An Ode to Divorce - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#12

Not being accustomed to this kind of situation, I smiled awkwardly and shook my head.

“I just woke up early. Where’s Gert?”

“He’s awake. He’s in his study.”

Even though the sun was just rising, he was in his study rather than the bedroom. I knew Gert slept little, but this seemed excessive.

Anyway, since Gert was already up, there was no more time to dawdle. I jumped up from my seat and hurriedly got dressed.

If it were up to me, I would have just run out in my nightgown.

But with Berta watching me with wide-open eyes, there was no way she would tolerate such a sight. It was faster to hurriedly get dressed.

“I need to go see Gert right away.”

I wasn’t hurrying because I was afraid Gert would irresponsibly run away.

Since Gert had said with his own mouth that he would go hunting after the divorce discussion ended, he would keep his word thoroughly.

What I was worried about was Gert’s madness.

I had been too tired last evening to pay attention to what state Gert was in when we parted.

But considering the conversation we had in the drawing room and his reaction of immediately dismissing Eurich after his true intentions were exposed, he definitely seemed to lack composure.

‘His expression wasn’t good either…’

One might say I was exaggerating over Gert merely frowning a bit, but the Gert I knew had never even grimaced once, let alone groan, even when cut by a blade or bitten by a wild beast.

For someone like him to be unable to endure and show pain outwardly, I couldn’t even imagine how severe the headache from suppressing his madness must be.

If he had been an ordinary person, he probably would have tried to bash his head against a stone and die rather than endure the headache.

From Berta’s calm reaction, it seemed Gert was still holding onto his sanity, but…

Honestly, I didn’t know when he might snap.

It would be troublesome if I got caught up in Gert’s madness.

‘What’s dying in a year? I could die today.’

So I had to finish the divorce matter as quickly as possible before Gert’s madness got worse.

With my heart racing, I rushed out of the room as soon as I threw on my clothes.

“My lady, you’re not finished preparing yet!”

“I’ll do that when I come back!”

“…What are you going to do about preparing to go out after you return from going out…?”

I could hear Berta’s exasperated muttering and sighing behind me, but I let it go in one ear and out the other.

Anyway, Berta’s standards were too strict. We were just moving around within the same castle, so what preparation for going out was needed?

But by Berta’s standards, leaving the room seemed to count as going out. It was probably because she had to consider the gazes of the servants passing through the corridors.

Thinking about it this way, any lingering regret I had about briefly considering getting a massage from Berta last evening completely disappeared. I shuddered.

‘Rather than getting massages and always being conscious of others at home, I’ll just wash my own face and live comfortably at home.’

No matter how I thought about it, I must have had foolish thoughts yesterday because I was too tired.

But now I had slept well and my mind was clear.

So no matter what excuse Gert made, my resolve to divorce wouldn’t waver over something as ridiculous as yesterday.

Absolutely not!

***

“How unlike you to come looking for me from dawn. You must have been quite urgent indeed.”

‘…Just how much of a late sleeper do they all think I am?’

After Berta, now even Gert was this surprised that I woke up early.

With a bit of exaggeration, I don’t think he would have been this surprised even when I first asked for a divorce.

‘Honestly, I have been waking up late until now. But Gert and Berta also wake up excessively early!’

I grumbled as I sat on the sofa in Gert’s study.

“If I look urgent, then hurry up and divorce me.”

“Do you want a divorce that badly?”

“I want a divorce so badly that I asked for one at my birthday banquet and came looking for you as soon as I opened my eyes this morning.”

Come to think of it, wasn’t Gert himself the one who was in a hurry?

I made the effort to come early, and now he’s saying something to me?

I pouted and glared at Gert sitting across from me on the sofa.

Then I noticed something strange.

‘Why does Gert look so good?’

I had come prepared for Gert to be extremely sensitive since he would have suffered from headaches all night.

But Gert’s face, seen up close as we sat facing each other, was glossy as if he had gotten a good night’s sleep. Moreover, his expression looked strangely relaxed.

I carefully examined Gert’s face here and there, looking for any hidden traces of pain, but couldn’t find any results.

‘There must be a reason his condition suddenly improved…’

The only way to alleviate the madness caused by the god’s curse was to see blood. And it had to be the blood of a sacrifice with considerable power.

As a result, slaughtering livestock or killing insignificant humans couldn’t alleviate his madness.

But where could he have procured a sacrifice?

Monsters had long since disappeared from around Rübenherts Castle where Gert was based.

Humans strong enough to suppress Gert’s madness were also rare.

Even if there were any, Gert wouldn’t kill innocent people for his curse.

If Gert had been the type of person who could be that selfish, he wouldn’t have wandered here and there hunting monsters every time his madness surged.

Whether Gert was a good person was questionable, but anyway, the deeds Gert had shown so far were heroic enough for me to choose him as the protagonist of a heroic epic.

‘Wait, come to think of it, isn’t there one human who is both guilty and strong…?’

The image of Eurich being dragged away yesterday flickered before my eyes.

Though not to Gert’s level, Eurich was certainly a strong hero worthy of being selected for the Argos Expedition.

‘If there would have been strong opposition to openly saying he’d kill Eurich, then pretending to expel Eurich from the Household while secretly killing him behind the scenes…’

Of course, there was a slight question of whether Eurich’s crime was severe enough to warrant death on top of being expelled from the Household.

But being a biased person, I decided not to think too deeply about it.

Whether Gert had retaliated excessively or not, if Eurich was really dead, it was something I could welcome with open arms.

‘Hmm. Even the most generous hero would sometimes want to retaliate. Especially in urgent situations.’

Anyway, there must be a reason why Gert acted secretly. I decided to pretend not to know.

‘When I write the heroic poem, I’ll have to pass over this part as if nothing happened.’

“…or not.”

“Huh?”

Having been imagining turning a blind eye to Gert’s transgression, I missed what he had just said.

Since this wasn’t the first or second time I had missed conversations while lost in thought, Gert repeated his words with a familiar attitude.

“I said if you want a divorce that badly, let’s get divorced.”

Did I hear that correctly?

Stunned, I just blinked for a long while.

“R-really?”

“Really, would it be fake?”

Only after hearing Gert’s reproachful confirmation did I finally accept that I had heard correctly.

Though this was what I had wanted, I felt more unsettled than happy.

To agree to divorce so readily.

There must be a reason why Gert suddenly changed his mind…

‘Was Eurich’s revelation that shocking?’

It was quite possible.

Even I, who had known Eurich for just over 4 years, felt like I might develop trust issues from Eurich’s sudden change, so what about Gert who had been with him for 20 years?

Since I was the one who created that revelation situation, I felt a bit sorry that Gert was shocked by it.

‘But it can’t be helped. You can’t avoid calling a doctor just because surgery hurts…’

Understanding why Gert changed his mind was separate from still finding it hard to believe easily.

I asked suspiciously.

“…Is there perhaps some condition in exchange for the divorce?”

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