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

Episode 60

Amy, who had captured the sequence of events, looked around the bed with a peculiar expression.

Her gaze fell on the unusually bulging pillow covered by the blanket.

Without hesitation, she flipped it over, and her lips twisted into a smirk.

“What is this?”

When Amy finally uncovered the soft teddy bear hidden beneath the pillow, Dior’s face turned pale in an instant.

In truth, he had liked all the toys gifted by his aunt.

He particularly loved the toy soldiers and the carriage models so much that he wished to play with them even in his dreams. However, as his sister had advised, he kept them safely stored away for fear that Amy might handle them carelessly and break them.

But… the teddy bear with emerald-green eyes that somehow resembled his sister, himself, and perhaps even his faint memory of his father—he simply couldn’t shove it into the storage room.

I’ll hug this teddy bear tightly while I sleep. Then I won’t be scared at night or wake up terrified. I won’t have to go looking for Uncle.

For the first time, Dior pleaded and insisted to Marianne.

Knowing that her kind and gentle younger brother had fallen in love with the teddy bear at first sight, Marianne couldn’t bring herself to refuse. Instead, she allowed him to keep it on the condition that he hide it well in his room so Amy wouldn’t find it.

Yesterday, having successfully passed the day unnoticed, she thought it had been hidden securely.

But who would have thought this fool would hide it under the pillow?

While Marianne inwardly berated herself for not checking beforehand—

“Oh my, isn’t this emerald?”

Amy, closely examining the teddy bear, widened her eyes.

The Beers Trading Company primarily procured goods from the large city of Muel.

Muel’s specialty was emeralds, and Amy, being a frequent purchaser, could recognize them at a glance.

Not long ago, she had bought a 7-gold emerald bracelet, but somehow, the emerald embedded in the teddy bear’s eyes seemed larger and more brilliant. Was it just her imagination?

Amy’s eyes sparkled with greedy intent.

“How much would a doll like this cost?”

“15 gold.”

“Insane. 15 gold? What kind of doll—”

Amy, answering absently, let out a delayed scream when she noticed Evgenia leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed and an indifferent stance.

“How rude.”

The short statement pierced through Amy’s prolonged scream.

Amy instantly clamped her mouth shut.

But her heart still pounded as if it would leap out of her chest.

She was certain she hadn’t heard the sound of a knock.

Of course, she herself hadn’t acted commendably, screaming the moment she saw someone’s face.
But how many people could suppress a scream when suddenly encountering someone as intimidating as her, who seemed even scarier over the past few days?

Besides, wasn’t it technically more rude to open the door and eavesdrop on someone’s conversation unannounced?

Still, Amy lacked the courage to voice such complaints in front of Evgenia.

Instead of protesting, she quickly reviewed her earlier words, wondering if anything problematic had slipped out.

Although she had used some informal language without thinking, she hadn’t said anything inappropriate for an aunt-niece relationship.

Sure, she had muttered something about Evgenia earlier, but since she hadn’t explicitly named her, she felt there was enough ambiguity to deny it if necessary.

Most importantly, she hadn’t uttered that phrase she often used, so she thought she was safe!

But despite her relief, as Evgenia continued to glare at her with chilling, subdued eyes, Amy felt she had stepped on a landmine.

Yesterday, while touring the duke’s castle with the butler, I had taken note of Marianne and Dior’s rooms.

So, when I instructed the head maid to bring desserts to their location, she appeared slightly surprised before speaking.

– Then I shall have them sent to Master Dior’s room. After lunch, both of them usually stay there, where the young master studies with Lady Biers.

– Lady Biers? She’s here today as well?

– Yes, she visits almost every day. And we’re most grateful.

The maid genuinely seemed appreciative of the frequent visitor, showing no signs of annoyance or discomfort.

How could she feel that way?

I was a little—no, very—shocked.
While reviewing the ledgers recently, I had uncovered a jaw-dropping fact.

The ruined Rudion Ducal House, drowning in debt from successive business failures, had been paying a hefty monthly sum to another entity for nearly ten years, apart from their legitimate interest payments.

And that entity was none other than the Biers Trading Company.

Yes, a tribute.

Officially, it was framed as the duchy sharing the cost of distributing goods to the northern region, where trade routes were sparse.

But to me, it was nothing short of a tribute payment.

‘What a joke. They aren’t distributing goods as charity; they’re selling them for profit. So why should we share the distribution costs?’

The circumstances that led to this burden were even more shocking.

While it’s natural for merchants to seek profit, examining the reports and records of the ducal household revealed something outrageous: fifteen years ago, Count Biers wasn’t merely inflating prices slightly—he sold goods at absurdly exorbitant rates.

And not luxury goods, but essential daily items and food supplies!

To inflict such suffering on the people of the North, and then shift the burden onto the Rudion ducal family, who came to mediate, was nothing short of despicable.

What was even more shocking, and the real issue, was the identity of Count Biers, who led such a shady trade network—he was none other than the maternal grandfather of Marianne and Dior.

Considering that the two had lost their parents at a young age, one might expect him to feel pity and act as a reliable family figure, like Euclid. Instead, he took the lead in tormenting the Rudion ducal household!

Of course, Euclid would never hold this against his precious nieces and nephews, but it was baffling how Count Biers could be so selfish, utterly disregarding the circumstances and positions of his own grandchildren.

‘Doesn’t he feel any tenderness for his late daughter or worry for the grandchildren she left behind?’

No matter how obsessed with money he might be, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person Count Biers was, someone who seemed to think of nothing but his next financial gain.

And from the perspective of those in the ducal household, who undoubtedly knew better than anyone else about the count’s tyranny, the visit of Lady Biers—his daughter—must have been uncomfortable, despite her being the children’s aunt.

‘Am I being too rigid about separating public matters from personal ones?’

Euclid and everyone else seemed genuinely grateful that Lady Biers had come, making me feel like the only bad person in the room.

‘How can there be such kind and naive people in this world?’

I couldn’t help but recall the gratitude—and slight unease—I felt when they believed and accepted my words without hesitation upon my arrival at the ducal household.

Now that I’m part of this community, I can’t just stand by and watch them continue to suffer in this manner.

Perhaps these conflicted feelings were visible on my face because the head maid gently spoke to me.

She mentioned that, while Marianne and Dior were still young, as servants tasked with serving them, they couldn’t simply treat them as adorable children. They had no choice but to approach them with respect and reverence.

Even from the head maid, who appeared stern, and from the eyes of the butler and other staff, I could sense their affection for the children, and it was clear that her words were sincere.

It was an angle I hadn’t considered, so I readily agreed.

Indeed, the two children, mature for their age and requiring little care, were admirable. But they were still young, and it seemed beneficial for them to spend time with someone who could indulge their childish whims, like Euclid or Lady Biers.

‘And now, I suppose, I’m one of those people too.’

Although we hadn’t known each other long enough to feel completely at ease, at least the conditions—our social status, ages, and familial ties—aligned.

So, I figured all that was left was to grow closer, and with that thought, I made my way to the floor where the children’s rooms were located.

The hallway, unusually quiet, led me to pause in front of a door.

“Where did all the toys from this room go?”

A sharp voice, laced with irritation, rang out from the other side.