Chapter 12

You can’t mess with a crazy b*tch. It was always wise for a lunatic to pretend not to know anything with cloudy eyes. If you provoke a lunatic, you’ll just get tired.

As her crazy antics continued, even May, who used to intervene and say that everything was not allowed, began to quietly overlook them.

“Hmm.”

The faces of those who were surprised were so satisfying that I almost screamed like a madman. Fortunately, I was able to regain my composure, but it was truly a dangerous moment. They were familiar with Amelia throwing tantrums, but this was the first time she had gone crazy.

“It’s better than I thought?”

She couldn’t stop humming. In fact, it wasn’t easy for her to pretend to be crazy as if she had lost her mind. She was a perfectly sane person, and under normal circumstances, it would be unthinkable for her to dirty her clothes.

But look what happened now. She had gained a short but sweet freedom by just ruining a dress.

“It’s definitely large for a study.”

The maids, who moved swiftly in response to her command to guide her to the study, led her here without any hesitation.

“They said all the books of the Siegfried family are kept here.”

Actually, she didn’t have such high expectations, even though she asked to be guided to the study. The Siegfried family was not known for their scholarly pursuits. They relied on the power of their noble lineage. Naturally, she thought there wouldn’t be many books…

“But they have a librarian too…”

At first, she wondered what it meant when they said there was a librarian. She should have realized it when she mentioned a study. Calling this a study was disrespectful considering the scale of this place. Amelia opened her mouth in astonishment as the dome-shaped space was surrounded by books from floor to ceiling.

She probably wouldn’t know what books were here with so many of them. But contrary to her concerns, all the books were well-maintained. Even though there were places that were out of reach and could gather dust, everything was neat.

“Law books, law books…”

Given the number of books here, there must be at least one law book. But in her current situation, she couldn’t demand a law book. It would immediately be reported to Raphael if she asked the librarian to bring her the book.

It was fortunate that the maids hadn’t come in yet. The only consolation she had was that she quite liked libraries. Even though she was exhausted and didn’t have enough time for herself before her possession, she frequently visited nearby libraries. It was nice to sit quietly among people, and the scent of books brushing against her nose made her feel at peace.

“If I know how the books are organized, I can find it quickly.”

Ironically, the larger the library, the more systematically the books were organized according to the rules. Usually, they were categorized and sorted by title…

“It’s here!”

Contrary to her expectations, there were many books related to law in Siegfried Castle. She needed to know the country’s system and culture. Not just divorce, since she also had to live alone. She had to know what happened to divorced women.

Divorce laws, divorce laws. There were many laws written in unnecessarily thick law books. Did they actually apply all of these? The Khalid Empire was a country ruled by an emperor. Both laws and judgments were determined by the emperor.

“…What is this?”

Unlike other laws, divorce-related laws were extremely concise. It didn’t even fill one page, not even half a page.

‘Divorce is only permitted when it is determined that trust between spouses has been broken.’

‘Divorce is only permitted when there is a valid reason that one cannot maintain the marriage with the other party.’

The more she read, the more suspicious she became of what was in front of her. While other matters such as fraud, theft, and murder were recorded in detail, divorce-related matters were ambiguously worded.

“Even in the event of the spouse’s death, if it is deemed necessary to maintain the marriage, divorce is not allowed.”

What nonsense is this?

There were a few more laws, but the conclusion was clear. Divorce rarely occurred in the Khalid Empire. Once married, there was no going back. Is that why Raphael couldn’t kick Amelia out?

“No… Raphael has both money and power, so it’s not impossible for him to get a divorce.”

Amelia, on the other hand…

“She doesn’t have money. She doesn’t have power.”

On top of that, because of her low birth and her marriage to a perfect noble family, she was an ugly duckling that stood out even among the nobility. In other words, Amelia would have a hard time getting a divorce even if she wanted to.

“It doesn’t make sense. Divorce was easier in Korea.”

There was something called a mutual agreement divorce, and if that wasn’t possible, you could go through a lawsuit divorce with the help of a lawyer. Wasn’t divorce something that could be done in just four weeks of consideration?

“Then do I have to wait for Raphael to leave first…?”

No, that’s not possible. There’s not much time left, and I can’t just sit around doing nothing. If divorce is not an option, I have to escape no matter what.

This is driving me crazy. I searched for any other laws that might help, but there was nothing suitable.

“It’s hopeless…”

In a state of despair, she stared blankly at the dome-shaped ceiling when a strong ray of sunlight shone down on her. The Woman of the Sun, The Woman of the Sun… She shouldn’t have read such a book from the beginning.

“What was life like for a woman who wasn’t a noble?”

Even the protagonist, Sierra, who was revered as a saint, was initially rejected because she wasn’t a noble. That’s why she ended up becoming the adopted daughter of Count Blanchet, with the help of the Third Prince.

“Then… if I get divorced, does that mean I’ll be Lady Seraphin of a viscount family again?”

Will he accept his daughter, who returned after getting a divorce?

“I need to know not only the divorce laws but also the culture of this country.”

***

If she asked for lessons, she would inevitably be caught by Raphael, so all that was left was for her to study on her own. After that day, Amelia immersed herself in studying, except during meal times.

After finishing meals with Leonel, she never left the library for the remaining time. Sometimes, she would use the excuse of having reading time together with Leonel in the library to ask various questions. Leonel was the only person who could help her avoid Raphael’s surveillance within the Siegfried family.

The maids seemed to have become accustomed to her peculiar behavior. They no longer tried to bother her. Perhaps they understood that she could quietly stay in the library.

“Mother.”

“Oh, Leonel is here?”

She doesn’t remember studying this intensely even as a student. Lately, she had been reading all sorts of books. She wouldn’t leave the library unless someone stopped her.

“It’s time for dinner.”

“It’s that time already.”

Amelia focused on her studies to the point where she would miss her meals if Leonel didn’t come for her on time. At first, Leonel seemed hesitant when he came to find her, but now he appeared very natural.

“You shouldn’t skip meals.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Seeing Leonel talking with a slight frown and tightly clenched fists, Amelia’s face couldn’t help but soften. Leonel was becoming cuter and cuter, and she couldn’t resist him. Even though she knew he would be surprised by his mother’s suddenly kind reaction.

“You’ve been studying Imperial history diligently lately.”

“I can’t do much in this castle.”

“……”

“Shall we go eat then?”

Amelia could feel Leonel watching her quietly, but she tried not to notice. Leonel was a clever child. He had already noticed why she was interested in these things while helping her with her studies.

“Leonel?”

Even when she said they should go to the dining hall, Leonel remained in his place, unmoving. He tightly pressed his lips together and stared at the floor.

“Are you debuting in high society?”

“A social debut?”

He could have thought so, given that she was looking into aristocratic society. There were no high-society debuts in this barren northern land. It would only be possible if they went to the capital. His status as a Grand Duke entitled him to generous supplies from the capital, but he couldn’t bring the nobility with him. They could, of course, stay in a villa in the capital or use the warp to travel back and forth between the capital and the Siegfried territory.

“I’ve been neglecting my duties as the Grand Duchess, that’s all I’m interested in.”

The more she learned about the noble society, the more she felt it. It was a harsh and ruthless place for a divorced woman. Besides, returning to being a humble commoner would not benefit her.

“……”

“Leonel, what’s wrong?”

Amelia leaned down to meet his eyes as he furrowed his brow, obviously unhappy with her answer.

“Mother is leaving Siegfried, right?”