There’s No Divorce For You

“Yeah, I don’t look good in earrings.”

I pulled my hair back and turned to the Count. The Count stared at me without releasing his arms. 

I pretended to see him, counting the number of maids in my head. Including the Count’s mistress, there were twenty.

“But look at these, they’re so sophisticated—so pretty, I want them.”

I complained like a child. But, of course, not to look cute. It was hard to say that Carla’s appearance was lovely, even with empty words.

It just needed to be a reasonable reason for other people to buy things for the maids. I looked at the earrings again and lightly tapped the wall as if I had a good idea. 

“What about this? The maids wear earrings instead of me.”

“The employees? That’s—”

He frowned. I pushed a little bit more.

“It would look plausible. Other Ladies dress their maids the same. They wear earrings as a group just like maids. Everyone can tell they’re the maid in our mansion.” 

This could be seen as a whim of the Countess. It was good just to think that the fashion of noble women was something everyone knew but didn’t know.

I even laughed like a playful woman. Still, the Count did not think about spreading his wrinkled face. I sighed inwardly and pulled out my secret weapon. 

“Then I’ll have to ask them to clean the old jewelry to see if I have anything to give—”

I whispered like a night owl. The Count trembled at the mention of cleaning and eventually nodded. I guess the mistress did a good job of crying.

I pretended to look at the earrings that the merchant had brought. Then I pointed my finger at the things I had seen earlier. 

“19 of the same thing, please add it to the one I picked earlier.”

I smiled and looked at Bell. She looked pretty happy. Her round eyes were cute and lovely, like a squirrel.

“Hey, you can share this. It’s a gift from the Count.”

If the maids are wise, they will do nothing to explain what I mean. They will not hand out earrings to the Count’s mistress. Their anger was directed at the Count’s mistress, who had suffered all week due to the whims of their master. 

A person’s anger sometimes flows in an unjustified way. It was as if this earring allowed the release of anger. It was good, whether it was bullying or subtle bullying. 

The mistress who was rejected by her colleagues will cling more to the Count. Then he will give the mistress an earring separately.

That was exactly what I wanted.

******

Humans are creatures that like to blame others. I thought as I watched Bell tidying up the ornaments. She seemed more comfortable with me than before, and she occasionally chatted in a lovely voice.

“You don’t know how arrogant that crazy girl is.” 

It must have been me who did the wrong thing, but the maids began to reject the Count’s mistress. The same was true of Bell. Bell, who had never suffered damage, also had her own reasons.

Bell’s best friend was Charlotte, a kitchen maid, and Inge, Charlotte’s older sister, was a laundry maid. Therefore, I could say that Bell hated the main culprit who made her friend’s sister suffer.

“You know that she became arrogant after she put on those shiny earrings, right? I saw it from afar, and it shook every time she moved.”

I hesitated a little and pondered her words. Bell’s anger was not justified. She was not a victim. 

All the people in the mansion have turned their eyes on the Count’s mistress. They don’t even know I’m not Carla. Therefore, I couldn’t say that she was angry because she was loyal to Carla.

“It’s not even weird.”

Bell shuddered at my murmur. I continued to think, ignoring her reaction. Just as the maids’ anger is not justified, so is my anger.

After all, I have nothing to do with Carla. I was just caught up in an unexpected misfortune.

Personally, I didn’t like the Count, but it was because the Count looked down on me. For example, he used to make fun of me because I ate a lot or because I wasn’t pretty in my clothes.

But just because I couldn’t punch him in the nose didn’t give me the right to treat the mistress badly. It was good to say guilt. Can I take revenge on Carla just because I sympathize with her?

Soon I shook my head. I felt sorry for the Count’s mistress, but it was good. I didn’t have many ways to annoy the Count, and she was one of them. As much as Carla and I ate the bitter life, she had to taste it too.

“Bell.”

“Yes, Madam.”

I opened my mouth, looking at the maid with pretty freckles on her nose.

“Do you remember what her earrings looked like?”

“Yes. I saw it a while ago. It didn’t look like she will put it down.” 

“Can I get something similar?”

Bell rolled her eyes. I have decided to make this cute and lovely girl my partner.

Get me one.”

There was a glimpse of pity in her eyes. I didn’t want to take a long time to explain it for no reason. Whatever she misunderstood, if I could get what I wanted, that was enough. 

Bell nodded. Her face was filled with determination.

“I, I’ll make sure to get it!”

I smiled at the loyal Bell.

*****

Not long after that, I had an earring in my hand that looked like the one the mistress wore. How I will use it has already been decided. 

Dozens of scenarios were prepared in my mind. But people don’t move as I please. That was the problem.

Someone’s voice was heard outside the door. Bell quickly took the earrings I gave her and hid them in the drawer. Then, I heard a knock on the door, and someone came in.

“Madam.” 

It was the butler. She’s been polite to me since she got a pay cut. Well, even if I think about it, there must be no excuse for making men and women roll around in the hostess’ room.

The only reason I cut her salary was that she had no regrets. As I had thought, the butler who couldn’t manage the key properly didn’t have anything to say, even when I cut her pay.

It would be normal to be kicked out without even getting a letter of recommendation. It was clear that she looked down on me, but that wasn’t enough to stop her from making a living.

“The Count asks you to have tea together.”

She told me that the Count had invited me to tea in a very hesitant but polite way. Oh, it’s been quiet for a while, and then what? I erased the bad words that popped into my head and asked.

“Where?”

“He says he’ll wait in the garden.”

I looked sideways at the garden through the window. The sun was so bright that it didn’t seem like a good time for tea. But I nodded gladly.

“Prepare tea food in moderation. I like the tea I always drink. I put lemons in my teacup, and the Count’s—”

I remembered Carla’s favorite bitter tea.

“Make it strong.” 

The butler bowed her back and left again. It seemed that she had only come to deliver the Count’s words.

“Madam, do you want to decor your hair again?” 

“No, that’s enough. I just need to put on a shawl and go out.”

I’m going to see my husband anyway.  I was curious to hear what he would say about her outfit, which seemed out of place. Above all, I didn’t want to look good to him.

I shrugged my shoulders and changed into light daily clothes. Through the window, I could see the maids moving tables and chairs.

I waited until the maids were ready and headed for the garden. Just as the shadows over my head moved away from the table, the Count arrived. 

I thought I should have brought a book if I knew this would happen, but I soon erased the idea. Reading in the hot sun was bad for my eyesight. Besides, the weather wasn’t too hot, so it wasn’t bad to sit still in the garden. 

It was nice to smell the fresh grass after the gardener had just cut it back. If not, I would have punched that slow-walking face.

“The tea is cold.” 

He started talking nonsense as soon as he sat down. I wanted to pour tea water on his face right away, but I held back. As he said, it wasn’t boiling tea. So instead, I raised my voice and sarcastically criticized him.

“I didn’t know you liked hot tea. I thought you were coming just in time for the tea’s temperature to drop on purpose.”

He glared at me. I put on an exaggeratedly naive look.

“Next time, I will tell them to bring it to your taste.”

As if my intentions worked, the Count’s eyebrows narrowed.

I beckoned Bell as if it were because of the sun. 

“Can you put a parasol for the Count?”

The Count, who was looking at the colorful parasol in the maid’s hand, clicked his tongue. I wanted him to notice that it was a parasol he had bought me a while ago. 

As Bell unfolded his glamorous lace parasol, he stretched out his hand to express his unwillingness to use it. 

Tsk, I expected it to be funny. I held up a cup to hide my pouting mouth. And elegantly sips the tea—.

“Is she the maid you bring with you?” 

I was going to drink it, but I put it down. Bell was always next to Carla, but now he’s acting like he doesn’t know. I looked at Bell and answered.

“Yes.” 

As if there was something wrong, I glanced at him. The Count’s mouth was tight shut and didn’t look like it was easy to open. His face looks dirty.

He didn’t have the trustworthiness that was talked about in the novel or the kindness that seemed to fade away. The man sitting in front of me was just a damn deceiver.