TVDWL - Chapter 201 < Do you regret it? >

"Are you okay?"

In response to her own question, Karina instead asked about his well-being.

"Are you okay?"

Jeremiah felt a surge of joy as he met Karina's trembling eyes.

'Are you worried about me even in this situation?'

But that emotion didn't last long. In the past, he had made her lonely and eventually driven her to death, so he didn't deserve her concern.

"You have to go back quickly and get treatment!"

He quickly avoided her hands that tried to support him.

"You don't need to support me."

Please don't be so kind. He turned his head away from Karina and quietly said what he had prepared.

"Don't worry about me anymore."

His jaw was set firmly. He knew he had to cut her off coldly, but he couldn't bear to say such harsh words to her. If only he could, he would start over. But it was impossible. It was like a button that had been put on wrong from the start.

"As you wish, no. Now I wish it too."

Before he could say the next words, he had to fight back against his inner conflict several times. 

Please. If I got down on his knees and begged right now, wouldn't the kind girl accept me? If I was injured while fighting assassins, wouldn't she, who was weak-hearted, pity me and stay by my side? 

He would do anything to keep her by his side. However. He opened his tightly shut lips with difficulty and barely managed to squeeze out the voice that wouldn't come out.

"Let's get a divorce."

Jeremiah felt as if his heart was being torn to pieces by the words he had spoken and trampled mercilessly underfoot. He couldn't bear to look at Karina as if he couldn't bear to not cling to her.

"You said you wanted a divorce... Then why did you come here?"

He barely managed to hold back tears at her question, which was asked in a thin, trembling voice. At times like this, the excruciating pain from the injury and poison helped.

"I told you earlier. If you die in a place like this, the Grand Duke's family will be in trouble."

"Is that all?"

Sh

He wanted to deny it right away. 

No. The truth is, I came because I was so worried about you. I came running here just hoping you would be safe. 

He wanted to tell her everything with his true feelings. However, asking her to accept him would mean forcing her to make another sacrifice. That's why Jeremiah swallowed all the countless words that were rising to his throat. And he answered briefly in an indifferent tone, hiding his reddened eyes from holding back tears.

"...Yes."

After a while of silence.

"I see. Yes, I understand."

Jeremiah heard Karina's answer, which was a calm nod. Tears flowed down from Jeremiah's eyes as he finished his reminiscence. His life without Karina would have been like an empty shell.

'When I wake up, I'll have to let her go.'

His heart was already pounding. Everything felt pointless. If possible, he didn't want to keep waking up like this. At that moment.

'That's funny.'

The dragon's words pulled Jeremiah out of his gloomy thoughts.

'Why are you suffering when things went your way?'

"..."

Jeremiah was speechless.

"Just as I wish...'

He realized what his past self had wished for from the dragon. It was the same thing he was wishing for now. Jeremiah asked, wiping his tears with the back of his hand.

"Is there a way to keep Karina's soul from breaking without me?"

To that question, the dragon looked down at him with eyes that were difficult to read, then answered.

'There is. But there is a price to pay.'

Jeremiah instinctively knew that the price the dragon had spoken of would not be light, but whatever it was, it did not matter at all.

"No matter what the price, tell me. What should I do?"

His expression was as firm as a rock. Jeremiah, who had lost consciousness, woke up three days later under Lucia's intensive care. From then on, things progressed rapidly. The scheduled prayer service was canceled, and David, Jeremiah, and Karina returned to the capital right away. Lucia was with them. The temple had sent Lucia back to the palace to apologize for failing to protect the safety of the Grand Duchess. Upon returning to the capital, Jeremiah went to the palace and met with the Emperor as soon as he arrived. When he officially announced his intention to divorce, the Emperor approved their divorce as if he had been waiting for it. And in just a week, all sorts of rumors began to circulate about Jeremiah remarrying a Saintess. The rumors that came from the palace quickly spread through social circles. The nobles gathered together were constantly whispering.

"Divorce?"

A noble lady wearing an elaborate headdress asked, covering her mouth with her fan.

"I heard a rumor that the Grand Duchess requested a divorce. Did it eventually come to fruition?"

"I don't think so."

"Isn't that it?"

"This time, it was His Highness the Grand Duke who requested a divorce from His Majesty the Emperor, not the Grand Duchess?"

"Oh my God."

"I knew it. I thought he'd hold out until now."

"That's what I'm saying."

"The Grand Duchess is demanding a divorce with her neck held high. How can that be possible?"

"There were rumors like that anyway."

"What is the rumor?"

"There's a rumor that the Grand Duchess is having an affair!"

"Oh my! With who?"

"That is..."

One of the whisperers lowered her voice as if she were talking about something confidential and continued. The nobles who heard the whispering reacted violently and became excited.

"Oh my, oh my! Is that true?"

"Or should she go crazy and ask His Majesty the Grand Duke for a divorce?"

"Now that I hear it, that's true."

"His Highness the Grand Duke, who had tried to stay with the Grand Duchess no matter what, probably couldn't bear it anymore after learning the truth."

"Oh, I guess I would be like that too."

"Then. In any case, if you get a divorce, His Highness the Grand Duke will be alone again?"

The noble ladies who had been shaking their heads and badmouthing the Grand Duchess suddenly began to look curious and interested. Wasn't this the great property they had been desperately missing coming back onto the marriage market? 

They were not the ones to miss this opportunity. Who would take the young and attractive Grand Duke of Colesberg? However, someone's next words poured cold water on their excited hearts.

"Ah... That's it. I heard it already has an owner."

"Yes?"

"There is a master. Who is it?"

"She is a Saintess."

"A Saintess? What does that mean?"

Isn't the Saintess a person belonging to the temple? How can someone like that get married?

"Did I mishear that?"

There were reactions here and there that it was ridiculous. However.

"I heard that His Majesty the Emperor was also offended by the Grand Duchess's actions. When the Grand Duke asked for a divorce, he immediately accepted it, and while he was at it, he even decided on a new wife."

"No matter what, she is a Saintess. She may be an unexpected opponent, but don't you think she suits him well?"

"There are rumors that the Saintess and the temple are also very active."

"The temple is also active?"

"It's really amazing. There are so many different things going on."

"That's what I'm saying."

The social world was abuzz with the news of the Grand Duke's divorce and remarriage.

The rumor spread beyond the social circle to the common people and soon reached Karina's ears. Of course, the person who told the rumor was not ordinary.

"There's an interesting rumor going around."

Karina, who was blankly staring out the window, turned her head at the sound of a low voice ringing in her ear. When did he come in? 

A tall man with shiny blond hair was smiling at her.

"What's the rumor?"

"They say that the Grand Duchess and I were having an affair."

David came closer to her, smirking.

"The nobles seem to believe the rumors are true."

"Is that so?"

Even after hearing those words, Karina's expression was calm. Even though there was such chaos outside, she, the person who was actually involved in the rumor, was quietly resting in her room. As if such rumors were someone else's business.

"I don't mind if the rumor becomes true."

Karina said something to David who was talking smugly.

"Stop Joking. That's enough joking."

David smiled and shrugged at her slap. On the other hand, Karina's feelings were complicated, despite her outward expression. After the Emperor's divorce was approved and a few simple paperwork were completed, the marriage that had tied Karina and Jeremiah together was cut off blandly and absurdly. With just a few simple formalities, their marriage was immediately put to an end.

'That was the end.'

Even though she was finally divorced and relieved, she felt strange. David, who had read her calm mood, asked.

"Do you regret it?"

"No way."

Karina snickered.

"Isn't this something you were hoping for?"

Yes. This was what she wanted. She had set up a divorce information agency, had walked among the nobles she hated to demand a divorce, and had even attended the New Year's festival she hated. But the expressionless face of Jeremiah, who had fought off the assassins in the forest where the cabin was and was wounded, talking about divorce, kept flashing before her eyes.

'Why do I keep worrying about this?'

Karina sighed deeply. She felt confused about why she was feeling this way and her own condition. At that moment, Lucia, dressed in a beautiful dress, appeared outside the window, getting out of the carriage. It seemed clear that she had come to see Jeremiah about matters related to the preparations for her remarriage. At that moment.

"...!"

Lucia, whose eyes met by chance, smiled brightly and waved at her.

'Are you shaking it at me?'

One of Karina's eyebrows rose diagonally. Beyond absurd, a hollow laugh escaped her lips.

'What on earth are you thinking?'

It was hard to understand. Even though

Karina couldn't hide her antipathy towards the Saintess, Lucia didn't seem to feel any regret towards her.

'If you want Jeremiah, I'll be a thorn in your side. You seemed surprisingly free of negative feelings!'

The Saintess didn't seem to have any particular feelings or ill will towards her. Rather, she had an even more holy aura than when Karina first saw her.

'A woman who steals a married man looks holy.'

No matter what she does, she is still a Saintess. A hollow smile appeared on Karina's lips at the strange situation that she couldn't understand.

'But even if Lucia says she doesn't feel sorry for me.'

She didn't want to watch Jeremiah and Lucia get married and enjoy their honeymoon.

'I can leave as I originally planned.'

Shortly after Jeremiah woke up and returned to the capital, Pavel, who had returned to the Magic Tower, quickly found a way to keep her soul safe while being separated from Jeremiah, the medium.

'Keep this on you at all times.'

Pavel gave her an artifact with a blood-red ruby in it.

'It's not permanent, but if you wear this, you'll be able to move around without any problems even if you're away from the Empire for a while.'

Now that there was no longer any reason for her to be separated from Jeremiah, there was nothing left to hold her back. Suddenly, Karina turned to David and said.

"There is a place I want to go."

Previous                Next

Support Novellate!