I Thought a Villainess' Divorce Would Be Easy

“And you said you didn’t want to see them because they were skinny, right?”

 

“Ugh, I did. It’s something that can hurt the hearts of children.”

 

“I fed all the children well and gave them bread to take home. My lady said she didn’t want them to be hungry, so you told them that they must eat everything.”

 

She didn’t mean to say that, but she was relieved to hear that the children ate their fill. However, she couldn’t show that she was relieved, so she kept her mouth shut, and Julie and Ellie smiled proudly as if they knew everything. Only then did Anthea understand this warm air. These masters of perversion. Anthea again interpreted her words in their own way.

 

“No. I really meant that they were dirty and skinny.”

 

“That’s right. Even if we wash them and put on new clothes, it won’t be long before it happens again.”

 

“Yes. I have just exposed to a dirty environment and you never know when they might get sick. I just hate that kind of thing.”

 

“So I signed a one-month contract with a nearby inn. At that point, the harvest season will be over and parents will also be concerned.”

 

“A contract?”

 

“I did my best to use it in a way that didn’t offend you.”

 

This is how she jokingly declared in the carriage that she would be throwing money around today. Now that she has withdrawn, her image as an evil woman who spends a lot of money seems to be broken, so Anthea only purses her lips. She sighed. It was fortunate that it turned out to be a good thing for the children. Because she was committing evil deeds that did not fit her, just choosing and spitting out bad words made her physically and mentally exhausted. Since she was wrong anyway, she decided to let it go.

 

“You just have to keep it out of my sight.”

 

“Yes, ma’am. We will pay more attention in the future.”

 

“Because I’m confident I can make it plump.”

 

Although she was a dedicated maid who followed her every move,sheI wondered how she would care about the children outside, but Anthea did not ask any more questions. The more Annthea talked about her children, the more she warmed her gaze to Julie and Ellie. It’s really hard for her to play the villain. Anthea in the original solved all of these difficulties by sticking to a routine.

 

‘Should I stay away now?’

 

For that reason, she wanted to take a walk under that blue sky right away.

 

“Do as you will. I’m not curious, so you don’t need to tell me.”

 

She didn’t even care and didn’t even flaunt her good intentions. In the eyes of the maid who had already washed her eyes, Anthea appeared as a light and an angel-like being. She was so determined that she even spoke harshly to the children, but what came back was that she was like an angel. She was not a saint, she was not an angel. No, in this world, a saint was a bigger metaphor. While she was moving it to the greenhouse, her food got cold and was freshly prepared.

 

“The smell of dirt is strong here.”

 

At Anthea’s words criticizing them for taking for granted, everyone moved their place without a word. Because she hadn’t been seated for over an hour, her dish got cold, so Chef Harmon happily brought in a new dish to replace it. Ann Shea, her conscience pricked by that, headed back to her room. Dozens of workers chased after Anthea, holding her dishes and showing pride.

 

“I have no appetite. Take everything but the soup.”

 

Even so, Julie and Ellie desperately prepared various dishes and lined them up in front of Anthea. Thanks to the new chef, the smoky dishes looked appetizing. As if she had no choice, she tasted a small piece, but it was still tough and hard. The soup was thick, so it was enough to fill the stomach, but the two people, who could not believe it, were worried that the lady was starving. It took over an hour to choose a place to eat, but it took less than ten minutes to eat. Ellie, who had been pushing her triple tray full of desserts to give her something more, stepped back in disappointment at Anthea’s light gesture. Julie wanted to eat at least one more piece of fruit until the end. In addition to taking good care of children, you probably have a younger sibling. That’s why she may think of Anthea’s evil deeds as a prank by a cute rascal.

 

“I want to rest.”

 

Anthea bit the two people and sat down in front of the desk. It was a bit of defiance and complaint. She would do whatever she wanted. In that sense, after she let it go, there was nothing to do. When Anthea got a little gloomy, neither Mary, who would chatter with her and ask her about various things, nor Paul, who would decorate the garden with colorful flowers when she looked out her window, was right in front of her. The Countess, who took walks and tea time with her every day, was gone, saying that today was a nice day, yesterday it rained, and tomorrow it would be cloudy. When Anthea thought of her Countess Hilda, her heart throbbed. She thought she saw it in a dream last night, but it wasn’t clear and she was upset. She immediately took out her stationery and wrote letters one by one to the count and her family. She wrote many pages of paper and took pains to write letters to Nathan and her Countess. She didn’t have much to say.

 

“I miss you.”

 

She wrote this phrase and erased it repeatedly. She didn’t want to make the Countess run, so she threw in phrases like she was looking forward to living here and that her duke was handsome. Anthea’s sincerity in her tightly filled letterhead was only in the first and last lines.

 

[I miss you.]

 

“You must stay healthy until we meet again.”

 

Anthea, who was pressing her handkerchief around her eyes, which had suddenly become moist, moved her puffy body around.

 

“Wow, when did so much time pass?”

 

She just realized that it was dark outside the window due to the special magic stone that automatically turns on when the surroundings get dark. As Anthea looked at the ruined letters and the few completed letters piled up on her desk, she understood why time had passed.

 

“This makes me feel dizzy.”

 

Soaking yourself in hot water will make you feel better. Her bathing and massage went smoothly just by pulling the string made of soft and light material. After being washed without lifting a single hand, even her hair was dried, so there was no other paradise for her. The two people’s handling of Anthea was still careful yet skillful. As she talked to her, the mood kept getting better, and while I was keeping her mouth shut and drying her hair, it became noisy outside. As she looked on in puzzlement, the commotion subsided and a knock was heard. After Ellie handed the sweet fruit juice into Anthea’s hand, she got up and opened the door, and several of her flushed-faced maids came in. Anthea wanted to welcome her with open arms, thinking that she had finally come to criticize her for her petty misdeeds, but like a wicked woman, she rolled the glass of wine, or rather juice, in her hand and asked leisurely.

 

“What’s happen?”

 

“Ma’am, there’s a guest!”

 

Several maids opened their mouths at the same time, and then the maid in front of her hurriedly relayed the news with her eyes sparkling.

 

“A customer is looking for you, ma’am.”

 

“Do I have guests coming?”

 

Did the children’s parents come to question them? She thought Julie and Ellie were too perfect to be babysitters for her to think that way. Anthea, who was standing up in anticipation, almost dropped the glass she was holding when she heard her maid’s excited voice.

 

“We have a guest from Count Leslie.”

 

* * *

 

After Annthea left the Count mansion, all the shops in the count’s estate stayed up all night to fulfill the Countess’s orders. The deadline she was given was only 10 days, shortening the deadline by more than half from what would normally take a month. Under the Countess’ leadership, she poured her sincerity and skill to the extent that she did not make any decorations without making a fuss. She even received the earl’s seal and went all the way to nearby estates to save her strongest and fastest horses and as many skilled charioteers as possible. She also received worrying advice about whether taking furniture would be excessive. In response, the Countess said that even if the dukedom would send her back as no longer needed, she crossed her threshold and said that she should not lack anything, and her supplies increased day by day. Even though the packaging cost was more expensive than the furniture because she surrounded the furniture with witch’s skin, which was said to minimize external influences, the Countess cried every night and went to look at new items the next day. The Count also did not stop her, telling them to prepare enough to be relieved by the Countess’s heartbreaking cries that could be heard throughout the night. There was no end in sight to the parade of Anthea’s wedding items that were packed in just 10 days. It was so enormous that one wondered if she was marrying off the princess.

 

It’s been about twenty days since she left, leading a procession of the highest level under Nathan’s command. After comforting and urging those who complained of her fatigue every day, she was able to arrive earlier than scheduled. This was possible because everyone faithfully followed the unreasonable schedule when they heard that it was a wedding gift for the Duchess. Nathan was excited as he thought about Anthea, whom he would soon see. However, despite arriving early in the morning, Nathan and dozens of wagons were inspected upon arrival. Because of this, he was held in front of a huge gate surrounded by castle walls for over half a day. At first, it seemed like the knights were inspecting it, but then they said that the person in charge was from Count Leslie. After waiting for a while, the head maid appeared, looking sharp and wearing a dark dress. It seemed like he had a lot of authority as he even treated the knights with a light greeting.

 

“Nice to see you. Nathan Leslie from the Count of Leslie…”

 

“Yes, I heard about it. There’s too much to see. Just solve everything first.”

 

The coachmen who came with them opened their mouths in surprise at Rosa’s attitude of turning towards the luggage without even introducing himself. Looking at his clothes, it was clear that no matter how high his title was, he would not be higher than Count Leslie. Unlike the astonished coachmen, Nathan watched the maid’s actions closely as if nothing had happened. He felt relief rather than discomfort at the strict attitude of the head maid who emphasized safety while checking all her carefully packed luggage, down to her every accessory. If she was this sensitive to the comings and goings of outsiders, Anthea would also be safe within the duchy. That alone put Nathan’s mind at ease enough to be willing to appease the complaining workers. Even so, it was very embarrassing to be left standing in a doorway with no shadow for hours.

 

Rosa, who had barely checked the last item, was so exhausted that she looked gaunt. Although he checked thoroughly to catch anything on his tail, he found nothing that could be problematic. This was thanks to the Countess checking day and night, worried that Anthea might have even the slightest blemish when she went home. In response, Rosa criticized in a different direction.

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: