An Ode to Divorce - Chapter 7

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#7

Knowing my selfish tendencies, Berta let out a small sigh and asked.

“What does His Grace say about this?”

“Gert won’t say much.”

While Gert didn’t particularly enjoy my performances, he was quite considerate of my artistic temperament.

He understood when I wanted to play regardless of time and place, and when I didn’t want to play at all.

So if I said I wanted to perform, he would readily agree.

Berta sighed and wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead.

“If that’s the case, you could have just asked a servant to bring it.”

“I don’t like entrusting my lyre to others.”

I said this as I entered the bedroom where my lyre was kept.

My gaze passed over the lyre and moved to the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed.

“And I have something to secretly ask of you.”

“Of me?”

I opened the nightstand drawer. Inside was a small glass vial containing a milky white liquid.

‘I wondered when I’d use this…’

I turned to look at Berta.

She had the strict, rigid impression of a dormitory matron. When I first set foot in this castle, I thought it would be really difficult to get along with her.

But as time passed, Berta became the only person I could trust in this manor, aside from Gert and Hilias.

I pressed the glass vial into Berta’s hand.

“Put this in Eurich’s wine glass. Can you do that?”

“In Lord Eurich’s wine glass?”

Since I was suddenly asking her to drug Eurich, with whom we’d maintained good relations, Berta’s face showed clear bewilderment.

“It’s not poison. It’s not a drug that will harm his body either.”

“…Is this something that must be done?”

“It must be done.”

But when I insisted firmly, Berta soon nodded resolutely.

“Don’t worry.”

When Berta says she can do something, she can do it. A trusting smile spread across my lips.

***

As soon as I stepped back into the banquet hall carrying my lyre, everyone’s attention focused on me.

They had all clearly been waiting with bated breath for my return, the banquet forgotten.

Gert had arrived at the banquet hall first, but no one would have had the courage to ask him anything.

I opened my mouth with a bright smile as if nothing had happened.

“I apologize for stepping away.”

Since I also didn’t mention a word about divorce, everyone seemed to be burning with curiosity.

Gert’s relatives in particular were even more anxious. Weren’t these the very people who had always found me disagreeable? Their worry that I might retract my request for divorce was plainly visible.

‘They’re being so obvious, it’s almost funny that I never noticed until now.’

Pretending not to know these people’s hearts, I continued calmly.

“As punishment for disrupting the atmosphere, I shall perform a song.”

“A performance? By Your Grace?”

For a moment, bewilderment crossed people’s faces.

But soon they were nudging each other’s ribs and speaking with bright, expectant smiles.

“We’ve all heard stories of Your Grace’s activities with the Argos Expedition four years ago. We were curious about your performances but didn’t dare to ask, and now we have this opportunity today. We’re so excited!”

“That’s right, we held back thinking it would be rude to request a performance.”

The performance hadn’t even started yet, but everyone was competing to praise me.

I know it’s not because they’re genuinely excited about my performance. Rather, their true feelings are probably the opposite.

‘They probably think it’s unbecoming of a noble.’

Then why are they showing such favorable expressions?

Because of Gert, of course.

With Gert standing quietly in a corner of the banquet hall with his arms crossed, no one would be brave enough to speak ill of Gert’s wife in his presence.

‘Gert is… as expected.’

Glancing sideways at Gert, I saw he merely raised one eyebrow at my announcement to perform.

Having worried that Gert might stop me, I could finally breathe a small sigh of relief.

As the musicians awkwardly cleared the space, an area suitable for a solo performance was prepared.

Walking to the performance area, I sat down in the chair and gripped my lyre tightly.

The texture of the wood grain against my hands brought a sense of calm to my heart.

This lyre, made of golden walnut wood with ivory decorations and strung with gut strings, was like an old friend who had been with me for a long time.

‘It’s been a while.’

I had never been separated from my lyre for even a moment since I first held it, but because it was taken from me during my confinement before my regression, I hadn’t been able to touch my lyre for a whole month.

‘We’ll never be separated again.’

Thinking of before my regression, my grip on the lyre tightened.

With those memories so vivid, I couldn’t possibly let it pass as if nothing had happened.

Holding my lyre more preciously than usual, I moved my fingers to the strings.

The reason they took my lyre from me first.

A swordsman attacks opponents through their sword.

Then what about me, a bard?

-Ding

My finger lightly plucked a string.

My attack flowed out, riding on the melody.

***

“As punishment for disrupting the atmosphere, I shall perform a song.”

When Orphea stepped forward with those words, Eurich Lübenhartz clicked his tongue.

‘To think someone who became a Grand Duchess would step forward to do something befitting a mere entertainer.’

Of course, Eurich was well aware of what an outstanding bard Orphea was.

Eurich had also been aboard the Argo, the expedition ship where Orphea met Gert.

Four years ago, the Petalien Kingdom organized an expedition to establish relations with the Okrolandi Kingdom, with whom diplomatic ties had been severed a hundred years prior.

Sirens lurked in the seas leading to Okrolandi, and countless dangers slumbered on the islands needed for resupply along the way.

Due to the perilous journey that would take nearly a year, Prince Dietrich, the expedition leader, gathered renowned heroes.

The fifty heroes assembled in this way formed the Argos Expedition.

If you asked who the greatest hero aboard the Argo, filled only with heroes, everyone would undoubtedly name his damned cousin Gert, but Orphea’s achievements were no less remarkable.

She had competed against sirens in lyre performance and won, and even put dragons to sleep.

The princess of Okrolandi had boarded the ship to Petalien after hearing Orphea’s performance.

Her skills were certainly admirable.

But that was before her marriage.

Now that she had become a Grand Duchess, shouldn’t she behave quietly without bringing shame to the family name?

‘Well, this is the level of wife a bastard would choose, after all.’

Eurich struggled to suppress his displeasure.

The memory of when he first learned of Gert’s existence came vividly to mind.

“That bastard can’t even read or ride a horse. And he’s going to become Grand Duke over me?”

Eurich, who had originally been designated as the heir to the Lübenhartz family, felt wronged. But Eurich’s father instead chided him as if frustrated.

“Listen well, Eurich. Our family is the only demigod bloodline that carries the blood of Alkides, the legendary hero who helped the gods lead the war against the giants to victory. The most important value of our family is preserving that bloodline!”

The Lübenhartz family gave the name of Alkides to those who strongly inherited Alkides’ blood, making them heirs regardless of legitimate birth order or age.

Eurich knew this fact well in his head. He knew it, but….

He simply couldn’t bear watching Gert, who had suddenly appeared, steal away everything from him like a plunderer.

The Household, the attention of the elders, and women.

Yes, women! All the women Eurich had liked ended up liking Gert instead. Even though Gert himself never even glanced their way!

And yet what he brought home to marry was Orphea, a woman of common birth.

‘If I had been the Grand Duke of Lübenhartz, I would never have made a woman like Orphea the Grand Duchess. Maybe as a mistress, perhaps.’

Pleasant music and a beautiful face.

With her lily petal-like hair braided and draped to one side, holding her lyre, Orphea’s appearance was mystical enough to seem like an incarnation of Mnemiir.

Just looking at her pale chest visible between her clothes and her long, white fingers, it wasn’t difficult to imagine what a delightful companion she would be in bed.

Certainly, having such a woman by one’s side would be enjoyable.

But as a result, he had to hear talk of divorce in front of everyone—how embarrassing was that?

Just as he was looking Orphea over like this.

Suddenly, Orphea turned her gaze toward Eurich.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————