Chapter 66
“I, on the other hand, will not divorce. Instead, I will personally remain as a collateral branch and secure Telloien’s future.”
Though he spoke of becoming a collateral branch, every word he uttered carried an unshakable confidence.
“That way, both your needs and mine will be satisfied.”
“What in the world do you gain from this…?”
“Of course, there’s a condition.”
At that, the Duke’s expression visibly tensed. It seemed he anticipated that his eldest son—never one to yield easily—would make a formidable demand.
But Herman wanted nothing excessive. At least, not by his standards.
“Acknowledge Esina as my wife.”
“……”
“What I mean is—accept her as a member of House Telloien, by the authority of the Duke of Telloien.”
Truthfully, ever since he had found that bright-red contraceptive pill while tangled up with Esina…
Herman had wanted to craft a trap from which she could never escape.
The authority of the Duke of Telloien meant little to him, but to the people of the Empire, it was different.
The moment he formally recognized Esina as a member of House Telloien, every imperial citizen would know exactly what she meant to him.
That this marriage was not some passing whim, but something he was serious about.
At the same time, all the unnecessary meddling would vanish in an instant—whether directed at him or at Esina.
“Not that your acknowledgment changes the fact that she is my wife.”
“……”
“But your recognition would certainly make my plans easier to carry out.”
“You—”
“I’m not making this offer empty-handed.”
“I know you’ve had your eye on my businesses.”
The moment the topic of his enterprises came up, the Duke’s eyes gleamed, just as expected.
For a Duke who, despite his house’s decline, still considered manual labor and commerce beneath him—Herman’s thriving businesses, built without such reservations, must have been an irresistible temptation.
“Choose what you want. I’ll hand it over without hesitation.”
“Hmph…”
“Except for the department store in the capital. That’s off the table.”
“But that’s the most profitable—”
“That one isn’t mine to give.”
“What do you mean?”
“I intend to transfer it to my wife.”
“No—in fact, I already have.”
The Duke made a choked sound, but Herman brushed it off lightly. The decision had already been made, the documents signed.
Though he would handle the management so she wouldn’t have to lift a finger, the ownership itself had been placed under Esina’s name.
Since she seemed to enjoy shopping so much, that much, at least, should be hers. Herman still remembered the way her face had sparkled as she looked at the merchandise.
—And perhaps, that had also been the last time she had truly sparkled since being with him.
After some negotiation, Herman finally secured the Duke’s cooperation—though the Duke managed to extract a few more concessions of his own.
“Fine. But you’ll have to prove your commitment during this gathering. You’ve come all this way only to shut yourself in your room for days.”
“……”
“Show me your resolve.”
It was a half-forced demand, but Herman nodded lightly.
Playing the gracious host, showing kindness and sociability to the Duke’s guests—none of it was particularly difficult for him.
Though he disliked being kept away from Esina just to entertain these tedious people…
In the end, even this was just another way to tighten the noose around her.
‘Where do you think you’re running to, Esina?’
Every time she smiled at him so indifferently, red footprints of powder seemed to appear behind her. It felt like a cold fire smoldering quietly in his gut.
Even when they lay together, his hand tenderly stroking her hair while his eyes fixed on the flat plane of Esina’s stomach…
‘You don’t intend to bear my child, do you?’
He thought he understood now why, despite all their fervent couplings, no child had come.
Because Esina hadn’t wanted one.
Because Esina had rejected his child.
But it wasn’t just a rejection of a child. Esina knew—once she conceived, this marriage would become irreversible.
‘If anything, a child would be the surest way to solidify this marriage.’
And yet, if she still refused…
Did that mean she had no intention of letting this marriage last?
The unease that drove him to demand the Duke’s official recognition of their union stemmed largely from that suspicion.
‘Do you really hate me that much?’
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