Though she had received back the important documents she had left with Duke Hugo’s household, Arasila could not focus on reading them. Her mind was in turmoil, and the letters would not register in her eyes.

‘Is it really better to divorce Demian like this?’

Demian himself wanted it, and didn’t everyone around say it would be better?

While she clearly harbored selfish affection for him, this marriage was fundamentally a contract made under mutual calculation.

Now that Demian said he no longer had anything to gain and ended the calculation, it seemed right for her to put aside her personal feelings and agree to it.

‘If I divorce Demian, maybe Frederick will hate him a little less too…’

Currently, Frederick was the leading candidate suspected of trapping Demian, and the force most supportive of Duke Vandermir.

Originally they hardly knew each other, but they clashed because of her, and as a result Demian cut off Frederick’s right arm and became a thorn in his side.

It wouldn’t have happened at all if it weren’t for her. In that sense, she could somewhat understand Demian regretting the marriage.

‘It seems like Father is right that divorcing and helping separately would be better.’

Why did her heart feel so uneasy about it?

Lying on the bed, Arasila let out deep sighs. As she blankly stared up at the ceiling, someone knocked on the door.

“Ari, do you have a moment?”

Iris poked her head through the slightly open door. Arasila quickly sat up and nodded.

“Come in, elder sister.”

“Thank you.”

Iris quietly closed the door behind her as she entered and approached Arasila. Silence fell between the sisters sitting side by side on the bed.

After glancing at her unusually dejected younger sister, Iris gently opened her mouth.

“I never imagined your marriage to Lord Vandermir was fake. No wonder it seemed strange that you, who never showed signs of meeting anyone, suddenly had a secret romance.”

“I’m sorry for lying.”

“It’s fine now that I know. You must have had some circumstances you couldn’t talk about.”

Iris showed a more generous reaction than their parents. She had faith that her sister wouldn’t have done something for no reason.

But glancing at Arasila’s still gloomy profile, she asked bluntly.

“So, are you going to divorce Lord Vandermir?”

“…I suppose it will end up that way? Demian himself wants it, and Mother and Father say it would be good too.”

“Then why do you look so unhappy?”

A gentle hand wrapped around Arasila’s. For some reason, the tip of her nose stung.

Arasila was in a state of great distress, like when she was previously expelled from the magic tower. Hearing her elder sister’s kind voice at a time like this caused the walls around her heart to crumble on their own.

Arasila answered in a small voice.

“…I feel like I’ve ruined everything.”

So she kept making useless suppositions. If she had confided in her family from the start and asked for help, would things have gone so awry?

Or if she had just divorced when she first brought it up before the New Year’s festival, would that have been better than being greedy for more?

She wasn’t the type to like regretting things, but she was tormented by regret.

Quietly observing her sister’s darkened face, Iris gently asked.

“What do you think you’ve ruined, and why?”

“By judging and acting on my own, I disappointed Mother and Father, and my relationship with Demian was ruined as he came to regret marrying me.”

It was the first time in Arasila’s life that so many emotions were so intricately tangled. So she was even more at a loss for how to untangle them.

Her life, which had been charging forward seeing only what she had decided, felt like it had fallen into a pit of confusion.

At times like this, wouldn’t it be better to follow what most people around her were saying? Arasila thought as she swayed, unable to find her center.

“If I want to fix things now, divorcing would be—”

“Is that really what you think?”

Iris cut off her sister’s words rather firmly. Warm and intelligent eyes like summer greenery gazed steadily at Arasila.

“Arasila, do you know why Mother and Father are disappointed in you? It’s because you try to handle difficult things alone without sharing them.”

She continued calmly towards her sister who was looking at her with wide eyes.

“We’re family. We’re supposed to be able to lean on each other more comfortably than others. But you rarely do that, so we’ve always been sad and worried about it.”

Of course they knew Arasila could do well on her own, but there was clearly regret at not being able to be a support as family.

Even more so since their sister, full of dreams and talent, had chosen to walk a more difficult path than others from a young age.

“But you’ve changed little by little since marrying Lord Vandermir. It seemed like you learned to overcome difficulties by joining forces with the person by your side more than before.”

“…Was I like that?”

“Yes, so I don’t view your marriage to Lord Vandermir negatively. It looks like it became an opportunity for growth for you too.”

The time spent together was tough and difficult not just for Demian, but for Arasila too. She faced things she had never experienced before, met new enemies, and fell into numerous difficulties.

But as she escaped together with Demian, holding hands, she sometimes leaned on him and also asked her family for help.

Arasila might think she ended up saying regrettable things, but to Iris, it seemed like she had learned to live more in harmony with others.

It was an excellent development for her sister, who had the characteristic single-mindedness of magicians.

“But it’s all wrong now, elder sister. Demian and I will soon be divorced.”

Arasila responded gloomily. Iris grabbed her shoulders with a serious face and turned her to look straight at her.

Then Iris asked in a clear, enunciated voice without a trace of smile:

“Arasila, do you really want to divorce Lord Vandermir?”

“…No.”

“Then, conversely, does Lord Vandermir really seem to want to divorce you?”

Arasila paused for a moment with a thoughtful expression, then slowly shook her head.

“No.”

When she went to visit him, Demian had spewed all sorts of sharp words but never once looked directly at Arasila.

She hadn’t realized it because of her muddled mind like thick fog, but Iris’s clear voice made her aware.

The words from that conversation with Demian that Arasila felt were most deeply sincere were:

‘Please, don’t make a foolish choice that ruins your future.’

It was advice worrying about her future. More than talk of divorce or regret.

But Arasila’s expression turned gloomy again. She realized this was all just personal sentiment.

“But this is just my personal thought, and shouldn’t I respect what he said himself more? After all, we’re a couple who married with a promise to divorce…”

“What were the divorce conditions? Was it that you would divorce immediately if even one of you wanted to?”

Arasila shook her head. At first they hadn’t drawn up the contract so easily since they didn’t get along well.

Didn’t they attach the specific condition of Demian inheriting the duke title to prevent giving up midway?

Iris said as she tidied her sister’s slightly disheveled lavender hair from lying on the bed:

“Arasila. I know that even though you always seem to act as you please, you end up thinking of others more. ”

“…”

“You married for the family’s sake, refused divorce for Demian’s sake, and now you’re trying to accept divorce for the family and Demian’s sake.”

Iris pinched her sister’s cheek. It was quite a forceful touch, making Arasila blink rapidly.

This hurts a bit, elder sister…?

It felt odd to have her cheek pinched as a grown-up, but it snapped her out of it. Seeing her utterly depressed sister’s expression change, Iris smiled gently.

“But Arasila, think about it. You’ve achieved about half your dream of becoming Archmage because you didn’t care what others thought.”

“Well, that’s true…”

“Then try doing that this time too. Act according to your heart. Think about what you want, not what’s good for everyone.”

Arasila always achieved better results when she did that. Her elder sister, who knew her better than anyone, added with a smile:

“They say love is something to be won, don’t they?”

Arasila’s eyes widened. She asked haltingly with a dumbfounded look:

“Huh? Elder sister… How did you know I like Demian?”

“Some things can’t be hidden even if you try. And usually these things are more clearly visible to third parties than to those involved.”

At first their meeting had only seemed strange, but the more she saw, the more she realized their gazes towards each other were far from ordinary.

That’s why Iris and others rapidly reduced their suspicions about the couple’s relationship.

Iris patted her sister’s shoulder encouragingly. Arasila lowered her head slightly, lost in thought.

Reflecting on the conversation with her elder sister, her confused heart finally found clarity. What she truly wanted.

Arasila blurted out as if making a declaration:

“I want to be by Demian’s side.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Even if we divorce, I can still help, but I can’t be right beside him.”

“Then do that.”

Iris calmly encouraged with a faint smile. But it was more supportive than any words of comfort.

Following where my heart leads. Mulling over Iris’s advice, Arasila made her decision.

I won’t divorce.

The next day, at breakfast, Arasila firmly stated her position to maintain the marriage.

She had steeled herself expecting her parents to make a big fuss, but their reaction was unexpected.

“Alright, Arasila. I knew you would say that.”

The duchess sighed as she spoke, and the duke nodded in agreement. Arasila’s face became bewildered.

“We didn’t think all the behavior you two showed in front of us was an act. If so, our daughter would have become an actress, not a magician. The same goes for Demian.”

“Then why did you tell me to divorce yesterday…?”

When Arasila asked somewhat incredulously, the duke answered seriously:

“Arasila, Demian’s current situation is not easy. The Vandermir ducal family is pushing more and more strongly for the death penalty. It’s no longer something that can be resolved with meager emotions alone.”

It wasn’t something that could be endured with the will to easily give up when urged to divorce, with the shallow bond of a contractual marriage.

If they made a mistake, Demian would really die, and that damage would fall entirely on his wife, Arasila.

“If your heart wasn’t that strong, we thought as parents we should pull you out of that fire pit.”

“I won’t get out alone. I’ll grab Demian by the collar and come out together.”

“You have to show that level of determination for us to continue supporting you who told such a wicked lie.”

The duke gently curled up the corners of his mouth. The duchess added, seeming worried as she took a sip of water:

“Now that we know your heart well, make sure to grab Demian’s collar and get out. We always believe in you, Arasila.”

“Thank you, Mother. Father.”

Arasila bowed her head to the two with a moved expression. The ducal couple met eyes and smiled helplessly.

This is why they say there are no parents who can win against their children.

After the meal, Arasila returned home with somewhat lighter steps, holding important documents. And Duke Hugo’s household rejected Demian’s proxy divorce application.

When Demian learned of this and was searching for other methods, Colin immediately reported to Arasila upon obtaining the information.

“My lady, the captain may file for divorce.”

“It doesn’t matter. Rather, if it goes to court, I’m confident I’ll win.”

Arasila smiled confidently and wrote a letter to send to Demian.

It was closer to a statement of position that she could not accept any divorce demands based on their prenuptial agreement to divorce when he received the duke title.

Even if Demian filed for divorce, this prenuptial agreement would rather become a stumbling block. They had clearly set the contract termination conditions to prevent giving up midway.

‘I have no intention of giving up on you like this, so you give up, Demian. I’m more persistent between the two of us.’

Writing each letter with sincerity, Arasila finished the closing greeting and handed it to Colin.

“Go visit and watch him read it. Understood?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Colin replied firmly as he took the letter and left. Arasila put down her pen and stretched.

She was about to review the documents she hadn’t properly read yesterday when:

“My lady, a letter has arrived!”

Audrey ran in holding the long-awaited reply.

Arasila quickly took the letter to check. The sender was the Grand Duchess of Kiston. She was one of the two imperial figures Arasila had asked for help.