Divorce Manual

Chapter 117

I glance back at Ergel, thinking that he must have heard everything we were talking about.

But, Ergel doesn't seem to mind.

While it's true that we were talking behind his back, but they were things that could have been said to his face.

And to be honest, it's all true, so...

Based on his arrogant disposition, he was a love idiot and a love eunuch.

He doesn't even know his own feelings and is making up his emotions with things he's seen somewhere.

He's a fool.

How can a human being who acts as if he has no emotions like that loved Abigail so much?

Are you saying that you'll become like that over her?

Looking at it like that, I can't deny that Charles Diago was a really pitiful character.

"......"

A pitiful person.

I look up at him and ask.

"What brings you here at this hour?"

"Ah, I have something to tell you..."

He lengthens his words and looks down at Pope, who's sandwiched between us.

"Oh, sorry!"

Pope, surprised by his stare, hurriedly leans to the side.

Charles, who inadvertently passes by Pope and goes inside, stops and stares at Ergel, who bends her knees to greet him.

He stands firmly, keeping his gaze on Ergel, as if he's continuing a confrontation between them.

This man, you heard us.

I hurriedly approach Charles.

There were no words that are not true, but still, there is something called manners. I wondered if the fallout would be on Ergel by mistake—

"Everyone, get out."

Standing behind Charles, I quickly beckon to Ergel.

Ergel bites her lip, as if swallowing a laugh at my appearance, and quietly leaves the drawing room.

Charles follows Ergel's movements before looking away.

As an act of distraction, I gently tug at the hem of Charles's robe to grab his attention.

"Your Grace, what's going on?"

"..."

"If you have something to say, you could have sent Curtis or Edgar."

Turning his body toward me, he then coughs at the laughable words and lets out a long sigh.

"You asked for it yourself, but I wanted to tell you in person so I can see your expression."

He scratches his temple with an awkward cough again, wrinkling his forehead.

I tilt my head, staring at his strange behavior.

"What—"

"I've sent a small group of people to the Condel Mountains."

"......"

"We will start making evacuation burrows this afternoon, at the latest."

It's the news that they are building a space to evacuate the people living in the Condel Mountains.

"Oh, that's a relief."

Without realizing it, I relax my shoulders and smile brightly.

"You didn't give me an answer at the time so I thought you'd say no."

Since returning to Lapel, Charles hasn't been around because he's either busy or has complicated expressions when I see him.

It's been frustrating, not knowing what was going on after the discussion I had, because we've been sleeping separately.

"You've decided faster than I thought. Thank you."

I feel so grateful to him, who gave me a quick reply, that I can't help but raise my head and flash a smile without realizing.

"Thank you for listening to my request, Your Grace."

"..."

I see him pause for a moment, swallowing his breath.

He then wrinkles his brow slightly as his expression hardens, perhaps out of embarrassment or maybe discomfort.

Abella's face is different from mine, so maybe the relaxed smile could have looked a bit silly to him—

No, I must have looked stupid.

I turn away and rubs my cheeks, feeling like I could tell without even looking at him what he's thinking.

"Regardless, thank you."

"Wait."

However, he stops me and steps even closer, as if he wants to invade my space. He shakes his head, pursing his lips.

"Do not do that."

What?

My eyes widen in surprise, not knowing what he meant.

"..."

He grabs the hand that's trying to erase the smile from my lips and caresses it softly before he removes it from my face.

(T/N: This sentence was such a bish to translate. Basically homeboi held her hand and stop her from rubbing her cheeks because it made her stop smiling and he didn't want her smile to go away. Damn. Couldn't the author write it in simpler term.)

"This..."

"......"

As he closes the distance between them, I can feel my body stiffen as I take in a breath.

He then steps back with a smirk when he sees my uncomfortable and embarrassed expression.

"Ha..."

Thanks to that, I'm able to let out the breath that I've been holding.

If it was like before, he would have come a step closer and say, 'You're pretty. Lovely Abella.' He would have made my skin crawl by saying something cheesy like that.

Rather, my heart throbs slightly at his act of gently touching my hand and then dropping it. His warmth seems to remain on my fingertips.

I thought he was a love eunuch.

I squeeze my fingers together at my strange behavior. His action has somehow left a lingering impression and sends chills all the way to my toes.

"Are you also going to be dispatched as well?"

"Probably."

"..."

No one else will get hurt just because I save the villagers, right?

I entertain the thought, but then I shaking my head to forget about it.

Please, let's not worry about it.

I shake my head again, wanting to stop worrying about something that may not happen.

"Hmm..."

Charles is constantly coughing through his clenched fists. It makes him look like someone that's trying to capture people attention by tapping on a microphone in front of him.

"By chance..."

By chance...?

Let's take a step forward towards him, who's dragging out a long sigh as if he's trying to delay what he's saying.

"There is a festival on the eve of this evening.."

He suddenly speaks of the founding festival event.

"I heard."

I nod at his word.

"Pope wanted to go, so I told her to take a break and go play."

"..."

"I heard it's a continuation of the Wicking victory festival? This is the first time I've learned that the name Lapel means conquest."

Let's lift our head with a bright smile, as if to show off the knowledge I heard from Pope—

"It's not as flashy as a grand banquet in the capital, but it's worth seeing."

"Yes, that's right."

So, what do you want me to do?

I contemplate, looking up at him.

"..."

"Do you have anything else to say?"

I wonder why there's this awkward silence.

"Do you want to go to the festival, too?"

He finally stops beating around the bush and says what he wanted to say.

"No, didn't you also miss the founding festival in the capital last year because you weren't feeling well? So, I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"......"

Abella, did you get sick then as well?

Last year, she didn't have the confidence to act as a loving newlywed with Charles, so they worked together and came to a mutual agreement, didn't they?

"To be honest, even if we go to the capital together, I'm not confident that I can put on a friendly act... You'd be better off to not have any expectations."

In Abella's memory, he seemed to force her not to expect anything.

He also seems to remember that she was really sick.

His memory seems to have been adapted to its own liking.

I glance up at him, thinking I can do that, because he has been letting me do things as I pleased.

After he said he wanted to go because I haven't gone, he gives a sheepish smile. He then touches his lips awkwardly.

"Well..."

"If you want to go, let's go together."

"...What?"

"If you want to see the festival, let's go together in the evening."

The tips of his ears slightly color because it seems that I've said the thing he wanted to do since he looked for me.

Is this a date request?

Somehow, him standing in front of the door without even being able to enter the room for the first time and acting differently than usual even after entering...

I realize that he's been waiting to ask me this.

You're cute, Charles Diago.

Since he's so cute, I couldn't refuse his date request.

.

.

"I'm glad I didn't leave right away."

As soon as the news of the date with Charles was announced, Pope, who has been putting off preparations for going out, comes back into to the bedroom and looks at me with a reminiscent expression.

With a burdensome expression—

"It's just a quick one."

I shake my head, narrowing my brow slightly. It's really like going out for a drink. Nothing more, and nothing less.

"Nevertheless..."

But even such a light outing seems a little different to Pope.

"What's wrong with that? I also went out with His Grace in the capital."

"It's the first time the two of you are going to Lapel's downtown together."

Seeing my indifferent expression, Pope, whose cheeks are blushing as if she's genuinely happy, pulls the corners of her mouth and curve upward.

That bright smile—

I guess she must be feeling very touched.

I feign a smile.

Although Pope usually doesn't say much, she must have known the relationship between the two of us better than anyone else because she was the one who had seen me and Charles up close.

The love of the century is all a lie.

With that kind of situation, she must be relieved to see the two of us going out to the eve of the festival together, secretly.

"That's true."

"So, be nice and go out."

"We're just going downtown."

"Nevertheless, it feels good to go out wearing pretty clothes."

"......"

"And I've wanted to tell you before, but I think it's a sin to not decorate your appearance properly."

I look into the mirror with a grin at Pope's expression after mentioning the word sin.

My redden cheeks and two clenched hands reveal the tension running through my body. Even though I'm wearing a chemise, I have an innocent expression on my face.

Yeah, it'd a sin not to use this appearance.

I nod my head towards Pope, acting as if she has convinced me.

"Do whatever you want!"

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.

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T/N: I don't have any thoughts except I love Pope. I hope she has a love line with someone, not because she needs it, but because it'd be fun. Maybe with Edgar, who's a dumbass. Can you imagine the chaotic energy they would exhibit together?