I Thought a Villainess' Divorce Would Be Easy

Contrary to the knights’ worries, Anthea held up very well. Although she appeared to be struggling from time to time, she always had a smile on her face and even showed concern for the hard work of her knights. Unlike the stiff ladies they had seen before, she softened the knight’s rough heart with her childlike innocence. Thanks to the knights’ interest and consideration, Anthea arrived at Gwyntede Territory without any trouble.

 

“Daughter of Viscount Lanfis. We will arrive at the Duke’s residence in a little while.”

 

The knight vice-captain’s treatment was polite, but his title was not. From the moment she accepted the marriage proposal, she was said to be Gwyntede’s man, but his attitude was anything but. Among the new knights, there were times when they called her mistress or Duchess, and the vice-captain of knights was quite friendly but maintained a rigid attitude. Fortunately, she had made those hard knights somewhat soft during the trip, so she decided not to worry about the little things.

 

“Lord Mogens, thank you for letting me know.”

 

As she raised the curtain and smiled brightly, Vice-Captain Arthur Mogens’ pupils shook slightly. He tried to calm her confusion and took a step closer to Anthea.

 

“A brief inspection in front… I will be checking on the young lady, but it is a standard procedure, so please feel comfortable.”

 

“Yes, I see. Thank you for your concern.”

 

The goodwill she gained through her innocent smile and the sadness of leaving her family was well reflected throughout the month, which was useful in its own way. If it had been the original, she would have been helpless in the sudden situation without even getting this little advice. As Arthur said, the speed of the carriage, which was running smoothly, gradually decreased. Not long after, the carriage came to a complete stop and the door was opened from the outside.

 

“You can get off now.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Through the open door, she saw a large iron door wide open. Numerous knights and servants standing in front of it were only looking at Anthea. This was why, in the original, he was stuck in the carriage and couldn’t get out. Even though she had expected it, seeing so many people greeting her and the magnificent iron gate made it difficult to even take a step out of the carriage. However, she had no intention of hesitating. Anthea knew that her first impression was decided at this moment. If she insisted from the beginning that she would be a villain, she could lose the favor of the knights that she had put so much effort into. First of all, Anthea grew up being loved and was innocent and naive. As if she was genuinely surprised by the unfamiliar mansion she was seeing for the first time, she opened her eyes wide and smiled brightly at the people who came to meet her, as if she was both apologetic and happy. This smile was the result of her hard work, which she had been practicing while looking in the mirror since she was confined to bed due to illness. When she saw that the faces of some of those who had been standing stiffly as if trying to overpower them had relaxed, her laughter grew even stronger.

 

‘It’s a pretty smile that surprises me every day, so it works anytime, anywhere.’

 

However, there were also a small number of opponents that did not work, but they definitely existed.

 

“Daughter of Viscount Lanfis, Anthea. Welcome to the House of Winted.”

 

This person for example: Chief Maid Rosa Miles. She was a woman who protected the dukedom on behalf of the Duke, who became busier after the previous Duke and his wife left the Gwyntede estate for recuperation. She had great pride in the dukedom, as if she were the hostess, one step above the owner of the house. A Duchess who was nothing more than a viscount comes into such a ducal family. There was no way he would ever be looked upon kindly.

 

“Wow… Did you all come out because of me?”

 

Even as she looked at Anthea’s innocent tone of voice and her touching face, the maid’s gaze was just as sharp. Her maid, Jang, who had her hair tied so tightly that not a single strand of hair stuck out and had sharp eyes, did not like Anthea’s presence from the beginning. Even though she knew that, Anthea kept her smiling face and gently grabbed her dress and greeted her.

 

“I’m so thankful that so many people came out because of me.”

 

“The manners are also poor.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“No, it’s the Duke’s tradition, so it’s not something the lady should be thankful for.”

 

She was not saying she was welcome, but it’s a tradition so she couldn’t help it. Even though she knew that was her intention, she was happy to pretend that Anthea didn’t know.

 

“Still, many people came out to welcome me in this cold weather. I’m so glad you welcomed me.”

 

The expressions of several servants standing behind the head maid softened slightly. In fact, Rosa, the maid-in-law, did not even lift an eyebrow, but pointed to the table in front of her with the tip of her chin towards her maid who was nearby.

 

“Put all your items here.”

 

“Yes, Chief Maid.”

 

While giving orders to the maid who was by her side, Rosa’s eyes only looked at Anthea. It was an irreverent attitude, but in a way that was vague to point out. Despite all of Rosa’s criticisms, she was despairing of being abandoned by the Countess, so she confined Anthea even more to her room.

 

‘I don’t get any damage, though.’

 

She expressed her gratitude with a smile towards her maid who was carrying her one bag, which was all of her luggage. In no time, all the items in the bag were placed on the table.

 

“…Is this it?”

 

As Rosa asked her maid, Anthea sneaked in and gave her answer.

 

“Yes, I was in a hurry so I brought only what I needed for the ceremony.”

 

When she made a slightly timid voice, as if she was embarrassed because she seemed so unprepared, Rosa’s hand reached into the inside of the bag. All she had was a pure white dress and a set of accessories that she would wear at the wedding. The dress was studded with jewels that sparkled when they caught the light along the lace, and the moment she took it out, not only her maid but also the other maids could not take their eyes off it. The jewelry studded with bright blue gems that seemed to have been taken straight from the sky was not a precious gem, but the transparency and vividness of the color made it clear that its value was not low. The only people who looked at them indifferently were the knights who were not interested in these things and the head maid, Rosa, who was dissatisfied with everything about Anthea. Even though she brought only a little, Anthea never lost her smile and sparkles in her eyes as if she was still very pretty. Towards Anthea, Rosa raised the tip of her lips for the first time to show her feelings.

 

“Every guest who first enters the Duke of Gwyntede has their luggage inspected.”

 

She was a guest. Since it was an ambiguous position of being a customer or a family member whenever necessary, it was a problem that could only be found now. Anthea smiled brightly and nodded her head.

 

“Yes, you can.”

 

“It’s not something that requires permission.”

 

After saying that, Rosa picked up her dress without the slightest hesitation and handed it over to the knight standing nearby. Since she was not a knight who came as an escort, she was a stranger with no opportunity for intimacy. Still, she saw hesitation in the knight, knowing that what she had to do next would be traumatic for the frail-looking woman before him. Rosa coldly instructed the knight.

 

“What are you doing? The lady, who will become the Duchess, is shivering from the cold.”

 

Rosa made up an excuse for Anthea and urged the knight to do his job.

 

Wow.

 

She knew it from the print, but it was a shock to see the dress torn in half by the hand of the knight with his eyes tightly closed. That thing was completely torn like that? While she was shocked, both the sleeves and the hem of her dress were torn off.

 

“First of all, it’s true that something normal was used. Oh, they often hide themselves by making clothes using strong strings rather than tough threads or threads. You always have to be careful of external enemies.”

 

She was just purely surprised, but Anthea’s white face looked pale as her smile disappeared. At that, the slight smile on Rosa’s lips deepened.

 

“Do you understand? She is still a lady, but she will soon become the Duchess.”

 

After her, a thick blunt object that looked heavy even at first glance was struck down on top of her bright blue jeweled accessories.

 

“Wait a moment!”

 

The one who shouted was the knight who had escorted Anthea. Only after Anthea heard a loud sound was she able to look away from her dress that had fallen to the floor. The knights heard the story about the only items she brought with her during her time with Anthea. A precious and meaningful object that the Countess inherited from her grandmother, who she considered like her mother. The value of the jewel was not the issue. The faces of the knights who returned with Anthea were distorted in despair.

 

“Did you have to break it like that?”

 

“Oh, Sir Mogens. Isn’t this a test that is always done? Of course, since you are a special person today, I am following the Duke’s orders to bring you in quickly.”

 

This may not have been the Duke’s intention, but the maid did not miss the opportunity. Arthur was left speechless by Rosa’s confident attitude even after she destroyed the Duchess’s trousseau. Before she arrived at the duchy, Anthea would be questioned by her. Until she was notified, the knights who came with her had no idea that the maid, Jang, would shatter the only items she had brought with her to this extent. At most, she expected that she would have the duke family’s evaluator take a little longer than usual to check. Even though the fragile Anthea, who had come a long way, would shiver in the cold for a long time, she would be examined with great care without causing a single injury. Only Rosa smiled in a situation where no one smiled.

 

“It’s a cheap gem, like blue topaz, that isn’t even considered a luxury, so you don’t have to waste it. Once you see the amount of money I will give to the Duchess, your current feelings of regret will disappear.”

 

The reactions of her servants behind her to the words of the maid Jang were a bit mixed. Anthea was surprised that the maid, Rosa, acted as if she were the duchess. No matter how young and foolish she looked, she couldn’t believe she would do this to Anthea, who would become the future Duchess. Just by looking at this, one could guess how uninterested the Duke was in this marriage. The more arrogant Rosa became, the more she should not miss this opportunity.

 

“The necklace…”

 

Anthea still looked shocked and had tears in her eyes as she belatedly realized the situation. Her tears may have been intentional, but she was truly embarrassed as she could never have imagined shattering the jewels in such an ignorant way. She guessed that at best she would disintegrate and become difficult to repair.

 

“If she is going to be a Duchess, she must know how to control her emotions.”

 

The corners of Rosa’s mouth went up even more, as if she was finally smiling.

 

‘Should I sue and hate it that much?’

 

It didn’t matter about her unknown evil. Anthea also hated Rosa and didn’t like her.

 

“My mother said it was from her grandmother…”

 

“As expected, I can’t help it because it’s at the level of a self-author. Even if you inherited poverty, you must now develop insight.”

 

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