I received a letter from Weekly this morning.

It said that as his immunity recovered and his skin condition improved, he would be able to attend the banquet. He also added that as I said, Antra had requested an invitation to the banquet through illegal means but was refused.

The letter subtly conveyed contempt and displeasure towards Antra, as if asking who she thought she was.

I chuckled and got up from my seat. It was almost time for Lilien to return from her lesson.

“Ms. Rain Burton, I’ll be going now… Ms. Rain Burton?”

Rain Burton, who had been looking at the newspaper with a serious face, looked up at me with a startled expression.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Hmm, it’s nothing major, just a sad article. You know that nameless non-profit organization that helps refugees affected by monster attacks in various countries?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Apparently, their large donation from an unknown source has suddenly stopped, causing operational difficulties.”

Tsk tsk, Rain Burton clicked her tongue with a regretful expression.

“A friend of mine said they received great help during their childhood when they were starving due to a landlord’s embezzlement. It’s unfortunate. Well, everyone has their circumstances. We can’t take goodwill for granted… Countess?”

Rain Burton was taken aback by my suddenly fierce expression.

‘The non-profit’s funding was cut off? That means…’

Goosebumps rising to the top of my head, I abruptly stood up.

“W-why, what’s wrong? Is there a problem…”

Before her words could finish, I rushed out of the office. Rain Burton quickly followed me out, gripping both sides of the doorframe as she called out.

“Countess, what’s wrong…!”

Countess…! Her concerned cries faded as the building door closed behind me.

Bang-!

Pushing aside the secretary who tried to follow me saying I shouldn’t do this, I flung open the door and entered forcefully.

This was Devon’s private office, with large windows uncovered by velvet curtains offering a clear view of the capital’s center.

Inside, furnished with exquisite artworks and reddish-brown study furniture, sat Devon on an antique natural leather sofa like a business tycoon.

Creaking, Devon rose from his chair and snorted upon seeing me, then ended his conversation with someone on the other side of the communication device. He gestured for the secretary to leave, then tapped his mahogany desk with his fingertips.

“Even when I was beaten by father and lay sick in bed, you didn’t show your face, hiding behind that great Mifidian. Now you finally come.”

Suppressing my rising anger, I snorted derisively.

“What a shame. You should have been so crippled you couldn’t lift a finger, but I guess Count Dien was too soft-hearted even for a son like you. No, perhaps he’s as weak-fisted as his son?”

“Hahaha!”

Devon laughed, shaking his shoulders as if he’d heard an amusing joke, then suddenly turned serious. He leaned across the desk, thrusting his repulsive face close to mine and pointing at his bruised eye.

“At my age, I’m probably the only one who’s suffered such humiliation because of his wife! Everyone called me a fool!”

I twisted my expression in disgust. With each word he spoke, his foul breath hit my face, making my skin feel like it was rotting.

“So what. Does drawing a line in shit make it any less shit?”

At my mockery, Devon’s eye twitched, then he kicked his chair and huffed angrily.

Seeing Devon now more heated than me, the anger that had been simmering since I burst into the office began to subside.

Regaining my composure, I took a deep breath and stated the purpose of my visit.

“Reinstate the donation. It has nothing to do with our divorce.”

Devon, who had been breathing heavily, glanced at me and smiled slyly.

“Ah-. You mean the donation your father was secretly making to that civilian organization?”

The nameless civilian organization provided relief efforts not only throughout the empire where the government couldn’t reach, but also in foreign countries – restoring damaged villages and farms, establishing temporary medical facilities, supporting families of fallen knights, and assisting victims.

Count Vuel secretly participated as a member, and no one knew the source of the donation funds. Only Count Vuel, Etricia, and Devon, who inherited the count’s position, knew about it.

But now the funding had suddenly stopped, causing difficulties… When the donations stop, it’s the people under the organization’s protection who suffer immediate harm.

“But why should I reinstate it? As you said, once we’re divorced, it’s over.”

“What?”

“That’s right. As you said, if the will tampering is exposed and we divorce, I’ll be kicked out. Shouldn’t I indulge in some luxury before that? I’ve donated enough. Don’t you find it a waste?”

I glared at Devon with burning eyes, clenching my fists tightly.

“Devon… you know what this meant to father.”

The foundation of the Vuel family’s mining business was civilian donations.

From the start, it was contradictory for the kind-hearted Count Vuel to monopolize lebron, which was directly linked to life.

The mining yield of lebron was limited, and unlike me who knew from the original work that it could be crafted, the mineral was only distributed in its original form. So it couldn’t reach poor mercenaries and territory knights. Naturally, prices skyrocketed and were auctioned off at high prices.

But Count Vuel conducted business on radical terms despite warnings from the temple and imperial court.

He supplied a fixed amount to the imperial palace annually at one-tenth of the price and promised regular support to the temple. Except for countries with monster manifestations, he banned exports and regulated export volumes.

In other words, the donation was Count Vuel’s long-cherished wish that he truly wanted to achieve. It was the castle he wanted to protect firmly, his achievement and intrinsic value.

Of course, Devon knows this meaning too.

‘There’s surely a reason why God bestowed the mine upon us, Etricia. So we must not overlook this fact.’

He had watched from the side when Count Vuel held my hands and asked for the donations to continue when giving his marriage approval.

Devon grinned and shrugged as if he didn’t know. His sneering lips were infuriating to the point of madness.

Sadly, he knew better than anyone how to provoke me. That’s why he touched on the Mifidian family first, and now Count Vuel.

Just looking at how he married by digging into Etricia’s emotions and managed the count’s household without much trouble showed that he wasn’t simply a foolish person. At least when it came to playing with people’s emotions. No wonder so many women were captivated by this hollow man.

I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths to suppress the boiling anger.

I slowly opened my eyes and took a deep breath. When the swelling emotion subsided, I spoke in a cracked voice.

“What do you want?”

“What I want, huh.”

Devon chuckled and swept his hand across the desk as he turned around. Soon, he approached me, who was glaring at him, and whispered softly with his hands behind his back.

“On the day of the banquet, I’ll come to pick you up. Then you’ll get into my carriage as the most beautiful lady in the world.”

For a moment, as our eyes met, Devon looked like a hideous monster I’d seen in a monster encyclopedia.

“And you must stick close to me throughout the banquet. When it’s over, you’ll quietly follow me to Count Dien’s mansion. So that the scandal disappears and rumors of discord between you and me subside.”

“And after that, will you kick me out?”

Puhah, Devon twisted his eyes and burst into laughter. He shook his head and looked down at me with a scornful gaze.

“What are you saying, wife? I’m not getting a divorce.”

“Didn’t you fabricate the scandal because you wanted to take my assets and divorce me?”

“Well, that might have been the case, then.”

Devon stroked his cheek with the back of his hand, eyeing me with a lewd gaze.

“I told you. You’ve started to look quite attractive as another man’s woman.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Devon’s eyebrow twitched at my glaring retort. He moved his hand from gently stroking his cheek to grab my upswept hair.

“Ugh!”

My body staggered greatly as a suppressed voice came from my throat.

I regained my balance after meeting Devon’s anger-filled eyes.

I felt scared and ashamed. If Devon were to swing his fist again, I would surely be helpless. This was Devon’s territory, and there was no one to help me. But I didn’t back down and glared at him with defiant eyes.

Averting my eyes or shrinking away felt like losing to this bastard.

“When the will authenticity verification certificate comes out, bring it to me quietly. And you’ll live as you did before, pretending not to know about my affairs even though you do, like an idiot.”

Devon smiled angrily, his lips trembling.

“If you’re late, I might just sell the mine to a money-crazed foreign tycoon and go into exile.”

Devon roughly let go of my hair and adjusted his collar. Whew, he sighed deeply and snorted as he headed for the door.

Finally, bang, as the door closed, I let down my hair that had become disheveled like melted ice cream. Soon, a deflating laugh burst out.

It was beyond regrettable, even unfair, to think of the past time I had lived believing such a man to be my husband.

Haa. Brushing back a few strands of hair that had fallen over my forehead, I raised my head and glared at the tightly closed door.

‘You think you’re the only one with leverage, Devon.’

I paid back scandal with scandal, so now it’s time to repay threat with threat.

I raised my head dignifiedly while tidying my disheveled appearance. A lot of preparation would be needed before the banquet.