C1
Where did it go wrong?
I lifted my head and looked at the scene unfolding in front of the long table.
"Liena, have some carrots too."
The older brother scolded his younger sister, who was picky about her food even as she grew older.
"It's not like I'm going to die if I don't eat some carrots."
A beautiful young girl with chubby cheeks.
"Bunny, why don't you eat carrots even though your nickname is Bunny?"
The younger brother teased his little sister as if she were cute.
"Stop it. No one can force my daughter to eat food she doesn't like."
A father who goes a step further and stares at his children trying to correct the picky eating habits of his younger daughter.
He's very affectionate... This was such a friendly family routine that I thought it might be a bit excessive.
"How dare you forget Liena's appetite and put carrots on the table?"
The servants serving the food paled at the duke's harsh voice.
"Discipline and dismiss everyone who prepared the food, including the chef."
"I will follow your orders!"
As a result, the chef and several servants who had served the duchy for over 30 years were not only at risk of losing their jobs but also of being brutally beaten.
"Dad! There's no need for that!"
Liena dissuaded her father.
"You can't do that just because they put some carrots on the table!"
Wise words.
"Liena..."
Three men look at their daughter or sister with eyes that seem to be looking at something dazzling.
"For your sake, I'll let it pass just this once."
"As expected, you're very kind."
"Don't be too good. You'll just end up suffering."
... It was really crazy.
Leandro, Liena's older brother, saw me unable to control my facial expressions and asked.
"Wife. Are you uncomfortable?"
A cold attitude that is completely different from when he looks at his younger sister.
"... I just don't have an appetite."
I can't just say, "Seeing you do those things makes me lose my appetite."
Leandro's eyebrows moved.
"I can't believe you left behind food that was carefully prepared for you. The people who prepared it will have their hearts broken when they see it."
This idiot?
Where is the person who nodded and shook his head when his father said he would punish those who prepared it?
I wanted to throw the fork, but I barely restrained myself.
"Calm down, calm down."
Anyway, if I endure this moment, I won't see these people for about a month.
The Cassius family has the tradition of gathering once a month, including the spouses of family members, for a meal.
Leandro doesn't ask anything special of me as a wife, apart from following that tradition.
In other words, with just a few hours of patience each month, I could enjoy a prosperous life as the wife of the young Duke Cassius.
It would be foolish to give up this comfortable life of playing and eating.
I replied, forcing a faint smile.
"I know. I'm sorry."
Leandro was so dissatisfied that he turned his head with a furrowed brow.
Perhaps feeling the increasingly cold atmosphere, the Duke's second son, Leheim, changed the subject.
"Bunny, if you eat all the carrots, this older brother will give you a gift."
"A gift? What gift?"
"It wouldn't be fun if I told you in advance. Please eat quickly."
"Tsk, fine. I can eat it."
Despite approaching adulthood, the young girl still looked like a child and solemnly put a carrot in her mouth.
She chewed the food in her mouth. And then she swallowed it.
"I'm done! I ate it all!"
Liena proudly displaying her empty plate was very cute.
Pure white silver hair and red eyes.
Is a special explanation needed for why her nickname is Bunny?
A happy smile bloomed on the faces of the men who saw her beautiful face.
Leandro affectionately stroked his younger sister's head, as if his furrowed brow had never existed.
"Great. As a reward, I'll give you a gift too."
"Have you also prepared a gift, Leandro?"
"Yes. When we finish eating, I'll have the servants bring it."
"It's not even my birthday, so why is everyone making such a fuss about giving me gifts?"
"You're young, so don't reject it."
These days, it seems that the heaps of gifts packed on carts are also expressed with the word "young."
My mouth pouted for no apparent reason.
"Don't you have a gift for your wife? My sister-in-law will be upset."
Leheim glanced at my thoughts and vaguely asked his older brother.
Yes, the words came out right.
Regardless of what you decide to endure, you have to receive what you deserve.
"That's right. Do you have a gift for me?"
Leandro's face hardened again, probably because he read the sarcasm.
"Does my wife need a gift from me? It's not even a special day."
No, did you give one to Lady Liena because it was a special day?
Instead of accepting it like that, I simply kept my mouth shut. In reality, this is not something new.
It's not the first time Leandro has given a gift to his younger sister.
Unlike the duke and Leheim, he left the capital and started living in Cassius territory after marrying me.
Since they don't see each other often, he can't help but feel anxious about not being able to treat his younger sister better.
So what happened today wasn't something that would particularly bother me.
... If it were a normal day.
"It's our wedding anniversary."
I wanted to speak calmly, but for some reason, my voice came out weak.
Yes. Today marks exactly two years since Leandro and I started a relationship.
It means that it's been two years since he and other relatives began treating me like a screen.
"Anniversary... of our wedding..."
After thinking for a while about my words, a shadow appeared on Leandro's face.
Judging by the nervous expression on his face, I guess he forgot.
"Oh my God! Now that I think about it, today is really my older brother's wedding anniversary! It's too much!"
Liena exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands.
"How could you forget your wedding anniversary? You're disqualified as a husband."
"If you've formed a family, pay a little more attention."
The Duke Cassius and Leheim each added a comment.
I can't believe the Duke's family, bound by this strong family love, is defending me and reprimanding Leandro.
I haven't lived that long, but I've seen it all.
Leandro opened his mouth with a humble expression in the face of his family's stern gaze (especially his younger sister).
"It's definitely my fault for forgetting our wedding anniversary. However..."
However?
Is it because even a kind apology is not enough?
"Is there a law that requires only the husband to give a gift to his wife on their wedding anniversary?"
Oh, are you going to play it that way?
"Marriage is something both spouses should celebrate. My wife didn't prepare a gift for me..."
After that, there was nothing more to listen to. It's more or less the same, the same old story.
I took a deep breath.
I've endured a lot during this time.
To put it this way, others might say I've been lucky.
A handsome, capable, and wealthy husband. Plus, he doesn't interfere in my affairs, so what can I complain about?
Indeed, my life has been prosperous since I married him.
A wealthy life that I couldn't even dream of before marriage, or even before my transmigration.
There's only one problem... I want his affection.
So I endured it. I had no choice but to endure it.
When Leandro changed his attitude and became cold after marriage.
When he left me alone on our honeymoon because something urgent came up.
When his assistant presented me with a gift for my first wedding anniversary.
Even on countless occasions that made me feel small.
But I can't endure it anymore.
Is it possible that the turning point in one's opinion can come unexpectedly?
The core that had been building up for two years silently exploded inside me.
Maybe if I had celebrated our wedding anniversary through someone else as he did a year ago, I would have tolerated it as I did before.
My hands acted a step faster than my head. I threw the object I had been hiding in my arms.
Tak!
"Ugh."
It crashed into Leandro's face head-on.
On the table was a beautifully wrapped small gift box.
The wedding anniversary gift I had prepared for him a few days ago now had no meaning.
"Let's get a divorce."
And I bid farewell.