Prologue
Translated by: ME
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*****
Upon stepping into the guest room, the lawyer—whose face was now all too familiar—stood up and gave a precise, deep bow.
He was an ordinary-looking man of average height and build who carried himself with stiff politeness, but today his glossy dark gray suit was perfectly accented by a striking red tie.
The man, who appeared to be in his thirties, offered a calm greeting. 「It seems today will be the last time we meet.」 He then lifted a case filled with documents onto the table.
He spoke to Siegfried in a dispassionate tone, discussing the proposed alimony amount and the demand for a lump-sum payment of future child support, but his voice felt muffled to Siegfried, as if filtered through a thick membrane.
However, that didn't matter.
Over the last three months, Count Pendleton had been utterly worn down emotionally; it was no exaggeration to say that his ability to think had been at a complete standstill for the past week.
Siegfried, Count Pendleton, didn't even bother to look through the papers. He silently pressed his seal and signed wherever the lawyer pointed. Even if he had tried to follow the words with his eyes, the content wouldn't have registered in his mind.
There were over ten documents in total. As Siegfried wordlessly stamped each one without listening to the explanations, the lawyer furrowed his brow, looking almost pitying.
「You look quite exhausted. Though, it is only to be expected.」
From the lawyer's perspective, those were the only words of comfort he could offer. He wouldn't be caught dead saying "I feel for you" or "I am on your side."
It is only to be expected.
Behind those words lay the hidden sting: This outcome is simply the harvest of what you sowed, so it can’t be helped. Even in his hazy state of mind, Siegfried understood that much.
「I suppose it's because I was in the wrong...」 he murmured. The lawyer offered a thin, professional smile.
「...It is not for me to say... However, there is one thing I wish to ask. From my perspective, Lady Rose was an exceptionally lovely and wonderful woman. She may not have been a flashy beauty, but she was earnest and highly intelligent. Despite coming from a wealthy upbringing, she managed your household with great modesty. She never pestered you for dresses or jewelry, did she? Your son, Master Alfred, is also quite popular at the academy and highly regarded by the faculty. I hear he has already been chosen as the student representative for the upcoming speech competition. And yet... why did you loathe them so? Why did you subject them to such terrible treatment? What about your family was so dissatisfying to you?」
(I don't know...)
(I don't know...)
Rose was lovely?
Alfred is brilliant at school?
He knew nothing of these things.
When Siegfried failed to answer and simply stared back with hollow eyes, the lawyer let out a heavy sigh.
「You truly weren't content with your own happiness, were you? As a fellow parent, it’s a bit difficult for me to fathom. But looking at you now, you don't exactly seem happy to be parting from your family, so I suppose that is your answer. I shall make sure to look toward my own family even more than before, Count Pendleton. Well then, you are free now.」
Likely deciding he could no longer waste time on the dazed Siegfried, the lawyer tucked the documents away and rang the bell himself. He quietly informed the butler that he was leaving and requested his carriage be called.
(Did I actually want to be free?)
Siegfried tilted his head in confusion.
(I liked my life exactly as it was.)
When he returned home, there was a virtuous wife who never interfered with his business. She certainly didn't have a flashy face, but her smooth skin had a youthful glow; perhaps she had been lovely. Rose had become pregnant only a few months into the marriage and gave birth to their long-awaited eldest son the following year.
When the relatives sent their gifts, they had showered Rose with praise: "Well done! As a noble bride, you are exceptionally talented to have produced an heir!" He remembered Rose expressing her gratitude happily while stroking the infant's soft hair, but Siegfried had felt a strange bitterness in his heart.
(I was the one who provided the seed; it wasn't because Rose was 'talented.' Why are the relatives praising her like this?)
An incredibly petty thought had crossed his mind.
However, when he tried to recall her smile now, that expression wouldn't come to him. Only a sad, troubled smile surfaced in his memory.
His son, Alfred, resembled Siegfried in appearance and had worked tirelessly to prepare for inheriting the Countdom . Rose would tell the grandparents at dinner that his grades were good, but Siegfried had no memory of ever praising the boy’s achievements. Alfred had been the kind of child who never complained about the arrogant elders, merely nodding seriously as they spoke.
His mother and father had lived leisurely in the manor—which had been renovated using Rose’s dowry—and were satisfied with their grandson's progress. "Just because she brought a large dowry doesn't mean you should let your wife get puffed up," his mother had told him repeatedly. "Our house is a Count House; our rank is higher. Her family may have money, but they are mere Viscounts."
After whispering such spiteful remarks, she would stuff herself with luxury goods that the family couldn't have afforded when the house was failing, and then head home.
His father was a narrow-minded man who seemed to regret handing the title to Siegfried, constantly offering unwanted advice on estate management. Honestly, instead of that, he should have praised his grandson once in a while. Instead, he would drone on endlessly about the "History of the House of Pendleton," desperate to project an air of patriarchal authority.
Alfred must have been a truly good boy to sit through the tedious ramblings of those old people.
The grandparents were satisfied, thinking that the more brilliant Alfred was, the more secure the Pendleton line would be—but now that the divorce was finalized, none of that mattered.
Siegfried realized he couldn't truly remember his family.
(What on earth was I doing...?)
Looking back, during his student days, Siegfried Pendleton had lived a life closer to that of a commoner, possessing nothing but a title. His father had no talent for making money, and the household finances were so strained at one point that they were a few years away from losing their lands.
His journey toward a normal level of happiness had only begun when his mother brought him the marriage proposal from the Kirkland family. After the wedding, the management of the estate got back on track thanks to the support of his wife’s family, the Kirklands, and his business ventures finally found some breathing room.
Was taking a mistress the mistake?
After she gave birth, Siegfried had lost interest in Rose.
But there are other nobles like that. How am I any different from them? Catherine was just a mistress, after all. She wasn't the kind of person he ever intended to make his wife. And yet...
And yet, why am I the only one who has to get a divorce?
Was it because the loyal butler treated Rose poorly? If I fire him, will my wife come back?
Siegfried had been trapped in these fragmented thoughts ever since his family had vanished.
「Um. What... what will become of Rose and Alfred from now on?」 he suddenly asked the lawyer, who was about to depart.
He intended to pay the alimony, of course, but that kind of money would eventually vanish into the costs of daily life after a few years. When that money was gone, what would the mother and son do? He was suddenly seized by worry.
The lawyer grimaced, his expression clearly saying 'A bit late for that, isn't it?' He made no effort to hide his disdain.
「Please bear in mind that you cannot meet them without explicit permission. You just stamped the document agreeing to that. I cannot tell you much, but if you are worried, I will share a little. First, Lady Rose passed a certain examination and has been appointed to a public office. Yes... while her income won't be high for a while, it is undoubtedly very stable. Once her achievements are recognized, she will earn an even steadier amount, and it is a workplace with excellent benefits. Even if she were to remarry, she would have a place to continue working. As for Master Alfred, as long as you pay the child support in a lump sum as agreed, he can continue at the academy. After he graduates... my apologies. I cannot speak on that. It is Master Alfred’s wish. Regardless, with those two, they are unlikely to fall into poverty unless something catastrophic occurs. By the way, they are not at the Kirkland estate, so if there is any emergency in the future, please contact them through our office. I strongly advise you not to try and storm her family's home. Good day.」
With a heavy thud, the door closed. Siegfried slumped into the sofa, his shoulders dropping bonelessly.
(It’s not like I wanted to destroy my family...)
His heart's cry spilled from his lips, but the sound was never picked up by anyone.
*****
Right from the start we got a peek of how rotten Rose's ex-husband.
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