Divorce Manual

Chapter 55

Pope and the other workers were tired of the long conversation so they all left. That was why there was nobody around us.

"Hmm..."

I don't have a cell phone, so I can't call anyone to pick me up.

At that moment, I'm a bit resentful toward Hortman, who left me alone in this darkness.

Because I've been harassing you.

When I give it some thought, perhaps it's a little unfair to blame it all on him.

Honestly though, there's no one to lean on.

If this is the case—

It's not possible to walk to the castle right away since I talked so much that I'm exhausted. My whole body's shaking from my toes to my ankles to my knees and my pelvis.

So tiring!

Therefore, I think I should loosen the creaky joint with a little rest first.

"One, two, three!"

First, I stretch very weakly under my own command.

Let's slowly turn the ankles in circles, bend the knees slightly, and then straighten our backs.

"......"

Little by little, the creaked body loosens as if it's preparing to move.

"Whoa, shall we go now?"

But at that moment—

The sound of the wind coming from the dark grassland tickles my ears belatedly.

The cries of the cows in the barn and the sound of grass fluttering... Honestly, I know that it doesn't make sense but...

The stars in the sky move like they're streams from a river.

"......."

I'm sucked in by the twinkling stars between the darkness that unfolds under a truly cloudless sky.

"Pretty."

With my head tilted up, I stare up at the sky. When I was younger, I used to look at it a lot. I also looked at the constellation book too.

The first time I became interested in mythology was from a constellation story that my mom used to tell me. I'm amazed that I believed in such nonsense when I was younger.

Now?

Even though I'm in a mysterious world that I could never imagine, I feel calm.

Maybe it's because all of this unfolding before my eyes feels like a dream rather than reality, or maybe it's because this is the second time being alive.

Well, all life is like that.

I don't know if it's going to be calm or not. However, since it's the second episode of my life, it's not hard to say that I'm obsessed with my life.

I shouldn't think too much instead of looking up at the sky and enjoying it.

"Oh... I don't know."

I sit down on the grass, unable to let go of this wonderfully, beautiful moment.

.


.

"Her Grace has been talking with Hortman at the ranch for the past 3 hours."

"It didn't seem like a conversation to me. It seemed like she was unilaterally torturing Sir Hortman."

Like Curtis, Charles turns his head toward Edgar after hearing his words.

The sunset is already setting, and soon...

It looks like it's going to get dark.

"For what?"

"She was explaining to Sir Hortman why she decided to disinfect and distribute the milk."

"......"

What was that?

"Was there anything like that?"

"It looks like there was."

"........"

He's never heard of her explanation.

She just said that she wanted to sterilize and sell milk.

I thought it was just to waste money.

He didn't know that there's a reason why she wanted to waste money.

Plus, you've been talking about him for 3 hours?

"For what reason?"

"She said it was for the health of the young people's bones."

"What?"

"To summarize very briefly what I secretly heard, the logging farms, blacksmiths, and knights other than the farmhouse in the village said that the reason why there are so many bone fractures is because they don't drink milk."

"......."

A few days ago, after her fracture, Lejan told her to drink a glass of milk.

Was it because of that?

"But if that's the reason, wouldn't you prefer to eat meat instead?"

"Meat is expensive."

Charles says, interrupting Edgar.

"Oh right."

He nods.

Meat's easily eaten by nobles or wealthy merchants. However, employees and knights working in Lapel Castle are able to supplement their nutrition with fish instead thanks to Charles giving it out periodically.

The young people, however, have to use their own money to solve that issue.

It must have been difficult to eat well, especially during winter.

You have a wonderful idea.

"That's a good idea."

Charles nods with a smile.

"But Your Excellency, the problem is, what Abella-nim is doing is not a charity event, but a business. No matter how hard I think about it, as Hortman said, this business isn't profitable."

"......."

"Simply for the health of the young people, you don't have to use expensive magic stones to sterilize the milk. You just have to give them the milk. It alone is expected to suffer a deficit. Why would you use a magic stone for a glass of milk and even deliver it?"

Egard tsks and shakes his head.

"You probably will have less than a year, maybe even half of that—"

"......."

"If that would lead to great damage to the family, Madame Erst—"

"Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that."

Curtis listens to Edgar's cold evaluation of the Duchess' business. He then lifts his head as he lays a teacup on Charles' desk.

"Because she said the damage would be compensated by the pockets of the nobles."

"By what means?"

Edgar looks at Curtis' face and narrows his brow.

"I do not know."

Curtis shrugs with a shake of his head.

"I don't know intimately what Her Grace is doing, but she said she'll know after the meeting of the ladies next week."

"......."

"That's what Ergel said."

Curtis adds to his last word.

"Didn't Ergel stop you?"

"Uh."

Curtis nods quietly at Edgar's surprising remark.

"Then what—"

Edgar then steps back. Honestly, he has already decided that while it's not a business, Abella's ideas are good. He thought it was better to increase the selling price a little or if possible, not use expensive magic stones or glass.

But if Ergel, a competent maid, hadn't stopped him—

"There must be a reason for that. At least you won't be reprimanded."

"........."

"Then I'll go out."

"Did you not go out already?"

Charles bends down to pick up a pile of papers.

"Yes, unfortunately."

Edgar pulls the corners of his mouth into a rotten smile and turns around.

However—

"Oh, and Sir Halian."

Raising his head, Charles calls him from behind.

"I hope to see the details involving Kyle and Baron Farhan by tomorrow, Sir Edgar Harian."

As if tossing out easy work, Charles gives him an order using his full name.

Like a lighting striking out of the blue.

"Your Excellency, tomorrow?"

"Uh."

"Tomorrow is too much—"

"Then, by tomorrow morning."

"......."

Having anticipated ahead of time that Edgar would protest, Charles stares at him with arms rested on the desk.

His gaze suggests that if he's to resist one more time, the deadline will be even earlier.

"Yes."

Edgar, with his head down, leaves the office as if he's running away in a hurry.

Looking at his back, Charles raises one corner of his mouth and laughs.

"Curtis checks to see if the Duchess has returned home."

"Yes, I understand."

He lowers his head, picking up a pile of documents.

Outside the window, the darkness sinks while holding to the end of the sunset.

After a while—

"Your Excellency, it is said that Her Grace has not yet returned."

It has been a long time since the red sunset has disappeared.

Curtis reports with his head bowed in front of Charles, who is facing the darkened sky.

"What?"

Charles raises his head with a pen pausing on his papers with wrinkled brows.

"I will send someone right now"

"What about Hortman?"

"Sir Hortman is still on his way home. All other wizards are back—"

"Then, who is on the ranch right now?"

"I know that there were only Her Grace and Hortman."

Charles gets up and looks out the window.

"Isn't Hortman over there?"

He points to Hortman, who's now crossing the courtyard.

"Looking at the green robe, you seem to be correct. But why is he coming alone?"

Curtis tilts his head, confused.

"......."

Charles picks up the jacket and leaves the office.

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.

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T/N: Yessss son. Go find your wife, and then maybe profess your love to her.. no rush, you know. It's not like this is chapter 55 and y'all are moving at a glacier pace. Like yeah, no. it's fine.