were you not told that?”
The Marquis answered in disbelief.
It had been a year ago, but when he found out that the necklace passed down through his family had been given to Diabella as a gift—and then she had sold it instead of keeping it carefully—he had been absolutely appalled.
He had been so busy calming his mother’s rage, after she demanded Diabella be thrown out immediately for insulting the family, that he’d nearly lost his mind.
And she didn’t know?
“Did you ever tell me that…?”
Diabella said hesitantly.
She wasn’t entirely sure, but judging from everything so far, Diabella and the Marquis didn’t seem to have an especially close relationship. So even if he had given her gifts, he probably wouldn’t have carefully explained each and every one to her. He must have offered them with the attitude of, “I picked this up on the way.”
“…”
Bingo.
His silence said she was right.
‘Why would you give such a precious necklace to someone you dislike in the first place? Was it just a custom to pass something down when married, and he followed it?’
She thought he was a rather impossible person and looked at Raymond. Then, almost absentmindedly, she glanced at Angelica, who was still bowing her head in front of him.
Hidden beneath her long hair, Diabella caught sight of the faint smile on Angelica’s lips.
‘Are you… enjoying this?’
Suspicious. Suspicious. Something smells suspicious.
Diabella decided to toss out a baited question.
“It’s in the past, but I feel nothing but regret for not cherishing such a valuable necklace. If I paid you back for its value when we divorce, would that count as an apology… I think that necklace was… about 20,000 marks?”
“Oh, Marchioness, what are you saying? 20,000 marks? It was a necklace worth 2 million marks!”
Angelica exclaimed sharply, lifting her head.
