Chapter 8
Sandes waited patiently for Erina to collect herself.
It would be difficult.
Raging hatred—the kind that consumed the mind and ruled the heart—was the hardest thing to suppress, no matter what stood before it.
He knew this well.
So he chose silence.
“Thank you, Marquis.”
Her expression, much lighter than before, once again became unreadable—just as it had been when she first stepped into his office.
Meanwhile, Erina struggled to suppress the creeping embarrassment washing over her.
A grown woman—married, no less—had just sobbed in front of a man she had barely met.
If he thought she was an odd woman, she could hardly blame him.
Whether he sensed her turmoil or not, Sandes turned his gaze back to the mana stone still in his grasp.
“Shall we go over everything once more?”
His polite tone made Erina grateful, and she quickly nodded.
“My lady—”
“Marquis, let’s hold off on that title for now.”
Interrupting him, Erina offered a faint smile, her voice steady.
“When I have completely freed myself from House Eols—when I can be sure this isn’t just a dream—”
She trailed off, her golden eyes gleaming with the mere thought of that future.
“Then, will you call me by that name?”
For a moment, Sandes felt as if his heart had plummeted.
“…Yes, if that is what you wish.”
Ignoring the unfamiliar sensation in his chest, Sandes steadied his voice and resumed their conversation.
“Ahem. The agreement is this: you entrust mana stone distribution to me, and in return, I will ensure your safety. Correct?”
“Yes. Until House Eols is completely destroyed.”
“Very well.”
A deeply satisfied smile spread across Sandes’ face.
“As you must already know, having discovered the mine, the distribution of mana stones will be an enormous enterprise. You may even hold as much influence as the imperial princess herself.”
Erina agreed.
The Pethenia Continent was filled with artifacts—objects capable of using magic, a power no human could wield alone.
From simple light-producing artifacts to the warp gates managed by the imperial family, their uses were vast.
But without mana stones, none of them could function.
And since no new mana stone mines had been discovered in 500 years, they had been used sparingly, with the imperial family hoarding what little remained.
Unless the empire faced a dire crisis, their stockpile remained untouched.
Now, with the discovery of a new mine, all the artifacts on the continent could once again be fully utilized.
The owner of the mine wouldn’t just hold power in the Asilium Empire—their influence would extend across the entire continent.
And yet, in the original story, Rose and Faylon had foolishly thrown it all away.
It was almost unbelievable how stupid they had been.
“So, tell me plainly—how much authority do you wish to have over this enterprise?”
“I only want the net profits for myself.”
A subtle furrow formed between Sandes’ brows.
“I’ll leave the authority in your hands, Marquis.”
“And why is that?”
His expression was displeased.
It reminded Erina of the way he had looked at Faylon in the novel—a fool who wasted everything given to him.
“Because I know my limits.”
Something about his skeptical expression struck her as almost childishly petulant, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Power is only meaningful if you have the strength to wield it properly. Do you really think a divorced noblewoman with no family backing could hold her ground? I’d be lucky just to avoid being swept away.”
Sandes’ eyes widened slightly.
“And, to be honest, I despise dealing with tedious matters. So I’ll leave all the difficult work to you, and I’ll simply take what I need. Is that acceptable?”
Her face, still swollen from crying, now bore an impish smirk.
Forgetting his initial surprise, Sandes let out a full, hearty laugh.
“Hahahaha! If that’s what you wish.”
He had tried to brush it off with laughter, but a silent warning sounded in his mind.
This woman—he found her far too intriguing.
She had the appearance of someone delicate, easily broken.
Yet beneath that fragility was an unyielding strength, like bamboo—upright and firm.
At times, she seemed pitiful, like someone who might be helplessly swayed by others.
But at the same time, she was unyielding, determined to walk the path she had set for herself.
It was an irresistible contrast.
A dangerous gleam flashed in Sandes’ eyes.
“I’ll handle all the troublesome matters. You, my lady, only need to think about how you will live happily from now on.”
“Thank you, Marquis.”
“We’ll reveal the existence of the mana stone mine and finalize your divorce at the upcoming ‘Founding Festival’ next week.”
“The… Founding Festival?”
Erina was taken aback by the words ‘next week’ and ‘Founding Festival’.
With the shock of encountering Revil and Rose, followed by her focus on securing the mana stone mine, she had completely forgotten.
“Ah, it seems you had forgotten.”
Before leaving the Eols estate earlier that day, she had sensed some unusual busyness in the atmosphere.
It must have been because the festival was approaching.
The Countess Dowager of Eols had a well-known hobby—pitting multiple designers against each other in a competition.
“If preparation is difficult, I can assist you.”
Noticing her troubled expression, Sandes offered help, but Erina shook her head.
“It’s fine. Since this is how things are unfolding, I’ll make sure to create a dramatic scene during the announcement.”
“A dramatic scene?”
“A pitiful countess who can’t even afford a new dress, suffering because her husband brought his mistress into their home…”
She didn’t like the idea of earning pity from the nobles attending the festival, but at the very least, it would ensure no one would take Faylon and Mireya’s side.
And once it was revealed that the so-called mistress was none other than Rose Asilla—the darling of high society and daughter of Count Asilla…
“Wouldn’t it be quite the spectacle?”
The more she envisioned the scene, the more she liked it.
But Sandes did not.
If everything played out the way Erina planned, she would suffer.
Not just momentary discomfort—she would become the subject of gossip, whispered about behind her back.
Some might sympathize with her, but others would mock her, questioning her inability to hold onto her husband.
Even if Faylon and Rose faced criticism, Erina would still bear the brunt of society’s judgment.
The thought of her enduring those wounds irritated Sandes.
“You won’t reconsider?”
“Once I divorce—”
She turned to the dark window behind him and smiled softly.
“I won’t care about anything anymore. No matter what they say about me, I’ll just do whatever I want.”
“Countess—”
“Life is too short to spend worrying about every little thing. It’s not even long enough to be happy all the time, so why waste it picking apart every detail?”
She gazed at the small, pale moon beyond the window.
She had changed the original story by taking the mana stone mine.
But who knew what the future held?
If the laws of the original novel remained intact, she could still be doomed.
Just as in the novel, she might die within a year.
Or a disaster could strike, stripping her of everything she had gained.
So she had decided—she would use whatever time she had left to live happily.
Let those who ignored her, dismissed her, and scorned her burn with jealousy.
“Understood. I will help with the preparations.”
“The mine is located behind the rocky mountain past the hill beside the village.”
“A rocky mountain?”
Sandes was genuinely surprised.
He prided himself on knowing the terrain around the village well, yet he had never realized that just beyond that hill lay a mana stone mine.
“Once you pass the hill, you’ll see my name engraved on a section of the rock face.”
Thinking back, Sandes realized he had never ventured close to that rocky mountain.
How peculiar.
“I’ll confirm it and begin preparations for excavation.”
“I’ll leave the mana stone in your hands, Marquis. Please handle it well for the Founding Festival.”
“It’s quite late. Shall we continue this discussion in the morning?”
“Yes.”
Realizing how long they had been talking, they brought the conversation to a close.
After bidding him goodnight, Erina left the office.
Sandes watched her until the door shut behind her.
“Lanta.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
A man who had been standing silently in the corner of the room—so well-hidden he had gone unnoticed—stepped forward.
“Investigate the Eols estate again.”
“Understood.”
As Lanta disappeared, Sandes sank into deep thought.
—
When Erina entered the room where Revil was waiting, she froze in surprise.
She had spent so much time speaking with Sandes that it was very late.
And there stood Revil, his eyes red, leaning against the bedside, waiting.
He had stayed awake, holding onto her promise that she would return soon.
“Madam, you have no idea how difficult it was—he refused to move an inch! I was just about to come looking for you.”
Chemil, relieved at Erina’s return, gave a small sigh before quickly excusing herself.
As soon as the door closed, Revil lifted his head.
His damp, crimson eyes held both sorrow and relief.
For the first time, she didn’t see Eols in them.
She didn’t see Faylon.
Or the flames of House Eols in their flickering red hue.
For the first time, she saw only Revil.
“You… you’re back.”
He held something in his arms—a long parasol.
The one she had left behind at the rocky mountain.
She had completely forgotten about it while eating at Susan and John’s house.
But Revil hadn’t.
To him, that parasol must have been his only lifeline.
Carefully, hesitantly, he stepped closer, his small hands offering it to her.
As Erina took it, her heart clenched.
It was as if, in her, he had found what she had desperately searched for when she lost everything to her uncle.
She hadn’t wanted this.
He was the heir of House Eols.
That meant she had to let go of his hand.
And he knew it too.
That was why he didn’t reach for her.
He simply watched her.
He wanted her, but he didn’t ask for her.
And that…
That mirrored her own childhood too closely.
“Revil, if you’re willing to abandon everything that House Eols has given you—”
A storm of emotions swelled inside her.
Her heart pounded, her voice trembling with something even she couldn’t define.
“Do you want to come with me?”
At those words, Revil’s crimson eyes filled with pure joy.
