“What are you doing? Why haven’t you checked yet?”
The guards looked troubled at Chloe’s urging. After all, they didn’t want to offend Petrov, the young duke.
“You can’t enter without my permission.”
“We’re sorry, Your Grace. This is part of the investigation.”
“Isn’t it obvious that this is a false report!”
Then, Natasha interjected.
“A false report? I clearly heard it. A woman screaming inside.”
“……That’s what she says.”
“Baseless nonsense. It’s just an excuse to cause trouble…!”
Mikhail stubbornly resisted. It was futile, as he had no way out.
Finally, Chloe called his name quietly.
“Mikhail.”
“…….”
“Open the door. Now. I have the right to inspect this place.”
Chloe’s gaze turned cold.
“Especially since my husband, who claimed to be on an estate inspection before our wedding anniversary, was found in a suspicious place.”
The guards, who understood more of the situation, sighed softly. They, too, had families of their own.
“If you have any conscience left… you shouldn’t do this.”
Chloe’s words, spoken as if she was biting them out, stabbed Mikhail like a dagger.
“To protect that woman, do you have to make me so miserable?”
“Chloe, I just….”
Mikhail tried to mumble something but clamped his mouth shut. Seeing his will wavering, Natasha prodded the guards.
“If you continue to interfere, you might actually be charged with obstructing justice. Isn’t that right, guards?”
“Yes? Well, technically, yes….”
“What are you waiting for? Do it by the book.”
As Natasha whispered through gritted teeth, someone reluctantly stepped forward.
“Excuse us, Your Grace.”
Mikhail no longer blocked his way. He finally realized that resistance was pointless.
Swoosh.
The door opened, revealing a woman standing with a robe draped over her.
“…….”
Yelena hung her head low.
Even she knew well enough that it was shameful to be involved with a married man.
“We apologize, but for your safety, could you please remove your robe briefly? We need to check for any bruises or injuries.”
“I-I’m fine.”
Yelena clutched her robe tightly.
Her exposed hand was trembling.
Click, clack.
Chloe walked briskly through the open door.
She stopped directly in front of Yelena, staring at her for a moment.
Yelena, startled without knowing why, took a small step back. Chloe stepped forward in sync.
“Are you ashamed?”
“…….”
“That shame you didn’t feel while playing around with my husband only now surfaces, huh?”
“…….”
“Yelena.”
When Chloe called her name, Yelena jerked her head up, as if wanting to ask, “How did you know?”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”
“…….”
Wham!
Chloe forcefully pulled off Yelena’s robe.
Yelena’s tearful eyes glared venomously at Chloe. The contrast between Yelena’s simple attire and Chloe’s extravagant one was stark.
As Chloe humiliated Yelena, Mikhail could no longer stand it and intervened between them.
“You can blame me all you want. But leave Yelena out of this.”
“Hah.”
Natasha murmured softly, “That wasn’t a good choice.”
Mikhail’s action would only provoke Chloe’s anger. Though, to Yelena, it might have seemed rather romantic.
“It’s all my fault. If you want to slap someone, slap me. But please, leave Yelena….”
Smack!
Before Mikhail could finish his sentence, Chloe slapped him across the face.
He looked stunned, as if he didn’t expect Chloe to actually hit him.
“Hah… Do you feel better now?”
Mikhail responded in a sarcastic tone, clearly unhappy with being humiliated in public.
Smack!
A slap landed on his other cheek as well.
“Hoo….”
Chloe took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger.
“Let’s get divorced.”
“…What?”
“A divorce. Isn’t that what you wanted? You seemed to want to divorce me and start a new life with this girl, so I’ll grant your wish.”
Mikhail looked more shocked by the mention of divorce than by the slaps.
“…Is divorce something you can just say so easily?”
“Easily? You seem to take everything lightly. Adultery, divorce. Don’t you realize it’s all because of you…!”
Cough.
Chloe’s heated voice suddenly cut off as something surged up from within her.
“Guh, ugh….”
She suddenly felt dizzy and swayed slightly. Natasha quickly moved to support her.
Through her blurred vision, Chloe saw blood staining her hand.
‘Ah… of all times….’
This happens occasionally, but for it to happen at this moment…
Chloe leaned into Natasha’s support, lowering her head. She didn’t want to show her weakness, especially not to Mikhail.
“Ahem. Let’s continue this in court, shall we? As you can see, my client isn’t feeling well.”
Natasha said, covering Chloe with her coat.
“Oh, and miss, you’d better get yourself a lawyer quickly. There’s also going to be a lawsuit for alienation of affection.”
Yelena’s face turned pale at those words.
“Weren’t you prepared for this?”
“…….”
Well, Natasha had seen this countless times. People blinded by love running into the fire like moths.
Even those who acted like they were star-crossed lovers would end up tearing each other apart in court.
“If the opposing lawyers find out it’s me, I’m not sure there will be any lawyer willing to take on this case. After all, I’ve wrecked the careers of more than a few lawyers. Haha.”
Yelena grabbed the hem of Mikhail’s coat in her anxiety, expecting him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and whisper sweet nothings as he always did.
However, Mikhail stood stiff as a wooden puppet. Realizing something was off, Yelena looked up at him. He asked with a dazed expression.
“…In pain? Chloe?”
He repeated the question as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Where? …Since when?”
“That would be a breach of my client’s privacy, so it’s hard to say. Anyway, if you see her, even a minor illness might become fatal, so for my client’s peace of mind, I’ll be leaving now!”
Natasha, supporting Chloe, quickly left the room.
“Well, then, I guess I’ll see you in court soon!”
Her tone was almost cheerful.
***
Natasha seated Chloe to prevent her from choking on blood, then quickly picked up the receiver. She needed to call a doctor to examine Chloe immediately.
Clack.
But Chloe, eyes closed, grabbed Natasha’s hand.
“…I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“This is nothing new. I told you, at most, a year.”
Chloe opened her half-lidded eyes and wiped the dried blood off her face with her sleeve, looking as if she was quite used to it.
“…My body is falling apart. Calling a doctor is pointless.”
“What about a healing mage or a temple?”
“No use. My body is beyond repair.”
Her tone was calm, as if she had already accepted her fate.
“Hah… I thought I’d be okay. Still, seeing my husband with another woman in person, it’s not exactly comforting.”
“Of course. It’s one thing to imagine it, another to see it.”
“Does everyone get as shocked as I do?”
“You’re the first client I’ve seen coughing up blood, but people usually do get very shocked. I’ve even seen some faint.”
To crack a joke even in this situation—Chloe wasn’t sure if Natasha was light-hearted or just thoroughly professional.
“Still, the divorce will be finalized quickly. We caught them in the act, so there’s no need for more evidence, and there are plenty of witnesses. There’s no room for debate; it’s undeniable proof of infidelity.”
“Well… that’s at least a small relief.”
“Besides, you said you didn’t want to fight over alimony or asset division, so it’ll be even quicker. Once the cooling-off period is over, you’ll be free.”
Hearing that, Chloe briefly smiled.
“Free, huh…”
For some reason, the word sounded pleasant.
“Nice. Freedom…”
“Do you plan to return to your family home after the divorce?”
“Spending time with my brother, now alone, wouldn’t be so bad. It might seem a bit pitiful, though.”
No one would have a problem with Chloe staying at the Richard family estate, now that the lady of the house was gone.
“But I don’t want to go back there.”
Her tone was quite firm.
“…You know, having once infiltrated that place disguised as a maid, I can tell. There’s something suffocating about the atmosphere there.”
Natasha nodded in agreement. Only where Estelle was did it feel somewhat like a place where people lived; otherwise, it was practically a doll’s house now.
“I’ve always lived playing a role. As a child, as Lady Richard, after marriage, as the wife of Count Petrov… Never once was I truly myself.”
The first commoner-born lady.
That label always gnawed at Chloe. No mistakes, no flaws were ever tolerated.
She always had to stand straight and act perfectly. If not, there were always people lurking, drooling, ready to slander her.
“I… I’ve completely forgotten who I was before ‘Chloe.’”
Her gaze was blank, as if looking at a distant place.
“But now, I have a chance to reclaim it.”
Natasha added cheerfully.
“After the divorce, the title ‘someone’s wife’ disappears, and you’re left with just yourself. You can trust me on this—after all, I am a divorce expert.”
It felt like walking in a dream, a vague feeling washing over her.
“If you’d like, I could introduce you to my clients’ social club, ‘The Singles’ Society.’”
“Is there such a thing?”
“It’s a group led by Madam Olga. You could even consider her your senior in a way.”
It was amusing to think that her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship would turn into senior and junior in divorce experience.
“That sounds fun.”
“You can officially join once the divorce papers are signed.”
Natasha gave a small, earnest piece of advice.
“Some people think the world is ending when they get divorced, but that’s far from the truth. It’s really not that special.”
It was just the advice Chloe needed as she stepped off the straight path she had been walking.
“Do lawyers also provide psychological counseling these days? You’re quite skilled.”
“It’s a basic skill for a lawyer.”
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
