Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 57

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 57

“You’re getting better. Today should be enough.”
I smiled with satisfaction as I watched Fay trapping her training partner in Illusion Magic.
“Ah, I’m still not good enough!”
There was still something unsettling about her, but separate from that, Fay was a junior worth teaching.
I’d thought my whole life wouldn’t include teaching anyone, but watching Fay’s skills grow as naturally as watering a sprout, I found it quite enjoyable.
We’d grown closer in the meantime too.
Fay had an eccentric side to her.
I’d say good morning and she’d suddenly break off wildflowers to give me, or something like that.
She’d shuffle over hesitantly and press a candy from her pocket into my hand, then suddenly bow and say “Thank you so much!”
It made me think—if a small animal were to become human, wouldn’t it be something like this?
“From here on, you just have to keep practicing and familiarize yourself with it. Unlike other magics, Illusion Magic is a power that grows only through believing in yourself. You understand that, right? You have to believe in yourself to deceive others and trap them in Illusion Magic.”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, always!”
“As for dealing with multiple magical beasts—there’s only so much I can teach you.”
“Multiple……”
“If you know any Spirit Summoners or Conjurers, ask them for help, or otherwise it’d be good to get experience doing actual subjugations yourself.”
“Got it! I’ll do that, senior!”
Fay nodded vigorously, her lemon-colored, onion-bunch-like hair bouncing with each movement.
I’d decided to end Fay’s training today, though she could probably use a couple more days.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to match the timing.
Fortunately, I’d taught everything I wanted to teach, so there was no problem.
“You’ve worked hard following me around, Fay. You’ll become a good Illusionist.”
“Is this really the last time?”
“Yes.”
“I’m so sad……”
“But it might not be the last, actually.”
“Really?”
“No, never mind. Want to practice a bit more? I’m going to go see Dylan.”
The moment I turned around, Fay suddenly grabbed my hand from behind.
“Um, um, senior!”
“Yes?”
“Did you, did you happen to think about it? If today is the last time……”
“Ah.”
She was asking if I’d be coming to dinner tonight.
Why on earth was she so fixated on dinner?
Even I, someone who’d been Korean in my past life, didn’t crave meals the way Fay did—she seemed like a person with an earnest wish to eat dinner with me and no one else.
I’d actually been dodging the question, but since it was the last time and Fay was pleading like that, I had no excuse left to refuse.
It’s just one meal anyway—might as well go and eat.
She’s so insistent. Fine.
I nodded readily.
“Really? Are you really free tonight?”
“Yeah, and is tonight okay for you?”
“Of course! You’re practically my benefactor—I’m available whenever!”
“Then what about having dinner with other colleagues too? It seems like a lot of people have helped you.”
Fay’s expression became a little uncomfortable.
“Other people too?”
“Dylan and the colleagues who helped out over the past few days?”
Fay seemed to think for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
“Yes! They’re all people I’m grateful to!”
“Good, thank you. Then I’ll go talk to Dylan about it.”
“Yes, senior!”
I left Fay behind and headed toward Dylan, who should be in the office.

That day at noon.
Having been invited to Fay’s dinner, I ran into Annie the moment I left the Imperial Palace.
When she heard that Noah had visited yesterday and left this morning, Annie let out a delighted squeal.
“If it were me, my heart would have stopped. I’d be dead already.”
“Do I still look human to you?”
Annie let out a soft chuckle.
“Well, it wasn’t entirely bad, I suppose…….”
She made a thoughtful sound and studied me with new eyes.
I cleared my throat loudly in response.
“I’m not going to deny it. But Annie, this isn’t about that—we need to hurry.”
“Yes, I started thinking about this the moment I heard the Duke had come calling.”
Annie hadn’t neglected a thing—she’d transferred my funds, created false identities, and acquired the Purification Stones I’d requested without pause.
She’d even enlisted a trusted colleague, and together they’d gathered far more than she’d anticipated.
They’d continued gathering diligently, storing everything in a warehouse known only to Annie and this one reliable colleague, with plans to keep adding to the stockpile.
“At that rate of progress, fleeing shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Well, that’s where the problem lies.”
“What do you mean?”
“I looked into what Hazel asked—the matters of Marriage Annulment and Divorce.”
“…It’s difficult, isn’t it?”
Annie nodded, her expression troubled.
“Technically, an annulment is possible since Kailas deceived you. But it has to go through the courts. There’s no other way around it.”
“What about divorce, then?”
Annie shook her head bleakly.
“It’s not entirely impossible, but beyond the standard divorce procedures, if Hazel wants to resolve it alone, she’d need the Imperial Family’s assistance. If the Palace helps and pushes it through by force, it could be done.”
“That means I’d have to tell them who I married.”
“That’s what it would take to get their help. And there’s more.”
“What is it?”
I asked with a spark of hope.
“A death report disguised as an accident?”
…….
“But that method gets messy. You’d need more preparation than you could imagine, and frankly I won’t even describe it. Besides, having a dead person’s assets vanish would look ridiculous—you’d have to leave the money behind. And if even the slightest suspicion arose, the death report wouldn’t hold up anyway. So I don’t recommend it.”
“…I see.”
“Of course, if we ignore the divorce documents, you could leave today.”
Annie said she’d already finished most of the preparations.
She’d even agreed to flee with me until I was safe.
Once the escape succeeded, Annie would receive her payment and gain her freedom.
“Hmm…….”
I pressed my temples, throbbing with a dull ache.
So that’s off the table too.
There really was no proper way out.
I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but disappointment crept in anyway.
If I dragged things out looking for another option and Kailas caught on…….
Was fleeing as-is my best choice?
The name Hazel Love wouldn’t be mine anymore anyway, and I’d become someone new, so maybe letting it go would be easier.
Then someday, when the Hadid Duchy needed a duchess, wouldn’t he simply file the divorce papers himself?
I couldn’t manage it, but he could. There was nothing he couldn’t do.
Three years, perhaps?
Wouldn’t hiding for that long be feasible?
“So if I give up on the divorce and just flee, I can leave right away?”
“Yes, as long as it’s within Elkium.”
She said emigration would require a bit more time.
“All right.”
In the end, I chose the second-best path.
So we decided to flee first, then settle in another region and prepare for emigration.
It meant living quietly like a mouse for a few months, but for the freedom that lay ahead, it seemed worth it.
“Today I’ll meet with Eggmen, Ginger’s lover, and arrange a meeting place. From what I know, they tally rankings at month’s end, which is when there’s a reshuffle of districts—it’ll be chaotic.”
“Oh, I know about that too. I once went to the arena for fun and wagered on someone who got demoted to the provinces. Lost quite a bit on that.”
Annie rubbed her index and thumb together with a wink.
“The fourth day works perfectly with the timing, and it’s the busiest event of the month—we absolutely have to extract you then. Sigh, now I’ll need to apply some pressure on Nizela and the servants too.”
Even as I spoke, bitterness settled in my mouth.
“Why the reluctance?”
“I’d planned not to put pressure on Nizela…….”
But now Nizela couldn’t know about my movements.
Nizela’s memories could become a major obstacle in tracking me. I’d need to use Hypnosis and erase her recollection, but my heart rebelled against it.
When I spoke of having to shatter my own principles, Annie smiled at me with a look of sympathy.
“There’s no helping it. You could be put in danger while worrying about others, Hazel. It’s time to be ruthless.”
“…I know. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Well then, shall we eat? Let’s finish quickly and find ourselves a carriage to escape in.”
“All right.”
I cut into my meal and rekindled my resolve.

* * *

‘Why hasn’t he come.’
Eggmen, drenched in sweat from fighting through the entire night, could finally rest once dawn broke.
Despite the sweat dripping from him like rain, he showed no sign of irritation—his gaze fixed unwaveringly on a single point, his body motionless.
“You did well today too.”
A staff member passed by, patting his shoulder in praise, but Eggmen remained unmoved.
He had already fulfilled all the required number of matches she had mentioned.
As she’d said, he hadn’t fallen below the top five rankings.
Yet even now, the person Ginger was supposed to send still hadn’t arrived.
Since Eggmen hadn’t received any contact from Ginger either, he felt an uncharacteristic unease creeping in.
Could it be that Ginger had come to harm in the meantime?
He’d asked the arena staff about Ginger, but received only a vague response that she was likely working in another region.
The thought even crossed his mind that what he was seeing might be nothing more than a mirage born of his own desperate longing.
He decided to wait one more day; if nothing changed, he would have to find a way to leave this place temporarily.
Otherwise, his worry for Ginger would become unbearable.
He had given the instruction to stay put here no matter what, but if she broke her end of the promise, that promise would be void.
Eggmen resolved to wait one more day, his heart gnawed by anxiety.

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