(2) A Terrible Breakfast
‘God Ters opposes the divorce?’
Asla narrowed her eyes and read it repeatedly, but the judgment did not change.
Beyond incredulous, her head throbbed, and she rubbed her temples.
Asla was so perplexed that she didn’t even notice Enoch’s persistent gaze on her.
What reason could God have to oppose their divorce?
When Asla looked toward Enoch, he met her eyes and smiled cynically.
“I don’t particularly like God, but in this case, I’d like to Them follow deeply. The divorce petition has been rejected. I feel the same way.”
“……”
As Enoch Ventus also expressed his intention not to divorce, Asla felt the world go dark before her eyes.
‘Why on earth.’
She rubbed her pulsing temples and tried to identify the problem.
This was a world where God clearly existed.
The Sherita Holy Kingdom where Asla was born and raised was a sacred land where five gods had descended and lived when this world was first created.
Harmel, Ukna, Prussian, Pelode, and Ters.
But the gods had left the earth.
‘Sherita,’ who had served the gods most closely, became the king of the holy land where the gods had stayed and agreed to manage it.
Though a small territory, the Sherita Holy Kingdom had received the worship and respect of all people of faith.
Asla was the daughter of the Sherita king and the last princess of the Holy Kingdom.
Shortly after her birth, the land of the Sherita Holy Kingdom began to rot for unknown reasons, rapidly turning into desert, and eventually became uninhabitable.
It was land where not even a single building could properly stand.
It was no longer holy ground.
All the people migrated to other countries, and before Asla could celebrate her twentieth birthday, the Sherita Kingdom declared its demise.
The king stubbornly insisted on staying in the Holy Kingdom until the end and died, but Asla had evacuated to the Empire’s Grand Temple beforehand and survived.
As the last royal of the Holy Kingdom, Asla had to reach an agreement with the Emperor of the Tulia Empire about her future status.
The very notion of an “agreement” was laughable.
Asla had thought more than once that her existence was worth less than a wildflower by the roadside.
She wondered what kind of princess from the Holy Kingdom she was, with holy power inferior to even an ordinary priest.
Her pink hair and jewel-like mint eyes, symbols of the Sherita bloodline, barely proved her royal status.
Even if it was just a formality, the Emperor showed mercy because she was the last princess of the Holy Kingdom and personally arranged her marriage, which was to the Ventus ducal family, the Empire’s wealthiest and most prestigious family.
There were several issues, but since the people of the Holy Kingdom regarded the princess of the fallen kingdom as their spiritual pillar, Asla accepted the marriage, and two years passed.
‘The people of the Holy Kingdom must have settled throughout the Empire by now.’
So there was no need to worry about the Holy Kingdom’s people anymore.
She didn’t need to think about her future status either. She had already decided on that.
Asla had no expectations whatsoever from the priests who had never visited her since her marriage.
‘I was planning to manage on my own after the divorce. Why such an absurd obstacle!’
Asla felt irritation welling up.
Though her insides churned, she held it in and slowly folded the divorce petition back into the envelope.
“……I need to go to the Grand Temple in the capital, Enoch.”
His thick eyebrows twitched fiercely.
Bathed in sunlight streaming through the window like golden threads, Enoch did not answer.
Looking straight into his eyes as he silently glared at her, Asla repeated.
“Help me go there.”
“……What a strange thing to say. Why do you need my help to go to the Grand Temple?”
Enoch calmed his anger and stroked his chin as if he didn’t understand.
Asla couldn’t help but sigh.
Enoch had no idea about her position here, where she couldn’t do anything of her own will.
Her heart grew even more desolate and painful.
This was a place like thin ice, where she never knew when her heart might break.
She could no longer live in this place where there was no one to trust.
Asla had never feared death, but she at least didn’t want to die in a place like this.
She kept her mouth firmly shut, avoiding Enoch’s persistent gaze as she remained silent.
“Do you want to divorce me that badly? Enough to personally go and protest and refuse, even though a divine decree has been issued.”
His cold voice cut through the air and slashed at her.
Asla felt both angry and sad at his accusatory tone.
Did he even know why she wanted a divorce? No, the divorce wouldn’t affect him at all anyway.
After the divorce, Enoch would continue living his busy life unchanged.
She believed that when a new duchess entered the Ventus ducal family, the atmosphere in this mansion would improve significantly.
The previous duchess, Margo Ventus, would get the new duchess she wanted, making the Ventus family more harmonious.
‘A peaceful, united, and affectionate Ventus family.’
Enoch had everything, but there was one blemish: his unfortunate family situation.
Having loved Enoch deeply for a long time, she wanted to give him the only gift she could.
She needed to leave.
Asla reassured herself, believing her decision was correct.
Though she felt foolish, her affection for Enoch Ventus still outweighed any resentment.
Enoch glared at Asla, who remained silent and only stared at him, then coldly spoke as he passed by her.
“We’ll depart directly for the Grand Temple tomorrow morning, so prepare yourself. Let’s go to the temple together and verify this properly.”
Asla, who had been standing frozen like a tree, barely regained her senses when she heard him close the study door.
She stared at the firmly closed door and tightly gripped the hem of her white dress.
‘He’s going to the capital… with me?’
She couldn’t close her mouth.
Had she ever gone anywhere together with Enoch?
Since their marriage, he had been a husband so difficult to meet that she could count on her fingers the days they had dined together.
‘Now that I’ve decided on divorce, I get to spend time alone with him.’
Her heart pounded, and her neck tingled as she was enveloped in a strange feeling.
Since she was alone in the study anyway, Asla didn’t hide her feelings and blushed.
Though she hated herself for reacting this way when she was trying to divorce him, what could she do?
She turned and gazed absently at his chair.
Enoch Ventus had returned after a long time.
Asla had often visited this place, secretly praying that he would be there.
“Get a grip, Asla.”
She barely composed herself and made her next plan.
Though the ridiculous situation of God Ters opposing the divorce had occurred, this was surely a mistake.
There would be no problem getting divorced if she went to the Grand Temple to inquire and correct this.
And then when she parted from him…..
‘I will return to my homeland, the ruined Sherita Kingdom with its rotting earth, pray, and then die.’
Death, ultimately.
Asla’s final purpose, with no dreams or hopes remaining, was to die.
⁕⁕⁕
The next morning.
She woke up early at dawn and was busy packing her luggage.
The atmosphere felt unfamiliar since she had never gone out once since entering the Ventus mansion.
Her assigned maid was surprised by Asla’s outing, then folded her best outdoor dress and packed it in the travel bag.
As Asla occasionally glanced at the maid, the door suddenly burst open.
‘Ah.’
Someone who dared to open the door of the Duchess and mistress of this Ventus mansion without knocking.
Though extremely rude, Asla was used to it.
She stood up and slightly bowed when she saw the woman walking elegantly through the open door without making a sound.
“Did you sleep well, Asla.”
A thin, delicate voice.
Asla briefly answered the greeting from the lady who spoke perfect, smooth Central Imperial language.
“Yes, Grand Madam.”
Then she looked at the woman whose brilliant blonde hair was intricately braided and pinned up.
Grand Madam Margo Ventus.
Margo, who was a lady from the prestigious Count Leslie family of the Empire and the wife of the previous Duke Aren Ventus, was ten years older than Asla.
In other words, Margo Ventus, who tormented Asla, was Enoch’s sister-in-law.
Aren Ventus had died young, and Margo became a widow at a young age but did not leave the Ventus mansion.
Margo smiled faintly as she alternately looked at Asla packing and her bag.
Watching Margo gently waving her fan, Asla grew fearful.
‘What is she going to say now?’
Tired of Margo’s terrible ostracism and harassment, Asla already felt a stinging sensation in her stomach.
‘Is she going to stop me?’
Whenever Asla wanted to go out, Margo would lock her door saying, “How could the noble princess of the Holy Kingdom go out and face danger?”
‘I’m only trying to leave this mansion as you want, Margo.’
Though she wanted to say something, Asla’s mind went blank, unable to do anything after being strongly brainwashed and harassed by Margo for a long time.
“Where are you going, Asla? You should have breakfast with me.”
“……Grand Madam, today…”
“What are you doing? Quickly bring the meal.”
When Margo, completely ignoring Asla’s words, ordered her maid standing nearby, the maid habitually stepped back.
Asla bit her lip firmly.
It was starting again.
Breakfast with Margo.
Margo’s perverse taste was to have identical food served, then sprinkle disgusting garbage all over Asla’s food and make her eat it.
If Asla didn’t eat, Margo would cry, saying she was disrespecting her sister-in-law.
Already feeling nauseous and her stomach hurting, Asla trembled slightly.
What would she sprinkle on the food today?
Cockroaches? Centipedes? Maggots?
Or rat droppings like last time.
Margo, who sat at the table first, smiled brightly and beckoned Asla to sit across from her.
Just as Asla, trembling, was about to take a step, the door opened again with a short knock.
‘Enoch……?’
