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Chapter 10
“Madam, with a word from the Chief Justice, even a perfectly legitimate lawyer can have their license revoked.”
Ash straightened his posture and looked steadily at Nina.
The reason he had been preparing, behind the scenes, to bring down the Chief Justice was precisely this.
As long as her grandfather held power, a smooth divorce would be impossible.
“If your grandfather so chooses, he can turn a notarized agreement from a lawyer into a worthless piece of paper without even trying. What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
Ash’s sharp words made Nina squeeze her eyes shut, her lips trembling slightly.
So my grandfather is far more powerful than I imagined…
She hadn’t known he could even revoke a lawyer’s certification through judicial authority.
Because of that, she had never even considered that the agreement could be rendered meaningless.
Damn it…
How could she convince someone who didn’t even believe the agreement would be honored in the first place?
All her past black history was coming back to bite her.
As she trembled in frustration, Nina slowly opened her mouth toward the man who was now watching her with a faint, mocking smile—waiting for her excuse.
“…Husband, what woman in this world could hear that her husband feels nothing for her and remain unaffected?”
For a brief moment, a crack appeared in his usually cold expression.
He knew it too.
That his words could wound a woman more deeply than anything else.
In truth, that moment of indifference from him had been what finally broke her after countless rejections and stubborn persistence.
The bitterness of that memory weighed her down for a moment—then she continued.
“Believe it or not… after hearing that, I had no choice but to accept reality. If even your body doesn’t react to me… then what could I possibly do?”
She should have taken time to build trust—but instead she had rushed to leave and demanded a divorce.
Her desire to end things quickly and start a new life had been purely selfish.
If that’s the case, there’s no helping it.
Nina rose with a faint, distant smile.
“…Alright. I’ll follow your wishes. Still… if—just if—you change your mind, please tell me anytime.”
This was two steps back for one step forward.
One year.
Within that time, she would earn his trust, divorce peacefully, and leave this worldly life behind.
As she turned away, a quiet resolve flickered in her sky-blue eyes.
The conservatory of the Nord Duke’s estate.
Built from flawless, high-grade glass, this greenhouse was the Duchess of Nord’s favorite place in the entire manor.
Filled with rare foreign plants—beautiful yet difficult to maintain—it was the perfect place to display the family’s wealth to guests.
“…By the way, have you all heard about that rumor?”
A woman with emerald eyes and elegantly pinned brown hair, Rebecca, the lady of House Nord, spoke in a hushed tone before pausing dramatically.
“What fascinating story are you about to share now, Madam?”
One of the ladies asked with sparkling curiosity.
As if she had been waiting for it, Rebecca lowered her voice conspiratorially.
“I heard something recently… the Duchess of Bavaria fell down a staircase.”
“Oh my.”
The guests gasped, eyes widening.
They had expected nothing more than a simple marital spat.
“Heavens, how did that happen…?”
“So that’s why she hasn’t been attending gatherings lately. Was she badly hurt?”
As the noblewomen murmured, Rebecca lowered her voice further.
“I don’t know how badly she was injured. But I do know how she ended up that way.”
Someone then muttered with a serious expression:
“Could it be… someone pushed her down the stairs?”
It was the first thought that naturally came to mind for those familiar with the Duchess of Bavaria’s infamous behavior.
She would glare at her husband like she wanted to kill him if their eyes met, and if they so much as exchanged words, she would try to ruin the woman’s reputation as immoral.
If she behaved like that toward nobles, one could only imagine how she treated the servants.
Rebecca sipped her tea gracefully.
“It would have been much better if that were the case…”
When she first heard the truth, even she had been stunned.
It was so unbelievable that she had verified the information multiple times.
And the guests here would likely react the same way.
“Madam, what do you mean? Better if she had been pushed?”
“We’re dying to know. Please tell us.”
Rebecca let out a soft laugh as curiosity swelled in the room.
“Well… I heard the Duchess of Bavaria went to the Duke’s bedroom in the middle of the night… and was thrown out.”
A wave of shock spread across the noblewomen’s faces.
“Oh…”
“W-what…?”
Faces flushed red with embarrassment as they covered their mouths.
Rebecca lowered her eyes as if sympathizing.
“I heard she demanded her marital rights… and after being rejected, she was so devastated that she overturned the bedroom, drank heavily, and ended up falling down the stairs. How tragic.”
“Even so… trying to seduce him with her body like that…”
In their world, where modesty was a virtue, such behavior was considered vulgar—something only courtesans would do.
And she had even been thrown out.
Once this spread through high society, the Duchess of Bavaria’s reputation would plummet entirely.
As expected, the guests began tearing her image apart without restraint.
“She used to be the most admired lady in society. Beautiful, from a distinguished family… when she married the Duke, I thought the world was truly unfair.”
“Who could have imagined she’d end up begging for her husband’s love…”
Rebecca watched with a satisfied smile as the women clicked their tongues.
Outwardly she appeared sympathetic—but inwardly, she was laughing at Nina’s downfall.
After all, it had been their circle that had ruined the Duchess’s reputation over the past two years.
Soon this story will spread everywhere.
She could already imagine Nina Bavaria’s reputation collapsing beyond repair.
And that thought filled her with satisfaction.
Nina Bavaria.
The daughter of the prestigious Taylor Ducal House, and once compared endlessly to Rebecca herself.
Rebecca had hated her for as long as she could remember.
Because they had debuted around the same time, comparison had been inevitable—and Rebecca was always the one deemed inferior.
And then…
Ash D. Bavaria.
Nina had gone on to marry the man Rebecca had long adored.
How devastated she had been upon hearing the news.
And worse, after her own political marriage to the Duke of Nord—forced by her parents’ rivalry with House Taylor—her resentment toward Nina had only grown.
“Since the Taylor daughter married the Duke of Bavaria, you must marry someone of equal standing. We’ve arranged a match with House Nord.”
The Duke of Nord.
Unlike the flawless Duke of Bavaria, he had nothing but his title and family name.
Short, heavyset, vulgar in speech, and notorious for crude jokes about women.
Even so, she had no choice but to marry him.
She had even gone on a hunger strike in protest.
But in the end, like every noble daughter, she had to obey.
And then—
The once proud and untouchable Nina had begun to fall apart after marriage.
A neglected wife.
An obsessive, jealous woman desperate for her husband’s love.
Only then had Rebecca finally shaken off the sticky sense of defeat that had clung to her for years.
Even so, just the sight of her husband still made her stomach turn…
But at least, she thought—
It’s better than being unloved.
Nothing brought her more pleasure than Nina’s miserable married life.
…I wonder what expression she’s making right now?
As Rebecca sipped her tea, a malicious gleam surfaced in her eyes.
