About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 72

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 72. What Was I Supposed to Do?
“Is something good happening, Your Grace?”
Brissel Mohr’s question was directed at Luderne.
On a particularly beautiful morning, after finishing breakfast, Luderne sat at a table in the Town House garden, enjoying tea with Brissel while basking in the sunlight.
“I’m not sure why you’d ask that.”
Luderne raised only one eyebrow and set down his empty teacup.
Egardt, the butler attending nearby, handed Luderne’s empty cup to Anne.
Anne accepted the cup respectfully, placed it on the tray, and handed a fresh cup to Egardt.
Soon, a steaming black tea was poured into the fresh cup placed before Luderne.
Brissel Mohr, watching Luderne savor a sip of tea, offered a comfortable smile.
“You seem to be in an unusually good mood, Your Grace.”
“What good could possibly come my way?”
“That’s precisely why I’m asking—wondering if there’s some fortune I’m unaware of.”
Anne, assisting with the tea service while keeping her gaze modestly lowered, stole a glance at Luderne during their exchange.
‘What’s gotten into him all of a sudden?’
For the past two months, Luderne had been growing out his hair. It had grown enough that it could now be tied back.
And today, for some reason, he hadn’t shaved either.
‘Could he be thinking of growing a beard?’
In that moment, Anne doubted her own eyes.
The corners of Luderne’s mouth, usually expressionless, curved upward with subtle grace.
That expression was so beautiful that Anne’s heart raced uncontrollably. If he would only look at her with such a smile, she would want for nothing.
Just as Brissel had said, the aura Luderne gave off was distinctly different today.
“If I had to name something good, it would be that the pressure regarding my marriage has eased up lately—that’s all.”
“That much is certainly true.”
Brissel Mohr nodded in agreement.
Brissel had previously sent a letter to the Imperial Court, as Luderne instructed, stating that the marriage matter would be decided two years from now.
In response, the Imperial Court sent word that since the Grand Duke’s consort must be verified, they should inform them immediately if any candidates emerged.
If Luderne failed to bring a suitable candidate by the deadline he had set, they would proceed immediately with a political marriage—such was Prince Eclite’s position.
“Most of all, the weather is warm.”
At Luderne’s next remark, Brissel Mohr became bewildered.
He didn’t quite understand this comment.
The Arde Kingdom was naturally warm year-round.
“And since today is a holiday, the tea tastes particularly good as well.”
At this rare compliment, Egardt’s lips curved into a smile.
“Thank you.”
Luderne took another sip of tea, gazing at the flowers in the garden, before speaking again.
“What was I supposed to do today?”
“Ah, you have a very important schedule today, Your Grace.”
Brissel Mohr quickly checked his notebook.
“In chronological order, first you have a service reservation at Raber Salon.”
“I see. You decided to experience the service firsthand.”
At those words, Brissel recalled Count Dora’s house party from two months prior.
Five hundred thousand gold coins.
After a brief conversation with Raber Salon’s lead designer, Luderne had made an unprecedented investment in that short span of time.
I had followed his instructions while maintaining composure, but inwardly, I was astonished beyond measure.
Bolstered by that investment, Madame Raber had recently left the casino and hotel in the original building and relocated and expanded the salon to a four-story building next door.
According to the blueprints, the first floor housed the bathhouse and lobby, the third floor was the dressing room, the second floor was the service space for ordinary customers, and the fourth floor—accessible only by elevator—was a service space reserved exclusively for nobility.
Within two months, branches bearing the Raber Salon name were sprouting up throughout the Arde Kingdom and the Doerban Empire.
Yet regardless of how smoothly business progressed, Luderne’s words were rarely gentle.
This time felt distinctly different.
‘Does he have great expectations for Raber Salon? Or is it merely my imagination?’
Brissel fell silent for a moment, then scratched near his temple with his fingertip.
The next report was crucial.
“There is a gathering at Madame Raber’s casino. It is a day when a high-stakes game will be held. The King plans to attend unofficially, and several dignitaries from the Empire are expected to participate as well.”
“Do you know which imperial officials are coming?”
“It appears to be a covert visit, so I cannot be certain, but it seems the King has personally invited several high-ranking nobles.”
“I see. Then….”
Luderne set down his teacup.
“The stakes today could be quite substantial.”
“Indeed. We cannot afford to lose.”
“Summon those among my inner circle who excel at games of chance.”
After instructing Brissel, Luderne turned to Egardt, who had been attending to him.
“You must not be absent today either. When it comes to games of chance, who else but Egardt?”
At those words, Egardt smiled broadly.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
After finishing tea, Luderne boarded a carriage with Brissel and Egardt.
Only Anne remained in the garden.
The moment the watching eyes disappeared, she bit her nails.
‘It seems like the right time to report the Grand Duke’s movements to the young lady of Count Bilsty.’
Whether Melissa would be there or not, this served as the perfect pretext to visit the fourth floor.
To meet the man in Room 402.
‘Just thinking about it makes my lower abdomen tingle.’
Anne recalled the time two months ago when she had gone to the fourth floor of the Raber Salon building to give Melissa her regular report.
That day, Melissa had treated her harshly.
The reason was that she had failed to report in advance that Luderne had attended Count Dora’s house party.
“If you’re going to spy, shouldn’t you report things properly?”
Luderne’s movements, as Melissa had pointed out, were matters that even the head maid could not foresee.
Luderne typically did not inform those around him which parties he would attend.
Moreover, while Luderne wore fine clothes ordinarily, he did not arrange his appearance in any other way. Even the soft sweep of his bangs occurred naturally.
In other words, he had no need to rely on a maid’s assistance.
“The Grand Duke’s dressing routine is quite simple, so the butler assists him alone.”
I hastened to explain, but it only fueled Melissa’s anger further. Anne, who nearly had her hair torn out, prostrated herself again and begged for forgiveness.
After taking a beating and emerging from Room 401 in a disheveled state, I gained a certain clarity.
‘If Melissa Bilsty were truly someone precious to the Grand Duke, wouldn’t he have taken her to the party?’
No matter how I thought about it, it seemed Melissa had lied.
But I couldn’t confront her about it.
The written agreement I’d made to sever ties with Melissa weighed on my mind.
“Ah, why did I ever write that thing? Wouldn’t it be better to confess everything honestly to the Grand Duke and beg his forgiveness?”
After returning from the party, Luderne’s demeanor seemed somewhat improved. It felt similar to how he’d been during our time at the Island Mansion.
‘If I confess sincerely, I might receive leniency and escape with just a salary cut.’
I was thinking along these lines when it happened.
A voice drifted through the crack of Room 402’s door—I wasn’t sure when it had been left ajar.
“You look a mess. How about coming in and tidying yourself up?”
It was a temptation Anne hadn’t anticipated. The memory of what had happened before made her swallow hard.
In the end, Anne found herself entangled with the Man in Room 402 once more.
“You’re quite the little plaything. Let’s see each other again next time.”
All that remained was a gold coin he’d tossed her way and crude words spoken without sincerity, yet Anne felt no displeasure—her thoughts had already turned elsewhere.
‘If becoming the Grand Duke’s mistress is difficult, wouldn’t it be acceptable to become another nobleman’s mistress instead?’
So Anne carefully gathered information not only about the Fourth Floor but also about the Fifth Floor.
It turned out to be a famous place. Nobles granted the King’s permission could use it freely and were absolved of any consequences for their actions.
The criteria were either high rank or substantial wealth.
One or the other.
“Then that man must fit those criteria too, doesn’t he?”
I’d never gotten a proper look at his face, but he was certainly young and vigorous.
Above all, he was exceptional.
So Anne changed her mind.
‘That’s it! Rather than chasing after the Grand Duke who won’t even glance at me, I’ll win the love of that man!’
As for how he treated me, it didn’t matter as long as I bore his child.
Usually, when a man learns a woman has his child, he either makes her his primary or secondary wife, or at the very least takes the child and gives her substantial money.
“Money is everything in this world, after all.”
But there was a complication.
The man would sleep with Anne but wouldn’t promise to see her separately—he only said they’d meet when he visited the Fourth Floor.
So after that day, Anne tried to access the Fourth Floor without going through Melissa.
Ever since their first visit with Melissa, the casino staff on Basement Level 1 had recognized Anne and opened the secret passage door for her.
But without visiting Melissa, she couldn’t gain entry to the Fourth Floor.
It meant that to meet the Man in Room 402 again, she ultimately needed Melissa.
“Hmph! She knows how to use people, but that’s all she knows.”
After that, Anne began falsely reporting Luderne’s daily schedule to Melissa in order to meet the Man in Room 402.
When Luderne woke up and ate, how much work he did, who came and went, what he consumed—everything.
Of course, Anne couldn’t possibly know everyone who visited Luderne’s Town House.
But Anne reported everything related to Luderne as though it were a matter of utmost importance. Once her reports were complete, she would knock on Room 402 and meet with the Man in Room 402.
He always gave her a raw, intoxicating pleasure.
Today was no exception.
The anticipation of meeting the Man in Room 402 and being held by him made her lower abdomen tighten with longing. Anne wanted to rush to him immediately.
But today there was much to be done. She had to tidy the tea table first, and the bedding needed washing as well.
Just then, Lesha emerged from the mansion, dressed for an outing.
Lesha paused upon seeing Anne, then bowed her head respectfully and attempted to pass by.
Anne, however, thought the timing was perfect.
“Mute Maid, where do you think you’re going? Get over here and clean all this up right now.”
At those words, Lesha gestured with her hands.
She was indicating she was going out to meet her sister, but Anne had no interest in understanding Lesha’s gestures.
“Quiet.”
Anne removed her apron and thrust it toward Lesha.
“I’m going out, so organize this and wash and hang the bedding to dry. It all needs to be done today. If you don’t do it, you’re fired.”
Lesha’s eyes widened, but her shoulders soon sagged in defeat.
* * *
At the previous house party of Countess Dora, when Luderne asked about making a reservation, I told him the salon was fully booked for two months and he should not come.
Yet Luderne had someone make a reservation for two months later.
‘I never expected he would actually choose to wait and come.’
Margaret had no choice but to prioritize Luderne’s reservation—he was the salon’s largest investor.
Upon hearing this news, Madame Laber had rescheduled all other appointments to different days.
Thus, a day emerged when there were no other clients besides Luderne,
and that day was today.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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