how to divorce the male lead - chapter 10
As he awkwardly supported Yuliana, her appearance was comical, but she shamelessly didn't remove the hand resting on her forehead.
"Y-Yuliana! What's wrong?"
"M-My head hurts..."
"Oh, no. This can't be. Are you still not feeling well? Is that it? I heard rumors that the walls of the Duke's castle were a bit thin. You caught a cold, didn't you?"
Yuliana meekly accepted her father's words, and she didn't forget to cast a pitiful look and replied firmly.
"Yes, it was the reason why major construction took place a few days ago .. After getting married, I kept catching colds... The walls are too thin, and drafts keep coming in."
"No, why didn't you say something before it got to this point?"
"How could I throw a tantrum like that to my father? Sob."
"Poor daughter of ours..."
"That's enough, that's enough!"
At that moment, Yuliana's eyes sparkled like a cat catching its prey in the darkness.
Then, sobbing, she buried herself in the arms of Duke Oben.
"Sob. Father! I'm so tired! They call it a luxury, you know. Just getting some repair work done and receiving a gift from my husband for once... They say everyone is jealous. Oh! I think of it as the price I pay for being born so beautifully. Sob..."
In response to her brilliant performance, Duke Oben jumped up from his seat as if he were on fire. The short marshmallow-like cat seemed to be bouncing around like it was trembling in the flames.
"Right! A luxury, they say. That can't be true!"
"Do people really speak ill of me?"
Yuliana closed her mouth and wore a shocked expression. Duke Oben, startled, lowered his head as if he had gone mad.
"Oh, Yuliana. Don't pay attention to the words of people who can't control their mouths. They're all just jealous of you. Who could there be with such deep intentions as you?"
"Sob, Father! I thought you would understand my intentions."
"Of course!"
The Duke and Yuliana hugged each other tightly.
And the maids who were watching them exchanged glances and had silent conversations with each other.
"That seems a bit too much..."
However, the two people who were already trapped in their own world just hugged each other tightly, paying no heed.
****
"Sigh, even fake crying can be exhausting."
Yuliana, who had barely sent her father away, plopped onto the sofa, rubbing her cheeks.
Rustle, rustle...
At that moment, an unnamed bird flew across the darkening sky, crying out. She stared blankly out the window and muttered.
"I want to run away too. Aah..."
"With whom?"
"…Huh."
Yuliana, who had been lying on the long sofa, suddenly sat up at the familiar yet eerie voice.
It was clear that her mind had completely wandered.
Usually, around this time, she never forgot that the Royal Knights would be returning, but her energy was drained today from telling lies to her father, whom she had rarely seen.
Yuliana stood at the open door, looking awkwardly at Evan, who was watching her.
"Oh my, you've come early."
"I didn't come early. If anything, I'm late."
"...?"
He spoke the truth without missing a beat. Yuliana glanced at the clock with one eye, wondering if he was telling the truth. Darn it, he's actually later than usual.
"...Ahem. Today, with Father's visit, I've been quite distracted. I should go to bed early."
She prepared to sneak away into her room.
As Yuliana, clutching her orders under her arm, attempted to escape, Evan asked, "Have the orders you placed arrived as they were?"
Startled by the abrupt question, Yuliana turned around and said, "Ah, I thought it was all over with this! I'm planning to place many more orders in the future. It's been a while since I had a hobby. Evan, you understand, don't you?"
"You can order anything you want. Your happiness is my happiness."
Even with just the orders she had placed so far, Yuliana felt exasperated, thinking, "This guy is still not in his right mind."
So as soon as the Marquis of Auburn saw it, he took a sheet out of the package of order papers, which had been frightened.
Yuliana began to read a list of orders that stood out in scrawled handwriting so violently that the feather pen nib was pressed flat against the paper.
"Ophilia's Tears... Do you know what this is? It's a crown worn by the neighboring country's Princess Leeg. Of course, you can't wear the same crown as the princess. It would be great if you could place a direct order with the crown designer!"
"Okay."
He casually took a seat near the table across from her. Leaning his chin on his hand, he stared at Yuliana as if he hoped this conversation would go on indefinitely.
Thanks to him, Yuliana felt frozen, despite the beads of sweat running down her back. Her assertiveness seemed to have disappeared, and she felt as though her feet were firmly rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.
"It was weak of me to start with this. After all, he's the male lead. It can't be helped. Well, then..."
Yuliana gathered her resolve.
She began to haphazardly spread out the order forms in her arms.
Shuffle...
As Yuliana desperately scanned through the order forms, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "This one!"
"Hmm?"
"Oh, well, it's nothing. Do you think this is also possible? I want a jewel from the Kerbidan. They say the desert tribe treasures it, and its color is said to resemble water. The desert tribe values it like their life, and if they lose in battle, they offer it to their opponent. Well, if it's you, you can somehow obtain the jewel from that tribe, right?"
"Okay."
"If it's not possible, it's regrettable, but there's nothing we can do. If your abilities are up to the task."
"Yuliana, when do you want it?"
"Sigh. If it's not possible, I'll be really disappointed..."
"If you want it right now, let's see if we can prepare it today. So that you can receive your gift happily before you wake up tomorrow."
Yuliana's eyes snapped open at that insane statement.
She, who had been mimicking the haughty noblewoman with a crooked smile, now trembled in place as if scattered by the gusty wind, much like grains of sand in the desert.
"...Is this a joke?"
Evan spoke slowly, "If you want something, you should get it."
"...So, are you saying you'll attack the tribe now?"
"You need Her Majesty's permission, but she would probably appreciate it if I personally took care of it. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use some wizards and carry out a cleansing operation there."
"Goodness! Who in their right mind would suggest fighting for a tribe's jewel?"
"I would."
She opened her mouth wide.
Then, she covered her pale cheek, which had turned even paler due to genuine shock.
If earlier she had pretended to sob to deceive her father, now she didn't need to pretend. She was on the verge of fainting as she put her hand on her forehead.
In the end, Yuliana hesitantly sank onto the sofa. The order forms that had been scattered under her feet were trampled on.
"This male lead... even if he's considerate, he's far from being truly considerate..."
"Yuliana."
He knelt without hesitation at her feet, which had become disheartened. Yuliana lifted her head slightly, trying to show him her pale cheek even a bit. Yuliana didn't want to show him her bluish cheek, so she pressed it even harder.
Seeing her like that, Evan smiled faintly, as if finding her adorable, and spoke gently.
"Are you worried that I might get hurt if I start a fight like this?"
Yuliana retorted sarcastically, as if she thought his words made it sound like a trivial brawl.
"What you're doing is instigating a conflict, not a back-alley brawl!"
Evan replied naturally as if to reassure her, "It's okay. I won't get hurt. To give you a complete gift, both my arms and legs need to be intact."
"N-No, that's not what I meant..."
Perhaps due to her nervousness, Evan held her hand, which felt much colder than usual. Yuliana looked down at her awkwardly held hand, squinting her eyes.
As she closed and opened her eyes repeatedly, Evan quietly spoke, staring determinedly at Yuliana's perplexing bronze-colored irises, which swirled with turmoil.
"You'll get everything you want."
"Evan..."
When Yuliana clumsily called his name, Evan chuckled slowly. Then, he lightly kissed the back of her chilly hand and whispered.
"If you're demanding a divorce in such a childish way, I might just become childish too."
He sighed and added : "Cruel, my wife."
Yuliana was disheartened to have glimpsed Evan's true feelings without filter.
While Evan's childish approach was growing stronger day by day, Yuliana Oben's childish approach was losing its effectiveness entirely.