My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - 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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It had been so long since I sat with my legs straddled that it felt awkward.
As I was smoothing down my ridden-up skirt, the realization suddenly hit me.
I was still dressed in my negligee, and my hair was completely unkempt.
“Wait, if we go out like this…!”
Amarynthis tried to dismount, but Yulisian Kleinheits reached out from behind her as if pulling her into an embrace and grabbed the reins.
Trapped between his solid arms, Amarynthis turned around in a flurry.
A mischievous grin met her eyes.
The horse stepped out of the room and began navigating down the stairs.
As their center of gravity shifted forward, Amarynthis grew tense and leaned her back against Yulisian Kleinheits’s chest.
His arms pressed firmly against her waist, bracing her so she wouldn’t fall.
It was a perilous situation, yet she felt a profound sense of security.
The moment they reached the first floor, she felt the heavy stares of the servants.
When Amarynthis gasped for breath, Yulisian Kleinheits made a sharp clicking sound with his tongue. Hearing the cue, Silfina quickened her pace.
The moment they cleared the entrance and burst into the garden, Silfina accelerated.
The rushing wind pierced right through the thin fabric of her clothes. Her hem fluttered wildly, and a refreshing breeze wrapped around her bare legs.
This was on a completely different level from riding while suffocating in a formal dress.
Amarynthis let out a breathless laugh.
That smile, blooming from a sudden sense of liberation, seared itself deep into Yulisian Kleinheits’s mind.
Basking in the wind in nothing but her negligee, she looked so entirely free that he could scarcely believe she was the same Amarynthis he had always known.
Sensing his gaze, Amarynthis turned her head.
Her eyes were a vibrant purple, like violets in fresh bloom, the rims red and swollen from crying. Her face was completely bare of makeup, and her skin shone as brilliantly white as pearl dust scattered under the pouring sunlight.
“Ah…”
A soft gasp escaped him.
She was beautiful. To see her smiling with a tear-streaked face, utterly unbound by anything.
Her lips, curved in a gentle arc, parted slightly.
“What is your name?”
Yulisian Kleinheits blinked, dazed.
“Pardon?”
“I asked for your name. Not Scheit Huniswald, but your real name. You said you wished at least one person would remember it. I will remember it for you.”
As her pale blue hair surged over his chest like spilled ink, Yulisian Kleinheits felt as though he were being swept away by a tidal wave.
Without realizing it, he tightened his grip on the reins.
Silfina gradually slowed her pace, settling into a leisurely stroll.
Yulisian Kleinheits opened his mouth to answer Amarynthis’s question. Yet, unable to utter a single sound, he closed it once more.
This body did not belong to him.
There was no telling when the original owner might return and reclaim his place.
Even putting that aside, if he suffered a severe shock or a near-fatal wound, his soul would be ripped from this vessel.
He was a being who could vanish at any moment—literally a ghost.
If he revealed his identity to Amarynthis, she would undoubtedly keep her word and remember his name.
But every time the name Yulisian Kleinheits crossed people’s lips, she would be forced to think of death.
He did not want to remain in her heart as an anchor for ‘death.’
“Just as you mentioned before, my lady, it is better that you do not know my name.”
A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Amarynthis’s face.
“Then I shall call you whatever I please. Actually, I have been thinking for a while now that I should call you something separate from Scheit Huniswald. Hmm… how about Shan?”
“Shan. …That is a fine name.”
Coincidentally, it was the very pet name used by Yulisian Kleinheits’s mentor and the Former Emperor.
* * *
On the way back to the mansion, I took the reins.
I stroked Silfina’s mane once and guided the horse at a relaxed pace.
I had avoided riding all this time out of sheer cowardice, but now that I had actually faced it, it wasn’t nearly as daunting as I thought.
I simply hadn’t known because I had fled in groundless terror.
I was still a little frightened, but that fear was far smaller than what my imagination had conjured.
It was exactly like trembling in fear at the shadow of a cat, mistaking it for a tiger.
Now that the despair had lifted, my mind began to function properly again.
This was not the time to cower in hiding; it was the time to clear my name.
“Thank you, Shan.”
The body behind my back stiffened for a fraction of a second before relaxing.
“Surely you do not intend to just thank me and lock yourself away in your room again.”
“I do not!”
When I snapped back in a huff, he let out a low chuckle.
“Well, that is a relief. You stayed tucked away for so long that I was beginning to worry you had been possessed by the ghost of Scheit Huniswald himself.”
He was teasing me.
Here I was, expressing my sincere gratitude!
Honestly. How exasperating.
“Why are your lips pouting like that?”
“I am not pouting.”
“Then is that thing sticking out right now a bird’s beak instead of your lips?”
He shifted his head, trying to peer into my face.
His breath brushed against my ear.
Feeling a crimson flush crawl up my cheeks, I ducked my head low and tapped Silfina’s flanks.
As the horse abruptly surged forward, I felt Shan’s body pull away.
But that only lasted for a fleeting moment.
A solid arm wrapped firmly around my waist.
Though he had likely grabbed me just to keep from falling, my heart gave a sudden, violent thud.
“W-What are you doing!”
“We cannot afford to fall off, can we? This is your fault for suddenly accelerating, my lady.”
Shan pressed his body close against mine, turning on the charm as naturally as he breathed.
His hot body heat enveloped my back, and his arms circled me completely to grasp the reins alongside my hands.
“Move back a little.”
“We must avoid a fall, so please bear with it for a moment, my lady.”
While using the reins to slow our pace, Shan brazenly rested his chin right on my shoulder.
I returned to the estate practically cradled in his embrace.
Shan deftly navigated through paths shielded from public view and brought the horse to a stop in front of the stable.
Dismounting first, he extended his hand up to me.
Once I took it and stepped down, he slipped off his coat, draped it over my shoulders, and began fastening the buttons.
I could only twitch my fingers awkwardly, staring down.
I was accustomed to being waited on, but being genuinely cared for felt entirely foreign.
And Shan’s actions always felt closer to genuine care.
‘If I say thank you again, he will probably just crack another joke, right?’
Flustered by the overwhelming self-consciousness, I gave Silfina a parting pat and handed the reins over to the stablehand.
Though I was still afraid to meet people’s eyes, it was much better than before.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I turned back toward Shan.
I was cooling my burning cheeks with the back of my hand under his overly fond gaze, racking my brain for something to say to break this ticklish, unfamiliar atmosphere, when suddenly—
Grumble.
My stomach let out a resounding cry.
At the exact same moment, a muffled laugh burst from Shan’s lips.
“…….”
To think my stomach would make such a noise!
Mortified, I buried my face in my palms, only for Shan to wrap an arm around my shoulder.
“Let us head inside. It happens to be just in time for lunch.”
His pretending not to notice actually made it all the more humiliating.
We shifted our steps and walked toward the mansion.
As the building drew nearer, my feet ground to a sudden halt.
I was terrified, completely blind to what kind of hostility might be lurking within the dozens of eyes watching me.
As I faltered and tried to step backward, the large hand resting on my shoulder tightened its grip.
I turned my head to look at him.
Our eyes met, but this time, the fear vanished. Because he had promised to be my ally.
“…Hold my hand.”
“With pleasure.”
His large hand enveloped mine, squeezing it tight.
I took another deep breath and exhaled slowly.
The closer we got to the mansion, the faster my heart hammered against my ribs. The servants bowed their heads politely, yet they still stole sideways glances at me, clearly aware of the rumors.
I wanted to run away.
I wanted to hide myself again.
It had been fine when it was just the two of us, but the moment the crowd thickened, the air caught in my throat once more.
As my fingers twitched anxiously, Shan squeezed my hand harder.
We barely managed to reach the dining hall, and I forced the soup down my throat, barely registering the taste.
The surrounding area was deathly quiet.
Whether they had received strict orders beforehand, the maids and footmen attending to us did not dare open their mouths.
Even so, I kept tracking the movements of their lips, straining my ears to hear if they were whispering about me, and hyper-analyzing their expressions.
My entire body was wound tight with tension. My neck felt stiff, and every muscle was utterly rigid.
Even by my own judgment, I knew I was not in a normal state of mind right now.
There was only one way to restore myself to normal.
“Shan, will you go out with me?”
“Where do you intend to go?”
“I want to go look for Tommy, that boy.”
His expression grew slightly ambiguous. I kept stirring my soup aimlessly as I pressed on.
“Despite that massive commotion, no one has come to arrest me. When a crime occurs and there is a prime suspect, it is only standard procedure to conduct an investigation, even if there is an absence of physical evidence.”
“Which means…”
“Exactly. It means a crime has not actually been established yet. Tommy’s father firmly believes Tommy is dead, but they must not have found a body.”
“Hmm.”
I stopped swirling my soup and looked up at Shan.
As our eyes locked, he gave a firm nod.
“My lady, there is a place we must drop by before we head out.”

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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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