“Let’s get a divorce.”

Richt paused in his undressing, but only for a moment. He soon resumed, unbuttoning the remaining buttons of his partially undone vest. He must have heard her clearly, but he didn’t say anything.

With his back turned, his expression remained hidden. Isabelle nervously bit the insides of her lip. She could taste the faintest trace of blood on her delicate flesh.

To casually throw the word ‘divorce’ at a husband she had not seen in a long time felt absurd even to herself. Considering that, he should have been truly bewildered, but she couldn’t see any outward changes.

Richt, after neatly hanging his discarded clothes, turned around. She shuddered reflexively as a pair of piercing black eyes bore into his face.

“What are you suddenly saying, Isabelle?”

“I said what I said.”

There was no blame, betrayal, or anger in his quiet gaze. It was a pure look of incomprehension. Isabelle tilted her gaze slightly downward and reiterated her decision.

“I want a divorce. From you.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

Isabelle answered in a small voice, like a child who had done something wrong. Richt, taking a moment as if pondering, finally spoke.

“So be it.”

That was all he said. He didn’t ask for reasons, and he didn’t say anything more. It was a moment when it became clear that this marriage was merely an obligation and a responsibility for him. Whether the relationship broke or persisted, it didn’t matter. He remained stoic and nonchalant the entire time.

As the reality sank in, Isabelle felt her chest tighten as if water had seeped into it. While he was seemingly unaffected, Isabelle was tormented.

She was the one who brought up divorce first, but she was the one who got hurt. She wanted him to react, but she wasn’t sure exactly how she wanted him to react.

Did she want him to be surprised? Did she want him to hold onto her? Did she expect him to protest vehemently, saying it was absurd? She didn’t know. She wasn’t sure herself.

She’d been thinking about it, but it felt so empty when she said it out loud now. She lowered her head, quietly reflecting on her husband’s words. ‘So be it.’ It was a clean acceptance. Even in accepting the divorce, Richt remained true to himself.

No fuss, no muss, just quiet.

To him, Isabelle was nothing more than such an existence. Just like a piece of furniture in a room, the potted plant on the windowsill— just that level of existence.

Although it was a fact he was aware of, but confirming it in front of him made his nostrils sting. It felt as if all energy drained from his body. He wonders if this is what it’s like to have the world crumble beneath the feet.

Their marriage, which had been nothing but a facade, was soon reaching its end. After three years of marriage, it was ending so easily.

***

On a night bathed in a gentle moonlight.

It was time for bed, but Isabelle couldn’t bring herself to head to the bedroom. It had only been three hours since she conveyed her intention to divorce Richt.

After dropping the bombshell, she couldn’t muster the courage to lie under the same blanket in the same bed with him as if nothing had happened. Yet, going to a different room to sleep, as if making a statement, was also not an option.

There was nowhere to go to escape him. Her feet found their way to her studio, located on the third floor, requiring a couple of turns down the hallway before the door came into view.

It was the most secluded corner of the Calitheon Mansion. Even this had been arranged by Diana, her mother-in-law, almost like a cruel joke, after two years of marriage.

It could have been hurtful, but since it was a place not easily reached by people, it was rather comforting. On days when Isabelle felt noisy or wanted to be alone, this was where she always went. Like today.

At first, she thought about painting and stared at the easel, but her gaze soon shifted. She didn’t feel like doing that. Isabelle instinctively opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony. The space, with only two chairs placed haphazardly, exuded a lonely atmosphere.

As she settled into her seat, the vast expanse of the ocean loomed in front of her. She needed to take in the night view and clear her mind. The sultry breeze brought back memories of her husband’s face as he accepted the divorce.

Richt’s ongoing business kept him mostly in the capital, Vehlin, and he traveled down to Barsk, the Calitheon family estate, once a month or every few months.

Even after a long time apart, their reunion was neither affectionate nor passionate. They exchanged customary conversations about recent events, and at night, they had s*x. Even in bed, Richt was always courteous and considerate.

He never tried to fulfill his own desires, always respected her body, and, unlike many other men, respected his wife as a person.

On the surface, one might envy him for being such a good husband, but his approach to s*x was obligatory. He had never been passionate in bed. It was always Isabelle alone who moaned with a dampened, heated body.

Beyond that, Richt tried to fulfill his duties as a husband. He willingly resolved financial issues for the Blanchette Viscountcy, Isabelle’s family, and always told her to ask for anything she wanted.

No matter how busy he was, he never forgot birthdays or wedding anniversaries. He would send her expensive dresses, jewelry, and accessories, mostly through his assistant, Fabian.

Even now, her closet was filled with untouched luxury items. Most of them were rare items that were hard to find even in the Empire, but they didn’t capture Isabelle’s interest.

What she wanted was something else. A loving word, a thoughtful expression of interest, intimate time together, memories to cherish later—those were the things she needed. What she truly longed for was his love.

In fact, there was a story behind their marriage.

Long ago, during the time when Richt’s grandfather, Grand Duke Calitheon, and Isabelle’s grandmother, Grand Countess Blanchette, were alive. Grand Duke Calitheon had almost been falsely accused of treason, caught up in the palace’s political intrigue. The only one who extended a helping hand at that time was Countess Blanchette.

Grand Countess Blanchette persuaded minor nobles to gather proofs, and thanks to her efforts, Duke Calitheon was able to clear his name. After that, the two joined forces, becoming the eyes and ears of the emperor to expel subversive forces that sought to disrupt the stability of the empire, contributing significantly to its progress.

Grand Duke Calitheon never forgot Grand Countess Blanchette’s contribution to escaping his crisis and proposed a union between their children. The marriage between Isabelle and Richt was decided at that time. The individuals involved passed away, and everything became a thing of the past, but the promise remained.

It didn’t take long for the wedding to take place after a few ceremonial meetings. And the first night. Isabelle could still not forget what Richt said as he held her in his arms.

That he would not forget the will of Grand Duke Calitheon.