Then came a divine oracle.
“Bestow my grace upon the family that does not doubt nor test my words. You shall not blame them, nor shall you steal or covet what is theirs.”
This grace referred to the Luvron mines owned by the Vuiel family.
The Vuiel family, once bankrupt due to debt guarantees, received the mines after saving a Saintess from a monster attack.
Previously, the mines produced colorless, transparent ores of no apparent value and were unrecognized in the market.
Moreover, owning them meant bearing a hefty property tax, but their ancestor, known for his integrity, treasured it solely as a divine grace.
Then, the heavens responded to this faith.
After the oracle, the hidden properties of the ores, once treated as mere stones, were revealed.
Luvron dominated the magic ore market within a month of its release, propelling the family into wealth.
Ettrisha’s father traded with the royal family, nobles with private armies, and the Empire’s official religion using the rarity of Luvron.
For the Emperor, Ettrisha bringing a suitor from a family out of his favor was unacceptable.
Before the marriage, the Emperor had persuaded her to form a special investigation team to examine the will of Count Vuiel, who had bequeathed all his wealth to Devon.
Even the Emperor needed a reason to intervene in family inheritance matters.
Deeply hurt by the Emperor she admired like a father, Ettrisha cut off contact after her marriage. Without the family’s cooperation, the investigation ended without a conclusion.
Recently, however, Devon caused an incident that enraged the Emperor.
During the annual Luvron contract renewal audience.
“It’s been decades of frozen prices. Don’t you think it’s futile, Your Majesty? You surely don’t intend to defy the divine command to ‘neither covet nor take,’ do you?”
Basically, Devon was accused of greed by questioning the divine will and demanding a price increase for Luvron.
‘Devon has become too arrogant, riding on Luvron’s success.’
I clicked my tongue.
That incident might have also put me out of the Emperor’s favor.
But the Emperor couldn’t completely ignore a letter from a girl he had once cherished.
‘As soon as I reach the mansion, I must send the letter.’
The letter would detail the agonies of married life, Devon’s infidelities, and the unavoidable circumstances that forced me to break ties with the Emperor under threat from my husband’s family.
‘If the Emperor’s heart remains unchanged, I’ll go to him myself, kneeling if I have to.’
And with the Emperor’s help, I planned to get a certificate confirming the authenticity of the will. Then, I’d blackmail Devon into a negotiated divorce using a royal pardon as leverage.
“Why a negotiated divorce, you ask? Because I no longer wish to be entangled with that dreadful family, and a lawsuit would be a mud-slinging contest. We’d be digging up each other’s dirt for months, if not years.”
A negotiated divorce was my best option if I wanted to quickly regain my freedom.
‘Ah, what should I do first after the divorce?’
Just the thought of escaping that dreadful in-law’s house filled me with joy.
I was playfully twirling my hair, beaming at the thought of the distant future, when the carriage arrived near the mansion’s alley.
The coachman got down and ostentatiously opened the door for me. I stood straight until the carriage disappeared, not wanting to share my mansion’s location with a city coachman.
I wrinkled my nose as I stood there.
‘What’s that?’
A pungent smell wafted through the air.
I tilted my head and stared in the direction of the mansion. From the noble district, cries of shock rang out. I squinted at the dark smoke billowing into the sky.
‘Someone’s mansion is on fire? How unfortunate.’
I leisurely headed towards the mansion.
As I got closer, the chaos intensified, and the acrid smoke thickened.
Wait…? A sinking feeling hit me.
‘Surely not, right?’
My steps quickened, eventually turning into a run.
Upon reaching the mansion, I stood gaping.
The Count Vuiel mansion, three times larger than an average noble’s estate, was burning spectacularly like a giant firestarter. Servants and a steward frantically tried to extinguish the flames.
“Ha… Hahaha…”
I burst into demented laughter, observing the scene in disbelief.
‘…I thought things were going too smoothly. Yes, this is a true disaster.’
I didn’t believe for a second that this fire was an accident or caused by the servants.
Because…
“You’re here now, Ettrisha?”
I spotted Antla standing at the mansion’s gate, watching my reaction.
‘…So this is what she meant by ‘we’ll see’.’
Sparks flew in my eyes, once as green as foliage.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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