Chapter 1

"Beatrice! Our rotten relationship ends today! I’m divorcing you!"

Eugen, who is trying to abandon his role as a husband, declared this while holding his lover, Heidi, in his arms.

Our marriage had been a white one; we had never spent a night together. It had been three years since we got married, and I had always thought it would come to this.

Eugen, looking at Heidi with affection, reported to me.

"Listen well! Heidi is carrying my child! He will be the heir to the Eisenburg Dukedom!"

I had always been certain that something trivial would eventually lead to a divorce. I had also somewhat expected that Eugen and Heidi would have a child.

Perhaps that’s why I could listen to his words calmly.

"Our marriage was only because your grandfather insisted on it! Now that he’s dead, there’s no reason to continue this marriage!"

That’s right. My marriage to Eugen was arranged by my grandfather, the previous Duke, ten years ago. He passed away eleven months ago. It’s a ridiculous situation that he’s proposing a divorce just before the mourning period ends.

"The Eisenburg Dukedom, a noble family of apothecaries, has been under your control for a long time, but that ends today! From now on, Heidi, who will become my wife, will be the head apothecary!"

I was taken aback by this.

While she graduated from the same magic school as I did, specializing in potion-making, she had always been at the bottom of her class in all exams. Moreover, she had a history of stealing others' reports and herbs, and even tried to have someone take exams on her behalf. The only reason she wasn’t expelled was probably because her father, a merchant, made large donations to the magic school.

"Beatrice! You’ve been looking at me with those mocking eyes! What do you have to say about that!?"

While I couldn’t find the right words to respond, I knew he would throw a tantrum if I said nothing.

"…Do you really think you can make it with her?"

"Are you mocking Heidi too!? She was right! You’re always so insidious, nagging and bullying her behind her back!"

"I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"What are you saying! She told me you complained when she did a little shopping!"

When he said "a little shopping," he must have been referring to the day I confronted her about buying a diamond necklace worth twenty million gilders. Compared to the total assets of the duchy, twenty million might seem like a small amount. However, she had been making such "small" purchases repeatedly since my grandfather’s death. Such extravagant spending would quickly deplete the duchy’s finances. I tried to point this out gently.

"The wealth of the Eisenburg Dukedom was built up over many years by the previous dukes, who lived frugally and made potions to help the sick. If you spend it like water, it will be gone in no time."

Heidi’s family is extremely wealthy, so her sense of money is likely skewed. Her father made a fortune in just one generation, expanding his business. However, I’ve heard rumors that his wealth came from human trafficking, drugs, and illegal weapons. He was the kind of person my grandfather, who had a strong sense of justice, despised the most. Eugen must have known this, which is why he tried to hide Heidi’s existence while my grandfather was alive.

"The Eisenburg Dukedom won’t see the kind of massive profits that Heidi’s father did. If you don’t understand this, you’ll ruin yourself."

"Ruin myself!? You’re just like your grandfather, nagging and insidious! You’re exactly like him!"

Being compared to my respected grandfather is a compliment. I’ll take it gratefully.

Eugen probably had a hard time with my grandfather, who was strict with him from a young age. My grandfather, having lost his son who was to be the next duke, might have been trying to prepare Eugen before he died. On the other hand, Eugen, an only child who lost his father at a young age, was pampered. He hired a private tutor because he didn’t want to go to magic school and claimed to have learned potion-making on his own, though I never saw him actually do it. He also never received any reprimands for not attending social events.

I was chosen to marry Eugen, his cousin and my grandfather’s disciple, because they were worried about making him the head of the Eisenburg Dukedom.

Honestly, I never thought Eugen and I were a good match. From a young age, every time we met, he would mock me, saying, "What’s a branch family girl doing in the main house?" I always outsmarted him with my words, which probably didn’t help. If I had just pretended to agree with him, our marriage might have been a bit more peaceful.

Eugen strongly disliked the idea of marrying me but had no choice but to reluctantly agree when my grandfather ordered him to.

I had no time to indulge him. I planned to have an heir as soon as possible and then focus on my work.

On our wedding night, he did something unbelievable.

Eugen appeared with Heidi, declaring, "I have no intention of making you my real wife! The true wife is this Heidi!"

I was kicked out of the marital bedroom and considered consulting my grandfather. However, I heard that he was very happy about our marriage, drinking a lot and sleeping soundly. I couldn’t wake him up to tell him that Eugen had brought his lover on the first day of our marriage and taken over the bedroom.

He had never been attached to anything or anyone. Before our marriage, he had a string of girlfriends. I was certain he would eventually get tired of Heidi. As I was busy with work, three years passed, and my grandfather passed away. I had already prepared myself for the possibility that my life here might end soon.

I averted my eyes from the red-faced, angry Eugen and sighed softly. He hadn’t changed at all since childhood.

Eugen threw a rolled-up parchment at me.

"Beatrice von Eisenburg! Sign the divorce papers immediately and get out of this house!"

Next to the enraged Eugen, Heidi smiled triumphantly.