Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 79

#79. The Emperor’s Birthday Celebration (2)

As I entered the building where my room was located, the noisy atmosphere instantly subsided. Except for Pope Pronan, Saint Belladona, Cardinal Nicholas, and a few priests, no one else was allowed to enter.

Only the sound of Belladona and the Pope walking side by side echoed in the hallway leading to her room.

“……”

Belladona glanced up at the Pope beside her, feeling bewildered.

She had suspected it, but she didn’t realize his determination not to send her back to Griblatta was this strong. His grip on her shoulder felt heavy and painful.

“Belladona, is there something you want to say?”

The Pope spoke, noticing her gaze. Belladona swallowed hard and hesitated.

If I say it now…….

“I also have something to tell you.”

But before Belladona could finish her thought, the Pope spoke first.

“Can you give me your divorce papers now? I think it’s better to make things clear.”

At the Pope’s words, her heart sank. Since she had vaguely answered his question about the divorce papers on her first day in Astanya, there had been no further discussion.

She had been secretly relieved that he hadn’t said anything until the end of the birthday celebration, but now it seemed the moment had come. Belladona bit her lower lip and anxiously rolled her eyes.

‘I left the divorce papers in Griblatta…….’

Wishing to make her intentions clear to Escalión, Belladona had conspicuously left the divorce papers with his signature on his desk in the office.

So no matter how hard she looked, they wouldn’t be here…….

When Belladona didn’t answer, the Pope spoke again.

“Belladona, shouldn’t you remember where you put the divorce papers by now?”

Belladona forced a smile and nodded.

Arriving in front of the room, the Pope stepped back and gestured for her to open the door. Belladona opened the door with trembling hands.

“I’ll wait outside, so bring them out.”

The Pope said, standing in the hallway. Belladona looked into the room where the divorce papers couldn’t possibly be, and then stepped inside.

What should I do? Should I say I looked for them and realized I left them behind? Or should I say I lost them on the way……? Would he get angry again if I did? Her mind was filled with complicated and anxious thoughts.

Belladona, who had entered the room in a daze, slowly moved her hands to rummage through the luggage she had brought.

But since the divorce papers couldn’t possibly be here, it was a meaningless gesture.

“Are you not ready yet?”

As she stalled for time, the Pope’s urging voice came from outside.

Belladona hesitated, then picked up a pen and paper on the side table.

[I’m sorry. I can’t seem to find the divorce papers. Maybe I left them in Griblatta. Can I go back and get them?]

Is it okay to write this……?

Belladona stared at the note she had written and crossed it out with thick lines.

It seemed too obvious that she wanted to return to Griblatta, using the divorce papers as an excuse.

[I’m sorry. I can’t find the divorce papers right now, but I’ll look for them a little more.]

It seemed better to get through today like this and buy some time.

Having finished writing, Belladona took a resolute breath and went out of the room.

She handed the note to the Pope, who was standing in the hallway, and his gaze turned downward.

She thought he might get angry or annoyed right away, but after reading the note, the Pope seemed surprisingly calm.

“I see.”

The Pope took the note she offered.

Then, can I rest for today? My legs have been feeling a bit weak since earlier…….

As she stood awkwardly, watching his expression, the Pope crumpled the note in his hand.

Belladona was startled and looked up.

“I think I’ve told you repeatedly since you were young to take good care of your belongings, but it doesn’t seem to be getting any better even now that you’re an adult, Belladona?”

A cruel malice slowly filled his eyes.

Seeing it, Belladona’s body began to tremble. It was an instinctive fear.

No, surely not……. Belladona felt breathless and raised her eyes.

But contrary to her worries, the Pope took a deep breath and turned his head.

“I’ll let it slide just this once.”

“……”

Hearing those words, her trembling body slowly calmed down.

The thought that she had managed to get through it safely filled her whole body.

At that moment, the Pope, who had been rolling the crumpled paper in his fist, spoke again.

“But if the papers are not there next time……. you’ll have to be prepared.”

“……”

“Well, if you become too much of a nuisance, I can just replace you.”

Belladona swallowed hard.

She couldn’t understand the Pope’s last words, but she had to force her stiff neck to nod.

* * *

In the training grounds of Griblatta Castle, Escalión, having finished his training, collapsed to the ground and asked.

“Graham, what day is it today?”

Graham, who was sitting across from him wiping away sweat, retorted gruffly.

“Are you losing track of the days? You asked the same question yesterday.”

“How many days have passed since His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday?”

“I asked the same thing yesterday too…….”

“It has been exactly ten days as of today.”

Hazel quickly answered, taking Graham’s place, who was adding comments and grumbling.

Hearing Hazel’s answer, Escalión’s face hardened.

“Oh, your face has become even more grim.”

“Stop it, Vice-Commander!”

Hazel scolded Graham, who started chuckling at Escalión.

Graham tossed the dagger he was holding up and down and said.

“The Saint must be very busy? She hasn’t returned to Griblatta even after the celebration.”

“It must be because she hasn’t visited Astanya in a long time, so the believers are constantly coming to see her. The Lady is just too concerned about those believers to return easily!”

“Is that really it? Or is it because Astanya is a much better place to live than here?”

At the jokingly spoken words, Escalión’s face darkened even more.

Seeing Escalión’s face, Hazel grabbed Graham’s arm and pulled him away.

“Stop talking nonsense and come on! I need help with the cleanup!”

“Where is there a Vice-Commander who helps with trivial cleanup? You do it.”

“Ah, come on!”

As Hazel forcibly dragged Graham away, the surroundings finally became quiet.

Escalión lowered his head and sighed.

He could see the drops of sweat falling from his hair, creating round marks on the floor.

Since Belladona left, her last struggling voice had been haunting his mind like a spell.

She said she would return, so he waited.

She said she would return after the birthday celebration, so he endured the long, long days and waited.

But that damn birthday celebration had already ended ten days ago.

In the meantime, he hadn’t heard a single word from Belladona in Astanya.

‘Was it all a lie after all?’

A bitter sentence floated into his mind.

Perhaps her mind had changed as soon as she returned to Astanya.

Having returned to an environment that was incomparably better to live in than the barren and cold Griblatta, her weak will might have quickly disappeared.

Damn it, why am I thinking about useless things in this situation?

Escalión scratched the back of his head irritably and frowned.

Perhaps, as Hazel said, she had many things to worry about in Astanya.

Maybe she was just temporarily held back by her concern for the believers.

She is a kind and gentle person.

Yes, that was right.

Belladona would soon return to Griblatta.

But after a few more meaningless weeks passed, everything became clear.

Entering the quiet office, Escalión picked up the calendar on his desk.

What day is it today? And how many days have passed since the birthday celebration?

Graham, who had jokingly said, “Today is the 11th day since the birthday celebration,” or “Today is the 12th day,” had stopped talking at some point.

Hazel had started watching his every move even more closely. They also knew.

That she was not coming back.

That Belladona was staying in Astanya.

“……”

Escalión, who had been standing blankly in the center of the office, suddenly raised his head as if he had just woken up and moved his feet.

He walked to the desk, roughly pulled out the bottom drawer, and took out the divorce papers from inside.

Belladona had deliberately left it on his desk.

She left even this behind, and in the end…….

A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.

“Ha…….”

It was always unpleasant to realize that he had been betrayed, but her betrayal was the kind that left a deep wound.

Escalión felt as if the ground was sinking beneath his feet again and stood firm, tightening his thighs.

Foolish me, I’ve been fooled again.

He stood still for a moment, looking down at the divorce papers with only his signature on them, then turned around.

Escalión walked out into the hallway, descended the stairs, and said.

“Volf.”

“Yes! Lord.”

Volf, who had been standing in the lobby, quickly moved and ran to him.

“Prepare the carriage. I’ll be away from the castle for a few days.”

“Yes, I understand. Where are you going? How many people are going with you? If you give me a brief handover of the remaining tasks, I will finish them without any problems.”

Despite the barrage of questions, his mind was simple.

“Astanya. I’m only taking Graham and Hazel.”

“Yes, I understand. ……Yes?”

Volf, who had taken out his notebook and was writing down the instructions, belatedly raised his head in surprise.

Astanya was where the Lady was. What business did the Lord have there……?

“E, excuse me……. What is the purpose of your visit……. C, can I ask? I, I need to tell the knights.”

At Volf’s cautious question, Escalión said without any change in expression.

“I left something behind, so I’m going to return it.”

“If you left something behind, what is it……?”

“This.”

Escalión fluttered the paper he was holding in front of Volf’s eyes.

Soon, Volf’s face turned pale as he realized what kind of document it was.

In the end, the master……!

“N, no!”

Volf blurted out and hurriedly added an excuse.

“Come to think of it, there are mountains of documents to process, the territory control that was loosened due to the birthday celebration needs to be tightened, a simple subjugation is scheduled, and we are supposed to have a meeting with Marquis Ireise next week, so leaving your seat now would be quite difficult!”

But Escalión turned back towards the stairs without a word about it and said.

“Departure is tomorrow morning, at the earliest time possible when preparations are complete.”

He didn’t care about the work of Griblatta that Volf was rattling off.

He had to go find his treacherous wife who had once again stabbed him in the back and was not returning.