CH 84

His lips, which drew a smooth arc, fluttered before my eyes. I stared at them unconsciously, repeatedly thinking about the situation then.

“…Count? Are you listening?” 

Enoch waved his hand in front of me.

“Ah yes! Yes, I’m listening, I’m listening…!” I blinked in surprise, trying to focus on his words again.

It was the first time we had seen each other since the day we kissed. That’s why I couldn’t help but think of that day.

“Are you okay? Your face is red. Are you hurt anywhere…?”

“No, I mean… So you’re saying I have to go to the temple?”

“Fortunately, I bought some time. You don’t have to go right now. We have plenty of time to deal with your matters before we go.”

As I listened to what he said, I pondered, “Deal with matters… My divorce.”

Enoch nodded slowly. Come to think of it, Rupert should have received the mail by now, but I haven’t heard anything yet.

As if worried about my silence, Enoch said, “If you’re worried that you’ll live as a saintess…”

“Ah, yes. That’s a problem, too.”

I barely found my freedom through a divorce, but it would be a problem if I ended up becoming a saintess of the temple. 

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But for some reason, I felt out of touch right now.

“But won’t it work somehow?”

With a grin, Enoch answered the question without much thought, “Yeah, it will work. There will be no way the Count will live as a saintess.”

Knock, knock, knock–.

We were back in my room after taking a walk with Enoch, when I heard a knock on the door. The knock sounded cautious, yet blunt, and sounded like it came from a strong person.

“Who is it?”

I didn’t know who it was, but Enoch’s forehead wrinkled slightly, as if he was expecting someone. 

“Come in.”

As the door opened, a familiar face appeared. It was Count Damon Rosen, who volunteered to be my escort knight.

“Damon!”

“Lady, thank you for welcoming me.”

As Damon approached with a smile, Enoch jumped up and stopped him about five steps away.

“Your Highness?”

“This is Count Damon Rosen, who will serve as the Count’s escort from today.”

“Yes? Ah, I know… Anyway, I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

It was strange for him to reintroduce what I already knew, but I reached out to shake Damon’s hand.

Then Enoch suddenly blocked Damon’s way.

“The escort knight can wait outside the door. Accompany her wherever she goes.”

“I know what an escort knight does. But I think I can escort the Lady better if I stay with her in the room,” Damon smiled brightly and scratched his head, and Enoch’s expression hardened even more terribly. 

He pointed his hand out the door and said, “I have something to tell her, so get out.”

It was a harsh atmosphere, but Damon smiled with his usual bright expression and went down elegantly on one knee in front of me.

“Then, Lady, leave your safety to me from now on. I’ll always be nearby.”

“Thank you, Damon.”

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Enoch scowled at the back of Damon’s head as he stepped out.

“Pfft, Your Highness.” I poked Enoch in the side with my finger. Then Enoch blushed, looking sheepish.

“…Was it obvious?”

“Yes, very much. If that’s the case, why didn’t you turn it down when I asked for an escort knight?”

Then Enoch coughed a little, and he gently grabbed my shoulders and sat me on the sofa. He murmured with a sigh, “I can’t help it because you need it. I wish I could be with you all the time, but I can’t.”

“Then…”

I looked up at him to answer his words, and our faces were suddenly at a close distance.

Startled, I avoided his head while Enoch stiffened in the same posture he had bowed down in.

‘Oops.’

Did I avoid him too openly? Rather than avoiding him because I hated it, Damon was out there, and while I did it the first time, this was still close to an accident.

While disturbed by these and other thoughts, Enoch sat down again casually. No, it was nothing.

He said he had something to say, but he didn’t. He didn’t leave either and just sat there with his mouth closed in this awkward atmosphere.

The air in the room got hot for some reason.

Obviously, I didn’t really like this awkward and uncomfortable situation.

I fanned myself with my hand and looked out of the window.

And after a while, I received a reply from Rupert.

I had hoped for the signed divorce agreement. However, contrary to my expectations, there was only one short letter in the envelope.

「I have something to ask you. If you meet me one last time, I’ll agree to the terms. I’m in the townhouse until this evening. I’ll wait. – Rupert Clifford.」

I suddenly got a headache. I rested my forehead and leaned on the chair.

‘If I meet you one more time, you’ll agree? Do I have to?’

So, did that mean we won’t reach an agreement if we don’t meet? If Rupert would contest it… Haa, it’s a pain.

We would have to go through a really tedious and lengthy litigation process. That was the worst.

I gulped down the cold water on the desk and looked closely at the letter.

It was definitely Rupert’s handwriting, and it was stamped with a seal.

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Fortunately, he didn’t tell me to come alone.

I took the letter and went to the Crown Prince’s office. However, Enoch wasn’t there because of his busy schedule.

“What should I do… He said until this evening.”

I held the corner of the letter paper in my mouth and pondered for a moment, and then my eyes met Damon, who was following me.

“Ah.”

Damon, who made eye contact with me, spoke first, “Lady, is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Um… Yes, I have to go to the townhouse on Clifford Street.”

“But what are you worried about?”

“I think it might be dangerous.”

Damon smirked. “Get ready, I’ll have a carriage ready outside.”

He was definitely more reliable than before.

Well, I only needed to go there for a little while, so did I really need to go with Enoch? Come to think of it, that’s why I hired an escort.

Besides, if the two met, it would be dangerous in itself. If we went together, Rupert would definitely think I was asking for a divorce because of Enoch.

As Damon left, I called Lia. After dressing as simply and neatly as possible, I got on the carriage Damon had prepared.

And prepared he was. Perhaps because he was afraid that I might be in danger, he didn’t remain overconfident in his skills. He also contacted the Imperial knights to replenish his staff.

A total of four knights, including Damon, escorted the carriage and set off. Seeing them made me feel a little more relaxed.

I was actually a little worried until just before I left. What if it’s a trap? Would Chloe be with him?

Perhaps Chloe would want to kill me.

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After all, she wanted to occupy the magic stone mine even though we’re rivals. But after checking it again and again, dark magic and brainwashing didn’t work on me.

If Chloe and Prince Briman were together the day they kidnapped me, Chloe would have known about it. And since I saw Rupert heading there, I couldn’t quite believe him either.

So, this kind of defense was justified. I glanced behind the carriage.

Damon was also a talented knight with his own defense, so he wouldn’t be so easily subjected to black magic.

The problem was the physical force used by people exposed to black magic.

If the person brainwashed was ordered to swing a punch, they wouldn’t be able to resist. Of course, that’s why I was taking Damon with me. 

I told Lia to tell Enoch where I was going as soon as he returned.

‘Let’s calm down. That’s where we used to live. No matter how hard it is, Rupert’s not the type to hit a woman…right?’

I decided to come back if I saw the atmosphere from the outside and didn’t like it. After the kidnapping incident, I became more vigilant.

This probably wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the divorce. But that had been my biggest dream since I came to this world. I wanted to settle this as soon as possible.

Why did Rupert want to meet me?

I hope it wasn’t some troublesome reason like confirming if affection had risen belatedly. I shook my head and thought of a more realistic explanation. 

‘Right, the note.’

I sent the divorce agreement, a check for four billion gold, and a note saying Chloe was a black magician.

Was he trying to ask about the contents of the note? That’s possible. Either he trusted me and wanted to ask more, or he didn’t and wanted to refute it.

If that’s the case, maybe I’d feel more at ease.

As I closed my eyes and pondered, the carriage made its way into a familiar road and finally stopped in front of the townhouse.

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Before I even got off, Damon and the knights looked around to make sure it was safe.

Only then did he open the carriage door. Damon escorted me, and we stood in front of the townhouse’s gate.

“Hmm?”

The building was as I remembered it. But inside, the atmosphere was different.

Aside from the eerie energy of an unorganized garden, above all else, there was no sign of human presence.

The Duke of Clifford’s townhouse usually had dozens of people working, and I could feel their traces even if I didn’t look.

But now, it was just as quiet as a haunted house.

“It’s a little strange.” Damon’s muttering made me even more convinced.

“I want to go back.”

I didn’t want to take the risk. I didn’t want to go inside this house even if it meant going through a long divorce case. My instincts were warning me.

As I was about to turn around, I heard a rustle of footsteps by the house. I turned around and saw Rupert coming out alone.

I looked closely at him but found nothing strange.

“You came, thank you.”

Looking up close, Rupert was smiling bitterly.

Damon sneaked out and widened the distance between them, and Rupert looked at me calmly.