How To Divorce A Male Protagonist

“Episode 33”

Yuliana clicked her tongue, thinking about the Emperor and Empress who spent a year in primitive agony.
Evan looked at Yuliana, who scoffed, as if mocking him, and smiled back.
“It’s not like he just endured those antics without considering anything else. Putting a humble family’s daughter as the Empress is really a difficult task. That guy, he’s obsessive and stupid since he was a child… So pitiful…”
Yuliana scrutinized her husband’s face for a moment, where a fleeting sadness passed.
Receiving her gaze, Evan closed his eyes as if erasing vague emotions, and then suddenly opened them again, wearing his usual sharp gaze.
“I might be late helping with palace affairs in the future.”
“How long?”
Yuliana brushed off her hands, leaving only ashes and stems, just like her husband.
A subtle, comforting fragrance brushed her nose. The fragrance was subtly chewing on her anxiety.
Yuliana grimaced in discomfort, not knowing how to react.
Her husband was the commander of the palace knights, and recently, he was a remarkable man who even went to the battlefield just for the desire to be recognized by his wife.
Although she didn’t know how things would turn out in the future, being involved with the protagonist and the great male lead, who was also her husband, seemed inevitable. Seeing Yuliana’s still puzzled expression, Evan said to her with a hint of frustration, knowing only she felt unjust.
“Palace affairs are undergoing rapid changes, so I’ll need time to adapt.”
“Then the Duke might be lonely for a while.”
“Hmm.”
“Why?”
As Yuliana spoke sulkily, Evan sighed, saying, “I don’t know how to say this strange proposal.”
“A strange proposal?”
After a moment, Evan said.
“That woman said she wants to see you. Someone who’s busy adjusting to palace life. Strange, right? Are all beings from other dimensions like that?”
“Me…?”
Yuliana felt a strange sensation.
From her first appearance, using the power of Aria’s and knowing the Emperor’s most desperate and hidden desires.
Now the reason for the strange sensation became clear.
Yuliana realized that the novel’s protagonist she had seen in her past life wasn’t that woman. More precisely, she wasn’t a character who found her place in such a rushed manner.
“That woman isn’t the character I saw.”
A momentary realization shook her body.
Unable to hide her trembling heart as the fragrance approached, Yuliana couldn’t bear to look at him. Concealing her slightly trembling hand, she said with effort.
“Okay. Let’s meet the fairy.”
The story changed. There was a possibility that she wasn’t the woman who dimension-traveled just like in the original work.
“Maybe, that woman is like me…”
Yuliana reassured herself with a determined smile.
“I’m not afraid. I survived this far and fell in love with Evan. As if it were destiny. Then the ‘threads of fate’ in this world belong to me.”
Yuliana impulsively leaned in and kissed her husband’s lips. And of course, her husband didn’t refuse.
A passionate kiss followed, swallowing up even her anxiety. Yuliana liked his greedy side.
Really.

* * *
If you ask who the busiest person in the Duke’s mansion is recently, everyone would refer to either the Duchess or the Duke himself. However, Anna would often complain that people didn’t realize how busy she was. And indeed, as the youngest maid, she had a lot of work to do.

Anna dashed around anxiously, taking care of the fragile Duchess’s well-being.

Fortunately, being from a rural village, Anna had a strong physique comparable to that of a cow. She sometimes woke up so early that even the steward, Zen, was surprised. Usually, it was to handle the duties of the Duchess.

Today, as Zen began his day by inspecting the entire mansion, he was taken aback to see the youngest maid bustling around.

Carrying loads on her shoulders without the help of a porter, the young maid entered and exited the grand Duke’s mansion like a squirrel on a wheel.

“Anna!”

At the call, Anna swiftly turned around with a composed face devoid of sweat.

It was impossible to tell what she was carrying in her hands, brimming with items. Zen, who looked young, even childish, was amazed to see the youngest maid so busy.

“What on earth is going on from this crack of dawn?”

“The Duchess went to the palace today. She wanted to see the dress she ordered as soon as the salon opened!”

“What?”

Zen furrowed his brows at the words.

The Duchess frequented the salon with the best designs in the empire. It was quite a nuisance for her to rush in as soon as the door opened.

It was an action that could undermine the morale of the salon’s staff. Zen clicked his tongue, thinking of the employees who had to work tirelessly from early morning due to early-morning customers.

“Why all this fuss when it’s not her first time going to the palace? Someone to accompany the Duchess with her dress…?”

“Well, she seemed a bit weak recently. She seemed a bit anxious about entering the palace. Maybe seeing pretty clothes will cheer her up.”

“If the Duchess thinks as simplistically as you do, how nice would that be?”

Anna said gloomily.

“Still, the Duchess said she wants to dress up more than ever today.”

“Is that so? Hm… Then maybe she’s really feeling anxious.”

Zen said bluntly.

Then, as if teaching the absent-minded young maid who stood still with a cluttered load, he added.

“It’s okay to use porters for such tasks. It’s not good to see the maid of the Duke’s mansion rushing around like that. The Duchess might think you’re being bothered.”

“Gosh! I’m, I’m sorry. Um, it’s just that the Duchess seemed a bit weak lately. She seemed a bit anxious about entering the palace. Maybe seeing pretty clothes will cheer her up.”

“If the Duchess thinks as simplistically as you do, how nice would that be.”

Anna said gloomily.

“Still, the Duchess said she wants to dress up more than ever today.”

“Is that so? Hm… Then maybe she’s really feeling anxious.”

Zen said bluntly.

Then, as if teaching the absent-minded young maid who stood still with a cluttered load, he added.

“It’s okay to use porters for such tasks. It’s not good to see the maid of the Duke’s mansion rushing around like that. The Duchess might think you’re being bothered.”

“Oh! Um, are you going to say that?”

“Well, maybe.”

“Steward Zen!”

Anna followed Zen in a flurry.

The sun was just rising behind them. Watching their disappearing figures down the corridor, Yuliana, hidden behind a large window, was quietly observing.

Not knowing the path of events, she soon dragged her feet to the bed, gently nudging her lightly sleeping husband’s nose.

“Wake up.”

“…Huh?”

Confirming the dim morning light, Evan looked at Yuliana.

Then, momentarily waking up from his comfortable sleep, he spoke to his wife, who always wore a melancholy expression after waking up.

“Did you sleep?”

“I did.”

“Lies.”

Yuliana looked at Evan, who spoke firmly, then snorted as if she felt pitiful.

Then, grabbing a handful of petals wrapped in leaves next to her head, which she always tried to kiss, she grabbed one of her arms trying to crawl on his chest, and Evan held her in his arms.

While Yuliana complained, feeling pressed against his chest, Evan chuckled.

“You always seem to wake up earlier than me, feeling unfairly treated, as if you woke up first. Then you wake me up too.”

“I’m just waking up early.”

Yuliana said firmly.

Evan looked at her, then sighed softly.

“Well, even though the Duchess spends a lot of money, she wasn’t passionate about dressing herself up. She always knew she was pretty and believed in it. So, seeing her suddenly enthusiastic about her appearance…”

“Ah! Is that about the Duchess peacock?”

“…Duchess peacock?”

“A male peacock shows off its feathers to impress the female when mating!”

Anna explained enthusiastically.

And for the first time in his life, Zen, who heard Anna compare the Duchess to a peacock, shook his head nervously.

“I didn’t say that, Anna. I imagine the Duchess would really appreciate being called a peacock. Tsk tsk…”

“Gosh! A-Are you going to say that?”

“…Maybe.”

“Steward Zen!”

Anna followed Zen in a flurry.

The sun was just rising behind them. Watching their disappearing figures down the corridor, Yuliana, hidden behind a large window, was quietly observing.

Not knowing the path of events, she soon dragged her feet to the bed, gently nudging her lightly sleeping husband’s nose.

“Wake up.”

“…Huh?”

Confirming the dim morning light, Evan looked at Yuliana.

Then, momentarily waking up from his comfortable sleep, he spoke to his wife, who always wore a melancholy expression after waking up.

“Did you sleep?”

“I did.”

“Lies.”

Yuliana looked at Evan, who spoke firmly, then snorted as if she felt pitiful.

Then, grabbing a handful of petals wrapped in leaves next to her head, which she always tried to kiss, she grabbed one of her arms trying to crawl on his chest, and Evan held her in his arms.

While Yuliana complained, feeling pressed against his chest, Evan chuckled.

“You always seem to wake up earlier than me, feeling unfairly treated, as if you woke up first. Then you wake me up too.”

“I’m just waking up early.”

Yuliana said firmly.

Evan looked at her, then sighed softly.

“Well, even though the Duchess spends a lot of money, she wasn’t passionate about dressing herself up. She always knew she was pretty and believed in it. So, seeing her suddenly enthusiastic about her appearance…”

“Ah! Is that about the Duchess peacock?”

“…Duchess peacock?”

“A male peacock shows off its feathers to impress the female when mating!”

Anna explained enthusiastically.

And for the first time in his life, Zen, who heard Anna compare the Duchess to a peacock, shook his head nervously.

“I didn’t say that, Anna. I imagine the Duchess would really appreciate being called a peacock. Tsk tsk…”

“Gosh! A-Are you going to say that?”

“…Maybe.”

“Steward Zen!”

Anna followed Zen in a flurry.

The