Meanwhile, at that moment, Karina had a sneer on her lips.
"Your... Your... Grand Duchess......!"
Their surprised and bewildered expressions were funny.
"That... that's it."
"We were just chatting amongst ourselves."
They were limping along, sticking their flippers out. They were a bit far away, and it was raining, so they seemed to think that she couldn't hear their conversation.
'Even so, you talked behind my back too blatantly!'
Karina laughed at the half-hearted excuse. In fact, Karina didn't really have any ill feelings towards people who got swept up in rumors. After all, when time passes and another rumor starts to spread, those people will start talking about new issues and forget about the previous rumors. However, since the rumor was malicious and she had personally seen and experienced the situation,
'If you're being blatantly arrogant towards me, I need to react at least once.'
If you just sit still and try not to pay attention to the rumors, they will just exaggerate them further.
"No way. I heard everything clearly. From the ominous red hair to the fact that His Highness is too precious to divorce."
"...!"
They rolled their eyes with an embarrassed look. Karina snickered as she watched them looking at each other. Then she spoke calmly with a harmless expression.
"Now that I listen to you, I think you guys are right."
"... Yes?"
"Where else would I, with my red hair, meet someone like His Highness the Grand Duke? When I think about it, it seems such a waste."
"What is that...?"
"I changed my mind. I will not divorce His Highness the Grand Duke."
It was a lie. But now it didn't matter whether it was a lie or true...
'If you let them know what consequences their words can have, they won't be able to speak carelessly in the future!'
Karina smiled as brightly as she could.
"Yes?"
Naturally, their eyes widened like those of startled rabbits.
"What is that now...?"
"Thank you for making me realize this. If it weren't for you guys, I would have gotten divorced without even knowing it. I'm glad I know now. Aren't you?"
They looked like they didn't know what to say to Karina's attitude, which was completely different from what they had expected. They couldn't hide their bewilderment and embarrassment.
"That's not what we meant...!"
The moment one of them was about to say something.
"Karina!"
Jeremiah came running, calling her name. And...
Bam! He pulled Karina into his arms.
***
A moment before Jeremiah could hug Karina, he went to Karina's room and was flustered.
"Karina?"
She was nowhere to be seen. The room where she should have been was empty. As soon as Jeremiah realized she was gone, he felt like a hole had been ripped through his heart.
'Where did you go?'
Jeremiah quickly scanned the room with his senses. She was not in the room or in the bathroom next to the room.
'Where on earth did you go?'
Anxiety came over him. He felt as if he had been abandoned by her.
Jeremiah quickly set out to find Karina.
"Have you seen where my wife went?"
He stopped people walking around and asked them. Only then.
"I saw Your Highness the Grand Duchess go out earlier."
"He went outside? Where did she go?"
"I'm not sure about that. Maybe zhe went back to her lodgings?"
She went outside when it was raining?
"Did you just watch her leave?"
"..."
The person who was questioned by Jeremiah kept his mouth shut without saying anything. Jeremiah quickly went outside. He looked around to see if Karina was there. If she wasn't around, he thought she would have returned to her dorm, so he walked toward the main road. However, the first person he encountered was not Karina, but Lucia.
"Your Highness? Didn't you go to the room prepared to avoid the rain?"
After dancing for a while, the Saintess was on her way to the room where they were.
"Karina is gone. I'm going to go find my wife."
Jeremiah passed Lucia without hesitation.
"I'll go with you! We'll be able to find it faster if we look for it together."
Lucia followed him. The Saintess following behind her was annoying, but finding Karina was more important than shaking her off. Fortunately, Karina was found before long. When her figure came into view, his heart was a little relieved.
"Ah! There you are."
Lucia also spoke brightly as if she had found Karina. Karina was standing near those wearing white robes similar to priestly attire. As he approached her, he heard their conversation.
"Red hair."
"It's ominous."
"...!"
Jeremiah's steps stopped abruptly.
"Why don't you get a divorce?"
"You said you'd be connected to the Saintess, so now you feel sorry?"
"..."
'How dare you say something like that in front of my wife?'
His expression hardened in an instant. Jeremiah heard their conversation, where they were talking rudely about Karina.
Lucia, who was behind him, did the same.
He hesitated and awkwardly lowered his hand, which he had raised to call Karina. If they heard it, Karina must have heard it too. As expected. Step by step. He saw Karina approaching them.
“Ah.”
Lucia looked visibly embarrassed. She seemed worried that Karina's anger would cause trouble for the villagers.
"Wait a minute!"
As Lucia ran to get between them, Jeremiah stopped her from coming forward.
"Why are you stopping me?"
"Don't meddle in what my wife does."
"But..."
Lucia fidgeted with anxiety.
"If we don't stop it now, the Grand Duchess might cause trouble for the villagers."
The Saintess expressed her concern.
"Shouldn't you be punished for insulting a noble?"
Karina's voice was firm. He would let Karina do whatever she wanted. Unconditionally.
"But still! You just do that because you heard rumors. It's just because people don't know better."
A look of regret spread across Lucia's face. Jeremiah's eyebrows rose in a diagonal line as if in displeasure.
"Just because you didn't know doesn't mean your mistake goes away."
And the target of their three-inch tongue-lashing was his wife, Karina. Even if she were to forgive them, he would never let it go. Jeremiah held firm and silently watched what Karina would do. Karina, standing in front of those dressed in white, opened her mouth. Contrary to expectations that she would be angry, her voice was calm throughout. And...
"Now that I listen to you, I think you guys are right."
Instead of punishing them, she sympathized with them and agreed with them as if they were right.
"...?"
Jeremiah momentarily doubted his ears. Lucia just stared at them with a blank expression.
"Where else would I, with my red hair, meet someone like His Highness the Grand Duke? When I think about it, it seems such a waste."
"What is that...?"
"I changed my mind. I will not divorce His Highness the Grand Duke."
"...!"
At first, Jeremiah's expression changed as he was confused and didn't know what was going on. As Karina continued to speak, he felt a surge of emotion. And when he heard her say that she wouldn't divorce, his heart pounded as if he had finally achieved what he had been waiting for.
"Karina!"
He couldn't stand it anymore and ran to her in one breath and hugged her. Although he didn't like the reason. Whatever the reason, the important thing now was that she had changed her mind and decided not to divorce him. That brought him the greatest joy. The sadness and pain that had built up from being rejected by her over and over again turned into excitement in an instant. He was overwhelmed with excitement.
"Thank you, Karina."
Jeremiah felt the warmth of Karina in his arms and was thrilled. He wanted to tell her how he felt right now.
'How should I convey this?'
He felt a deep sense of relief, and at the same time, he felt a rush of joy. He couldn't control his excitement and his body trembled.
"I'll do my best. Whatever you want! I'll give you anything."
He pulled away and locked eyes with Karina.
"Thank you so much. I will never let you down. Never!"
Jeremiah spoke with a determined expression as if he were making a vow to himself.
“Ah.”
Karina, who was in Jeremiah's arms, kept blinking her eyes with a bewildered expression. Just a moment ago, she was startled by Jeremiah's sudden appearance, Furthermore, she was even more embarrassed by his actions of embracing her.
'What, why...!'
And then she said, oh no.
'Did you hear everything I just said?'
"Karina..."
As if his prediction was right, he muttered her name in a way that seemed to be a thrill and hugged her closer.
"Wait for a sec..."
As she tried to push him away, the people in white clothes looked at them with shocked and dumbfounded expressions.
"Uh..."
Come to think of it, if Karina pushed Jeremiah away from her, they would all find out that what she had just said was a lie.
'What should I do?'
Karina thought she had to get out of this place quickly. But.
"Thank you, Karina."
"...!"
'Did you just say thank you?'
Karina had no idea what to do with the sight of him she had never seen before. Even if she had heard him say in the first place that he would not divorce her.
'Is that something that Jeremiah would react to like this?'
Even as he spoke, his body was trembling slightly. The sound of his heart pounding against his chest, which was against her cheek, could be heard clearly.
'This guy. Are you serious?'
Karina's eyes shook slightly without her knowledge at the moment when she felt the reaction so clearly.
"I'll do my best. Whatever you want! I'll give you anything."
'No, wait a minute.'
She had a bad feeling that things might get completely messed up without her intentions. And sure enough, they did.
"I won't let you down. Never!"
His words as if he were swearing, were so firm. Karina felt anxious, thinking that she should quickly take him somewhere else and tell him that it was a mistake and that he should not misunderstand. However, the situation did not go in the direction she wanted.
"That's difficult."
Lucia appeared behind Jeremiah. Unlike her bright smile during the prayer service, the Saintess had a sullen expression on her face.
"His Highness the Grand Duke must divorce the Grand Duchess and marry me. His Highness and I must enter into a sacred marriage."
As if stating an obvious fact with a blank expression on her face. She was soaking wet from dancing in the rain, but the Saintess didn't seem to care at all.
'You're so consistent.'
Karina's comment was short. Still, it seemed like it would be a good idea to move people away or move places. But before she could say anything, Jeremiah glared at the Saintess first.
"What right does a Saintess have to say something like that? Karina said she won't divorce me. I'm the same way. I don't understand why a third party is interfering with our marriage."
Jeremiah's eyes were filled with hostility as he looked at Lucia,
"Isn't it true that the Grand Duchess was in love with someone else?"
Instead of answering Jeremiah, Lucia looked at Karina and asked.
"I thought the Grand Duchess had feelings for His Highness the Crown Prince."
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