***

In the sunlit garden, the two figures sitting gracefully around a round table looked like a harmonious couple from a distance. Of course, that was only the surface.

Isabelle stared quietly at the greenery-covered forest, and Diana silently sipped her tea. Only the occasional sounds of the gentle breeze and the birds’ chirping were heard.

“I talked to him.”

A soft voice broke the silence. Isabelle had said what Diana wanted to hear. She understood the reason behind Diana’s proposal for an unnecessary tea time. She didn’t bother to pronounce the word divorce, but Diana got the gist of it.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“I believed you to be a clever child who would understand my words well. How did Richt react?”

“He seemed to ……accept it, because I’m not that important to him.”

Isabelle paused for a moment before speaking. She felt Diana scrutinizing her face.

“Your brother is still immersed in gambling, I hear, and I’ve even heard rumors that he’s letting a pr*stitute into his home.”

“I, uh, never heard of that.”

“Countess Rosabelle told me about it. My, my, he seems to have stirred up quite a commotion among the nobles. A viscount’s son involved with a pr*stitute, how scandalous.”

Isabelle, glancing at Diana’s disdainful expression behind her aristocratic face, silently endured her brother’s gossip.

“I heard that Richt meddled with it again.”

“…I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“How did the late Count Blanchette had such a debauched son.”

Isabelle internally cursed Timogere, swallowing her sigh. Yesterday, Richard’s angry face and behavior suddenly made sense.

He, who had generously spent money in her family, must have been agree with her when she suddenly announced divorce. Both Timogere and Isabelle had been unscrupulous to him, and he had made her realize it.

“With such vulgar thoughts ingrained, he has no intention of quitting gambling, when he knows Richt is going to pay it all off.”

“…”

“Perhaps divorce could be a good turning point for all of you. If there’s no money coming out, your brother might come to his senses.”

Although it was gossip, there was not a single incorrect statement. Isabelle lowered her gaze and quietly closed her eyes.

“Are you upset with me?”

“…No.”

“Good. Even if Count Blanchette gave birth to a bad son, at least he raised his daughter well.”

It was the first compliment Isabelle had heard from Dianna since becoming a m*mber of House Calitheon, and though it was a generous assessment, she was not pleased.

Diana sipped her tea with a graceful gesture, then set her teacup down on the table lightly.

“If you are not comfortable here, I will allow you to go home to your family.”

“What?”

“You’re going back anyway, so there’s no problem going early. It’s for your sake. I was thinking of helping your brother regain the plains of Gelpada that he lost to gambling debts.”

“…How?”

The Gelphada Plains had been awarded to Isabelle’s grandfather, the first Count Blanchette, for fighting for the Empire. It was significant enough to be recorded in the history of the empire, and Isabelle’s father had been proud and cherished the land.

That land became troubled because of Timogere, and Diana was well aware of it.

“I have enough power to handle that much. Don’t worry. But keep it a secret from Richt in return.”

Despite the content of her words, her face was compassionate. Isabelle’s lips trembled subtly.

“You don’t look well, and I’m sure you don’t feel comfortable here.”

Behind Diana’s polite language, there was an undisguised sincerity. Diana did not bother to beat around the bush. Isabelle’s facial muscles tensed noticeably.

The real purpose of proposing tea time was this. Even though it didn’t take much time to go through the divorce process, Isabelle seems distasteful to Diana. She looked like a person who couldn’t stand the sight of Isabelle for a few more day.

Isabelle silently placed the teacup she had been holding back on the table. The sudden tightness in her throat made it impossible to swallow anything.

***

Isabelle spent most of her time in her room or on the balcony attached to the studio, gazing at the sea. She couldn’t concentrate on her painting, her favorite hobby of embroidery, or the piano.

Simply feeling the wind and gazing at the endless blue sea in a daze was comforting. When the time came, she would sit at the same dining table with Diana, face each other, eat together, and sometimes have tea when Diana wished.

Since Diana’s subtle message was conveyed during the last tea time, Diana had been waiting for Isabelle to leave on her own accord.

Every time Diana’s probing eyes tried to delve into her thoughts, Isabelle felt stifled as if something were caught in her throat. It was confusing whether the discomfort was physical, as she could hardly swallow any food, or if it was an emotional turmoil.

Feeling drained, Isabelle made a decision.

“I’m going down to my parents’ house today.”

It was the fifth day since Richt had left for the capital. At breakfast, Isabelle calmly announced her decision. She left the room quietly and retrieved an unwrapped trunk from the corner.

‘You’ve been to the Isle of Baysar? Really? I hear the sea is the color of wine there.’

‘That’s right.’

‘That’s amazing. I’ve only seen it in books, but I guess it’s a real place.’

‘Want to go together someday?’

Not long after they got married, Richt said that one day. Though it was a seemingly casual remark, Isabelle excitedly bought a new suitcase in anticipation. She waited eagerly for the promise, but it was never fulfilled, and time passed cruelly.

He said he would make time, but he was always busy, and at some point, she wasn’t sure if he remembered. Still, Isabelle held his words in her heart like a lingering regret.

She had thought that someday they would leave for Baysar Isle together, but never thought that she would be unpacking this suitcase alone on the day she decided to return to her parents’ house. A bitter laughter escaped her lips.

Did Richt know? Did he know that my love for the sea was because of him?

‘It resembles the sea. Your eyes, I mean.’

The compliment Richt gave on their first night together was also the only expression he ever made. The simple words seeped into her heart like the wind, causing the corners of her mouth to rise in a foolish smile.

She didn’t know how much of it was sincere, but at least he didn’t seem like the kind of man who would say anything untrue. She found solace in the fact that he found something in her appearance that he liked.

Isabelle’s love for the sea began that day.

Looking at the sea automatically reminded her of Richt’s words that day. She clutched the words to her heart like a precious treasure, repeating them over and over again, and her loneliness seemed to ease a little.

Isabelle was always thirsty for time with him. But she couldn’t force him to go on a trip while he was busy.

‘Will you still be busy next month?’ she would ask, and the answer was always a short ‘Yeah.’ His short answer made it harder to talk about traveling. She didn’t want to be the immature wife who grabbed a busy man and asked him to go on a vacation.

Apart from that, being six years younger than Richt and facing skepticism in social circles as the new lady of the Calitheon family, Isabelle struggled with self-censorship to appear as a respectable mistress in any way she could, but it was all for naught.

Isabelle sighed deeply and silently packed her belongings. She left the expensive items she had received from Richt behind and packed only the clothes and supplies she needed for the immediate future. The large trunk quickly filled up.

Although they had been married for three years, the actual days they lived together might add up to only about three months.

If his job hadn’t been so busy, would we have seen each other every day, talked, eaten, gone for walks, and built a relationship like any other couple?

Or perhaps, if we had a child, a child who looked like him, could we at least avoid the situation we were in today?

As Mia said, Isabelle loved Richt. She didn’t want to leave. The lack of memories filled her with regret and remorse.

In the aristocratic society where marrying someone you don’t love is considered natural, Isabelle welcomed the man she held in her heart as her husband. At that time, she thought it was an enormous blessing.

But now that she was leaving, she was so unhappy. If she hadn’t loved him, she wouldn’t have felt this sadness. Her marriage to Richt was both fortunate and unfortunate.

Having packed her things, Isabelle took a last look around the room before leaving. There was no sign of the owner’s absence. Looking at the unchanged room, she realized that she didn’t belong there in the first place.

She was alone in this room more days than she was with Richt. The bed had been used more often by her alone. Most of the days were empty and lonely. She wanted to leave calmly, leaving behind all her worries, but it didn’t go as smoothly as her heart wished.

Suppressing her emotions, Isabelle left the room and encountered Mia waiting with her luggage. Diana had granted Isabelle’s request to take Mia with her. A maid was all she needed to get rid of a daughter-in-law she couldn’t wait to get rid of.

Diana didn’t bid her farewell.

Isabelle exchanged formal greetings with some of the servants and Lucien, the butler, with downcast faces. Isabelle lightly responded to their greetings and turned away. As she passed through the hall, walked through the garden, and reached the carriage waiting in front of the mansion, Isabelle didn’t look back.

Isabelle led Mia into the carriage as she climbed into the coachman’s seat. It was a long way from Barsk to Dransele. They needed to travel comfortably to make it a bit less arduous.

The coachman whipped the horses as soon as they were on board. With their backs to the manor, the carriage lurched forward. The pounding of hooves grew louder and faster.

It was goodbye.