Editor Group: Liber Reverie
The Count had not yet answered, but the Countess handed him the divorce papers, and the count’s eyes shook like waves as he confirmed that all but his signature had been filled.
She was the only woman who had protected him from suffering from his children, and he seemed to hesitate to sign divorce papers, no matter how much she wanted to protect her property.
“I need money to live with you in the future. You are not in good health, and the cost of treatment is enormous. If you’re so lost in your mind, you might really have to sit on the street.”
But the Countess’s continued persuasion forced him to lift his pen. ‘How could I not sign the papers to live with you?’
“… how do I submit it? And I need the consent of His Highness…”
“When you were a nobleman, you needed it, but I found out that you are now a commoner, deprived of your title, so you just need the confirmation of a person who is in charge and a witness.”
At the same time, as she was finished, two strangers entered the Count’s room.
“… who are they?”
“They came out of court. You couldn’t move, so they came to the mansion themselves. They are very kind. And this is Lier, a witness.”
Asher was especially careful about this so that Aria was not to be damaged. Of course, it was ridiculous to divorce to get away with the property ahead of a major ruling, but it was possible because of Asher’s permission. A fairly old person checked the divorce papers completed by the Count’s signature and finally confirmed them.
“Does your mind remain unchanged in divorce?”
“Yes, please, finish it as soon as possible.”
Unlike the determined Countess, the Count seemed to hesitate a little. It was so strange that as soon as she brought up the divorce story, all the documents, as well as the lawyers in charge, appeared. It was as if she had been doing this for a long time.
“Come on, honey, you have to think about our future. I feel sick too.” The Countess took the Count’s hand and said softly, “There is no other way,” and persuaded him.
The Count, knowing it, hesitated a little, but nodded and affirmed.
“OK, and I’ll finish the divorce procedure with this, and you are now legally separated from this moment on.”
The Countess let go of the count’s hand without hesitation as soon as he said that. The Countess, who had changed her face to the cold one, said her last goodbye to the Count. “I’ve been so grateful, financially, but I’ve never been satisfied with anything else.”
With the cold face of the Countess, which he had never seen before, his eyes were wide and hardened.
“You, Cain, and Mielle have always ignored me, but I have tried to neglect for money, but you have not a penny left, so isn’t it natural that we should divorce?”
Her honesty made the Count barely speak, unable to control his trembling body. “What do you mean? No, no pennies? You’ve prepared a villa and some real estate for the future!”
“Yes, under my name. It’s my share, not related to you anymore. Don’t be so unfair. Even if you want to have them, they will be confiscated into the empire. You can think of it as alimony… for my troubled life.”
The Countess, who had left the words, was about to turn and leave as if she had no more business.
“How, how could you do this to me?”
The Count shouted with all his might to her back. He had been betrayed by his real family, and he was now betrayed by the last one, and he shouted with a sick body as if he were insane.
The Countess turned and said her last words,
“Well, you should have been good around when you had much, not after you became partially paralyzed. Are you sorry now that you lost all your family?”
The Countess thought that the Count was responsible for all this. He was the root of all these problems. If he had only been good to Aria and her mother when they had first entered the Count family in the first place, this terrible catastrophe would not have happened.
‘They are of humble origin, but they are a family now, so let’s get along.’ If he had said something like that and comforted his own children, he wouldn’t have faced this terrible catastrophe.
But he had ignored the Countess of humble origin without realizing it and had not stopped Cain and Mielle’s rudeness, and so the whole house members seemed to think that it was the right thing to do. It was too late for the Count, who had become so lonely after the Countess had left.
“Wait, wait! Don’t go! Please! Please! Please don’t leave me! I’m sorry about everything!” In the empty room where no one was, only the cries of the Count came up.
* * *
The divorce of the Countess had led to Aria and the Countess’s move.
There was no reason to live more in the Count’s mansion, where only terrible memories were all. It was smaller than the Count’s, but the beautiful house was made up of the Count’s money and became their new home.
The precious ornaments in the corners of the mansion showed how rich the owner was. Aria, who had been living on the third floor, was hurrying to prepare for going out ahead of important work, and Annie, who was helping her to get changed, said excitedly, “How can I thank you for bringing all the servants of the Count’s?”
“That’s right. They are well paid than before and everyone is so happy.”
Jessie added the words, and Annie agreed with her.
“All the mansions of the other nobles who have committed treason are in a mess, and we are the only ones who are all right!”
Aria replied as if she were tired of hearing that, when Annie was so happy, taking a good side.
“Annie, if I hear about that a few more times, it’ll be a hundred times.”
“Miss, that’s because I’m so happy! They’re only all quiet in front of you and the master, and do you know how much they’re talking about behind you? You and the master must be saints!”
At that, her mouth went up, and the long shadowy title of “the wicked woman” was now perfectly changed to ‘the saint’, and it followed her, and even her mother, who had brought all the servants.
Aria’s gaze fell on the hourglass in the cabinet, which had been first used to splash water and laugh on Mielle, but she had not used it at some point. And that was when she had begun to feel happy, when she had started living a life loved by Asher, recognized by others, and respected by someone without using the hourglass to go back to the past.
‘If life lasts forever without the use of the hourglass…’ Hoping that, she said to Annie, “My mother would be happy to hear that.”
“Do you think she would? Shall I tell her?”
“You’ll do that, and if you talk as you pass, she’ll blush.”
She had never heard that before. ‘A prostitute becomes a saint… It is a contradiction.’ Aria was laughing at the thought, but she heard a voice outside the room.
“Miss, the wagon is ready.”
It was almost time to finish the preparations and comb her hair, so she finished and got up and checked through a large mirror.
She could not decorate herself because it was a place where someone was executed, so she refrained from decorating herself as much as possible, but she did not like it when she checked it in the mirror. It was the place she would meet him for a long time because she had not seen Asher who had been busy.
Now her appearance was not the only thing that she could impose, but sometimes it had been fun to see Asher’s eyes that he couldn’t help himself as he was not able to be attracted to her beautiful appearance, so she thought it would be better to dress a little more.
“Shall I bring the headdress?”
“… yeah.”
Jessie, who quickly grasped her expression, prepared a small tiara, and though she still did not like it, she finished her dress, saying it was better than before.
“Isn’t it too simple?”
The Countess, no, Carin said, who was waiting for Aria, when she went downstairs.
‘Carin’ was her real name that had been hidden under the pseudonym, ‘Apple,’ which had been named by people around when she had been a prostitute. After becoming alone, she regained her original name and was called Carin, and she was dressed as if she were going to a party.
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