C23
Terence muttered after hearing Sharon's concise explanation.
"So, something like this happened."
Is it my illusion that there's somehow a slight joy in his voice?
"You didn't know this before you got married?"
When I shook my head, Sharon let out a groan.
"This guy is crazy...!"
"...Eh?"
She didn't say anything, but judging by her expression, Terence seemed to have similar thoughts.
"This is obviously a fraudulent marriage! It's still grounds for divorce."
"He's the worst human being."
Seeing these two people more indignant than I expected gave me a strange sense of exhilaration.
...Come to think of it, this is the first time I've told someone about it in detail.
It's good and comforting to know there's someone on my side.
I want to feel a bit more empathy.
I also want to tell them another story. In previous consultations, I only presented my situation briefly and objectively.
"Well, it's not directly related to this, but... Is this even a reason for divorce?"
"What else is there?"
"This is before we got married, when choosing the wedding dress."
I confessed that I had to choose my wedding dress according to Liena's taste.
"Crazy. It's insane."
Other things came out of Sharon's mouth in response to her enthusiastic response.
Before I knew it, I had confessed many things that had made me feel miserable, such as the couple having trouble seeing each other once a day, the Cassius family alienating me, and Leandro forgetting our wedding anniversary.
I left out the topic of the abandoned mines because it involved future matters, but almost everything else was mentioned.
But suddenly I thought, "Oops."
"I feel embarrassed."
I spoke too much. I don't know about Sharon, but Terence clearly had a harder life than mine. It's like you're crumpled in front of a chrysalis.
"...Haha, I complained too much, didn't I? Even if it's not important..."
"Thank you for your hard work!"
Sharon took my hand.
"It's been a very tough time, hasn't it? I can't completely understand how you feel, but now it's okay. Let me help you. You're not alone. And... Oh, what should I say? I do this job, but it's always difficult to choose the right words."
She clumsily consoled in unsophisticated language but with a sincere heart.
"Oh?"
A tear ran down my cheek and reached the back of Sharon's hand.
"Wow, where should I wipe...?"
She handed over a navy blue handkerchief without saying a word while getting nervous.
The owner of the handkerchief didn't smile as usual. His eyes were serious.
Wasn't that Terence Friheiden's own comfort?
"Thank you."
The corners of his mouth loosened slightly as I accepted his favor.
"You're welcome."
The soft fabric had a scent similar to its owner.
After a while.
"I'm so sorry!"
Sharon bowed deeply.
"Oh, it's okay."
"It's not okay. Due to my personal biases, I unintentionally committed a rudeness. I never dreamed there would be such a background story for Ethel..."
By rudeness, she referred to the decision Sharon made the other day to suspend my divorce. She blamed herself for casually saying something without knowing anything.
"I didn't tell you everything."
"Even so, I was off-topic. Didn't I deny you today without even listening properly?"
Well, actually, as she kept trying to refuse, there was a part of her that became more trustworthy.
If Sharon had been a villain, she would have pretended to extend her hand and joined Cassius.
If she did that, she would receive money from me and also a large sum of money from them. Even if she hadn't gone that far, she could have defended me and taken the money.
When I pointed this out to her, Sharon hung her head and seemed to hide her embarrassed expression.
Anyway, finally.
"I will fulfill my responsibilities sincerely."
Sharon officially represented me.
"Please take care of me. It's best to be sure of the calculations."
I took a large bag out of my purse and placed it on the table.
"It's a fee. I've saved enough money, so use it to pay off debts and hire trustworthy people."
I don't know, but Cassius's defense team would undoubtedly be nothing short of spectacular, but Sharon couldn't bear it alone. Even if it costs a lot of money, she'll need colleagues who won't be bribed by the other side.
"Goodbye, my emergency fund."
I swallowed my tears inside.
That bag contained the money I had secretly saved from my side job and the money I got from selling the valuables I brought when I escaped from Cassius.
For reference, the side job was a small way to make money using the future information found in the novel.
Unfortunately, I couldn't make much money because Liena, a returner, had already taken everything that could be worth money.
"It's a bit ridiculous to set the stage for a divorce with jewels received as a gift from your husband, but..."
What do I have to do? As it's in my hands, no matter how I use it, it's my heart.
It wasn't money given to me for maintenance expenses; it was simply a gift for me.
"...You shouldn't have bothered! Thank you. We'll make sure not a cent goes to waste."
Sharon checked the contents of the bag and responded energetically.
At first glance, the reaction seemed to go smoothly. But I felt something strange.
There have been very few occasions in my life when my keen senses and sensibilities have improved to an extraordinary degree, and now was one of those moments.
"Is there something wrong?"
There was a clear hesitation before. Sharon looked at the gold coins she had in her bag before speaking. Something small represented by ".....".
"No, there's no problem."
"Not exactly. Tell me quickly."
After several inquiries, Sharon hesitated and confessed.
"As you said, the amount is not enough to pay off my debt and hire the best person."
Well, that can't be...
"But you don't have to pay my debt! I just need to charge a certain fee!"
That was not bad, but I wanted to pay Sharon's debt. This was not only to be able to fully demonstrate her skills without being pressured but also because I wanted to be of help to those going through tough battles.
"Darn it, I should have brought more jewels from the Cassius mansion!" When I left the castle and came to Cassius's house, I only brought a few with me, not knowing something like this would happen. It's a waste, it's a waste! Regret is always too late. I had no choice but to dip into the money I had set aside for my future living expenses. I don't know if it can be resolved within that.
I was about to ask how much the deficit was.
Tak.
Terence took the bag off the table and placed it in my hand.
"Keep this with you."
He searched his pants pocket and took out a folded piece of paper.
"Here you go."
Soon, he handed the straightened paper to Sharon.
"It's a blank check. Spend the amount you need and take it to the Imperial Bank."
The structure was such that the amount spent would be deducted from the account of the check's owner.
"Please write enough so that you can not only pay off the debt but also focus on this matter and not accept any other requests for the time being."
"Oh, there's no need to go that far..."
The lawyer, who tried to decline out of habit, stopped.
"F-Fri-..."
I thought I saw the signature written below the amount column. Of course, his real name is Terence Friheiden.
Her trembling eyes wandered back and forth, alternately examining Terence's face and clothes and then mine.
"...I didn't recognize it, I'm sorry."
Terence waved his hand with the ease of a noble.
"It's inevitable because I didn't reveal my name. I don't want to reveal myself for the time being."
The smile grew deeper.
"You know what I mean, right?"
Sharon vigorously nodded several times.
-------------------------
After discussing the lawsuit with Sharon for quite some time, we left the office building. It's dark everywhere.
"Will Sharon handle it well?"
Before parting ways, I told him the name of Ambassador Leok's daughter.
"The other day, I saw a woman named Anna being forcibly dragged by her husband on the street. I suspect there is domestic violence. Can Sharon investigate it?"
In the novel, only the original last name is mentioned, not the current last name, so it's difficult to find Ambassador Leok's daughter in this big capital. Anna was a very common name.
Still, I wanted to rescue Anna as soon as possible, so I asked Sharon just in case. Sharon, who has been helping women in such situations for a long time, might be able to find Anna in a way I didn't expect. Sharon promised to do everything possible to search, and Terence also said he would use his connections.
"Let's trust them and leave it to them. By the way..."
I looked at Terence and asked a question that I couldn't ask at Sharon's office.
"I thought you'd consider it a bit longer. My suggestion."
It hadn't been half a day since he said he would consider whether to accept my offer. Considering that he revealed his identity to Sharon and even provided me with financial support, we can take this as an acceptance.
"I can't deliberate for a long time. I have a simple personality."
That's a lie. More than simple, it's dark and hard to swallow. But since I feel good, I'm willing to be fooled.
"Thank you anyway. Thanks to you, I saved money. I'll pay you back later with interest."
If the Andala mine becomes a success, it can easily pay off several times the principal amount.
"Please don't worry. It's far below the value of the medicinal tea recipe."
...Haha, it's a benefit for me, but I'm embarrassed to accept this and that of recipes developed by others. For that reason, I said this next:
"If you help me with the divorce, what does the recipe matter? I can make medicinal tea for the rest of my life."
"Well."
A strange look appeared in the man's red eyes.
I tilted my head and clapped.
"Oh, I guess I'll have to change my accommodation now. If I keep staying there, you never know when Cassius's people will come looking for me again. Let's go quickly and pick up our luggage."
Since I had money, I thought I could stay in a hotel better than the one I had looked at beforehand. Meanwhile, Terence naturally hailed a passing carriage and took me inside. Of course, I thought we would return to our accommodation. However, the address Terence mentioned didn't sound familiar to me.
"Where are we going?"
"To my house."
So, to the Friheiden mansion? You said before that you would continue to act as my escort, but then you changed your mind and decided to go home.
"I think you can drop me off in the Elynes district."
"I can't leave you alone. You should come with me."
"...What?"
"You said you were thinking about changing your accommodation. I have many empty rooms in my house."
