An Ode to Divorce - Chapter 56

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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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#56

Hilias looked at Gert with horrified eyes. If there was any consolation, it was that the twins wore expressions not much different from his own.

Wasn’t this a man who had never once done something as romantic as giving flowers in his entire life? It was questionable whether he had ever even admired the beauty of flowers in his lifetime.

Moreover, even during his marriage to Orphea, he had never done such a thing. If he gave gifts, it would be useful jewelry or valuables instead.

But suddenly now he wanted to give flowers? Was he trying to reconcile?

‘Did the curse reach his brain?’

After a long silence, Pollux spoke while trying to maintain composure.

“…Sorry, but you seem crazier now than when you had your mad fits.”

The twins looked at each other and spun their index fingers in circles near their temples.

But whether the twins were disgusted or Hilias was horrified, Gert didn’t care and simply strode past the group into the greenhouse, wanting only to achieve his purpose.

The twins, belatedly coming to their senses, rushed after Gert and bombarded him with questions.

“Just how long are you going to keep clinging to Orphea?”

“I’m not particularly clinging to her.”

Castor was infuriated by Gert’s attitude of feigning innocence even in this situation. When he interfered with everything about Orphea from start to finish, how could he say he wasn’t clinging?

But before Castor could step forward, Gert’s blade-like cold blue eyes fixed on the twins first.

“But shouldn’t we get rid of the flies?”

“…We’re the flies?”

“Of course. Do you think I’d stand by and watch filthy things like you pester Orphea?”

Gert snorted. Then he firmly declared his verdict.

“Even if I’m divorced, you two are not allowed.”

Gert’s assertion was so definitive that it stirred rebellion. But they had nothing to say about Gert calling them filthy. Even the twins themselves thought they had played around a bit too much.

‘Fine. We admit we don’t suit Orphea.’

But they couldn’t help feeling annoyed at how Gert pretended only he truly cared for Orphea. From the twins’ perspective, Gert was the most dangerous and sinister threat to Orphea.

‘He’s the one who seduced a girl in the hero’s city as soon as his expedition ended and whisked her away to marry her…’

Pollux sneered.

“Then what if a hero so outstanding and noble that even you could acknowledge him appeared and proposed to Orphea? Could you endure that?”

“Of course.”

But true to his thick skin that wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed with a knife, Gert nodded nonchalantly.

While the twins were left speechless by his shameless behavior, Gert murmured quietly.

“Orphea deserves to date someone better…”

As he examined the flowers one by one, his gaze held an uncharacteristic warmth.

The twins detected a strange self-deprecation in Gert’s words. But if that was all, they wouldn’t feel this bad about those words. Pollux, who had been mulling over Gert’s words, realized something and scrunched up his face.

“…So you’re saying you’re not qualified, and guys worse than you are even less qualified, so stay put?”

“You finally caught on.”

“That bastard?”

When Castor tried to lunge at Gert, the more rational Pollux stopped him.

Whether the twins fussed or not, Gert examined the flowers.

The greenhouse was filled with countless flowers blooming out of season. Among them, Gert searched for flowers that would suit Orphea.

For Orphea, something white, pure, long, elegant…

“If it’s a gift for Orphea, would lilies be best?”

“Oh. That suits her, that suits her.”

While Gert’s contemplation was dragging on, the twins interjected.

“Narcissus would be nice too. Iris is also elegant.”

“Rather than small flowers like tuberose or hyacinth, big ones would be better.”

“It’s a shame some aren’t in season. We won’t see narcissus and hyacinth until next spring.”

“Both of you shut up.”

Gert, who found the twins’ interference very unpleasant, growled.

If he really needed advice, he would have asked Hilias to stay by his side and think together. Did he want those twins to offer opinions?

Sensing the genuine killing intent from Gert and realizing they should stop here, the twins raised both hands in surrender. Though they teased Gert, they knew they had to maintain proper boundaries.

Only then did Gert snort and look at the flowers again.

He did agree with the twins’ comment that lilies would suit Orphea.

‘But she said she didn’t like overly strong fragrances.’

Though he had complained about the twins’ interference, he hadn’t ignored the information they provided. Gert recalled what the twins had said while pointing at flowers and tried to match the flowers with their names.

‘That’s tuberose… That’s iris.’

But none of them felt quite right.

Meanwhile, Gert’s gaze fell upon an elegant curved white flower that resembled the shape of a lyre.

Looking at that flower reminded him of Orphea’s white naked body he had glimpsed by chance today. Those soft, smooth curves so different from his own rough body…

That skin would surely be soft. Just like Orphea’s lips he had tasted today. Orphea’s lips were soft and tender like cream, so sweet he couldn’t bear to pull his tongue away.

Though Gert himself wasn’t particularly gluttonous, with Orphea he felt he could gladly keep her in his mouth forever.

“But Gert, why do you keep touching your lips? Is something bothering you?”

“…Me?”

As if just becoming aware of his actions, Gert removed the hand that had been touching his lips.

Only then did Gert realize he had been having improper thoughts and hurriedly hardened his expression.

But it wasn’t something he could easily forget. Especially since it had happened just a few hours ago.

Returning to his usual cold expression, Gert tried his best to change the subject in his mind and turned to the gardener.

“What’s that?”

“Ah, that’s calla. The outdoor calla have already finished blooming, but in the greenhouse they can last a few more weeks.”

The gardener answered promptly.

Castor also whistled in admiration at Gert’s choice.

“Wow, good choice. Why didn’t I think of calla?”

“Want to cut some? You’re giving it as a bouquet, right? If you’re not giving it right away, it would be better to take the whole pot.”

Seeing Gert unable to take his eyes off the calla, Pollux generously offered.

“Calla…”

Gert murmured the flower’s name and reached toward the flower. But just before his hand touched the petals.

Gert’s hand stopped.

His fingers twitched for a moment but ultimately couldn’t caress the flower and grasped at empty air. Gert calmly composed his hand and declined Pollux’s offer.

“Never mind.”

“What? You’re not taking it?”

“Do you think I’d give Orphea flowers you guys carefully planted? It’s tainted. I’ll get seedlings separately and grow them myself.”

To think he’d respond with such an insult to their well-intentioned offer! While the twins were speechless at Gert’s fastidious words, the gardener cautiously interjected.

“Calla is a bulb plant, Your Grace. You need to grow it from bulbs, not seedlings.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If you plant in autumn, you see flowers in spring… Right now it’s past season, so it’s not easy to find wild ones either. So if you want to give them as a gift right away, you’d have to take ones others have grown, or go north where it’s colder to look for them.”

“Hmm… I see. That’s helpful.”

“You’re really something else.”

Castor grimaced and shook his head.

Since calla isn’t a popular flower, few people grow them in gardens. How could he find someone growing them in a greenhouse? Even going north, finding wild calla wouldn’t be easy.

It would be convenient to just take their flowers, but his strange stubbornness about absolutely refusing their flowers made them click their tongues.

‘He doesn’t want to give Orphea anything connected to other men, even a single flower.’

To make such a fuss while arguing about qualifications…

The twins watched with narrowed eyes as Gert had Hilias take notes from the gardener about precautions for handling calla flowers, paying no attention to them.

‘…When will he realize he’s talking nonsense.’

***

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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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