It Feels Like I’m About to be Divorced, But my Husband is My Favorite

Chapter 30

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Take your time eating.”

I couldn’t help but make a strange expression as I watched Melissa, her face flushed with embarrassment, apologize, and the Duke casually brushing it off.

‘Am I the only one here who understands what’s going on?’

I glanced at Melissa, who had seemed oddly flustered ever since she entered the dining hall.

When our eyes met, Melissa fidgeted nervously, her fingers curling and uncurling as she touched her cheeks. Anyone could see she looked like a girl experiencing her first love.

‘She must be excited about meeting Damian today.’

That’s right. The object of Melissa’s unrequited love—currently causing her heartache—was none other than Damian, the High Priest of the Elios Empire, and the last male protagonist in this novel, following the Crown Prince and Richard.

But Damian, who had vowed to dedicate everything to his god, was akin to a doomed investment.

So, most readers were divided between supporting the Crown Prince and Richard. Still, there were a few who rooted for this forbidden relationship, reasoning, “First love is unbeatable,” or “It’s romantic that he’s a priest.”

At least Damian, outwardly kind and approachable, seemed better than the arrogant Crown Prince or the unreadable Richard.

The key word here, however, was “outwardly.”

Damian’s noble appearance and gentle demeanor concealed a rigid and uncompromising inner nature.

When Melissa, unable to contain her feelings, confessed her love, Damian had rejected her coldly and decisively.

‘Of course, as a devout High Priest, his response was the correct one.’

Still, whether it was because I had already embraced Melissa as my sister, or because I knew better than anyone how hard it was to give up on something you loved, I couldn’t help but feel Damian’s reaction was cruel.

Unlike me—who no longer pined for fictional characters and even had the luck to marry my favorite—Melissa would likely continue her painful unrequited love for a while.

Just as I turned my gaze away out of pity for her, the Duke spoke.

“Indeed, receiving the High Priest’s blessing is far better than having a thousand, ten thousand guests come to celebrate.”

Still dissatisfied about not being able to host a grand and extravagant wedding, the Duke said this as if to finally rid himself of regret.

In that moment, my thoughts froze, and my eyes trembled slightly.

I finally understood what had made the Duke so regretful.

‘What’s so lovable about a daughter who won’t even call you “Father” or act warmly toward you?’

Had he wanted to gather people to celebrate simply to bask in that moment of joy?

Realizing the Duke’s true feelings, my heart strangely ached, even though I wasn’t truly Evgenia.

But before I could dwell too much on this sentiment, the unexpected presence of Damian threw me into panic.

The Duke claimed that a blessing from one High Priest was worth more than congratulations from thousands. Damian, who possessed such powerful divine energy that he had been appointed High Priest at the young age of twenty-four, was indeed a remarkable figure.

He was even rumored to be loved by the gods.

And, of course…

‘As a male protagonist, his abilities are the real deal!’

So, what if he figured out I was a soul from another world?

‘How did I not think of that before?’

Unable to hide my anxiety, I bit my nails, which prompted Anne to shriek.

“My lady! You’re ruining your lips!”

“Ah, sorry.”

Startled, I quickly lowered my hand.

Anne gave me a puzzled look but couldn’t stop my trembling. Negative thoughts swirled in my mind.

‘Didn’t they originally say a high-ranking priest would officiate the ceremony?’

I knew, of course, that even a high-ranking priest officiating was far from ordinary.

The Basilian Duchy was so powerful that people would line up just to receive an invitation, as the Duke had mentioned.

‘But the High Priest? That’s too much. It’s not even a royal wedding!’

Damian was a dignified High Priest who wouldn’t hesitate to stand against the royal family when it came to his convictions. And yet, was he bowing to the Duke’s influence now?

Even as I stood in the bridal waiting room of the temple, wearing my wedding dress and going through last-minute preparations, I kept blaming Damian, though deep down I knew the real issue was my own anxiety.

The once-confident me, who had boldly claimed that God had granted my wishes, was long gone. All that remained was worry that Damian might uncover my secret.

My extraordinary luck only ever extended to money, after all.

The thought of being thrown into the temple’s prison before I could even marry my favorite made my vision go dark.

I also worried about how Anne and the other people of the duchy, who had treated me so kindly believing I was truly Evgenia, would react.

But it wasn’t just worry that made my mind race.

‘Marriage! I’m actually getting married!’

As I imagined myself successfully completing the ceremony, I finally started to realize the reality of my situation.

‘I never once thought about getting married before…’

Before falling for a character in the novel, I had never even experienced a proper first love, so it made sense.

Unlike Evgenia, who outright antagonized her family, I had never been particularly attached to mine either.

And now, here I was, about to marry none other than Euclid and become his wife.

The feeling was indescribably strange.

It felt like my heart was racing, but at the same time, a lump seemed to rise in my throat.

I thought I’d simply feel happy and delighted, but instead, I was overcome with an odd sense of guilt—no, more like a sense of sin.

“Why, though?”

I tilted my head, unable to understand.

Was it because marrying my ultimate favorite—a figure I admired even just by looking at him in real life—felt like too greedy a wish to have?

When I thought about it that way, I could somewhat guess the source of this guilty feeling.

After all, by marrying Euclid, Evgenia—infamous for her scandals and notoriety—would bring unnecessary noise into his life. That much was clear.

Yet, following the original storyline, I not only agreed to marry him but even hurried the process, reasoning that marrying me was the easiest way to support Euclid and the Duke of Rudion family.

‘Sure, I could have helped from behind the scenes or paved the way secretly, but shamelessly…’

At that moment, a faint voice of conscience I hadn’t even realized existed within me whispered.

Of course, it was so faint that it was almost inaudible.

‘No, really, who in the world would turn down the chance to marry their favorite character?’

That thought jolted me back to my senses, and I shook my head vigorously.

“Ack! My lady!”

…Only to be scolded by Anne yet again.

My hair had been pinned securely, and the veil would cover it anyway, so it wouldn’t even be noticeable.

Pouting, I suddenly asked, “Anne, do you still have the sedative we took yesterday?”

“I brought it just in case. Would you like it?”

I nodded quickly.

Although my heart wasn’t pounding as wildly as yesterday, I still felt uneasy and unsettled, which was definitely a sign of nerves.

“My lady, I’ll go check when the ceremony starts,” Anne said after finding the medicine bottle in her bag and handing it to me.

I held up the bottle she had given me. It was a slim glass vial about the length of my pinky finger, containing a dark-colored liquid.

“The color’s a bit unsettling, but the effect is great,” I thought.

Medicinal tonics are often dark, after all.

Since I wasn’t in a rush like yesterday, I took a closer look at the vial, which made me feel even more hesitant. Still, I trusted its effects and was about to drink it.

Suddenly, it struck me that I should pray.

I wasn’t particularly religious, but since I was in the temple and wanted to calm my nerves, I figured it wouldn’t hurt.

Clutching the vial tightly in my hand, I closed my eyes.

I prayed earnestly that the wedding would go smoothly without any incidents and that I had truly come to this place to meet Euclid and make him happy, just as I believed.

Finishing my prayer, I popped open the vial and was about to down it in one gulp when—

The door burst open, and the vial in my hand went flying across the room, crashing against the opposite wall and shattering into pieces on the floor.

Huh… What just happened?