The Ex-Husband Demands Reunion (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
“Why do you think that?”
“I’m sorry, but ever since you finalized the divorce, you’ve looked incredibly relieved.”
Oops, my character break must’ve been way too obvious.
But maybe it’s because Sir Mild is just an extra?
Responding to him didn’t feel difficult at all.
‘According to the setting, you’re always my subordinate.’
After a brief moment of thought, I fixed my gaze into the air and spun a plausible-sounding excuse, even to my own ears, in a wistful tone.
“Whether it’s Countess or Duchess… it feels so much lighter now that I’ve let it all go.”
“……?”
“After sitting across from that person and stamping the divorce papers, I felt like this life wasn’t really mine.”
“……?”
“Now, I’m going to start a brand-new life just for myself.”
“M-Mistress?”
“I’ll start a new business and meet all sorts of people. Once I’ve saved up enough funds, I’ll leave this region and find a new home… and then maybe…”
I imagined my future here.
Using my knowledge of this novel’s future as a cheat code—living well and prospering.
“Yes. It’ll be hard to find another man as wonderful as Philip, but if I work hard, I’m sure I’ll meet someone good and fall in love again.”
“……!”
Sir Mild let out a silent sigh and quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
Soon, a faint sheen of moisture glistened in his eyes.
Maybe he found me pitiful?
Just then, Mrs. Hades returned, carrying the fully packed items.
“Here you are, Countess. Is there anything else you need?”
I rose from my seat.
“I’ll look around myself.”
Mrs. Hades clasped her hands politely and stepped back.
Recalling the original story, I carefully surveyed the boutique.
Though the boutique was filled with pretty and glamorous items, I wasn’t particularly interested.
But the moment I spotted the white candles displayed on a corner shelf, I felt glad I’d come.
I remembered that in three years, scented white candles would become all the rage here.
Since it was a simple technique and an easy business to dominate early, I naturally began inspecting the candles closely.
“These candles…”
I was about to ask where they’d sourced them, silently shouting “Eureka!” inside—then I clamped my mouth shut.
I’d spotted a clear “R” emblem on the base.
“These are Renoir Trading Company candles?”
“Yes.”
“Do you carry candles from other companies too?”
“Yes.”
“Where are they?”
“Since people consider Renoir Trading Company candles the best, we don’t display others unless specifically requested.”
“Show me all the candles you have in the boutique.”
“I’ll escort you to the VIP room.”
“No, I’ll be looking at other things—just bring them here.”
Mrs. Hades left with her staff to fetch the candles. In the meantime, I browsed other items.
In one corner, I noticed a crude bottle filled with a jelly-like liquid.
I opened the cap and sniffed. I didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar.
“What is this?”
Sir Mild, standing slightly behind my right shoulder, flushed red—likely startled by how abruptly I’d shoved the item under his nose.
But he quickly closed his eyes and seriously inhaled the scent.
“This is gin.”
“Gin?”
What’s gin?
“It’s tree sap… Ah! Mistress!”
It was no wonder he cried out.
I’d stuck my finger into the bottle before he’d even finished speaking.
“Why would you just shove it in like that? It’s hard to get off…”
“Well, I didn’t know it’d be like this…”
I’d thought I could just buy it, but of all things, it turned out to be tree sap.
The sticky sensation at the tip of my right index finger felt ominous.
“…Guess I did something foolish. Do you have a remover?”
“A remover?”
“Something to wipe it off.”
“If the master uses a cure, it’ll come right off.”
I didn’t know what a “cure” was, but apparently I needed Philip’s help.
It was awkward—he’d left earlier in displeasure, and now I had to ask him for a favor.
“S-so… I can’t get this off until then?”
Sir Mild took out a handkerchief and wrapped it gently around my finger.
“I’ll ask the master as soon as we return home.”
Just then, Mrs. Hades returned, pushing a moving wagon loaded with candles.
“What happened?”
I hid my finger behind my back and handed her the tree sap bottle.
“It’s nothing. Just pack this up and show me the candles.”
Upon closer inspection, the candles were astonishingly uniform—all pure white.
Yet it seemed odd they only displayed Renoir Trading Company candles.
“Is there a quality difference between Renoir Trading Company candles and those from other companies?”
“No. His Majesty the King uses Renoir Trading Company candles, so…”
That’s why Renoir’s products overwhelmingly dominated sales. The only differences were length, thickness, and manufacturer.
“Is there anything more special about these candles?”
“No.”
As I examined the candles further, I asked Mrs. Hades,
“I’d like to try starting a business. If I bring you candles even more special than these, would you distribute them?”
“More special candles? What… exactly do you mean?”
“That’s a secret. Can you distribute them or not? Are you exclusively dealing with Renoir Trading Company?”
“Not at all…”
Mrs. Hades glanced left and right, then nodded.
“I’d need to see the product first, but if they’re truly special candles, I’d be willing to distribute them. In fact, I’d be grateful for the chance to get in early.”
“Good. I’ll bring you a sample soon. Send everything I bought today, plus all the candles in the boutique, to the mansion.”
Philip, who had returned to the mansion first, was in a foul mood.
He barely acknowledged the servants’ greetings before heading straight to the room where hunting gear was stored.
As soon as he entered, the elephant hunting trophy hanging above the fireplace caught his eye.
He’d hunted it himself quite some time ago.
‘“Isn’t it truly cruel and shameless? Elephant hunting should be banned, and anyone who kills elephants should be punished. As the lord of this land, you can make it happen.”’
Looking at the magnificent ivory of the hunting trophy, he could almost hear Ellen’s reproach again.
Philip frowned deeply as he surveyed the room.
Walls and floor were lined with bows, snares of various sizes, and small ivory ornaments—items he occasionally used for elephant hunts.
“The more I think about it, the more infuriating it gets.”
Ellen, who had been vicious to everyone else, had always been gentle with Philip—even lavishing praise on the ivory trade.
‘“Large, filthy wild elephants should disappear from this region. But since ivory is necessary, why not increase their numbers through breeding? We could build an enclosure in the empty field south of the domain. Once confined and properly starved, they’d be too weak to resist, making hunts much easier.”’
That had been her exact argument.
She’d even insisted on accompanying Philip on hunts, eager to witness his bravery firsthand.
Yet the moment she stamped the divorce papers, she completely reversed her stance.
She knew full well how vital the ivory trade was to the domain, yet she raised her criticism to new heights, calling it cruel.
Remembering how Ellen had screamed and thrown her perfume in the boutique today, Philip couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Did she always hate me and merely pretend to love me? Because it was a political marriage?’
But he quickly shook his head.
‘That can’t be.’
No matter how he thought about it, Ellen had never shown any sign of that toward him.
In fact, for over ten years, she’d been utterly obsessed with him.
“…Haa!”
Soon, Philip let out a long, weary sigh.
‘…Either way, judging by her recent actions, it seems she’s been waiting only for the divorce.’
His throbbing headache worsened. Philip slumped onto the sofa and pressed his temples firmly with his eyes closed.
“…”
It was strange.
Normally, closing your eyes meant seeing nothing—but oddly, Ellen kept flashing through his mind, just as he’d seen her in town.
Especially the vivid image of her dress swirling like blooming red roses—it was so intense that his heart fluttered each time he recalled it.
It was a dazzling, powerful martial art he’d never seen or heard of before. Then he remembered Ellen pretending to faint in his arms.
‘I thought I’d completely run out of feelings for her…’
Honestly, Ellen nestled in his arms had been unbearably cute.
And when she’d held that faintly scented perfume under his nose and smiled, his heart had unexpectedly dropped with a thud.
‘She seemed like a completely different person.’
To witness such charm—something he’d never seen in his entire life—today of all days.
Recalling today’s events, Philip’s irritation vanished instantly, leaving only a strange tightness in his chest.
He raised his hand and clutched his left chest.
‘My heart feels strange.’
He had no idea what was causing this odd reaction.
Unaware that he’d been thinking only of Ellen since this morning.
‘And what about that last rumor I heard?’
Philip remembered the faint rumor he’d overheard when leaving the shop alone.
Forgetting entirely about his heart’s odd state.
The unbelievable news that Countess Morris had been helping the slum-dwellers of the domain.
‘Is Ellen… changing? Repenting because she doesn’t want the divorce? Or…’
His hopeful train of thought lasted only a moment.
Philip snapped back to his senses, recalling Ellen’s past behavior and his own hardened resolve.
‘Ha! I nearly fell for it. She’s definitely up to something.’
It hadn’t even been long since she’d coldly stamped the divorce papers. In this situation, there was no way he’d be charmed by her unless he’d lost his mind.
“My heart must be acting up from severe stress…”
Philip pulled a document from his breast pocket.
It was the secret letter Domingo had received through Mrs. Hades, the King’s messenger.
Her instructions had come to Philip via Domingo, the butler who regularly purchased camellia oil.
As he looked at the half-folded document, Ellen’s image—twirling through the air—flashed in his mind again.
Unconsciously, Philip closed his eyes and quietly replayed Ellen’s dazzling, powerful movements.
Though he didn’t realize it himself, Philip had always deeply admired strength.
So it was only natural he’d be drawn to such a display.
Soon, a pang of regret struck him.
‘To only see that amazing side of her now…’
It would’ve been better if she’d shown that side more often instead of acting spoiled and fawning over him.
‘Should I pretend I didn’t notice and cancel the divorce…?’
Dazed, he suddenly pulled himself together.
‘That’s ridiculous. Her being strong isn’t a reason to cancel the divorce. If she helped Domingo, a simple thank-you is enough.’
He’d already decided what reward to give for protecting Domingo. Composing himself, Philip opened the document.
‘I shouldn’t think about it anymore. This is a crucial time—the prosperity of my house depends on it.’
From the document emerged a letter in the King’s familiar handwriting.
It was one of those political documents binding him through oaths of loyalty—tying up his entire life thus far.
Marlboro, the King’s only legitimate heir, was born only after the aging queen, unable to bear the stress of infertility, left the palace on her own.
The sons previously born to the young concubine were not of the King’s bloodline.
Noble supporters of the King, aware of this fact, believed that even though Marlboro was born late, the legitimate bloodline should enter the palace, while the fruits of infidelity should be cast out.
However, the King, who cherished his concubine, wished to let the matter pass quietly. Yet he had no intention of passing the throne to someone not of his blood.
‘“I’m too old to punish the traitors, and my son is too young. I’m also tired—I’d like to spend my old age in peace.”’
For this reason, the King secretly raised Marlboro and postponed succession disputes to the next generation after his death.
He designated Philip as the noble with the capability to educate Marlboro.
At the time, Philip’s parents accepted the King’s proposal in exchange for land.
‘“When the former queen passes away or Marlboro turns ten, the Morris family will adopt and raise him.”’
But complications arose with the adoption timing—neither Philip’s parents nor the former queen had been expected to pass away so soon.
As a result, Philip’s marriage prospects were blocked. Soon after, the King imposed silence regarding Marlboro’s status as the true heir and arranged political marriages with several ducal families.
Among them, Lady Ellen Bourbon Renoir, who had seen Philip’s portrait, readily agreed to the political marriage—even stating it didn’t matter that he’d just adopted a son.
Of course, rumors of her poor character existed—but such gossip never reached the ears of the King, who cared only about lineage, and Philip paid it no mind.
Yet who could have predicted that Ellen’s stance would completely change due to Marlboro’s exceptional qualities…
As Philip carefully recalled the past, his headache surged again. He pressed his brows firmly and began reading the letter.
“…”
The King’s illness was worsening. The physicians estimated he had at most one year left.
‘It’s time to seriously prepare for the succession.’
After reading the contents several times, Philip tossed the letter into the fireplace.
Watching the solemn royal decree turn to mere ash, his headache seemed to ease slightly.
“Yes. Not much time is left.”
Though his life had been swayed by grand political tides, this was a chance to carve his name into history—not a bad fate at all.
Besides, it was about returning beloved children to their rightful places.
Once his duty was fulfilled, Philip would settle his affairs and consider a new path.
Having reviewed his next steps, he called Marlboro and Laila to sit with him.
“Marlboro, Laila.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Yes, Father.”
“The time has come to start preparing.”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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Chapter Comments (3)
Inline Comments (27)
A gust of wind rustled black hair. And a pair of very startled purple eyes met m
A gust of wind rustled black hair. And a pair of very startled purple eyes met mine directly.
But Philip wasn’t foolish enough to believe that lie.
Unfortunately, Philip is foolish enough to believe that the truth is a lie.
Philip’s fists had already struck Alexandre’s face and abdomen in rapid successi
Ha! Instead of covering up Eileen’s actions, Philip added firewood to the fire. But the prince really deserves to be beaten. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧
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This is a repeat of an earlier chapter, not actually chapter 91 – please fix
This is a repeated chapter.
Repeat chapter