C19
After slightly breaking down the wall around my heart toward him, I asked a question with a relaxed heart.
"Then, why didn't you look so good?"
"Is that how my expression looked?"
"Yes. It seemed complex."
"Well, in reality, your ex-husband is better than I expected. I mean, on the outside."
...What does his bad mood have to do with Leandro looking good?
I didn't understand, but I replied appropriately.
"Oh, well, some people say he's handsome, but I'm not sure."
My sense of taste was extremely normal, but this level of lie for the future villain was easy.
"...Really?"
Likewise, though I didn't understand, he seemed delighted.
To gain momentum, I added compliments as well.
"Actually, Tay is much handsomer than Leandro."
"......"
He expressed his joy in silence. I felt a bit relieved.
By the way, I didn't know, Terence.
Could it be that he has the personality of not being able to tolerate handsome people other than himself?
"No."
"Yes?"
"For some reason, seeing your expression, it seems like you're thinking something absurd."
"Hey, I didn't think too much about it."
I waved him off. It's sharp.
"By the way, I started feeling it a while ago..."
He took a sip of the properly cooled medicinal tea.
"This tea seems to be much more effective than expected. I think that's why my mind has been particularly clear these past few days."
I paused for a moment. Because the other party brought up the topic I was wondering when to bring up first.
I pretended not to know it and hinted.
"I suppose you haven't been feeling well lately."
"In reality, I've suffered from migraines since I was young."
I clenched my fists under the table.
He finally mentioned the headache story!
Luck didn't end there.
"Then, if you don't mind, could you tell me the ingredients and the mixing ratio of the medicinal tea? I'd also like to boil it and drink it at home regularly."
The recipe for the medicinal tea and my divorce. All the conditions to exchange these two have been met.
"It's not that difficult. I can tell you whatever you want. But..."
I made eye contact as if I were a sincere friend, without appearing as calculating as possible.
"In exchange, could you do me a favor, Tay?"
"I'll do everything I can."
I took a deep breath, paused, and then spoke.
"Please cooperate with my divorce, Marquess Friheiden."
The faint smile that was still on the man's face disappeared without a trace.
Silence. The small tea shop where the owner was dozing off was filled with a quiet tension.
"How did you find out?"
From the mercenary Tay turned escort to Marquess Friheiden. The man gradually revealed a different face.
I quickly explained before he went into full alert mode.
"It was pure coincidence. The man who came to see you... I overheard him briefly calling you 'Marquess.'"
"Jack, you idiot."
Hearing the muttering, it seemed that the name of the servant who came to call Terence was Jack.
"Jack... I'm sorry."
My heart was filled with condolences for the servant who might be offended by his master because of me.
However, Terence was not convinced immediately.
"Just because of that? I shouldn't have heard which Marquess it was."
"Although I wasn't active in social circles, as the person who will be the next Duchess, I've memorized the personal information of most nobles."
Especially when it comes to a high-ranking noble like a Marquess.
"I met several Marquesses at my wedding and recognized the faces of other people I couldn't meet in person by looking at their portraits."
The excuse I had prepared in advance for this occasion came out quickly. I listed one by one the reasons why I had no choice but to recognize his identity.
"The Marquess, whose face I couldn't even recognize in the portraits. He's very young, and since he's here even before the official social season begins, it's highly likely that he's someone who always stays in the capital. Perhaps someone who doesn't own any territory."
Tara, tarak.
Terence drummed his fingers on the table and listened to my story. It was a habit he had when he had something to think about.
"Certainly, it seems that the only person who meets all these conditions is Marquess Friheiden."
Even so, he narrowed his eyes.
"You're very clever. I can't believe you came to that conclusion just because of my servant's mistake."
Do you think the situation is too complicated?
I smiled shyly, hoping to completely clear my doubts.
"In reality, I convinced myself a while ago."
His eyes widened. Then, the red eyes closed enough to be hidden by the cheeky smile that soon emerged.
"I had fun with this. It seemed like you were trying to catch me."
"It was a half-hearted bet. I could have misheard."
"If that were really the case, what were you planning to do?"
"Well, wouldn't that increase the embarrassment? And if I had asked him normally, I don't think the Marquess would have confirmed it so easily."
"That's right. It was very fun being an escort."
As he said that, even the simple movement of his chin showed a certain elegance.
"You'll have to work harder to imitate a commoner. Anyone who knows noble etiquette well and has good observation skills will have no choice but to suspect."
So far, he probably never had the need to constantly hide his identity in front of someone.
"Well, there's still a long way to go."
He shook his head and then seemed serious.
Perhaps thanks to the laughter, the atmosphere wasn't as heavy as before.
"Let me formally introduce myself again. My name is Terence Friheiden."
He reclined slowly in his chair, but his dignity was not hidden. However, he said.
"I hold the title of Marquess, but it's not a big deal."
Not even those humble words could dim the presence of a born prince. On the contrary, it made him stand out even more.
"Please take care of me in the future."
A wry smile appeared on his lips.
"Please take care of me."
Before I knew it, I was looking at my teacup.
"Obviously, he asked me to cooperate with the divorce in exchange for giving him the recipe for the medicinal tea."
Now comes the main point.
"If I were to confess my true feelings, I'd like to tell the Marquess everything I can out of affection for someone who has treated me so kindly. But... my current situation is not so simple."
"Of course. I never intended to receive it for free. The recipe for the medicinal tea was definitely designed by the Lady, so I should pay a reasonable price for it."
Well, technically, it was Liena who did it, not me. Oh well!
I decided to put aside my conscience, which wouldn't be of any help in the current situation.
"So, what kind of cooperation do you want? Funds?"
"Money is good, but what I want from the Marquess is political cooperation."
"Politics. Such as?"
"I want to at least prevent Cassius from using his power to interfere in the trial."
Although Cassius is a major character in 'Return and Walk on a Flower Path,' that doesn't mean he always insists on the right path.
"Just look at the fact that my divorce notice was presented quite late."
Cassius is not limited to crossing the minimum line to achieve his goals but uses all sorts of mean and despicable means.
Here, the minimum evil is violence against the weak, and if the opponent is strong, he doesn't hesitate to threaten, deceive, or even kill.
Of course, this doesn't mean he will punish just anyone but only those who are considered completely evil and enemies of Cassius.
Because of these aspects and the legendary rumor that he has demons among his ancestors, Cassius receives the malicious nickname of the 'Demon Duke.'
In any case, committing irregularities to prevent divorce or family breakup would not be a problem for Cassius.
Everything was possible, even making an undue request to a judge or filling the hearing with people friendly to them.
"Are you sure the Duke will definitely use his tactics?"
"Yes. I don't mind risking all my money."
Terence laughed as if my answer was interesting, saying he had an objective view.
"I understand what you're saying. But may I ask why you think I have the power to stop Cassius? I'm just the powerless illegitimate son of an emperor."
That's because I read the novel and know that he will soon be recognized as a prince.
If that happens, quite a few forces will support Terence.
A family that had been at odds with the Crown Prince's maternal family, the Duke of Birod, a family that keeps Cassius in check despite the Crown Prince's fanatic behavior these days, a newly revived family that couldn't yield to the Crown Prince because its turn came too late, and the Emperor's subtle support for Terence, even a family that values him.
But I couldn't tell the truth. Instead, I gave another reason.
"You say that, but you helped me file my divorce notice."
"Could it be just a coincidence?"
Oh, seriously! It's not easy.
But instead of saying it was because I didn't trust me, it seemed he was enjoying this conversation.
It felt like he was trying to figure out what kind of person I was.
"The divorce notice was filed the day after the Marquess had been absent for a long time. It's hard to dismiss it as a coincidence. Also..."
I thought for a moment if there was another plausible reason, and then suddenly relaxed.
Haven't I been lying too much for a while?
Although it was an inevitable choice since I couldn't reveal the story about my transmigration, a corner of my conscience felt guilty.
I didn't want others to know, but I didn't want to lie to Terence, who had always treated me kindly.
"Believe me, even though I can't honestly reveal everything, at least I can do this."
No response. Was this too sentimental a response?
Feeling embarrassed, I simply toyed with the handle of the teacup.
Terence leaned his chin and looked out the window.
"What can I say, it's a bit sudden."
"Yes, of course I understand."
And the conversation stopped.
As the silence lingered, sweat gathered in my hands.
"Did I rush too much?"
On the surface, the offer seemed exciting, but in reality, my heart was pounding as I wondered what would happen if he rejected me.
But I decided that now was the right time. Now that Terence has helped me through the Emperor. I must ride the wave of this favor.
"Please tell me you accept it...!"
I wonder if my fervent prayers worked. After a while, Terence opened his mouth.
"My lady."
And he came up with a response I never expected.