An Ode to Divorce - Chapter 13

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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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#13

“Conditions?”

Gert frowned with a clear expression of displeasure, as if he found my suspicion of him unpleasant.

“Yesterday I tried to dissuade you because I thought you might have decided in a fit of anger. But if you really want to divorce, then we should do it. When have I ever not granted you something you wanted to do?”

“…Never.”

Gert shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘see?’ His confident attitude, as if he had always done well, was somehow irritating to look at, but since his words weren’t wrong, I had nothing to say.

In any case, whether his words about divorce were sincere, Gert actively shared his opinions about the divorce.

“Where are you thinking of settling after the divorce?”

“I’m still thinking about it. I’ll probably go to the capital city.”

Before marriage, I didn’t really have a fixed place of residence.

As soon as I turned sixteen, I left my hometown to find inspiration for the work I would present on the day of my debut, and after that I wandered around here and there.

So it didn’t matter where I went, but considering one of my goals of completing the heroic epic, I needed to stay in the capital city as much as possible.

‘Until now, I could hear about Gert’s heroic deeds first. But after the divorce, that won’t be the case anymore.’

The capital’s social circles were the fastest place to learn news about Gert.

You might wonder if I really needed to listen carefully to news about Gert when I already had content written from before my regression, but the future is unpredictable.

So I had to scrap all the parts that contained content from the year before my regression and write them anew.

‘Damn it…!’

Even thinking about it again made me want to tear up a little. Of course, you might think it doesn’t matter since I gained an additional year, but the problem of having to write the same work multiple times wasn’t something I could coolly accept with such profit-and-loss calculations!

Moreover, there were parts that would definitely change from before my regression.

Namely, Gert’s romance.

Before my regression, it seems he hid that woman’s existence because of me, but now that he would be free, the story would be different.

‘At first, I thought it would be nice if I could write Gert’s love story in the heroic epic while I was at it, but if not, then not…’

But thinking about it carefully, an encounter with new love seemed perfect as the ending for the heroic epic.

My wounds were my wounds, but I had to use what I could use.

So I needed to stay attached to the capital’s social circles where I could hear news about Gert as much as possible.

However, there was a problem.

‘Money… I don’t have any!’

Remembering the brutal cost of living when I stayed in the capital in the past, I shuddered slightly.

Back then, I ended up living off my mother’s son’s family in the capital, but I couldn’t crawl back there again now.

‘How much would Linos torment me!’

It would be better to endure at an inn.

Well, that would only be temporary anyway.

Didn’t Linos also manage to buy a manor in the capital within just a few years after performing at salons a few times?

‘If I ask my acquaintances to have them invite me to banquets once in a while, I’ll establish myself quickly.’

Just as I was about to finalize my rough future plans.

“The capital? Didn’t you dislike crowded places?”

“That’s true, but my friends and everyone else are all in the capital.”

“The capital isn’t bad either. It has good accessibility in many ways.”

‘In many ways…?’

Gert’s words felt somehow meaningful. But his words weren’t wrong, and with Gert’s following words, I completely forgot the uneasiness I had felt for a moment.

“Then I have several manors in the capital, so pick one of them.”

“Huh? Why?”

“You’ll need a place to live when you go to the capital, won’t you?”

I was surprised by Gert’s unexpected consideration. I smiled brightly, unable to hide my excitement.

“Really? You’ll lend me a house? Then I’m totally grateful!”

“What are you talking about?”

Gert frowned.

Wasn’t he saying he would lend me a house? Guessing Gert’s mind is too difficult…

My shoulders, which had been excited for a moment, drooped down again.

Gert clicked his tongue as if his pride was hurt seeing me like that.

“Did you think I would be that petty with you? Of course I’ll transfer it to your name.”

“?”

Since when did lending a manor in the capital become petty?

But I thought it might seem petty compared to giving away an entire manor in the capital.

‘…Wait. So you’re saying you’re giving me the house?’

My mouth fell open as I belatedly understood Gert’s words. My heart pounded tremendously, just as much as when Gert had immediately nodded at my proposal for divorce.

“What. Can’t you believe this either?”

When I couldn’t continue speaking for a while, Gert laughed quietly. My face burned at his gaze, as if he were looking at a child.

Well, he’s talking about giving me a house like a grandmother putting some fruit in her granddaughter’s hands telling her to take it home…!

Gert said confidently.

“You’re the wife of me, Gerhardt Alkides Lübenhartz. There’s no way I’d just send you away empty-handed.”

“…Gert, you’re really the best ex-husband ever.”

I was so moved that tears welled up in my eyes. I dabbed at the corners of my eyes.

Honestly, since I also gained things by marrying Gert, I had no intention of taking a share under the pretext of alimony or whatever when we divorced.

I married with nothing but Lira on my arm, so I thought it was natural that I would leave with only Lira…

But to get a manor in the capital!

I wasn’t particularly greedy for wealth. If I had been greedy for wealth in the first place, I would have tried to stay attached to Lübenhartz somehow instead of divorcing Gert right away.

But even for someone as ungreedy as me, having a comfortable and quiet home of my own was much better than staying at an inn for a year while working on my art.

“Check the list and if there’s really no place you like, tell Hilias your conditions. Then I’ll purchase a new one…”

“No, no! I already like it!”

“…You haven’t even seen what houses they are?”

“Sometimes there are things you can feel without seeing them.”

This much was already a lethal dose of satisfaction for me. Honestly, if they were manors owned by the Duchy of Lübenherts, they would all be the finest properties, so there was no way I wouldn’t like them.

But Gert seemed unsatisfied with just transferring a manor and continued to add worriedly.

“If you need anything else besides that, make sure to tell Hilias anytime. Whatever happens, tell Hilias.”

He was like a worried grandmother sending her child to live independently, not someone getting divorced.

I shook my head.

“I’m not the archduchess anymore, so I can’t trouble Hilias all the time. Hilias is an aide who helps with your work, not my aide.”

“That’s exactly why I’m telling you to have Hilias do it.”

Gert raised one eyebrow as if he couldn’t understand what I was saying.

“Hilias’s job is to do things on my behalf. If I were there, I would do it for you, but I’m often away from my post.”

But I was equally unable to understand Gert’s words.

‘…Weren’t we getting divorced?’

If Gert were a considerate and kind person, it might be different, but he was basically indifferent to his surroundings.

Of course, he was heroic.

He was just someone who believed without doubt that it was more efficient to defeat monsters in the time it would take to help up every fallen person.

So he thought he didn’t need to worry about trivial matters and delegated almost everything to Hilias.

After marriage, he did pay quite a bit of attention to my affairs, but that was because he thought I was under his responsibility since I had married him anyway.

Now that we would divorce and become completely unrelated, I couldn’t understand why he was trying to help me this much.

Perhaps frustrated by my continued bewilderment, Gert sighed and added.

“You want to divorce because the ducal life is burdensome and you want to work in a more comfortable environment for a year, right? Then there’s no reason to refuse my proposal.”

“That’s true, but…”

Actually, if I could suck up Gert’s support while not being a Lübenhartz, there couldn’t be a better situation than that.

But even I felt guilty!

Perhaps reading my inner conflict.

Gert gently coaxed me.

“What’s most important to you?”

“You’re writing a heroic epic.”

“That’s right. And I’m the protagonist of that heroic epic.”

Just as I was about to furrow my brow at Gert’s words stating the obvious.

“I simply want ‘my’ heroic epic to be completed perfectly. That’s why I’m trying to support you. Besides, you’re an artist who deserves such treatment.”

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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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