The words hit her without warning and her eyes widened in shock.

She could not fathom how he had come to that conclusion. After all, all she had done was explain how her voice had returned.

“Pack my things? Go back?”

The statement felt entirely out of place.

Martiana frowned. Unlike before, she looked at Siliar sharply.

Perhaps it was an instinctive resistance rising within her.

The idea of returning to that house was anything but pleasant.

“Why would I go back? There’s no reason. We’re already divorced.”

“We’re not divorced.”

“What do you mean—? Ah. Don’t tell me the king hasn’t approved it yet?”

Martiana’s expression twisted at his short, firm reply. It was the only option she could think of. After all, he had been the one to agree to the divorce in the first place. So what did he mean by saying they weren’t divorced now?

Yes. It had only been two weeks since the divorce papers had been sent to the royal palace.

Officially, that meant the separation had not yet been finalized.

Martiana reasoned it out for herself.

“If that’s the case, just leave it.”

The paperwork would be processed automatically in any case. That was how divorces between nobles usually worked.

Although it took time, it would proceed without issue. This meant that if she returned now, she would have to leave the duke’s estate again within days.

“It’s inconvenient for both of us.”

Martiana turned her head away from Siliar. Although she had said it herself, she could feel a faint bitterness creeping into her chest.

He had probably come to get her in order to protect the reputation of the Duke family. If word spread that his not-yet-divorced wife had left the estate, it would inevitably stir up gossip. People had always been interested in their marriage.

And yet—

“Inconvenient? What is?”

Siliar’s response was rather strange. It was as though he genuinely did not understand what she meant.

He rested a hand on one of the chapel chairs and tilted his head slightly; his expression was impossible to read.

He seemed to have no intention of accepting her decision.

“You don’t have to spell it out. Even if I go back now, I’ll just have to leave again soon.”

“Why assume that? Have you considered that you won’t have to leave at all?”

“No. What divorced couple continues living under the same roof?”

“I told you. We are not divorced.”

He repeated the same words, his face hardening. Martiana’s expression mirrored his. This repetitive exchange was beginning to suffocate her.

What exactly was he trying to say?

Did he want to continue the conversation like this?

“That may be true for now. But will you still say that after His Majesty grants approval?”

Martiana shot back at him with a sigh woven into her voice. This time, Siliar clicked his tongue softly and exhaled.

“His Majesty won’t approve it. There are no papers.”

“What…? Why wouldn’t there be?”

“Because I destroyed them.”

“What?”

The sound of her bewildered voice echoed through the small chapel.

No matter what he said, she responded with stunned silence.

How else could she have responded?

After all, it was he who had agreed to the divorce in the first place.

And now he was telling her that he had destroyed the papers.

What was she supposed to make of that?

“Are you joking right now?”

“No. If anyone was playing games, it was you. Did you want the divorce that badly? Enough to forge my signature?”

Siliar’s voice rose slightly.

The moment he spoke, he was flooded with memories — of standing before the king’s desk and picking up the divorce document bearing his name, for example.

Beneath the word ‘divorce’, the names of the husband and wife were written. Beneath that was his own signature, a poor imitation that was unmistakably false.

The instant he saw it, he bit down on his lip without realizing.

“I know you’ve wanted a divorce for some time. But you should have told me first. How could you send it directly to the king? Do you even understand what that implies?”

“What are you talking about?”

Martiana inhaled sharply as his words poured over her.

Confusion had been building for some time now.

She was flustered.

“I wanted a divorce?”

From that point — or perhaps even from the outset — the more they spoke, the more it felt as though something fundamental had been twisted out of place.

Did Siliar want the divorce?

But it was he who wanted it. He were the one who had the papers drawn up first.

‘Wait.’

In hindsight, she realized that the documents she had received were already signed.

Siliar hadn’t signed them in front of her.

Who had brought them to her?

And who had given them to her?

‘Mother.’

Drisena.

The woman who had entered her room without warning and thr*st the papers at her as though she were tossing them aside.

That brazen, self-assured expression now overlapped in her mind with Siliar’s.

“It wasn’t me. Your mother gave me the papers. She said you were away in the provinces, so she brought them in your place.”

Martiana’s lips trembled as she spoke, her face faintly drained of color.

“Your signature was already on them. So I thought… I thought you wanted the divorce…”

Her voice trembled as she stumbled through the explanation.

Now that she understood, she was overwhelmed by shock.

A chill crept along her spine.

How could someone forge the documents without the relevant party finding out?

Had she truly believed that it would never be discovered?

If Martiana and Siliar ever met again, as they had today, the truth would inevitably come out.

‘Ah.’

No, that had never been part of the plan.

According to Drisena’s plan, they were never meant to meet again. Martiana was supposed to die, killed by an assassin sent from the Duke of Vandyk’s estate.

If that man had carried out his task, everything would have….

‘Mother.’

It had to be her.

Drisena had easy access to the Duke family’s heirlooms. While Martiana was in seclusion, Drisena had been in charge of the household.

It was only natural that her body trembled now.

Realizing who had tried to k*ll her, and that she was still alive contrary to that person’s intentions, meant that the same thing could happen again.

***

“Why did Siliar arrive so quickly?”

Drisena clutched the hem of her crimson dress as she stepped down from the carriage. Her voice was sharp with irritation.

She had just lost a considerable sum in a bet, and it showed in her temper.

This happened at the very moment she felt she could win everything back with just one more round.

However, someone from the estate arrived, urgently requesting her presence.

Consequently, she was forced to leave before she could recoup her losses.

It was no wonder her anger had not yet faded.

Perhaps she needed to find a way to release her frustration; otherwise, the bitterness burning in her chest would never subside.

“He usually stays away for at least two months. Why did he come back so soon this time?”

Drisena removed her gloves one finger at a time as she questioned the butler.

From what she had gathered, he had come back because of the divorce. He had come home to find that Martiana had left and that the estate was in chaos.

No wife. The house was a mess.

“Tsk. What excuse should I give him?”

If she had known this was going to happen, she would have told them not to tidy the room.

Once Martiana’s belongings had been taken away, the room looked shabby. That was why she had ordered it cleaned in the first place.

But perhaps that had been too obvious.

“You could have spoken more vaguely. Why did you inform him in such detail?”

On her way to the estate, Drisena stopped in her tracks and snapped at the butler following behind her. Of course, it was misdirected anger. After all, she was the one who had created this situation.

However, the true root of it lay elsewhere.

“Where is Ramelata?”

The second daughter-in-law had insisted on visiting the Duke’s estate.

After Martiana had been sent away, news arrived that the second daughter-in-law would soon reach the mansion.

Drisena went straight to the gaming house, ignoring her.

“The estate was in disorder, so we escorted her to the annex.”

“Does Siliar know?”

“We haven’t had the opportunity to inform him yet.”

They had mentioned receiving a guest, but not who it was. The butler shook his head as he added the explanation.

Drisena clicked her tongue softly.

“That’s fine. I’ll tell him myself. More importantly, inform me when Siliar arrives.”

“Will you be going to the annex?”

“Yes. A guest has come to my house. I should at least show my face.”

Shrugging slightly, Drisena continued towards the annex. To be honest, she didn’t particularly care whether she saw Ramelata or not.

She already knew what the woman looked like, and she found her unremarkable. Aside from the money her daughter-in-law possessed, Drisena had little interest in her.

With one exception.

“Grandmother, hello.”

The moment she entered the annex, a small child bowed politely, as if he had been waiting for her.

Ash-brown hair—just like her two sons.

Vivid red eyes.

“Alex! My precious boy!”

Her grandson was the only one who truly held her curiosity.