The Duke and Duchess' Divorce Circumstances

After having a late lunch, Ruivan and his wife left Beni much later than planned.

 

“Ray, you had a nice sleep this morning. Similar to a bear hibernating.”

 

As soon as they were alone in the carriage, Ramiel said indifferently while reading the documents that Taylor had reported.

 

“…I’m sorry.”

 

Ray hesitated to apologize.

 

According to Taylor, due to her oversleeping, the afternoon schedule was pushed back.

 

Originally, there was something Ramiel had to do today at the mansion, but since they had a variable schedule to visit the villa, he brought along things he could do at the villa as well.

 

If it were the main house, Taylor could have just gone to Ramiel’s room and reported, but this was a ‘villa’, and the two were in the couple’s bedroom.

 

The presence of the master and his wife in the bedroom, in a villa full of affection and lust, was like sending out a ‘do not disturb’ official notice to everyone. It was an unspoken rule that when a woman and her husband were in a bedroom, employees were not to approach unless the master called first.

 

The previous evening, the couple had just moved in, so Taylor had been able to knock on the door, but it had been a while since then, and he didn’t dare go to the room. Not to forget the reaction of others who thought the duke & soon-to-be duchess were a real couple.

 

“I didn’t intend to receive an apology. However, I wonder what Wilpoff will do when he finds out the schedule has been delayed.”

 

“I- I asked you not to tell Wilpoff at the dining hall earlier. Do you really want to see me kneel?”

 

If Wilpoff found out about this, how much more she would be roasted. Just thinking about it made Ray feel sick.

 

“You’re not going to tell Wilpoff I overslept, right? Please don’t. I can even kneel if needed!”

 

She felt Taylor’s eyes looking at her as if he was looking at Kreha.

 

But Ray was sincere. If she could avoid Wilpoff’s private education, she was ready to kneel.

“Depends on how you behave, Ray.”

What am I supposed to do? Carry you around?

Ray almost said it out loud but swallowed the words and turned his gaze out the window.

This was her way to declare that she would never interfere with Ramiel’s work in the future again.

* * *

Duke Ruivan went to the villa with his fiancée.

 

The impact this single sentence had on the aristocratic society was enormous. The shock was even greater because the person everyone coveted made an unexpected move.

 

The fact that an engaged couple, who had not yet announced their engagement or held an engagement ceremony, openly used the villa, and that they had visited half a dozen Ruivan villas located throughout Lytham, left the nobles dumbfounded.

 

Visiting a villa… They knew very well what the meaning of visiting a villa was.

Those wondering who this woman was that had captivated Duke Ruivan were all equally astonished when her name was mentioned.

“Who is marrying whom?”

The same was true for Prince Parvese. He reached out in disbelief when his attendant reported the news.

 

Reading the marriage contract, or the engagement document, in his hand, he blinked several times.

 

“Ramiel Chai James Artil Ruivan and Rae Alexis Arhyda Leanello… Marriage Promise.”

Not just an engagement, but straight to a marriage contract.

Since noble marriages were alliances between families, once confirmed, they had to send the contract to the imperial family for approval, a measure to monitor political shifts.

“Is this real? Am I so tired that I’m hallucinating?”

Ruivan was a family that was prosperous without any support, and a family that would not have any problems, unless the emperor intervened.

 

They were talking about Ruivan, who not long ago supported the imperial family by helping the imperial magic knights and wizards and making great achievements in suppressing monsters. On the contrary, if their power grew further, it could become a threat to the imperial family. It would be for the best if Ramiel married someone from a less influential family.

 

However, the match seemed excessively moderate. The Leanello family was not even a noble family.

 

For an old noble family like Ruivan, taking in a nuevo-riche was difficult.

‘But what kind of pairing is this?’

It was incomprehensible, but according to the rumors, the two had spent a cozy time together at the Ruivan villa and had returned.

“Are they really in love……?”

Moreover, the eldest daughter of the Leanello family had previously broken off an engagement with an unremarkable count’s family. While the broken engagement wasn’t a flaw, it was notable that she was still chosen despite that history.

At this time, the marriage was not confirmed but only an engagement, so the marriage contract was not sent to the imperial family.

 

Since it was common for new money to marry into nobility and then break off the engagement, nobles often submitted the engagement document long after the ceremony. So it was something that Parvese didn’t even care about.

However, this time, the engagement document was submitted even before the ceremony, which meant they were determined to marry. It was a clear sign that they wouldn’t separate unless they divorced.

“Summon the Ruivan couple.”

* * *

“What did you say?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince has invited you both to the imperial palace.”

Ray’s eyes shook with disbelief at Wilpoff’s report. 

The Crown Prince? The Crown Prince! It was an audience with royalty that Ray had never expected in his lifetime.

However, Crown Prince Parvese, who was mentioned as the next Emperor and who was focusing his efforts on growing an emerging power, called the noble Ruivan?

 

Ray asked, looking at Ramiel sitting next to her.

 

“Rael, did you cause any trouble?”

 

Wilpoff’s eyebrows twitched slightly and then straightened quickly. Ramiel watched with interest as the master of expression control, openly showing his frustration.

 

‘I’m going crazy.’

 

There was not a trace of culture left in Ray’s speech, even after attending lessons with him. Wilpoff became dizzy at the thought of putting a hostess of this level out in the name of Ruivan.

Any positive impressions he had accumulated about Ray Alexis had dissipated, leaving only the fact that she was the witch of Laviden.

He resolved firmly to correct Ray Alexis’s speech through rigorous training before their visit to the imperial palace.

“Did I cause trouble?”

Unlike Wilpoff, Ramiel, who had grown accustomed to Ray’s quirky remarks during their week-long villa tour, could easily let her off-the-wall comments slide.

Taylor seemed to have given up after a few attempts, and Ramiel wondered how Wilpoff would fare.

“But why are we being summoned?”

Ray was puzzled, but Ramiel had an inkling.

It was likely that the Crown Prince wanted to see the protagonists of the scandal that had shaken noble society firsthand, sooner than anyone else.

“I knew we would be summoned eventually, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon. The Crown Prince seems rather impatient.”

Ray blinked at his deduction.

“Say that we’ll accept the title on that day.”

“Yes, understood. I will reply accordingly.”

Holding a title ceremony meant that the marriage was confirmed, so there was no need to waste time performing in front of the Crown Prince and his wife. The intention was to resolve everything in a single visit to the imperial palace without needing repeated appearances.

‘Ramiel’s title…’

Accepting a title felt like they had reached a point of no return.

“By the way, do nobles usually have to get the imperial family’s permission to marry? Isn’t it enough to just submit the engagement document? I’ve never heard of that.”

Ray directed this question at Wilpoff. If that were the case, he would never have left her in peace.

“If you need any preparations, I will assist you.”

Wilpoff immediately understood the implication behind her look.

“N-No. That’s not necessary…”

After a moment of contemplation, Wilpoff continued.

“Since you will be meeting royalty, it would be beneficial to study some etiquette. I will arrange for royal etiquette education.”

Ray wanted to cry.

* * *

“I think I should ask Lord Kreha to give me some training to build my courage.”

 

Ramiel’s brow furrowed at Ray’s words.

 

“Didn’t you see the prince during the grand banquet?”

 

“At that time, I just saw him briefly from afar, and it was nothing because there was no face-to-face contact.”

 

“Is Wilpoff’s education not enough?”

 

Ray, who had just received special training from the butler, shook her head violently.

 

“No! It’s more than enough, I’m exhausted!”

 

In Ramiel’s eyes, Ray’s appearance looked like a puppy bobbing its head.

 

“Ray, don’t you know that using such words stimulates Wilpoff’s passion for education even more?”

 

“I know…”

 

Ray raised her eyebrows and begged to keep it a secret. It was also possible to complain because it was just the two of them in the study.

 

After living here for 15 days, Ray knew that Ramiel cared about her in his own way.

‘I thought he was a devil inside, but he has an angelic side too.’

While she had quickly realized that he wouldn’t tolerate whining or clinging, as his wife, even if for just a year, he was surprisingly lenient with her.

So, when alone with him, she could complain within certain boundaries.

‘If this man truly falls in love, he might shower his beloved with affection, calling them “my love” and “my wife”. If he’s this lenient with a fake, imagine the depth of his affection for a real one.’

It’s said that once a level-headed person like him falls in love, they lose all sense of reason.

Growing up in an environment where genuine affection was hard to come by, Ramiel was probably emotionally parched.

‘Who will quench his thirst?’

Hopefully, it would be someone kind, understanding, and smart, who could accept everything he offered. Someone who would look like a perfect match standing next to him.

As Ray absentmindedly admired Ramiel across from her, she unintentionally let out an exclamation.

“…ah.”

 

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Translator Note:

Still looking for an editor…