~Chapter 3~
“I don’t feel well.”
I was sitting in the garden, bundled up in thick clothes, feeling sick. The snow had piled up so high that it reached my knees. Luckily, they had cleared a path using magic stones, so walking wasn’t too hard.
The scenery in front of me was incredibly beautiful. If it weren’t for the situation I was in, I would’ve enjoyed it. Even the flowers were blooming brightly, despite the freezing weather.
Now that I think about it, when did I even move here?
The house was a bit far from the capital… but I thought it was supposed to be a newlywed home. Since the carriage took me straight here using the map Isabel gave me, I wasn’t sure about the exact location.
As soon as I arrived, I was led straight to the room by the guide, spent a heated first night with him, and then fell asleep. When I woke up, I was already in the Grand Duke’s mansion. I must have been so exhausted that I didn’t even notice when I was moved.
“Ugh! Isabel!”
Why did she trick me into this marriage?
It’s clear she decided based on rumors alone, without ever meeting Cedric face to face. I kept hinting that I wasn’t the right person, but she probably misunderstood.
Did she think I had feelings for him and sent me to her place?
That seems to be the most reasonable explanation.
“What do I do now? I have to think of something.”
No matter what, I need to figure out how to end this marriage peacefully before he cheats on me. I tried to avoid Cedric because I didn’t want to be cheated on and abandoned!
But he’s so handsome and fit, I don’t trust myself not to fall for him. The only solution I can think of is divorce.
***
I decided to talk to Cedric about sleeping in separate rooms. I also planned to subtly bring up the idea of divorce.
“Um…”
He was in his office, going through some paperwork. He looked up when he saw me.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“I’ve been thinking… I don’t think we should stay married.”
“…”
Cedric’s blue eyes flickered slightly. He set down his pen and rested his chin on his hand, staring at me. The intense gaze made my mouth dry up.
“So, you want a divorce?”
“Well… if it’s possible.”
“It’s not possible.”
“But we haven’t even officially registered the marriage yet. And besides, my father—”
Cedric pulled out a document from his drawer and showed it to me.
“They rushed the paperwork, and it’s already been approved. You’re the one who said we didn’t need a wedding, right?”
That’s not what I meant!
“And here’s a letter from the Imperial Palace. It has your name on it, doesn’t it? Claire Anne Rose.”
He placed the letter on the desk. I cautiously got up from the sofa, walked over, and opened the letter. My eyes widened.
“It really does have my name… and my father’s seal…”
This must be Isabel’s doing. Did she really hate the idea of marrying Cedric that much?
I felt dizzy and sighed deeply.
“A marriage is a promise. It can’t be broken. If you find me lacking, I’ll try to improve.”
Cedric said this without any change in his expression. Did he even have emotions? I couldn’t tell. Was he just committed to keeping the marriage because it already happened?
It’s not like this marriage was going to last anyway. I had no choice but to step back in front of his unshakable resolve.
“I don’t understand your behavior. Didn’t you follow me around the palace because you were curious about me?”
“T-That’s because I was curious about the man Isabel was going to marry! It was just curiosity!”
“Well then, you can continue to be curious about me.”
We were going in circles. It was clear he had no intention of getting a divorce. I thought he’d agree easily, given how reluctant he seemed about the marriage, but maybe there was another reason behind it.
“Is there a reason you can’t divorce me?”
“There are many reasons. The main one is that I’m not the kind of man to end a marriage just after getting married.”
“…But what if divorcing me gives you a chance? Maybe Isabel will come around.”
“I’m not interested in someone who didn’t want to marry me and gave me up to someone else.”
Cedric stood up, looking down at me.
“Even if you don’t like it here, there’s nothing you can do. This is your home now, so you should settle in.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I’m busy. Please leave now.”
“…”
Feeling defeated by his clear dismissal, I had no choice but to leave his office.
***
“I don’t get it,” Cedric sighed, running a hand through his hair. What could possibly be bothering her so much that she was desperate for a divorce?
It hadn’t even been a week. After their wedding night, she had deliberately avoided him, so they hadn’t spent much time together. He had been busy, but every time they met, she would bring up divorce, and it made him stubborn.
‘What on earth is she thinking?’
He stood up, crossed his arms, and looked out the window. Claire was in the garden, bundled up in thick clothes, waddling around during her walk.
“She probably doesn’t understand how much is riding on this marriage,” he muttered.
Claire was said to be an illegitimate child the Emperor didn’t care about. Originally, Isabel was supposed to be his bride, but for some reason, the Imperial family sent a letter, stating they wanted the marriage to be quiet and without fuss.
It didn’t matter who sent it. Whether he married Claire or Isabel, it made no difference to him. In fact, Claire, who wasn’t under the Emperor’s watchful eye, was better for him. If he’d married Isabel, he would have been under constant surveillance.
“Or… could this be the Emperor’s doing too? Trying to break the agreement?”
If the marriage broke, the freedom of the North, which was promised, would be taken away. That couldn’t happen. He had done everything the Emperor wanted to protect their freedom.
‘Divorce is absolutely out of the question,’ he decided firmly. No matter what she was thinking, he wasn’t going to give in.
“Your Grace,”
“Oh, Caven. You’re back from work?”
“I just dealt with the beasts in the forest. But… Her Grace seemed quite upset. Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing.”
Caven scratched his head, nodding, but he couldn’t help but notice Cedric staring out the window.
“I was worried, but Her Grace seems to really like it here.”
“…She likes it?”
That couldn’t be true. She had been full of complaints since their first night. Cedric suddenly yanked the curtains shut and sat back down.
“Yes, she said she didn’t expect the North to be so beautiful. She was full of admiration for the garden, her eyes sparkling.”
“So, you’ve gotten close already.”
“She approached me first, asking questions. We ended up talking. She even said she wants to visit the forest tomorrow.”
Caven laughed heartily, scratching his head. Cedric’s face darkened at his words. It seemed like he was the only one Claire didn’t like.
The thought made him feel worse. Frowning, he tried to focus on his paperwork again.
“At first, I didn’t feel good about the idea of marrying someone other than Princess Isabel, but now I’m glad Lady Claire is here,” Caven said with a smile. He wasn’t being sarcastic—he genuinely liked how Claire had warmed up to the North. Marrying Princess Isabel would have granted some political advantages, but Cedric had gained even more through this marriage.
From Caven’s perspective, Cedric had nothing to lose. Cedric always used to say it didn’t matter who he married.
‘Does he even know what love is? Probably not,’ Caven thought. Since Cedric had never been close to a woman, it was likely that he saw Claire as nothing more than a stone and didn’t harbor any feelings for her.
“Your Grace, you should be kind to her. Why don’t you take this chance to join her on her visit to the forest tomorrow? Spend some time talking with her.”
“Why should I?”
“Because she’s your wife now. She’s alone in this place with no one around, so she must be feeling lonely. Besides, you do have a rather intimidating face.”
“…What?”
“You don’t smile, so of course people find you scary. Wouldn’t it be troublesome if she decided to run away?”
“Keep going.”
“…Actually, I just remembered I have something urgent to take care of. I’ll be going now.”
Caven quickly left the room when he noticed Cedric’s expression darken. Cedric turned his head and stared at the mirror on his desk.
“….”
He tried to force a smile, watching his reflection for a long time before flipping the mirror over.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he smiled.
“What a fool I am,” he muttered, his face twisting in frustration. He left the office, unable to focus on his work any longer.
