An Ode to Divorce - Chapter 33

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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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#33

Afraid I might be caught if I looked back, I didn’t turn around and just bolted straight ahead. I could easily imagine the princess jumping up and down behind me.

Hilias, who was waiting in the carriage, seemed to have known we would come out early, as he welcomed us without asking any questions.

On the way home.

Unable to hold back any longer, I asked.

“…Did the princess always follow you around like this at every gathering?”

“The princess followed me around?”

Gert’s eyes widened as if he was hearing this for the first time in his life.

“Then do you think the princess was genuinely interested in today’s meeting and participated voluntarily?”

“It must be a coincidence.”

“It doesn’t seem like a coincidence, that’s why I’m saying this.”

“Hmm…”

When I said that much, Gert furrowed his brow as if trying to recall his memories. But soon he shook his head.

“I haven’t really encountered the princess much until now. After all, external activities are restricted before the coming-of-age ceremony. At most, I’ve run into her a few times when I went to the Royal Palace to see Dietrich?”

“…”

Whether he really hadn’t encountered her much, or whether Gert just hadn’t noticed.

The latter was quite possible. Gert could be rather oblivious at times.

Gert seemed to have misunderstood that I was worried about the princess, so he patted his chest confidently and said with assurance.

“Are you worried the princess will keep bothering you? Don’t worry. With me around, the princess won’t be able to say anything to you.”

‘The problem isn’t that the princess might bother me, but that you two might hit it off…’

I sighed. Since saying such things might make Gert become aware of the princess as a romantic interest, I suppressed my complicated feelings and replied nonchalantly.

“Right, right. With you around, I’m not afraid of anything.”

“Exactly.”

Gert nodded as if it were obvious, then looked at me and grinned. A refreshing and confident smile that seemed capable of breaking through any adversity.

Strangely, seeing that face made me feel even more frustrated. I turned my head toward the window as if avoiding Gert. But my frustrated feelings wouldn’t easily subside.

***

After realizing that the princess would follow us to any meeting or gathering we attended, I tried to change my approach.

“From now on, it would be enough if you just took me to the gatherings you attend.”

If the princess was going to follow us to whatever gathering we went to anyway, there was no point in avoiding her. It would be better to attend only the minimum number of gatherings.

Since Gert had barely endured today’s meeting, I thought he would immediately agree to my suggestion.

But surprisingly, Gert shook his head with a stern expression.

“There’s no need to refuse unnecessarily. Although I showed some inadequate aspects at this meeting, I’ll be fine next time.”

What next time!

I frantically shook my head and desperately tried to persuade Gert.

“No, I thought it was a bit boring too.”

“I did doze off, but I saw you nodding several times while listening to the presentation. You don’t need to say such things to spare my feelings. I’m aware that I embarrassed you.”

‘…That was me nodding off too.’

No matter how many times I explained the whole situation, Gert didn’t believe me at all. Instead, he seemed to think I was lying to avoid embarrassing him.

“Can’t you give me just a little more chance? Are you planning to give up on me like this?”

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Gert insisted that if I didn’t attend one more boring celestial meeting with him, it would be tantamount to being disappointed in him and giving up on him.

Why?!

Since Gert wanted so badly to try again, I had no choice but to reluctantly attend the next meeting as well…

***

So I was swept along by Gert’s insistence and attended several more meetings. Of course, each time, the princess continued to show up at the meetings as well.

As the number of times we attended increased, the organizer of the ‘Society for Observing the Divine Realm through Celestial Movements’ looked increasingly delighted. Meanwhile, the expressions of Gert, Princess Lairinne, and myself grew progressively darker.

I thought my ears would open up if I listened several times, but that was nonsense. Rather, because the initial tension had disappeared, I fell asleep more easily. Coming here and dozing off had become such a habit that now I felt drowsy as soon as I sat down.

Since I was with someone as big as Gert, we must have been quite conspicuous, but either everyone was desperately pretending not to notice, or no one pointed out that we were nodding off.

So Gert would lean his head against mine, and I would lean against Gert’s body and doze until break time came.

As soon as break time arrived, the princess would immediately approach us and strike up a conversation.

Perhaps mindful of Gert, the princess didn’t openly antagonize me like she had at the gathering at Tindal Count’s estate.

Instead, she smiled brightly in front of Gert and even pretended to be friendly with me.

“Although our first meeting wasn’t very warm, meeting like this so often makes me feel affectionate. May I think of you as an older sister?”

‘Older sister!’

I shuddered slightly as goosebumps rose all over me. Since the princess was outwardly showing a friendly attitude toward me, it became awkward to push her away. I clicked my tongue.

‘…She’s really persistent.’

Honestly, to think she would attend this boring meeting every time just to see Gert once.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if this situation continued for the entire year. Just thinking about it made me feel suffocated.

‘And it’s taking up too much time!’

It would be nice if Gert would give up around now. But since Gert had made a statement himself, he would never take back his words first.

‘What if I showed signs of being sleepy first?’

But before I could show any signs of boredom, Gert would fall fast asleep first, and I would wake up only after Gert did.

“Oh dear, I made an embarrassing spectacle again today. But next time, I’ll definitely…”

Seeing Gert smile sheepishly while saying that left me speechless.

At this point, I wanted to make Gert give up his obsession with the meetings rather than make the princess give up her obsession with Gert.

How could I make Gert give up as soon as possible?

While spending my days pondering this, before I knew it, another meeting day we had agreed to attend together had arrived.

As always, Gert came to my manor to pick me up.

When Gert first escorted me, all the servants except Berta had been flustered and didn’t know what to do.

But after Gert had come and gone from our house several times, everyone now calmly welcomed him.

I had also grown accustomed to Gert’s hand escorting me. Just as I was about to take his hand and leave the manor as usual.

‘…Is it a bit warm?’

Not only Gert’s hand, but his entire forearm that was touching mine seemed to be warm.

For Gert, a demigod, to suddenly develop a fever for no reason while being perfectly fine was absurd.

‘Could his madness have manifested? But it’s too early. And having a fever as a symptom is also a first.’

According to the original timeline, Gert would go hunting in about two months. Nothing was supposed to happen at this time. Of course, he wasn’t supposed to have a fever either.

Just like during my birthday last time, Gert’s madness manifestation had been deviating from the future I knew since my regression.

I soon shook my head.

‘…No. His madness probably hasn’t manifested. If it had, there’s no way Gert wouldn’t have noticed his condition.’

While Gert might be overconfident about his abilities, he never took his madness lightly. Even the slightest headache would make him so sensitive that it was visible to others.

So rather than his madness manifesting now, the most likely hypothesis was that aftereffects from the previous episode that weren’t properly resolved were belatedly appearing.

‘Wait, did Hilias just bring Gert out when he’s in this condition? He should have canceled the schedule immediately!’

But Hilias probably never imagined that Gert would have a fever. Even I hadn’t noticed anything when I first met Gert.

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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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