I’ll Become the Heroine’s Capable Divorce Partner - Chapter 41
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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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Chapter 41
Peter, the husband of the orphanage director, was glaring at her with his eyes flashing menacingly.
“Haven’t seen hide nor hair of you lately, where have you been wandering around? Huh?”
“…….”
Abigail instinctively stepped back slowly.
Peter spoke sarcastically, making sure she could hear.
“No cleaning, no laundry. Living it up, are we?”
“I, I finished all the cleaning and laundry before I left…….”
Abigail couldn’t suppress her sense of injustice and timidly protested.
It was the truth.
She didn’t want to be criticized like this, and if Abigail didn’t work, her sisters would have to do that much more.
But Peter seemed angered by Abigail’s very act of protesting.
“Are you daring to talk back to me right now?!”
Peter raised his voice angrily.
“Do you have any idea how much money it costs to feed and clothe a brat like you? Ungrateful!”
“…….”
Abigail obediently bowed her head.
At times like this, it was better to just let it go in one ear and out the other.
Usually after spewing his verbal abuse, he would deflate on his own.
However.
“What’s this now?”
This time the problem was Peter trying to snatch away her basket.
Abigail turned pale and clutched the basket tightly.
“It’s, it’s mine! Don’t touch it!”
“What? Don’t touch it?”
Peter gripped the basket with both hands and pulled hard.
In the struggle, food items came tumbling out of the basket.
Cheese with its paper wrapping torn off bounced onto the ground.
Soft bread rolled across the floor, becoming covered in dust.
“No, don’t!”
She had promised to make sandwiches for the children today!
Panicked, Abigail frantically tried to gather up the food.
But.
Stomp!
Peter deliberately trampled on the ham that had fallen right in front of Abigail.
Then he furrowed his brow deeply.
“……What is this. Where did you get this?”
Peter, who had been staring at the crushed ham, slowly raised his head.
Abigail felt a chill run down her spine.
At the same time, Peter suddenly reached out his hand.
“You bitch, don’t tell me you stole this?!”
A strong grip wrapped around her hair and yanked upward.
From the pain of her hair roots being pulled out, Abigail involuntarily screamed.
“Ahhh!”
Stars flashed before her eyes.
She struggled desperately to escape from Peter’s grasp.
But the grip on her hair only grew stronger.
“This won’t do, I’ve been too lenient with you.”
Peter snarled in an ominous voice.
“I need to fix your bad habits this time. Right?”
But then.
Frail voices called out to Abigail.
“Abigail!”
“Oh my goodness!”
The women of the orphanage had rushed over after hearing the commotion.
The women tried desperately to restrain Peter.
“Please let it go just this once, okay?”
“She’ll really get seriously hurt at this rate……!”
“All of you get lost?!”
But Peter only grumbled and raised his voice further.
“If you don’t get lost right now, there’ll be no more meals! The brats and everyone else can starve to death. Got it?!”
“…….”
“…….”
Suddenly the surroundings fell silent.
The women bit their lower lips hard, suppressing their rising anger.
‘It’s not like we’re getting free meals.’
‘Why do we have to endure such humiliation?’
If it were just themselves, they could still endure it.
But wasn’t Peter holding their children hostage and threatening them?
They couldn’t let the children, who were in their prime growing years, go hungry.
Their meals were already inadequate as it was…….
“Sisters.”
At the same time, Abigail struggled to open her lips.
“I’m fine, so stop this and go inside.”
“But……!”
“I’m really fine, okay?”
Facing Abigail who was forcing a smile, the women’s faces became devastated.
Peter shook Abigail’s hair violently and threatened again.
“That’s right, all of you stay right there.”
“Ugh…….”
A thin moan that couldn’t be suppressed flowed from between Abigail’s lips.
Peter smiled wickedly.
“You better know that this bitch is getting beaten by me because of all of you. Got it?!”
“Stop, please stop.”
“We’ll go inside now……!”
Abigail looked at her sisters’ tear-stained faces with blurred vision.
An age-old question suddenly surfaced.
I, we.
……How long do we have to live like this?
Bang!!
The door slammed shut as if it would break.
She could even hear clanking sounds from outside the door.
He was locking it from the outside.
Her whole body ached as if it had been trampled by a giant.
Abigail lay collapsed on her side on the floor, staring blankly at the tightly closed door.
‘I have an appointment with Lady Elodie.’
Her vision grew hazy.
‘That appointment… it looks like I won’t be able to keep it.’
With that final thought.
Abigail slowly closed her eyes.
She was terribly exhausted.
* * *
Looking at the half-finished cardigan, I was lost in deep thought.
‘It’s already been a week since I lost contact with Abigail.’
During the few weeks of making the cardigan.
Isabel and I had carefully observed Abigail’s skills and character.
Abigail was responsible and had excellent craftsmanship.
Therefore, I had firmly decided to employ Abigail and the women from the poorhouse as seamstresses if possible.
‘I never expected her to suddenly disappear like this.’
At least the Abigail I had been watching wasn’t the type to suddenly cut off contact and vanish.
Perhaps there might be some circumstances.
I waited for several days, but…
‘Something doesn’t feel right.’
I wanted to go directly to the poorhouse myself.
However, the poorhouse had already refused my visit once.
If I made a wrong move, I could arouse the poorhouse’s suspicions.
‘Most importantly, Count Disraeli is investigating.’
If I moved carelessly, I might interfere with the investigation, so I had stayed put until now, but.
‘I can’t do this anymore.’
I stood up with determination.
I was planning to go meet the Count once more.
* * *
Joshua met Richard after a long time.
It was because Richard had sent word that he had something urgent to discuss.
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Richard bowed politely.
Joshua shook his head and asked.
“That’s enough. More importantly, what’s the matter, Richard?”
Meanwhile, Richard’s eyes darkened deeply at that question.
“Previously, I mentioned the matter that the Princess had requested of me, didn’t I?”
“Yes. Something about investigating a certain poorhouse?”
“Yes. But… I think Your Highness should take a look at this matter.”
Richard held out a thick stack of documents.
Joshua received it with a puzzled expression.
Joshua’s hands, which had been slowly turning pages at first, gradually moved faster.
And.
“So, to summarize the contents of these documents.”
Joshua’s expression, as he slightly raised his gaze, had already turned cold as ice.
“The poorhouse director was exploiting his residents for excessive profits, is that it?”
His grip tightened on the documents he was clutching.
“And in the process, he was even selected as a ‘charitable shop’ and received various benefits?”
“That’s what I’ve determined.”
Richard nodded gravely.
At the same time, a long sigh escaped from between Joshua’s lips.
“Hah…”
But that was only momentary.
Joshua’s eyes flashed sharply.
“Well, it would be best if such corruption didn’t happen at all, but… if it’s already occurred.”
A fierce smile spread across his handsome face.
“We’ll have to uproot it completely. So that this kind of thing never happens again.”
Richard also smiled faintly at that response.
Quick decision and firm punishment.
It was exactly the kind of behavior Richard respected in his lord.
“I’ll begin the investigation as soon as possible. I’ll handle the warrant myself.”
“I’ll see to it.”
But then.
Knock knock.
There was a knock.
Joshua quietly nodded.
“Come in.”
With Richard’s permission, one of his subordinates entered.
It was someone from the ‘information broker’ side who knew his true identity.
“Count, someone has come from the flower shop. Princess Laventess has arrived.”
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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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