An Ode to Divorce - Chapter 26

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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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#26

Gert clicked his tongue in displeasure and gripped my chin, examining it from various angles. His gaze swept over my face thoroughly, as if checking for any bumps or scratches.

“I told you I’m fine.”

“You said you were fine during the expedition too, but later I found you covered in dark bruises.”

“Compared to everyone else bleeding profusely from fighting beasts, getting bruises from falling was actually fine.”

Perhaps because I had frequently collapsed during the expedition, Gert treated me like a clay doll. He was overly sensitive, as if the slightest shock would crack or crush my flesh.

What was unfair was that I actually had much better stamina than most people. The expedition was just too grueling! If my stamina had been poor from the start, I wouldn’t have been able to join the expedition at all.

But explaining to Gert how healthy I was would be pointless. Compared to Gert himself, I really was like a clay doll anyway.

As I tried to remove Gert’s hands that were persistently touching my face, a faint lily scent tickled my nose amidst the familiar olive blossom fragrance.

Since it wasn’t a scent Gert usually wore, the foreignness of it was immediately noticeable.

‘It must have rubbed off when the princess clung to Gert’s arm earlier.’

Princess Lairinne’s nickname was ‘Lily of Petalien,’ so it seemed she wore lily-scented perfume.

‘Wait.’

At the same time, a memory I had briefly forgotten suddenly surfaced in my mind.

‘…The engagement ring Gert had prepared had lilies engraved on it.’

When I first learned about the ring’s existence, there were so many shocking facts that I couldn’t delve into why lilies were specifically engraved on it.

Of course, even then I thought it was strange.

Lilies were the symbol of Artume, the god of purity. There was a tendency to avoid lilies when proposing or making marriage vows.

‘But if the person he intended to propose to liked lilies, then engraving lilies on the engagement ring would make sense.’

My heart pounded. I desperately suppressed the urge to immediately shake off Gert’s hands and scream at him asking if he was crazy.

There was a reason why, even knowing about the princess’s unrequited love, I hadn’t thought the princess would be Gert’s ‘her.’

Obviously, it was because the princess was far too young!

The princess having a crush was understandable, but Gert proposing to the princess was a different story.

‘Does it make sense to talk about destiny and such with a child twelve years younger?’

Especially when they were so closely related!

Of course, strictly speaking, Gert’s birth mother wasn’t the previous Lübenhartz duchess, and the previous Lübenhartz duke’s sister wasn’t Princess Lairinne’s birth mother, so Gert and Princess Lairinne didn’t share a drop of blood.

‘But still, a princess! Her age! With a girl who just became an adult!’

I glared at Gert sitting in front of me. Though he had the perfect appearance befitting a demigod, standing next to the newly adult princess, he would look less like a matching pair of lovers and more like a shameless scoundrel.

‘But certainly… thinking about the princess I saw today, I can understand how Gert would fall for her.’

It was truly shocking to the point where I couldn’t recall her appearance from three years ago. If before she was a fresh green sprout, now she was like a flower bud just beginning to bloom, impossible to look away from.

At least it was fortunate that Gert still seemed to have no particular thoughts about the princess. His attitude toward her showed that too.

But in a few months, the princess would bloom even more magnificently. She would change to such an extent that even Gert, who had treated the princess like a child until now, couldn’t help but be surprised.

And before long, he would realize that at some point, he had come to harbor feelings for the princess.

‘Even so, suddenly wanting to propose to Princess Lairinne and falling for her to the point of wanting to break the curse is definitely strange.’

There must have been some intense event that I didn’t know about.

‘What on earth happened in those few months?’

***

While I was lost in thought, the carriage had arrived at the manor.

Gert, who got out of the carriage first, extended his hand to escort me. In the past, I would have relied on that hand without a second thought.

But having just racked my brain over Gert’s affairs, seeing the actual person in question acting completely oblivious with an innocent face made me spiteful.

“…I can get down by myself.”

“Don’t be stubborn and take my hand.”

But Gert pushed his palm even closer toward me. Since his hands were large enough to easily cup my face, it wasn’t easy to pretend I didn’t see them. I desperately tried to ignore his hand and get down on my own.

“It’s fine. I’m not some noble lady.”

“I told you not to be stubborn.”

Gert’s brow furrowed. Then, not content with just pulling my hand, he lifted me up entirely. Carrying me as if slinging me over his shoulder, he strode into the manor.

“Gert! Put me down!”

I barely managed to grab Lira and shouted, but Gert didn’t even pretend to listen.

I pounded on his back, but it only made my hitting hands hurt. I thought it would be better to pull at his hair instead.

But…

“Damn it, are even a demigod’s hair roots strong?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

His snorting reply was even more infuriating.

I pulled at Gert’s hair several times, but his hair didn’t even think of coming out. It was beyond absurd—it was astounding.

Regardless of whatever mayhem I was causing from above, Gert moved his feet without hesitation. Perhaps because this was once his home, he seemed to know every nook and cranny of the house intimately.

The servants who saw us enter the manor looked surprised and bewildered.

“…Your Grace?”

It must have been confusing to see their employer and former master suddenly appear, carrying the current master on his shoulder like a sack of flour.

Especially with the current master pulling at the former master’s hair.

“Berta!”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Unlike the flustered servants, Berta responded to Gert’s call with her usual calm demeanor.

“Call a physician. Orphea’s condition seems quite poor.”

“Yes.”

“What physician! I told you I’m fine! Berta! You don’t need to call one, understood?”

“Yes.”

Berta calmly corrected the order.

Really, I couldn’t understand what made Gert think my condition was poor.

Despite my requests to be put down, Gert stubbornly carried me all the way to the bedroom before finally setting me down on the bed. Then he reached for my forehead.

“No fever.”

“I told you I’m not sick.”

“But you had a bad expression the whole way back. You wouldn’t even accept my escort.”

“Just because I didn’t accept your escort means I’m unwell? Can’t you think that I’m in a bad mood because you forcibly dragged me back?”

“But when you’re sick, you tend to hide that fact and try to be alone.”

…I didn’t even know that. That I had such a habit.

Gert and I glared at each other for a long while without saying anything.

In the silence, Gert was the first to speak.

“Did you want to stay at the ball longer?”

“…Not particularly.”

I had achieved my purpose for going to the ball. Though it was subtle to say I had prevented Gert from meeting that woman, I had at least somewhat identified who ‘that woman’ was.

Gert looked down at me quietly, then soon let out a deep sigh and murmured.

“If you really want to go to balls, go with Tamar instead of your brother. If you had been with Tamar, you wouldn’t have faced today’s situation.”

Today’s situation. Was he that displeased with people gossiping about me?

Well, it was a matter that involved Gert’s own reputation too.

But if Gert hadn’t unnecessarily fought with the twins in the first place, half of that gossip wouldn’t have existed!

Moreover, even going with Tamar wouldn’t have avoided the remaining half of the gossip.

I pouted and grumbled.

“…Why. Do you think I shouldn’t have gone to the ball today? That I unnecessarily drew attention and caused a commotion…”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Gert quickly added.

“You can attend balls as much as you want. But you should at least have some means of protection in social circles.”

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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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