“Episode 6”
With his marshmallow-like white and fluffy appearance, he didn’t seem threatening at all, but it was a big deal nonetheless.
“I know very well that you’re trying to ignore the Viscount just because he’s a bastard. But now, he’s a hero of the Empire! Can’t you be satisfied with that?”
“He’s going to be the one to kill your daughter someday, Father! If you don’t know, just stay quiet!”
This time, Yuliana snapped her mouth shut. Then, realizing his attempt to anger her was futile, she lowered her head in submission.
Yuliana, who had been contemplating how to get through this ordeal, suddenly sparkled with her eyes.
Being naturally frail and relying on her delicate health whenever things got tough was a habit of Yuliana’s, and now seemed like the perfect time to use it.
“Oh!”
Suddenly, Yuliana clutched her forehead with an exaggerated gesture. Viscount Oben, who was about to deliver his prepared speech, was taken aback, supporting Yuliana.
Although it was ridiculous for him to support her like that, she shamelessly kept her hand on her forehead.
“Y-Yuliana! What’s wrong!”
“M-My head hurts…”
“No, no. This can’t be. Is your body still not well? Is that it? I heard rumors that the walls of the castle are a bit thin. You must have caught a cold!”
Yuliana accepted her father’s words, pretending to be obedient, and didn’t forget to drop her eyes pitifully.
“Yes. A few days ago, the major construction work was also because of that. I keep catching colds after getting married… The walls are too thin, and there’s a draft.”
“No, why didn’t you say so before it got to this point?”
“How could I ever throw a tantrum at you, Father? Sniff.”
“Poor, poor daughter…”
“Enough, enough!”
At that moment, Yuliana’s eyes sparkled like a cat catching its prey in the dark. Then, sobbing, she buried herself in Viscount Oben’s embrace.
“Sob, Father! I’m so tired! People call me extravagant. I just wanted to do some renovation and receive a rare gift from my husband… They’re all jealous, you know. Ah! I think this is the punishment for being born beautiful. Sob….”
Moved by her performance, Viscount Oben jumped up from his seat as if a marshmallow was bouncing in a fire, bouncing around in all directions.
“That’s right! Extravagant? Impossible!”
“Do people really talk badly about me?”
Yuliana asked, her shocked expression closing her mouth. Viscount Oben was startled, his head jerking back as if he were crazy.
“Oh, Yuliana. Don’t listen to the words of people who can’t control their mouths. They’re all just jealous of you. Who wouldn’t be jealous of someone as profound as you?”
“Sob, Father! I thought you would understand my intentions.”
“Of course!”
The Viscount and Yuliana embraced each other tightly.
Meanwhile, the maids watching them exchanged glances and whispered to each other.
“That seems a bit much…”
But the two, already trapped in their own world, continued to hug each other tightly.
—
“Phew, pretending to cry is exhausting.”
Yuliana, having managed to send her father away, flopped onto the sofa, rubbing her cheeks.
*Klik-klik-klik…*
At that moment, an unnamed bird flew across the sky, its cry piercing through the deepening twilight. Yuliana stared blankly out the window, murmuring softly.
“I want to run away too… Ah…”
“With whom?”
“…Huh.”
Yuliana, who had been lying on the long sofa, bolted upright at the familiar yet frightening voice.
It was clear she was absent-minded. Usually, she never forgot that this was the time the palace guards returned, but today, she was drained from lying to her father. She awkwardly smiled at Evan, who stood in the doorway, looking at her.
“Oh, you’re early.”
“I’m not early. If anything, I’m late.”
“…”
He spoke the truth without missing a beat. Yuliana glanced at the clock with one eye, wondering if he was telling the truth. Damn, he really was later than usual.
“Ahem. I’m a bit distracted today because of Father’s visit. I should go to bed early.”
She began to prepare to leave the room discreetly.
As Yuliana, clutching the order forms to her chest, attempted to sneak away, Evan asked, “Did the items you ordered arrive?”
Surprised by the sudden question, Yuliana turned around and replied, “Ah, I thought this was the end of it! I’ll be ordering a lot more in the future! It’s been a long time since I indulged in a hobby. Evan, you understand, right?”
“I’m fine with anything you order. Your happiness is mine.”
Even though she had only ordered a few things so far! Yuliana sighed, thinking, “This guy still hasn’t come to his senses.”
So, as soon as Lord Evan saw it, he confidently pulled out a document from among the stack of papers, which made Yuliana jump in fright.
Yuliana started reading the list on the order form, with the handwriting fiercely scribbled as if the pen was pressed flat against the paper.
“Ophelia’s Tears… Do you know what this is? It’s the crown worn by the neighboring country’s Princess League. Of course, you can’t wear the same crown as the princess. You should place an order directly with the crown designer!”
“Alright.”
He casually took a seat near the table opposite her. Leaning his chin on his hand, he gazed at Yuliana as if expecting the story to continue endlessly.
Thanks to him, Yuliana froze, feeling cold sweat trickling down her back. Her previously assertive demeanor seemed to have vanished, and she felt stuck like her feet were glued to the floor.
‘I was weak. As expected, he’s the male lead. I can’t help it. Well, then…’
Yuliana gathered her resolve.
And she began to randomly spread out the order forms in her arms.
Shuffle, shuffle…
As Yuliana eagerly scanned through the order forms, she suddenly exclaimed, “This one!”
“Huh?”
“Uh, um. It’s nothing. This should be possible too, right? I want the Jewel of Kerbidan. It’s said to be worn by the tribes in the desert, and they regard it as precious as life itself. If they lose in battle, they offer it to their opponent. Well, if it’s you, you can somehow get the jewel from that tribe, right?”
“Alright.”
“If you think it’s impossible, it’s a shame, but there’s nothing I can do about it. If your abilities are up to par.”
“Yuliana. When do you want it?”
“Phew. If it’s not possible, I’ll be really disappointed—”
“If you want it right away, why not prepare for it today? So you can receive the gift happily before you wake up tomorrow.”
Yuliana’s eyes widened at his absurd suggestion.
She trembled in her place like a grain of sand blown by the gusty wind, her body shaking uncontrollably while mimicking the arrogant behavior of a noble lady.
“…Are you kidding?”
Evan said slowly.
“If there’s something you want, I should get it.”
“…So, are you saying you’ll fight the tribe now?”
“His Majesty’s permission is needed, but he would probably be pleased if I personally intervened and declared war on the tribe. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to send some mages there for a cleanup operation.”
“Goodness! Who would dare to start a fight over a tribe’s jewel?!”
“I would.”
She was left speechless.
And then, truly shocked, she covered her pale cheek with her hand.
If earlier she had pretended to sob deliberately to deceive her father, now there was no need for pretense; she was in no condition to do so even if she tried.
Finally, Yuliana sank onto the sofa. The scattered order forms lay haphazardly under her feet.
‘This male lead, even if he seems righteous, he’s definitely not…!’
“Yuliana.”
He knelt without hesitation before her, his knees on the ground beneath her disheartened feet. Trying to catch a glimpse of her pale cheek, he gently lifted her chin.
Yuliana, not wanting to show her bluish cheek to him, hugged her cheek even tighter.
Seeing her like this, Evan smiled faintly, as if finding her adorable, and spoke softly.
“Are you worried that I’ll get hurt if I start a fight?”
His words seemed to trivialize the potential conflict, leaving Yuliana in awe of his cunning.
“It’s not just a street brawl, you know!”
Evan reassured her naturally, as if telling her not to worry.
“It’s okay. I won’t get hurt. I need both arms and legs intact to give you a complete gift, don’t I?”
“That’s not what I meant—.”
With hands that had grown much colder than usual due to tension, Evan clasped Yuliana’s awkwardly held hand. Yuliana looked down at the hand held so uncertainly, squinting her eyes closed and then opening them again.
As he continued to gaze steadily at Yuliana’s bronze-colored irises, which were swirling with confusion each time she closed her eyes, Evan spoke softly.
“You’ll get what you want.”
“Evan…”
As Yuliana hesitantly called out his name, Evan chuckled softly. Then, he gently pressed his lips against her chilly hand and whispered.
“If you’re demanding a divorce in such a childish way, I might as well stoop to your level.”
He sighed softly before continuing.
“Cruel, my wife.”
Yuliana was dismayed to hear Evan’s true feelings laid bare.
His childish methods were becoming increasingly effective, while her own childish approach seemed to be losing its power.
“…. This method won’t work either.”
Yuliana had to cancel all the orders that day.
He was about to storm into the palace and report to the Emperor.
Thinking back on how many times she had desperately said, “It was all a joke!” to him that day made Yuliana shudder.
“…I can’t live like this.”
Walking through the winter garden covered in stiff snow, she sighed. She had tried to push for a divorce by any means necessary, but things didn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped.
Once again, she had to evade Evan’s persistent displays of affection, lamenting her current predicament.
As her execution ending became clearer, Yuliana swallowed hard and pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.
It was a record she had saved after cleaning up the gifts her lovers had given her a few days ago.
The gifts she had kept were truly diverse. As Yuliana Ovren, who lived freely without stopping either fleeting or passing relationships, even the fleeting encounters she had were countless, far beyond count.
She regretted attending every social gathering and frolicking around as soon as she showed her face.
Yuliana trembled as she tightly gripped the paper.
“Darn it…”
It was too cruel to have the most fun and end up with the execution ending! It must be because I didn’t have much fun in my past life. Ah, it’s all useless…
“So, who’s going to claim they made plans with me? I didn’t have anything with anyone—”
Rustle…
At that moment, Yuliana stopped mumbling as she noticed someone approaching from the outskirts of the garden. She stiffened and looked in that direction.
As expected.
“…Aren’t you going to work today?”
“I took a day off.”
Did the concept of vacation exist in the Imperial Guard? Was there a law that allowed heroes who defeated barbarians threatening the empire to take time off?
Feeling dizzy, Yuliana quickly stepped aside, feeling the whirl in her head.
She was annoyed at how to evade her husband’s affectionate advances more passionately.
Whether he knew her feelings or not, there was a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
Under the dark, murky sky, the golden flowers sparkled with a yellow light, as if they were made of pure gold.
Even for Yuliana, who was used to seeing rare things, it was the first time she had seen such flowers. She pursed her lips and tried not to show interest.
But perhaps noticing her continued glances, Evan spoke.
“I heard you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
“Whose fault do you think it is?” Yuliana blinked.
Then, she swallowed the words that were about to follow. She had been trying to stop getting angry and annoyed as she used to, but…
“The saying ‘old habits die hard’ wasn’t for nothing.”
Letters and gifts sent by foolish followers were immediately burned upon receipt, and Yuliana’s next step after visiting the temple every weekend to take the “Oath of Purity” was naturally divorce.
The newspapers were talking about how the once debauched “certain duchess” suddenly came to her senses, so you could say that half of the plan was progressing steadily.
So, if he would just quietly divorce her, the soon-to-appear female lead and the person she would love would be him, but the man in front of her didn’t seem to know that.
“Right now, I might seem good to you, but soon a dimensional traveler female lead will appear. You’ll be happy with that female lead, and I’ll be happy with my money. How am I going to explain this…”
Yuliana shot him a displeased look, but even in her gaze, Evan held out the bouquet of flowers.
“Was I involved in your insomnia?”
“Of course.”
Yuliana hesitated for a moment before tentatively reaching out her hand to accept the bouquet.
She didn’t have much justification to outright refuse it. Moreover, under the heavily clouded sky, the unnamed golden flowers looked like sunlight that couldn’t be seen.
As soon as she received the bouquet, the faint scent of flowers was pleasant. As she buried her face and closed her eyes, her troubled mind softened even more.
“Do you have any concerns?”
Evan asked, watching her.
With her cheek against the golden flowers, she appeared serene, as if she had no worries at all.
But in reality, he knew she was halfway immersed in some thoughts.
She, who was faithful to satisfying her desires while not being faithful to her marriage for the sake of inconvenience alone, was his wife.
And Evan loved even her desires. Remembering her past actions, visible betrayals, and remaining by his side, Evan smiled wryly.
“Perhaps, if she had still been like before, it wouldn’t have bothered me as much.”
Recently, her behavior had been strange.
After clearing out the gift room and rejecting the visits of trembling lovers, she even went to the temple openly mocking and took the Oath of Purity.
Despite people laughing at her actions, Evan paid no attention. It seemed like a natural step for someone repenting for their debauchery and entering a monastery. Evan watched Yuliana’s next move unfold with interest.
“Do you still plan on divorcing me? Even now?”
Yuliana, who had been pondering his previous words, finally turned away from the bouquet of flowers.
There was a golden petal stuck to her cheek, but she didn’t seem to notice. Yuliana hesitated, as if she found it annoying that he had asked about her concerns despite knowing them already.
“W-Well, then?”
However, her words were tinged with a slight fear, unlike her usual self.
Evan found her emotional shift unfamiliar.
Yuliana hadn’t cared about his feelings before.
In essence, she treated him like furniture, a presence that existed but didn’t affect her. So why was she suddenly afraid of her husband, who was little more than furniture to her?
He was curious now.
Reaching out, Evan gently removed the petal stuck to Yuliana’s cheek. She flinched slightly at his touch.
Watching her trembling hand clutching the bouquet loosely, Evan smirked faintly.
“Why are you afraid? I’m on your side.”
Yuliana shot him a look that seemed to say, “What pointless thoughts,” and Evan felt slightly uncomfortable.
‘Why?’
You were the one who never worried about any of the possible consequences of not loving me.
“Yuliana.”
“Please don’t say that. If you say such things…”
“Why? Does it prick a nonexistent conscience?”
“How did you know I have no conscience?”
Yuliana grumbled. Then, she buried her face in the bouquet again, inhaling its scent deeply.
