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

Episode 65

All this time, I had deliberately avoided thinking about Richard.

But today, I kept encountering words and objects that reminded me of him, leaving me unsettled.

‘By now, has he taken over the underworld?’

In the original story, Richard had suddenly appeared as the master of the assassin guild after escaping from the Basilian Duke’s estate. However, the events in between were never described.

Moreover, this time, I had sent him off earlier than in the original, and with a well-filled purse at that. Who knows how the story might have changed?

Perhaps it was this vague sense of anxiety, but I could feel my heart pounding heavily as I absentmindedly moved my steps and reached into my pocket.

To my surprise, something weighty was inside. When I opened it, I found a small, transparent glass bead.

‘I don’t know what this is, but it seems important somehow.’

I glanced at Anne, hoping she might offer some explanation, but no answer came.

In the end, with my confusion only growing, I carefully placed the bead back into my pocket and returned it to its original position.

‘This is really my limit now.’

Trying to process any more information would be impossible.

My brain, deprived of sleep for two whole nights, felt like it was screaming for rest.

‘Maybe I’m just avoiding it because I don’t want to face it…’

I slowly closed and reopened my eyes before turning my body around.

“Intruder!”

“Stop him immediately!”

It was a night shrouded in pitch-black darkness, just like the name of the mercenary group suggested.

The Black Mercenaries, who had been taking a brief rest, swiftly gathered in one place at the sudden assault of an uninvited guest.

The intruder was just one person—a figure they had already been warned about and prepared for long ago.

Empty-handed, with no visible weapons, he had soft pink hair and a doll-like face that matched it. His slender physique made him look like someone who had simply lost their way.

However, the mercenaries didn’t let their guard down. Instead, they gripped their weapons more tightly.

Despite his delicate appearance, he was a seasoned fighter who had survived as a battle slave in the underworld’s illegal markets.

And even if that wasn’t the case, the master’s orders had been clear: always remain vigilant, and never underestimate anyone.

At that moment, Richard—the intruder, with clear eyes that didn’t even blink—suddenly spun his body and struck the stomata of the mercenary standing at the front.

Thwack!

“Urk!”

The mercenary crumpled to the ground without even managing a scream.

The others immediately rushed at Richard.

Even amidst the flurry of incoming fists, Richard’s movements were sharp and efficient. He targeted weak spots with swift, precise strikes, felling opponents with a single blow.

He ducked to avoid attacks, spun to disorient his enemies, and even snatched weapons from those who had them, tossing them far away with practiced ease.

His actions were seamless, like a perfectly rehearsed duel, with no wasted effort. The mercenaries fell one after another.

From the second floor, one of the mercenary group’s officers watched the scene with quiet admiration.

Richard hadn’t even used any of the weapons he’d taken, nor had he inflicted any injuries that would cripple his opponents. It seemed clear he wasn’t here to destroy the organization.

‘But why wasn’t there any prior notice?’

They had been told long ago to expect him and had been preparing ever since. Their master wasn’t someone who would overlook such details.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the officer came to a realization.

‘This must have been a lesson to keep us sharp!’

Thinking back, they had been warned about Richard’s capabilities, but they had underestimated the disparity in strength.

Moreover, they had been explicitly ordered not to kill him, no matter what happened.

For the mercenaries, their master’s commands were etched into their very bones.

Even if it meant their deaths, they could not harm Richard.

And yet, despite knowing this, they had still failed to subdue him.

At that moment, all the mercenaries present reflected deeply on their own lack of skill and resolved to train even harder.

If they couldn’t improve, they would never be worthy of serving at their master’s side.

For many, their low status, humble origins, and other unspoken reasons added weight to this realization.

After all, even the role of a bodyguard had been entrusted to a newcomer.

Of course, the newcomer had quickly adapted, displaying unwavering loyalty, but the sting of envy couldn’t be denied.

While everyone was immersed in self-reflection, Richard finally reached the second floor and stood before the officer.

Richard’s gaze locked onto the golden flame emblem embroidered on the officer’s sleeve.

Sensing this, the officer stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and spoke.

“The commander instructed us to serve you as our master, Sir Richard.”

“The commander…?”

For the first time, Richard’s previously unreadable expression flickered with emotion.

“Are you referring to the master?”

Internally, everyone referred to their leader as ‘master,’ but no one ever spoke the word aloud.

The executive, who had hesitated at the words spoken without any hesitation, soon recalled Richard’s origins and gave a brief nod.

Then, a faint liveliness returned to the doll-like face, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Richard murmured in a voice full of anticipation.

“Now I can meet the master.”

7. The Family of my Favorite.

Chill!

Half-asleep in a hazy slumber, I suddenly jolted awake at the chilling sensation running down my spine.

Even through the curtains, the bright morning sunlight was apparent.

‘Come to think of it, when did I fall asleep?’

As soon as I submerged myself in the warm water, an overwhelming drowsiness swept over me, and my last memory was Anne drying my hair with a towel after I got out…

“No, I must have fallen asleep even earlier than that.”

I shook my head urgently, realizing I might have dozed off much earlier.

Specifically, when Anne mentioned contacting ‘Black,’ which, coincidentally, shared the same name as the assassination guild where Richard was the master in the original story.

“Haha, what a strange dream I had.”

I laughed awkwardly and muttered to myself, but the strange chill lingering on the back of my neck refused to fade.

Yet, if it wasn’t a dream, there was no way to explain what happened yesterday—things like Black, Gold, and the secret space that suddenly appeared in the dressing room.

‘It seems Richard was unconsciously causing anxiety.’

And I pinned all the blame on Richard, who I thought I had severed ties with cleanly when he was sent away from the duke’s estate.

Of course, if I ran straight to the dressing room to check the secret space, I would immediately know whether it was reality or a dream…

Even as I got up and walked into the dressing room, I avoided looking anywhere else and headed straight for the bathroom.

Pretending as if nothing had happened and acting as if I hadn’t seen anything, I muttered:

“Ah, come to think of it, I fell asleep last night without even having dinner.”

As I spoke the words out loud, a deep sense of regret washed over me.

It wasn’t the hunger that bothered me but missing the chance to share a meal with Euclid and the two children.

So, I resolved to prepare quickly and make sure to attend breakfast.

With that in mind, I washed my face, changed clothes, and stepped out of the room.

“You’re already up, Madam?”

It was Anne, who always seemed to sense the exact moment I woke up and would knock before entering.

But strangely, she hadn’t shown up until now today.

While her absence was a relief, given my current unease…

‘…Or maybe it wasn’t such a relief?’

Confirming that I was awake, Anne quickly opened the door and brought Gressel, who had been waiting outside, into the room.

Hmm, it’s the same combination that reminds me of yesterday, which I wanted to dismiss as just a dream.

I swallowed dryly at the ominous feeling creeping over me as Anne spoke with a grave expression:

“Madam, early this morning, Black was attacked, and that person has become the master.”