“Get a divorce.”

The words drifted down from above her head, cold and devoid of warmth.

In the seven years of her marriage, those were the first words that Drisena, Martiana’s mother-in-law, had ever spoken to her. Drisena had arrived without warning.

Martiana’s expression stiffened as she looked at the woman who had barged into the room without permission. The change in her face was unmistakable against her pale skin and silver-white hair.

Of course, if Drisena had cared about courtesy or consideration, she would never have come at all.

“Your husband agreed to it as well. See? He’s already signed.”

Drisena dropped onto the sofa opposite and held out a single sheet of paper.

[Siliar Vandyk.]

When Martiana saw the familiar name written on the document, her violet eyes trembled faintly.

“It means Siliar has reached his limit. Honestly, if you had any conscience, shouldn’t you have been the one to say it first?”

Drisena pushed the divorce papers closer, narrowing her eyes sharply. The slight upward tilt of her gaze looked even harsher against the backdrop of the red makeup framing her eyes.

“I don’t enjoy saying this either. But let’s be honest for once. What have you done since you moved in? You can’t even bear a child. You’re neither warm nor pleasant. At least you could learn to speak properly!”

Determined to voice every grievance she had harbored, Drisena raised her voice.

Martiana clenched her hands tightly as she listened to the unfiltered *buse. She had heard these insults many times before, but today they were harder to bear.

Nevertheless, there was nothing she could do but press her lips together and remain silent.

“Think about it yourself. Who would want a girl like you? The only reason you’re still here is because my son is kind enough to keep you.”

“……”

“If you can’t be gentle like your sister-in-law, you could at least dress nicely. If I’d known you were like this, I would never have allowed the marriage in the first place. Do you have any idea how many young ladies were eager for my son?”

“……”

“In any case, I won’t tolerate this any longer. Sign the divorce papers and put an end to it. There’s no point prolonging something that makes us both uncomfortable. We’ll put an end to it right now.”

Tapping the table where the papers lay, Drisena pressed her again.

Martiana looked from her insistent mother-in-law to the document before her and let out a long, steady breath.

[Divorce.]

A word she had never once considered when she married now lay before her. She had always thought such things happened to other people.

And yet—Martiana, getting divorced?

A bitter smile slowly curved her lips.

She had once believed that marriage alone would make her happy. She had imagined loving her husband and being loved in return. She had dreamed of having children and creating a warm, joyful family.

But none of that had come to pass.

Not a single thing she had once taken for granted had become reality.

Everything her mother-in-law had said was true. Martiana was not gentle. She had no children. She was not good with words.

And yet, she had not always been this way.

Once, she had been different.

***

Their union was hailed as the wedding of the century.

The House of Vandyk, a ducal family and collateral branch of the royal line, united with the House of Kisca, a marquess family renowned for producing generations of High Priests.

To outsiders, it seemed to be nothing more than a calculated alliance between two powerful families. But in truth, it was the culmination of a long and devoted courtship.

“Groom Siliar Vandyk, do you vow to love Bride Martiana Kisca for the rest of your life?”

The temple was adorned with flowers in every direction. Countless distinguished guests had gathered to witness and bless the ceremony.

In that moment of radiant happiness, beneath the shower of petals and the glow of sacred light, the officiating priest asked the question.

“I vow.”

Martiana was captivated by the firm voice almost before the words had fully formed.

It felt so steady and reassuring that she couldn’t help but smile as soon as she heard it.

The same was true for Siliar.

The priest then turned to her with the same question.

“Bride Martiana Kisca, do you vow to love Groom Siliar Vandyk for the rest of your life?”

“I vow.”

As she gave her answer, he smiled as well—a broad, radiant smile.

“With this, I declare the two of you husband and wife!”

When the priest made his proclamation, celebratory cannons sounded. Petals of every kind rained down, covering the path ahead of the newlyweds. Congratulations poured in from all sides.

And so they were married.

They loved.

And they loved again — until they had a child.

“She’s a beautiful daughter who looks just like you.”

Martiana cradled the swaddled infant in her arms, holding her out to Siliar and speaking softly.

The baby had ash-brown hair like his and wide, round, bright red eyes like a rabbit’s. Her cheeks were as plump as a squirrel’s when it has gathered acorns. She was irresistibly adorable.

They named their daughter Licorice and poured boundless love into her.

The first time she rolled over.

Her first unsteady, trembling steps.

The way she babbled with her tiny tongue.

The moment she called out “Mama” and “Papa”.

These were the most beautiful times of their lives.

Raising a child was not easy, but those days were filled with nothing but love.

And it lasted exactly one year.

“Lili’s birthday is coming up. How about visiting the marquess’s estate?”

As their daughter’s first birthday approached, it was her husband who first suggested the idea. She was so excited that she could hardly contain herself.

It would be her first visit to her family home since getting married. Apart from sending word that the baby had been born, she had not managed to visit in person. That alone made her heart flutter.

Perhaps it was also because it would be the first journey the three of them took together.

“While we’re there, let’s offer a prayer at the temple. That our Lili will grow up healthy.”

“Only Lili? What about me? What about you?”

“Of course all of us should stay healthy. And I’ll pray that we remain a family that’s always harmonious and always in love.”

“If it’s that, it’s already come true. I’m going to love you forever.”

Smiling, Siliar lifted a strand of Martiana’s long, silvery hair to his lips.

At the time, she smiled and kissed his hair in return.

Or had she?

She could not remember clearly.

That was the last memory she had of them smiling together.

“The child is gone!”

Yes.

They lost their first child on their very first journey together.

No one knew how it happened. It was over in an instant.

They had been travelling from the Duchy of Vandyk to the Marquessate of Kisca when it happened. Without warning, a band of thieves appeared. No one knew who they were or why they had dared to target the Duke and Duchess of Vandyk. Even now, it made no sense. The couple had been accompanied by a large number of knights — what could have driven anyone to attack them so recklessly and audaciously?

The knights fought desperately to protect their lord and lady. Siliar stepped forward without hesitation either, shielding his wife and daughter with his own body.

But it was useless.

In the blink of an eye, their daughter was gone.

Martiana was seized by a terror beyond words the moment she realized. It felt as though the sky had collapsed. As though her heart had stopped beating altogether.

Her face drained of color as she clutched at Siliar. Together, they searched frantically for their child. They looked everywhere — there was nowhere they did not search.

And yet—

— they never found her.

“Someone—someone please find my daughter! Has anyone seen my child? I don’t care who it is, please tell me! Please!”

Every day was filled with tears.

There wasn’t a day when she didn’t cry.

It was then that Martiana learned what it meant to wail until she lost consciousness.

She felt as though she had lost her entire world.

In fact, she had.

When she closed her eyes, she could see her daughter’s round little face. When she opened them, she could still hear her daughter’s bright, ringing laughter.

There was nowhere she could go that did not remind her of her child. Nowhere that did not throb with unbearable longing.

And so she cried.

And she cried again.

Time moved forward without mercy.

As the days slipped by, Martiana slowly lost all vitality. The words intended to comfort her could no longer reach her — she could not hear them at all.

“Marie, at this rate you’ll die before anyone else. I’ll find her somehow, so please…!”

Her husband’s anxious voice—

“Stop this. You can have another child. Young children are fragile anyway; you never know how long they’ll live. Just think of it as if she died early.”

They all sounded the same to her, including her mother-in-law’s scolding voice.

Martiana did not want to hear any of it.

Perhaps it was from that moment that she began to wither.

Her body.

Her heart.

Her voice.

She lost the ability to speak.

She avoided people. She hid away in a corner of the estate, living in unrelenting gloom.

Five years passed like that.

Eventually, even her husband Siliar reached his limit.

“Say something. I’m struggling too. How long are you going to keep your mouth shut?”

“……”

No matter what he said, her dried-out voice never broke free.

And so the two of them slowly turned their backs on each other.

‘Yes. I’ve endured long enough. It’s only natural that Siliar would grow tired of me.’

Martiana stared at her husband’s signature on the divorce papers, giving a bitter smile.

It hurt that he had chosen separation. But she knew it was the right decision. They had never found their child. Ultimately, the two of them — once bound together by love — had simply grown exhausted.

Perhaps it was better to end things here, before they caused each other irreparable harm.

Martiana picked up the pen with her pale, delicate hand. The elegant strokes of her name flowed from the nib without hesitation.

“You’ve made the right decision. This will be better for you as well. I’ll arrange somewhere for you to stay until the paperwork is finalized. It would not be appropriate for you to return to your family home so soon.”

As soon as Drisena had signed the papers, she gathered them up and turned to address her. Relief was clearly visible on her face; she was clearly making an effort to be kind.

Her actions matched her expression.

“There is a Vandyk villa on the outskirts of the capital. You will stay there until further notice.”

With those words, Martiana’s future was sealed.

She was not given the opportunity to agree or disagree. The instant Drisena had finished speaking, servants who must have been waiting for this moment began to remove Martiana’s belongings.

Martiana was pushed out of the Duchy of Vandyk, forced to leave.

The moment she stepped beyond its gates—

“Ah!”

She died.