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

Episode 64

While I was inwardly impressed, Gressel seemed to think I was showing interest and added an explanation.

“About 400 years ago, there was an invasion, and it was then that the defensive magic was activated for the first time. The rumor spread throughout the neighboring countries, and since then, the ducal estate has never been attacked. The servants all speak of it with great pride, and it seems to be a story they hold dear here.”

“Well, that’s at least a relief.”

I nodded but muttered bitterly.

“But it still feels uneasy.”

A rumor from 400 years ago might still fill the northern people with pride, but it was surely forgotten by others.

Of course, the mountainous terrain was so rugged that it seemed unlikely an enemy would cross into the Rudion Duchy. But I now knew that threats didn’t exist solely beyond the mountains.

‘Once I’ve repaid the debt, I planned to replenish the duchy’s manpower, but now the knight order needs to be prioritized.’

And…

“I should call the mercenaries after all.”

The moment I said that, Gressel and Anne flinched and looked at me in surprise.

Tilting my head, I addressed Gressel.

“Gressel. I’ll need to ask the Duke first, but how would you feel about taking charge of the knight order?”

I didn’t think Euclid would oppose it.

Gressel had followed me to the north as my escort knight, which essentially made him a member of the Rudion Duchy.

Besides, there was no reason to refuse a knight entering the currently leaderless knight order.

“Me, leading the knight order? And… and the mercenary group too…?”

Well, even if we made a temporary contract, they’d ultimately fall under the knight commander’s authority.

I nodded, thinking that way.

Gressel’s eyes widened. Anne’s too.

“Are you serious?”

“So, you’re planning to dedicate everything to the Rudion Knight Order, Madam?”

Why were they so shocked?

Feeling puzzled, I spoke up.

“Yes. The Rudion Duchy is my home now, so I must protect it.”

Anne and Gressel exchanged a brief look before nodding firmly.

“Your words are absolutely right, Madam.”

“You’ve entrusted me with such an important responsibility despite not knowing me for long. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Both of them seemed overly emotional and resolute, leaving me slightly bewildered.

At that moment, Anne, her face flushed, said,

“Then I’ll contact “Black” right away tomorrow! Honestly, everyone was shocked when you suddenly married. They’re also very curious about the Duke of Rudion.”

Huh? Contact who? And who’s curious about our Euclid?

I clearly heard “Black,” but I pretended not to notice the ominous familiarity of that word.

“Actually, ”Gold” also wants to meet you. When they heard you’d be changing your shoes, they asked if they could come to the duchy and greet you in person…”

What is “Gold,” and why do they want to see me? And what does that have to do with my new shoes?

As I frowned, unsure how to respond, Anne seemed to read my expression and hesitantly corrected herself.

“Then I’ll just contact Black for now, and I’ll also send a letter to Young Duke Sionel.”

Oh, right. I had come this far while planning to strike a blow at Count Biers.

The sudden flood of information left me dizzy.

“You don’t need to worry about the Imperial Family. With the Basilian Duchy supporting Rudion now, there’s nothing to fear.”

The Basilian Duchy backing Rudion…

It was reassuring, but also not entirely pleasant.

But for Euclid’s sake, my plan to slowly sever ties with the Basilian Duchy had lost all meaning.

If it would help Euclid, I could cast aside any guilt I felt about pretending to be Evgenia in front of her family.

No, I could even approach them more proactively and affectionately than ever before.

“Right. If it benefits the Rudion Duchy, then that’s good.”

I muttered to Anne, barely suppressing a sigh, and added,

“I’d like to rest a little now.”

The moment I said that, Gressel and Anne quickly wrapped up the conversation.

Gressel left the room, and Anne dashed to the bathroom to prepare the bathwater.

Only then, left alone, did I feel the tension drain from my body.

Normally, I would have begun organizing the flood of information and the questions naturally following them in my mind.

But perhaps because I hadn’t slept for two nights, my mind was just blank.

I wanted to sink into the sofa and fall asleep, but I forced myself to stand.

Soaking in warm water seemed like the best way to relieve even a fraction of my fatigue.

As I headed toward the dressing room, Anne emerged from the adjoining bathroom, sleeves rolled up.

“I would have called you when everything was ready. You should have rested a bit more.”

“I thought it would be ready by now.”

I casually responded and then suddenly looked around.

Come to think of it, I realized Anne had been tidying up the bedroom for nearly two days.

“Anne, thank you for your hard work tidying up.”

“Oh! Would you like to check it out?”

“Huh…?”

Did I really need to check?

I wondered if there was any point since she always took care of everything so perfectly, but Anne’s eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

“Uh, sure.”

As I awkwardly nodded, Anne, unable to hide her excitement, walked toward the wardrobe and side table at the very back of the dressing room.

She quickly turned the clock hands on the side table counterclockwise three times and tapped the wardrobe next to it twice.

At that moment, something magical happened.

Clunk. Rumble.

Suddenly, the wardrobe began to move on its own, like something out of a Ha××ter movie.

And then, Thunk.

Before I knew it, a large entrance, wide enough for a person to pass through, opened at the center of the wardrobe.

While I froze in shock, staring at the light spilling out from within—

“My lady.”

Anne, the very person who caused this astonishing sight, twisted her body slightly, still looking at me with expectant eyes, as if urging me to step inside.

As if hypnotized, I began to walk forward slowly.

And once again, my mouth fell open at the scene before me.

In truth… this secret space wasn’t an entirely new place.

To be precise, it felt like the dressing room of the Basilian Duchy had been copied and relocated here.

Except for the clothes, the dazzling bracelets, necklaces, and high-heeled shoes were all meticulously arranged, making it feel less like a separate space and more like a carefully sectioned-off area.

‘If they were going to do this, why create a secret space at all?’

While pondering that question, I became even more curious about how such a space was created.

‘Some kind of magical… Ah.’

Only when I noticed the neatly organized magical artifacts in one corner did I realize that all of this wasn’t just something like magic—it was magic.

Since I wasn’t a mage, I couldn’t tell whether this was achieved through illusion or actual spatial expansion.

“Is there anything… you’re dissatisfied with?”

Anne cautiously asked as she observed me silently staring around.

Honestly, the very existence of such a secret space in the Rudion Ducal residence was unsettling.

But considering how naturally Anne had arranged everything, it was clear this was perfectly normal to her.

It must have been something Evgenia originally planned and directed.

Voicing my complaints about it felt almost impossible.

I forced a smile and shook my head.

Even as I watched Anne sigh in relief, the shock didn’t fade, and I could only swallow a deep sigh internally.

“…?!”

Suddenly, something familiar caught my eye.

It was a black pouch embroidered with golden flame patterns.

The exact same one I had handed over to Richard before sending him away.