“So that crazy b*tch tried to kill herself?”

Grand Duchess Roswell, Eveline, raised her voice as though she were utterly sick of hearing about it.

At her mother’s words, Hemian’s younger sister, Camellia, frowned deeply as if she had just heard something disgusting.

“She attempted s*icide?”

“At best, it was probably just an act. Honestly, it would’ve been much more convenient if they’d found her corpse instead. Pathetic thing can’t even die properly.”

Clicking her tongue irritably, Eveline dropped a sugar cube into her tea and stirred it.

“Why exactly won’t Brother divorce that woman already? I seriously don’t understand.”

“You think I do? Ophelia has no use to this family anymore.”

“That pension… we’re still receiving it under our name, right?”

Lowering her voice, Camellia asked with gleaming eyes.

A sly smile spread across Eveline’s lips.

“Yes. The ‘pension’ Baron Dauer left behind before he died. It was originally meant to be paid to Ophelia for life, but… before the will was officially registered, I corrected the beneficiary name myself.”

She tapped her fingertip lightly against the teacup.

“She came here without even bringing a proper dowry. The least we deserve is that much.”

Eveline scoffed and blew gently across her tea.

The ‘pension’ they spoke of was a lifelong stipend granted to Ophelia in recognition of the Dauer family’s military achievements in the previous generation, and the amount was quite substantial.

Camellia’s eyes widened.

“So even if Brother divorces her, the pension won’t be affected?”

“Of course not. That foolish girl doesn’t even know the pension exists. Even now, she probably still thinks the money your brother gives her for living expenses comes from him.”

“Then we should hurry up and divorce her and throw her out already! I need to start looking into marriage prospects too—”

At that moment, the door to the tea room swung open.

It was Hemian.

His expression, after having just stormed out from yelling at Ophelia, looked unusually complicated.

Eveline spoke gently to her son.

“How did it go?”

“I scared her enough. Ophe’s capable of thinking rationally, so she’ll reflect on herself.”

“And the divorce…?”

“Mother. I told you, I have no intention of divorcing Ophelia.”

Hemian cut her off sharply.

There was only one person Eveline could never overpower—her son, Hemian.

Perhaps it was because she had spoiled him even more after her husband, the former Count Roswell, ruined several major businesses before dying suddenly from alcoholism.

So instead of pressing him further about the divorce, she coaxed him softly instead.

“Of course. How could that girl ever leave you?”

Hemian loosened the cravat around his neck irritably and asked,

“Where’s Laura?”

“She’s waiting in your room.”

As Hemian disappeared in the direction she indicated, Camellia muttered while watching his retreating figure,

“If he remarries into the Blanche family, our household will finally have nothing but prosperity ahead.”

“There’s no need to rush. Laura is completely infatuated with Hemian. All we need to do is wait.”

“Then isn’t this basically getting the best of both worlds? We keep the Dauer family pension, and we get the Blanche family’s dowry too.”

“You’re clever, Camellia.”

Eveline laughed delightedly at her daughter’s words.

As though she truly looked forward to the future awaiting them.

***

Entering the bedroom, Hemian approached Laura, who had been sitting beside the bed waiting for him.

Her seductive blonde hair cascaded down in thick waves.

The beautiful strands disappeared between the curves of her ample chest.

“Laura. Did you wait long?”

His voice was gentle.

Completely different from the way he had treated Ophelia just moments ago.

“Couuunt.”

Laura answered with a sweet, spoiled whine.

As Hemian stroked her hair, he found himself thinking of Ophelia, who was probably sitting pitifully alone in her room.

Her disheveled hair.
Her lifeless complexion.
That perpetually gloomy expression.

She was truly nothing like the young, lovely Laura standing before him.

When exactly did she become such a miserable woman?

Thinking of his wife, Hemian clicked his tongue.

The divorce papers he had thrown into her room did not concern him in the slightest.

A divorced woman in noble society was inevitably left with a permanent stain on her reputation.

Besides, there was no way Ophelia could leave him without receiving a single coin in settlement. That would mean abandoning her livelihood entirely.

And she likely did not even have enough money to hire a lawyer for asset division.

In other words, his wife had no way of leaving him.

‘If anything, she’s probably terrified that the divorce might actually happen and leave her alone.’

They had spent such a long time together, yet the radiant Ophelia he once knew no longer existed.

‘The old Ophe was truly beautiful. But now…’

Whenever he thought of that gap between past and present, a corner of Hemian’s chest seemed to ache.

As though his heart tightened faintly.
As though something heavy sank deep inside him.

Hemian deliberately ignored the unpleasant sensation.

Because whether he acknowledged it or not, reality would not change.

As long as he did not cast her aside, Ophelia would remain by his side.

And he would still be the only sun in her world.

At the end of that thought, Hemian smiled in satisfaction as he slowly slipped down the strap resting on Laura’s shoulder.

The coquettish moan that escaped her lips, always strangely intoxicating, heated his blood instantly.

***

Ophelia had never lived a particularly extraordinary life, but she had never once thought her life was miserable.

When her father and mother were still alive, they had loved her dearly.

Her childhood had truly been filled with memories others would envy.

Though the Dauer barony had never been wealthy, they had never lacked enough to live comfortably.

Every night, her mother whispered words of love to her, and her father was a warm man who never hesitated to sacrifice for the two women he cherished.

And Hemian, too, had been someone impossible to separate from Ophelia’s precious childhood.

She first met him when she was around ten years old.

After falling in love with her at first sight, Hemian constantly insisted on seeing her, and because of that, Ophelia often spent time at the Roswell estate throughout her youth.

That was how they spent those long years together.

But the year before Ophelia reached adulthood—

Misfortune descended upon her happiness in an instant, as though mocking it.

Her parents were both killed in a sudden fire.

And the one who reached out a hand to her after she lost everything was Hemian.

Hemian, and the entire Roswell family.

Ophelia had been genuinely happy. Truly grateful.

She had silently vowed to devote herself completely to the Roswell household.

But after the marriage, the Roswell family suddenly began treating her coldly.

Their attitude flipped as abruptly as turning over a coin.

More precisely, everyone except Hemian began to despise Ophelia.

Every time Camellia saw her, she openly displayed disgust.

Eveline shamelessly pushed for her son to pursue Laura Blanche instead.

Even so, Ophelia endured it.

Because she had Hemian.

Because she loved him.

But—

As the years passed and no child came, even Hemian, the one person who had remained warm to her, turned cold.

He no longer even bothered hiding his secret affection with Laura Blanche in front of her.

Curled up atop the bed, Ophelia stared at the sun slowly rising beyond the window.

The hour when the world gradually began to brighten once more.

The scattered sheets of paper that had been tossed carelessly around were now neatly gathered in her hands.

“You’ll never leave me.”

Yes, Hemian. You were right.

At least until now, you were.

I should’ve admitted it much sooner.

The man I remembered no longer exists.

Ophelia rose from the bed.

She carefully folded the divorce papers she had held all night and placed them neatly into a document envelope.

Then she entered the dressing room, removed her nightgown, and changed into outdoor clothes.

A proper countess normally would have had maids assisting her, but it had been a long time since Ophelia had received help from any servant.

Which meant leaving this place would not be difficult either.

No one cared enough to pay attention to where she went.

Standing before the mirror, Ophelia wiped away the dried tear stains on her face with her sleeve.

She combed out her tangled hair and tied it neatly back before draping a plain shawl she often wore around her shoulders.

The envelope containing the divorce papers disappeared beneath her clothing.

Walking over to the vanity, Ophelia removed the wedding ring from the ring finger of her left hand.

The ring she had worn every day since their marriage.

She stared at it silently for a moment before placing it into the drawer and closing it.

After choosing a wide-brimmed hat and putting it on, she paused before leaving the room and slowly swept her gaze across the interior one last time.

There was nothing she wanted to take with her.

But she wanted to leave her lingering attachment behind.

…Goodbye, Hemian.