WARDV 06

CHAPTER 06

A carriage bearing the Farnese family crest came to a halt in front of the hotel.

The one who stepped out was Feydan.

As soon as he entered the hotel, he immediately asked for Leticia.

“The Duchess of Farnese is staying here, isn’t she? Where is she?”

The young employee, who looked like he had just started working, stammered nervously.

“E-Excuse me, but may I ask what your relationship is with the guest…?”

Feydan’s brow furrowed in irritation.

It was pathetic that an employee didn’t recognize the face of one of the Empire’s three duke house heads.

“I’m her husband.”

Only then did the staff member realize who he was and go pale.

Before the frozen employee could respond, the hotel’s general manager hurried over.

“My apologies, Your Grace. He’s a new hire who only started last week… I’ll escort you personally to Her Grace’s room—”

“No need. Just tell me the room number.”

Feydan snapped irritably.

The general manager quickly gave him Leticia’s room number.

As Feydan ascended to the upper floors, his eyes grew colder and colder.

“Even after I begged her not to leave, she went and stayed out overnight?”

Just yesterday, he had asked Leticia for a divorce.

To his surprise, she had accepted without resistance—and even left the house.

Even after he had tried to stop her.

Feydan was displeased with the fact that he was now here to retrieve her.

Sure, there was a time when he had been obsessed with her.

It had intrigued him—how a woman, whom every other woman envied, didn’t bat an eye at him.

He had felt an overwhelming desire to conquer her.

And once he did…

She became nothing more than a proud trophy.

The woman who had never glanced at another man—he had been the one to win her. That was all he had wanted.

Her beauty, once captivating, now no longer impressed him.

Her once admirable honesty and directness had become nothing but irritating noise.

“Feydan, I don’t think it’s wise to raise coal prices just before winter. What about the people struggling to get by…”

“Even if it costs more, shouldn’t we use better parts? You might make short-term gains with cheaper ones, but in the long run…”

Everything she said was correct.

And everything played out just as she predicted.

How dare she.

A woman who had been just a trophy—now daring to take his spotlight, to lecture him?

That’s when he started longing for his first love, Elize.

Obedient, always treating him like he was her whole world.

After he brought Elize back, Leticia—once so dignified—started clinging to him.

That shift had been entertaining.

Still, he couldn’t bear the thought of someone else taking the trophy he once owned. So he planned to destroy her completely.

He wanted Leticia, who loved him so desperately, to be divorced and miserable—forever longing and regretting.

“Yes, up until a few days ago, this had been fun…”

But the Leticia who accepted the divorce showed no trace of regret.

Something was off.

“There’s no way Leticia doesn’t love me.”

She used to look at him with such sad eyes—how could she not?

“She’s just playing hard to get, trying to make me beg like before.”

Yes, that had to be it.

She was probably crying alone in her hotel room, too proud to come home.

“Once I push harder for the divorce, she’ll face reality and drop this little game.”

With a confident expression, like a soldier marching into a sure victory, Feydan knocked on her door.

He held a document in his hand related to alimony.

“Leticia, it’s me. I’d like to talk about what happened yesterday, if you don’t mind.”

He avoided saying “divorce” in case someone nearby overheard.

But even after a bit more waiting, there was no reply.

“Must be taking time to clean up the tear stains.”

Waiting patiently, he was finally greeted by Erin, who cautiously opened the door and peeked out.

But her words were not what he expected.

“Her Ladyship has gone out.”

“…What?”

The anticipation drained from Feydan’s face, replaced by a look of sheer disbelief.

Having boarded a hired carriage waiting outside the Grand Duke’s residence, I finally let out a breath.

“First step, complete.”

It seemed I’d been more tense than I realized—my whole body sagged with relief.

As I leaned my head against the carriage wall, I noticed the strands of my hair that had been flattened.

Suddenly, the scene from earlier popped into my mind.

“Take care, my love.”

The way his face had gleamed as he smiled at me—my heart dropped instinctively at the memory.

“Definitely a dangerous man.”

I’d sensed it before, but seeing him up close again made his absurdly good looks hit even harder.

Of course, that was only a natural, instinctive reaction to beauty—nothing more.

Because for someone like me right now, such feelings and distractions were luxuries I couldn’t afford.

I gathered my thoughts and moved on to the next step.

“Next is getting Feydan to sign the divorce papers.”

Only once I received the divorce and got my dowry back would the contract with Idris be valid.

So, in a way, this step was even more important.

But for now—

“Divorce will take a little time. Today, I’ll treat myself to a good meal and some rest in celebration.”

That was the plan.

At least, until I returned to the hotel—only to find Feydan arguing with Erin.

“You—You can’t enter a room when the guest isn’t present!”

“Ha! I’m her husband. What’s the problem with waiting inside his wife’s room?”

“But Your Grace—!”

“I told you nicely. Don’t make me repeat myself. I won’t hold back just because you’re a woman.”

No way… was he really going to force his way in?

“Didn’t I say, move?”

…and before I could even finish that thought, my ex-husband—embarrassing even to call him that—began acting worse than I’d imagined.

Honestly, it made me feel ashamed I had ever trusted or loved someone like him.

“Y-You can’t do this, Your Grace!”

As Feydan moved to shove Erin aside, I could no longer watch in silence.

“Feydan.”

“Leticia?”

Only then did he stop and turn around.

“Where the hell were you, sneaking around without a word?”

The man who had just tried to break into my room had the nerve to scold me?

Unbelievable.

“Am I obligated to report my every move to you?”

“Are you serious right now?! I’m your husband!”

Husband.

At that laughable word from his mouth, I chuckled and walked closer to him, whispering,

“And soon to be someone else’s husband, no?”

“You—how dare you…!”

Just as Feydan raised his voice in anger—

“Shh.”

I lifted a finger to my lips, gesturing for him to quiet down.

“You really should work on that temper of yours.”

“What?”

“If we keep talking here, don’t you think you’re the one who’ll end up embarrassed?”

As I glanced around, he finally noticed the hotel staff—particularly the cleaners nearby.

If a scandal about the Farnese couple’s divorce were to break here, it would be his reputation that suffered.

Realizing this, he shoved past Erin and entered the room.

I gestured for Erin to wait outside, then followed him in.

“So what brings you here in person? You could’ve just sent your assistant, Sir Lockhard.”

Lockhard was Feydan’s aide.

My tone made it obvious I found this whole encounter a bother.

Feydan frowned for a moment, then placed the documents he’d been holding down before me.

“I came to talk about alimony.”

There was a subtle gleam of anticipation in his eyes as he looked at me.

As if he was expecting a reaction.

In that case…

“Funny you mention it—I was planning to bring up alimony myself soon. Perfect timing.”

And just like that, I crushed that expectation with a smile.