After the topic of divorce came up, Richel and Edwin stopped speaking to each other entirely.

Still, it did not create much of a problem.

The time they actually spent facing one another had already become extremely rare.

From that point onward, Richel began attending various outside gatherings, while Edwin remained just as busy as ever.

Between business matters and social events, he had always lived a busy life.

Deep down, Edwin thought the situation was actually for the best.

Because if they spoke again, the topic of divorce would inevitably come up once more.

It seemed better for them to simply live separately for a while until the issue naturally faded away.

The two of them spent nearly two months without having a proper conversation.

‘…I already sent the gift ahead of time. If I go home early today and have dinner with her, that should be enough.’

Thinking it was finally time to ease the tension between them, Edwin returned home early that evening.

Normally, once they shared a meal and talked about trivial things for a while, awkward conflicts naturally smoothed themselves over.

But Richel was not at the mansion.

The Countess’s room stood empty, and the gifts and flowers he had sent remained untouched exactly as they had been delivered.

As though she had never once bothered to open them.

The moment Edwin saw the flowers already wilted beyond saving, his expression darkened sharply.

“My apologies, Count. My lady still hasn’t looked at the gifts, so we couldn’t remove them carelessly.”

“She hasn’t looked at them? I sent those four days ago…. Since when has she been gone?”

“About five days now.”

An unpleasant feeling crept over Edwin.

He could feel the servants carefully watching his expression.

“Has Richel been leaving the mansion often lately? Where did she go?”

“…It seems she reconnected with someone she knew from childhood during the last tea gathering.”

“Someone from childhood? Who?”

“She said his name was David Nathan.”

David Nathan.

He was the eldest son of Viscount Nathan’s family, having only recently turned twenty.

Apparently, when he was younger, he had often accompanied his parents to House Rainer and had met Richel, the eldest daughter of the family, several times back then.

‘Someone she’s known since childhood? I’ve never once heard Richel mention that name before….’

Edwin felt vaguely displeased, but he did not think much of it.

After all, the other man was merely the heir of a viscount’s family—and six years younger than Richel.

There was no way a young man like that would seriously fall for a woman who looked so thin and perpetually sorrowful.

Relationships between men and women usually faded naturally once one side found someone else.

Edwin believed there was no possibility for anything to develop between the two of them.

That assumption turned out to be completely wrong.

“Did you hear? Apparently Count Isle’s wife has been meeting frequently with the Nathan family heir lately. They say the young man is completely smitten with her.”

“My, how impressive. Holding Count Isle in one hand while entertaining a handsome young man barely past twenty with the other.”

“Oh please, she clearly didn’t manage to keep hold of Count Isle. They say he spends more time outside the mansion than inside it.”

“Then perhaps she found a replacement instead. Though honestly, I can’t imagine another face catching her eye. The men of House Isle are famous for being the most handsome in the empire.”

“And what does that matter? Even if his face is the finest in the empire, it’s meaningless if she never actually gets to see it. A younger man who stays by her side and gives her attention sounds much better.”

Rumors in high society spread like waves.

And naturally, those at the center of the rumors were always the last to hear them.

The rumor that the Countess of Isle had taken a young lover reached Edwin far later than everyone else.

When he first heard it, he laughed.

Because it sounded utterly ridiculous.

But the rumors continued.

And with every new wave of gossip that reached him, his composure eroded little by little.

‘What exactly has she been doing? What kind of behavior keeps fueling these ridiculous rumors….’

Eventually, he tracked down the party Richel was said to be attending.

A slow melody drifted through the ballroom, and people had already begun growing pleasantly drunk.

Edwin moved through the hall, casually brushing aside the hands and greetings that tried to stop him.

He had not come here to waste time on meaningless people.

He found Richel out on one of the terraces.

It had not been difficult.

After all, she was the only woman dressed like that, wearing a coat over her gown and buttoning it all the way to her neck.

‘She’s dressed like some solemn nun at a ballroom, and they’re saying she’s attracting men?’

Thinking the entire thing absurd, Edwin quietly moved closer without revealing himself.

Soon, a young man approached her.

David Nathan.

The man he had only heard about through rumors.

He was tall and broad-shouldered.

David stepped close beside Richel.

Their shoulders brushed together as they leaned against the terrace railing.

Soft conversation flowed quietly between them.

Hidden behind one of the pillars, Edwin listened in silence.

“What did you think of the necklace I gave you?”

“Ah, well….”

“If you didn’t like it, just tell me honestly. That way I’ll know what to avoid buying next time.”

“No, I liked it. It was beautiful…. Actually, I wore it today.”

“Really? Under the coat?”

After hesitating for a moment, Richel nodded.

“Show me,” he whispered softly.

At his words, Richel slowly removed the coat she had been wearing over her dress.

The gown underneath dipped low across her chest.

Her neck and collarbones were completely exposed, and the necklace woven with tiny gemstones glittered clearly against her skin.

David lightly touched the necklace with his fingers.

“It suits you beautifully. And honestly, you look much prettier without the coat. Why were you hiding yourself?”

“…I’m not used to it. I felt like I looked too thin.”

“Then does that mean today’s outfit was just for me?”

“Hm? Ah…. It’s just… I was grateful for the gift. I thought I should wear it at least once.”

Richel hesitated with reddened cheeks.

With a playful smile, David said.

“Then wear it like this at least three more times.”

“Three times?”

“I waited nearly three months to get that necklace made. So in return for my effort, three times sounds fair.”

At those words, Richel laughed.

It was a soft, gentle smile.

The two exchanged faint smiles before heading back into the ballroom together.

Edwin could not smile.

He left immediately and returned straight to the mansion.

‘David Nathan. Since when has she been seeing him?’

He remembered hearing that name once during Richel’s birthday.

Which meant the two of them had already met before then.

Pacing restlessly around his room, Edwin desperately searched through his memories.

Every so often, anger surged inside him, followed by an anxiety so severe it felt as though his blood were drying up.

Richel did not return until noon the following day.

“Who exactly were you with all night?”

“Let go of me.”

“David Nathan, right? There are already all kinds of rumors saying you’ve been spending time with him.”

“…Why do you even care now? When I asked for a divorce, you were the one who told me to go find a lover if I was so lonely.”

Richel shook off his hand and tried to walk past him.

Edwin grabbed her again.

Anxiousness, anger, and panic tangled together chaotically inside him.

Countless words circled inside his mouth before dying away again.

And the only things he truly wanted to say sounded pathetic and humiliating.

Because she was right.

This was exactly what he had told her to do.

He could not give a proper name to the emotions clawing inside him.

No, he did not want to know what those emotions were.

Still holding onto her, Edwin spoke.

“We still don’t have a child. There’s no heir yet.”

“…What?”

“You can go wherever you want. Fine. I was the one who said that, so I can’t complain about it now. But we still have obligations to fulfill, don’t we?”

“…Have you lost your mind?”

“No. I’m perfectly sane. I’m not wrong, am I? I’m not even telling you to stop seeing David Nathan.”

He did not stop Richel from seeing David.

No, he couldn’t stop her.

Instead, he began trapping her in another way.

Using every connection he had, Edwin kept track of when she met David.

And on those days, without fail, he would hold onto her and speak of marital obligations before forcing intimacy between them.

At its core, it was a deeply wrong choice. But his petty pride led him forward like a blind man. And his cowardly jealousy only grew worse and worse.

Their relationship twisted into something strained and grotesque.

Richel could not endure it for long.

Once again, she handed him divorce papers.

And once again, Edwin tore them apart.

“Divorce? What exactly are you lacking that you keep insisting on divorce? You’re already living exactly the way you want while seeing David, so why do you still need a divorce?!”

“Edwin, please stop this. We need to divorce. You’re not thinking rationally anymore. David isn’t the issue here—”

“He’s not the issue? Ha. Do you think I’m an idiot? You’re just waiting for the day you divorce me so you can become the Viscountess of House Nathan instead.”

“Edwin!”

“Don’t you dare scold me like that!”

With bloodshot eyes, Edwin grabbed her shoulders tightly.

The rumors spreading through high society now reached his ears faster than anyone else’s.

Because he had become obsessed with listening for them.

David was still meeting Richel.

No, he was meeting only Richel.

At such a young age, it was as though he had thrown everything away for a married woman.

People whispered endlessly.

Once the Countess of Isle divorced, wouldn’t she simply become the future Viscountess of House Nathan instead?

Edwin spat the words out bitterly.

“If you want to play at romance, then go ahead and enjoy yourself. Just don’t forget that you’re still the Countess of House Isle.”

Edwin knew that young nobleman would eventually fall away on his own.

Love burned hot like a fever, but fevers always cooled eventually.

And David was still the heir to a viscount’s family.

Before he grew too old, he would inevitably have to marry someone suitable.

As long as Edwin continued holding onto Richel, David would never be able to marry her.

Richel was still Richel Isle.

Still the Countess.

‘I’ll just wait and see how long he can endure it.’

So Edwin endured.

Because he believed that if he simply held out long enough, then he would eventually win.

It was a completely mistaken belief.

Relationships were not wars and fighting only turned everything into ruins.

In the end, the only thing left for the victor to claim was a wasteland.