"What did you say?"
"I said, let's get a divorce."
I reply to Rianna as I put the retrieved ring into my pocket.
The wind feels unusually colder today.
It was probably not just my imagination.
But since I couldn't explain it, I just brushed it off as a passing feeling.
Rianna's twisted expression shows her confusion clearly.
Despite her fiery red hair and eyes, her usually ice-cold expression finally cracked.
"You're not going to ask the cliché question of 'why,' are you?"
Rianna held her breath and shut her mouth.
Her slightly trembling eyes suggested my words hit the mark.
"We can't exactly call what we have a marriage anymore, can we?"
We sleep in separate rooms, barely talk, and there's no consideration left between us.
"I think our feelings have cooled enough that we can let each other go."
To be honest, I was confused at first.
I couldn't understand why the dead Rianna was still wearing her wedding ring.
Did she still harbor feelings for me?
Or did she only come to value it after we separated?
A lot of questions came to mind.
But after spending the day, I realized none of that mattered.
'Whether or not Rianna had lingering feelings for me wasn't important at all.'
What mattered more was—
'That I no longer love you.'
A strangely refreshing smile formed on my face.
The ties that had bound us from my previous life finally untangled.
Rianna's feelings weren't the only ones that mattered.
Mine did too.
Because we were, after all, a married couple.
"Isaac…?"
She whispers softly, taking a step closer.
"I'm sorry you had to endure being with such a terrible husband."
I hoped she would let go of any lingering resentment or regret.
So that she wouldn't be burdened when starting a new chapter of her life.
'This should be enough, right?'
I'd belittled myself by calling myself a terrible husband.
That should suffice.
Rianna's twisted expression gradually returns to its usual calm state.
After letting out a short sigh, she speaks in a strictly business-like tone.
"My father suggested it's time for me to have a child."
"A child?"
The abruptness of her statement leaves me momentarily stunned.
This is something I hadn't heard in my previous life.
Back then, I had already lost one of my legs to a chandelier and was probably lying in front of a physician's office.
Whatever the case, Rianna continues speaking.
"My father never fully trusted the eldest son, Lohengrin, but it seems he plans to officially confirm him as the heir after this Swordsmanship Festival."
The eldest son, Lohengrin.
He's a year older than Rianna and used to torment me quite frequently.
He was also one of the reasons Rianna and I didn't have children, despite being married for four years.
Because the possibility existed that Rianna, as the eldest daughter, might have to carry on the family line instead of their untrustworthy eldest son.
'The fact that they even considered passing the inheritance to the eldest daughter instead of the second son…'
This speaks to Rianna's competence but also highlights the incompetence of the Helmund men.
"So, your father has finally made up his mind?"
"Even though he's someone who values skill above all else, Lohengrin is still a better choice than me. If I became the family head, it would only serve to politically solidify Lohengrin's reputation as incompetent."
"So now he's saying it's time for you to have a child?"
"If Father had chosen me as the head, being pregnant would have placed too many restrictions on me. But now that he's firmly decided on Lohengrin, that concern is no longer relevant."
"Ah."
"So, we don't have to sleep in separate rooms anymore."
As I watch Rianna casually discuss this, a sudden suspicion arises.
"Is that why you were so nervous all day today?"
"I wasn't nervous."
Rianna stiffened her expression even more as she looked at me.
"You weren't? Didn't I tell you before? When you're nervous, you look angry."
"..."
At Isaac's words, Rianna lightly presses her cheek with her finger.
Her tightly pursed lips silently confirm that she had indeed been nervous.
"Is that so? That's good then."
"Good?"
At my words, Rianna's expression falters again.
"The timing's just right, isn't it? Meet another decent man besides me. That's how you should live your life."
If she were to have a child, divorce wouldn't be so easy.
"Divorce usually tarnishes the wife's reputation. But if the problem lies with the husband, that's not always the case."
"......…"
"If I'm a kleptomaniac, have a fondness for blood, or possess some peculiar sexual preferences—anything will do. If you come up with a reason, people will see you as the victim instead."
".....…"
"Plus, as the eldest daughter of Helmund, a little blemish wouldn't cause any problems."
"Why?"
Rianna, who had been keeping her mouth shut until now, finally couldn't hold it in anymore and spoke.
"Do you really want a divorce that badly? Why? What's the reason?"
"I don't want to stay in Helmund anymore."
There was no hesitation in my answer. In fact, it felt like I'd been waiting for this moment.
"......…"
"Rianna, Helmund may look like a beautiful rose to outsiders, but to me, holding it has only left thorns embedded in my hands."
I had said everything I needed to say.
And since Alois, that perverted sex fiend, is secretly spying on us from below the balcony, I don't feel like staying here any longer.
"I drank some wine tonight, so I'm feeling tired. I'll head to bed first. Let's talk to Father-in-law about this separately."
I walked back inside, glancing at the messy banquet hall left in shambles by today's event, and let out a bitter smile.
'The servants are going to have a hard time cleaning this up.'
I felt sorry for them.
But this would be the last time.
"Wait."
Suddenly, Rianna grabbed my wrist.
I stopped walking and glanced back at her, asking,
"Hm? What is it?"
The conversation, which had been neatly concluded, was now being drawn out again.
I smiled softly, aiming for a good ending.
In contrast to my smile, a rare trace of nervousness showed on Rianna's face.
"I'm sorry, but I can't agree to a divorce. Father won't allow it."
"He's never been fond of a commoner son-in-law who doesn't even know how to wield a sword. He might actually like the idea."
"This is too sudden. Father thinks we're doing well together."
"That can't be. Surely the head of the house is perceptive enough to notice."
"…Society isn't as simple as you think. Even if you take the fall, it won't make me come out of this unscathed."
"Sigh."
I sighed. If I keep listening, she'll give me reasons all day long. At my sigh, Rianna fall silent.
"Rianna."
I dropped the faint smile from my face.
My gaze, now cold, pierced through Rianna like a blade.
"Your brothers call me a worthless bug who can't even wield a sword. I've gotten used to them summoning me for duels just to beat me up."
"....…"
"To your younger sister, I'm nothing more than a servant she can boss around. I've handled all kinds of errands, both trivial and secret."
"…......"
"Father-in-law doesn't care about any of that. He's never been interested in me in the first place. A son-in-law who can't wield a sword isn't considered part of Helmund."
"Isaac."
"And lastly, the wife I thought would stand by my side until the end… chose to stand by and did nothing."
"Isaac, that's not-."
A sneer formed at the corner of my lips.
A bitter laugh, laced with contempt, followed.
"Are you going to make excuses? Say you had your reasons? Rianna, do you know what you should have said to me by now, at the very least?"
"...…"
"An apology."
Rianna pressed her lips together tightly.
At this point, apologizing would be like trying to put out a fire by stomping on it with bare feet.
It was already too late.
"Do you still not understand? Rianna, in this great Helmund—"
There was no place for me.
I roughly brushed aside Rianna's arm.
"And one more thing."
The next words that slipped out were shockingly cold, even to my own ears.
"Isn't holding hands and doing things like that what married couples do? It's disgusting."
*
**
*
Rianna spent quite some time on the banquet hall balcony.
"Sister?"
The voice of the third son, Alois, came from behind her. Rianna intentionally tried even harder not to turn her head.
She didn't know what expression she was wearing at the moment.
But she didn't want anyone to see it.
"Haha, there were quite a few incidents today. Especially the chandelier falling suddenly—that was surprising."
He wasn't wrong.
The chandelier that almost fell on Isaac. If he hadn't dodged it so skillfully, there could have been a serious accident.
"Will you be heading back soon—?"
"Alois."
"Yes, Sister? How can I help you?"
Alois had always been obedient to her. Unfortunately, that was something Rianna found oddly uncomfortable.
"Leave me alone."
"Sister? Did something happen with my brother-in-law—?"
Rianna didn't answer. Her silence was a warning not to continue.
"I'll head inside first, Sister."
After a polite bow, Alois left. Rianna stayed there, standing alone, lost in thought.
Only after some time, when she'd managed to calm down a little, then she returned to her room.
Her room was much tidier than usual. A single rose in her cherished flowerpot stood fresh, a result of the care Rianna had poured into it.
She threw the candles and matches prepared on the table into the trash.
Removing the dress she had so carefully chosen for the evening.
Normally a maid would help, but it was late, and she had long since dismissed them.
In fact, she had told them not to come near her room at all today.
Her eyes fell on the full-length mirror beside her.
As the dress was half torn off in her haste to remove it, what was revealed underneath was a provocative design of black lingerie—something she usually wouldn't even glance at.
"..."
Without a word, she went straight to bed.
Two pillows lay on the bed. One was hers.
The other remained there, cold and empty, waiting for an owner who would never return.