My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - Chapter 41

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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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The tea party drew to a close as Princess Isoldra drained the last of her tea.
“Thank you all for attending today. Let us bring this to an end and meet again next time.”
As Princess Isoldra stood up and turned around, the other nobility began to move as well.
“Baroness, I hear you and the Baron have been getting along wonderfully these days?”
“Indeed. Rumor has it he treasures his wife so dearly that he always carried her so her injured foot wouldn’t even touch the ground.”
“Perhaps that is why Princess Isoldra was jealous? She does not have a good relationship with her own husband, after all.”
“Hoho. That might well be true. The Baroness has a remarkably exceptional disposition, after all.”
“Just look at earlier. She always handles difficult situations with such grace.”
While I appreciated the praise, it felt uncomfortable to listen to them belittling Princess Isoldra’s private life.
Instead of showing my true thoughts, I simply smiled as usual.
Past the crowding nobles, I could see Princess Isoldra leaving the drawing room.
Did she know she was being poisoned by arsenic?
Probably not.
If she had known, she wouldn’t have changed her gloves in front of so many people.
If word got out that she was facing assassination attempts, her supporters would grow anxious, and her political rivals would only become more rampant.
After debating what to do, I finally excused myself from the group and tried to follow Princess Isoldra.
But before I could even get close to the door, my path was blocked once more.
“Lady Amarynthis! You were truly magnificent today. How can you be so elegant and wise?”
“Thank you for the compliment, Miss Haller. But I happen to have some business to attend to right now.”
As I tried to step past her, she shifted her weight and blocked my path again.
“Did Baron Scheit Huniswald not accompany you today? I noticed many noblewomen brought their husbands to the tea party today……”
“He has some work to take care of today. I shall see you next time.”
I slipped past her, but Melis tried to block my way yet again.
Sindy, quick on the uptake, wedged herself between Melis and me, keeping pace beside me.
Melis was finally forced to stop in her tracks.
“Yes. I will definitely see you next time. Absolutely.”
I heard her muttering behind my back, but I couldn’t afford to answer and hurried my steps.
Sindy grumbled under her breath in a low voice.
“Why does that woman always interfere whenever you are trying to meet someone important, Madam? I really can’t stand her.”
I shared her sentiment, but there were still too many people around us.
“Sindy, we are in the Palace. You must watch your words.”
“Yes, ma’am. I understand.”
I walked briskly to catch up with Princess Isoldra, who was rapidly moving away.
Part of me wanted to call out loudly to make her stop, but etiquette and the surrounding eyes held me back.
I had no choice but to quicken my pace even further.
Fortunately, the distance between us gradually closed.
“Your Highness.”
Hearing my voice, Princess Isoldra halted.
She turned around, though she did not look particularly pleased to see me.
“Baroness. Do you have something to say?”
“I would like to request a brief private audience.”
“With me? You?”
“Yes. It is a matter of grave importance.”
“Hmm.”
Princess Isoldra let out a thoughtful hum, her eyes dropping down.
Then, she lifted her head.
“Very well. Follow me.”
She selected the nearest drawing room, as if she had no desire to bring me to her personal chambers.
However, that was more than enough for me.
“What is it you wished to say?”
“I shall speak frankly. Your Highness is currently being exposed to arsenic.”
“I am? On what grounds do you make such a claim?”
Princess Isoldra knit her brows slightly.
“Have you not been suffering from severe headaches lately?”
“I have always had headaches.”
“And an upset stomach as well.”
“That, too, is a common ailment.”
“Your fingernails have become uneven, with white horizontal lines forming across them.”
“That is because my stomach has been upset lately, so I haven’t been able to eat. I was told that if one cannot eat properly, nutritional deficiencies will alter the nails.”
That upset stomach is precisely because of the arsenic!
She really was impossible to get through to.
It was so frustrating that I wanted to beat my chest.
Fortunately or unfortunately, having been trained to maintain decorum whenever others were present, my body remained perfectly composed regardless of my internal despair.
Where and how was I supposed to even begin explaining this?
As I weighed my options, Princess Isoldra stood up from her seat.
Startled, I rose with her, only to meet her chilling gaze.
“Is there anything else?”
“I know you do not believe me. But it is the truth.”
“I always use silverware. It has never once tarnished.”
“Pure arsenic does not always cause silver to tarnish.”
“I have no dark spots, no sensory abnormalities, and no nausea. My nails and hair are not falling out, either.”
Those were symptoms that appeared after consuming a massive dose at once to an irreversible degree, or when one was already chronically poisoned.
“Your Highness. This might not be a simple nutritional deficiency. There is a high probability that you have been exposed to a very minute amount of arsenic for at least a month or more.”
“Do you truly expect me to believe that?”
Princess Isoldra took a menacing step closer to me.
“What do you hope to gain by making me anxious, Baroness? Are you trying to put psychological pressure on me so that I ruin myself? Or is this a trick to make me suspicious of my surroundings and drive a wedge between me and others?”
“Why would I ever do such a thing?”
“I hear you have been on excellent terms with Baron Scheit Huniswald lately, and your husband is Kildian’s loyal dog. There is nothing you wouldn’t do for the sake of your beloved husband.”
Not a single thing she said was remotely accurate.
Yet, they were things I could not easily explain away.
Letting out a soft breath, I glanced briefly toward the door.
Should I just leave?
But I knew it would leave a bitter taste in my mouth if something terrible happened to the Princess.
Besides, Scheit seemed to care about her welfare too……
“If you refuse to believe me, there is nothing I can do, but I truly had no other intentions. If you ever find yourself harboring any doubts, catch some ants and place them on a book you read frequently or a pen you often use. Tiny creatures like insects react even to the smallest trace of poison.”
Fine, I have given my warning.
Whether she believed it or not was now entirely up to Princess Isoldra. Whatever happened to her next would not be my responsibility.
“Then, I shall take my leave first.”
Even as I offered my polite farewell, Princess Isoldra remained utterly still.
Then, she questioned quietly.
“Why are you revealing this to me? If I die, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for your husband either.”
My body froze involuntarily at the casual mention of her own death.
Deliberately drawing a long, slow breath, I fought to keep my breathing from faltering outwardly.
“I simply recognized your symptoms and found myself unable to look away pretending not to know.”
Princess Isoldra wore a look of surprise.
She fell silent for a moment, then spoke up again just as I moved to depart.
“If the Baroness’s words prove true, I shall ensure this debt of gratitude is repaid in full. It is no easy feat to extend kindness to someone who sought to insult you.”
The Princess certainly had a way of promising to repay a favor that sounded as terrifying as a declaration of war.
Well, whatever the case, having her remember the debt and repay it wouldn’t be a bad thing for me.
Who knows. Even if the friction with Kildian intensified, she might at least spare my life.
Bowing my head slightly in farewell, I was the first to slip out of the room.
* * *
Late that evening, Scheit returned to the mansion and knocked on my bedroom door.
“Shall we take a brief walk?”
Though it was late, I had things to discuss, so I nodded in agreement.
He spoke in a low voice as he led the way slowly toward the back garden.
“I have just returned from meeting Papilion. He told me to decode the contents of the notebook right in front of his eyes and share it, saying he would show it to me then.”
So he wants me to come in person.
Scheit was the man who had handled all kinds of illicit tasks on Kildian’s behalf.
Among his records, there would undoubtedly be something that could serve as Kildian’s weakness.
Since there was no telling how Kildian would react if the law changed and I succeeded in getting a divorce, holding onto at least one leverage point was the safest option.
In the first place, breaking into Scheit’s room had been entirely to find Kildian’s weakness.
“Understood.”
“I was worried you might refuse, so this is a relief.”
He began walking forward once more.
“How was Princess Isoldra?”
I relayed her condition as concisely as possible.
“……So, as long as she receives proper treatment, she should be fine.”
“It would have been a disaster had it not been for you, Baroness.”
Stopping in his tracks, he turned to face me.
“Thank you truly, my lady.”
His tone was devoid of its usual playful, lighthearted air.
The uncharacteristic atmosphere felt awkward and ticklish, causing me to avert my gaze for no reason.
“Well, it was nothing special. It just would have left a bad taste in my mouth if something happened to Princess Isoldra because I pretended not to notice.”
As I spoke while staring down at the tips of my shoes, Scheit slowly stepped closer to me.
I lifted my head.
His deep brown eyes were right before me.
Under the pouring moonlight, he gazed down at me silently.

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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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