I’ll Become the Heroine’s Capable Divorce Partner - Chapter 5

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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 5

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In preparation for the garden party, Isabel had been holed up in her bedroom for quite some time.

Starting with the budget plan to be used for the party.

Where to source the food ingredients from, and what dishes and beverages to serve.

How to decorate the garden that would be used as the party venue.

How to plan the guests’ movement routes.

On top of the dressing table, various planning documents containing related content were neatly stacked.

Though she must have been very tired from worrying about it for days on end, Isabel’s expression remained bright as sunshine throughout.

The movement of her hand as she moved her pen with scratching sounds was quite lively.

‘Finally… I have something I can do as the lady of the house.’

In fact, Isabel knew it too.

The fact that everyone pointed fingers at her, calling her ‘a duchess in name only.’

But Isabel couldn’t refute that mockery.

Since marrying Duke Laventess, Isabel had never once taken the lead in organizing the family’s events.

Even now, it was the same.

Despite there being an office prepared specifically for the lady of the house, that office belonged to Marisa.

Isabel couldn’t even set foot inside it.

‘Though I’ll have to ask Mother to execute the budget for this plan anyway…’

Isabel carefully examined the documents she had written.

Of course, in principle, Isabel was the Duchess of Laventess, so she didn’t really need to get permission from Marisa.

But if she didn’t get approval in advance, there was no telling how much Marisa would torment her like catching a mouse.

Even now, Marisa would take away the documents Isabel had prepared, claiming she wanted to review them.

Or reject them for completely unreasonable reasons.

Still.

‘I want to do well somehow.’

She could feel her heart beating pleasantly with excitement.

The very fact that she could do something herself made her simply happy.

This feeling, as if her self-esteem that had been broken for such a long time was finally healing even a little for the first time.

However, the slightly unsettling part was…

‘Back then, the young lady definitely took my side.’

For the first time, Isabel’s expression, which had been consistently bright, darkened.

When the topic of the garden party first came up.

Elodie had even turned red in the face arguing with Marisa, reclaiming the position of garden party host for Isabel.

And Isabel couldn’t understand at all why Elodie was suddenly being friendly toward her.

A duchess in name only, and the current duke’s stepmother.

It was obvious which of the two one should maintain close relations with.

To put it bluntly, there was no need to take Isabel’s side.

Moreover, Elodie had usually treated Isabel quite cruelly.

But now, the reason her attitude had changed as easily as flipping one’s palm…

‘She probably has some ulterior motive.’

Isabel bit down on her lower lip.

She might not know about other things, but she could be certain of just one thing.

That Elodie probably didn’t harbor any goodwill toward her.

But just then.

Knock knock.

A polite knocking sound rang out.

‘That’s strange, there’s no one who would come looking for me?’

Isabel lifted her head with a puzzled expression.

Along with that, a lively voice came from beyond the door.

“It’s Elodie. May I come in for a moment?”

…Lady Elodie?

Isabel immediately became wary.

But she couldn’t refuse Elodie’s visit without any particular reason.

In the end, Isabel swallowed a sigh and answered.

“Please come in.”

The door opened silently.

Isabel cast her eyes down with an expressionless face.

“You’ve come, my lady?”

Elodie, who had stepped lightly into the bedroom, suddenly looked bewildered.

Her pretty sky-blue eyes alternately looked at the documents piled up like mountains on the dressing table and Isabel’s ink-stained fingers.

After doing so for a moment.

Elodie spoke with an incredulous voice.

“Why are you doing this here so uncomfortably? There’s the duchess’s office.”

“That office is being used by Mother.”

At that answer, Elodie’s expression immediately became cold as ice.

She muttered bleakly.

“It looks like I’ll have to write in my diary again…”

“Diary?”

What diary out of nowhere?

Isabel asked back with a puzzled expression.

‘Huh.’

Elodie, who had briefly gasped, hurriedly shook her head.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Well, if that’s the case.

Isabel cleanly stopped caring at that point.

Whether Elodie wrote in her diary, loitered around the banquet hall day and night, or burned enormous amounts of money at the jewelry store.

She wasn’t particularly interested anyway.

Rather, what Isabel was curious about was something else.

“So, why did you come looking for me, my lady?”

Though her attitude was quite defensive, Elodie wasn’t fazed at all.

“I have something I want to ask.”

Having started that way, Elodie asked another question.

“About the dress code designated for this garden party. Have you heard about it too, sister-in-law?”

At the same time, Isabel’s eyes widened slightly.

“Dress code… you say?”

Isabel, who took a deep breath, clenched her fists tightly and answered.

“No, this is the first I’m hearing of it.”

A deep emotion crossed Isabel’s beautiful face.

That emotion was anger at being excluded once again.

…And shame.

Elodie, who had been looking at Isabel with pity, carefully asked a question.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Isabel, who had answered reflexively, bit down on her lower lip.

The resentment rising from deep in her chest.

Anger that remained like a lump in her chest.

But no one understood Isabel’s sorrow.

‘It’s okay, I can endure it.’

Isabel squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.

Wasn’t this something she had experienced many times before?

Being excluded from family matters like an outsider, always.

To these people, Isabel had never once been family.

‘I never had expectations anyway.’

Just as Isabel was trying to comfort herself.

“What do you mean it’s okay?”

A sharp voice pierced Isabel’s eardrums.

When she snapped back to attention, Elodie was facing her with eyes sharply narrowed.

“Right now, Mother is practically ostracizing you, sister-in-law.”

For a moment, a different light flickered in her deep green eyes that had been gloomy all along.

Elodie continued speaking clearly.

“Besides, you’re the host of this garden party, aren’t you, sister-in-law? Yet she’s excluding you and arbitrarily setting the dress code.”

“…That’s.”

“Right now, Mother is overstepping her authority. You have every right to be angry.”

Elodie, furious from head to toe, raised her voice while fuming.

Isabel looked at her sister-in-law with bewilderment.

Of course, Isabel was aware of that aspect too.

The fact that the Duchess was arbitrarily contacting the invited guests and interfering with party preparations.

Was a display that her authority was higher than Isabel’s.

‘But why?’

…Why was Elodie getting angry as if it were her own problem?

“Thank you so much for the advice. I should dress according to the dress code too.”

A moment later.

Isabel gave the most diplomatic answer she could.

Elodie’s such favorable attitude itself might be a trap.

She didn’t want to give any excuse to be put in a difficult position once again.

Meanwhile, Elodie looked somewhat displeased.

“Just dressing according to the dress code is… well, not a bad direction, but.”

Her trailing words were brief.

Elodie’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Isabel.

“How about we use this situation to your advantage, sister-in-law?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Isabel’s eyes widened.

Elodie met Isabel’s gaze and smiled warmly.

“I have one good method.”

“A good method…”

“How about it? Would you trust me just once?”

Elodie proposed confidently.

At the same time, her deep green eyes that had been like a quiet lake trembled slightly.

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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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