C7
"For my family and, above all, for my precious sister.
That's what most people thought when they heard the news of the long-awaited marriage of the Cassius successor.
I think they made a proper choice among the women from families under their command.
Considering Cassius's tendency to be isolated, it would have been better to form a relationship with another powerful noble family and start a futile nerve-wracking war.
In the future, it would be difficult for the hostess to prioritize her own family's interests over those of Cassius.
In the end, it looked like a relationship with a little added love to an arranged marriage.
"No way."
I could confirm it.
Leandro chose me strictly for the benefit of the family and Liena.
Because Liena needs the abandoned mines in Andala to strengthen Cassius.
One of the few assets of the Wallace family, where magical stones were once extracted but abandoned as profitability became increasingly less.
Who would know?
The fact that in just a few months, that place would turn into a gold mine or even diamond mine.
"Who would know? Liena, a returner, and me, who read the novel."
Naturally, Liena wants to take over this goose. But there was a problem.
The buying and selling of mines in the empire requires state permission, especially when it comes to magical stone mines.
This was a measure that generated concern that wealth and power would become overly concentrated in the hands of specific families or individuals.
Even if you buy it under a borrowed name, would anyone suddenly try to buy a worthless abandoned mine?
Even if it's not Cassius, it seems very suspicious. It would be difficult if someone in the imperial palace smells it and stops it.
How the hell could the Andala mine naturally become Cassius's property?
Leandro made a suggestion to his sister who was thinking about this.
"What if I marry the young lady from Count Wallace?"
The big picture is to receive the Andala mine as a dowry. If it succeeds, the marriage veil can cover the eyes of the imperial family.
His prediction was correct.
Indeed, when Leandro skillfully induced him to do so, Count Wallace quickly sent his daughter along with the abandoned mine.
"If they keep it anyway, it won't give them any money and won't sell. It's better to presume to give it as a dowry."
"Wallace, who doesn't have money, must have abandoned the abandoned mine because he still had to find a way to save it."
This was the true intention of the Count and others who learned of the news.
That afternoon when Leandro returned home with the consent of the Count, I heard that something like this had happened.
"No! You don't need to get married for that reason!"
"It's okay. It's a door that needs to be passed through at some point for the future successor."
"But marrying someone you don't even care about..."
"I said it's okay. There has never been a single woman in my life for whom I've felt romantic interest. I'll marry anyone as long as it helps my family."
"......"
"Haha, from what I've heard, Lady Wallace seems like a good person. She's quiet and thoughtful. She seems nice to me too."
"No! But there's no need for you to sacrifice yourself! If you can get the Andala Mine in some other way..."
"Liena."
"Why?"
"It's really okay."
"...Really? Are you serious?"
"Yes. If you live free and happy, that's my happiness."
"Brother..."
"Don't cry, our princess."
Seriously, wow.
Although I only read it in a book, the part that was vividly represented before my eyes gave me energy every time I thought about it.
The author describes the moving friendship between a brother willing to risk his marriage for his sister's sake... Maybe he wanted to emphasize something like that, but it wasn't my position.
Marrying me is not like going to die on a battlefield, so why cry?
Thank you for marrying me with an indomitable spirit of sacrifice. Do we need to talk like this?
When I got married, I wanted to see only the good sides of affectionate characters, so the price of ignoring the uncomfortable side was great.
"Let's calm down. Calm down."
I took a deep breath to control my anger.
What I need now is not passionate anger but cold and forged composure.
Because from now on, I need to come to my senses and correct past wrong decisions.
I looked at the man in front of me with contempt in my eyes.
"......"
Leandro's face was as white as a sheet of paper. His eyes wandered aimlessly up and down, left and right.
"How... how..."
He has been like this since the Andala mine was mentioned.
The fact that I knew his purpose for marrying me seems to have been a great shock to him.
The response was more intense than ever.
Much more than when he first learned about the divorce or when he found out the truth about the wedding dress.
"How the hell could my wife...?"
I got so angry at that moment that I let out a truth that he would have never known if I were just an ordinary Ethel.
"There's no chance I'll let him know I transmigrated."
Nothing good will come out of leaving him in doubt.
"You confessed while you were drunk."
"Me?"
"Yes. Don't you remember either?"
Of course, it's a lie.
After we got married, Leandro came home very drunk, but he never revealed anything to me.
He just looked at me in silence and went straight to bed.
Maybe it was because he felt a little sorry for me. But that level of apology did nothing to calm my anger.
"You confessed everything. I married you because my sister needs the Andala mine."
"No!"
He burst out in denial.
His shoulders trembled.
One hand seemed to complain of injustice.
"D-Definitely, I approached you at first because of the mine. But as soon as I saw my wife for the first time, I somehow became attracted to you. Then, little by little, I started to like you..."
How can you tell a lie without even wetting your mouth?
"So why did you suddenly change your attitude after we got married? Why did you leave me alone for so long?"
"Well, that's..."
"Don't tell lies that are too obvious. Do I look stupid?"
"I didn't mean that..."
"It's okay. I'm not just angry, but also disgusted."
"Wife! Please give me a chance to explain!"
I was about to leave, but he grabbed my wrist.
Instead of criticizing him, I only said one thing.
"Why? Are you sad because you still don't have the Andala mine?"
Only then did the hand holding my wrist lose strength. I left the man alone and walked out of the alley.
I made sure to see if he followed me again, but Leandro was still standing there, looking dazed as if he had been struck.
Until he completely disappeared from my view.
---------------------
"My mine will never be taken from me."
I returned to the hotel, had a late lunch, and reinforced my determination.
This is probably the reason why Leandro completely opposes the divorce, and this is something I believe in.
Fortunately, the Andala mine was still owned by Ethel Wallace.
The reason is that I induced Count Wallace to do so.
Originally, Cassius wanted the mine to be handed over immediately.
I came up with a plausible excuse to dissuade the Count from doing what he wanted.
"It's cheaper in taxes if I transfer what my father inherited from me to my husband."
It wasn't bad.
"Besides, wouldn't it be a waste to let it pass? If, by chance, new technology appears in the future, and we can dig deeper into the earth..."
There were still magical stones in the mine.
The problem was that, due to being buried at great depth, the costs of extracting it were higher than the benefits.
The greedy Count Wallace yielded with just a little encouragement.
Leandro seemed a little embarrassed but couldn't openly oppose it.
He probably wanted to give the impression that this marriage had nothing to do with the mine.
So as a conclusion.
"The goose that lays the golden eggs is mine."
I laughed while munching on the delicious croquette.
From time to time, whenever the topic of the mine came up, I kept postponing the transfer, making excuses.
Leandro didn't actively recommend it either. It seemed he had let his guard down because he already thought I was a Cassius.
There was quite some time left until the secret of the mine would be revealed, so he must have taken his time.
Even if I didn't have the money right away, I felt very relieved.
"I think I'm a bit of a genius, don't you?"
It was good that I felt bad about the wedding dress incident and took measures.
Even if I said I didn't want to get married, Count Wallace wouldn't even listen to me, so the mine was a kind of insurance for me.
"In that sense, I want to finalize the divorce as soon as possible."
Cassius will try to take the mine.
Since it was originally a property given as a dowry, they had to transfer it to themselves properly.
Once the property is transferred, it will require much more effort to recover it, even if I get a divorce in the future.
So I had to get a divorce before that date and eliminate the obligation to pay the dowry.
After eating, I prepared to go out again. Because to get a divorce, you have to act quickly.
Before long.
"I think it was around this time."
I was strolling along a forest path filled with bushes.
The Wandering Forest, located on the outskirts of the capital, becomes less crowded the moment you leave the trails.
Chajá.
For some reason, the ominous cawing of a crow made me tighten my grip on the self-defense amulet.
"Don't be afraid."
As long as I have this enchanted amulet, I'll be able to face most beasts and monsters.
It wasn't for no reason that I passed by a magical supply store and spent a lot of money along the way.
I had been exploring the surroundings for about ten minutes.
"I found it!"
I found what I was looking for under a big tree.
Although covered in moss and broken in several places, the shape of a woman was recognizable at first glance.
It was a statue of the goddess Miella, revered as the main goddess of the empire.
It's said to be an ancient custom to place statues of the goddess here and there to pray for blessings.
"Um, that way."
I murmured to myself and headed down the small path in the direction indicated by the sword held by the goddess.
In the novel <Return and Walk Only on a Flowery Path>, this statue appears as a sign.
In a future that has not yet arrived, Liena visits this place for a picnic with her closest maids.
Then, she feels a strange surge of mana and gets lost while trying to find its epicenter.
At that moment, the stone goddess Miella appeared in front of Liena.
As if possessed, she moves in the direction pointed by the goddess's sword.
I walked along the path that Liena would take someday.
Finally, a vacant lot appeared, situated on slightly lower ground.
I was out of breath. Disquieting temperatures hung in the air.
I stopped at a point quite far from the clearing, but I could still feel it clearly.
Right in the middle of the vacant lot.
A man was standing in front of a scarecrow, training with a sword.