ITAYA 26

~Chapter 26~

My hands were trembling uncontrollably.
I wasn’t even sure how I had managed to walk out of the coffeehouse.
The women who had been chattering endlessly only left long after I did.

I kept my head down and held my breath until they were completely gone.
I couldn’t do anything.
I had done nothing wrong—
They were the ones spreading cruel, senseless rumors.

And yet, I was the one crushed by it.
It had been a horrifying experience.
They had made me out to be cheap and filthy.
Spoke about things I had never done.

As soon as I stepped into the bank, I ran into Xenus.
He greeted me with a smile, the kind that said he already knew everything.

“Marry a man of high status.”

His voice from that day rang sharply in my ears.
My head throbbed like someone had slammed a hammer against it.

“Did you have a pleasant lunch, madam? Beautiful day, isn’t it?
And I hear Constantine has raised the sails on a brand-new voyage.
Laixia, no less!”

Xenus’s voice was full of cheer.
But I alone was trapped, replaying the earlier conversation over and over.

“A man of high status…”
“You should marry…”

I blinked.
My vision turned white.
My body swayed—I couldn’t keep my balance.

The last thing I saw before tipping over was Xenus reaching out to catch me.

“Madam!”
“President!”
“Director!”

Voices echoed around me, calling my name.
My consciousness slowly drifted away.

I didn’t resist. I just let my eyes close.

Somehow, his encounters with her never seemed to end at just once.
Today again—he saw Anais.

It was at the hospital, where he’d gone for a routine checkup.
His mother, the Lady of Constantine, was an intensely suspicious and sensitive woman.

Or perhaps, she just hadn’t given up hope.

Baldwin smirked sideways.

Even if she wasn’t at his side, his mother demanded regular updates on his hearing condition.
That’s why he had come to pick up the latest test results today.
He had never imagined he’d run into Anais here.

And like this—
Being carried in, unconscious.

Baldwin’s brows furrowed sharply.
He saw her secretary carrying Anais on his back, and Xenus Vanderas trailing behind.

Xenus was a lawyer of extraordinary talent, even among the best of the legal world.
He had also worked with Graham Bank for a long time.

Baldwin raised a hand to Xenus.

“Ah, Duke Constantine!”

Even in the midst of the chaos, Xenus greeted him warmly.
Baldwin nodded in return.
Then Xenus turned to confirm that Heres was calling for a doctor.

Anais would be all right now.

“Madam Anais has been pushing herself too hard lately,” Xenus said.
“That’s probably why she collapsed… but she should be fine.”

He added, as if to reassure Baldwin.

“And Graham Bank will be fine as well.”

Xenus gave a faint smile.

Baldwin nodded.

So that’s the situation.

He hadn’t stopped Xenus because he was worried about Graham Bank.
But now that he heard those words, a certain realization dawned on him.

Baldwin had no personal reason to block Xenus’s path.
They were business partners—trusting, cooperative, nothing more.

Baldwin let out a cynical smirk.

[That’s a relief.]

“Yes, Your Grace. I’m sure she’ll come to soon.
And I’ll make sure nothing disrupts any work involving Constantine.”

Baldwin gave a nod, as if that had been his only concern all along.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

He watched Xenus walk away.
The doctor followed behind him and Heres, speaking as they walked.
Baldwin’s brow twitched subtly.

He stood there for quite some time, unable to name the reason—
until finally, he began to walk again.

It had been a fainting spell caused by extreme stress.
Nothing serious—yet it had startled everyone.

I felt ashamed.
I was still too inexperienced to face such things calmly.

Because of Heres’s insistence, I had to go straight home from the hospital and rest.

But home wasn’t exactly a peaceful retreat either.

I had to sit and listen to Ella—her face red with anger—
as she ranted about the shameless men who had come to the house all day long.

“Three so-called gentlemen came to see you today, miss. Three!”
“At this rate, they’re coming from all across the country. They all say that if you’d just meet them, you’d change your mind.”
“The most outrageous one? A man with three children!”

I stared blankly at Ella as she vented her anger.

A dry chuckle escaped me.

According to the women I’d overheard at the coffeehouse, I was the one seducing all these men.

But I hadn’t had even the slightest interaction with them.

If anything, they were the ones acting dirty and vile.
They were the ones treating me like I was beneath them—
as an object of ridiculous blame.

“This is really too much.”

I muttered under my breath.

Hearing me, Ella gave me a sympathetic look.

To them, I wasn’t even a real person with dignity or will.

As I sighed, Ella spoke cautiously.

“Miss… about what Mr. Xenus said before.”

“…Marriage?”

A faint scoff slipped out.

Ella nodded.

“Yes… that.”

“I was actually thinking the same thing just now.”

My mouth tasted bitter.

So far, I had approached five people—people I believed would stand on my side.
Three, including Freya, had promised to support me.
One refused to meet with me.
The last one remained vague and noncommittal.

Back then, I thought that was already a great victory.
How foolish of me.

I had naïvely believed I was overcoming Estus’s rigid class system and nobility-based society with nothing but my own strength.

But their walls were fortified.

If I had to marry—
If there was no other way—

“Then I’ll choose the most calculated, logical, and emotionally invulnerable marriage I can.”

I murmured firmly.

That thought had been lingering in a corner of my mind ever since Xenus made his proposal.

Just like when the imperial court once selected a crown princess by having candidates compete—
I would do the same.

Marriage is no longer about love.
It’s a political alliance.
A shield I must construct to fully protect myself.

There will be no more being fooled by sweet lies.
No more pretending love will save me.

“Miss…”

Ella, ever the romantic, looked at me with heartache.

But there was no turning back.

“Even if I end up divorcing again…
I refuse to go through something like this ever again.”

I had the sinking feeling that this life of mine would never allow for a normal marriage.

“…Can I hug you?”

A faint smile spread across my lips, and I opened my arms toward Ella.

“Gladly.”

The truth was—I needed someone’s warmth.
Someone who would tell me that my decision was right.
Someone who would always be on my side.

Ella hugged me tightly.

Meanwhile, Egbert was grinning to himself.

“It was supposed to be today, wasn’t it?”

According to what he heard from his secretary, Rorexer would be sending the petition to cancel the divorce to the Graham Bank today.

And if the cancellation wasn’t accepted, Rorexer would also send an official statement outlining the various legal actions Egbert’s side could take.

“It was worth the money I spent.”

He’d gotten an advance copy of the documents yesterday, and he was extremely satisfied with their contents.

Now he understood why everyone said Rorexer was the best.

If the divorce cancellation wasn’t accepted, Rorexer planned to immediately switch tactics and file a formal accusation against Anais—in order to reclaim the Graham Bank.

“If she loses the bank, she won’t have a choice.”

Whatever the route, Anais would end up back in Egbert’s arms.

The mere thought made him chuckle in his sleep.

Sprawled on the hotel’s drawing room sofa and chewing on a cigar, he continued to relish the plan. Meanwhile, Sophia lingered around him hesitantly.

“Um, Egbert…”

“Come here.”

With an uncharacteristically cheerful expression, Egbert opened his arms wide.
Sophia hesitated, biting her lip, then smiled brightly and threw herself into his arms.

Egbert’s hand naturally slid down to Sophia’s backside.
He hadn’t touched a woman in a while due to all his pent-up frustration, but now that a release was in sight, even his dormant desire seemed to awaken.