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

Episode 56

It seemed I harbored an unconscious inferiority complex about my face, so I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

With a much more generous heart than before, I tried to understand the current situation of the ducal estate.

‘The space is vast, but the number of servants and the budget for their wages are limited.’

Because of this, I didn’t feel the slightest urge to scold the butler or the head maid for neglecting the management of the mansion.

On top of that, the mere memory of the butler tearing up when I told him I’d pay off all the debts was enough to reveal how much stress he had endured all this time.

‘But why isn’t he here yet?’

I had just seen him darting off to Euclid like a bullet, his age betraying his agility. Could it be he didn’t get permission to come?

If that were the case, it was likely that the ever-present aide who clung to Euclid opposed it.

‘That guy has rubbed me the wrong way from the moment I saw him.’

Every chance he got, he’d glare at me with wide eyes, as though trying to catch me committing some villainous act.

Euclid’s widespread notoriety might explain why so many were wary of me. But whether it was because the aide always stuck close to Euclid or because his reactions were particularly exaggerated, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

‘In the end, it’ll all go as I plan, though.’

My resolve to empty my personal wealth to repay the Rudion Ducal Family’s debt was genuine, without a shred of falsehood.

Thinking of the tasks I’d need to tackle moving forward, I opened the window wide to let in some fresh air.

At that moment, I heard a knock.

‘Finally! My work awaits!’

Before my reincarnation, my life had clearly ended as a classic workaholic, succumbing to overwork.

I didn’t have much interest in anything outside of work, and at some point, I became consumed by the constant thought of lacking money, which only pushed me to work harder.

But unlike those unfulfilling days, everything I was doing now felt incredibly rewarding because it was all for my beloved.

“Come in.”

Assuming it would be the butler, I turned around—and froze.

Beyond the cautiously opening door stood not only the butler I had been waiting for but also the uninvited head maid, and…

“Your Grace?”

Euclid was here!

“My wife.”

Euclid, who was approaching while calling me, paused after taking a quick look around.

The butler, unable to hide his embarrassment, stammered.

“Oh dear! It’s dirtier than I thought. I sincerely apologize, Madam! Had I known, I would’ve cleaned before bringing you here.”

“We’ll clean it thoroughly right away, so please bear with us for a moment, Madam.”

The head maid, equally flustered, called for the maids and began tidying the room, pulling back the curtains and rolling up her sleeves as if she couldn’t wait even a second.

Here, it seemed, rank didn’t matter; everyone worked hard with initiative.

I, too, found my rising enthusiasm for work shooting through the roof.

Of course, the best motivation was right by my side.

“Due to the lack of manpower, we’re unable to clean the entire ducal residence daily.”

Euclid, his ears noticeably red, offered an explanation.

“This office hasn’t been used, so it’s rarely entered.”

“That makes sense since there wasn’t a duchess.”

“We do make sure to include it during quarterly deep cleanings.”

“I find that practical and realistic.”

“…Thank you for understanding.”

Euclid’s flushed cheeks were irresistibly endearing.

Suppressing a smile, I spoke.

“Still, to prevent any damage to the house, it’d be better to clean more frequently from now on. After all, the debts will soon be paid off.”

At my words, Euclid, the butler, and the head maid stiffened. Looking closely, even the aide who was peeking from behind the door froze in place.

‘What is he doing back there?’

No matter how I looked at it, he didn’t seem more competent than Anne. Perhaps they hired him as an aide simply because of the manpower shortage, which made me feel pity for Euclid.

“Sniff!”

The butler, moved once again by my words, covered his mouth, while the head maid, with cobwebs in her hair, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Their reactions made me look forward to Euclid’s response even more.

“I actually came to talk about that. The butler mentioned that you plan to use your dowry to repay the debts—is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

Careful not to appear boastful or overly confident, I nodded.

And to be honest, I was happy to see his face so suddenly, but I pretended it was no big deal and spoke nonchalantly.

“You could have just sent the ledgers and the list of assets through the butler. Why go to the trouble of coming in person…”

“Please reconsider that thought.”

“…Pardon?”

For a moment, I thought I misheard him, so I asked again in disbelief.

However, seeing not only my butler and the head maid wearing faces of utter shock, I realized I hadn’t misheard at all.

“Why, though?”

I had no intention of being harsh to my favorite character, but an unintentional sharpness slipped into my voice.

“That’s…”

“Is it because of my bad reputation? But money has nothing to do with my rumors or honor.”

“It’s not that…”

“Then what?”

“It just feels like I’m burdening you…”

“Don’t you think you’re burdening others instead of me?”

At those words, Euclid bit his lower lip, unable to counter.

It was only then, as I let out a small sigh to calm my rising emotions, that I realized I might have pushed Euclid too far.

“Then I shall consider it as borrowing from you, my lady. From now on, I will repay you monthly.”

“What did you just say?”

Wait, is this man serious?

“Are you suggesting that I charge you interest, Duke?”

I asked, incredulous, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

I expected him to bite his lip again in embarrassment, but instead—

“Why not?”

Euclid replied with surprising confidence.

“Even between a husband and wife, financial matters should be clear…”

“I don’t like it.”

Of course, I flatly rejected and responded curtly.

“Surely, you’re not thinking of divorcing me and worrying that spending the dowry might cause problems later, are you?”

At that, Euclid’s eyes widened slightly in astonishment.

“How could that be possible?”

Hearing his response, I thought to myself that of course, it couldn’t be true.

Unlike the original Evgenia, who chased the crown prince recklessly, I had no reason to face divorce.

“In any case, my last name is no longer Basilian; it’s Rudion. As such, I can’t tolerate debt tied to my family name. And living off interest? That’s even worse.”

“But…”

“My decision is firm. If you persist in rejecting this, it means you do not respect me as your wife. Didn’t you vow to respect me for the rest of our lives?”

“…I did.”

When I brought up his wedding vow, Euclid finally nodded, his face clearly admitting defeat.

‘With this, my battle ends in victory… Wait, huh?’

It was then that I realized something.

Not only had I gotten into a spat—well, not exactly a fight, but not nothing either—with Euclid on our very first day as a married couple, but I had done so in front of his three closest aides.

Having built up high hopes only to face disappointment, and then letting my frustration boil over into a mistake, I silently berated myself before speaking as if nothing had happened.

“Now that I think about it, staying here is bad for your health with all this dust. Let’s step out until it’s cleaned up.”

At that, the butler and head maid quickly supported my suggestion.

“Indeed! Please step outside right away.”

“Yes, we’ll come to fetch you as soon as the cleaning is complete. Please rest comfortably until then.”

Surprisingly, even after seeing the duchess scold the duke, the two looked at me with eyes full of warmth.

Understanding their sentiments, I felt a mix of awkwardness and heaviness as I hurriedly tried to leave the office.

Thud!

Just as I was about to step outside, Euclid’s aide, who had been hiding near the door and listening to everything, suddenly dropped to his knees before me.

What is with this guy now?