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Chapter 18
Blonde hair was the symbol of the royal family of Castaros. On top of that, she often volunteered at a nearby orphanage with a knight, so her face was well known. Their primary business, as Karia had said, was “following others around” to buy and sell information, so it was only natural that they knew this much.
However, today, the atmosphere felt different. Who would have expected a woman, who usually looked as fragile as a fading gypsophila tomorrow, to confidently hand over a pile of gold as if she were a general of some nation?
“It doesn’t seem like it was deliberately corroded to hide its source; it looks to be at least several hundred years old.”
“Even after removing the defective coins, it seems like there are well over three thousand gold coins. Could she possibly have more like this?”
“Who knows? Hard to tell.”
Three hundred thousand gold didn’t seem like much for her alone, but it wasn’t excessive for attempting something significant.
As far as he knew, her standing in the Pandeon family wasn’t good, and she didn’t interact much with the Grand Duke’s family.
While the source of the gold was a mystery, the man was very curious why a woman, who had lived like the dead since her marriage, suddenly appeared with money in hand.
“Well, we’ll probably see her more often, so there’s no rush.”
“I suppose. But once she takes the coins, who knows when she might come back to request another job?”
“Tch… Sir Dashimone, you really don’t know anything, do you?”
The man frowned with a hint of pity as he looked at his subordinate, Shagal Dashimone. It was the look of someone thinking, How can a subordinate not know something so obvious?
“She looked at my face. Didn’t you see the trembling in her eyes?”
At the man’s words, Shagal Dashimone’s expression faltered. He respected and admired every part of his lord, but sometimes, when his master spouted nonsense like this, he didn’t know what expression to wear.
“This face, like a divine work of art, has stolen yet another lamb’s heart. Only an elf from the myths could rival this beauty.”
As the man began his usual self-praise, his subordinates pretended not to hear and returned to their tasks. Only Shagal, his adjutant and right-hand man, had to endure the familiar monologue yet again.
“Your Highness, please…!”
“Noah.”
The man, who claimed he could rival elves in beauty, cut off his subordinate’s complaint with a single word. Though he was still smiling, his sunset-colored eyes gave a warning through the narrowed gaze.
“In this country, you were told to call me Noah. Planning another mistake?”
The low voice of “Noah” tightened the subordinate’s neck. Shagal flinched, realizing his error, and the man sighed deeply, leaning back in the worn chair.
“I’m sorry, Lord Noah. I mean… Commander.”
“How long has it been, and you’re still not used to it?”
“But you are always our…”
Shagal couldn’t finish the sentence. The chair, creaking under his weight, was far too humble to call a throne.
Yet the thought shared by all his subordinates was the same: the man seated there was worth a lifetime of loyalty.
“Puhah!”
Karia didn’t even realize how she had returned to the capital square, her mind a haze. She dismounted and plunged her head into the fountain’s water. Only when the cold stung her skin and constricted her breath did she lift her head.
Her tightly bound blonde hair clung wet to her pale face. Yet her racing heart wouldn’t calm.
“No… it wasn’t. It absolutely wasn’t.”
The man wasn’t Gilford. Her mind knew it, but her heart pounded so violently that she couldn’t tell whether it was dream or reality.
How could someone resemble him so much? And why had she met such a look-alike now?
“I need to make an elixir.”
Before her mind could catch up, her lips voiced the thought. Her body reacted before she had a chance to reason. His breathing, the flick of his eyes—it made her feel as if she could stop breathing.
She thought she had understood that this was out of her hands, but no. She hadn’t moved on at all since the day she faced Gilford and Eddy’s deaths. She had simply buried her sorrow deep in her heart to maintain composure. But seeing a man with the same face as Gilford made that buried grief surge up, breaking through with ease.
“Shallow. My life now is too shallow to bury what once was my everything.”
Seeing his face made her acutely aware of the happiness she had missed.
“If I live, even alone, and search for a hundred years, a thousand years, maybe someday I’ll meet again. And here I am as proof.”
Old memories, soaked in the blood of the soul, don’t decay with time. If so, she might as well hold onto what was precious once more.
“Perhaps… perhaps he is very close. Maybe he, like me, has lost his memory.”
The face of the man she saw earlier floated under her closed eyelids for a moment, then vanished.
He was certainly different from the Gilford she knew, but maybe his personality had changed due to upbringing. Hadn’t she also changed herself?
Karia inhaled and exhaled deeply with her eyes closed. When she opened them slowly, she saw a young woman with red eyes reflected in the water.
She straightened her usually slouched back and put a bright smile on her fatigued face.
With a purpose in life, the dullness in her eyes sharpened.
This time, she would seize eternal happiness with her own hands.
“Out again, huh?”
Returning early evening to the Pandeon mansion after her errands, Karia frowned at the sight of her husband descending the front steps.
“-You’re home at this hour? I wonder what a busy man like you is up to.”
“Wife!”
His sharp call wrinkled Karia’s face even more. Why did everyone act loud and annoying when they were in front of her these days?
“You don’t have to shout. I still know I’m your wife.”
“The Grand Duke had someone send a letter. He asked what happened between you and him. I told him nothing happened, so don’t worry.”
“-Huh, quick to act in such cases, aren’t you?”
The Grand Duke’s letter was a warning. It was also a warning about the Pandeon Duke, and probably to her as well. While it was fortunate that divorce wasn’t mentioned, she couldn’t help feeling irritated.
If only he had been this swift when she, as a child, sought help.
“This morning, I opened the door for your mother’s visit.”
“Excuse me?”
“Isn’t that enough? If you’re still upset, punish me yourself.”
Rubiduff walked up, hands behind his back, standing tall before her. It was a provocation: Do whatever you want if you can. She had assumed he couldn’t do anything.
Karia didn’t hesitate. She grabbed him by the cravat, pulling him down roughly.
“What punishment did you think I’d give?”
“-Wife…”
“Ah, my husband thinks I’m so easily handled, huh?”
He had replied to the Grand Duke’s letter as he pleased, released the matriarch at will, and hadn’t even pretended to respect her opinion. And yet, who was disappointed in whom?
Karia thought anyone would laugh at such a “married couple” scenario.
Not wanting to face that shameless expression any longer, she released his collar forcefully.
“Ugh…! Did you hear something to act like this?”
“Hear something?”
“Anything… about me, perhaps.”
The Duke cleared his throat and quietly studied her expression.
Hearing something? Could the man, who was always bold, be cautious because he heard something he shouldn’t have?
“No, forget it. Consider it unheard. That will be all.”
After waiting for her reaction, he sighed silently in relief, certain that she knew nothing.
Seeing his relaxed back, Karia let out a bitter laugh.
“Some nerve.”
He had done everything at his discretion, yet only watched carefully in one matter… Though he claimed to be busy, he apparently still had time to see other women?
He knew Karia loved him. He was careful because he knew and did it anyway.
Now, Karia was even more certain: he was a man beyond redemption.
“What? Divorce?”
During a rare quiet family lunch, the Emperor raised his voice upon hearing shocking news: Karia had gone to request a divorce from my father.
“That girl is causing trouble in the royal household again! Where else would she find a suitable husband!”
The Grand Duke didn’t want the otherwise inactive Karia sent to another country. At the same time, he couldn’t betroth her to a family of too low status. Suitable matches were limited to dukes or, at most, marquises.
There were few men around her age. One had bad habits with women, and another was so unattractive that all agreed.
They had finally matched her with a decent, reputable man… and now, divorce? What nonsense was this?
