“Iana, I will only accept the divorce if the reason lies with you.”
Karion urged with a shameless expression.
‘How selfish can he be until the very end…’
Iana shot a disgusted look at Karion.
Just as she was about to refuse his proposal, Vera’s face suddenly flashed in her mind.
Iana proposed firmly.
“Instead, give me the maid Vera. Then I will accept that condition.”
Vera knew many things.
From the fact that she had magical powers to being cursed by dark magic.
Of course, Vera was unaware that the one who cast the dark magic was her father, Marquis Rio Retchels.
If by any chance Riel returned to the Retchels, he would surely press Vera for answers, unlike Karion.
“What? The condition for accepting the responsibility for the divorce is just a maid?”
Karion frowned, his pride wounded.
“Because you took my maid as your mistress, I have no maid to serve me anymore.”
“What?”
It seemed that Masel had caught on that Vera was the maid who had come with Ervin, and he took control of the atmosphere.
“It seems Count Dietrian is not willing to accept any additional proposals. Thus, the negotiations between the two families have collapsed.”
“……!”
At Masel’s declaration, the Dietrian family members stirred in surprise.
As Masel took Iana’s hand to turn away, Karion spoke from behind.
“Very well. I will accept Iana’s proposal.”
When Iana and Masel turned back, the uncle quickly spoke up, fearing he might say something different.
“Now that the negotiations have been settled, Iana Dietrian, please stand before the elders.”
Iana stood at the table as instructed, just like on the day she was forcibly divorced in her previous life.
The uncle sat down and asked in a solemn voice.
“Does Iana Dietrian acknowledge the failure to fulfill her marital duties?”
“I acknowledge it.”
Iana answered briefly.
“Continuing the lineage is the most important duty of the head of the family. Neglecting that duty is a grave and serious matter. Therefore, I declare Iana Dietrian expelled from our family through the divorce process. Is there any objection?”
“No.”
“Neither do I. Uncle.”
Iana and Karion responded in turn to the uncle’s words.
“Then, with the unanimous consent of the elders, I will declare the divorce of the two.”
“Wow!”
At the declaration of the divorce, the members of the Dietrian family cheered loudly.
Tears welled up in Iana’s eyes.
In her past life, she was abandoned under the name of divorce. But in this life, she chose to divorce and finally achieved the desired outcome.
The joy of breaking free from the shackles of feeling abandoned.
Regret over why she couldn’t do this in her past life.
The sadness of the time when she purely loved her husband.
Countless emotions that could not be expressed in words surged within her.
Iana thought as she looked at Karion, who was rejoicing with the Dietrian family.
‘It’s finally over between us. Completely.’
With a bang-.
Iana hurriedly opened her door and stepped inside.
Behind her, Vera, holding Lu, followed in with a surprised expression and asked.
“Is that true? Am I leaving the Dietrian family too?”
Iana opened the door again, glanced around, and whispered in a low voice.
“I’ve told my brother, so go to the Retchels family.”
“To the Retchels family?”
Iana stepped closer and spoke softly.
“I want to say let’s go together, but you have your sick father and siblings to take care of. It would be safer to live in the Retchels territory than in dangerous Ervin.”
“But…”
Vera trailed off, seemingly worried about going to the Retchels family.
“The Grand Duke and your brother have made a secret pact. They promised to protect you, knowing you have magical powers.”
“I’ll do as you say, my lady.”
Only then did Vera respond cheerfully.
“Let’s hurry. I don’t want to stay here for even a moment longer.”
“I’ll quickly pack my things and head to the castle entrance.”
After handing Lu to Iana, Vera immediately left the room.
Iana placed Lu on the floor and took out a small bag from the closet as she spoke.
“Lu, it’s all done. Now we’re going to where your friends are.”
At that moment.
A blue light that had not been visible from Lu’s body flickered and then disappeared.
“What was that? Did I just see that wrong?”
As she looked at Lu with a puzzled expression, she heard a voice from beyond the middle door.
“My lady.”
It was the head maid’s voice, who seemed to have sneaked into the adjacent room to avoid being seen.
When Iana approached and opened the middle door, the head maid entered and greeted her.
“My lady, I came to say goodbye secretly. Thank you for everything, even if it was a short time.”
Iana paused for a moment, then spoke as if she had made a decision.
“Head maid, do you remember? When the Rubena First Knights came, I predicted it would rain.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“I don’t have time to explain in detail. If Riel returns…”
“Riel returns?”
“At that time, Riel will not be a mistress but will become a countess.”
“What? That’s absurd…”
The head maid was too shocked to continue speaking.
Iana took the head maid’s hand.
“If that situation arises, do not confront Riel under any circumstances. You never know what she might do.”
The head maid seemed to suddenly recall something and lowered her voice to ask.
“My lady, is the Goddess of Pain also Riel’s doing?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why would you…”
“It will be revealed soon. It will be a greater sin.”
Knock knock.
A knight from the Retchels family knocked on the door.
“The marquis is leaving right now.”
At those words, Iana urgently said to the head maid.
“I have to leave immediately, so remember my words.”
“I will remember, my lady.”
Iana held Lu and gathered her bag as she headed toward the castle entrance.
In front of it stood a carriage adorned with the Retchels family crest and a procession of guards.
As Iana handed Lu to Vera and was about to get into the carriage, Karion approached and said.
“Iana, you should say goodbye. It may have been a short time, but we were still married.”
“Goodbye.”
Iana said curtly and tried to get into the carriage when Karion firmly grabbed her wrist and turned her around.
He leaned in close and slowly opened his mouth.
“Iana, you should at least say thank you. You’re leaving in good health.”
“It’s unpleasant for a noblewoman to have her hand held so casually.”
Iana brushed off Karion’s hand as if he were a stranger and climbed into the carriage.
Clunk-.
Moments later, the carriage slowly picked up speed and left the Dietrian castle.
On a night when the moonlight sparkled unusually.
Iana looked back at the distant Dietrian castle.
‘This is just the beginning. The life of Iana Louis…’
The next morning, Riel opened her eyes in a shabby two-story house in the city that Zion had rescued her to.
It was a very simple dwelling with just a bed, a closet, and a table.
Riel wore the nightgown dress that Zion had brought her and looked out the window.
Thud thud thud.
A long procession of the magical legion, marked with the Retchels family crest, passed in front of the city.
Seeing that, Riel thought.
‘The magical legion returned in just one day, which means the two families reached an agreement…’
As the situation turned in an unexpected direction, anger surged within her.
“Don’t come. You might get blamed for not stopping me if you move together.”
Looking back, Iana had intended to cast her aside from the very beginning.
It was infuriating to realize that she had been deceived by Iana’s clumsy lies.
Riel suppressed her emotions and retraced the events that had transpired.
A single link that connected the scattered incidents.
She needed to find a plausible connection to frame Iana.
“It’s a war between the Retchels and Dietrian families.”
‘Masel, unlike himself, has taken a hardline stance to the point of risking war.’
“Then, I can proceed with the divorce process.”
‘Like someone who wishes for his sister’s divorce.’
“In fact, I was just looking at the magical hounds in the warehouse. They were fascinating.”
‘Did Iana really go to the warehouse to see the magical hounds?’
Magical hounds.
The magical hounds of the Rubena First Knights.
The magical hounds of the Rubena First Knights led by the royal family.
At that moment, a good idea suddenly struck her mind.
‘Remarriage with the royal family.’
No matter how much Grand Duke Ervin was disliked by the emperor, he was still a member of the royal family.
It wouldn’t be a loss to marry into the royal family from the declining Retchels family.
‘If I establish such a relationship, everything will make sense.’
Iana, who had run away, and Masel, who was pushing for divorce to the point of risking war.
‘I can’t be the only one to betray my benefactor and become a dirty woman.’
It didn’t matter what kind of relationship Iana and Grand Duke Ervin actually had. As long as she could make people believe it.
An affair between Grand Duke Ervin and Countess Dietrian.
Marquis Masel Retchels, who was desperate for his sister’s divorce for remarriage with the royal family.
Above all, inserting the royal family would force the imperial family to act, and then the Retchels family would surely be unable to move recklessly.
‘I will be a witness. The only witness who knows about the affair between Iana and Grand Duke Ervin.’