An Ode to Divorce - Chapter 67

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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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#67

“If there’s really no evidence, it would be difficult to pin Eurich as the culprit. He’s probably hidden himself well, so it would be hard to confront him with the baby deer or get a confession using truth potion.”

Having been caught by me once, Eurich would have been extremely cautious. He probably erased all traces of kidnapping the baby deer.

So even if we caught Eurich now and questioned him about his crimes, at most he’d only be guilty of using royal treasures without permission.

Moreover, to pursue that crime, Princess Lairinne, who lent the royal treasure without permission, couldn’t avoid being held accountable either. For Lairinne, who was an illegitimate child, this would be a fatal weakness.

Sure enough, Princess Lairinne seemed to have guessed what I was thinking, as her expression grew even darker.

I wanted Eurich to be punished, but I didn’t want discord to break out between the Royal Family and Artume, or for Princess Lairinne to be put in a difficult position.

After all, I had received Princess Lairinne’s help.

Thinking about what would have happened if Princess Lairinne hadn’t informed me of this fact made the back of my neck feel cold.

‘Just knowing that Eurich continues to scheme was harvest enough.’

I readily gave Princess Lairinne the answer she wanted.

“I’ll definitely keep it secret from Artume until evidence comes out that Eurich was involved. If Your Highness hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known anything.”

“…Really? Thank you!”

Princess Lairinne’s face finally brightened. Watching her like that, I asked about something that had been bothering me.

“But why are you telling me this? Actually, you could have just pretended not to know.”

For a princess who regarded me as a thorn in her side, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had just considered this a good opportunity to get rid of me.

Princess Lairinne looked momentarily speechless. After repeatedly opening and closing her cherry-red lips several times, I was finally able to hear an answer from her.

“…Honestly, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to trouble you a little. I know it’s not right, but until then I really thought you were a wicked woman!”

“Ah, yes….”

‘So troubling me a little was okay.’

I could only hope that the princess’s idea of “a little” was similar to my understanding of “a little.”

Once she started talking, it seemed like the floodgates opened, and Princess Lairinne poured out her words uncontrollably.

“But even so, there are limits! To try to kill you using a divine beast! I never, ever wanted something like that! Do you understand?”

“Yes….”

“Fair and square! My goal is to persuade you to give up on Brother Gert!”

‘Though it doesn’t seem like she’s been very good at persuading.’

I recalled all the things Princess Lairinne had said so far. Give up? Rather, her statements had been ones that stirred up the desire to challenge.

While I had reasons I couldn’t give up on Gert due to my goals, even if I had no purpose, I felt like I absolutely wouldn’t have given up on Gert after hearing Princess Lairinne’s words.

Princess Lairinne, who had been pouring out words like that, suddenly turned her head sharply and added sourly.

“Thanks to that, I also realized that I might have misunderstood you a little.”

“Oh?”

“Th-that’s all! Just because of that doesn’t mean I’ve come to like you, so don’t get the wrong idea!”

“I didn’t get the wrong idea though?”

“Ugh!”

Suddenly saying incomprehensible things, her face turned bright red as she jumped around. It seemed like she desperately wanted to curse but couldn’t say anything because she didn’t know any curses, looking frustrated to death.

Helena, who was beside her, hurriedly tried to stop me.

“Pl-please stop teasing Her Highness.”

“Teasing? Me?”

Just as I widened my eyes at the incomprehensible words.

Princess Lairinne waved both hands and pushed me out of the carriage as if shooing me away.

“Enough, enough! We’ve arrived, so hurry up and get out! Looking at you makes my chest feel stuffy!”

“Oh, we’re already here.”

The carriage had just reached our house. Since I also didn’t want to provoke the princess any further, I hurriedly got up from my seat.

As I got out of the carriage, I gave the princess one last word of thanks.

“Anyway, thank you for telling me. And for the baby deer too. Thanks to you, it lived.”

“…Hmph, just be careful for a while.”

The princess snorted and turned her head sharply. She seemed quite sick of looking at me.

Then it was only proper to quickly get out of her sight. I nodded at the princess’s advice and hurriedly closed the carriage door for her.

Before long, the carriage began moving with a clip-clop, clip-clop. Since I had come home in the princess’s carriage, it was proper etiquette to watch until the carriage disappeared, so I stood there blankly waiting for it to vanish.

‘I should make a plan for how to deal with Eurich from now on….’

Just as the princess’s carriage disappeared from sight and I turned around.

“What should you be careful of? Did something happen?”

‘Oh right. Schneider was here.’

When I was at Lübenhartz, it was unimaginable for a gatekeeper to speak to me. That was because I was the Grand Duchess then.

But now at Our Estate, with head maid Berta at the helm, there were a married couple who worked as gatekeeper and cook, plus a maid and gardener. Including me, a total of six people stayed here.

Since there weren’t many employees, everyone lived like family.

Not having thought that Schneider would have heard the conversation, I just rolled my eyes around.

If I told Schneider about what happened today, it would definitely reach Berta’s ears too.

Then not only would my outings be blocked for a while, but I’d get plenty of nagging about taking someone with me whenever I went anywhere.

‘Hmm, I should definitely keep it secret.’

“It’s nothing much. She said it looks like it might rain soon. Musical instruments are vulnerable to humidity.”

“…I see, Her Highness is very kind.”

Schneider nodded with a gentle smile. Seeing Schneider seemingly accept this easily, I quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Schneider opened the gate and spoke warmly.

“Her Highness also visited looking for Lady Orphea earlier. I didn’t know you were so close with Her Highness.”

“You’re right. I didn’t know either.”

I chatted with Schneider as I entered the manor. I immediately ran into Berta.

“Oh, Berta!”

But Berta’s face hardened when she encountered me. Berta raised her eyebrows and let out a shrill scream.

“…Lady Orphea? What is that state you’re in? What happened outside?”

Only then did I look around at my appearance. Come to think of it, I had rolled around trying to avoid the deer’s attack, so I was bound to be a mess.

‘But if I was in such a disheveled state, Schneider should have noticed something strange as soon as he saw me, right?’

I quickly turned to look at Schneider. Schneider was still wearing a gentle smile as he quietly stepped back.

Only then did I realize that Schneider hadn’t believed a word of what I had made up earlier….

‘…Damn!’

In the end, making my attempt to keep it secret from Berta meaningless, I had no choice but to confess everything.

And because I got caught trying to keep all of that secret from Berta, I ended up getting twice as much nagging as I had expected.

Sob sob.

***

“I’ve prepared the water, so hurry up and wash!”

“Yes….”

After being nagged by Berta to the point of exhaustion, I obediently went to wash up.

Having moved vigorously for the first time in a while, my body felt stiff, but soaking in the warm bathtub made me feel somewhat alive again.

The moment I returned to my bedroom while gently drying my hair, I came face to face with my lyre placed on the bed. My mood, which had improved briefly, plummeted to rock bottom again.

“Sigh….”

In the end, the new strings I bought today were broken, and after going in and out of the deer’s mouth, my lyre had gotten soaked too….

It was dry now, but I still couldn’t just leave it like this. Sniffling, I forgot to apply oil to my hair and applied oil to my lyre instead.

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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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