MHC 40

Chapter 40

“A letter?”
“Yes. A letter addressed to you, Madam.”

The letter on the desk was different from the ones she usually exchanged with her close friend. Originally, such letters never went through anyone else’s hands. At first, she thought it had been sent by Jane, but even after Jane left the mansion, the letters continued to arrive without fail, so it must have been delivered by some other means.

“Alright. I’ll check it, so you may leave now.”
“Yes. Please let me know if you need anything else.”

The maid bowed politely and cautiously left the room. Previously, she would have vanished without a word after finishing her task, but now they had become so obedient and gentle. Following the sound of the maid’s steps, Chloe finally burst into laughter. The letter, neatly placed on the table, was truly absurd.

Opening the envelope, she was met with a faintly bitter scent of paper. It was far from the familiar fragrance she had grown used to.

‘Of course. There’s no reason for a letter to arrive now.’

Even knowing that, she had apparently been hoping for it, and the resulting disappointment pricked her heart sharply. The sense of loss from losing her only close friend was something one could hardly describe lightly. Perhaps because she already anticipated the contents would differ from her expectations, Chloe didn’t immediately read the letter but instead smoothed the outside of the envelope.

‘Did His Majesty know my true identity from the very beginning?’

Their first meeting had been with a kind young man who chased her persistently just to return her wallet. She didn’t know if it had been by chance or a thoroughly calculated performance. If it had been to help her with her divorce, there would have been no need to invite her to the imperial palace in such a manner. It could have been resolved more neatly and efficiently.

‘…Wait a minute, though. How did he know I had been on the battlefield?’

Three years ago, during the war with the Empire, Chloe had volunteered to nurse the soldiers, something the royal family did not know. Yet, the Emperor, who had once been the enemy, somehow knew about it. Thinking about it, many things seemed strange. It was even suspicious how unbothered she had been herself.

After a few rounds of such musings, Chloe realized her thoughts would continue spiraling for hours if she didn’t put them aside.

‘Enough. I’ll ask him later.’

No matter how hard she tried to speculate now, she couldn’t grasp the Emperor’s strategy. After completing the divorce procedure, when the Emperor was no longer needed, she could calmly ask him everything.

Having tidied up the unresolved matters of the future in her mind, she finally felt light enough to check the letter’s contents. She gently pulled out the paper inside the envelope.

At the top of the letter was a seal embossed with the royal crest. Chloe’s heart trembled at the sight. Holding back the fluttering in her chest, she carefully read the letter.

“To my beloved daughter,
Dearest Chloe,
How have you been? I was worried, having heard nothing from you since you left. If time permits, would you kindly visit your father?”

The king was inquiring about her well-being and inviting her to visit the royal family.

‘I was planning to visit the royal palace soon anyway.’

It was audacious to send the letter first, but it was better than her having to ask for permission herself. Chloe read the letter thoroughly and then summoned a maid, instructing her to have the carriage ready. Instead of sending a reply, she would send herself. If she left now, she could be present for the evening banquet. She didn’t need to worry about the rest of their schedule.

Chloe arrived at the palace earlier than expected, with plenty of time before the evening banquet. With no scheduled appointment, she was stopped by the guards. A few minutes later, the steward rushed over to assist her.

“Princess? Whatever brings you here without notice?”
“My father wished to see me, so I came. Would it be alright for the banquet tonight?”
“Yes, yes. There is no special banquet arranged today. Please, enter.”

Following the steward’s guidance, Chloe waited in the reception room. While talking with her maid, King Valont soon appeared.

“Chloe! Did you come all of a sudden because your father wanted to see you? What a delightful surprise.”

The king sat opposite her with a broad smile, gently pouring tea into her cup. Chloe stared blankly at the steam rising above the cup. The faintly bitter herbal aroma drifted toward her—it was the tea prepared for her, her favorite.

“…What brings you to see me?”
“There’s no reason needed to meet family. I just wanted to see you.”

The gentle voice and equally gentle gaze welcomed her. In the past, such eyes had made her forgive her parents, even when she was hurt. Even when she had demanded her divorce, she had been reassured by the same look.

But this time? This time, she did not care what his intentions were. She had her own purpose in visiting the palace.

“Yes. Me too.”

Drawing the image of a daughter who loved her father, Chloe sipped her tea. When she stayed at the palace before, this had been her favorite tea, but the familiar taste had gone, leaving only its characteristic bitterness on her tongue.

With the casual greetings exchanged, Chloe moved on to her true purpose in visiting the royal palace.

“By the way, Father, there is something I would like to ask.”
“Of course, since it’s my daughter, I must listen. Speak freely.”

“It concerns him. Last time, we couldn’t talk properly because you dismissed me rather abruptly, but today I hope you will hear me out until the end.”

The words “him,” “last time,” and “please” emphasized several times, causing a crease to form on Valont’s brow.

“Just so you know, it’s not about a divorce.”

Chloe added gently, seeing his mind racing. Valont’s previously tense expression gradually softened.

“I cannot divorce him unless you allow it. But leaving things as they are feels unfair, so I must take some other action to resolve the grudge.”

“Very well. If it’s not about a divorce, I will grant anything you ask.”

“Except for the dukedom, I want all his lands and the monthly allowance given to him transferred to me.”

She meant the lands given as part of the dowry at the time of her contract with Calis. She also wanted the monthly allowance cut off.

“That….”

Valont let out a shallow sigh, struggling to respond.

“You said everything except divorce could be granted, but are there other restrictions?”
“No, your father wants to help you. But….”
“Are you saying it’s difficult because of the contract with the duke?”

The king began to sweat as Chloe asked, her voice calm but with a delicate, almost aristocratic smile.

“And how did you know…?”

He seemed shocked that someone like Chloe could know this confidential information.

‘As expected, it’s because of that contract.’

Even after the incident, the royal family had not been the ones supporting Calis. If it was because of the contract Helene mentioned, the root of the problem could be removed.

“His government informed me. They said you and he secretly made a contract with Father before your marriage.”

The hero who proposed out of love, indeed. Chloe endured the urge to mock him and continued speaking.

“I suppose the contract was conducted secretly, am I correct?”
“…Yes, that’s right. If it were leaked, they would have had to return everything gained from it and pay a huge penalty.”

“How could a mere government official know about such a secret?”
“….”

“They had planned it from the start. When the royal family first proposed the contract, they used that loophole to bring in a mistress after the duke’s household had stabilized six months later.”

Valont understood the situation instantly without further explanation. His face gradually twisted as he realized Calis had used him to profit from the contract.

“Most of the lands Father gave him were highly valuable. One of them even turned out to have a diamond mine, bringing in a fortune.”

This was when Calis had been married to Chloe for less than six months. The southern land, given by the royal family and belonging to him, had yielded a diamond mine. Calis had once looked so happy, saying, ‘Marrying you was my luck.’ He then went on a business trip a few days later, returning with a mistress.

“The diamond mine alone could cover the huge penalty, then.”