“From now on, call me Miss instead of Madam.”

“What?”

“Because I’m planning to divorce Alex.”

Sherry’s eyes widened at my plan. But only briefly. Being quick-witted, she nodded without prying further.

“Could you bring me pen and paper? I need to inform my father about this.”

Not long after telling Sherry, pen and paper were set before me. With the pen nib dipped in ink, I pondered for a moment. How should I break this news to my father?

Father generally didn’t interfere much in my affairs.

Even when it came time for marriage, he merely hinted that perhaps I should consider it, without forcing me to marry anyone specific.

It was different from neglect. Everyone in and around the mansion knew how much Father cherished me.

That was also why I could resolve to divorce. But it was a decision made in excitement. Until just now, I was confident Father would take my side, but now I felt uncertain.

‘What if he scolds me?’

I had boldly told Alex I wanted a divorce, but if Father opposed it and it fell through…

I shook my head. That was a scenario I didn’t want to consider.

‘Whatever the outcome, I need to face it head-on.’

Suppressing my rising anxiety, I picked up the pen. I began writing a letter to Father on the white paper.

Writing the letter took longer than expected. Not just because of adding appropriate formalities and eloquent phrases, but because explaining the situation was perplexing.

How could I explain it without Father thinking strangely of me?

‘Though it would be harder for him not to think strangely…’

Any parent would feel the same.

A daughter they thought was doing well suddenly sends a letter saying she’s getting divorced.

For parents, it would be nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

Especially in this society where divorce and remarriage for women weren’t commonplace.

But I had already made my decision. I was fully prepared to push through regardless of Father’s reaction.

I neatly folded the finished letter and placed it in an envelope.

I completed it by attaching melted wax to the envelope and firmly pressing the mistress’s seal.

❀❀❀

A month had already passed since I sent the letter to Father. Fearing Alex might intercept it, I went directly to the information guild and paid them to deliver it.

So the letter should have been delivered properly…

‘Why is there still no reply?’

The distance between Floredo County and the Ophelia mansion in the capital takes about a month by carriage. But that’s considering the entourage following behind.

Letters typically arrive within a week, so the lack of response was strange.

In other circumstances, I wouldn’t be so anxious for a reply, but the situation was dire.

After I handed him the divorce papers that day, Alex completely cut off my budget. Not only that, he even moved the maids serving me to Ilina’s quarters.

I wasn’t one to stay silent about such unjust treatment. I tried to confront Alex, but all attempts ended in failure.

Alex refused to see me.

“Why can’t I meet my husband? Does this make any sense?”

“I’m sorry, but those are the master’s orders.”

I tried persuading and pressing, but Alex’s servants were stubborn and absolutely refused to let me through.

After a month of this…

“I can’t endure this any longer.”

I finally made up my mind.

“Sherry, pack our things.”

It was time to leave this place.

❀❀❀

After washing hastily and changing clothes, I began searching the room for valuable items.

Among them were wedding gifts from Alex.

I’d heard somewhere that it was customary to throw away jewelry received from a former lover.

‘What nonsense from someone who knows nothing of the world.’

I had no intention of doing that. The thought of discarding them made me dizzy.

I’d heard the diamond earrings, necklace, and ring set received as wedding gifts were worth enough to buy a small mansion.

How could I throw them away?

‘I’ll convert them to cash.’

It wasn’t as if I received them from a man I loved—they were from an arranged marriage partner. So even with divorce, the meaning behind these items wouldn’t change.

There was no reason to discard them.

I packed various jewels, including the leather-cased wedding gifts, into a sack.

Just as I finished packing all the valuable items without missing any, Sherry approached from afar. She was carrying two large bundles in both hands.

As she drew closer, Sherry set the bundles on the floor and said:

“Phew, I’m back, Madam.”

“Didn’t I tell you to call me Miss?”

“Ah, right. Sorry, Miss.”

My gaze lingered briefly on Sherry, who looked tired and distracted, before shifting to the bundles she had brought.

The bundles looked heavy at a glance. What could be inside to make them so large?

“Sherry, what exactly did you put in there?”

Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked her.

“Clothes, shoes, and raincoats in case it rains… and dried fruits for quick snacks.”

I almost asked if we were evacuating, but held back and asked gently:

“That much?”

“Yes. Um, is it too much?”

Sherry asked cautiously, checking my reaction. I nodded.

“It will be a long journey. We should minimize our luggage. There probably won’t be anyone to carry it for us for a while.”

At my words, Sherry’s pupils suddenly dilated.

“What do you mean? Are we going just the two of us? Without knights or servants?”

I nodded at Sherry’s question. She looked at me with puzzled eyes before carefully asking:

“Won’t it be… dangerous?”

“Even if it’s dangerous, we have no choice. They’re all people of the Floredo family.”

Sherry’s expression was ambiguous, as if she understood but didn’t quite grasp my meaning.

“I don’t want to be entangled with this family anymore.”

When I added that, she finally seemed to understand, making an “Ah” sound. Then she asked another question.

“About this long journey, could you tell me our destination?”

“We’re going to the capital. I’ll explain the details once we get a carriage, but for now, let’s head out.”

One wrong move and Alex might catch our trail. I felt urgent.

I’d heard rumors of women who fled in the night to escape their husbands’ violence and ab*se, only to be caught before reaching their parents’ home and suffering terrible revenge.

Of course, I didn’t think Alex would be that much of a scoundrel. But one never knows with people.

“For that, I’d appreciate if you could sort through the luggage. Just one change of clothes each, excluding the most comfortable ones.”

“Ah, yes.”

Fortunately, Sherry seemed to sense the urgency of the situation and started sorting through the bundles without further questions, removing unnecessary items.

After quickly organizing our luggage, we hurriedly left the room.

❀❀❀

After leaving the room, I headed for the main building. The inner quarters and main building were connected, and the only exit to the outside was through the main building.

I worried about encountering Alex during this process, but that concern soon proved unfounded.

According to a passing maid, he had just left for the hunting grounds.

With a more relaxed mind, I was heading toward the mansion’s entrance when I came face to face with a woman and froze.

A woman with blue hair and crystal-clear eyes, her appearance naturally evoking the image of snowflakes.

None other than Alex’s mistress, Ilina. Why was she here at this hour? The question was answered shortly.

“Are you returning from seeing him off?”

I recalled the maid’s words that Alex had gone hunting. She didn’t answer but merely blushed. I found this strange. Why not simply answer instead of appearing so withdrawn?

If she and Alex were lovers, she must also know about my request for divorce.

Her head bowed, unable to meet my eyes—it was utterly perplexing.

‘Perhaps it’s due to the difference in status.’

But even so…

“Why aren’t you answering?”

The moment I pressed her again:

“I, I am…”

She moved her lips as if trying to say something, then bowed her head deeply.

That’s when it happened.

Slap!

I turned to Sherry in shock. She had slapped Ilina’s cheek.

“Who are you referring to yourself as ‘I’ in front of?”

“Sherry. Stop it.”

“No, this is too disrespectful. She didn’t even answer. A slave girl acting this way—she must be taking advantage of the master’s protection!”

At that moment, Ilina slowly raised her head. Blood was flowing from her cheek.

Yet her eyes remained incredibly gentle. Rather, she was trembling, looking at me… with eyes that seemed afraid.

‘Something’s not right.’

Normally when struck, people either freeze, panic, or show hostility toward the attacker. But strangely, Ilina was afraid. Her hunched posture and silence seemed like she was calculating how to appease the other’s anger to avoid further blows.

As if she had been conditioned that way.

What if she had been afraid of me even before being struck?

“Hey! Still no answer?”

Just as Sherry raised her voice again:

“For… forgive me.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was kneeling on the floor with her head bowed flat. Slavery had been virtually abolished in the Empire. The few remaining slaves stayed out of loyalty to their masters and were treated no worse than commoners.

Even though I was a high noble, there was no need for Ilina, who was also Alex’s mistress, to prostrate herself like this. And for some reason, she was trembling like an aspen leaf.

“I, I don’t know anything. I…”

This scene made it look as if I had forced her to kneel. I worried people might misunderstand, thinking I was acting out of jealousy toward his mistress.

“Get up now.”

For various reasons, I felt uncomfortable watching and ordered her to rise. Finally gathering herself and standing up, Ilina’s body wobbled precariously, looking very unstable.

Especially her left ankle—she was limping as if she had sprained it. But her circumstances were none of my concern.

‘Is she acting?’

If so, it’s quite a convincing performance.

“Help her up, Sherry.”

Even watching her wobble was somehow uncomfortable, so I ordered Sherry and turned around.

“Um, excuse me…”

A voice called out as if trying to stop me. But I spoke with my back to her:

“If it’s an act, I’d like to applaud.”

“……”

“But don’t bow to just anyone. It lowers not only your value but also that of the person standing with you.”

“……”

“Let’s go, Sherry.”

With Alex gone hunting, we needed to reach the village, catch a carriage, and leave this wretched Floredo County before he returned.

There was no time to waste, so I intended to end the conversation and turn away.

“Yes, Madam!”

As I walked on, checking if Sherry was following me, I noticed Ilina still hadn’t left her spot.

She was looking at me. With fiery eyes, no less. But I dismissed it and was about to head outside when:

“…Don’t go.”

A loud, clear voice reached me. Surprised, I turned around to see Ilina glaring at me with bloodshot eyes that seemed ready to burst into tears, her hands clenched into fists.

My impression of her was simple.

‘What’s wrong with her?’

I won’t be the Countess of Floredo anymore, so you can have that useless position. You and Alex must be passionately in love, and as a slave, you’d even rise in status to become a countess. I’m disappearing for you—what more do you want?

I ignored her and turned back toward the door. But after taking just a few steps, I heard her voice again.

“Where are you going?”

This time, her voice was filled with anxiety and impatience.

Something about her voice bothered me, but I had no reason to answer. There was no time to waste either.

“……”

I simply continued forward, pretending not to hear. My steps halted only when I was one step away from the front door.

Just as the two servants guarding the door saw Sherry and me and were about to open it:

Creak!

“…Where do you think you’re going?”

A harsh voice echoed.

At Alex’s appearance, Ilina, who had been watching nervously, seemed to sense the tense atmosphere between us and stepped back. Alex pushed past her and approached me.

This was unexpected. Alex’s appearance, of all things.

“Why are you… here?”

I thought I heard he went hunting.

“Where are you going? And what’s with those bundles?”

“……”

My plan to leave secretly had turned to bubbles.

“Move aside.”

But even if discovered, nothing had changed, just become a bit more troublesome.

“Why? I’m just going out for a while.”

“Going out? Those look like too much luggage for a simple outing. How do you explain that?”

Alex, his face red with anger, pointed at the bundles Sherry and I each held and asked.

“Are you trying to leave this house?”

“……”

“Didn’t I clearly say divorce is not an option?”

The look in Alex’s eyes as he met mine was strange. A shiver ran through me when I met that gaze.

A look suggesting he might do something to me if I resisted. His shadow loomed over me.

I had an ominous feeling. But there were many onlookers. If he had any sense of shame, he wouldn’t do anything here.

“Why not?”

“Divorce would surely be disadvantageous for you too. Don’t you know how miserable women who divorce and live alone are?”

“…Miserable?”

I was dumbfounded. I could hardly hold back a bitter laugh.

I bit my lip hard and then released it. Looking directly at the repulsive person before me, as bitter as the taste of blood in my mouth, I spoke:

“At least I’d be happier than continuing to live with you.”

“What did you just say?”

“Why, am I wrong… Aagh!”

A sudden twisting grip on my wrist made me scream involuntarily. Tears welled up.

“What are you doing…!”

I tried to protest, glaring at the person causing me pain, but before I could, fierce eyes stared back at me. Alex whispered with a low growl:

“Follow me.”

“No. Let go, or I’ll scream!”

My chin trembled with rising fear. My voice rose without me realizing it. Despite being afraid, I didn’t want to lose to him.

Surely he’d understand after this much.

But ridiculously, my expectation was met with a twisting joint and sharp pain.

“Do as you please. But I won’t stay quiet either.”

Alex had roughly grabbed and twisted my arm. Then he hoisted me up and began trudging up the stairs.

“Let go, I said let go!”

I hit his back and scratched wherever I could reach, but his body didn’t budge, as if made of stone.

As time passed and his footsteps quickened, fear grew within me. Fear that he might really do something to me.

Eventually, I changed tactics and began pleading:

“Darling, please let me go. We can resolve this through talking, through words…”

But Alex merely snorted.

“Is there anything left to say between you and me?”

“What?”

“I now know well that you don’t love me. And that if left alone, you’ll eventually leave me.”

What?

What nonsense am I hearing?

After initial confusion, my breath caught. Meeting his calm blue eyes, I felt dizzy. His gaze was completely unhinged.

I couldn’t understand his sorrowful look, as if he were the one being abandoned.

Love? Did such a thing ever… exist between us? No, even the love that remained, you were the one who shattered it. Yet you speak to me of love?

The absurdity was so extreme that I couldn’t even laugh. Instead, rage boiled up, and I slapped his cheek.

Blood flowed. But he laughed out loud instead.

“Keep quiet. Unless you want everyone in the mansion to know you’re being dragged away by me.”