Chapter 42
“So you’re just piling strawberry tarts up like a mountain and eating them? And what’s this—peach yogurt granola bread?”
This is insanity.
If they were going to serve food like this, they should’ve told everyone to wear elastic-waist pants instead of dresses.
I tried one as a test and—this is crazy. Chewy white bread, thickly spread Greek yogurt, a whole peach tucked inside, and granola that gives it just the right crunch. Perfect harmony.
“How is it that everything here is exactly what I like?”
And apparently, when the ball ends, they even give out gifts.
A palace attendant was overseeing a table stacked with souvenirs and smiled picture-perfectly when he noticed me hovering nearby.
“This is a gift His Highness the Crown Prince prepared for all the ladies attending today. It’s a quill pen made by a master craftsman who has supplied writing instruments to the imperial family for thirty years.”
“Oh!”
I’d just broken my quill a few days ago and was planning to buy a new one anyway!
It snapped while I was working on the ledger—and Arden happened to be right in front of me at the time.
I still remember wiping the ink off my hand on my clothes and seeing the look of absolute disgust on his face.
“It’s a gift exclusively for ladies, so please don’t forget to take one with you.”
“Don’t men get one?”
A gentleman who had been admiring the quills beside me asked. The attendant’s smile instantly turned icy.
“Men can bite their fingers until they bleed and use that.”
“……”
“That’s what His Highness said.”
“An utterly reasonable statement.”
The gentleman nodded and walked away.
I turned back to the attendant, who had resumed smiling at me.
“I heard there’s also a room where people can play poker. Do you know where it is?”
“Yes. Exit through the third door of the banquet hall, go straight, turn right, pass the powder room, go two blocks, turn right again, then left, pass one staircase, turn left again, then right, then right again, and once you go around the corner—”
“……”
“Would you like me to escort you?”
YES.
“No, it’s fine.”
In truth, I was heading there to eavesdrop, so an escort would’ve been awkward. I declined with a stiff smile.
I went out through the third door as instructed.
And then—
“Was it rub with the left hand first, or the right…?”
Unsure, I kept walking.
Outside the banquet hall, it wasn’t completely empty. Small groups stood tucked into corners of the corridor, chatting quietly, or had gone out onto the terrace and drawn the curtains.
Careful not to look too suspicious, I crossed a hallway where dozens of suits of armor stood saluting a portrait of His Majesty the Emperor.
When I pushed open the next door, there was no one at all.
“Is this really the place…?”
I tilted my head and was just about to turn the corner when—
“Let’s get a divorce.”
Huh?!
Out of nowhere?!
I immediately pulled back.
Perfect timing—I slipped behind a dolphin statue and peeked at the scene across from me.
A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties stared in disbelief, eyes narrowed, at a silver-haired woman standing opposite him.
The man wore a deep blue suit; the woman wore a lime-green dress.
As someone who works in a tailor shop, I could say with confidence—
‘His outfit is at least ten times more expensive.’
The man’s suit was understated in color but elaborate in design, while the woman’s dress was simple. No petticoat to puff up the skirt, no lace or frills—nothing ornate.
It didn’t even quite match her hair color. It stood out in an awkward way, like she’d worn something that was left over after everyone else had chosen.
Even though they clearly hadn’t coordinated outfits before coming—
‘They must be married.’
You can’t divorce if you’re not married, after all.
But still—who brings up divorce at a royal ball…?
Or is this just what balls are like and I didn’t know?
‘I can’t exactly pop out and say, “Excuse me, I’ll just pass through—carry on divorcing after I leave,” can I?’
With no choice, I pressed myself closer to the dolphin statue.
The husband laughed hollowly and ran a hand through his hair.
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me. Let’s get a divorce.”
“Ha.”
“I don’t intend to accuse you of fault, nor do I want a division of property. Just let me take back the savings I brought into this marriage. Then—”
“Get a grip.”
‘What the—he cut her off.’
I hate people who interrupt.
Arms crossed, I scrutinized him.
‘Hmm.’
Tall, broad-shouldered, undeniably handsome.
But—
‘His legs are kind of short.’
That’s unfortunate…
‘Not extremely short, but that subtle kind that really matters…’
While I was silently judging him, their conversation continued.
“Is this because of Sir Chase?”
“No. He has nothing to do with it.”
“Of course. The Sir Chase you rely on is currently dancing in the hall with another young lady.”
Unlike you, she’s never been married—and she’s much younger than Sir Chase. His tone dripped with mockery.
“If it’s not because you fell for Sir Chase, then what is it? Don’t tell me you think that if you divorce me, Sir Chase will look your way?”
“I said he has nothing to do with it.”
“Nonsense.”
“……”
“Think rationally. The reason Sir Chase is kind to you now is because you’re someone’s wife—he can be polite without concern. The moment you divorce me, that courtesy will disappear. A woman looking for a new husband after divorce would be a burden.”
“……”
“Let’s be honest. You were already feeling slighted by me, and then a young, handsome imperial knight showed you kindness. You convinced yourself he might have feelings for you, didn’t you?”
“……”
“Please, wake up. Even if you leave me and end up alone, no man would ever sincerely pursue a divorced woman like you.”
As he said this, the husband tapped his own temple with his finger.
She spoke one sentence; he spoke a hundred.
‘What is wrong with him?’
“Someone like you, a divorced woman,” seriously?
If they divorce, he’ll be divorced too.
‘No wonder she wants a divorce!’
“If you stop now, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said. I’ll even keep your foolish delusions about Sir Chase to myself.”
“……”
“Then I’ll be on my way. I was interrupted in the middle of an important conversation with Miss Plum because of you, and now I’m even late for my poker game.”
He unilaterally ended the conversation and turned around.
He brushed imaginary dust off his sleeve and started walking—away from the dolphin statue I was hiding behind.
Then—
“What if I don’t divorce you?”
The woman spoke, her fist clenched so tightly it was visibly shaking.
“What did you say?”
“If I don’t divorce you. Are you telling me to keep living like this?”
“What are you—”
“What do you think I mean?! Your mother, constantly picking faults with everything I do. Your sister, always chiming in with some smug comment. Your younger brother, who doesn’t even know my name but keeps demanding this and that like a pig grunting for slop! Even your nanny, who sneers at me and says ‘we don’t do things like that in this family’ every time I speak!”
“You’re telling me to endure all of them for the rest of my life?!”
Her scream echoed sharply through the high-ceilinged corridor.
“Keep your voice down—!”
The husband rushed back and grabbed her arm, but she violently shook him off.
“The reason I want a divorce has nothing to do with Sir Chase—it’s because of you!”
“Not because of some delusion or feelings of mine, but because I can’t endure you for even a single moment!”
“Because you don’t care how I live at home, and instead spend all your time parading around with that Plum woman!”
“Divorce me, and then marry that perfect Miss Plum you keep comparing me to—or don’t. Do whatever you want!”
She finished speaking and shoved a sheet of paper she’d been clutching straight into his chest.
Divorce papers.
The husband, who had been silent, slowly peeled the paper off his shirt.
Having just been struck by divorce documents, the husband’s reaction was—?
