I Thought a Villainess' Divorce Would Be Easy

The prices of the art pieces she bought with her pocket money through Nathan were rising steadily, so she didn’t have to worry about independent funds. Nathan often bought the painting as a gift because they were from Anthea’s favorite artist, without even knowing its value. Thanks to this, she was able to secure more funds than initially expected. It was always something she was very thankful for, both emotionally and materially. If she didn’t think of this calculated thought, she would be shaken by the sadness of the people she had always seen, and she would honestly contort her face and burst into tears.

 

Anthea always had to be pretty. Even the sight of her crying had to be lovely and sad, not ugly.

 

“My lady, what should we do?”

 

“I can’t believe I had to send a sweet, weak-hearted girl to that far away place alone.”

 

“Oh my, Miss Anthea. Why are you so pitiful?”

 

The crying grew louder, mixing with the pitiful voices of the employees and the Countess sobbing. Unlike Anthea, who had become calm, the Count and his wife were almost on the verge of fainting. They were filled with sadness and depression, as if they were sending their child off to war. A pitch black carriage pulled up to the front of the garden to take Anthea. 

The knights were lined up with a polite but coldly blunt attitude. Even though the Duke’s knight came to meet them, the Countess, Nathan, and all the employees were only looking at Anthea.

 

Anthea did not miss this moment and blinked her teary eyes. She let out tears, as if she could no longer hold back the tears she had been holding back. Every time she blinked, Nathan’s hand, which was holding Anthea’s hand, tightened as tears flowed down her cheeks.

 

“Ann, it would be better to run away with me.”

 

Nathan’s small whisper, which he tried not to utter until the end, was so secret and urgent that even the countess nearby could not hear it. However, it must have been somewhat heard by the Duke’s trained knights. Instead of answering, Anthea threw herself into Nathan’s arms. Her small, slender body was completely hidden in Nathan’s arms. Nathan’s arms, which instinctively held Anthea in his arms, were firm as if he would never let her go.

 

“Brother, you must come see me.”

 

“…I will chase after you right away, so don’t be surprised.”

 

Anthea’s face, smiling brightly as if she thought it was a joke, was beautiful even though it was stained with her tears. As soon as Anthea bit her lip a little, Nathan’s arm, which seemed like he would never let go, slowly loosened. He slowly walked away, grazing Anthea’s arm, who didn’t want to let go until the very end.

 

“Everyone, stay healthy. Also… see you.”

 

The bridge of the nose turns bright red. Tears falling drop by drop. Could it be that a face crying in sorrow over those who were naturally supposed to be together could be this beautiful? Anthea, who spent most of her childhood in her room, saw the fruits of her efforts in beauty. Her crimson lips are as sweet as if they were filled with flower petals. She bit everything as if she couldn’t bear to speak. Her breathing became heavy, as if her cries had been swallowed, and she climbed into her carriage, covering her face with her hands that had been placed on her heaving breasts. The sight of Nathan reaching out for Anthea but not being able to grab it hurt the hearts of those who watched it more than a scene from a tragic play.

 

“Miss!”

 

“Miss Anthea!”

 

“Baby!”

 

The coachman quickly climbed onto the carriage, leaving behind a scream-like cry. The knights were also bitter because their miserable cries made them feel like they had become terrible villains. The moment the door of Anthea’s black carriage was about to close, Hilda, who could not stand it any longer, jumped out in front of her.

 

“It is past time to leave. Please step aside.”

 

The Duke’s knights were so resolute that they blocked even the access of her guardian, the Countess. Towards that knight, she desperately asked Hilda as if she had no body to protect.

 

“My daughter is afraid of carriages.

 

“I would like to accompany her at least until she leaves the territory.”

 

“I’ve already told you this several times. You cannot ignore the traditions of the Gwyntede family.”

 

From the moment he accepted her marriage proposal, it was as if she had become a Duchess. Therefore, the bride-to-be, Anthea, was the only one who could get on the black carriage with the duchy’s emblem clearly engraved in gold.

 

‘The duke’s knights are very loyal, so it wouldn’t be of any use.’

 

Unlike the freewheeling count family, the duke family had various rules and traditions. Anthea, who knew this through the original work, knew that her belongings that Hilda would take care of would be thrown away. That’s why she put it off with one excuse or another. Everything would be ruined under the pretext of an inspection at the entrance to the Duke’s house, which was taking something.

 

“Who said you would get in the carriage! I will drive the horse and guard your side.”

 

“Isn’t that okay?”

 

“It’s not possible.”

 

As soon as the door was closed by the knight, the countess forgot her body and stretched out her arms.

 

“Now, wait!”

 

“Mother. You have to let me go now.”

 

“Ann! Baby!”

 

If it weren’t for the Count and Nathan, who hugged Hilda with red eyes, the knights would have had no choice but to draw their swords.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“Yes. Be alert around the countryside!”

 

Despite the commotion, the driver started the carriage without hesitation. Despite the earnest cries, the knights guarded the carriage tightly and gave no room. The workers, who had been holding on to see the last sight with tears in their eyes, broke down in sobs. As they left Count Leslie’s estate, the flat road came to an end. Even though it was a road with frequent traffic, it was a bit rougher than the inside of the estate. Even if the carriage was made of the highest quality materials, it had no choice but to run making quite a bit of noise from now on. The coachman was thankful that the sad sobs coming from inside were covered by the noise, and he drank water to soothe his agitated stomach. As soon as the surroundings became noisy, Anthea immediately stopped crying. If she had let her cry out like this, it would have bought her some sympathy votes. Considering her own poor physical strength, even her tears were now a luxury. In the original work, they were the ones who took Anthea, who fainted several times and was running high with fever, to the Duke’s house while giving her medicine. Even if it hurt, Anthea was the only one to lose.

 

Anthea, who was planning to slowly review her future plans, had difficulty concentrating. She thought of the Countess and Nathan’s voices ringing in her ears again and again.

 

-Ann, let’s run away together.

 

-My daughter is afraid of carriages.

 

-Baby! Ann!

 

They poured out their affection for Anthea until the moment they left. That big emotion shook Anthea to the point where she wanted to revise her plans that she had prepared over the years.

 

‘No. Is this right? I will be divorced in half a year anyway, and then I will return to the count, so it is not that long for her. Then I can take the time to spend time with my family and become independent.’

 

Thinking about her plan to follow the original text, she made up her mind.

 

‘It is right for Nathan to meet a woman who can succeed her. It’s enough for me to be his little sister who looks after her nephew.’

 

For her best future, Anthea had to serve her time as a scoundrel in an attempt to get divorced by the Duke.

 

“You can do it. You have planned for that several times.”

 

Even though she was alone, Anthea smiled beautifully. The smile contrasted with the redness around her eyes from crying for a while, making her feel sad.

 

* * *

 

The Black Knights belonged to a Ducal family, and like most knights, they had a great sense of belonging and pride. Together with the cold-blooded Duke, they were called the Black-Blooded Knights and protected the North. Their skills were so outstanding that even neighboring territories came to ask for their help. In addition to the emperor’s orders, they were so busy that they vacated the Duke’s house every day.

 

However, they could not understand the command that they master, the Duke, had recently given. To take Anthea Lanfis, who was sponsored by Count Leslie, as his wife. She was not a count, but a viscountess with an unheard of last name. This was a very inappropriate and wrong mix. In fact, the Duke sent a reply saying that he would follow without any sign of hesitation.

 

The knights could not bear to express their dissatisfaction because the Duke, who was involved, was so calm. In such an atmosphere, they were reluctant from the beginning to escort Anthea Lanfis, who would become the Duke’s mistress. Since the Knight Commander had to protect the north, Vice-Captain Arthur Mogens selected the new recruits who were least important to the military and headed to Leslie’s territory. Arthur Mogens, who arrived without even being able to vent his grievances, saw an angel at Count Leslie’s house. A dazzling angel was smiling as if filling the small garden, which was relatively simple compared to its reputation, with light. The angel called the handsome young man standing next to her “brother” and smiled brightly, becoming the word happiness itself. After discovering the Duke’s knights, she immediately hid behind the young man, but his eyesight and senses were excellent, so he witnessed everything without fail. That woman was the hostess they would serve. A being so beautiful that one would think that, at least in terms of her appearance, she would shine as brightly as their master.

 

While he stayed in the villa for several days, he could not stop talking about Anthea Lanfis. In particular, her presence was so special that he had to fend off the curiosity of the new knights, who were still energetic, by pounding them with his fists.

 

The day when they were finally invited to the Count House. Everyone gathered up their livery and abbreviated armor prepared without a speck of dust for this day and headed to greet the Duke’s mistress. Arriving at the count’s garden with swollen hearts, the knights were unable to move, not even breathing, as if they had encountered an invincible enemy.

 

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