I Failed to Divorce My Husband

In fact, everyone at Lienster was, in their own way, assisting Erin.

The butler and Felix were responsible for stocking the special room with all the items Erin needed before she entered.

And before everyone, as if by chance, they acted out finding Erin and Aiden in that room.

As if no one had known.

As if they, too, were greatly inconvenienced.

Also, whenever the elders stirred up trouble at Lienster, they pretended to resist valiantly, only to seemingly reluctantly back down at an appropriate juncture.

This all served to completely let the elders’ guard down.

In the meantime, they secretly kept Erin informed of the ongoing situation.

Even with the door closed, there was a passageway small enough for exchanging tiny objects.

It wasn’t just the employees who were helping Erin.

Erin exchanged glances with Logan and Isabella.
In response, the two of them gestured back with their eyes.

In truth, they had been approaching the capital earlier than when they actually arrived at the Lienster estate.

But prior to that, a letter from Erin had reached them.

[Mother, Father, I have a favor to ask. Please delay your arrival by about a week. In the meantime, I will…….]

Logan and Isabella had no reason not to comply with the request.

The two waited, not advancing any further until the time Erin had specified.

And it was during a time when the elders were arbitrarily causing a stir that they arrived at the Lienster estate.

Everything was timed to coincide perfectly with Erin’s wishes.

From the start, whatever the elders would try to do was bound to fail.

As a result, while Erin was buying time by detaining Aiden, the elders had plenty of opportunity to show their true colors, unaware of what would happen in the end.

“May we speak of the issue we had planned to discuss, even though we are a little late?”

This was referring to the situation created by the elders ten days ago in their attempt to drive Erin out.

In the ten days since, a lot had changed from what the elders had desired.

“I spoke of the things I did in order to take over the Lienster family.”

Erin’s gaze narrowed.

“Is there a need for that?”

Erin tilted her head slightly, puzzled. The corners of her mouth turned up in a grin, as if she couldn’t understand at all.

“I am to inherit the Lienster family soon. What more could I possibly be greedy for?”

The atmosphere seemed like everything was over, but the false charges against Erin had not been completely cleared yet.

“Still, one thing must be made certain,” Erin said leisurely as she looked at the elders.

“There was definitely someone behind this kidnapping incident.”

Erin affirmed lightly.

“But that wasn’t me.”

Erin’s gaze slowly shifted towards the elders.

“It was you, the elders.”

Her gaze turned icy.

“What nonsense is this all of a sudden? To accuse us of wrongdoing committed by the Duchess herself!” Elder Diarn retorted strongly.

“Elder Diarn, if you are making false accusations without any evidence, despite the confession of Gael Zahard, you will be the one to bear the responsibility,” Elder Diarn’s eyes narrowed, as if this was a last act of defiance.

Erin’s mouth curved meaningfully, anticipating such a reaction.

“You’re kidding. Are you making this up without any evidence?”

“…?”

“I just needed a bit of time to secure the real evidence.”

It was to buy that week’s time that Erin had imprisoned Aiden.

Only now did the elders realize that fact.

‘So that’s why she pulled such a stunt…!’

Elder Diarn glared fiercely at Erin. However, Aiden’s heavy gaze turned towards him from right beside her.

“So what is this evidence?”

The elder didn’t know yet. There was a thought that perhaps the elders might be able to refute it, but even with the sense of a precipice behind him, Elder Diarn stood his ground.

“It is Count Mila Zahard of House Zahard.”

It was at that moment.

Mila stepped forward with a low and firm voice.
Behind Mila, there were familiar faces.

Erin’s gaze narrowed as she looked at them.

When the kidnapping had taken place, Mila had initially come to the Lienster household to receive treatment and rest.

However, once somewhat stabilized, Mila immediately returned to House Zahard.

Before that, Erin had met with her and they had a conversation.

“As soon as I became the head, an unfortunate incident occurred. So I have a responsibility in this matter too.”

Mila’s eyes shone with determination.

“I’ll find the employees involved in this incident and make sure they are held accountable.”

She refused to step back from her responsibilities, even though she was pregnant.

Unable to dissuade her further, Erin worried about her condition and advised her not to overexert herself.

And Mila kept her promise.

Having returned to House Zahard, she took complete control internally.

Now, she had identified and brought with her those same employees who had come to Erin, including those who had cooperated with Helen and Gael.

“Everyone has confessed. They said they had no choice but to cooperate because they were threatened by Gael Zahard.”

At Mila’s words, the faces of the elders turned to shock.

Their faces showed that they had no idea why these people were present.

“It was as if they should be prevented from ever returning…”

The elder mumbled absentmindedly.

“They said they would rather pay for their crimes than eternally run and live in fear.”

Mila glanced at the elders as she spoke.

“This is their written confession. As you will see upon review, it states that they were ordered to lure and kidnap the duchess.”

Mila continued, holding up an envelope containing the confession.

“Specifically, there is a confession from an employee who mentioned overhearing something about Elder Dearn.”

As soon as Mila spoke, one of the employees stepped forward from behind.

“I, I clearly heard it.”

“…What!”

The elders, in their excitement, attempted to rush toward the employee who had just spoken.

But as soon as the elders moved, the knights drew their swords from their scabbards and aimed them at the elders.

The elders could do nothing but glare angrily.

“That’s right.”

Erin watched the elders closely and nodded slightly.

“Well, it seems that this clears up the misunderstandings that have been held until now.”

Erin faced the elders with a faint smirk and continued speaking.

“Shall we now discuss the matter of the elders’ abuse of power?”

“……”

“How dare you try to control the Lienster family on your own.”

“……”

“You even dared to covet the authority of the duke.”

With each of Erin’s words, the elders’ faces turned more and more ashen.

“It’s going to be quite busy if we were to discuss all the sins of framing me, the duchess.”

Erin’s voice and tone were kind but chillingly cold.

However, this was not yet a perfect conclusion.

There were still people who had to be present at this gathering.

Erin and Aidan’s gaze shifted past the elders.

It was when the elders, noticing their look, felt uneasy and turned around.

“You, you are……?!”

The elders’ faces were painted with horror.

But amongst them, Elder Dearn was the most shocked.

“It’s been a while, father.”

His illegitimate son, Austin, greeted Elder Dearn with all due respect.

But Elder Diarn’s face had gone pale with fright.
Instinctively, it seemed he sensed that Austin’s appearance would not bode well for him.

“What are you doing here!”

Regardless, Austin turned his gaze and greeted Aidan with courtesy.

“I have gathered all the opinions.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Everyone is waiting outside at the moment. Shall I call them in?”

“Since it has come to this, it wouldn’t be bad to meet everyone together.”

Aidan responded calmly.

At that signal from Aidan, four people entered behind Austin.

To the others they may be strangers, but the elders recognized these faces.

“You, you…!”

“What are you doing here, with such intentions!”
The elders nearly screamed.

“Austin! You’ve led them here!”

“What words have you bewitched them with?

Come to your senses! What you’re doing now is mocking and insulting us!”

Elder Diarn suddenly warned the young lords standing beside Austin from other families.

However, they were not swayed in the least.

“We could no longer stand by and watch our families fall to ruin. Haven’t you always said that we must look to a future one step ahead for the sake of our family’s future?”

“You, you rascal!”

Divisions were occurring between the elders and their children.

Erin turned to look at Aiden. This was something she had not been aware of.

‘It seems Aiden has been quietly preparing this situation.’

A revolt from below.

He had cultivated a problem within the elders’ ranks to induce their self-destruction.

The overwhelming authority of the elders, which even the family heads could not withstand.

It was only natural that if the corruption was visible from the outside, it wouldn’t be non-existent on the inside.

The younger generation, harboring feelings of rebellion under them, was a natural phenomenon.

Aiden had centered this as the catalyst.

After Aiden’s last meeting with him, he had been secretly in contact with the young lords.

And now, as can be seen, they all shared the same sentiment.

“You really should have fulfilled at least the minimum obligations towards your children.”

Erin, aware of the internal affairs within the elders’ families, could well guess the entangled interests at play.

The shadow of defeat was thick in their eyes. In the end, the elders had already lost their will.
It was too late.

No matter what they did now, they couldn’t reverse the situation.

***

The elders’ descendants received Aiden’s permission and were entrusted with the authority of the family heads to reorganize their houses.

And the elders, struck by an unimaginable blow from their children, were completely subdued and bound by the knights.

Their eyes were dead black, and their shoulders slumped.

The tedious struggle with them had finally ended.