Anger is directed towards the powerless.

“The title you received through marriage to the princess will be reclaimed in one month.”

The king was furious.

Since the nobles did not forgive laws that threatened their class, once a noble, always a noble unless they committed a serious crime.

But he made them return their title.

The king had covered up the Olan family incident, but could not contain his anger at the shame they caused.

The rumors of assault, the attempt to frame, and Jeffrey’s affair.

There were plenty of crimes to justify reclaiming the title without needing to find another excuse.

I wanted to help Jeffrey keep his title.

After all, Glicia would be invaded by the empire, and until then Jeffrey would spend a brief happy time intoxicated by his title in name only.

He would fall into ruin with the invasion and taste misery.

By then, I wouldn’t be here anymore.

“…Reclaim the title?”

At the words of title reclamation, Jeffrey was unable to continue speaking. He looked around at the pale expressions of the Olan family members one by one.

‘You should have thought about the problems that would arise when you caused trouble.’

I was dissatisfied with the king’s retaliation, but seeing their faces, any remaining feelings disappeared.

Elena muttered weakly.

“Jeffrey, divorce, title reclamation… Does this mean the Olans are no longer viscounts?”

“It is His Majesty’s decision. After the title is reclaimed, be careful as claiming to be a viscount would be impersonating nobility.”

“What are you saying, Princess, no, Ormia. Didn’t you come back home? I went to apologize but you wouldn’t even see me, and suddenly this…”

Still unable to believe it, Jeffrey roughly ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t want to believe it.

When the royal maids came down with luggage bags, Jeffrey’s face contorted even more.

I ordered them to load the luggage into the carriage. The maids hurried out.

More than half of the dresses, many items, and jewels had been secretly taken by Madam Olan and Elena.

Though the amount was less than when I arrived, Madam Olan looked at the luggage bags as if her own possessions were being taken away.

“So we’re no longer nobles now?”

“Oh no. I’m not even married yet. How am I supposed to find a match when we’re not even nobles…”

Elena whimpered.

“Princess, you said you’d leave the title even after divorce!”

Jeffrey’s voice began to rise.

I motioned to stop the knight who was about to step forward to protect me.

“If you had divorced when I asked, it wouldn’t have come to this.”

“Don’t tell me… on purpose?”

“What did I do?”

This was truly an innocent question.

I didn’t do anything.

“Did I encourage you to have an affair? Did I ask Madam Olan to frame me for paranoia? You, all of you, started and brought this upon yourselves.”

“Ormia, you’re not this kind of person. I’ll do better from now on. I was wrong, okay? You love me, don’t you?”

Yes, I loved you once.

In my first life, I thought I had met someone who would love me. I foolishly dreamed that I could be happy with this person.

Now that love has worn away and disappeared, even if I try to recall those passionate emotions, only traces remain in my memories.

With that old affection, I quietly told Jeffrey.

“You threw away that love.”

Jeffrey’s expression, which had been staring at me blankly, gradually crumpled. It contorted as if about to cry, then glared at me.

“Ha, as expected of the cursed princess. No wonder even God abandoned you, being so cold and frightening.”

Jeffrey did not admit his own faults.

“I took pity on you and embraced you when others avoided you and wouldn’t even speak to you, and this is how you repay that kindness? I married you as you wished, and now divorce? Absolutely not!”

“You married for the title, didn’t you? His Majesty has already decided.”

“No! I’ll seek an audience with His Majesty! How could I live a married life with a cursed woman like you! What man wouldn’t turn his eyes to other women! How could anyone sleep with a woman even God fears! This is the natural result! His Majesty will understand if he hears me out.”

“Yes, so let’s divorce. I’ll let you go.”

“No! I endured the creepiness and even married a princess, there should be something left for me!”

The expressions of the messenger and knight listening quietly beside us hardened.

Jeffrey had lost his reason to the point of forgetting Leticia was there.

I looked at Jeffrey, who became more flexible in his own affairs while calculating gains and reasons when it came to me.

He was once a man who made me happy and my heart flutter just by looking at him.

Not anymore.

“You do have something left.”

“I see, at least some alimony.”

Jeffrey’s face brightened at the thought of alimony, but it crumpled at my next words.

“Debt.”

“No way…”

“As a noble, you took out loans from banks and clothing stores and various other places, and there’s a considerable amount of unpaid bills. Recently, Elena bought a diamond necklace using the royal name. After the divorce and title reclamation, you’ll have to settle it all.”

In my first life, Duke Haiman said he would entrust Jeffrey with business, but kept putting it off.

The Olan family’s spending increased but income decreased, so they only accumulated debt.

When they even lost money invested in fraud, they pressured me to go to the royal family and get money.

While they were the ones who spent, they denounced me as incompetent and wasteful.

“It’s time to take responsibility for your own actions.”

“In the case of banks, nobles are given lower interest rates, but if you commit a serious crime or have your title revoked, the interest rate changes to that of ordinary people. The interest is quite high, so be prepared.”

The messenger kindly explained. The favors and benefits they received, knowingly or unknowingly, for being nobles will disappear.

Elena grabbed Jeffrey’s arm with trembling hands.

“Jeffrey, hurry and beg the princess! Are we going to go bankrupt like this? How are we supposed to face people!”

“Y-yes, Jeffrey. Hurry and apologize. Ormia, we were all wrong. We made a mistake. We’ll do better from now on, so can’t we try again?”

Madam Olan pushed Jeffrey’s back while sobbing. Despair and hope mixed in Jeffrey’s eyes as he had been yelling and pressing earlier.

“Ormia… We were still husband and wife. Are we really ending it like this?”

“You didn’t think of me as your wife. Now go meet that woman as you wish.”

I don’t feel guilty that Jeffrey was swept up in my misfortune.

“No! This can’t be! I’ll take it to court! Absolutely no divorce!”

Jeffrey struggled with reddened eyes.

I signaled the messenger and knight not to interfere and approached Jeffrey. I lowered my voice so only he could hear.

A cruel coldness passed through Jeffrey’s eyes as he looked at me. But that light faded at my next words.

“If you do that… I’ll sue that woman for damages for ruining our marriage. People will find out who the woman you met is.”

“Ormia Beltoa…”

“You need to hold onto that woman at least.”

He fell to his knees on the floor with a thud.

Now he looked up at me, just as I had once begged Jeffrey to look at me.

‘So this is how pathetic I looked.’

“Go.”

I turned my back. Elena tried to follow but sank down when the knight blocked her with his sword.

As I got into the carriage, I instructed the messenger.

“When you return, report what happened here to Caland. Say it would have been dangerous if I had only sent you two.”

“I… Yes. Understood.”

The carriage left the Olan estate and headed for the royal palace.

Leticia sat across from me with a pale expression. When our eyes met, she whimpered.

“If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn’t have come… It’s still your in-laws, I hoped they wouldn’t show such behavior…”

In my first life, I never had a proper conversation with Leticia. If she was the light, I was the shadow on the wall.

“I can’t believe Viscount Olan had such a side. You must have been very hurt all this time, sister.”

Leticia was beautiful. Golden hair like melted gold threads, so pure that men naturally wanted to cherish her, the flower of the royal family.

“But sister, think about the divorce a bit more. Though Viscount Olan and his wife’s actions were wrong, didn’t you have a reason for choosing to marry him back then? I’ve heard that couples often fight a lot in the beginning as they try to adjust to each other.”

Leticia tried to persuade me, somehow trying to improve my mood. When I just listened quietly, she smiled brightly.

“You looked so happy when you were with him, sister.”

I smiled back at her as if infected by her smile.

“Thank you for coming with me today. I was so glad to have you with me, Leticia.”

Soon, Leticia’s smiling face hardened.

“I really wanted to show you. Jeffrey’s miserable state.”

Her eyes widened and blinked, as if unsure of what she had just heard.

“…Pardon?”

“Jeffrey is not a good man. He’s vile and full of pretense. You saw it too, didn’t you, Leticia? How he clung on refusing divorce when he was about to lose what he had.”

“Sister, I understand you’re upset, but don’t speak ill of him no matter how badly you parted. I’m afraid people might misunderstand you.”

“I’m more worried about your reputation from now on, Leticia. Because you picked up what I threw away.”

“What?”

Leticia clutched her dress. Her hand trembled.

I explained in the kindest and most gentle voice possible.

“High society is harsh and cold to young ladies who have affairs with married men. Even if that person is the princess loved by the royal family and has the power of blessing. To meet despite such risks, that must be true love.”

She’s a person I’m grateful for. Because she showed me the trash.

“So you can have the trash who’s not even a noble anymore. Now that he’s not a married man, you can meet freely without worrying about others’ eyes.”

I smiled at the pale Leticia.

Sincerely.

“Do you have evidence?”

Leticia’s lips curled up as she stared at me without blinking.

She revealed her true face.