Today's Goal is a Safe Divorce!

“Is there something urgent?”

Unless there was something special, there was no way Julia would come up to the stairs to meet her like this. She wondered what had happened this morning. Did Julia notice that her and Damon went to the greenhouse yesterday?

“Is it because of the greenhouse?”

“Yes, the greenhouse? I haven’t heard anything… Is something going on?”

It looked like Damon hadn’t told Julia yet. Well, it was too early now. She would receive the news in the afternoon or so.

…Then, why did Julia come here to meet her?

“No, I will explain that later.”

It wasn’t something to talk about while standing on the stairs.

“Actually, Marchioness Blair just came to visit.”

“Estelle…?”

There was only one reason why Estelle, whom she had met yesterday, would come in such a hurry the next morning. It was the answer to the question she had spoken about yesterday.

“Yes, I hurriedly took her to the parlor.”

“Good job.”

“Shall I take the meal there?”

She could understand why Julia was the oldest servant in the grand duchy. Julia was particularly quick-witted. Even if her superiors didn’t give orders, she did everything on her own, so she remained.

“….”

What if Estelle didn’t bring the answers she wanted… When she was about to enter, she was troubled at the door. It would be a big deal if she told Damon everything. They only got along better thanks to last night’s walk, so Elysia didn’t want to disperse this situation right away.

“Your Grace.”

“Estelle, you came early.”

As soon as she entered the room, she gestured towards Estelle, who bowed and greeted her. She had no intention of receiving such a polite greeting, even from her, since Estelle was the one Elysia had seen since she was nothing.

“I felt that I had to give an answer quickly, so I was disrespectful.”

“No, it’s okay.”

She became uneasy at Estelle, who was exceptionally polite and stiff. It was true that she had never spoken to her or treated her carelessly, but she had been comfortable. Like, treating Elysia as her own daughter. Still, the Estelle in front of her now was not.

“Have you eaten?”

“No, I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Then, let’s eat together.”

“Thank you.”

Elysia bit her lip at Estelle’s still overly cautious attitude. She seemed to know the answer even without hearing it. She was, in effect, saying that she would not betray Damon and that she couldn’t listen to her words.

Silence fell in the parlor until the meal was all served. No one was willing to speak first. They were afraid and could not speak.

“Obviously, the kitchen has changed. Yesterday I was too distracted to feel it.”

“The chef’s skills are very good.”

Today, all the steaming food looked delicious. Even Elysia, who has no appetite, ate plenty.

“Your Grace, don’t worry too much.”

“Yes.”

“I think you are anxious. I didn’t come to reply with a bad answer, so go ahead and eat.”

Perhaps it was obvious that Elysia was anxious. Well, it would be strange not to notice since she was very nervous. She couldn’t lose Estelle like this.

“I heard you didn’t even eat properly yesterday.”

“How is that?”

“The chief maid was worried. Everyone in the Grand Duchy seems to like Your Grace.”

…They liked her?

Wasn’t it all because of Damon? Estelle seemed to grasp something wrong.

“It can’t be. Estelle must be the only one who thinks they like me.”

“I don’t think so.”

“…First of all, you must have been hungry from coming, so hurry up and eat. I hope it suits your taste.”

She must have been in a hurry from early in the morning to visit the Grand Duke’s castle. When she mentioned her empty stomach, Elysia felt bad for her.

“I thought the dessert was delicious even when I was distracted. That’s amazing.”

For some reason, she felt proud of Estelle’s reaction, who couldn’t stop admiring.

“It seems that His Grace’s search for a cook was real.”

“His Grace himself?”

“Yeah, I was really surprised too. After the marriage was decided, he immediately went to get a designer and a chef, and then he bought jewelry like crazy.”

Was that why there were so many clothes and jewelry in the dressing room? Elysia couldn’t understand why he bought so many. She had to change at least once an hour to wear all of that.

“He took the chef of the Imperial Family… It is so delicious.”

“The Imperial Family?”

Even though she knew Damon had brought an expensive cook, Elysia didn’t know that it was the imperial family’s chef. Who would think of stealing the Imperial Family’s chef? Naturally, she thought he had just hired a cook from a high-ranking noble family.

Unless they had lost fear, no one would dare to put it into practice.

…Well, only one.

“Yes.”

“Ah… I didn’t know.”

No wonder she thought it was so delicious. It was on a different level from the food she ate at the county. Even Estelle, a Marchioness, was taken by surprise.

“So, strange rumors came… the wedding preparation period was short, so there was some talk, of course.”

This was something she didn’t know at all. Yesterday and today, she seemed to learn a lot of new information.

“I listened to Your Grace yesterday and thought about it.”

As the meal was almost over, Estelle began to speak to her insinuatingly. It felt like the time has finally come. No matter what answer she heard, she should pretend it didn’t matter. Elysia repeated to herself several times.

“You came sooner than I thought.”

“It’s the founding festival soon.”

Ah, the founding festival. She was so preoccupied that she forgot about it. She needed Estelle’s help to attend the founding festival.

“What exactly does Your Grace want from me?”

It seemed that Estelle was saying that she would decide now based on her answer. Elysia wondered if she should say all of her goals here… or should she embrace Estelle as if nothing had happened, she didn’t know.

“How far can Estelle go? Didn’t you come to tell me that?”

“Do you want to betray His Grace, the Grand Duke?”

Betray Damon…

She knew that was not possible. However, as a result, if Estelle took Elysia’s side, she would betray him.

“I don’t know what Estelle is thinking of betrayal, but if breaking the Grand Duke’s orders is betrayal, it might be.”

Her hope, which had been burning a little, was quickly extinguished since there was no way Estelle would join her.

“What I understood that day was that you had asked me to bet on Your Grace. Seeing your potential.”

It was right. In fact, she was telling her to change her faction…. to choose her, not Damon.

“And currently, there is no force that can embrace Your Grace, other than me.”

“That’s right. I have just entered the grand duchy, and Estelle is the only one who can lend me a helping hand.”

She had no choice but to admit it.

Estelle had been in the social world for decades. It was impossible for Elysia to deceive such a person from the beginning.

“Even if I take Your Grace’s side, my husband is on the Grand Duke’s side. It’s not something I can choose.”

At least she knew that Estelle hadn’t had a relationship with Damon directly. She thought there might be close ties between the families that she didn’t know about. There were not many occasions when the husband and wife took different sides because it was too risky.

“I may have to act as a double agent for a while. Are you still okay with that?”

“Yes…I can’t help it… what?”

Naturally, she thought the words coming out of Estelle’s mouth would be rejection. She was going to say it was okay. However, a completely unexpected answer came.

As her eyes widened, Elysia gazed at her though Estelle only smiled the polite benevolent smile as if she heard nothing wrong.

“I’m saying that I’ll be on Your Grace’s side.”

“No, why… why?”

She couldn’t understand. She even suspected that maybe Estelle was trying to deceive her.

“It seems that the power flow of the Grand Duchy will change soon.”

…The Grand Duchy’s power? Estelle was talking about something strange now.

“And you’re not the kind of person who would really do something that would harm His Grace.”

“…Aren’t you trusting me too much?”

“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have chosen you, right?”

Elysia was taken aback by Estelle’s sudden attitude.

“I didn’t tell you that day, but I will not tell Your Grace’s story to the Grand Duke from now on.”

“Is that okay?”

She wanted Estelle not to be harmed as much as possible, either telling her story in lies or just telling him sufficiently. However, she said she wouldn’t talk at all.

“I haven’t reported since I was caught by Your Grace.”

Elysia thought that she was still reporting, of course, because she didn’t think Damon would give up so easily.

“I thought Estelle would refuse.”

“I also thought a lot about it.”

In fact, she used Estelle to avoid Damon’s eyes and to do outside activities because Elysia knew that if she listened to her ultimate purpose, Estelle wouldn’t take her side either.

Nonetheless, it seemed that Estelle had already made her decision. Elysia at first believed it might be a trap. There was probably not even time to plan, but she never knew. The situation was not good for her to blindly trust anything.

“If I try to harm the Grand Duke, will you stand by me?”