Chapter 19

They entered a quiet tea house nearby. Each seat had partitions, making it a private space.

After ordering tea, they sat down and waited for it to be served.

The Countess hesitated, her voice trembling. 

“I hope I’m not being rude by holding you busy people here…”

When the staff brought the tea they ordered, they lowered the partition in the middle and left, ensuring complete privacy. 

The young woman poured tea into the Countess’s cup and encouraged her gently. 

“It’s fine. Please, go ahead and tell us. What happened?”

The Countess hesitated for a moment before beginning her story. 

“Well… it happened a few days ago.”

Her story unfolded from there.

The Earl of LePell was the complete opposite of his delicate, magnolia-like wife. He was a large man with a booming voice. However, the Countess described him as a patient and considerate man, someone who was always kind. She had fallen for his free-spirited and ambitious nature, so much so that she had married him despite their differences.

Their personalities were polar opposites, but she had never once regretted their marriage. After all, even after their wedding, the Earl had remained the same patient, considerate man she had admired. 

He was devoted to his family, worked tirelessly to manage their estate, and spent sleepless nights pondering how to lead the LePell Merchant Guild to success. Out of concern for his wife’s rest, he had even suggested separate bedrooms long ago. 

Despite this arrangement, their relationship had not faltered. In fact, the occasional meetings between them had only deepened their affection, and the Countess had come to enjoy this dynamic. 

The issue, however, arose a few days ago and involved the Earl of LePell’s second son. 

Before the founding festival, the Countess had attended a tea party hosted by another lady. What should have been a delightful gathering turned into a nightmare when she overheard shocking news about her son. 

Unlike her eldest son, who resembled her in both demeanor and appearance, her second son was known to roam outside frequently. But she had never imagined that he was a scoundrel who went around seducing women indiscriminately!

When someone at the tea party asked about the matchmaking meeting with Lady Shaterian, the Countess had merely smiled faintly and patted her son on the back, thinking he had been shy. She now realized how wrong she had been.

Unable to stay any longer, the Countess left the tea party midway and returned to the mansion. Her legs trembled so much from the shock that she could barely make it back. 

The first person she sought out upon her return was her husband. However, he was not in his office. Thinking he might have gone to take a short nap, she headed to his bedroom.

There, she found the Earl. But he was not alone. He was in bed with another woman.

“I… I just… Hic…!”

The Countess broke down in tears, unable to continue her story. The handkerchief she pulled from her pocket was already soaked through with tears.

‘So the Earl of LePell’s second son’s philandering ways were inherited from his father,’ 

Shaterian thought as she listened to the Countess’s story. The pieces of the puzzle finally came together.

‘The Earl had been deceiving the Countess all along, pretending to be an upstanding man.’

The Countess, who was not involved in social or public activities, had no way of knowing what her husband was doing outside the mansion.

“I can’t forgive that man for betraying me. That’s why I’ve decided to kill him… and then myself.”

“Madame, that’s not revenge. That’s just ending your own life. Killing both of you won’t change anything.”

“Then what should I do? How am I supposed to live from now on? …The truth is, I can’t live without him!”

Eched, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke up. 

“I don’t understand.”

Both Shaterian and the Countess turned to him in surprise.

“Why must you continue living with a man who did such a thing?”

“Eched.”

Shaterian urgently tried to stop him, noticing the Countess’s face turning pale, but it was no use.

“The Earl of LePell not only met another woman but also deceived you all this time. He even brought another woman into the mansion while you were away.”

“Hey.”

Shaterian jabbed Eched in the side, signaling him to stop, but he ignored her. 

The Countess silently shed tears, her sobs muffled. She looked utterly pitiful as she cried without making a sound.

‘Ah, forget it.’ 

Shaterian thought in frustration.

“Madame, I apologize on behalf of the Duke for his rudeness. However, I must admit that I agree with him. I don’t think it’s right to continue living with someone like the Earl of LePell.”

“Why…?”

“It’s not easy for me to say this, but… people don’t change. Once a bastard, always a bastard.”

Shaterian wanted to offer something to replace the Countess’s soaked handkerchief, but she had nothing suitable. Eched, of course, would never carry something as delicate as a handkerchief.

“Do you have a handkerchief, by any chance?”

“No.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

She sighed, realizing it was pointless to ask, and watched as the Countess wiped her tears with the back of her hand instead.

“I don’t want a divorce. Divorce is… disgraceful.”

“Disgraceful? Divorce is simply a natural outcome when two people who were once strangers cannot overcome their differences. It’s as normal as marriage. Marriage is followed by divorce—it’s perfectly reasonable.”

“But you can’t live together before marriage to see if it works.”

“Why not? If necessary, you should. Living together and being married are completely different experiences. Personally, I advocate for cohabitation before marriage.”

Ah, right. Such an idea was unimaginable here.

Judging by the shocked expressions on their faces, Shaterian’s words were far too radical for them.

“Ahem. In any case, I recommend that you consider divorce, Madame.”

“Do you think I can really get a divorce…?”

“If you don’t, you’ll have to keep living with this situation.”

“…”

Shaterian’s casual remark seemed to strike a chord with the Countess, who looked deeply shaken. Her tears stopped, and she no longer sniffled.

“I… I… I’ll get a divorce.”

The Countess raised her head as if she had made up her mind.

‘It seems shock therapy works best after all.’

Shaterian thought.

“You’ve made the right decision. I’m sure everything will work out for you. Whenever you feel uncertain, just remember—if you don’t get a divorce, you’ll have to keep living with this.”

“That was the most unforgettable advice I’ve ever received. Thank you, Lady Shaterian and Duke Astrea. I’m going to find my happiness now.”

Her steps were noticeably lighter as she left, a stark contrast to earlier.

Once the Countess was gone, Shaterian slumped into her chair, feeling utterly drained.

“Now I have to walk all the way back to the palace.”

She sighed, thinking of the long distance ahead, and took a sip of tea.

“Are you sure you don’t need to arrest her?”

“Arrest? Ah, the dagger. It’s fine. She wasn’t actually planning to stab me.”

“I didn’t expect you’d go so far as to counsel her.”

“What if I had let her go and the Earl ended up dead? That would’ve made me an accessory to murder. I didn’t want to get involved in a crime.”

The mere thought made her shudder.

“Sometimes, I really think you’re strange.”

“What? Hearing that from someone as strange as you doesn’t feel great.”

Now that she thought about it, this man had fanned the flames of the Countess’s desire for revenge.

“You were supposed to stop her, so why did you teach her how to use a weapon?”

“So she wouldn’t hurt herself if she used it incorrectly.”

“Is now the time to worry about someone’s hand when they’re planning to kill someone with it?”

“Even if I taught her, the Countess wouldn’t harm the Earl. That’s just not the kind of person she is.”

Eched occasionally said things that made it seem like he had faith in people. Perhaps it was the orange sunset streaming through the window, but his face looked unusually somber.

She pretended not to notice and stood up from her seat. 

“Let’s go now.”

They passed through streets bathed in orange light and arrived at the Crown Prince’s palace.

* * *

The highlight of the Founding Festival was, of course, the Imperial Ball that began on the third day and lasted for three days.

This year, there was an additional event: the appearance of a full moon that only occurred once every ten years.

With the cherry blossoms in full bloom and a massive full moon hanging above them, the scene was like a painting. For most people, it was a magical moment that made their hearts soar.

‘So, it’s finally today.’

For her, however, it was merely the starting point of the original story. Aside from the thought that it would be slightly noisier than usual, the day held no particular significance.

“Yawn…”

“Behave yourself!”

She got scolded just for yawning.

‘This is so tedious…’

Since early morning, her older sister had dragged her into the Crown Prince’s palace to prepare for the ball.

“Does this look better, or does this?”

“This one’s too flashy, and that one’s too plain.”

To her, they all seemed the same, but the others were serious about it. Even choosing a dress and shoes took half the day.

In the end, she clutched her growling stomach and decided to escape.

“Miss!” 

Fortunately, no one chased after her. They probably knew she was heading to the dining hall.

As soon as she stepped out of the room and turned a corner, she nearly collided with someone. Fortunately, the other person caught her by the shoulders, preventing her from falling.

“Lady.”

“Eched?”

Her heart pounded from the shock. She took a moment to catch her breath and looked at Eched.

Surprisingly, he was dressed in attire suitable for a ball. He wore simple white trousers and a black coat, but the outfit was adorned with green jewels and lining, giving it an elegant yet weighty appearance.

“You even did your hair…”

Eched seemed uncomfortable with his neatly combed pomade hairstyle, as he kept fiddling with it. His forehead was exposed, giving him a clean and handsome appearance, but she still preferred his usual hairstyle. Pomade just wasn’t her taste.

“What are you doing here?”

Her room was tucked away in a corner, not a place one would pass by casually. She tilted her head in curiosity, and he reached out his hand again. Remembering how he had touched her neck last time, saying it felt empty, she instinctively stepped back.

However, instead of reaching for her, he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a box, and inside was a necklace adorned with a green emerald.

She looked back and forth between the necklace and Eched. 

“What’s this?”

“I thought it would suit you.”

Why would he think that? 

She eyed Eched suspiciously. His recent behavior had been odd, but she hadn’t expected him to bring something like this.

“It matches your eye color.”

“Let me guess. My eyes are green, the dress I’m wearing today is green, and the jewel is green too?”

He nodded. His innocent expression, devoid of any ulterior motives, left her speechless.

‘Sometimes, I really wonder what goes on in his head.’

“I thought you had some other intention.”

If not, then fine.

“Another intention…”

Eched murmured softly and met her gaze. His voice grew quieter. 

“Would it be a problem if I did?”