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

Episode 74

“S-Scammer…?”

The Count stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief and frustration.

Seeing that the Count still failed to recognize his wrongdoing, I leaned closer, pressing lightly on his shoulder, and whispered into his ear.

“Count, is it a habit of yours to present fakes as genuine and push them into the Duke of Rudion’s estate?”

“W-What…?”

“It might have worked before because you had an accomplice within the duchy, but if you thought it would succeed again this time, that’s beyond foolish.”

I practically spoon-fed him the truth, and only then did the Count realize that I knew everything.

His pupils trembled as though an earthquake had struck within them, and the color drained rapidly from his face.

“H-How did you…?”

As the Count stammered in a voice trembling like a frightened goat, I debated whether to tell him it was all thanks to his foolish daughter.

“My wife.”

A voice cut through, washing away the cruel thoughts that had risen in my throat in an instant.

Startled, I stepped back from Count Biers.

Euclid must have already heard the story from the children.

Surely, he knew that Count Biers deserved such treatment.

And yet, as I threatened and cornered the Count, it suddenly felt as though I was the villain.

I worried that Euclid might be disappointed in me.

But then—

“Thank you.”

I had been staring at the floor, but those words made me snap my head up.

Euclid was looking at me with his usual warm smile—perhaps even a little softer than usual.

The moment I saw his face, I understood.

Euclid truly hadn’t known about the arrangement between his brother and Count Biers, and it was only through the children that he had finally learned the full truth.

“From now on, I’ll handle this. Could you stay with the children, Wife?”

“But…”

In truth, there were still things I needed to do.

But the firmness in Euclid’s eyes and the sincerity in his voice left me powerless to refuse.

“…Alright.”

Euclid was more important than my plans or priorities, so I had no choice but to comply.

Still, I couldn’t help but glance back at him as I walked away, lingering until the last moment.

The final image I saw before the parlor door closed was Count Biers throwing himself flat on the floor, crying out, “Y-Your Grace!” while Euclid stood there, his usual smile completely gone.

Count Biers couldn’t believe the situation he was in.

For over a decade, this secret had remained unshakably secure.

‘But how…?’

This outcome was so unimaginable that he couldn’t even begin to comprehend how the truth had leaked.

Naturally, his daughter, Amy, had never spoken of anything that might lead to punishment or scolding.

Even five days ago, when she was caught threatening the children by Evgenia, Amy realized she might have ruined everything but chose to remain silent.

‘If I just stay quiet and act like nothing happened, it’ll be fine.’

He had convinced himself that the Duke of Rudion wouldn’t want to make a scene either.

And Count Biers, unaware of his daughter’s complacency, had mobilized every connection he had to confirm whether the Basilian trading company would establish a branch in the duchy.

Unfortunately, it was true.

Devastated, but quick to react, the Count formulated a plan.

If the Basilian company entered the duchy, he could no longer extort distribution fees.

Threatening to raise prices would no longer work and might even backfire.

So, he decided it would be better to win over the Basilian Princess, now the Duchess of Rudion, before the situation escalated further.

‘Crisis is just another word for opportunity.’

The Basilian Duke had gone so far as to grant his daughter a northern trading post, likely out of concern for her well-being in such an isolated place.

If he could win her favor, he might secure a significant financial ally.

After all, the princess had once been notorious for chasing the Crown Prince and was unlikely to stay faithful in marriage.

She would surely travel frequently to the capital, and in doing so, Count Bierce could expand his operations beyond the northern region.

With such dreams in mind, he began searching for luxurious gifts to win over Evgenia.

That’s when he came across a painting by Diego Bergen, said to be worth more than most gemstones.

It was unfair. He had spent a fortune on that painting, not knowing it was a fake.

Of course, it was true that he had rushed to purchase it without proper verification, hoping to score points with the duchess.

‘I need to strangle that scammer of a dealer!’

Instead of punishing a scammer, he now stood accused of being one himself.

After clawing his way up in life with such tenacity, he couldn’t let it end like this.

“Your Grace, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I was only following the late Young Duke’s orders. I even adopted his wife as my own daughter to keep her identity secret!”

Count Biers poured every ounce of his energy into his desperate performance, clinging to a shred of hope.

He had grown arrogant over the years because of Euclid’s gentle demeanor and modesty, which didn’t seem fitting for a man of his rank.

But now, Euclid’s signature soft smile was gone, replaced by a cold, unreadable expression.

“So, your claim is that my brother voluntarily agreed to pay your family distribution fees every month in exchange for matters related to my sister-in-law?”

“T-That’s… well…”

He needed to say yes, to confirm the story.

After all, the dead cannot speak, and the late Young Duke had indeed agreed to the arrangement.

But under Euclid’s piercing gaze, the words refused to leave his mouth.

For the first time in his life, Count Bierce found himself speechless.

Euclid continued.

“Did my brother also instruct you to tell the children that, no matter the situation, the Biers family’s interests should always come before the Rudion Dukedom’s?”

“W-What…?”

“And did he tell you to remind them that their mother wasn’t a noble, but a commoner born from a deceitful swindler, and that they should spend their lives in gratitude to you for allowing them to live as nobles?”

Euclid’s voice, usually calm and steady, rose slightly with anger as he mentioned the children.

Having just heard everything from the children, Euclid closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the wave of guilt and self-blame washing over him.

Marianne and Dior were the reason he kept going, the source of his deepest affection.

He had been so careful not to hurt them, afraid of causing any accidental harm.

‘Was my approach wrong all along?’

The thought pierced his heart.

He had never imagined they were enduring such cruelty and unbearable truths behind his back.

– Was it because you didn’t trust me enough to tell me?

That was the first question Euclid had asked after hearing everything.