Episode 13. Promise Me a Divorce
“Enoch, what’s your little sister’s name?”
“Vivian. She’s seventeen this year.”
“She must be pretty.”
“Yeah, she’s really pretty.”
Enoch’s eyes sparkled as he said it. Just from the look in his eyes, you could tell how much he loved his family.
We kept walking slowly while chatting about his family until we finally reached Philip’s grave.
Enoch carefully set the bouquet we’d brought down in front of the headstone.
It looked casual, but the way his fingers brushed the stone… I could feel the longing he had for Philip.
“When you got the news about Philip’s death, that must’ve hit you hard too, right?”
“Well…”
He didn’t need to say much—his lonely little smile said everything.
I left him there and went to sit alone on a bench under the shade of a tree.
Last time I felt like I got in the way of him and Philip, so this time I wanted him to have as much time as he needed.
After a while, Enoch came over and plopped down next to me.
We just sat there, staring up at the blue sky in silence. But it wasn’t awkward or suffocating.
It almost felt like we’d always sat together like this.
“Sitting here with you like this… reminds me of the academy days.”
“…Really?”
The mood had been calm, but he went and ruined it by bringing up some past I didn’t even know about.
The cookie incident aside, I guess Nora and Enoch had more ties than I thought.
“You used to come watch the sword classes sometimes. And when Philip and Irene left after class, you’d sit under the
willow tree in the back yard all by yourself.”
He looked nostalgic as he spoke, but then suddenly bit his lip and apologized.
“Oh… you probably don’t like hearing that, huh? Sorry. Talking about Philip and Irene must make you
uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
Knowing about Nora’s old crush on Philip, he apologized to me—so of course I could only give a bitter smile. Nora’s
embarrassing past is my embarrassing past too.
“It’s fine. That was a long time ago. I’ve already forgotten it.”
“Is that why you totally forgot me too? When we first met here, you didn’t recognize me at all.”
“Uh, that’s because…”
Well, obviously—I was meeting you for the first time in my life!
But I couldn’t say that, so I just laughed awkwardly.
“It’s been so long, after all. You’ve changed a lot.”
“I’ve changed that much?”
“Of course.”
I nodded firmly. Ten years is enough to change mountains and rivers—of course you’ve changed too!
“So… do you not like how I’ve changed?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You look great.”
Judging by the way he asked, he just wanted to hear a compliment. So I tossed him one, and sure enough, the corners
of his lips curled up happily.
Then suddenly, he got all serious again.
“Wait… does that mean I looked terrible ten years ago?”
“What?”
Why does he always twist the conversation like this? I didn’t even know you back then, you idiot!
“…If I thought you were that terrible, do you think I would’ve shared cookies with you?”
I mumbled it quietly, hoping it’d work.
And just like that, a soft, genuine smile spread across his face.
He looked so happy at that little line, I couldn’t help smiling back.
“Enoch, how did you even become friends with Philip?”
“…You’re still so interested in Philip, huh?”
His smile flattened instantly.
Crap. I’d just thrown out the question without thinking, but he took it that way.
It was too late to take it back, so I just lowered my gaze.
“When I was working as a teaching assistant in swordsmanship classes, my little brother Jake was working as a
janitor at the training grounds.”
“Wow… both of you had it rough at such a young age.”
“Jake just wanted to help our mother. Stupidly mature for his age.”
“Sounds like you were just the same.”
At that, Enoch gave a sheepish laugh but didn’t deny it.
“One day, while waiting to clean the training yard, Jake got badly hurt by a broken blade. We didn’t have the money
for the treatment. I thought I was gonna lose it.”
“Oh no…”
“That’s when Philip stepped in. He paid for the treatment and even gave us money for living expenses. If not for him,
Jake would’ve been crippled—or dead.”
“…I didn’t know that.”
Enoch looked away, eyes full of nostalgia, then turned back to me with a smile.
“Philip… and you. You were the only two nobles I ever thought were truly noble.”
I felt embarrassed, but I found myself smiling with him anyway.
“…I think back then, I kind of admired you.”
At that moment, something clicked inside me.
No, we weren’t some grand, destined couple, but at least with him, marriage didn’t feel like it would be miserable.
And besides, I had a very calculated reason for what I was about to propose.
“Enoch, I’ll give you my answer now… about your proposal.”
I felt him tense up beside me, like he was bracing himself.
“Yes, Enoch. Let’s get married.”
“Nora…”
His eyes widened, trembling with happiness.
“I was trying to figure out what to say to convince you. I even prepared things to say, and you just… suddenly say yes
like that?”
“Then go ahead, say it.”
“Say what?”
“Those lines you practiced to win me over. Let’s hear it.”
“…I forgot them all.”
He fumbled awkwardly, then broke into a big grin.
Honestly, he really shouldn’t smile like that so suddenly. Makes me want to misunderstand.
“But Enoch, I have one condition.”
“…Condition?”
“Promise me a divorce in three years.”
“What?”
That smile of his vanished in an instant, replaced by something sharp.
“Nora Cornell! Marrying me on the condition of divorce—are you out of your mind?”
His anger made me flinch, but I still had to explain.
“Just hear me out.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“Enoch!”
I stared straight into his eyes, and he finally sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“Fine. I’ll listen.”
“I’ll give my all as your wife during our marriage. But if, after three years, either of us doesn’t want to keep going…
then we divorce.”
“That’ll never happen.”
“Don’t be so sure. You might get sick of me. Or… meet the woman you truly love.”
Truth is, in the original story, Nora was doomed to live alone forever anyway.
Somehow me being here has twisted the plot, but no way this abnormal situation lasts forever.
Once Irene sets her sights on him, Enoch is bound to fall for her eventually. That’s just how the heroine buff works!
But knowing Enoch’s character, he’d probably stay with me anyway—just because he gave his word.
I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him torn between me and Irene, and I sure as hell didn’t want to fight Irene for him.
Love has always been something I avoid. And that goes back to my last life.
My first and only love was my senior from archery practice.
He was diligent, honest, and true. We even promised to get married. He gave me everything he had. He really was the
perfect boyfriend.
Then one day, he changed. His face darkened, he stopped talking, grew thinner and thinner.
He couldn’t sleep at night. He lost his spark.
Eventually, I found out he’d fallen in love with my nephew’s kindergarten teacher.
It was his first time experiencing that overwhelming, earth-shaking kind of love. He was torn apart by it.
But because he was so damn honest and loyal, he clung to me anyway. And I hated it.
His heart was already hers, but his body stayed with me.
“Just break up with me! Tell me you’ve met the love of your life and you can’t let her go!”
“I can’t. I promised to love you forever. I won’t break that promise.”
He stubbornly pushed ahead with our marriage… but he couldn’t let her go. His soul was wasting away day by day.
To me, it was like some cruel dark comedy.
In the end, I kissed a stranger right in front of him.
Someone had to cut our miserable ties, even if it had to be me.
After that kiss, he finally left me.
I cried so hard that day I thought my chest would cave in.
And that’s why—I refuse to repeat that hell.
Enoch is way too much like him: different face, but same nature.
If we marry, and one day he realizes he loves Irene, he’ll stay by my side out of obligation. Slowly destroying himself
inside.
I can’t watch that happen again. Not twice.
That’s why I’m insisting on a three-year limit. So when the day comes, I can walk away without regrets.
“Promise me, Enoch. If you ever fall in love for real, you’ll tell me.”
“And if I do?”
“Then I’ll step aside, of course.”
Enoch just stared at me, mouth slightly open like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Three years. Living under one roof. Sharing a bed. And you think leaving will be that easy?”
“…What?”
My head spun.
Oh right. That’s what marriage really means. Eating, sleeping, sharing a bed—being that close every day.
It hit me how abstractly I’d been thinking about it.
Me, a proper conservative Korean girl… Could I really handle sharing a bed without love?
Honestly? Maybe.
I mean, I’m used to being around athletic, well-built guys. Our national team physiques can compete with anyone in
the world.
But still—even with that experience, Enoch’s body was on another level.
Over 190 cm tall, broad shoulders like the Pacific Ocean, a solid chest, strong long limbs—he had the best build of any
man I’d ever seen.
Add to that his deep red hair, emerald-green eyes, sharp jawline and perfect nose… the combination was lethal.
So no, I couldn’t exactly promise myself I’d feel nothing lying beside him in bed.
Even if he kept his distance, who knows… maybe I’d be the one to pounce first.
