I Thought a Villainess' Divorce Would Be Easy

Without any time to protest that her first kiss had been stolen, the veil was lowered again.

 

“I acknowledge that we have become husband and wife under the royal family’s seal and the temple’s witness.”

 

“It’s over.”

 

Richard turned his back on the priest’s declaration without hesitation and headed straight for the entrance to the hall. The knights who were lined up also followed behind in perfect order. The priest also followed behind, tilting his head slightly towards Anthea. Even Rosa ran away from her duke at this moment rather than mock Anthea. Anthea was frozen, unable to escape the shock of her first kiss, filled with the smell of her blood. The employee, who guessed that Anthea must have been hurt by the duke’s inconsiderate behavior, approached her. The users of her pitiful face were her maids and the owner of her house, who desperately decorated her.

 

“Ma’am, let me help you get some rest.”

 

“You can lean on it. Please rest comfortably.”

 

“If there is anything you would like to eat, I will ask the chef.”

 

No matter how loyal she was to the Duke family, she was still a woman like Anthea. The Duke’s cold treatment of Anthea, who had just arrived at the Duke’s house and was standing alone, was somewhat disappointing, even though she was a master she always respected and followed. On the other hand, the situation in which Anthea, who had just become a Duchess, was left alone was enough to garner her sympathy.

 

“Lady, if you need anything, please let me know.”

 

“You’re probably tired, so I’ll take you inside right away.”

 

Anthea decided to meekly accept their efforts to do one more thing. She was good at being a villain, but Anthea’s poor physical strength was already at her limit. Even if Anthea didn’t do anything right away, Rosa would eagerly gossip about her, so there was no need to rush. Above all, today was not over yet. Since they have become husband and wife according to the Duke family’s tradition, the first night will be held as scheduled. It was something that happened in the original, so it was definitely going to happen. He said it was okay to rest. 

Why did they wash her polished body again before putting on her dress? She was submerged up to her neck in the bathtub and soaked until she felt dizzy, wondering if she had more flower petals than water. As if that wasn’t enough, she applied her scented oil all over her body and had several people cling to her and rub it. Suddenly, the memory of her massaging the meat to make sure it was seasoned well came back to her, and she felt strange. Although it wasn’t great emotionally, her tired body gradually relaxed. Anthea’s body, which was meticulously cared for down to her fingertips, became languid as if floating. 

Her chemise was layered with a thin slip, but it was so thin and light that her inner skin was visible. Everyone was desperate to get Anthea’s clothes off. The sound of wood burning continued to come from her fireplace, and beads of sweat formed on her maid’s forehead. 

Anthea could not bear to say that she was cold, so she calmly left her body to her. As time went on, she felt chilled. When Anthea’s shoulders, which had been quiet, trembled slightly, her quick-witted maid brought her a gown and put it on her. This too was so light and soft that the lines of her body were revealed. Anthea, who had obviously put a lot of effort into her clothes by a master craftsman, was extremely pretty, but her maid’s face was worried.

 

“Haam…”

 

Ann Shea was yawning and smiling brightly as she tried to hold back her drowsiness. The skimpy clothes that showed her insides did not suit her at all. Her maids exchanged glances and brought out her gown, which was slightly thick but accented with lace. He tied her string like a ribbon and lifted her collar up and down. After touching her several times, she took her hand away as if she was satisfied.

 

“As expected, this is it.”

 

“Our insight was not wrong.”

 

She was happy, saying that now she was finally in balance with Anthea’s lovely doll-like appearance. It just wasn’t the right extrovert for her first night.

 

“Wait a moment. But isn’t she deviating from her purpose now?”

 

“The atmosphere is a bit… odd for a new bride’s outfit…”

 

Only after reminding herself again that it was her first night did the maids approach Anthea to take off her gown again. However, in that short period of time, Anthea had hugged one of her pillows and had gone under her blanket. Pure white platinum feet, soft as waves, were scattered like a painting over her pillow and blanket. She touched it again and again, and even though it was thin, each strand fell apart. Her pale, flushed cheeks were flushed from the long time she had been bathing, and the blush rose, adding to her loveliness. From her small nostrils to her slightly parted lips to one of her slender fingers hugging her pillow. There was nothing about her that she didn’t love that made her want to have any doll sold at her store, even if it cost her her salary.

 

“A really cute girl has arrived.”

 

“Now she is madam. Anyway, I didn’t expect such a pretty girl to come.”

 

“Huh. She is so lovely.”

 

The sexy route didn’t work out for Anthea, as they clearly saw as they applied her scented oil to her body. Here she waited some more time, and then she was able to meet the Duke. The first night he went to the master and his wife’s room without noticing her, she couldn’t be the one who wasted time.

 

“We do not have time. You have to get out.”

 

“Yes, we did our best.”

 

The maids quickly packed up the items they had brought and the remaining clothes and left the bedroom. The sound of the bedroom door opening and closing was so small that it was barely audible, but Anthea’s eyes brightened. Her bright eyes looked around her room as if she had never felt sleepy.

 

“I almost slept well.”

 

A little while ago, I felt really sleepy after receiving a massage from the hands of the maids. But the moment they left the room, Anthea faced reality.

 

“I have to get through the first night well.”

 

The first night was definitely coming today. The original work, which she had recreated several times, was so vivid that she didn’t even need to recall it. Anthea, who had fainted during her summary marriage, waited for the Duke in her bedroom, now more modestly decorated, in the hands of her maids. Before the Duke came, Anthea faithfully followed the knowledge she had received from Rosa on her first night, even if only for a short time. It was nonsensical advice to remain calm no matter what, so as not to cause the slightest discomfort to her husband and master of the duchy, Richard. Anthea, who was ignorant of her sexuality, accepted the Duke as motionless as a piece of wood. It was a painful and scary time. She spent her first painful night unable to say a word, recalling Rosa’s warning that she has nowhere to return.

 

“He said it was extremely painful.”

 

Because it was not a 19+ novel, there was no detailed description. Because of her terrible pain, Anthea came to her senses in the early morning and saw the naked Duke. She cried and prayed. The Duke, who didn’t know what Anthea hated so much, obediently walked away and never touched her again. Afterwards, she locked herself in her room, and even when he checked on Anthea, he did not approach her and just watched her. Clearly, the Duke was someone he could communicate with, even if he seemed blunt.

 

“If you just talk well, you’ll be able to get over it.”

 

Even though it was only for a short time, she met Richard in person and her inner secrets were revealed. Those around her didn’t seem to notice, but the difference was clearly visible in Anthea’s eyes. If she was coaxed well, her words would make sense. Moreover, unlike the original work, Rosa did not come to the bedroom today. In this way, even though the overall framework of the original work could not be avoided, small details were changed due to Anthea’s efforts.

 

“If words don’t work, you have to appeal with tears.”

 

Shedding appropriate tears when necessary was Anthea’s specialty. First of all, she had to see his face to persuade him, so she had to never fall asleep. Anthea got out of the blanket and stepped on the floor with her bare feet.

 

“Eww… I’ll at least put down a rug.”

 

Since it was a cold area, she got goosebumps from seeing the cold wooden floor instead of the soft rug that she thought would be there. When she tried to put on her shoes, she felt like her bare feet would wake her up more, so she walked around gently. Not long after, Richard, wearing a black robe, came in through the open door without even pretending to be polite. Richard, who stopped for a moment when he saw Anne Shea standing there, walked inside without hesitation. Every time Richard moved, the thin, soft gown clung to his body, clearly showing every muscle. It was only now that the Duke was described as being like a black panther. Every time he took a step, the gown clung to him, and his clearly exposed muscles seemed to wriggle as if he was approaching for prey.

 

‘So you’re saying you put something like that on me too?’

 

Without realizing it, Anthea held on tightly to the thick gown she had put on last. Anthea swallowed her dry saliva, thinking strange thoughts such as whether her words would make sense if she had the head of a human even though he had the body of an animal.

 

“Excuse me… oh!”

 

Before she could say anything, Anthea, who was being held in Richard’s hand, was very embarrassed, wondering if this was just the beginning.

 

“Hey, wait a minute!”

 

Anthea, who was put on the bed without any time to shake off her pretense, tried to stand up in a hurry, but her ankle was caught. Was this the level of reckless aggression of an animal in heat? The moment when her true feelings are about to pop out due to his manners, which were hard to find even after washing her eyes. Anthea paused at the warm yet firm texture gently wrapping around her feet.

 

“Because I don’t like being hot.”

 

In response to her sudden confession, she said she would like it because it was in the North, but he almost made a mockery of it. While Anthea was wondering what the situation was, she was surprised to see her feet resting on Richard’s palms and was unable to say anything.

 

“I’ll have the rug ready tomorrow, so you can just stay in bed tonight.”

 

Although the words sounded like commands, the low, pleasant voice that rang in the bedroom in the middle of the night sounded like a recommendation. A large hand approached Anthea’s unresponsive feet in a very slow movement and wrapped Anthea’s wrist. In a slow movement that barely felt like force, each of Richard’s fingers grazed Anthea’s wrist and gently wrapped it around her.

 

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Translator Note: