Chapter 6 – Part 2

“Are you serious?”

The first words out of Leton’s mouth after looking at the list Eli handed him. His tone was higher than usual. However, the person who handed him the orders seemed unbothered, as if expecting such a reaction.

“Just in case.”

“What kind of ‘just in case’ are you talking about? Have you been given any indication that you’re going to die suddenly?”

As he said that, Leton reread the orders Eli had given him.

At the top of the list were orders to fix the will and organize his assets.

There was more after that, but those were the ones that caught his eye—the ones that surprised him.

“Me? Not at all.”

Now that he wanted to live a somewhat happy life with Ruby, he had no such thoughts.

“Then why are you preparing for the place where you’ll be buried? Are you ill? I mean, how many times have I told you to take care of yourself?”

“Don’t worry. Just do as I say for now.”

Eli didn’t explain further.

* * *

“Did I make a mistake?”

“What?”

Coming out of his thoughts, Leton responded to Emily’s question.

“No, you did well. You catch on quickly.”

“I think I heard it explained to me once when I went to my brother’s study.”

At that time, she didn’t know what the words meant and just liked being with her brother, so she randomly picked up a paper and asked him. Her brother kindly put her on his lap and explained it to her, making her nod repeatedly, even though she didn’t understand at such a young age.

“Then would you like to try this too?”

Pointing to something next to him, Leton said. While looking out the window, he suddenly stood up. He had seen the postal worker putting a letter into the mailbox outside.

Although he had been staying here for several months, he had never seen Lord or Lady Grit exchanging letters with anyone. Intrigued, Leten went out to check on the letter.

The letter didn’t clearly indicate the sender. It seemed like someone who didn’t want to reveal their identity. It seemed very suspicious to Leton.

He picked up the letter and returned to sit next to Emily.

***

“A letter for the madam.”

Leton handed the letter he had picked up earlier to Eli.

“A letter?”

“Yes, it came from the capital.”

That meant someone in the capital knew Ruby was here. Perhaps it was the one who had helped her settle in this place.

Eli hesitated for a moment. Should he return the letter to Ruby as it is?

He lightly turned the letter between his fingers.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

But there was a line he couldn’t cross. Especially now that Marie was making efforts to uncover Eli’s weaknesses, it was possible that she might reach out to Ruby as well.

In the end, Eli opened Ruby’s letter. Surprisingly, the sender was Sorvan.

He apologized for not being able to meet this time, indicating that they might not be able to meet for a while.

“This place makes it difficult to find her.”

Eli murmured. Sorvan was not on the list of people who could have helped Ruby. He hadn’t heard from Ruby in a while, and knowing Sorvan’s situation, Eli figured he wouldn’t know much about the Empire. There was also the assumption that Sorvan would never leave the capital. Especially after what happened in the past.

“I hope…… this time it’s not…….”

Eli murmured.

“Find out everything you can about Viscount Del’s whereabouts. All of them, from the time before Ruby disappeared in Devenshire to now.”

“Yes.”

The phrase “this time” implied that it was not a one-time occurrence. He hadn’t just helped Ruby get settled; he’d been coming to this neighborhood ever since.

“Did Emperor Shannua just stay still?”

That was the question Eli had. He was a prince of the Kingdom of Cains, secretly under the protection of the Luben Empire, and yet he’d managed to slip through the cracks and visit Devenshire and make regular stops here?

“Whatever the case, it doesn’t feel good.”

Eli was not angry that Sorvan had helped Ruby, but rather at his carelessness. If Sorvan had visited this place continuously, Ruby could have been classified as someone he contacted, putting her in danger. It meant either the Emperor had been neglecting the surveillance of Sorvan, or Sorvan thought it wouldn’t matter if Ruby was endangered because of him.

“Strengthen the personnel.”

“Understood.”

Eli quickly wrote a letter, folded it roughly, and handed it to him.

“Send this reply to Sorvan discreetly.”

He seemed to have no intention of writing a thoughtful response.

***

“Why did the Duke ask to see me?”

Shannua was quite curious about the urgent request for an audience.

“There’s something I need to check on, so I’m making an urgent request.”

Duke Miles motioned for him to speak.

“I would like to know the marital status of Marquis Grit.”

“What do you mean? Are you conducting a background check on Marquis Grit directly with me?”

It was unlikely, but if that was his intention, Shannua was prepared to laugh heartily.

“It wasn’t meant that way, Your Majesty. I apologize if my urgency caused any misunderstanding. I just wanted to inquire whether Your Majesty has initiated divorce proceedings with Marquis Grit or if it has already been completed.”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“It’s an important matter, and I just need to know if it’s just a rumor or if it’s really happening.”

“I would have to ask why you needed that information.”

Shannua said, dropping the playful tone from his voice. The lowered voice expressed his current mood.

–End of Volume 3–

TL Note: Thank you for reading the third volume of “A second divorce is difficult.”. I hope you look forward to the next volume, as it will be up soon.