There’s No Divorce For You

“I’ll read you!”

There was no time to stop her. As soon as she showed me the thin envelope, she tore it open and began to read the contents. 

“Dear Carla, the dear friend—” 

“Stop.” 

Opening an invitation from someone else was only allowed between very close friends. The Count was also aware of the invitation for me, but he didn’t open the letter.

Lisa would have crossed the line if Baroness wasn’t such an idiot. Her lips stopped reading as if I were already Countess, and her round eyes looked at me.

“You must have never learned manners.”

“But bring the letter—” 

“I told you to bring me the letter, I didn’t tell you to read it.”

I sighed briefly.

“I can’t use a servant who can touch the things of the master whenever they want.”

“I’m sorry, I was wrong. I didn’t know.”

Tears welled up in Lisa’s blue eyes.  She said pitifully. Of course, I didn’t intend to fire her. It was clear that the Count wouldn’t let it happen, since it was easier for him to keep the risks close to me and deal with them that way.

“I didn’t do that on purpose, Madam—” 

Her voice was wet, and it sounded like she was going to cry. I looked like I was being mean to her for no reason.

I reached out to her. I meant to put it in my hand. Lisa bit her lip and politely placed the torn paper down on my palm. It was an invitation, not a letter.

“Forgive me, Madam.”

Ignoring Lisa’s crying, I began to read my invitation. It wasn’t a big deal. It was an invitation to go to the Horseriding Course.

It wasn’t a bad recommendation. I smiled as if I was relieved and handed the invitation back to her.

“It’s a horseback riding suggestion. I’m going to the horseback riding course soon, so get ready.” 

Lisa’s face brightened.

She bowed heavily. She still had a pair of earrings in her earlobe that the Count had given her.

I thought she was like a female lead somewhere. Ah, definitely the female lead of this world.

She is beautiful, bright, and loved. She is the center of the world and keeps going even when things are hard. Someone might say she’s so cute. But I wasn’t that ‘someone’.

“What are you talking about? You should be punished for opening the invitation at will.”

I said sarcastically to her. Lisa’s face turned white.

“There is no meal for this evening or tomorrow morning. Bell, tell the butler.”

Lisa was always in tears until she was kicked out of the room. It is said that being punished with food was the saddest thing in the world, and I thought of making the Count’s mistress sad.

She won’t die from just starving for two meals, but doesn’t it make her feel miserable when she starves unintentionally? The ingredients don’t run out easily in the mansion’s kitchen, so she’ll somehow be able to steal boiled potatoes or eggs.

But when I saw her in the morning, her hunger greeted me before she did. It was loud to hear the empty stomach move. This stupid woman really missed dinner.

“Eat, Madam.” 

She smacked her lips while she served me breakfast. I thought she would run to the Count and cry, but she didn’t.

I purposely dropped an apple under the table and made it touch her feet. Food that you can’t pick up and eat, but you also can’t kick away.

It must have been quite a torture to have just to watch. I was sorry, but that didn’t stop me from bullying.

“The bread is savory.”

The bread was ripped several times on purpose to make it smell, and jam and butter were spread on top. Gulp, I heard Lisa swallowing her saliva. 

Hurry up and run to your lover and cry because you’re hungry, I muttered to myself. Even after breakfast was over, Lisa kept glancing at the plate with a sullen face, but she didn’t cry.

I decided to tease her a little more. So I’ve decided not to give her any break time off.

Originally, I would have asked Bell to bring my clothes, but she deliberately made Liza pick her clothes and bring them to her. And then I scolded her for bringing my clothes. For example, it was like this.

“I’m going to ride a horse, not dance.”

“B, but madam, you can ride a horse even in a dress.”

“Why don’t you tell me honestly that you want my skirt to be torn?”

Of course, I could ride a horse in a dress. Ordinary aristocrats wore light outdoor clothes unless they were officially on horseback. And the horse riding course I’m going to now is not for riding horses, but for people to meet.

However, Lisa brought a newly tailored evening suit not too long ago, which was clearly out of place for horseback riding. I became more likely to nitpick and pushed her with a sigh of relief.

“Bring it back.”

After going over this conversation twice, Lisa showed up with riding pants and a jacket, as if she had noticed. But it looked great where it was taken out, so there was nowhere for me to look.

It was so absurd that I couldn’t even breathe. I didn’t know if she really thought I was going to wear this or if she was just rebelling. 

“You seem to think I’m a clown.” 

With a loud voice, Lisa looked like she was about to cry. Instead, tears welled up in her clear eyes.

Whether she was embarrassed or angry, her cheeks reddened. Her rosy lips were trembling miserably. Tears were about to fall if she touched it with her hand.

I wanted to put my hand on her beautiful face and wipe away her tears. Instead, I took a deep breath on purpose.

“Bell.” 

“Yes, Madam.” 

“You choose it.” 

After taking a deep breath, I asked Bell to pick up clothes again. Then she gave Lisa a hard time. 

“What do you know how to do?”

Lisa bowed her head.  Even though the tears changed the color of the floor, I still whispered in her ear. 

“As punishment, there will be no dinner until next week.” 

Liza sobbed but didn’t say anything. I wanted to touch her shoulder out of pity, but I stopped myself by raising my hand.

I am a bad person now. I was very mean. Before I could finish his self-suggestion, Bell returned with his clothes.

I wanted to touch her shoulder out of pity, but I stopped myself by raising my hand. It was a very ordinary riding suit.

* * *

Since Lisa became my maid, the Count has often offered me a meal first. There were no important conversations. He exchanged glances with Lisa over my shoulder. I was dumbfounded.

I was shocked to see people being treated as some kind of romance seasoning. It seemed like it was good to enjoy a thrilling love affair. Even on the day I had a horseback riding appointment, the Count invited me to breakfast.

“Ehem.” 

“Cough, cough.” 

Whether I heard it or not, the two exchanged secret signals with a dry cough and a cough. I laughed at them like that. The Count may not know. That his wife is starving the woman he loves.

An incompetent man who spews sweet words like he’ll do anything, but can’t satisfy her hunger. I looked at him without wiping the smile off my lips. Stupid child.

“I’m going to ride a horse in the afternoon.” 

I made utter nonsense. The Count nodded his head sullenly.

“I wish you could improve your riding skills.”

It looked like the only way for him to end the conversation was to scratch Carla’s inside. The Count provoked me by raising his chin and telling me to do anything he had to say.

“If I take a maid who rides well, won’t my skills improve soon?”

The Count’s face contorted. He couldn’t even win over me with words, so he always argued with me first. I smirked and added. 

“I don’t know how to do anything, so I have to ride a horse well.”

When I turned around and looked at Lisa, she was surprised. She flicked her thumb as she thought about what to say.

“Madam, I can’t ride a horse.”

I was speechless for a moment at her stupidity. Lisa soon changed her expression brightly and spoke.

“But I will learn quickly. I learn fast!”

There was not a single fear on her face as she stared at me like sunlight. It was a face that believed that she would really ride a horse.

This world was a strictly hierarchical society. To act so proudly toward the wife of an affair partner was closer to stupidity than ambition. I changed her evaluation from slightly less intelligent and ambitious to a lower degree. 

“You learn quickly, that’s an amazing story.” 

A sarcasm came out of my mouth before the Count could even say a word. Lisa blinked her eyes and looked at the Count. Then, seeing her asking for help, I also looked at the Count. 

“It wasn’t even a place for a maid to ride her horse in the first place. Right?”

“Uhm. I don’t know—” 

“Well, the sound of footsteps is as good as a knight, so it might be possible if you become a servant. A commoner can’t be a knight, but—you never know.” 

She completely ignored her identity. Although I felt sorry for her, I was originally best at being mean when attacking others. 

I thought that Lisa might burst into tears, but she bit her lip and didn’t shed any tears.

I pretended not to care and continued to look at the Count. He finished his meal faster than usual with a troubled face.