I Thought a Villainess' Divorce Would Be Easy

Actually, Nathan was a little downcast when Anthea seemed happy to leave his arms. However, he soon showed a friendly smile as if he had lost his temper and handed Anthea the thick letter he had packed in his arms.

 

“Anne. It’s a letter from mother.”

 

“Wow! Thank you, brother.”

 

The seal was torn off gently so as not to damage it as much as possible. The envelope that Julie tore open without even having time to use the knife she brought contained several letters. She wanted to focus on the letter, so after sending the two people away, she sat down on the bed and started reading. The first chapter began with the grace and manners of a countess. The letter started out as a neat and formal story, as if it were a sample of how a letter should be written, and within a few lines, emotions were gradually revealed. The sentence ‘I thought Anthea Lanfis was Anthea Leslie and that we would be together’ was changed to ‘Baby, I miss you so much, please forgive me for falling asleep in your room every night.’ The sentence ‘The flowers in the garden are bright as if spring has arrived even though it is fall’ means ‘No matter how beautiful the flowers are, I cannot recognize them. Anne, baby. It changed to ‘The flowers in the garden without you are worse than the wild grass.’

 

[My dear Anne. I miss you.

I feel sad because I miss you. I don’t want to make you sad, but a mother who lost her child foolishly doesn’t know how to erase this longing. Whether you are Gwyntede or not, Lanfis is always my lovely daughter, Anthea’s home.

Baby, my baby. Don’t forget that you always have a place to come back to.

Your mom is always on your side, with her love.]

 

Anthea, whose tears were already welling up, barely managed to read the last line before she burst into tears. She couldn’t even hug the letter for fear it would get crumpled, but she cried and confessed her longing.

 

“Mom, I miss you too. I really, really miss you so much.”

 

According to this worldview, the view of divorced women was never kind. She had no meaning as a barren woman. Nevertheless, Countess Hilda consistently tried to accept Anthea. Even if she couldn’t be with her, her affection, which she had never received even in the real world, became a strong support for Anthea. So much so that she didn’t mind being a villainess. Anthea, whose thoughts had gone crazy up to this point, repeatedly wiped away her unstoppable tears with the back of her hand.

 

“Yes, you need to come to your senses. At this point, she just looks like a weak young lady.”

 

Anthea decided to throw away her kindness. The first thing she did was call Julie and Ellie, who were standing outside the door, in a loud voice.

 

“Make me look the prettiest. If you don’t, I will punish you.”

 

Julie and Ellie nodded vigorously, as if they had made up their minds at the words that were boldly uttered with the intention of finding fault.

 

“Yes, ma’am. We are on your side.”

 

“I should take the master’s side, but… We decided to take Madam’s side unconditionally.”

 

She guessed it would be effective. Nathan, who had the air of a literary youth who was less than a handful to the duke, had the power to make people root for him, no matter how much he was a servant of the Duke’s family. Even if it seemed like the Duchess’s lover had appeared.

 

Even if she insisted that she wasn’t even engaged, rumors would spread and dirty words like ‘mistress’ would be used.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you don’t decorate it the prettiest, you will be punished.”

 

“Yes, ma’am. I will put a cold towel on your eyes first.”

 

It felt nice when the cold towel touched her swollen eyelids. She didn’t see what was happening as she was busy turning the towel back and forth to cool her eyes while the two hands combed her hair and changed her clothes. Even after she took the towel away, Anthea was unable to see her because she was busy putting on makeup, so after all her dressing up and standing in front of the mirror, Anthea was speechless for a moment. In the mirror, the lovely Anthea was showing off its beauty like a bright flower blooming in spring. She wore a thick neutral-colored dress and a pastel-toned shawl with subtle pearls, which she didn’t know where to find. The look was gorgeous, but she didn’t lose sight of elegance. Even though she had a shocked and dazed expression, there was nothing to point out, such as the appropriate amount of shading around her red eyes or the touch of her cheeks that looked like a mild blush.

 

She could understand the satisfaction of Julie and Ellie, who were sweating on both sides with proud faces. If someone found fault with this, they were not human. Was the path of a villain this difficult? Anthea eventually saw her compromise to the extent that she didn’t say anything complimentary.

 

“What about your brother? Are you in the parlor?”

 

Of course, it was a question she asked thinking that the two people standing in front of the door would not know. She was planning on scolding her for not knowing that, but she actually responded as if she had been waiting for Ellie.

 

“Please wait at the dining hall.”

 

“I will welcome you whenever you are ready, ma’am.”

 

“The dining hall? Not the parlor?”

 

Well, given her naive personality, it was obvious that she would have cut off her sleep and run to see Anthea as soon as possible. The meal must have been just a quick fill-up. Anthea thought that even if she didn’t eat well, she would make sure Nathan was full, so she thought it was better and headed straight to the restaurant. In front of the restaurant where she arrived, Anthea smelled a very nostalgic smell. The food of this world was difficult for her to adapt to after realizing that it was a world in a book. But over the years, the familiar smell of food wafting out of the restaurant, reduced in greasiness and stripped of unnecessary spices, as directed by her Countess to suit Anthea’s tastes.

 

Just then, the door opened and Nathan, who noticed it before anyone else, greeted Anthea with a bright face.

 

“I was going to call you already, but you came at the perfect time.”

 

“Brother, what about these foods…”

 

She should have seen Nathan’s face, but before she knew it, she turned to the familiar dish on her table. Even though she knew it was against etiquette, she pressed her fingers against the round, puffed bread, and the familiar softness gave her goosebumps. Nathan naturally sat Anthea down at her head table and pulled out her salad bowl. She picked up her fork without any time to say no. The delicate grass and small vegetables mixed in a refreshing dressing whetted her appetite. The soup was also made with root vegetables and lean meat, and had a clear yet rich flavor that made her want to eat rice.

 

‘When I become independent, I will definitely find rice and cook it first.’

 

She tore off a piece of white bread and brought it to her mouth, turning her eyes to the spicy smell. Chef Hamon, who had a disapproving look on his face, was holding a dish.

 

“Uh? No way!”

 

Anthea’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. At Anthea’s reaction, Harmon’s lumpy face softened and he set down the dish in front of his lady, who looked even more fairy-like and cute than usual. In the North, where fatty meat dishes were the staple food, pasta seasoned with seafood, which was rarely eaten, and red pepper, which was rarely used, was an odd dish that did not fit any of Harmon’s recipes. He had no choice but to make it at Nathan’s request, but he was embarrassed when he saw the seafood tightly wrapped in expensive monster skin in front of him. He was hesitant about whether he could serve this potentially fishy dish to his fairy-like lady.

 

However, when the dish actually came out, Anthea’s eyes lit up and she showed such anticipation that she swallowed her saliva. As soon as the plate was put down, Anthea actively picked up the fork. Even though it was only two days, Harmon was genuinely surprised and embarrassed by Anthea’s positive response, who only ate soup and a little fruit.

 

“Chef, is this the recipe your brother gave you?”

 

It was an innocent question that struck at my pride as a chef. Before Harmon could answer, Anthea hurriedly continued speaking.

 

“Chef, your skills are really good.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I can’t believe you’re repeating it exactly like this just because you heard it. I wouldn’t have been able to do it if I wasn’t a top chef. Thank you, Harmon.”

 

“Did you remember my name?”

 

Anthea, who was licking her fork as she watched Harmon’s expression of emotion, belatedly realized her mistake. It’s not a compliment here, he should have been scolded for saying why you couldn’t even do this! The compliments and cuteness that had become ingrained in me after living in the count’s family for several years came out without me even realizing it. Even though Anthea had already expressed her gratitude, she quickly gave up. Anyway, Anthea felt uncomfortable cosplaying as a villainess in front of Nathan, who was sitting across from her. Rather than thinking about this or that, she busily worked her hands on the Countess’s dish, which she had tasted for the first time in a month. In the eyes of the worker, the amount was as small as a birdseed buffet, but unlike before, Anthea’s hand touched every dish once. When she felt like she was full and couldn’t eat anymore, Nathan led Anthea first.

 

“It’s still cold right now, but they say it will get colder in the north in the future. Should we go for a walk?”

 

“Okay, brother.”

 

She felt like her throat was full of spicy pasta and soft meat, so she wanted to move. As Nathan quickly crossed his arms around her outstretched arm, gasps were heard from around him as if it was natural. All the way to her garden, Anthea often looked up at Nathan, and every time she did, he was able to make eye contact with her. Anthea was happy to feel the love that had deepened even though it was still the same, but she felt sad because she could not return it.

 

“Is this a garden?”

 

“Maybe?”

 

The garden was well maintained, but there were hardly any flowers to be seen, so there was no bright atmosphere. To put it in a good way, it was clean; in a bad way, it was dull. Nathan probably thought so too, and he led Anthea in a different direction. When the direction suddenly changed, those who had been following at a distance scattered in a hurry. In addition to the dedicated maid who followed the duchess because she could not move on her own, they were employees who secretly followed the duchess by pretending to work.

 

Anthea was always welcome to have someone who would boost her rumors, but Nathan seemed to not like it, showing his displeasure.

 

“Even if the family size is large, it cannot be said to be great on the inside. It seems like worker training is needed.”

 

“Yes. I will give them training afterI get used to this place slowly.”

 

Nathan, who was revealing his uncomfortable feelings, finally realized that disparaging the dukedom was a burden on Anthea, who became the duchess. Nathan would not have made this mistake normally. Anthea, who still folds her arms and smiles lovingly, said it was a mistake made because she could not accept that she had become someone else’s wife.

 

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