QBSLB 11

Chapter 11. A Pair of Cockroaches

Teion’s eyes gleamed at her confident attitude, so unlike her pure and innocent appearance.

He had thought so since the tea house—she really was an interesting woman.

“To fail to recognize true value… how very fitting of the Morgans viscount.”

Teion had never liked the Morgans family much to begin with—greedy and lacking in dignity.

After making his cool-headed judgment, he watched the woman for a moment before turning away.

Now was not the time to bring up business.

Now that he knew she was the wife of the Morgans viscount, he could always seek her out again if he wished.

Unlike when he had followed behind her, he now strode forward confidently on his long legs, thinking to himself—

Until they met again, he hoped she wouldn’t be too heartbroken.

Standing blankly in front of a jewelry shop window in the city, I muttered,

“So that poor woman… was me.”

A woman delightfully holding a large ruby necklace, and Deuphel watching her with a satisfied expression.

The two of them kept stroking each other, like a pair of affectionate cockroaches.

So much so that even the shop employees nearby turned their heads away in embarrassment.

That was when it happened.

As Deuphel bent his head as if about to kiss the woman, his gaze suddenly shifted toward outside the shop.

And then—his eyes met mine.

A flicker of confusion crossed Deuphel’s face when he saw me.

At his reaction, the woman beside him turned her head to look at me as well.

Only then could I properly take in her face.

Her eyes were the same blue as mine, and her brown hair was tightly curled and cascaded down in waves.

With large moles beneath her left eye and below her lips, she exuded a blatantly sensual and seductive aura.

Her revealing outfit, with her chest boldly exposed, only emphasized it.

Flashy and provocative—her style was the complete opposite of Aileen’s.

Seeing that she showed no sign of panic even after spotting me, it seemed she already knew of Aileen’s existence.

In short, she had knowingly gotten involved with a married man.

“Well, after ten years, it’d be impossible not to know.”

With a cold expression, I met their gazes without avoiding them.

There was no reason for me to be anything but confident.

What was truly absurd was that the other woman was also glaring at me with an equally confident expression.

The only one flustered between the two women was Deuphel.

Perhaps he had at least a shred of conscience left—he fumbled awkwardly, trying to shield the woman behind his back as much as possible.

As if that could hide her flamboyant silk dress.

Unlike me, dressed in something modest to the point of shabbiness, she wore a dress so flashy it bordered on vulgar.

To an outsider, it would’ve been hard to tell which of us was actually the noblewoman.

I watched Deuphel’s ridiculous, restless 모습 with a blank face—only for a moment.

Soon, very slowly, I lifted the corners of my lips into a relaxed smile.

Deuphel, who had been sweating profusely, froze in surprise.

Looking at the pair of cockroaches through the glass window, I quietly moved my lips.

“Fine. Enjoy yourselves while you can.”

Then, without a trace of hesitation, I turned my back and walked away.

Of course, I could have stormed inside right then and there and made a dramatic scene.

I could have grabbed the woman by the hair, shaken her, and screamed at Deuphel about how he could do this to me.

But that kind of thing only happens when there’s still love for one’s husband.

I felt absolutely nothing—even after witnessing my husband cheating right in front of me.

Aileen’s memories still lingered inside me, but they were all memories of being scolded and disregarded by her husband.

There was not a single reason for me to feel any affection toward Deuphel.

So what did it matter to me who he cheated with?

If anything, it was good—another solid reason for divorce had just been added.

“Besides, even if I went in and caused a scene now, I wouldn’t be able to divorce him anyway.”

So for now, the plan was to carefully gather evidence of his affair and grounds for divorce.

All so that someday—bang!—I could blow it all up at once.

“Ah, if only I had a recorder or a camera.”

Of course, there were magical tools in this world that served such purposes.

The problem was their price.

In this world, magic had taken the place of science, and items created by mages were outrageously expensive.

And naturally, Aileen didn’t have the money to buy such costly magical tools.

“I’ve got a lot to do.”

I had to earn money, collect evidence of my bastard husband’s affair, and attend the imperial palace party to meet the sub male lead.

All of it was preparation for living my own life after the divorce.

With steps so bold it was hard to believe I had just witnessed my husband cheating, I headed straight toward the end of the street—

With the steady, unwavering gait of someone who knew exactly what she wanted.

Left behind in the jewelry shop, Deuphel blinked repeatedly, utterly flustered.

“She just… left?”

After seeing her husband cheating with her own eyes?

Aileen hadn’t been shocked, nor angry.

That dignified, beautiful 모습—watching him from afar with a cold smile.

“…Was that really the Aileen I know?”

Deuphel had been secretly meeting his mistress, Manon, for ten years now.

If he claimed he had never imagined being caught by his wife, it would be a lie.

In his imagination, Aileen, upon witnessing the affair, would be devastated, crying as she clung to him.

But being the kind woman she was, she wouldn’t even be able to properly express her anger.

She would probably run to the church, sobbing and praying for her husband to come to his senses and return to her.

That was how cynically he had always imagined it.

And if Aileen had acted just as he imagined, Deuphel would have felt little guilt even after being caught.

After all, a man without a conscience wouldn’t have carried on an affair for ten years while deceiving his wife.

But Aileen’s behavior was the complete opposite of what he expected.

Seeing his wife—whom he thought he understood better than anyone—react so unexpectedly left his heart in unbearable turmoil.

“What is she thinking, Aileen? …Don’t tell me she doesn’t care at all that I cheated?!”

No. That couldn’t be.

After losing her parents and family, he was the only one she had left.

Then why…?

“A woman who never left the house…”

At that moment, Manon, who had been glaring at him as if shocked, snapped sharply,

“What’s gotten into her, going out like that?”

Only then did Deuphel snap out of his daze and look at her.

When his gaze met hers, Manon immediately jutted out her plump lips in a sulky pout.

“Hm? You’re only looking at me now?”

A coquettish expression that stirred a man’s heart.

Deuphel’s face, which had briefly been clouded by thoughts of his wife, softened at once.

Manon was a woman he had met in an entertainment district when he was even younger than he was now.

She was also the first woman he had ever held after just stepping into adulthood.

After meeting her—someone so skilled at handling men—all other noblewomen felt dull in comparison.

“Noblewomen are all so prim and proper. You have to cater to their moods.”

No matter how low women’s rights were in the empire, a male noble still had to show basic courtesy to other noblewomen.

But Manon was different. She always treated him like the apple of her eye.

When he was with her, he felt not like a nouveau riche viscount constantly watching his father’s mood, but like the king of some kingdom.

So different from Aileen or other noblewomen—sweet, affectionate, and coquettish.

“Exactly. This is how women should be.”

Obedient. Women who pleased men were the best.

“So in the end, your wife still comes first, doesn’t she? …Not someone like me.”

Feeling generous, Deuphel gently soothed the whining Manon.

“That’s not true. You know it. I only married her because I couldn’t marry you—a commoner—since I’m a noble.”

Still, Manon didn’t pull back her plump, pouting lips.

Deuphel noticed that she was subtly caressing the emerald earrings placed next to the ruby necklace.

Pretending not to catch on to her indirect demand, he spoke in a boastful tone,

“…That ruby is incredibly expensive, you know.”

He had bought Manon a house in the city and sent her living expenses every month.

The flashy dresses and jewelry she wore—all of it had been gifts from Deuphel.

To be honest, even for a noble like him, the expenses were enough to make him wince.

Which was precisely why he ended up cutting back on the money spent on Aileen.

“Just Manon alone costs this much… If I had to support two women, the expenses would double… No. That won’t do.”

It was fortunate that Aileen was kind and frugal.

Thinking that, Deuphel diligently coaxed Manon, who was pretending to sulk while clutching the emerald earrings.