A Second Divorce is Difficult - ✿ dusk blossoms ✿

“If you thought I’d be satisfied with this, you don’t know me at all.”

Marie’s weak smile stiffened.

“So you’re saying you did all this on purpose?”

He stood up, sounding unexpected.

“I’ve arranged a residence for you. You’ll leave here tomorrow morning and settle there. I have been told that a generous person will let you live there without asking for money. Apparently, Mother’s social activities weren’t entirely useless. I came to deliver this message. I hope Mother likes it.”

With that, Eli left the room, leaving her unsure if he meant it as a compliment or a mockery.

Knowing that she had been rejected by all the nobles, the only possible interpretation was mockery.

“Insolent brat!”

It was all she could do to get angry in her room.

* * *

Marie was expelled the next day, as planned.

Eli was there personally to see her off.

“I hope you live a long and healthy life.”

On the hellish floor her mother had created.

He said his last words, hiding his true feelings.

As the permitted carriage pulled away from the front of the house, Marie still stared at him with a cold and dignified gaze before getting on the carriage.

Emily watched from her room through the window, unable to see the end of it, and drew the curtains.

Only Eli watched as Marie’s carriage drove away.

It was her solitary, lonely last moment as the eldest member of the Grit family and her social life.

* * *

The carriage carrying Marie had been traveling for a day and a half without stopping. Two coachmen had taken turns driving the carriage, knowing that the noblewoman was notoriously fussy to the last and that resting in the middle would only make her more cumbersome to handle.

“We’ve arrived.”

At the destination, Marie stepped out of the carriage unescorted.

But it didn’t seem to make a difference.

Because the house she was about to spend the rest of her days in, right in front of her eyes, was a very shabby house made of wood.

By the time Marie turned around to ask if this was really the right place, the carriage had already driven away. Only Marie’s luggage remained where the carriage had left it.

Then she heard the sound of a carriage again.

Right. This couldn’t be the place. They must have mistaken her place of residence.

Marie quickly turned around in anticipation.

But the approaching carriage shattered her expectations.

“Oh my, you really came. Marquis Grit personally asked, so I wondered if you would.”

The voice of the woman stepping out of the carriage was familiar.

“It’s nice to see you again like this.”

It was the Viscountess Starlet.

“Do you like the house? It was built for homeless people. I took special care to make sure you liked it.”

Viscountess Starlet pushed the small luggage at her feet with a grimace.

It was her only luggage, left behind by the coachman and the guards, and contained only a few clothes that Eli had handpicked for her.

There was some money, of course, but it was a ridiculously small amount considering it was her share of the rest of her life.

“Well, you’re no longer the Dowager Marchioness Grit, right? Then I can speak freely.”

Marie silently watched the approaching Viscountess Starlet.

The Viscountess Starlet’s gaze was higher than usual, perhaps because of the high heels she wore.

“Anyway, now you’re just a beggar living on my territory.”

Sneering with her face close to her, the Viscountess pushed past Marie and approached the house, her high heels showing no dirt on the hem of her dress.

She scanned the house with a frown, then wiped her nose with her handkerchief.

“At least it keeps the rain and wind out. Isn’t it?”

After muttering to herself about a strange smell, the viscountess extended words of comfort to Marie when their eyes met, as if to say, “When did you become like this?”

Even though her eyebrows were furrowed beneath the handkerchief, the lips hidden behind the handkerchief were undoubtedly mocking her.

“I’ll probably see you often since I’ll be staying in my territory for the time being. You know the nobles must take care of their territory, right?”

The Viscountess turned back to Marie as she walked to her carriage.

“Oh, if we hold a charity event, I will tell you the location specifically.”

She smirked as she turned and climbed into the carriage. Lady Starlet’s raspy laughter echoed from the carriage as it drove away.

Marie trembled with humiliation. Even more so in her own helpless state.

When she finally came to her senses as she continued to stare at the departing carriage, she found nearby beggars eyeing her and her remaining luggage with covetous eyes.

But perhaps because of her recent encounter with the viscountess, they didn’t rush at her.

Quickly picking up her meager belongings, which were her entire former fortune, Marie avoided them and headed towards her home.

She hesitated at the door for a moment, feeling the eyes on her back, and then stepped inside.

At the same time, all of her expectations shattered into pieces.

The house was sparsely furnished and, in Marie’s opinion, no better than her own bathroom. She wasn’t sure if she should even call it home.

Any glimmer of hope that the inside might be better than it looked on the outside disappeared.

Marie’s feet didn’t come off easily; it was as if they were glued to the floor. When she managed to free her foot and look back, there were dirt tracks in addition to her muddy footprints.

It was from her dress, soaked in dirt. It reminded her of the Viscountess’s immaculate dress from earlier.

“I hope you live a long and healthy life.”

She felt like she understood the meaning behind Eli’s words.

* * *

“It’s been a while since we met like this.”

“……What have you called me for?”

Duke Miles was polite in the presence of the Emperor, but there was a faint hint of defiance in his demeanor as he lowered his gaze.

“You don’t seem to like this situation.”

The Emperor chuckled amusedly.

“It’s because it’s not a pleasant situation; I hope you understand.”

“I do. I know how much the Duke cares for Arlen, and I understand.”

Duke Miles’s brow furrowed slightly at the title, which he didn’t bother to hide, perhaps because it was so obvious.

“I hear Arlen has returned from her travels.”

“She is resting at the manor, unable to recover from her travels.”

“When will she be over her fever?”

Shannua muttered to herself.

The Duke of Miles must have heard him, but he ignored him, unwilling to explain further.

Shannua only raised his eyebrows and put them down, without making any sarcastic remarks.

“I won’t take it back. It’s what it says in the paper. Me and Arlen have been seeing each other.”

“……Since before you were married?”

“Yes.”

The Duke of Miles’s gaze sharpened on Shannua.

“I know it would be easy for you to tell me to give up, but it’s not easy for me to do so.”

“……What do you mean?”

“I’m sure there have already been many marriage proposals sent to your manor, if you realize what that means.”

It was true that invitations and proposals had been sent to Arlen since the scandal with the Emperor broke. But for different reasons than before.

Whereas before, they had come from those who wished to marry Lady Miles, now they came from nobles who realized that inviting Arlen to a party would draw a larger crowd, and from those who poked fun at her, who had found it difficult to speak to high nobles because of the scandal.

“I don’t need to tell you that I’m better than them.”

Shannua emphasized it with an easy smile.

“I mean with my heart, of course. My feelings for Arlen have never changed.”

Duke Miles looked at him as if to gauge his sincerity.

“I even proposed to her, but she refused.”

The Duke was surprised to hear this.

Shannua smiled bitterly at the look of disbelief on his face.

“Then I’ll take responsibility. No one in the Luben Empire loves Arlen as much as I do.”

“……Will you give me time to think about it?”

“Yes.”

After Shannua finished speaking, the Duke greeted him politely and left the audience room.

However, the Duke of Miles, because of the additional information he learned today, found it even more difficult to understand the relationship between the two.

Why, and how did they become involved in an affair?

“It’s been a long time, My Lord.”

A voice greeted him as he exited the palace after he met with the Emperor.

“Is everything all right?”

Judging from the fact that the Duke of Miles didn’t immediately think of him, he wasn’t a nobleman he met very often.

It was not uncommon for such people to change their demeanor in an instant. It was characteristic of those who couldn’t see the long view and were swept up in the mood of the moment.

Duke Miles stared at him without saying a word.

Even as the nobles who came and went from the palace greeted him and passed him by, he remained motionless, staring at him.

The nobleman’s smile faded from his face.

The nobleman seemed to be looking down on the Duke of Miles, who was a household name in social circles these days, so he greeted them curiously. If one happened to pick up something interesting while talking to Duke Miles, that was a sure way to become a social star.

But he quickly regretted his behavior, as he didn’t seem to care about rumors.

Among those who greeted the Duke warmly were those who had been gossiping with him behind his back.

“I apologize if I’ve been rude……”

“Move.”

“What?”

“You’re bothering me.”

“Oh, yeah.”

He quickly took a step away.

“Regret comes before committing.”

“yes?”

“Remember that, Viscount Lovenne.”

“Duke, that’s not it… … ”