I Failed to Divorce My Husband

Erin felt a tingling on the side of her face.
Caught by a gaze so passionate that she couldn’t ignore it even if she wanted to, Erin slowly turned her head to look at Aiden.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

It wasn’t a new thing for Aiden to stare intently at Erin; it wasn’t just a matter of a day or two.

It was an all too familiar scene not only to Erin and Aiden but even to the employees.

But today, it was excessive to an alarming degree.
His gaze was so persistent that it made her skin crawl — throughout the entire day, not for a moment did Aiden’s eyes stray from Erin.

Even if Erin ignored him, Aiden continued to look at her with unwavering attention.

Due to his blatant staring, it was naturally impossible for Erin to concentrate on anything.

“You told me not to look at other women.”

Aiden said this with a beam, a cheeky grin was a given.

“That’s why I’m only looking at Erin.”

He stated it so casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, all the while wearing a smile on his lips.

“……”

In the moment, Erin lost her speech.
It was both absurd and yet, she realized it was not entirely incorrect, and she couldn’t find anything to rebut.

I did say that. Surely, it was me who made that statement.

Erin recalled her own words from the past.
Aiden’s eyes crinkled, as if he had found a perfect excuse.

Looking at him earnestly upholding her words without any hidden agenda, and with an innocent expression, Erin was at a loss for words.

‘I don’t even know anymore…’

Resigned, Erin looked at Aiden.
Their eyes met.

And that intense gaze, while being overwhelming… was also not entirely unpleasant to her, she really must be seriously smitten.
Erin shook her head.

Eventually, to escape Aiden’s burning gaze, Erin buried her face in the table.

Through the arms encasing her face, Erin watched Aiden.

With her eyes narrowed, invisible to Aiden, she thought.

‘It definitely seems like he’s interpreted my intentions in a completely different direction.’

Several days had passed since the imperial palace banquet and Erin’s so-called ‘Tea Party Intrusion Incident.’

Plenty of time had elapsed for the word about Erin’s deeds at the tea party to spread.

It was impossible that no one would be aware of it.

Yet, Aiden had not made any mention of the day’s events.

This change in behavior was the only thing different since then.

On the contrary, he appeared to be in high spirits ever since, just like now.

‘He actually likes it more.’

Watching Aiden, an interim conclusion formed involuntarily.

He seemed to enjoy Erin’s unilateral actions rather than being displeased.

His pleasure and pride were evident on his face and in his behavior.

It seemed he didn’t care at all about what people thought or the impact of her actions.

It was when Erin let out a defeated chuckle, as if to say she was indeed irrepressible.

Feeling frustrated with Erin still covering her face with her arms, Aiden gently nudged her arms.

“Erin, are you going to keep hiding like that?”

Laughter was evident in Aiden’s voice.

After holding out for a while, Erin lowered her arms and revealed her face.

“Aren’t you busy?”

She asked, hoping that just for this moment, Aiden might actually be busy.

“No. Not at all.”

However, Aiden casually shattered Erin’s expectations.

“Really? You don’t have plans today?”

“My schedule for the day is to only look at Erin.”

“…….”

Aiden gave Erin a smile with his eyes.

In the end, Erin was at a loss for words.
I admit defeat. I surrender wholeheartedly.
Erin swallowed her sigh and shook her head slowly from side to side.

Aiden’s mouth corners were lifted so high, they seemed about to tear.

***

In the end, what Erin’s actions led to, as intended, was only the widespread revelation of her jealousy.

Moreover, this incident added credibility to the many rumors already swirling around her, further intensifying Erin’s aura.

Erin was well aware of that fact.

Not only that, she was more acquainted than anyone with the numerous rumors about herself.
And she knew all too well that everyone accepted those rumors as truth.

The corners of Erin’s mouth lifted slightly.
Among the rumors, some were not true.

Especially the rumors regarding Erin’s swordsmanship skills hid a different truth.
Erin indeed had a talent for swordsmanship.
She learned quickly, and her skill grew by leaps and bounds.

In fact, Aiden had never won a match against her—not even once.

Even when Erin had just started learning the sword, it meant that Aiden had lost to her.

For Aiden, who had been handling a sword since childhood and even at the age of ten did not fall behind adult knights, to lose to Erin, who had only just begun, was unimaginable.

From the start, in the swordsmanship contest between Erin and Aiden, her skill was not the critical element. Aiden possessed swordsmanship skills ranking among the top within the empire.

The decisive factor that determined the outcome of their duel was something else entirely.

Aiden never launched a proper attack on Erin. If there was even a slight chance of her getting hurt, he would immediately lower his sword.

And so, it was always Erin’s victory. Therefore, the rumor that Erin’s swordsmanship surpassed Aiden’s was entirely false.

Aiden had no interest in the rumors spreading around, and Erin deliberately did nothing to correct the misconceptions people had.

Little by little, these accumulated rumors made her an untouchable and inviolable figure. Initially, these were for her own protection against unforeseeable situations.

But gradually, this power grew strong enough not just to protect herself, but also to attack and destroy others if necessary—making her capable of coveting anything she desired.

So, it is dangerous. If Erin’s ambition grows to the point where she wants to run wild, there was no one who could stop her.

And such a person, the elders viewed as a risk. Aiden was an important asset to the Lienster family.

For that reason, they had invested effort from his childhood to educate him as per their wishes.

However, suddenly, when Erin entered into the Lienster household, she gained an influence over Aiden strong enough to manipulate him, which was something they never expected.

This also meant a reduction in their own influence. Initially, they had hoped that Erin would become an easily manipulable tool for them.

Indeed, in the original work, Erin had played the role of their puppet.

She was half-crazy with unrequited love for Aiden and faithfully followed the elders’ orders, truly believing their words of assistance.

But the Erin now was the complete opposite of the original character.

After becoming aware of the existence of the family elders, she stood in complete opposition to them.

Erin constantly protected Aiden from them, who were trying to control him.

There had been a few clashes in the past, and Erin emerged as the victor.

And now.

In front of Erin was a file folder marked with red.
It reported the recent activities of the elders.
Sure enough, the elders, who had been cautious until now, were stirring.

In particular, there were reports of them snooping around businesses where their role had been reduced.

‘As soon as they heard the news of the divorce, I knew they would come running. It’s surprisingly quiet, though.’

The elders would find out how Erin and Aiden’s divorce was progressing through various means.
Yet the fact they’re not showing up means…

Erin’s eyes narrowed.

Right now, the elders are likely the ones who most want the two to divorce.

That’s the reason.

Perhaps they are waiting, pretending to be indifferent, fearing that if they interfere, Erin might confront the elders and change her mind about the divorce.

The news had been confirmed that Erin and Aiden were divorced.

They must have already decided how to proceed from there.

As they had done in the past, claiming to assist the chaotic Ducal house, they would barge in and stir up trouble.

‘Now, even without me, they won’t be able to manipulate Aiden as they please.’

Nevertheless, as elders, they held a certain authority and a voice in the Lienster household.
Aiden could always dismiss them, but there were accompanying burdens to such actions.

It was obvious what the elders would say if they came to Aiden.

Perhaps they would exaggerate rumors and use the recent tea party incident to find faults with Erin, and strongly recommend that the divorce be expedited as much as possible.

***

Since that day, Aiden had continually been in high spirits, of course.

Erin had been jealous.

Fiery with jealousy, she feared someone else might take him away.

There was no sensation more thrilling and fulfilling than this.

Aiden’s smile remained; his lips refused to frown.
The more Erin showed her feelings for him, the happier Aiden was.

What he disliked the most was when Erin cleanly drew a line between them.

He wished Erin would only look at him more.
He wanted her to be obsessed just one more time.

The pleasure of it was so intense, it still felt alive in him.

The way she had powerfully said to him, ‘You should only look at me’.

Regrettably, he hadn’t witnessed it directly, but the telltale signs of her commotion were vivid in Aiden’s mind.

Then his eyes sparkled with an idea.

‘If a situation like last time happens again, wouldn’t she get jealous?’

The thought was incredibly enticing.

He was brimming with the desire to create such a scenario right then and there.

The mere thought made his whole body tingle with anticipation.

Just as his imagination was about to take flight far and wide…

“…I don’t like that.”

Aiden’s fantasy abruptly stopped.

No matter how much he wanted to see Erin’s jealous side, he didn’t want to get involved with someone else even in the slightest for that purpose.

If that somehow led Erin to misunderstand and get the wrong idea, it would be an even bigger problem.

It was way better to use that time to see Erin’s face once more or hold her hand again.

But the thing he disliked the most…

He couldn’t stand the thought of Erin getting hurt, even the slightest bit.

As long as there was even a small chance of that happening, it was something he must never do.

“But I still like it when Erin gets jealous…”

Aiden clicked his tongue in regret.

He was mentally all over the place on his own.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Aiden’s lips suddenly curled upwards.

No matter how he considered it, Erin’s jealousy meant that she probably liked him a lot.
That thought lifted his spirits.

Aiden became confident that he could charm Erin enough to win her over.

His mind was a blooming garden.