Chapter 1— The Divorce
“You just need to sign here.”
Ruby hesitated for a moment, pen in hand, as she stared at the document bearing the Emperor’s seal.
Once she signed it, there would truly be no going back.
“Madam?”
The Chief Chamberlain, who had come in the Emperor’s place, prompted her impatiently.
She had been the one to request the divorce in the first place. It would look strange for her to hesitate now. Eli had already signed without hesitation, simply accepting the divorce she had asked for.
His reaction now was no different from when she had first asked him for a divorce.
Perhaps, to him, even a divorce was nothing more than another piece of business that needed to be taken care of.
Once Ruby had finished signing as well, the Chamberlain took the document from her.
“Your divorce is now officially finalized.”
The Chamberlain wore a smile that almost looked congratulatory.
Had she not known what the document contained, she might have mistaken it for an announcement of something worth celebrating.
And just like that, three years of marriage came to an end.
“Please stop here.”
Ruby knocked on the carriage wall as she made the request.
It had been only a short while since the carriage of House Grit had passed through the main gates of the Imperial Palace.
“The Marquis ordered me to escort you all the way to your destination.”
The marquis the coachman referred to was now Ruby’s ex-husband.
This carriage was his final gesture of consideration toward his former wife.
It was somewhat amusing that she was receiving a kindness from him only after their divorce—one she had never even received on her wedding day.
“I have somewhere I need to stop.”
“But…”
“I also have some things to think about. I’ll make sure I get home safely, so please tell Marquis Grit that.”
Faced with her firm request, the coachman reluctantly brought the carriage to a stop.
It was the first time Ruby had ever refused him.
Only after getting divorced had she finally managed to say no. Eli might never know it, but even that alone made her feel a little relieved.
Ruby left the carriage behind and began walking slowly.
There were still so many things she had yet to decide.
She had no idea what she would do from now on, nor did she know how her family would react to the sudden news of her divorce.
The news would soon appear in the newspapers, and every noble in the capital would hear about it.
When she had married Eli, the aristocracy had picked apart every flaw they could find in Ruby for suddenly snatching up the most eligible bachelor in the empire.
Thinking back on that, perhaps they would now welcome the return of the empire’s most desirable groom.
Ruby wondered whether she would be able to remarry, then shook her head.
Someday, perhaps.
But not for now.
What had she wanted to do before?
She could barely remember what she used to do with her time before marriage, or what used to make her happy.
For three years of marriage, Ruby’s entire attention had been focused on House Grit.
And more than anything, she had devoted herself to catering to the whims of the Marchioness.
In trying to erase the habits she had once possessed, so many things had changed despite the relatively short period of time.
If she wanted to find those lost pieces of herself again, it seemed she would have to search through her memories for quite a while.
“Move!”
A frantic shout rang out.
At the same time, there was a loud crack.
The noise was rapidly approaching her.
The moment Ruby realized that the approaching object was a carriage, pain struck her as well.
There was no time even to scream.
The last thing she felt was the back of her head striking the ground with tremendous force.
People’s feet came into view.
Then she saw red liquid slowly spreading across the ground.
But her body would not move as she wanted it to.
What had she been thinking about?
Right.
She had been thinking that she never wanted to have a marriage like that again.
If she went back to living with her parents, she had also thought that she should find something to do outside the house so she could avoid the pitying looks they would give her.
That was what she had been thinking.
So how had things ended up like this?
Where had everything gone wrong?
Was it the moment she impulsively suggested a divorce?
The foolish moment when she had been the one to propose marriage first?
Or the moment she had fallen in love with him at first sight?
She did not know.
Ruby’s trembling eyelids slowly closed.
“Ruby. Come over here.”
Ruby’s longtime friend, Lynn, hooked her arm around Ruby’s and hid herself slightly behind one of the pillars on the second floor.
It was obvious that the pillar could never conceal them, but Ruby obediently followed her anyway.
“It’s Marquis Grit.”
At the name, Ruby imitated Lynn and hid behind the pillar as well. She squeezed herself into the narrow space and cautiously peeked her head out.
“I heard he arrived yesterday.”
Lynn poked her head out from the opposite side of the pillar and explained.
Ruby looked at Eli, who was speaking with several people, and once again thought that he was incredibly handsome.
Eli Grit.
He was the rising right-hand man of the new Emperor, enjoying the sovereign’s full confidence.
With his responsibilities having increased because of that, his face had become even harder to see.
So, even today, it had been a long time since she had last seen him.
“You’re not going to say anything again today?”
“……I’m embarrassed.”
Ruby’s cheeks flushed as she answered.
She was hopelessly in love with Marquis Grit.
Yet she could never bring herself to approach him, so she always watched him from afar.
Ruby was far from the only woman who liked Eli Grit.
Many of them were young ladies from prestigious families. And with the Emperor’s favor behind him, Eli was in a position where he could choose virtually any woman from any family he pleased.
There was no way someone like Ruby could possibly become his wife.
“If you climb a tree and fall, it’ll hurt. That tree is far too tall.”
Ruby murmured the words under her breath.
Even so, she could not take her eyes off Eli.
“Ruby. You’re old enough to get married now. Are you really going to get married without even confessing your feelings?”
Lynn sighed as she spoke.
“Do you really think I have a chance if I confess?”
“……You never know.”
Ruby gave a bitter smile.
She knew Lynn had hesitated for a moment even as she tried to comfort her.
After all, Ruby already knew the answer herself.
Even though Ruby had no intention of confessing, she followed Eli throughout the ball, unable to shake the strange sense of regret in her heart.
Then, quite by accident, she witnessed a woman confessing to him.
“I refuse.”
“Why?”
“I’m busy.”
Even the rejection that followed was just as decisive.
“I’ll be going.”
“Is it because of Lady Arwen Mile?”
Eli had been about to leave after saying what he wanted to say, but the question made him stop.
“I heard the two of you were discussing marriage.”
“That is not true.”
“If that’s not the reason, then there’s no reason for you to reject me.”
It was hardly something one would expect from someone who had just been rejected.
Still, there was a reason.
The young lady who had confessed to Eli was Iana of House Kiab. Considering both her family and her own standing, she was not someone most men could afford to turn down.
“There is a reason. Even setting aside that ridiculous rumor.”
“What is it?”
Iana tried to smile, but perhaps because her mood had already soured, the expression on her face was awkward.
“Your family is too formidable. To the point of being burdensome.”
“……What does that mean…?”
“If you were by my side, people would talk. A great deal. I dislike that as well. You enjoy that sort of commotion, so find someone who can enjoy it with you.”
Having said everything he wanted to say, Eli turned away without the slightest hesitation.
As though he had no interest whatsoever in hearing her response.
“Is he saying he dislikes me because I’m too impressive? What kind of ridiculous rejection is that?”
As she listened to Iana’s irritated muttering after being left alone, Ruby’s heart strangely swelled.
It was almost as though she had discovered a glimmer of hope.
“Her eyes are murderous.”
“Whose?”
“The Kiab Duchess at ten o’clock.”
Kane quietly gave Eli her location while pretending to talk to him with his back turned toward the duchess.
Despite Kane’s efforts, Eli simply met Iana’s gaze head-on.
“Ah.”
Kane let out a small sigh at how utterly unconcerned Eli was.
Iana, who had caught Kane’s gaze as he cautiously watched her, immediately turned around and left.
Her face had turned bright red, and the humiliation written all over it was impossible to miss.
“Don’t tell me you rejected the Duchess of Kiab?”
“Why? Was I not supposed to?”
“It’s not that you weren’t allowed to. ……When?”
“It was the first day of the ball, so two days ago.”
Eli wore an expression as though they were discussing something completely insignificant.
Iana Kiab was unquestionably the queen of high society.
Even based on her appearance alone, there was a line of men eager to dance with her.
And then there was the fact that she belonged to House Kiab, which stood at the very center of political power.
There was no need to explain why her popularity was so overwhelming.
For Eli to reject a woman like that, he was, in a sense, remarkably consistent.
“I’m curious what kind of woman you’ll marry.”
“Someone who won’t be a nuisance. Neither her personality nor her family.”
“Is there even any point in getting married under those conditions?”
“At least it’ll reduce the number of troublesome things I have to deal with.”
Kane stared at Eli as though he were looking at some bizarre creature before shaking his head.
Judging by how completely unbothered Eli himself was, he must have genuinely meant it.
“Though the Marchioness seems pretty enthusiastic.”
“You mean Arwen Mile?”
Kane nodded.
Eli’s expression immediately darkened.
“Where on earth do those absurd rumors even come from?”
“You think they just appear for no reason?”
Kane asked teasingly, being one of the people who knew House Grit better than almost anyone.
There was a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“So choose carefully. Otherwise, just as you said, you’ll end up marrying a troublesome woman. And all those rejections of yours will have been for nothing.”
At Kane’s sincere advice, Eli let out a deep sigh.
Eli had attended the ball faithfully until the very last day, believing that merely doing so was enough to fulfill his obligation.
He had just left the ballroom when—
“Marquis.”
He had deliberately chosen a moment when everyone else had gone to take a break, yet the fact that someone was still following him irritated him somewhat.
When he turned around, he saw a young lady he did not remember ever having spoken to before.
“I’m Ruby of House Bionne.”
Her eyes were tinged with red, just like her name.
He thought whoever had named her had chosen well.
The moment he heard her name, she was memorable enough that he would never be able to forget her.
There was hardly better advertising than that in high society.
But that was all.
“Why have you come?”
Eli wanted to end the conversation and leave as quickly as possible.
“What do you think of me as a marriage partner?”
“……What?”
Although he did not let it show, Eli was inwardly taken aback.
He had expected nothing more than an invitation to be dance partners at the next ball or perhaps a request for him to remember her name.
“I won’t bother you, Marquis. Our family is insignificant, so I have no right to be ambitious. Nor do I intend to be, and neither does my family.”
“…….”
“If you want, I can even write a contract stating that. Ah, of course, you can take your time to think about it before giving me an answer.”
Before Eli could reject her, Ruby hurriedly delivered everything she had prepared to say.
Ever since witnessing the Duchess of Kiab’s confession, she had been thinking about it constantly.
If family background, social influence, beauty, and charm meant nothing to him, then perhaps there was a tiny chance that she, too, could become his marriage partner.
I’ll be fine even if he rejects me. I expected it anyway.
She tried to comfort herself with those words, yet she still could not bring herself to let go of that tiny thread of hope.
“Very well.”
“What?”
Ruby stared at him in surprise.
Her expression was probably far too foolish for someone who had been the one to make the proposal.
But she was so shocked that she had completely forgotten to compose herself.
Eli had accepted her proposal.
“Let’s get married.”
His voice was exactly the same as when he had rejected the Duchess of Kiab’s confession.
But the words were completely different.
A few days later, the news of Eli and Ruby’s marriage made the front page of every newspaper.
To be continued.
