My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - Chapter 59

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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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Tristan led the way, guiding us into the drawing room.
I sank onto the sofa, looking up at the two men with eyes that demanded answers.
Scheit answered smoothly as he served the tea, a gesture that had become second nature to him.
“The day I went to the Palace Guard with you, Madam, I found the boy’s attitude strange. That was when I asked Tristan to protect him.”
It meant he had picked up on the exact same anomalies I had.
“Protect him? You didn’t mean keep him under surveillance?”
“People usually employ young children because they are easy to dispose of.”
Tristan nodded from where he stood beside him.
“Even if they resist, they’re easy to overpower, and tricking them is child’s play. That’s why I’ve been guarding the front of Tommy’s house every night since that day.”
So that was why.
That explained why Scheit had abruptly excused himself, claiming he had urgent business, and why Commander Tristan—who had snored through our notebook-deciphering sessions and volunteered to act as a human alarm clock—had been missing for the past few days.
It finally made sense.
“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“I assumed you were entirely in the dark, Madam. Had I known you noticed and even attached a maid to him, I would have told you.”
“So it was Amarynthis’s maid tracking Tommy? She was tagging along so closely I almost thought she was sent to kill—ack!”
Scheit cut Tristan off by stomping hard on his foot.
“I mistook her for someone hired by the person who instigated the stoning.”
“Still, her face looked somewhat familiar, and she didn’t seem to be harming Tommy, so I just left her alone.”
A wave of dizziness washed over me at the realization that Sindy could have been attacked by the Commander of the Palace Guard himself.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a brief moment before opening them again.
Hearing this much allowed me to piece the rest of the situation together.
There was no need to ask for a further explanation of what followed.
Tristan must have rescued Tommy from a critical danger and kept him under his protection.
The number of people in the Empire whose martial prowess surpassed his could be counted on one hand.
And one of those few was currently in a state where no one even knew if he was alive or dead.
No matter who Princess Lucretia had hired, protecting Tommy while subduing the adversary would have been an effortless task for him.
“Still, I am so relieved the boy is alive. Have you informed his family?”
Scheit shook his head.
“If word gets out that he is alive before this matter is resolved, the boy’s family might be placed in jeopardy. Therefore, I have refrained from notifying them.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to give them at least a hint?”
“When it comes to secrets, it is always best for the absolute minimum number of people to know.”
His words certainly carried weight.
Yet I could not forget the agonizing screams of a father who believed his son was dead.
Even so, I could not risk innocent lives just to ease my own guilt.
“We need to deal with Princess Lucretia as quickly as possible. For my sake, and for the sake of that boy and his family.”
The mere fact that Tommy was alive meant the false charges against me were practically undone.
If Nina provided her testimony, Princess Lucretia’s tyrannical behavior and the diplomatic scandal she caused would be laid bare.
Of course, since seeing Princess Lucretia’s face would be agonizing for Nina, I had no intention of forcing her.
I felt as though I had discovered a small window in a dark room where light seemed destined never to enter.
As time passed, the sun would rise again; my only task now was to leave the window I found wide open.
* * *
The following day, a letter arrived from Arpeggio, practically overflowing with anxiety.
It seemed talk had surfaced during the Kinship Council that a disciplinary measure should be handed down for tarnishing the clan’s honor.
I managed to soothe them and hold them back for now. But if you don’t wrap this up quickly, it’s going to be brought up at the Family Head Council. When that happens, it will be difficult even for me to protect you. Of course, you are wise and strong, so I know you’ll handle it well on your own, but if it truly cannot be resolved, tell me. I’ll be staying in the Capital for the time being.
—From Arpeggio, who always trusts you.
P.S. Don’t worry about Sindy, I am taking good care of her.
It was a mere letter, yet it brought tremendous peace of mind.
Even if I failed to clear my name, I felt as though things would somehow work out if I turned to Arpeggio.
Not that I had any intention of leaving everything on his shoulders, though.
I penned a reply to Arpeggio, appending a message at the very end of the letter.
I need an incredibly rare variety of rose. Could you obtain it for me before the Flower Show?
It was a polite request, but if it was Arpeggio, he would somehow search the ends of the earth to deliver the rarest rose in existence by the deadline I gave him.
I intended to enter that rose into the Flower Show.
Winning an award at the show would grant me the right to plant my sapling in any spot I desired within the Imperial Garden.
Which was precisely what I needed right now.
While waiting for the rose to arrive, I decided to prepare everything else one by one.
First, I needed to clear up the misunderstanding with the Marquis’s Daughter, Metterni.
When Princess Lucretia’s deeds were exposed, Lady Metterni could easily find herself dragged down into the fallout.
To be honest, it would not have mattered if I left her to her fate, but since she was someone I had been close with, it weighed on my mind.
Besides, if she chose to side with Princess Lucretia, it could disrupt my plans.
Even as I headed toward the villa alongside Scheit, anxiety kept clawing at me.
“I cannot tell whether the carriage is shaking because you are trembling your leg, Madam, or because we are passing over a cobblestone road.”
“…What if they have all run away? The rumors are so dreadful, after all.”
“Then you can simply do what you do best, Madam.”
“What I do best? Persuasion?”
“Bribery.”
It was brief, resolute, and devastatingly accurate.
For some reason, it made me cross.
“Paying them a sum so grand that they cannot possibly abandon the commission should suffice.”
I never expected such Rutshield-like words to slip from Scheit’s mouth.
“How surprising. I took you for an upright, rigid gentleman.”
“I happen to have an excellent teacher right before my eyes.”
The very words I once spoke came right back to hit me.
I was about to retort that since he had learned such wicked things from me, I ought to take responsibility, but the phrase ‘take responsibility’ caused my heart to stumble.
My lips clamped shut, refusing to part.
Fortunately, before the atmosphere could turn awkward, the carriage ground to a halt.
We had arrived at the villa.
“Keep up the diligent work.”
He burst into laughter at my remark.
The sound was uncharacteristically refreshing, sending a pleasant tickle against my ears.
Hurrying inside the villa, the very first thing that caught my eye was the completed work.
The requested jewelry and dress were displayed beautifully on a mannequin.
The sight of so many people caused my body to freeze reflexively.
Though I had improved significantly enough to tolerate one or two individuals, being surrounded by a crowd staring at me like this still made my chest feel a bit tight.
Just as my smile was about to turn strained, Scheit wrapped his hand around my shoulder. His gentle stroke against my arm, silently reassuring me that it was alright, helped me steady my breathing as I surveyed the artisans.
Not a single person had fled.
In fact, every single one of them bore a bright expression, radiating immense pride at having finished the dress and jewelry within a mere two weeks.
“We worked without taking a single step outside the villa.”
“You know it wasn’t just for the money, Baroness, right? You must continue to patronize our guild.”
They truly knew nothing of the rumors.
I let out a relieved smile and nodded.
“Of course. You all went through so much trouble. Thank you for granting such an unreasonable request.”
At a subtle nod from me, a servant began distributing boxes of gold coins to the artisans.
“I have given orders to prepare a meal and a banquet, so please enjoy yourselves, rest well, and take your time before leaving. I must depart, as I have other matters to attend to.”
I personally supervised the packing of the dress and jewelry.
After watching the boxes containing the dress and jewelry get loaded into the carriage ahead of me, I climbed inside and gave the driver my instruction.
“To the Metterni Mansion.”
Scheit looked over at me, sounding surprised.
“Are we going straight there?”
“Yes. We cannot risk anyone tampering with them along the way.”
“I take it a reply has arrived for your letter requesting a visit this time?”
“No?”
I had sent a letter, indeed.
However, there was still no response.
Since associating with someone accused of murder would inevitably ruin one’s reputation, there was no way she would send a reply.
“I plan to just barge in.”
A rare look of astonishment crossed Scheit’s face before he let out a chuckle.
“You have become quite reckless.”
“Well, it’s not as if I have any remaining reputation left to lose anyway.”
A mischievous smile broke across his face as he rested his elbows on his knees, leaning his upper body forward.
He whispered to me, looking exactly like a pair of rascals plotting a prank.
“Is it not far more liberating than when you were shackled by various reputations and useless etiquettes?”
“…To be completely honest, it is.”
It felt entirely refreshing, much like the exhilaration of riding a horse at full gallop.
In the past, I would have spent my days agonizing and fretful over whether a reply would arrive or not.
“I suppose crumbling to pieces once in a while isn’t so bad, provided there is someone by your side to help you stand back up.”
“…….”
“I am glad that I met you.”
Scheit gazed at me in silence.
The playfulness vanished from his smile.
There it was again. That look. A pair of eyes harboring thoughts I could never fathom, yet brimming with a ticklish, warm, and tender light.
My heart began to thump wildly once more.
It felt as though every other sound inside the carriage had suddenly faded into nothingness.

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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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