Rose pulled herself together from feeling disappointed. There would be countless such rejections in the future. She couldn’t be disappointed by each one. Her relationship with her husband was a long-term battle.

Well, how could falling in love with one’s enemy be easy?

‘Let’s build up the foundation step by step. Like now.’

That’s what she was thinking when she reached the top of the stairs in front of her room. Rose stopped in her tracks.

“…Maverick?”

Someone was leaning against her door. It was undoubtedly Maverick. Because there was only one person who could make her heart flutter just by seeing his chest first.

“Welcome back.”

Rose was simply moved. She hadn’t been this moved even when Duke Clematis asked what birthday present she wanted and gave her the trading port she currently owned. My goodness, he really came to greet me? She felt simply happy and joyful that he had come to find her both this morning and now without her seeking him out.

“Wow, did you come to greet me?”

“…Something like that.”

So she didn’t think it strange that Maverick’s voice was twice as cold as usual. She was drunk on happiness.

“Ah, where are you going?”

“To my office. I still have work to do.”

What was slightly odd was that instead of staying longer, Maverick immediately started walking away as soon as he saw her face. Of course, after a moment, she thought it was understandable. It was already something that he came to greet her.

“Come to think of it, Maverick. Didn’t you say you had something to tell me today?”

“……”

Maverick didn’t answer. Instead, after staring intently at Rose, he brought up something else.

“Where did you go today?”

“Hm? The Imperial Palace.”

And then she met Hailey at the masquerade hall. Rose briefly considered whether to reveal this fact. Even to her, it sounded strange to say she went to a masquerade hall to investigate a former lover.

“Only the Imperial Palace?”

Of course, Rose was confident she could tell Maverick everything anytime. The regression story might make her sound crazy, but wouldn’t he believe it once the Crown Prince’s plot was revealed to the world? Though that would require it being revealed first.

Anyway, right now when they had just gotten closer, she didn’t want to say anything that might seem strange. Though there seemed to have been a time when even his hatred felt sweet, now that she faced his kindness, she found herself not wanting to be hated anymore.

“Yes, that’s right. Why do you ask?”

“…I asked because you returned quite late for someone who just went to the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

“Because I waited.”

Yes, he waited. Maverick felt a bitter taste. His slightly hidden hand clenched into a fist before relaxing.

‘Ask Rose if she answers truthfully.’

The low whispering voice that had softly tempted him today seemed to mock him. What was trust worth? When it would disappear so meaninglessly like this. He had been betrayed once again.

“I understand.”

He thought it would be fine even if she didn’t remember. Because he believed the words his wife whispered were sincere. At least she was someone who didn’t speak pretense, empty bluster, or lies. However, in this situation where such trust was shattering, Maverick felt it once again.

That in his relationship with Rose, he was always the one being abandoned and made worthless.

‘Ah, come to think of it Maverick, didn’t you say you had something to tell me when I returned?’

There was. The words he thought he could finally say today.

‘I’ll definitely remember. Don’t worry.’

‘……’

‘Then you have to tell me too.’

Maverick slowly closed and opened his eyes where Rose couldn’t see. When they opened again, they held the same cold anger, disgust, and hatred as before.

‘What your name is, and that you like me too.’

He was always the weak one. And now… he was sick of it.

“No, thinking about it now, there isn’t anything. It seems like it’s something not worth saying.”

Maverick walked away. Rose, who knew nothing, only thought about wanting to sleep together while watching his broad back. The night deepened with their hearts going in different directions.

* * *

The next day.

Rose faced an unexpected situation.

“…What did you say?”

Just yesterday, in the morning, he had come to find her and had casual conversations with newfound affection, and in the evening, he had even come out to her room to greet her. She thought everything was going well, having also laid the groundwork for revenge.

But why…

“I said I’m requesting a divorce.”

Rose lowered her stiff neck to look at the documents on the desk. They were thick. Not to mention, they were familiar documents. Once, she also had Kathleen prepare such documents when preparing for divorce from Maverick.

Her breath caught for a moment at the documents that were identical down to every letter except for a few parts.

Why? This man is leaving me? Can he do that? How?

Before her regression, he was a man who, despite hating her, gave her his last moments in the end. No matter what feelings Maverick had for her, what hatred he held for the Clematis ducal family. She thought that would wrap around his life like a spider’s web and he would never leave her.

But… that expectation shattered, and its pieces existed as the documents before her.

Rose’s lips trembled.

“Why?”

Was there something I didn’t do for him? Thinking about it, so many things came to mind that she was bewildered. No, actually, since Maverick had rejected everything about Rose until now and they had only just gotten closer, she was receiving a divorce notice before she could properly do anything for him.

“You don’t seem to be asking because you don’t know. Do you really need to hear it?”

“……”

Throb. Rose felt a pain that made her chest ache. It was a pain she had never felt before. It was fine even if he hated and despised her. But now this man was truly trying to leave her.

Why? Is even the revenge you harbored is no longer needed?

“As a son-in-law who received nothing, the divorce process will be very simple. Perhaps as simple as you just needing to stamp it right now.”

“…That’s not true.”

Maverick’s eyebrow twitched. Because he was too intelligent, sometimes he could see the big picture from just one tiny clue. Like now.

“You seem to know well. Why? Did you also secretly prepare divorce papers for me?”

“……”

Rose was too shocked to manage her expression as usual.

“So it’s true.”

And the result was Maverick’s even colder face and sneer.

“Ah, well. You might have felt limited and had grown tired of staying with a ‘Male Poiret’ who has no dowry or anything. I didn’t realize.”

“That’s not it…!”

“If you were tired of me, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“No, I said that’s not it!”

Rose stepped forward and grabbed his arm. Maverick struck her hand away. They were both surprised. Rose at the fierce strength and rejection, Maverick at instinctively striking away and seeing Rose’s face that looked about to cry.

I need to say something, anything. Rose panicked.

“If I really wanted to break up with you, would I have asked to sleep with you now!”

And in her confusion, what she chose was the worst option. No, she thought so, but her returning reason whispered that this wasn’t bad either.

“Ha…”

Rose grabbed Maverick’s arm again and thankfully, this time, he didn’t strike it away. It was a desperate hand. Maverick, who exhaled roughly, smiled mockingly.

“Did you enjoy my body that much? I didn’t know. I should have appeared n*ked with just a ribbon to seduce you on our wedding night.”

“……”

“You must have many such men in the places you frequent, so why do you look so shocked? How disgusting.”

Despite his sneering tone, Rose couldn’t say anything. It was because of her heart that helplessly trembled even in this situation. She could be called crazy. She was fine with this man cursing at her. She would like it even if she received worse wounds. So she just wished he wouldn’t leave. No, he couldn’t leave.

“What did you like about me, ah, is it because my c*ck fed you well and now you’ll have no tool to satisfy your constant heat?”

She listened silently and then placed her trembling hand on Maverick’s chest.

Maverick wanted to strike it away in disgust, but he couldn’t strike away the trembling, fragile hand. His irritation rose at his damn feelings.

This woman was always like this. She stirred him up as she pleased and left quietly like a satisfied beast without even looking at him. Like he’s a mere rag.

“I’ll give you the divorce.”

A fierce light briefly flashed in Maverick’s eyes before disappearing. Because even though she said she would do as he wanted, he couldn’t do anything about this surging hatred. No, rather he wanted to ask if everything was this easy for her.

“But there’s a condition. If you definitely agree to it, I’ll send you away right after the grace period ends.”