Chapter 1.4

It was evening, and the day was nearing its end. Ariana had changed into her indoor attire and was sitting in front of her vanity, brushing her hair, when Rowen barged in. Through the mirror, Ariana saw his cold, hardened expression as he stood at the doorway.  

Ignoring Rowen’s gaze, Ariana focused on tidying her hair. When the reflection of Ariana turned away from him, Rowen walked over to stand beside her.  

“Ariana.”  

“What is it?”  

“Why did you do that?”  

“Do what?”  

“Flory came to me crying.”  

“Flory?”  

‘If it’s Flory, she must’ve run straight to her brother that day to tattle.’  

The fact that Rowen was only confronting her now meant he had finally confirmed that “my wife has no ability to push for a divorce!” Ariana had deliberately behaved like an incapable noblewoman for the past few days to show him this. She knew people had been assigned to gather information on her, but she let them be. Thankfully, Ariana’s foolish husband seemed to have completely fallen for her “performance.”  

‘Now I can move freely.’  

Ariana smiled with layered meaning as she stood up.  

“What did Flory say while crying?”  

“She said you threw a ring in front of her, saying it didn’t suit her. Is that true?”  

Without hearing Flory’s account, Ariana could already guess what she had said. Flory would have painted herself as the complete victim while portraying Ariana as the wicked sister-in-law.  

Ever since marrying Rowen, Ariana had faced such issues repeatedly.  

Rowen believed that his mother and sister deserved to enjoy everything he did: the glamorous parties of the aristocracy, luxury stores that catered solely to nobles, the elegant titles bestowed by the Emperor, and the respect they garnered.  

But Rowen’s mother and sister were commoners. Whenever Ariana pointed out the practical impossibilities of this, Rowen would get angry, saying, “They’re still my family!” Each time, Ariana would find a way to ensure they could partake in the noble lifestyle. After all, they were the family of the husband who had saved her household, and she wanted to accommodate them as much as possible.  

Flory’s ability to show her face in the social circles as “the Earl of Astaroth’s sister” was also thanks to Ariana’s efforts behind the scenes, but Flory had never once expressed gratitude. Instead, she carried an attitude that it was only natural for Ariana to do such things since their family had contributed money to her household.  

‘How much contempt must they have had for me all this time?’  

No matter how much they looked down on her, Ariana had always acted submissively, so they had treated her as beneath them and behaved rudely.  

‘They may have underestimated me because I yielded so much, but I am Ariana Astaroth.’  

The Astaroth family was one of the most prestigious noble houses, with a history as long as the Imperial Family. A family more aristocratic and proud than any other. Just as her father had never abandoned his principles, Ariana also possessed pride.  

Ariana smiled at Rowen.  

“Yes, it’s true. But Flory must not have mentioned this—it was a ring she secretly took from my jewelry box. Of course, she wouldn’t admit to being a petty thief herself.”  

“Petty thief? Don’t talk about my sister like that. You must have misunderstood. Flory isn’t like that.”  

“You don’t truly know someone just because they’re family. You and I are family, but we didn’t know everything about each other, did we?”  

“What are you talking about?”  

“Do you really not know? Sneaking around with Alena behind my back and even having a child?”  

It was absurd. Ariana let out a brief laugh and brushed past Rowen. Now that her hair was neatly arranged, it was time to apply perfume. Surrounding herself with her favorite scent, she felt calm.  

“You invited Flory to the estate without my permission. She’s already taken over a room and is making the maids run errands for her, isn’t she?”  

“Permission? Why would I need permission to invite my family?”  

“You do. When welcoming guests, the lady of the house must give her consent. That’s the procedure of the ‘nobility’ you admire so much. Flory isn’t part of the Astaroth family, is she? She has no right to come and go freely or to command the staff.”  

“I’m the Earl, and Flory is my sister.”  

“Well, I’m simply stating facts. Flory ‘Green’ isn’t part of the Astaroth family. If she’s a guest, she should behave accordingly. She should be grateful I haven’t thrown her out yet.”  

“Who’s throwing whom out? I invited my family as the Earl!”  

“Then why don’t you handle her hospitality yourself? You invited her as the Earl, after all. I’ll step back.”  

“Hah. Hosting guests is the lady’s duty.”  

“Exactly. But you brought the guest without consulting the lady.”  

When Ariana logically countered, Rowen clenched his lips tightly and balled his fists. He struggled to find a retort but couldn’t open his mouth. There was no flaw in Ariana’s argument.  

“…Wife, you are such an unbearably lofty lady.”  

Rowen jabbed at Ariana.  

“You know? It’s because you act so coldly that I’ve lost affection for you.”  

Without waiting to hear more, Rowen turned and slammed the door shut as he left. Ariana stared at the firmly closed door in disbelief, but soon decided it wasn’t worth wasting her anger on him. Instead, she took a deep breath, realizing it was more productive to think about how to silence his incessant complaints.  

While Rowen was meticulously digging into Ariana’s movements, she remained confined to the estate, quietly plotting her plans. It was her so-called divorce strategy.  

‘First, let’s get the financial situation sorted out.’  

***

The marriage contract contained a clause:  

<Any money earned through individual efforts shall remain the property of the individual.>  

This clause had been included by Rowen, who feared Ariana might touch the money he earned. For this reason, even after their marriage, the finances of the two were strictly managed separately.  

Rowen continued the pawnshop business he inherited from his predecessors and entrusted all financial management to his hired financial manager, Camio. Whenever Ariana, who managed the household of the Earl’s estate, requested funds for the upkeep and operation of the mansion, Rowen would bring Camio along, sigh deeply, and interrogate her about why such large expenses were necessary. Having no experience managing a noble estate, Rowen couldn’t comprehend the sheer costs involved in a single month.  

The stately and enormous mansion, the beautiful garden, the comfortable accommodations, the refined meals, and the staff who made it all possible—maintaining these required money. Even after reducing costs to the bare minimum following the decline of the Astaroth family’s fortunes, there were still unavoidable expenses.  

Moreover, unexpected expenditures often arose monthly due to Rowen’s family, necessitating a significant reserve fund. Rowen particularly disliked this aspect and only approved half of the requested reserve fund, claiming it was sufficient in his view.  

‘And then he accused me of using his family as an excuse to indulge in luxury.’  

Since she couldn’t just sit back and incur debt, Ariana had no choice but to cover the shortfall herself. While she could further reduce her own clothing and food expenses, she couldn’t cut the salaries of the hardworking staff who kept the estate running.  

Initially, she dipped into the trust fund her father had left her. Despite their financial difficulties, the late Earl had never touched the trust fund intended for Ariana. Perhaps knowing she would immediately use it for debt repayment if she knew of its existence, he only revealed the trust fund to her on his deathbed. As she gradually chipped away at this precious inheritance, Ariana, who had once been a typical noblewoman, began to see things differently.  

She realized she needed to earn money herself!  

‘That was already two years ago.’  

Though Rowen was still unaware, Ariana had also been earning money. She helped noblewomen sell their art pieces, acting as a broker for those who found it difficult, due to their status, to sell items at pawnshops or engage in second-hand trading.  

Ariana had a deep knowledge of art and a wide network befitting a member of a prestigious Earl’s family. With the Astaroth family’s long history of dealing in art, even the most discerning experts acknowledged Ariana’s judgment. This allowed both sellers and buyers to trust her mediation and complete transactions with peace of mind. Thanks to her reputation, word had already spread among noblewomen that Ariana could quickly sell items at reasonable prices.  

Of course, the market was small, and her income couldn’t compare to the massive profits of Rowen’s vast pawnshop. Her modest endeavors could only generate enough to address the estate’s deficits.  

‘At this rate, I won’t be able to save a billion even if I work my entire life.’  

A billion was an astronomical sum. She needed to come up with something groundbreaking and substantial to find a way out.  

‘The road ahead is long.’  

However, unlike Rowen, who firmly believed his wife was a spendthrift noblewoman, Ariana’s ability to earn money was crucial.  

‘Let’s start by using the trust fund and personal belongings my father left me as capital to launch a venture.’  

Now that she had a lead, she could dig deeper to find a solution. But before anything else, there was something more urgent.  

‘Investigating Rowen.’  

Upon closely examining the marriage contract, Ariana discovered a way to avoid paying the penalty even in the event of a divorce. While she would have to pay the penalty if she initiated the divorce, no such clause applied if Rowen filed for divorce first. In other words, if she could make Rowen demand a divorce, she wouldn’t have to worry about the penalty.  

‘In that case…’  

She would thoroughly investigate Rowen, find a weakness, and use it to make him bring up divorce first! That was Ariana’s first divorce strategy.  

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to make Rowen, who was deeply attached to the aristocratic lifestyle, propose a divorce. That’s why she needed to dig thoroughly. And there was only one type of expert suited for such a task.  

A private investigator.