CHAPTER 89…………………………………………………
But even that reaction didn’t last long; Blake spoke without changing his expression at all.
“Of course I’m surprised. How do you know about the previous iteration, Milady?”
Surprised? His voice was far too calm for that.
With him acting like that, I began to wonder if what I’d said was really such a big deal.
“…I told you before. I have an informant.”
“So this informant… are they some god who governs dimensions?”
Come to think of it, there were gods in this world, though they didn’t seem to have much influence.
‘In other words, unless you’re a god, it should be impossible to know about the previous iteration.’
That meant, fortunately, Blake wasn’t godlike.
‘Even in a fantasy novel, I’m thinking about this kind of thing…’
I gave a bitter smile and replied.
“Not a god, but there is someone. You, as a minor character, would never know!”
“A minor character…”
Blake muttered that under his breath, then broke into a grin.
“So you really don’t intend to tell me. That’s cruel. I even shared my secret with you.”
He lowered his eyebrows like someone who’d been rejected and pressed both hands to his chest.
What was that about?!
From the recipient’s perspective, it was oddly irritating.
I decided to get to the point.
“I didn’t call you here to argue. There’s something I need to tell you privately.”
Blake slowly removed his hands from his chest.
“Something to tell me? Not about me being Kan?”
Of course not.
‘If we’re talking seriously, this is the real point.’
I took a deep breath and spoke.
“I’m sorry for everything you’ve endured with me over the past seven years, but I’ve decided to stop pursuing divorce.”
At those words, the cracks in Blake’s perpetually cheerful expression appeared.
“Why?”
That short question made a lot of thoughts run through me:
About Merry, about Sidereon, about this familiar mansion…
But the ultimate reason was simple:
“I just don’t want to leave anymore.”
Yes. That’s why I decided to stay here.
Voicing the decision made my chest feel warm.
Blake, however, disrupted my feeling with a bored expression. That guy, seriously.
“You’re willing to throw away seven years of effort just like that?”
To be fair, Blake had probably worked harder than me.
“I feel sorry for you, though. I’ll make it up to you for all the time you’ve spent wasted.”
Regardless of my suspicions about Blake, I genuinely felt apologetic.
“Honestly, it’s a shame. I was curious to see how you’d act if you divorced.”
He added, muttering softly.
“The fact that you ultimately made this choice… I guess it’s because you’re confident the Grand Duke likes you?”
His violet eyes fixed on me intently.
Not unshakable certainty, but there was some level of trust.
Specifically, the belief that I wouldn’t regret this decision.
Just thinking of Sidereon made my chest warm and my heart pound. I couldn’t help but smile.
When I nodded without hiding my smile, Blake pouted.
“Milady, that expression of yours is really boring.”
…Hilarious, really.
“I didn’t make it to amuse you, you know?”
“Whatever. By the way, Milady, do you remember the wager we made before?”
“A wager?”
As I tried to recall, a sudden ominous feeling ran down my spine.
Just as the vague memory started to become clear, Blake refreshed it for me.
“We made a bet on whether your husband would like you or not.”
A flash of memory.
I remembered that conversation from the past.
But…
‘Isn’t this extremely disadvantageous for me?’
“…Did I really make that bet?”
“You did.”
“Well… I don’t really remember…”
I dragged out the words, rolling my eyes.
Blake’s gaze narrowed at me.
What could he do? I didn’t remember!
“Really don’t remember? The winner of the bet was supposed to have their wish granted.”
I let out a small, hollow laugh.
Where’s the scam here?
“A wish? That would’ve been… a request… huh!”
I hastily covered my mouth, but the important part had already slipped out.
“I really like that about you, Milady.”
Blake said with the victorious smile of someone who had won.
I glared at that smug face, then crossed my arms and asked boldly:
“When did we even make that bet?”
“The timeframe wasn’t set, so it’s still valid.”
Tch.
“Even if we did make that bet, doesn’t it depend on the person whether they fulfill it? I could have refused, right?”
“Well… I don’t think Milady would ignore it.”
If he really thinks that, he’s wrong.
I may seem conscientious, but I can be pretty ruthless!
“The funds from Milady’s estate are with me. You sure you want to ignore that?”
“…So that’s your attempt at blackmail?”
“Calling that blackmail is extreme.”
Blake shrugged.
Well, if that’s the level of “blackmail,” it’s actually manageable.
“…Even if it’s a shame, if you say you’ll stop interfering in Asitria, I’ll give it to you.”
Blake’s eyes went wide.
“What’s this? Milady, who’s usually so frugal?”
That was because I was considering my retirement funds.
And I didn’t want to hear that from him.
‘Besides, considering Asitria’s assets, that loss isn’t a big deal…’
“Hmph. Well, it’s not bad, but if it ends like that, it’s too boring.”
Sometimes, Blake really seems like he lives for fun.
Yeah, fun is important. But the pursuit of fun only lasts so long.
I straightened from my slouched position and spoke.
“There’s no more fun in it. Blake, whatever you say, I won’t divorce. I’ve decided that.”
Blake let out an exaggerated “Whoa!” in mock astonishment.
“You really trust the Duke, huh? But Milady… knowing about the previous iteration means you also know how the Milady of that iteration died, right?”
As he spoke, Blake’s voice grew lower.
This didn’t sound like a good situation.
I bristled and answered sharply.
“…What are you trying to say?”
“Literally. If you knew how you died, you’d never make this choice.”
Somehow, it felt like he was pulling out the part of me I wanted to ignore and holding it in front of me.
I bit my lip, unsure if I felt anxious or uneasy.
Blake spoke as if to soothe me.
“No need to be so tense. I was just curious. As for the answer… I think I already know it.”
He scrutinized my expression, then gave a small smile.
…Was he testing me?
“Milady, also, I’m not as interested in money as you think.”
…What?
I moved my facial muscles to show disbelief. Blake cleared his throat lightly.
“Of course, judging by my past behavior, I understand your reaction. But I pursued money because it was fun. So—if there’s something more fun than money, then money isn’t really important to me.”
His ominously calm voice made a part of my chest tense.
“What on earth…!”
“The money you entrusted to me isn’t just money. In a way, it could be considered ‘evidence’ of the Duchess secretly embezzling funds.”
I swallowed hard.
A distinctly dangerous aura radiated from Blake, different from before.
Even while smiling, he seemed completely unlike the Blake I knew.
I ground my teeth and called him.
“Blake…”
“Milady, this is how you do blackmail.”
He said it with a laugh, looking disturbingly cheerful.
