My Husband Was Stolen Twice (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
Roje smiled and nodded her head.
“Yes. Divorce.”
“May I ask why you wish to divorce?”
“Well….”
At the Grand Duke’s question, Roje trailed off before answering.
“He’s clearly not the sort of man anyone would call ‘good,’ is he?”
“…….”
The Grand Duke blinked, bewildered by Roje’s answer—it struck him as strangely novel to hear those words from her lips.
From the very beginning, Eric had never been a man anyone would consider good.
Wherever he went, scandalous rumors followed. Stories of young noblewomen tearing at each other’s hair over him were infamous in high society.
Moreover, Count and Countess Serbiat—Roje’s own parents—had pleaded with her not to go through with the marriage even the day before the wedding.
Yet Roje, blinded by love despite everyone’s warnings, had insisted on marrying him.
“You’ve come to your senses rather quickly.”
The Grand Duke let out a soft sigh, as if relieved she’d finally woken up, and looked at Roje with a faint smile.
“I intend to change now. I won’t live as I did before.”
Though spoken softly, her eyes shone with a fierce determination to reshape her destiny.
‘If I hadn’t reincarnated into this body… the heroine would’ve lived unhappily under Eric’s thumb for the rest of her life.’
Clutching the futile hope that someday he’d love her back.
Roje recalled Eric, who’d never once shown the heroine affection in her past life. Strangely, Eric’s turned back overlapped with Lee Do Hyun’s in her mind.
The man she’d believed was hers—but who had never truly belonged to her, not even once.
Lost in thought over Lee Do Hyun, whom she hadn’t meant to recall at all,
“Well reasoned. Now your parents might finally ease their worries a little.”
The voice of Grand Duke Arteum pulled her back. Hearing him mention her parents—whom she’d assumed she’d severed all ties with—Roje quickly collected herself and asked,
“Might I… ask, Your Grace, do you keep in contact with my parents?”
“I occasionally inquire after their well-being.”
“Oh, I see. How are they doing? Are they… well?”
Had she really matured?
The Grand Duke found Roje’s concern for her parents astonishingly new. After all, she’d severed ties with them to choose a man—and hadn’t contacted them at all.
Not for a full three years.
As time slipped helplessly by, Count and Countess Serbiat’s hearts had burned black with sorrow.
Their precious only daughter, Roje, chasing after the disgraceful Eric—the very son of the Wens family, who’d brought ruin upon their own house.
In truth, Roje wasn’t asking out of affection or longing.
Because they weren’t her real parents.
There was only one reason Roje asked:
To assess whether they could become a reliable support for her as she prepared to stand on her own. That was all.
‘I thought she never cared about her parents at all.’
Hearing Roje inquire after them, the Grand Duke wondered if he’d misunderstood her all along.
Perhaps just as others misunderstood him, he too had been viewing Roje through a preconceived lens.
Grand Duke Arteum spoke calmly.
“They’re living much as before.”
His words sounded somewhat ambiguous.
‘…I suppose that means they’re doing well?’
Roje had no real idea how Count and Countess Serbiat were faring—the original story never described it.
“They worry very much about you. They’ll surely be delighted to hear this news.”
‘Good. At least they won’t turn me away if I visit.’
Relieved that her parents wouldn’t shut their doors on her, Roje breathed a sigh of comfort.
After divorce, with nowhere to go, this was as good as finding solid ground.
Smiling gently, Roje addressed the Grand Duke.
“Could you please let them know I’ll visit soon?”
“Certainly.”
The Grand Duke nodded at Roje’s proactive gesture and continued,
“When do you intend to file for divorce?”
“As soon as possible.”
Without hesitation, Roje shot back immediately at the Grand Duke’s question.
Clenching her fists tightly, her eyes sparkled brighter than ever as she looked up at Grand Duke Arteum.
Had the Grand Duke ever seen Roje like this before?
Quite certainly not. This was the first time he’d witnessed her burning with resolve.
Seeing her bright, earnest gaze fixed on him, he nearly let out an involuntary chuckle.
Her disheveled hair and shining eyes—they reminded him vividly of his pet dog.
‘It’s hardly proper to say this of a lady, but she really does look just like Pin.’
The Grand Duke suppressed a twitch of his lips, took a breath, and continued as if nothing were amiss.
“The process isn’t particularly complicated. Since marriage vows are sworn before the gods, divorce must technically occur before the High Pontiff… but nowadays, it’s been simplified.”
“Simplified?”
“You just stamp both your seals on the documents and submit them.”
Hearing it was far simpler than expected, Roje smiled in relief.
‘Thank goodness there’s no absurd rule forbidding women from initiating divorce.’
Since this wretched novel existed within the author’s fabricated world, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Amid her relieved smile, the Grand Duke’s voice reached her ears.
“I don’t believe there’s much I can directly assist with.”
He ran a hand through his hair, lowered his posture, and sat down—then met Roje’s eyes and propped his chin on one arm.
Despite dried, dark-red blood clinging thickly to his hair, the blood-soaked Grand Duke looked almost dreamlike, like a work of art.
The scattered bloodstains only made his pale skin appear even more striking.
‘Anyone in their right mind should be terrified of someone like him…’
Yet strangely, he didn’t feel as menacing as before. Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t still frightening.
The Grand Duke completely misinterpreted Roje’s gaze.
Not only did she keep glancing at him with flushed cheeks, but she’d also abandoned her husband’s faction and chosen his side.
And just moments ago, she’d even said,
‘Your Grace is kind and a good person.’
She’d spoken shyly, unable to meet his eyes directly, peeking up at him furtively.
However, the Grand Duke’s memory was distorted.
Roje had indeed called him “kind,” but she’d never said he was a “good person.”
Moreover, contrary to his recollection, Roje hadn’t been blushing shyly the whole time.
It was true she’d glanced up at him—but she wasn’t falling for him or anything of the sort.
Her face had simply grown warm from the tension of facing him—nothing more, nothing less.
And as for siding with him—it was simply Roje’s nature; she couldn’t pretend not to see the execution plot she’d uncovered. Grand Duke Arteum could never have known this.
Had Roje not intervened, the Grand Duke would’ve been framed for Marquis Bled’s murder.
In that case, the Grand Duke would’ve died—and Roje, burdened by guilt for standing by, likely wouldn’t have slept a night in peace.
But the Grand Duke was thinking along entirely different lines.
‘Perhaps… I’m the very reason she decided to divorce.’
Still not looking away from Roje, the Grand Duke slowly rose to his feet. Roje awkwardly stood up as well, following his movement.
“It troubles me that the only thanks I can offer for saving my life is such a small favor.”
“No, you’ve helped me more than enough.”
Roje waved her hands dismissively toward Grand Duke Arteum. Though the divorce procedure was indeed simple, his answer had still been genuinely helpful.
“No, I can’t accept that.”
The Grand Duke spoke firmly, his eyes half-lidded as he tilted his lips into a smile toward Roje.
“Name anything you desire—I shall grant it.”
“Anything…?”
“Yes. So tell me what you want.”
He gently urged Roje, who hesitated, unable to speak.
At his words, Roje’s eyes flickered—she couldn’t decide whether it was truly safe to voice her deepest wish.
‘I shouldn’t say something that might make him dislike me…’
Having worked so hard to earn his trust, she didn’t want to shatter it over a careless word, so she proceeded with caution.
Glancing furtively at the Grand Duke, she saw his expression was unusually kind.
Looking at his face, a long-buried ambition stirred deep within her.
Her own suppressed desire—something she’d planned but believed unattainable, hidden away in the abyss.
‘Worst case, I lose nothing. Should I just… ask?’
Gathering her courage, Roje parted her trembling lips. The Grand Duke, who’d been waiting patiently for her to speak, leaned forward slightly.
He was intensely curious about what words would emerge.
“Then… could you lend me some money?”
Money? Had she really just said “money”?
“…….”
Though he’d heard Roje perfectly clearly, the Grand Duke doubted his own ears. He’d never anticipated hearing her ask to borrow money.
Having lived his entire life as royalty in abundance, he assumed all nobles—especially someone like her, daughter of Count Serbiat—were just as affluent.
Thus, her request struck him as utterly incomprehensible.
Seeing the Grand Duke stare at her with a dumbfounded expression, Roje’s face fell.
‘I knew it… asking for money out of the blue was too much.’
How shameless—to demand money as payment for saving his life.
‘Ugh… I should’ve just kept quiet.’
She desperately wished she could take back every word she’d just spoken.
An awkward silence filled the space between them. The stillness was so profound not even insects chirped, and Roje’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.
‘He was probably just being polite—but I took him too seriously.’
Since she might not receive alimony from Eric after the divorce, she’d wanted to secure a safety net.
Though the Wens family’s finances were currently stable, there was no guarantee they’d pay her anything.
Considering the Wens family’s past conduct, they might even try to strip her family of everything.
Roje felt like sewing her own mouth shut for speaking so thoughtlessly.
Grand Duke Arteum was the only connection she’d made at tonight’s banquet—if this slip ruined their rapport, it would be disastrous.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Roje hastily bowed her head, worried she appeared greedy.
“Please forget what I just said.”
Chastising herself for her brazen request, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Then,
“…How much do you need?”
The Grand Duke’s unexpected reply reached her ears.
“Huh?”
Roje slowly raised her head to look at Grand Duke Arteum, forgetting even to double-check if she’d heard him correctly.
“Money. I asked how much you need.”
The flustered expression he’d worn moments before had vanished. Now he regarded her with his usual dry composure.
Well—perhaps not entirely his usual self; a trace of bewilderment still lingered in his eyes. After clearing his throat a couple of times, Grand Duke Arteum repeated,
“I’ll lend it to you. Whatever amount you need.”
Surprised by the Grand Duke’s unexpected generosity, Roje’s face lit up with hope.
In this desolate novel’s quagmire—where she had no one to rely on, no one to trust—Grand Duke Arteum had reached out his hand to her.
Somehow, she felt as though she’d just gained an unexpectedly powerful ally.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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