Edit By “Mary”
“Huwaaaah!”
Ella cried her heart out, her sobs heavy with the weight of everything she’d been holding in. Her tears flowed like a release, pouring out the hurt and frustration she’d kept bottled up for so long.
By the time her tears finally stopped, her head was throbbing, the dull ache settling in. But despite the pain, there was a strange sense of lightness, like she’d been carrying something too heavy for too long and had finally let it go.
Wiping her swollen eyes with the back of her hand, Ella muttered bitterly to herself, her face still shadowed with sadness.
“Grandpa, you were wrong. My marriage… it was a total disaster.”
Her voice wavered as she spoke, even though she knew her grandfather was no longer there to answer. Still, somehow, saying it out loud felt like she was sharing the burden with someone—someone who had always listened.
With a deep sigh, she glanced down at the last page of the letter in her hands, the one that listed her grandfather’s inheritance.
“Wow.”
She had already seen it once before, but it still hit her like a punch. The sheer amount of wealth left to her was staggering.
“With this… what can I do?” she asked herself, almost whispering. “At least I won’t have to worry about surviving.”
She could move somewhere far away, to a quiet little city where the cost of living was low, and she could live comfortably—luxuriously even—without a single care.
Though she didn’t have much control over money during her marriage, her upbringing in a merchant family had taught her how to recognize value. And now, the wealth she held was more than enough.
As she thought about the future, a question suddenly tugged at her, making her pause.
‘What is it that I want most right now?’
The answer came to her almost immediately, as if it had been waiting just beneath the surface all along.
I want to get away from this place. Away from the people who look down on me, who despise me.
The realization struck her like lightning, and clutching her grandfather’s letter, Ella jumped up.
“I’m getting a divorce, and I’m going to live my best single life!”
Sure, alimony would be nice, but who cares if I don’t get any? So what!
Even if she left with nothing, it wouldn’t matter. She had her grandfather’s inheritance to fall back on.
If it came to that, she could buy a beautiful house somewhere and live peacefully on her own. Just the thought of it made her feel braver. Having something to lean on gave her strength, like a small animal hiding behind a mighty tiger.
With newfound confidence, Ella crouched down and pulled the divorce papers from beneath the couch, where she had hidden them. She had prepared them just in case, but never thought she’d actually use them—especially not today.
She stared at the papers for a moment, then stood tall and headed for the door.
“You can do this, Ella.”
Her voice shook with nervousness, but her tightly clenched fists showed her resolve was firm.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside, greeted by the fading colors of the sunset stretching across the sky.
Her husband should be home by now.
Ella was ready. She was going to hand him those divorce papers and boldly declare her demand.
I want a divorce!
***
As Ella walked, her steps felt heavier with each passing moment, and the pendant around her neck swung gently back and forth, catching her attention.
She stopped, feeling its weight settle against her chest.
“…I’m wearing this while going to ask for a divorce.”
Her fingers wrapped around the pendant, the cold metal pressing into her palm.
It was the first gift her husband had given her—the very first after he had become a hero by slaying the evil dragon, Fafnir. The round pendant, encrusted with precious jewels, was a treasure he had brought back from the dragon’s lair, deep in the heart of danger.
When he had given it to her, Ella had felt a glimmer of hope for their future together.
Goodbye to the lonely days in the cold, empty house of her in-laws!
She had imagined a blissful honeymoon, sharing laughter and stories with her husband. She’d even dreamed of having children, raising them with love and care, and growing old in peace by her husband’s side.
Ella had already thought up names for a daughter and a son, believing in a happy family life that now felt like a distant fantasy.
But all those dreams had shattered the moment she truly met her husband.
Siegfried was everything she wasn’t.
Their appearances, their personalities, their upbringings, even their interests—every single thing about them was worlds apart.
Most painfully, he had no interest in their marriage.
No, he didn’t even seem to care about her at all.
Whenever she stood before him, his face remained blank, his eyes distant, as if he were staring at nothing. He hardly spoke, and when he did, it was with the cold detachment of someone forced to interact, as if the very act of talking to her was a burden.
Even a guard watching a prisoner would have shown more warmth!
Every time they were together, Ella felt so tense, that she couldn’t even get her words out right. It was like the air between them was filled with a silent awkwardness that suffocated her.
So, after more than a year of marriage, Ella still didn’t truly know her husband.
They had barely spoken. In fact, she could count the real conversations they’d had on one hand.
“Exactly eight times,” she muttered to herself. “If you don’t count the little things, like ‘Did you sleep well?’ or ‘Have you eaten?’ we’ve only had three proper conversations.”
She hated that she remembered such insignificant details. It made her feel small like she was holding on to things that didn’t matter. It was embarrassing, even worse because it looked like she was obsessing over him.
“He probably hasn’t even thought about whether we’ve ever really talked.”
Honestly, she doubted he even remembered giving her this pendant in the first place.
From the start, their marriage had been nothing more than a contract—a practical arrangement. It was never meant to be a love story.
Two years had passed since they’d married, but if she was being honest with herself, only one of those years really counted. The rest had been nothing but silence, distance, and indifference.
They weren’t a married couple. If anything, they felt like strangers who happened to live under the same roof.
They hadn’t even shared a bed, let alone kissed.
There hadn’t been a proper wedding ceremony, no vows exchanged, no kiss to seal their union. In fact, there hadn’t even been a single hug or a touch of hands.
‘What kind of marriage is this?’
Thinking about it filled her with frustration, but strangely, it also felt like a blessing in disguise. With such a cold and distant relationship, Siegfried would surely agree to the divorce without hesitation.
Biting her lip, Ella released the pendant from her grip.
Her fingers brushed against the divorce papers tucked away in her pocket as she resumed walking toward her husband.
The pendant felt heavier with each step, as though it carried the weight of her past hopes and the looming end of her marriage.
‘…If he had even liked me a little, I wouldn’t have considered divorce.’
The thought startled Ella.
‘Idiot! Don’t be so stupid!’
She mentally scolded herself, frustrated for even thinking that way at a moment. Why was she still holding on to something that wasn’t there?
Clenching her lips tightly, Ella tried to steel herself again, urging her feet to move forward despite her hesitation.
Her breath hitched as she finally reached her destination—Siegfried’s office. The place where he spent most of his time when he was home, hiding away behind these towering doors.
The door was massive as if made for a giant, much like Siegfried himself.
Ella had to tilt her head back just to see the top, and standing in front of it, she felt small—insignificant. The weight of the door seemed to mirror the heavy burden on her shoulders.
Her first instinct was to back away, to leave before things could get worse. But she clenched her trembling hands tighter around the papers she held—the letter from her grandfather, and the divorce papers. These gave her the strength she needed.
With shaky hands, Ella raised her fist and knocked lightly on the door.
Knock knock.
Silence.
Maybe he didn’t hear me?
She knocked again, this time a little harder, her voice barely escaping her lips.
Knock knock!
“Honey, it’s me.”
Again, no response.
Ella frowned, frustration mingling with nervousness. She debated whether to knock even harder, though her small fists would probably ache from the effort. But before she could make a decision, the door suddenly swung open with a loud creak.
“Eek!” Ella gasped, shrinking back in surprise as her eyes darted up to see who had opened the door.
Standing there, like a stone wall towering over her, was Siegfried.
“Wife.”
His voice was deep and emotionless, his face was as stern and unreadable as always.
Ella couldn’t help but feel a cold discomfort whenever she was near him. He had never been cruel or harsh, but his very presence made her uneasy.
His towering height, the broadness of his muscular frame, the sheer strength he radiated—it was all overwhelming not to mention his near-expressionless face, which never gave her a clue as to what he was thinking.
She felt so small beside him, both physically and emotionally.
Siegfried rarely spoke first, and when he did respond to her, his words were always short and to the point, as if he didn’t want to waste time on needless conversation.
It was the complete opposite of Ella’s nature—she was lively, curious, and always had something to say. But around him, she felt muted.
He just stared at her now, saying nothing, which made her feel even more nervous.
‘Is he angry that I showed up without warning?’
Her confidence began to slip away, but she managed to stammer out the words.
“Uh, can we… talk for a moment?”
Siegfried’s eyes finally shifted, and gesturing for her to come in.
“Come in.”
