Chapter 1.1

“Congratulate me, Ariana.”  

“Congratulate?”  

“Yes. I’m pregnant.”  

It was an unexpected statement. Ariana’s mouth opened slightly in shock. Alena, who was gently stroking her belly as if cherishing it, was Ariana’s maid and still unmarried.  

A woman who wasn’t even married being pregnant?  

Rather than congratulations, this was something that would turn the household upside down. Whether Alena had chosen to become pregnant or had suffered some misfortune leading to this, both scenarios were problematic. In this conservative empire, bearing a child before marriage was an act that would invite scorn regardless of one’s social status.  

“What… what are you talking about?”  

Ariana, her mind racing, quickly approached Alena. Alena wasn’t just any maid. She was the daughter of Ariana’s wet nurse, and since they had been raised on the same milk, Ariana regarded her as a sister.  

“Did something… terrible happen to you?”  

When Ariana cautiously asked, Alena shook her head with a soft smile.  

“Of course not. I wanted this.”  

“Alright. If that’s the case, then it’s not the worst scenario.”  

Ariana let out a sigh of relief and gently held Alena’s hand.  

“If you wanted this child, then there’s no problem. As long as you get married before your belly shows, the situation can be managed. Don’t worry.”  

“Yes. I’m not worried at all.”  

“Who’s the father? Do I know him?”  

Alena nodded.  

‘Someone I know.’  

Several candidates came to mind immediately—perhaps the gardener Handel or Baras, the son of the family physician.  

‘They seemed to have feelings for Alena.’  

As Ariana tried to figure out who the father might be, Alena calmly spoke.  

“It’s the Earl.”  

“What?”  

The Earl?  

Blinking at the unexpected answer, Ariana watched as Alena smiled radiantly, like an angel.  

“The father is the Earl. Rowen Astaroth. He’s the father of this child.”  

“Why… are you joking like this?”  

Frowning, Ariana released the hand she had been holding. 

Rowen Astaroth, the Earl? 

Though she responded calmly, her hands trembled slightly.  

“He’s my husband.”  

“That’s right.”  

Ariana pressed her palm against her forehead, overwhelmed. Looking at Alena’s overly composed demeanor, it felt as though she had gone mad while Alena remained completely sane.  

“Do you even understand what you’re saying? You’re confessing to me that you’re pregnant with my husband’s child and asking me to congratulate you? And you’re not even worried about it?”  

The situation was so absurd that Ariana even wondered if she was dreaming. But Alena, seemingly unable to understand Ariana’s reaction, simply blinked her large, innocent eyes.  

“Why are you angry? We’ve always shared everything, haven’t we, Ariana? We shared the milk of the same mother, so why not a husband?”  

“That’s….”  

Do you think that’s reasonable?  

Ariana couldn’t finish her sentence.  

“It’s not unreasonable.”  

As if waiting for the right moment, Ariana’s husband, Rowen, entered the room, completing the unfinished thought. Despite the gravity of the situation, where he should have been groveling in apology, Rowen remained unapologetically confident. He walked straight past Ariana, as if she were invisible, and gently supported Alena by holding her arm.  

“I told you I’d explain. You shouldn’t strain yourself.”  

“But I had to. Considering my relationship with Ariana.”  

“You don’t need to concern yourself so much.”  

Watching the two converse so comfortably, Ariana felt her mind go blank. The way they interacted didn’t seem like something new. To an outsider, they might even appear to be a married couple.  

“What exactly are you two doing?”  

When Ariana asked with a bitter laugh, Rowen turned his head toward her, looking annoyed.  

“You couldn’t do it, so I found another way.”  

“What couldn’t I do?”  

“You don’t know? It’s been five years. We’ve been married for five years, and there’s still no child. What does that mean? It means you’re infertile.”  

“Don’t say ridiculous things.”  

Her health, as the Countess, had always been monitored by the family physician. If there were any signs of infertility, Ariana would have been the first to know, not Rowen.  

“The physician said there’s no problem.”  

“Ha. Sure. That loyal family physician of yours.”  

Rowen chuckled mockingly, as if the physician’s words couldn’t be trusted.  

“The child will be registered under your name. It has to be for the sake of inheriting the title.”  

“What? Are you insane?”  

Ariana no longer cared about maintaining the elegant speech expected of nobles. She lashed out at Rowen without restraint.  

“Even the idea of quietly raising the child outside is outrageous, but registering the child under my name to inherit the title? Who gave you permission? I won’t allow it.”  

Rowen Astaroth was a son-in-law who had married into the family. According to the marriage contract, the Astaroth lineage could only continue through Ariana. Yet, Rowen was proposing to resolve the issue by registering the child as Ariana’s offspring.  

It was enough to make the ancestors of the Astaroth family rise from their graves. But Rowen Astaroth remained unapologetically bold.  

“Permission? I’m the Earl. Why would I need permission? Do you still think you’re the master of this family?”  

“What?”  

“How long do I have to keep playing along with your noble Countess act? Who saved this family from ruin? If it weren’t for my family’s wealth, you’d all be penniless and out on the streets, yet you still act so high and mighty.”  

Though his words were harsh, they weren’t entirely untrue. The Astaroth family had famously taken in a commoner son-in-law due to financial desperation. Many noble families had fallen into ruin during rapidly changing times, and the prestigious Astaroth family was one of them.  

Rowen had inherited the wealth accumulated by his predecessor through successful pawnshop businesses. Thus, when he married Ariana, the only daughter of the Astaroth family, he resolved their financial crisis in one stroke.  

Less than a year after their marriage, Ariana’s father, the previous Earl, passed away, leaving Rowen to inherit the title of Earl Astaroth, while Ariana became the Countess. The marriage was mutually beneficial—Rowen gained noble status, and the Astaroth family regained financial stability.  

“You think I resolved the family’s debts just to enjoy being a noble myself? Absolutely not. I’ll pass this status on to my child, no matter what.”  

“Who said you couldn’t? It’s already agreed in the contract that our son will inherit everything.”  

“But the contract doesn’t account for you being infertile!”  

“Don’t shout. I’m not infertile.”  

When Ariana calmly warned him, Rowen trembled with frustration.  

“So you’re going to deny it until the end.”  

“Of course. Because it’s not true. Are you trying to use my supposed infertility to justify your affair?”  

“Do affairs need justification? Having a mistress is part of noble culture, isn’t it? We married for practical reasons, so stop nitpicking about every little thing.”  

“Noble culture?”  

“What? Are you going to deny that?”  

“No. I just find it fascinating. For someone who’s still at a child’s level in ancient languages and court etiquette, you’ve managed to pick up such a peculiar ‘culture’ so quickly.”  

“What… what did you say?”  

“And if you’re going to learn something, learn it properly. Nobles only openly keep mistresses after producing a legitimate heir. What kind of uneducated fool creates illegitimate children before ensuring a proper heir?”  

“Huh? Uneducated fool?”  

Rowen, unable to contain his anger at Ariana’s calm criticism, slammed his fist on the table.  

“Don’t act so noble. You’re the one who was sold off with the title to that uneducated fool because your family was broke. And you’re the one who couldn’t even produce a single child.”  

“If you’re going to keep harping on about infertility….”

“Stop. Keep your mouth shut.”  

Rowen raised his hand dismissively, cutting off Ariana’s words.  

“I am the Earl, the head of the Astaroth family. That’s a reality that has nothing to do with me being a nouveau riche commoner in the past. You are the ‘Countess,’ so your duty is to obey your husband like other noblewomen.”  

Obey?  

When did this madman start spouting such brazen nonsense, completely unaware of his place?

Rowen’s crude insult scratched at Ariana’s nerves. It seemed as though he was deliberately trying to provoke her anger. But, unfortunately for him, Ariana wasn’t angry at all. She had long surpassed the point of fury, and instead, her mind was cold, her heart calm.  

Ariana stared at Rowen and took a deep breath.  

“… Fine.”  

At her short agreement, Rowen smirked as if to say, “I knew it.”  

“Looks like you’ve finally grasped reality. From now on, you’ll be obedient…”  

But Ariana didn’t let him finish his nonsense.  

“I want a divorce.”  

“What?”  

“I said, I want a divorce. If you want to live with Alena and your child, then divorce me and do so. I don’t want to be part of this filthy relationship.”  

Rowen’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had never imagined that the word ‘divorce’ would come out of Ariana’s mouth. Their relationship was already in shambles, but for Rowen, divorce was absolutely out of the question. As a son-in-law who had married into the family, divorcing Ariana would mean returning the Astaroth family name and the title of Earl. That was the law.  

Having grown accustomed to the life of a noble, Rowen had no intention of going back to his days as a commoner. Divorce was simply not an option. Still, the reason he had been so brazen about his affair and even fathering an illegitimate child was that he believed he had a safety net.  

“Don’t… don’t talk nonsense. Do you really think divorce is possible?”  

Though Rowen briefly faltered at Ariana’s confident demeanor, he quickly regained his composure and straightened his shoulders.  

“If you initiate the divorce, you’ll have to repay the enormous sum of money I brought into this marriage. On top of that, if you’re the one requesting the divorce, you’ll owe me a penalty fee.”  

This was indeed a clause in their marriage contract. Rowen had insisted on including a hefty penalty clause, fearing that the noble family might exploit his wealth and then discard him. Ariana Astaroth, who had married a commoner due to financial desperation, could never afford to repay that massive sum.  

“Well, we’ll see about that.”  

Ariana smiled faintly as she looked at Rowen.  

“Just wait, Rowen. You’ll fall in a way your pathetic imagination could never foresee.”