My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - Chapter 8
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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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Yulisian almost let out a self-deprecating laugh, completely forgetting for a moment that he was no longer in his own body.
‘To think I would hear his confession with my own two ears.’
He already knew that Kildian had been making continuous attempts on his life.
But this was the first time he had heard it directly from the man’s own mouth.
It was a strange feeling.
It wasn’t quite a sense of betrayal.
To feel something like that now, Kildian’s murderous intent was simply far too familiar.
A bitter taste filled his mouth.
He aimlessly rubbed the roof of his mouth with his tongue and lowered his head a fraction more.
Then, he silently repeated the speech patterns and habits of Scheit that Amarynthis had taught him.
He recalled the exact mannerisms Amarynthis had described.
“That is… his life or death… I couldn’t confirm it, so…”
He checked Kildian’s expression as he answered.
The man had absolutely no idea that Yulisian was currently occupying Scheit’s body.
“You couldn’t confirm if he was alive or dead? I explicitly told you to be careful not to let his breath cut out entirely, yet you can’t seem to do a single thing right.”
“…I am sorry.”
He answered reflexively, but his mind was in a whirl.
Not to let his breath cut out entirely? So he wasn’t trying to kill me? Then why launch the attack?
‘Could it be that he was trying to take over my body, but the process reversed?’
Kildian’s sharp voice cut through Yulisian’s thoughts.
“Who said I wanted an apology? Don’t you dare forget what I’ve done for you. I dragged you out of that hellish hovel, made you a nobleman, and even got you a beautiful wife. Yet you can’t even pay your own weight. You useless thing.”
When Yulisian fell silent, Kildian clicked his tongue in irritation.
“I will verify his condition myself, so you focus solely on your research for the time being.”
He swept his gaze up and down Scheit’s body.
Noticing the vivid bloodstains remaining on the shirt, a corner of Kildian’s mouth twisted up in a cruel smirk.
“Now that we have secured the most vital ingredient, there shouldn’t be any further setbacks with the research, correct?”
He still didn’t know exactly what the ingredient was or what the research entailed.
Even so, he had to nod.
If he claimed there was a setback, he would have to explain the reason behind it.
Kildian rose from his seat, his thin lips curving sharply.
“Bring me results that satisfy me within a month.”
One month. It was by no means a long time.
Within that timeframe, he had to root out the traitor, uncover Kildian’s ultimate goal, and find a way back to his original body.
If his real body was already dead, he would stop Kildian’s plans even if it meant risking his life to act as a double agent.
But before any of that, he needed to buy time.
If a month passed like this, his head would likely roll by Kildian’s hand.
While he was busy calculating his options, Kildian brought up another topic.
“And the amount you’ve been delivering lately has decreased.”
Delivering?
“You’ve been spending quite a lot on research expenses, haven’t you? Thanks to that, the funds going into our war chest have fallen short, which makes me thoroughly displeased.”
Kildian approached with an overbearing pressure.
“Extract more money from that woman. The amount… yes, ten times the current sum sounds appropriate.”
Yulisian recalled the Prenuptial Agreement.
The money Scheit currently received was 100 million Bern (Melbern’s currency unit) per month. Ten times that meant extracting a billion.
‘He’s insane.’
The inheritance of the Rutshield family was vast.
However, giving away a billion every month without any return was an entirely different matter.
“That is already clearly specified in the Prenuptial Agreement—”
Enraged, he failed to watch his tone, and Kildian cut him off with an annoyed grunt.
“Do I need to concern myself with those circumstances? Seduce her, threaten her, do whatever it takes to get the money.”
Kildian gripped Scheit’s bangs with a rough hand and forced his head up.
“Your face isn’t half bad once you push back these gloomy bangs, so it would be best to seduce her to ensure there are no loose ends later.”
His voice was laced with ridicule, as if he didn’t actually expect it to succeed.
He let go of Scheit’s hair with a dismissive shove and pulled out a handkerchief.
His brow furrowed deeply, as if he had touched a piece of filth.
He continued speaking as he meticulously wiped each of his fingers one by one.
“While you’re at it, slick those dismal bangs back, and fix that suffocating way of speaking and gloomy complexion, won’t you? Every time you step outside, have you ever considered how I feel introducing you as my subordinate? Tsk, I can barely hold my head up out of sheer embarrassment.”
It was an incredibly welcome command.
He had been feeling at a loss, wondering how he could possibly keep mimicking Scheit indefinitely. Now, he could use Kildian’s orders as an excuse to gradually alter his behavior.
“I… will… try…”
Kildian tapped Scheit’s cheek mockingly with the handkerchief, sneering.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
With that, his business was concluded.
Spinning around on his heel, Kildian tossed the handkerchief straight into the fireplace.
Thud.
After Kildian stepped inside, the bookshelf swung shut with a heavy groan.
The sound of his footsteps grew progressively distant.
Only when silence descended upon the room once more did Yulisian finally exhale a long breath and push his hair back.
When he lifted his face, a brilliant smile played upon his lips.
“I just need to cut ties with Amarynthis Rootsild.”
She was Kildian’s financial lifeline.
Without her money, the number of mercenaries Kildian could afford to hire would naturally dwindle.
With fewer mercenaries, the harm they could inflict would decrease as well.
Since the research was also funded by Amarynthis’s money, if he could secure a divorce within the month, he could simply use a lack of funds as an excuse for failing to produce results.
Even without knowing the details of the research, he could buy himself some time.
As things stood, there was only one thing Yulisian could do while trapped in Scheit’s body.
He would pretend to carry out Kildian’s order to seduce Amarynthis for more money, all while orchestrating a divorce as quickly as humanly possible.
* * *
The next morning, he met Scheit again at the breakfast table.
It was quite unusual for him to emerge from his room at such an early hour.
When she acknowledged him with a glance, Scheit sat down across from her and returned the greeting with a smile.
He unfurled his napkin over his lap and lifted his utensils.
His movements were strikingly elegant.
No, it went beyond mere elegance. It was a flawless display of courtly dining etiquette—one where not a single clink of porcelain could be heard, and even the direction of cutting the meat followed a strict order.
Of all people, Scheit Huniswald was doing this!
He was a man who couldn’t be further from the concept of elegance.
Whenever he ate, he used to hunch over completely.
Like a mouse hiding in the brush to monitor the movements of a predator, he would dart his eyes around while devouring his food ravenously.
The grating shriek of his knife scraping against the plate had been particularly unforgettable.
This wasn’t a transformation that could be explained by a simple bump to the head.
‘Did he get struck by lightning?’
As she stared blankly at him, Scheit swallowed his food and took a sip of water.
Then, while slicing into the main dish of fish, he struck up a conversation.
“My lady, I noticed your maiden name was Rootsild.”
Why bring that up now?
“That’s right.”
“You purchased the Mansion yourself, and you even bear the costs for management, maintenance, and the servants’ wages all on your own.”
“I do.”
“Is there a particular reason you provide your husband with a monthly living allowance of 100 million Bern on top of all that?”
He was talking about his own affairs as if he were an detached third party.
Was he still maintaining the charade of having amnesia?
She tilted her head to the side, trying to gauge his true intentions, but she couldn’t fathom them at all.
“Initially, I intended to move into your place, but it turned out to be a shabby apartment with barely four rooms. No grand ballroom, no stables… We couldn’t possibly live together in such a cramped space.”
“What does that have to do with you bearing the maintenance costs for the Mansion, my lady?”
“I told you I would cover all the expenses if we moved into a house of my choosing. You agreed to it.”
“And the servants’ wages?”
“I was the one who insisted on moving into a large estate, which required hiring them, so it’s only right that I pay them.”
In truth, this was merely the superficial reason.
Unless they were loyal retainers, people tended to side with whoever held the purse strings, which was why she had insisted on paying the salaries herself.
Not that she had ever explained that calculation to Scheit, of course. And she had no intention of doing so now either.
Finally,
“As for giving you 100 million Bern for living expenses…”
Tearing off a piece of the pre-dinner bread a bit late, she tilted her head.
“Doesn’t one spend at least that much in a month, even when economizing?”
Scheit looked utterly struck dumb.
She couldn’t understand why he was reacting that way.
It wasn’t as if she had said anything incorrect. Tilting her head further, she chewed on her bread.
Scheit scrutinized her face intently, like a man attempting to weigh the absolute truth of her words.
Then, he let out a laugh, as if finding the entire situation absurd.
“Do you actually know where Scheit Huniswald spends that money?”
There he went again, speaking in the third person.
Was he trying to act cute?
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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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