“It’s not very dangerous as long as you don’t do it wrong.”
I then diverted the subject to another place.
“I’ll ask for confirmation. You want a divorce, right?”
“…Yes that’s right. I want to part ways.”
Tears welled up in the corner of the countess’ eyes and ran down her cheeks.
“But my husband won’t let me go. Because the moment we become separate men and women legally, my husband’s title returns to me…”
Ah.
Countess Valentine was a woman of love of the century. Born as a noble, she married a commoner man out of love.
She even gave her husband the title she was supposed to receive, and she chose to remain as a countess herself.
‘In other words, the present Count of Valentine is a commoner.’
But Count Valentine did not appreciate the grace for a long time, and instead fell in love with alcohol, gambling, and playing with women.
Of course, the gold mine passed down from generation to generation for Count Valentine was freely used, and even her family members were guaranteed not to stand there.
He was an asshole like Duval.
“I know. So we have to force him to get a divorce.”
“How?”
“I’ll catch the affair.”
The empire was in a situation where various systems were prepared to solve the overflowing infidelity.
And I was going to help Countess Valentine by using one of those systems that ‘can divorce or break up unilaterally without trial when a spouse or fiance has slept with another person’.
Unlike Duval, Count Valentine’s life was rather scandalous.
Realizing the meaning of what I said, the countess muttered with a dark complexion.
“So how do you…”
“That’s why there’s a guild.”
It was then that I heard someone coming.
I stopped talking to her and looked towards the sound. And I frowned at the appearance of the familiar people.
Likewise, the Countess, having identified those who were getting close, withdrew her body. She clearly looked terrified.
“There you are.”
Count Valentine approached with a pretentious voice.
His tone and expression were so soft, he seemed like a man who really loved his wife to those who didn’t know what was going on.
Beside him were Duval, who frowned, and Leila Essit, Duval’s sister.
Unfortunately, Tyrael was not there. She ran too far and seemed to not cross paths. It would have been worth a look if they had met.
“I’ve been looking for you for a while.”
Count Valentine, who showed a friendly smile, reached out. The Countess only backed away from her faltering, but she couldn’t resist.
Taking a deep breath, I naturally cut between the two of them.
“I see you again, Count.”
“…Miss Labyrinth.”
The Count looked at me and hardened his face slightly.
I grabbed the Countess’ wrist, which was trembling behind me. I was thinking of leaving this place since the disruptors appeared.
“Well, we’re busy.”
The countess flinched as if surprised, but she didn’t raise let go of hand.
However, before I could even take a single step, the Count blocked my way.
When I asked with my eyes what was going on, the Count opened his mouth coldly.
“I have something to tell my wife.”
“I haven’t finished the conversation with her.”
“Can’t you do it here?”
“No. It’s a lady’s secret.”
The count’s face contorted when I showed I had no intention of backing down.
After exchanging a few more words, he decided that it was difficult to deal with me, so he changed his goals and spoke to the Countess.
“Tell me. Who has more priority, me or Miss Labyrinth?”
The Countess’ eyelids trembled in terror.
I took a step forward and completely cut off her from the Count. Then I gave strength to my eyes and said sarcastically.
“What are you doing now? You want her to take sides?”
“I’m sorry Miss, but it’s an urgent conversation—”
“I am also in a hurry. If the Count hadn’t intervened, the conversation would have been over sooner, but I wonder what this is doing?”
WhenI responded so coldly that I thought it was rude, the Count hesitated. It seemed that he was taken aback by my attitude, which was rumored to be meek.
In the meantime, I took the countess’s hand and moved. The hesitant Countess closed her eyes and followed, stiffening her body.
It was time to pass by Duval in that state.
“Wait a minute, madam. Can you spare me a moment?”
Duval, who came out with a disapproving face and watched the disturbance of Count Valentine, intervened.
I stopped the countess before she got involved with him.
“Madam, did you say you didn’t know who the Count’s affair was with?”
“…?”
“It’s Leila Essit. Duval even introduced me to her.”
“…!”
The countess’ hands trembled.
In fact, it was a fraudulent play by the Essit brother and sister who aimed for the Valentine money, but there was no need to tell her that.
I pulled the Countess in, saying let’s go quickly.
“Ciela!”
Pls read only at pinkmuffintl.
It must have been unpleasant that things went wrong because of me.
Awkwardly, Duval, who had gnawed his teeth, called me with an angry voice. Either way, I went my way.
Then Duval screamed behind us.
“The only time you’re running wild is now. Would you come back if you knew what I was doing? There’s no point in regretting it. Be prepared, because when you get down on your knees and beg, I won’t accept it!”
Those confident words reminded me of Leather. Every time he handed him a fake report, he told me that Duval was very pleased.
“Okay? I will never accept you no matter what!”
His voice echoed through the hall.
Yes. Keep barking. I diligently moved my steps and shook my head gently.
‘I’m going to have to ask Leather to raise the price.’
Considering that you believe in fake reports so strongly, it would be okay to raise the price even more.
At this point, I’ll have to dry up Duval’s money chain.
~*~
(3rd person pov)
“What is this, Count? You said there would be no problem!”
The place where Ciela and the Countess Valentine left, Leila, Duval’s younger sister and Count Valentine’s mistress, exclaimed.
Originally, they had tried to get the Countess Valentine, who had a great business sense, to help with the new business envisioned on the sheet.
Then, unexpectedly, Ciela appeared and took her. She even introduced Leila to the Countess.
They didn’t know how she found out, but it seemed the Countess, who had learned the truth, would be far from helping Essit.
Not knowing that Leila was after his money, the Count, who fell in love with her and lost his mind, broke into a cold sweat.
“I, that’s not it.”
“And you, my brother, what are you doing when you can’t even keep your fiance?!”
“How is that my fault?”
Duval, who was still annoyed by Ciela, raised his voice.
Leila, who was angry at him, shot at him.
“Anyway, I heard that you fell in love with her best friend or whatever, what the hell are you going to do? What will you do if there is even talk of breaking up the marriage?”
“I have no intention of breaking up. There are other things to do, so don’t worry.”
Duval thought of Leather, the master of Ciel’s Love Manipulation Guild. Although it was an expensive payment that made his eyes pop out, it was well worth it.
Right at that moment.
“Young master Essit-!”
A shrill voice ripped the air.
Duval, startled by the familiar voice, turned around in confusion.
“You are here! Talk to me for a minute! Is it true that you still love Ciela?!”
Tyrael, covered in tears and runny nose, was running towards him like an angry rhinoceros.
His body shuddered at how fierce her momentum was. Duval unknowingly took a step backwards from her.
Then he turned around and walked quickly as if he had thought of an urgent matter for an instant, then turned around the corner and started running away in earnest.
“Wait! Wait a minute! Young master Essit! It’s me, it’s Tyrael!”
Tap, tap, tap.
Instead of Duval’s inaudible voice, only the sound of hasty footsteps filled the exhibition room.
Tyrael exclaimed sadly.
“Young master Essit-!”
A cry of loss rang out in a mournful way. Tyrael, who mistook Duval for not seeing her and just left, pursued him eagerly.
After a single storm, silence came.
“…”
“…”
Leila and Count Valentine, bewildered, looked at where those two had disappeared.
Then, Leila, who first came to her senses, opened her mouth.
“What are you going to do?”
“What…”
“Your wife. Isn’t she supposed to help the business?”
“…Do we really need my wife?”
“How many times do I have to explain?”
At the really stupid question, Leila got angry.
Arya Valentine’s business sense was unparalleled.
Among the families that closely interacted with, she helped Essit run a cafe.
It opened in an excellent location, but the business did not go as well as expected, so while trying to close, she heard Arya’s advice which has made it now one of the famous cafes in the capital.
Leila groaned fiercely.
“I only trusted the Count and pushed ahead with it, but if something goes wrong, it’s the Count’s responsibility. You know?”
“Hey, what would you like me to do?”
The Count asked urgently as if there was going to be talk about breaking up. Leila crossed her arms and snorted in exasperation.
“You have to make your wife help the business.”
“How…”
“Do I even have to tell you that? Hmm… Does your wife have a man? If she does, I think we can do something about it.”
At Leila’s words, Count Valentine looked back at the guard’s report that had been attached to his wife.
It said: She was just stuck in her room with no motivation…
She was in no situation to meet anyone because she drank and wielded violence when in panic, which made her stop going out for fear of getting caught up in gossip.
‘If I had known it would be like this, I would have released her a little bit.’
He regretted his choice. Then he suddenly remembered a sentence he heard while gambling.
There is no such thing as ‘nothing’ in the world. If not, you can create ‘something’.
“There is. No, it can be done.”
Count Valentine’s eyes shone brightly, having decided something. In those eyes, Leila knew that the Count had thought of something bad.
However, she didn’t open her mouth and block him because she thought it wouldn’t do any harm to her.