Chapter 14 – “Let’s Divorce in Three Months”
Ugh, seriously. It’s not like I stunted his growth or something.
She might’ve been short, but she wasn’t lacking in attitude. Even as Satin glared at her coolly, Lublie sat down beside her and casually poured a full glass of milk into her cup.
“Drink.”
“Why?”
“You need to drink more milk if you want to grow taller.”
Giyorn widened his eyes, glancing between Satin and Lublie as if to ask, Do you two know each other?
Not just Giyorn—other students nearby were also casting curious glances their way.
After this scene repeated a few times, Satin gave up on drinking milk altogether. Eventually, she got used to going without it, and that habit stuck with her ever since.
Satin took a sip of her strong black tea—no milk added—and then Lublie spoke.
“I’m heading out for a business trip.”
Satin gave a simple nod.
“Safe travels.”
“It might take a while.”
“How long?”
“It’s a long distance. Two months? Maybe two and a half. I’ll try to return as soon as I can.”
Good news, honestly. A glimmer of relief lit up Satin’s cheeks.
“That’s fine. Don’t rush. Take your time and handle it properly. It’s national business—you have to be thorough.”
Lublie chuckled at the expected response.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
As if waiting for that cue, Satin placed the book she had been holding down on the table. Lublie glanced at the cover.
The Caldebranca Code of Law.
A law book?
“I did some research. According to the law, divorce is possible after three months of marriage.”
Lublie stared at her. Mentioning divorce so soon after marrying him—it was hard to laugh this time.
“Divorce?”
“There’s a process—negotiations, division of assets, all that. But the bare minimum is three months.”
Satin smiled as she made her declaration.
“So, let’s separate cleanly after three months.”
The Cardinal had once said that marriage is the journey of trying to love each other. But not all couples complete that journey successfully.
People can seem compatible for four seasons and turn out completely different after ten years. Satin knew that firsthand.
And Giyorn, who had been with her for twenty years, changed completely the moment he met someone he truly fell for.
So what hope was there for Lublie and herself—two people who didn’t even get along to begin with?
Trying to force compatibility between two mismatched people is just cruel.
That’s why the Caldebranca Code granted divorce under certain conditions. The three-month rule was just a safeguard to prevent impulsive separations.
“You’re saying we should divorce after three months?”
Lublie repeated her words. Satin nodded.
“It’s not like we’re going to live happily ever after together, right? It’s better for both of us to go our separate ways.”
“And why do you think that?”
“…Isn’t it obvious?”
She answered like someone questioning why apples are red. Lublie tilted his head slightly.
So she really thinks we’re just not meant to be.
“I’m not sure what part of that is supposed to be obvious.”
Leaning back, he gave her a long, unreadable look.
“What exactly makes you think we can’t make this work?”
Instead of an answer, Satin was met with a question. She looked stunned.
What? Is he saying he doesn’t want a divorce?
There was only one reason she could think of.
“…Does the House of Cadilon need the Del Mare name too?”
Just as Sel Vio had, Cadilon would logically want the highest-ranking match. And that would be Satin—daughter of one of the Five Guardian Houses.
Currently, Del Mare was the only one among them with a daughter of marrying age.
If not for early family-arranged engagements, Lublie and Giyorn might have fought over Satin themselves.
“What?”
“Otherwise, none of this makes sense. From barging into the wedding to now refusing to consider divorce. I mean, I appreciate everything you’ve done to help me so far. I truly do. But you hated me, didn’t you?”
Lublie let out a short, amused breath.
“And what makes you think I hated you?”
Satin blinked, then began ticking things off on her fingers.
“Well, we never got along back then…”
She had always avoided him because he made her uncomfortable. Once, she’d even been caught bad-mouthing him to Giyorn.
They were hardly close—or even friendly.
“And from that, you decided I hated you?”
Okay, maybe that wording wasn’t quite right. She tried again.
“…Let’s just say we had an awkward and distant relationship.”
Lublie repeated her words softly.
“Awkward and distant. Yet we ended up married—because of the Del Mare name?”
“Yes.”
“Marriage isn’t always about family names.”
He shot back. Satin didn’t argue that point. For ordinary folks, love mattered more than lineage.
But not for nobles like them—especially not among the Guardian Houses. Love was the least relevant factor in those marriages.
“My engagement was decided by my parents. From the moment I was born, it was decided I’d marry Giyorn. And I never once doubted it in over twenty years.”
At Giyorn’s name, Lublie’s expression darkened slightly.
But Satin didn’t notice. The word love made her reflexively scoff these days.
“But in the end, my engagement collapsed—because of love. Giyorn’s love. And now we’re all tangled in scandals because of it. I’m not saying love is wrong, but it is dangerous. Look at the damage it’s caused. The Guardian Houses will probably be more wary of love than ever. My parents definitely will be.”
“Then by your logic, our marriage wasn’t about love, and we both gained from it. So why bother divorcing?”
“I already said—because we’re not a good match. We’re not the kind of couple that lives happily ever after.”
She never expected love in marriage. But at the very least, she wanted someone reliable—like Giyorn before Delilah came along.
Satin held firm.
“As a thank-you for helping me resolve my scandal, I’ll make this a promise in my name: After our divorce, I won’t remarry into another Guardian House. Things with Sel Vio are already ruined, and I won’t go to Yan Silat or Kwan Theon either. I’m not lacking in options—I have no intention of marrying an older man. So the House of Cadilon won’t need to worry about Del Mare.”
Lublie watched her lips as she rattled off her overly thorough promises.
“So, let’s get divorced in three months.”
Her conclusion hadn’t changed.
“…Well, I get where you’re coming from now.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Lublie decided to play along for now.
The woman who’d once seemed soulless was suddenly filled with passion when talking about divorce—it deserved some attention. Not that he had any plans of letting her go.
He hadn’t come this far just to give up.
Satisfied that he seemed to agree, Satin visibly relaxed and stood up. She finished her tea, hugged the law book to her chest, and even allowed herself a proud little smile.
He shouldn’t ruin that smile just yet. One wrong move and she’d retreat like a porcupine curling into a ball.
Still, he couldn’t let her leave without planting a seed.
“But Satin—maybe rethink some of those old memories. They don’t match mine.”
Three months. It could be short or long, depending on what he made of it. If he returned from his trip quickly enough, there might still be time to change her mind.
Under one roof, two hearts hid their own secrets.
From the outside, it looked like a peaceful evening.
The next morning, Lublie left early.
Because of the long distance, he had to arrive at the Holy Knights Order near the Holy See on time, which meant setting off earlier than usual.
The household was already bustling. Hearing the noise, Satin slowly opened her eyes.
Her first night in the new home had been restless—unfamiliar surroundings made her sleep fitful.
She considered ringing the bell to call Rari but stopped herself. No need to cause more trouble in an already busy morning.
I’ll just go out a bit later. No need to awkwardly run into Lublie this early.
Satin drew the curtains and opened the window wide. She’d seen Rari do it often enough—it looked easy. But when she tried it herself, the ties weren’t as neat.
“Would you like me to wake the master and tell him you’re up, my lady?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Still groggy, she let the morning breeze help chase away the sleepiness—when the door suddenly opened without a knock.
She blinked.
Lublie stood there.
She blinked again, dumbfounded.
“I thought you’d be asleep,” he said, with a shrug.
Which made it even weirder. If you thought I was asleep, why did you come in?
He was fully geared up for travel. Gone was the grand ceremonial uniform from the wedding. Today, he wore a practical deep navy outfit embroidered with the Holy Knight’s golden crest.
Its simplicity only emphasized his tall, lean frame.
“I’m heading out now, Satin.”
“…Okay.”
He reached out toward her.
As she stared blankly, Lublie ruffled her hair lightly and turned to go. The servants bowed as he walked confidently away.
Soon after, she saw him riding off on his jet-black warhorse from the window.
Watching his retreating figure, Satin felt a twinge of awkwardness.
Maybe I should’ve at least wished him a safe trip…
After all, he was traveling for over two months. And when he returned—
Not long after that, they were supposed to divorce.
