133. The Wolf Appeared
Instead of a divorce paper, her husband came.
Erna was waiting for the mail carriage as usual when she learned the absurd truth.
“Hey, there’s a wolf! It’s a wolf, Your Highness!”
Lisa's eyes widened as she observed the ornate carriage speeding down the empty country road. The wolf emblem adorning the carriage caught her eye.
“A wolf? Are you sure it’s a wolf?”
Erna nodded blankly at Lisa's raucous question. The carriage, drawn by four fine horses, soon entered the road leading to Baden mansion. Two smaller carriages followed at a steady pace.
The wolf appeared.
Erna had to accept the undeniable reality. She also let go of the vain hope that perhaps Bjorn had sent the royal lawyer to negotiate the divorce.
But why on earth?
As the carriage drew closer, Erna's confusion grew.
It made no sense for Bjorn, who had agreed to the divorce, to return to the Baden family in this manner. This was especially true when considering what had happened to him that night.
Now we are parted forever.
Left alone in the barn, listening to Bjorn's footsteps as he walked away, Erna realized the truth. The hand she had impulsively placed on his cheek only then began to ache.
Erna lingered in the empty barn for a while longer, looking down at her hand. Then, slowly, she walked back home, through the backyard where the wind blew like a ghost's howl.
Erna only fell asleep around dawn. It took her several days to recover from the subtle disruption to her daily life.
It was a peace she had regained. She finally believed she had erased that man from her life. So, she even harbored a cautious hope that she could begin a new life.
But why? Why on earth?
Just as the seething doubts were bordering on anger, a carriage passed the always-open gates of the Baden family.
“What the hell is going on, Erna!”
Baroness Baden appeared beyond the hastily opened front door. The servants, startled by the unusual appearance of the carriage, followed in a line.
Erna, unsure of what to say, simply moved her lips. Meanwhile, the carriage, which had been slowly approaching, slowed to a halt. The dazzling golden emblem of the Grand Duke's family stared at her with an oppressive intensity.
"No way..."
A sigh escaped Baroness Baden's lips as she recognized the wolf of Dneister. It was then that an uninvited guest appeared from beyond the open carriage door.
Bjorn Dneister.
The man who could not have been anyone else was smiling.
The sound of the door slamming loudly echoed through the room.
Erna checked the tightly locked latch several times before releasing Bjorn's arm, which she was tightly holding.
“But it’s not a barn today.”
Even as Erna glared at him, seemingly incredulous, Bjorn smiled. His gaze, as if admiring Erna's room, was as calm as it had been the previous spring when he had been warmly welcomed by the Baden family.
By now, news of the Grand Duke's procession would have reached all of Burford.
Although he could have moved unnoticed, Bjorn chose to remain perfectly formal. It was a decision he would never have made under normal circumstances.
But it's Erna.
For that very reason alone, he willingly endured the hassle and inconvenience. To make up for his previous visit, when he had barged in with such a stern disguise. Of course, he also partly calculated that the Prince, who had made such a tumultuous visit, wouldn't be easily dismissed.
The strategy proved effective, as Baroness Baden allowed him into the house. Her displeasure was palpable, but it was a burden Bjorn had to bear. The same was true of the sullen deer, now back to its wild state.
Erna had dragged him here, almost as if she were trying to force him into the reception room. She was so excited she didn't even notice the stares. It wasn't proper hospitality, but it was more than enough to satisfy him.
While Erna gasped for breath, Bjorn slowly crossed the room and sat down in the chair before the fireplace. He propped his cane on the armrest and removed his gloves with a leisurely and elegant gesture that belied the uninvited guest who had turned the entire house upside down.
“Why are you doing this?”
Erna shouted, unable to control her anger.
"We clearly decided to get a divorce! But why are you here like this..."
“Oh, that.”
Bjorn faced Erna with a faint smile, as if he had just now remembered the incident.
“I changed my mind.”
“What does that mean?”
“Literally. I can’t get a divorce, Erna.”
The corners of Bjorn's lips curved gently. The shadow of his long, crossed legs swayed lazily across the floral carpet.
“When I think about it again, I don’t know why I had to get divorced.”
“Are you saying that you’re going to change your words now, so cowardly?”
“I guess so.”
Even though he was being harshly criticized, Bjorn showed no sign of being embarrassed.
Erna, speechless, could only let out a series of breathless sighs. It felt like she'd been hit hard in the head. She almost wondered if the man who'd visited her on that chilling night ten days ago had been a hallucination.
“I’m getting a divorce!”
Erna, barely regaining her senses, hurriedly approached Bjorn. The ribbon that graced her hair, which Lisa had meticulously braided, swayed with her angry gait.
“No matter what the Prince says, my mind is firm.”
“Are you even considering filing a lawsuit?”
“As much as you need.”
“Oh, really? Are you confident you can defeat my defense team?”
Bjorn looked up obliquely and met Erna standing in front of him.
“Are you really planning to file for divorce against me?”
"If you file a lawsuit, I'll have to defend myself, won't I? I'll have to hire the best royal lawyers to fight you."
"Oh my god."
Erna, who had been blinking slowly, suddenly took a step back with a look of shock on her face. Even then, Bjorn's gaze, staring deeply at his wife, remained silent.
Her flushed cheeks with rage were beautiful. Her sharp gaze and pursed lips were equally beautiful. Her judgment seemed beyond the pale, but he didn't feel the need to correct her.
“But Erna, will the reason for divorce, ‘I no longer love my husband,’ hold water in court?”
Erna's cheeks flushed even more as he made that teasing remark. Come to think of it, the artificial flowers on her shawl were also red.
The sight of Burford's fawn, now adorned with flowers, brought a smile to Bjorn's face. It was a sentiment that didn't quite fit the tense conversation going on, but it was a welcome one nonetheless.
“What do you want to say?”
Erna asked, trying to calm her anger.
Bjorn's gaze passed over the narrow bed where he had to sleep while hugging his wife tightly, the curtains and carpet covered in floral patterns, and the small picture frames adorning the dresser, and then stopped again on Erna's face.
“I already told you. I can’t get a divorce.”
Bjorn slowly got up from his seat and stood facing Erna.
“You can’t defeat me with money or law.”
Even as he spoke those incredibly vile words, Bjorn's eyes and smile were gentle. But Erna was no longer foolish enough to drink that sweet poison. It was a gift from the man before her.
“Why are you like this?”
Erna tried her best not to get excited, but eventually she couldn't hold out any longer.
It never occurred to her that Bjorn might refuse the divorce. Accepting a unilateral divorce wouldn't be easy, but she believed he would eventually accept it. That's the kind of man Erna knew, Bjorn Dneister. It had to be that way.
"Why are you tormenting me like this? What on earth do you want that brings you all the way here?"
“Let’s date.”
Bjorn's absurd response left Erna momentarily stunned. His gaze and tone were too serious to be dismissed as mockery or a joke.
“What did you say?”
“Literally. Fall in love. With me.”
“Are you drunk?”
Erna questioned seriously. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't find any other reason.
"Not at all."
Bjorn, who had been staring blankly at Erna, smiled softly. It was a sweet and captivating smile, once believed to be proof of love.
Erna glared at the beautiful demon, her eyes tingling with fear.
His neatly combed platinum hair gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. His expression, imbued with the leisure and weariness of a well-fed predator, his elegant attire, his upright posture with his neck held straight—no trace of that chilling night ten days ago was to be found anywhere.
Poisonous mushroom.
Although it was a nickname the tabloids had haphazardly coined, there seemed to be no better description of this man.
“But why are you doing this? We were married, Prince!”
Erna, catching her breath, retorted.
A country girl, naive to the ways of the world, fearlessly swallowed a poisonous mushroom and paid a heavy price. But perhaps it was fortunate that she developed a tolerance to the poison.
"So? You married me, didn't you? You've never been in a relationship before."
Bjorn tilted his head and continued his shameless proposal as if nothing had happened.
"I know you don't love me anymore, Erna. And I'm not the kind of person who can give you any love. Well, fine. If that's how you feel, I accept it. So let's go back to the beginning. Let's start over, starting over."
“What is this...”
“You won’t regret it. I’m good at dating.”
The poisonous mushroom laughed again.
Erna sighed repeatedly, unable to control the feeling of suffocation. It was so absurd that she wasn't even angry.
This guy is crazy.
If he wasn't drunk, he was definitely crazy.
"Let me be clear: I don't like it. So go back now."
“Ah. Didn’t I tell you I was planning on staying here for quite some time?”
“Who cares?”
“I think you’re mistaken. You’re still my wife, and I’m your husband.”
Bjorn responded calmly and put the gloves he had taken off back on.
"That means I'm the grandson-in-law of the Baden family. Well, just for reference, I'm also the Prince of this country."
He buttoned his gloves, adjusted his vest, jacket, and tie, and finally, picked up his cane.
“Is there any reason why I, like you, can’t stay here, in this house that I have protected with my own strength?”
Bjorn stood before Erna in the guise of a perfect gentleman.
“Isn’t that right, Erna?”
“Are you threatening me now?”
“No. I love you.”
Bjorn looked at Erna, who was speechless again, and smiled softly.
“So, let’s date.”
Instead of a divorce paper, her husband came.
Erna was waiting for the mail carriage as usual when she learned the absurd truth.
“Hey, there’s a wolf! It’s a wolf, Your Highness!”
Lisa's eyes widened as she observed the ornate carriage speeding down the empty country road. The wolf emblem adorning the carriage caught her eye.
“A wolf? Are you sure it’s a wolf?”
Erna nodded blankly at Lisa's raucous question. The carriage, drawn by four fine horses, soon entered the road leading to Baden mansion. Two smaller carriages followed at a steady pace.
The wolf appeared.
Erna had to accept the undeniable reality. She also let go of the vain hope that perhaps Bjorn had sent the royal lawyer to negotiate the divorce.
But why on earth?
As the carriage drew closer, Erna's confusion grew.
It made no sense for Bjorn, who had agreed to the divorce, to return to the Baden family in this manner. This was especially true when considering what had happened to him that night.
Now we are parted forever.
Left alone in the barn, listening to Bjorn's footsteps as he walked away, Erna realized the truth. The hand she had impulsively placed on his cheek only then began to ache.
Erna lingered in the empty barn for a while longer, looking down at her hand. Then, slowly, she walked back home, through the backyard where the wind blew like a ghost's howl.
Erna only fell asleep around dawn. It took her several days to recover from the subtle disruption to her daily life.
It was a peace she had regained. She finally believed she had erased that man from her life. So, she even harbored a cautious hope that she could begin a new life.
But why? Why on earth?
Just as the seething doubts were bordering on anger, a carriage passed the always-open gates of the Baden family.
“What the hell is going on, Erna!”
Baroness Baden appeared beyond the hastily opened front door. The servants, startled by the unusual appearance of the carriage, followed in a line.
Erna, unsure of what to say, simply moved her lips. Meanwhile, the carriage, which had been slowly approaching, slowed to a halt. The dazzling golden emblem of the Grand Duke's family stared at her with an oppressive intensity.
"No way..."
A sigh escaped Baroness Baden's lips as she recognized the wolf of Dneister. It was then that an uninvited guest appeared from beyond the open carriage door.
Bjorn Dneister.
The man who could not have been anyone else was smiling.
***
The sound of the door slamming loudly echoed through the room.
Erna checked the tightly locked latch several times before releasing Bjorn's arm, which she was tightly holding.
“But it’s not a barn today.”
Even as Erna glared at him, seemingly incredulous, Bjorn smiled. His gaze, as if admiring Erna's room, was as calm as it had been the previous spring when he had been warmly welcomed by the Baden family.
By now, news of the Grand Duke's procession would have reached all of Burford.
Although he could have moved unnoticed, Bjorn chose to remain perfectly formal. It was a decision he would never have made under normal circumstances.
But it's Erna.
For that very reason alone, he willingly endured the hassle and inconvenience. To make up for his previous visit, when he had barged in with such a stern disguise. Of course, he also partly calculated that the Prince, who had made such a tumultuous visit, wouldn't be easily dismissed.
The strategy proved effective, as Baroness Baden allowed him into the house. Her displeasure was palpable, but it was a burden Bjorn had to bear. The same was true of the sullen deer, now back to its wild state.
Erna had dragged him here, almost as if she were trying to force him into the reception room. She was so excited she didn't even notice the stares. It wasn't proper hospitality, but it was more than enough to satisfy him.
While Erna gasped for breath, Bjorn slowly crossed the room and sat down in the chair before the fireplace. He propped his cane on the armrest and removed his gloves with a leisurely and elegant gesture that belied the uninvited guest who had turned the entire house upside down.
“Why are you doing this?”
Erna shouted, unable to control her anger.
"We clearly decided to get a divorce! But why are you here like this..."
“Oh, that.”
Bjorn faced Erna with a faint smile, as if he had just now remembered the incident.
“I changed my mind.”
“What does that mean?”
“Literally. I can’t get a divorce, Erna.”
The corners of Bjorn's lips curved gently. The shadow of his long, crossed legs swayed lazily across the floral carpet.
“When I think about it again, I don’t know why I had to get divorced.”
“Are you saying that you’re going to change your words now, so cowardly?”
“I guess so.”
Even though he was being harshly criticized, Bjorn showed no sign of being embarrassed.
Erna, speechless, could only let out a series of breathless sighs. It felt like she'd been hit hard in the head. She almost wondered if the man who'd visited her on that chilling night ten days ago had been a hallucination.
“I’m getting a divorce!”
Erna, barely regaining her senses, hurriedly approached Bjorn. The ribbon that graced her hair, which Lisa had meticulously braided, swayed with her angry gait.
“No matter what the Prince says, my mind is firm.”
“Are you even considering filing a lawsuit?”
“As much as you need.”
“Oh, really? Are you confident you can defeat my defense team?”
Bjorn looked up obliquely and met Erna standing in front of him.
“Are you really planning to file for divorce against me?”
"If you file a lawsuit, I'll have to defend myself, won't I? I'll have to hire the best royal lawyers to fight you."
"Oh my god."
Erna, who had been blinking slowly, suddenly took a step back with a look of shock on her face. Even then, Bjorn's gaze, staring deeply at his wife, remained silent.
Her flushed cheeks with rage were beautiful. Her sharp gaze and pursed lips were equally beautiful. Her judgment seemed beyond the pale, but he didn't feel the need to correct her.
“But Erna, will the reason for divorce, ‘I no longer love my husband,’ hold water in court?”
Erna's cheeks flushed even more as he made that teasing remark. Come to think of it, the artificial flowers on her shawl were also red.
The sight of Burford's fawn, now adorned with flowers, brought a smile to Bjorn's face. It was a sentiment that didn't quite fit the tense conversation going on, but it was a welcome one nonetheless.
“What do you want to say?”
Erna asked, trying to calm her anger.
Bjorn's gaze passed over the narrow bed where he had to sleep while hugging his wife tightly, the curtains and carpet covered in floral patterns, and the small picture frames adorning the dresser, and then stopped again on Erna's face.
“I already told you. I can’t get a divorce.”
Bjorn slowly got up from his seat and stood facing Erna.
“You can’t defeat me with money or law.”
Even as he spoke those incredibly vile words, Bjorn's eyes and smile were gentle. But Erna was no longer foolish enough to drink that sweet poison. It was a gift from the man before her.
“Why are you like this?”
Erna tried her best not to get excited, but eventually she couldn't hold out any longer.
It never occurred to her that Bjorn might refuse the divorce. Accepting a unilateral divorce wouldn't be easy, but she believed he would eventually accept it. That's the kind of man Erna knew, Bjorn Dneister. It had to be that way.
"Why are you tormenting me like this? What on earth do you want that brings you all the way here?"
“Let’s date.”
Bjorn's absurd response left Erna momentarily stunned. His gaze and tone were too serious to be dismissed as mockery or a joke.
“What did you say?”
“Literally. Fall in love. With me.”
“Are you drunk?”
Erna questioned seriously. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't find any other reason.
"Not at all."
Bjorn, who had been staring blankly at Erna, smiled softly. It was a sweet and captivating smile, once believed to be proof of love.
Erna glared at the beautiful demon, her eyes tingling with fear.
His neatly combed platinum hair gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. His expression, imbued with the leisure and weariness of a well-fed predator, his elegant attire, his upright posture with his neck held straight—no trace of that chilling night ten days ago was to be found anywhere.
Poisonous mushroom.
Although it was a nickname the tabloids had haphazardly coined, there seemed to be no better description of this man.
“But why are you doing this? We were married, Prince!”
Erna, catching her breath, retorted.
A country girl, naive to the ways of the world, fearlessly swallowed a poisonous mushroom and paid a heavy price. But perhaps it was fortunate that she developed a tolerance to the poison.
"So? You married me, didn't you? You've never been in a relationship before."
Bjorn tilted his head and continued his shameless proposal as if nothing had happened.
"I know you don't love me anymore, Erna. And I'm not the kind of person who can give you any love. Well, fine. If that's how you feel, I accept it. So let's go back to the beginning. Let's start over, starting over."
“What is this...”
“You won’t regret it. I’m good at dating.”
The poisonous mushroom laughed again.
Erna sighed repeatedly, unable to control the feeling of suffocation. It was so absurd that she wasn't even angry.
This guy is crazy.
If he wasn't drunk, he was definitely crazy.
"Let me be clear: I don't like it. So go back now."
“Ah. Didn’t I tell you I was planning on staying here for quite some time?”
“Who cares?”
“I think you’re mistaken. You’re still my wife, and I’m your husband.”
Bjorn responded calmly and put the gloves he had taken off back on.
"That means I'm the grandson-in-law of the Baden family. Well, just for reference, I'm also the Prince of this country."
He buttoned his gloves, adjusted his vest, jacket, and tie, and finally, picked up his cane.
“Is there any reason why I, like you, can’t stay here, in this house that I have protected with my own strength?”
Bjorn stood before Erna in the guise of a perfect gentleman.
“Isn’t that right, Erna?”
“Are you threatening me now?”
“No. I love you.”
Bjorn looked at Erna, who was speechless again, and smiled softly.
“So, let’s date.”
Comments
Post a Comment