"Lady!"
"I hope you are safe!"
"You're alive, you're alive!"
The jubilant employees roared.
On the other hand, Isaac and Penelope turned pale as if they had seen something they should not have seen.
"All of you...!"
"Ahh!"
Isaac slumped down, and Penelope even screamed.
It was a reaction as If they had seen a ghost.
I paid no attention and gave instructions to Cedric and Anna.
"Cedric, take Anna and disperse the crowd. Then I'll talk to you later about what just happened."
"Yes, ma'am."
Cedric, who had been acting as if he would quit at any moment, obediently followed the instructions and dispersed the gathered people.
Anna glanced at Penelope with a triumphant look on her face as if she had won a thousand horses, then mingled with the others.
I looked back at Isaac.
"Let's talk."
***
When we were alone in the study, Isaac finally came to his senses and asked.
How?"
"It sounds like you wanted me to die."
Isaac noticed that Bridget's mood was quite different and glared at her suspiciously.
It was definitely Bridget in front of him, but she didn't look like the Bridget he knew.
It was as if someone else was wearing her mask.
Isaac stood close to the door and asked, recalling all sorts of horror stories, such as tales of monsters pretending to be dead or ghosts of Innocent people coming back to seek revenge.
"Why... are you suddenly speaking informally to me? You weren't like that before?"
"Have you ever noticed how polite people are when they speak to horses, cows, and pigs?"
"What are you talking about? What kind of manners do you have for animals?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to say."
Bridget smiled brightly.
Isaac couldn't argue back because she was so creepy, so he just glared at her.
"Is this really you? So is this really you who is alive?"
Bridget sighed in pity as she looked at Isaac who was trembling.
"I don't know how you could have done that to me when you were so scared. I wonder what you would have done if I had died and put a curse on you."
Only then did Isaac become certain that the person in front of him was the living, breathing Bridget herself, and he sat down on the sofa.
"I thought you were going to file for divorce. No, you already did? You're using the excuse that I ran away from home."
"That couldn't be helped. But are you going to keep using informal language?"
"It would be more correct to say that it is not something that can be helped, but despicable"
Bridget explained in a calm tone.
"...What are you trying to say?"
"Now that I'm back, withdraw your decision on divorce."
"You don't want to divorce me?"
It was unexpected. When he sold Bridget to the Count of Kensington, he thought she would ask for a divorce instead.
Then Isaac was thinking of threatening her to give up the money she received when they got married.
"I didn't know it would turn out like this. Is it because of the money you received when you got married? Why cut it by half?"
"You know best that I didn't run away. I can't divorce you with such humiliation."
"What? Is it because of pride in the end?"
Isaac, who had tried to bargain with a curious look, snorted when he realized that it was for such a petty reason.
"That's true. Things have gotten a bit complicated since you were gone. I've already promised Penelope that I'll remarry, and I've even gotten her father's permission."
His expression changed from moment to moment. Embarrassment, annoyance, regret...
"I never thought of divorcing you either! You know why I married you. Penelope doesn't want to be in high society."
Penelope was afraid of society because she had been ridiculed and scorned by the nobles at the few social gatherings she attended while she was the wife of the Count of Bellingham.
In the Kingdom of Russel, where little was known about her, she might have pretended to be an ordinary countess and attended a few casual parties like masquerade balls, but here it was out of the question.
Isaac also knew that marrying Penelope would prevent him from entering society.
Because he thought Bridget was dead, he decided to remarry Penelope, who was pregnant with his child, in a state of despair.
Isaac was angry and blamed Bridget for his hasty decision.
"If you were alive, you should have let me know somehow! What the hell have you been doing? You should have contacted me before things got this bad!"
Bridget, who heard the same thing from Josh today, wasn't even angry.
How can people be so similar? He had no time to ask if she was hurt or if she was in danger, even if it was just empty words, and he was only thinking about ripping Bridget apart. Bridget said calmly.
"You're upset because you think it's a shame to divorce me. Don't be, Isaac."
"Are you really going to keep talking informally to me?"
"If you regret it, just change your mind. Now that I've come back, you can reconsider the divorce. Don't worry about your reputation. No one in the noble council cares about your divorce anyway. What's the big deal to them about a Viscount who bought a title getting divorced?"
"What are you saying? Are you done talking?"
"Some people might laugh at you and call you frivolous. But before lunch is over that day, they'll have forgotten your name."
"That much..."
"You certainly didn't think the delegates to the noble council would take your divorce seriously while discussing war, taxes, and even the current state of affairs?"
Bridget burst out laughing.
"No way. You're a businessman after all. You wouldn't be that naive."
"No. No. I didn't even think about that."
Isaac loosened his tie, sweat dripping down his face.
Was Brigitte really this eloquent?
Her tone and mocking expression took his breath away.
Is it because it feels unfamiliar, or is It because everything she says is true?
Isaac was so embarrassed that he couldn't even utter a single word of rebuttal.
"I've already received permission from Penelope's biological father! What do you want me to do? I have some dignity to show for it."
Isaac was surprised that the words he had barely managed to utter sounded more like a complaint than a rebuttal.
It seemed like he was whining and asking Bridget for help on how to handle it.
'That's like saving face.'
Bridget laughed inwardly, but obediently told him the method he wanted.
"You are the only one who thinks Count Hudson is truly noble. They are foreigners who have held the title of Count in foreign countries and are acting like Counts here too. The previous Counts and the current Counts were people who avoided social circles for fear of investigations being launched into their families. Why do you care about such a family?"
Isaac's ears perked up at Bridget's words.
"Penelope, she can just be fooled. She listens to you."
Bridget repeated what Penelope often said to me, only changing the word from 'friend' to 'lover."
"Can't she understand that much for the person she loves?"
Isaac had often heard that kind of talk from Penelope.
"It's for my husband's sake, so I'm sure Bridget will understand that much. I'm sure I will too."
Yes. Penelope, who said such things, would understand.
Bridget drove a wedge into Isaac's wavering heart.
"Oh, by the way. I'm going to Countess Spencer's house in a few days. I was asked to purify the magic that was attached to her eldest son who had just returned from the battlefield."
Isaac opened his eyes wide.
"When? When did this conversation come up? Was it at the Marchioness Cavendish's party last time? Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"It's not that old of a conversation."
"Could it be that you have been relying on Countess Spencer all this time? How?"
Bridget shrugged and stood up.
"I might get a divorce, so why should I tell you that? Think whatever you want. It's none of your business anyway."
"...!"
Isaac got up with her, his face looking
confused.
"Are you really from the Count Spencer? Huh? What happened? How did you end up there? Tell me, Bridget! Bridget!"
Isaac shouted desperately behind Bridget.
But Bridget left the study without answering.
Isaac's eyes rolled rapidly.
Penelope, who can't even set foot in social circles.
Bridget became friendly with Countess Spencer, one of the King's closest associates.
The scales have tipped.
"No, divorce cancellation, cancelationon...!"
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