Chapter 52

A sigh involuntarily slipped out, but Yelena didn't bother to return the ointment and cream her husband had sent.

'I think it's better to put this on before I go to sleep.'

If she applied it now, it would be uncomfortable to use her hands.

Yelena thought to herself while fiddling with the ointment and cream container and leaned against the bed's headboard.

"Haah..."

Her body lost all its strength, and a sigh escaped from her mouth.

'That was close.'

She felt like years had been taken off her lifespan. Truly.

Yelena pressed her right hand to the left side of her chest.

Her heart was beating a little faster than usual.

Earlier, she thought her heart was going to burst. Or stop.

In truth, Yelena was half out of her mind when she made her way to her husband's office after she heard from Ben about the alimony and marriage annulment.

It was the first time that the walk to the office felt so long.

'...It really surprised me.'

This incident made Yelena realize something.

'So, divorce. There's divorce.'

Why had she thought she would always be married to the same person?

Marriage was just a system.

In other words, it could be broken by the system of divorce.

Yelena had forgotten the plain truth.

That was why she couldn't respond accordingly.

Because she felt like she was hit by something she never thought of.

Yelena was deeply lost in thought.

'You can't do this.'

She found out today that it was too easy for her and Duke Mayhard to divorce, which was a huge problem.

Usually, marriage between nobles was very complicated.

That was why neither side could easily consider divorce.

Because the moment divorce occurred, there would be a substantial loss.

However, it was not the case for Duke Mayhard.

Yelena had a significant role to play, but sadly, she was only a substitute for Mielle.

After divorcing Yelena, the Duke could ask the contracting party, Marquis Linden, for new collateral.

At first glance, it may seem like an unreasonable request, but Marquis Linden would accept it.

He was so greedy about his business with Duke Mayhard that he tried to sell his beloved daughter, Mielle.

'My uncle wasn't always this materialistic...'

Yelena tried to remember what kind of mining business it was but failed.

She furrowed her brows.

Anyway, that was Duke Mayhard's situation. If she examined her situation...

Surprisingly, she would lose nothing more than Duke Mayhard.

In the first place, Yelena didn't gain much from this marriage.

It was a marriage that she insisted on. Marquis Linden, her uncle, had agreed to share half of the business profits from the contract, but in fact, she had enough money without it.

Yelena's family was already wealthy.

In the end, neither side would face much damage from the divorce.

The only damage to them both would be the label of divorce.

'If we proceed with the annulment of the marriage, we can minimize the damage.'

It was a big deal.

It couldn't go on like this.

The situation was very dire, and Yelena felt a sense of crisis.

Henceforth, she had to try to love her husband, and her husband had to try and love her.

It was a prolonged battle that no one knew how long it would last.

She couldn't allow this divorce to be considered insignificant; it was too risky.

Her gaze lingered on the ointment and cream on the bed.

Yelena realized the first thing she had to do.

* * *

"Have a safe trip."

Yelena climbed into the carriage after receiving Ben's salutation.

It was her first outing.

No, it was her first night out.

Yelena was going to travel a long distance away from the duchy. This was the first time ever since she got married to Duke Mayhard and came here.

'It's a little less than a day away, though.'

From now on, Yelena would ride the carriage for about five or six hours.

It was a long way to travel and would be tiring, but she thought it would be manageable if they took a break in the middle.

Yelena also had to consider the duration of the trip, so she decided that she would stay at her destination for a day or two before returning home to the duchy.

Her husband granted permission so easily—it was rather dull.

Yelena got into the carriage and glanced out the window.

Although there were many servants to see the duchess off, it was easy to find her husband amongst them.