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

Episode 63

My admiration was short-lived, and I began to wonder why Euclid, unlike me who was unfamiliar with imperial law, had taken no action.

‘Did he really trust his brother so completely that he didn’t even suspect anything?’

But then—

“They say the prices were raised outrageously before transportation costs were received. It happened almost ten years ago.”

Isn’t that outright tyranny by the merchant guild?

How could there be anything more unfair and unjust in terms of economic practices?

“Really? If it wasn’t just moderate price hikes but even essential goods were involved, immediate punishment might have been possible.”

Anne responded immediately. That made it even stranger.

If there were laws in the Empire to regulate and control such actions by merchant guilds, shouldn’t the Rudion Ducal House have reported this issue directly to the imperial family as soon as the problem arose?

Why did the Rudion Ducal House choose to negotiate directly with the Count’s family instead of pursuing formal protest methods?

As soon as the question arose, a possible reason came to mind, but I shook my head.

‘That can’t be it. The Rudion Ducal House is one of the founding contributors, just like the Basilian Ducal House.’

Even if they rarely set foot in the capital and thus weren’t particularly close to the imperial family, there was no reason for their relationship to have turned sour.

But then I remembered how troubled Euclid had seemed when I suggested we visit the emperor.

‘At the time, I thought it was because he was worried about his nephews. Or perhaps he felt burdened by the idea of staying in the capital for a few more days… Ah, come to think of it.’

I recalled how I had been hesitant to ask Euclid about it, distracted by the immediate priority of resolving debts.

Normally, when a territory suffers from drought or poor harvests, the empire exempts taxes and provides relief funds and supplies in times of disaster.

However, upon reviewing the ledgers, I discovered that the northern region had never received tax relief or any form of support, despite enduring harsh conditions.

“The imperial family…”

Do they harbor resentment toward the Rudion Ducal House?

Knowing this, did the Rudion Ducal House refrain from reporting to the imperial family because they knew it would be ignored and unresolved, leading them to attempt to resolve the matter on their own, only to make a misstep?

The realization made me grow serious.

“Ah!”

Anne, who had sharp hearing, caught my muttering again.

“So that’s what you were concerned about? I was planning to report this to you anyway. I knew the imperial family was biased against the Rudion Ducal House, but after coming here and looking into it, it’s far worse than I thought.”

“!”

“The imperial family is biased against the Rudion Ducal House?”

Gressel asked the question I was unable to voice.

Anne shrugged.

“Then what do you call it if, despite these harsh conditions, they provided neither relief funds nor even basic measures of support? Everyone who knows about it understands that the emperor subtly dislikes the northern territories. He can’t openly oppress them, but he silently neglects them, almost as if he’s hoping they’ll fall into ruin on their own. In fact, five years ago…”

Anne trailed off, glancing at me hesitantly.

“This isn’t the right place to discuss it further.”

What? What is it? Tell me!

I inwardly screamed, but Gressel awkwardly scratched his head.

“I’ve been so busy trying to earn money for my brother’s medicine and keep myself afloat that I knew nothing about this. Even if I had more time, I doubt I’d have learned about the higher-ups’ circumstances.”

But Anne shook her head.

“No, actually, I might have exaggerated a bit. I said ‘everyone who knows,’ but even among nobles involved in central politics, unless they’re close to the emperor, most people are clueless about these matters…”

As I listened blankly to their conversation, I swallowed hard.

It wasn’t just that my deduction had been largely correct—it was the fact that Anne was casually reciting information even high-ranking nobles weren’t privy to.

‘And Anne… you just said ‘the emperor.’ Not ‘His Majesty the Emperor.’ And you said it twice!’

Of course, people often speak disrespectfully about rulers in private.

But that wasn’t the only reason Anne’s blunt words unsettled me.

I suddenly remembered what Evgenia, after her divorce in the original story, had ultimately done—and a chill ran down my spine.

‘Surely not…’

Fear surged within me, rendering me speechless.

“At least Duke Basilian seems to have made a significant decision in that regard. He acted solely out of concern for the lady, forming ties with the Rudion Ducal House and even allowing the merchant guild to establish a branch in the northern region.”

Anne pointed out an angle I hadn’t considered.

Certainly. While Duke Basilian had enough power and wealth to afford slight displeasure from the Emperor, there was no real need to provoke the ruler’s mood unnecessarily.

It was clear just how much displeasure the Imperial family felt about the marriage proposal sent to Melissa.

‘And above all… they prioritized me—Evgenia—above everything else.’

What seemed like a simple marriage with Euclid had, in reality, been formed under such complicated circumstances. It was a relief, but at the same time, she felt a strange mix of gratitude and fondness toward Duke Basilian.

At that moment, when Gressel heard from Anne about the Imperial family’s indifference and subtle rejection towards the North—and how the Rudion Duchy had to bear the full brunt of the consequences—he nodded seriously with a grave expression.

“Now I understand. Honestly, the Rudion Duchy isn’t particularly famous for its swordsmen, and even considering their financial struggles, the state of their knight order was rather disappointing…”

When I looked at him, puzzled by his words, Gressel offered me a slight bow and explained,

“Your safety is of utmost importance, Madam. I’ve been observing the knight order for some time… but there isn’t a single knight among them.”

What kind of nonsense was this? A knight order without knights—was that even a knight order?

I let out a dry chuckle in disbelief, and Gressel, looking awkward as if he felt apologetic, elaborated,

“Officially, the position of the Knight Commander remains vacant. Instead, about twenty squires and knight hopefuls are taking turns guarding the ducal castle, with Duke Euclid himself assigning their shifts.”

“The Duke personally…?”

“Yes. They also seem to conduct their training on their own.”

Though all of them were loyal and diligent, with a deep sense of responsibility toward the North and the Rudion Duchy, Gressel added that the lack of proper funding and, most importantly, the absence of a formal leader had resulted in significantly lower overall skill and training standards within the knight order.

First Anne, and now Gressel.

The information both had shared was heavy, adding more weight to my already exhausted mind.

More than anything, my heart ached as I thought about how much burden Euclid must have shouldered alone all this time.

‘It was heartbreaking enough to know about the Duchy’s debts…’

I forcibly soothed my troubled emotions.

It would be fine because I would now take on every single burden Euclid carried.

However, there was an issue that needed to be addressed immediately.

“So, is the security of the castle stable?”

While the original story never mentioned Euclid facing any immediate danger, I felt slightly uneasy, wondering if it was simply omitted due to his minor role.

After all, the duchy was located just across the mountain range from a foreign country and was facing rejection from the Emperor…

It was crucial to have a plan in place in case anything went wrong.

Euclid, Marianne, Dior, and the overly kind and innocent people of the ducal castle—the people Euclid cherished in his territory—they were all now my responsibility to protect.

I was even considering whether I should hire a skilled mercenary group when Gressel’s next words brought me some relief.

“I was concerned as well, so I looked into it thoroughly. It turns out this castle itself is a fortress meticulously crafted by the first Lord of Rudion. It is said that various magical attacks and defense mechanisms are inscribed throughout the castle, but even longtime staff members don’t know how to activate them.”

“Really?”

A castle imbued with magic—it was like something straight out of a fantasy tale.

‘They say the first Lord of Rudion was such an exceptional mage that he aided the Emperor in slaying an evil dragon. Truly remarkable.’