Life After Divorce - Chapter 55

Edmond was wearing a tunic that shone as white as his silver hair and silk trousers that fell straight down.

When the wind struck him, the contours of his well-knit body were clearly revealed.

With one side of his hair neatly pulled up, the light filtering through the leaves flashed occasionally on his exposed forehead. And in his amber irises. That light, beautiful like a crafted jewel, captivated me as I stared.

‘Ah, that face really should be preserved in formaldehyde and kept in the National Museum.’

I understood why Lady Natri was so enthralled by that face that she couldn’t eat.

For a moment, his eyes fell on me.

When I lowered my gaze in embarrassment at being caught peeking, his shirt opened, revealing his sturdy body.

Witnessing his manly neckline and smooth skin, I turned my head away this time.

“…What did you just see?”

He asked in a slightly trembling voice.

“See? What did I see?”

My heart was pounding in surprise, but I tried to turn back with a nonchalant face.

…Why are you buttoning up your shirt? And glaring at me with such a disgusted look.

His current gaze reminded me of him on the opera house steps. I was about to say that the shirt opening was just an accident, that I was only looking at his face, but my lips just quivered.

I couldn’t bring myself to say it. It was too embarrassing.

When I smiled awkwardly, Edmond frowned as if something was strange.

“You seem more excited than when you left the mansion.”

“Of course, the sea is beautiful, the weather is nice, and the wind is cool.”

I immediately responded, thinking it was fortunate the topic had changed.

Edmond, who had already taken his hands off his shirt, blinked slowly.

“That’s not it, it seems like something good happened, didn’t it?”

Goosebumps rose on my forearms. This ghostly person. How did he know this too?

As I opened my mouth slightly dazed, Edmond slightly curved his lips as if he had guessed correctly.

In fact, after arriving at the resort and moving to the restaurant, I received a call from Rain Burton through the communication device Lilien had given me.

It was news that my late father’s diary had been discovered while searching Devon’s office.

The real will only contained businesslike content based on the law, and the portrait was melted by fire.

In a way, the posthumous diary was the only trace Count Vuel had left for me.

But the schedule was too long to go back and check. And it was too long to just wait. Eventually, I gave them the resort location, and they said they would send my father’s diary to the Mifidian villa.

So I seem a bit more excited than when I left for the resort.

It was when I was awkwardly smiling and rubbing my cheek with the back of my hand. The group that had been sightseeing on the cliff came down.

“Lady Etricia!”

Lilien took my hands with an enraptured face. She talked about how beautiful the cliff was and suggested we go up even now.

When I smiled at her question, she looked disappointed that we couldn’t see it together. Meanwhile, Lady Natri passed by with a sullen expression.

‘Oh my, she seems quite upset.’

I even felt Lady Natri’s piercing gaze glaring at me briefly among the group moving to the carriage.

I burst into laughter at how cute she was, seeing me as a rival. To see a soon-to-be divorcee as a competitor. I was a bit at a loss whether to be grateful for this or to advise her not to show personal feelings towards others.

Finally, at the carriage, the baron took the Mifidian siblings away, saying he had urgent matters to discuss.

Left alone with the young lady, I stood quietly in front of the carriage, gently fanning myself.

That’s when Lady Natri approached with a displeased expression and pressed her lips tightly.

When our eyes met, she smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.

“My lady, the view below the cliff must have been meager, with nothing to see. How was it?”

Her voice was coy and flirtatious, but the true meaning of ‘What were you doing with Edmond below the cliff? Tell me right now’ was melted in.

She was still an inexperienced young lady. After showing such obvious hostility, being sweet and gentle wouldn’t make me want to tell her anything.

I responded with my eyes gently closed.

“You shouldn’t speak that way about your father’s prized local attraction, Lady Natri. Isn’t the thick undergrowth at the entrance designed to prevent eye contact with wild animals? Thanks to that solid wall, countless tourists have been able to visit safely.”

At my admonishing tone, as if worried she might make mistakes elsewhere, Lady Natri’s face instantly flushed with shame.

‘Oh dear, what am I doing? I should have just let it go.’

But just because the young lady was cute didn’t mean I would allow attacks.

I’m sorry, but this elder sister has experienced her mansion burning down and even being kidnapped. Amateur psychological warfare doesn’t work on me.

Lady Natri bit her lip and glared at me with sharp eyes. The fierce sparks in her eyes made the back of my neck a bit chilly this time.

‘It seems she was raised indulging in childish whims…’

In such cases, people sometimes impulsively express their frustration when things don’t go their way.

“Aren’t you embarrassed, my lady? If you’re going to divorce, there are many other places to stay even if you don’t have a home. You don’t necessarily need to impose on the Mifidian mansion.”

As my impending divorce was revealed to the world through the Imperial newspaper, Lady Natri must have known about it too.

As expected, Lady Natri’s excited voice grew louder.

“Don’t you think the Countess is too shameless?”

“What you’re doing now is called overstepping, young lady.”

“But, but I have to intervene! I’m sure Lady Lilien and the Duke are actually troubled, but can’t chase away a guest, so they can’t say anything!”

“I understand how you feel, but don’t disparage their kindness out of jealousy. That’s very ugly behavior.”

When I hit the nail on the head, Lady Natri’s face burned. Her eyes flashed with fire, and then she pushed my shoulder hard.

In that moment, my back hit a solid wall. No, a body. As I raised my head, feeling the stiff shirt collar against my cheek, my gaze fixed on Edmond’s thick jawline.

I was surprised by how close he was.

Not only had I not sensed his presence, but Lady Natri, in her excitement, hadn’t noticed him approach either.

As I stepped aside slightly, misinterpreting that I might stumble, a large hand firmly grasped my shoulder.

Meanwhile, his golden eyes briefly scanned my condition, then flew sharply towards Lady Natri, scattering a chilling gaze.

“What did you just say?”

As his voice fell sharply as if passing judgment, the air instantly became tense, making our battle of wills seem ridiculous.

Lady Natri’s face had turned pale as if she had just glimpsed hell.

“Th-that, Countess Vuel insulted me first, so-”

“So you threatened a guest of the Mifidian mansion?”

Currently, I was a guest of the Mifidian ducal family, meaning that any disrespectful attitude towards me could be considered hostility towards the Duke.

At the cold rebuke, Lady Natri quietly shed tears with a face full of shame. She seemed to feel wronged about receiving such treatment just because of me.

‘It must make you want to hide in a mouse hole when scolded by someone you like.’

That would be the case even if it was just a fleeting puppy love or admiration masquerading as love.

Edmond let out a deep sigh and pressed his temples hard. It must be because Lady Natri, trembling like a rabbit before a lion, made him feel like a ruffian bullying the weak by comparison.

However, he wasn’t a person with soft thinking that would tolerate rudeness, so I, as the party involved, needed to cut it off.

Besides, I was becoming distracted by the warm heat transmitted from his hand on my shoulder.

“I, I just…”

“There was a misunderstanding between us.”

Lady Natri flinched as if struck by lightning and raised her head. Her watery eyes, not grasping the situation, rippled widely.

“It seems she mistook the words I blurted out in surprise at a bee flying in as an insult towards her. Isn’t that right, young lady?”

Say yes. I narrowed my eyes slightly, giving her a hint.

“Y-yes! That’s right! I must have misunderstood!”

Fortunately, she had some sense. Her eyes darted about as if gauging my intentions, but whether she realized I held her lifeline or simply because she was choked up, she refrained from speaking, hunching her shoulders.

Edmond’s narrowed eyes touched me with dissatisfaction before falling away.

“I see.”

Since I, the person involved, was defending her, it seemed he was trying to let it pass smoothly. Although I did hear a sigh above my head.

Lady Natri stroked her chest but remained on guard. Even the young lady knew that Edmond hadn’t been fooled, but was showing leniency by pretending to be fooled.

Edmond’s hand fell from my shoulder. The gradually cooling shoulder felt a little empty rather than relieved.

“Lady Etricia!”

“Oh, here you are.”

Thanks to Lilien and Baron Lupua, who appeared belatedly, the meeting ended safely.

As she was leaving, Lady Natri followed her father dejectedly while glancing at me, with a subtle gleam of defeat and doubt in her eyes.

As if asking why I had helped her.

I neither smiled at her nor glared at her in reproach. I just met her gaze with emotionless eyes. As if to say, reflect a little.

Through this incident, even that young lady must have realized that acting on emotions alone can lead to disaster. The experience of being so scared that it chilled her spine will be a growth experience for someone who has only lived indulging in whims.

Thinking this, I was lost in the rapidly passing scenery outside the carriage window when I suddenly felt a gaze.

It was Edmond.