Chapter 61: Reunion

I returned to the inn, stood by the window, and looked up at the night sky.
I was alone in the room.

The trouble with the Famerson ducal house’s knight commander had been completely handed off to others.
Rather than directly protesting and condemning his actions, the chosen approach was to mock and subtly spread the many dark rumors surrounding him.

In other words, instead of judging him for the crimes he committed.
The angle was to suggest things like,
“Simply keeping Sir Godwin is itself a scandal for the ducal house,”
or
“It seems he is quite disliked even within the Famerson knights, but is there no management in place?”

That sort of direction.
If left alone, it would become a weakness within high society.
The expectation was that some kind of self-purging would occur.

There was concern that if he were dismissed, he might turn his resentment toward us.

However, at this point, I myself was already liable to become a target of jealousy and resentment.
With a duchess as my patron, standing in the public eye, being called a goddess, and engaged to a handsome knight.

The higher Richard’s reputation rose, the more jealousy directed at me would increase.

Once you start listing such things, there is no end to it.
Living with an appropriate level of vigilance at all times is practically a noble’s way of life.
Thinking of it as an extension of that is enough.

Then, that afternoon, I had faced Lady Livia.
Because I had already decided beforehand how I would treat her, I was able to brush her off lightly.
As expected, in a sense.

Thanks to Lady Albright’s advice, I had a good idea of what kind of attitude she would take.

Livia Carlson is a malicious person without malice.

Her words, her attitude, and everything she has done up to now are filled with what can only be called malice.
And yet, she truly bears no ill will toward me.

She fell in love with a married man and became the cause of his divorce.
Toward the woman who divorced because of her, she seeks a friendly relationship.

And when that is not granted, she is shocked.
Why?

An incomprehensible way of thinking.
Her upbringing, her environment, or her innate nature.
I do not know the reason.

So all I can say is, “It has nothing to do with me.”

I am not her parent.
I am not her sister, nor even a distant relative.

Rather, I am clearly on the side of the victim in what she did, and the person with the least reason to be involved with her.

And yet, why does she cling to me?

If it had only started after I came to be called the “Battlefield Goddess,” I could understand.
If she took pride in her title of “Saint” and I became someone who threatened that.

But she wanted me even before I became that.

“…Seeking ‘love,’ huh.”

I had not questioned that point deeply.

But what kind of existence is Harried to Lady Livia?

When I think about it carefully, the only knowledge I have of their relationship comes from prophetic dreams.

What if it was not the kind of “bond between a man and a woman” I had assumed?

In other words, leaving Harried aside.
What if what Lady Livia sought from him was “fatherhood”?

And because of that, the person who should direct “motherhood” toward her was me alone?

…Hmm.
Surprisingly, that fits rather well.

Given her attitude and Lady Albright’s assessment.
I have also heard something of her upbringing.

Which would mean that the woman he took as his wife was actually seeking a “father” from him.

If so, then perhaps Harried and Livia are in a “white marriage”… again?

It is often said that men’s desires are harder to suppress than women’s.

Should I feel sorry for him… is that the correct evaluation here?

At the very least, I would not want to make Richard endure such restraint.

I cannot imagine him having a physical relationship with a woman like her.

To me, she felt like a “child” whose body alone had matured.

It may not be something I should think about regarding an unfaithful ex-husband, but I do not believe he is that depraved.

She is someone who needs emotional support, a person before she can be considered as a woman or a noble wife.

“…Ah.”

I have no responsibility toward her.
Rather, I am the victim.

I have no intention of spouting pretty words like, “Children bear no guilt,” as though it were someone else’s problem.
And yet.

When this tournament is over.
If the opportunity arises.

There are things I would like to say to each of the Famerson duke and duchess.

But there is little logic to it.
I also feel that it would not really be my place to say such things.

“…Let’s think about it again, carefully.”

The duke clearly bore ill will toward me.
All for the sake of fulfilling his daughter Livia’s romance.

But was that truly all he did?

In other words, was it really enough for him to simply bring down me, the romantic rival?

That seems unlikely.
After all, the duke himself volunteered to escort Lady Livia at the wedding.

If that were the case, he should have interfered far more with “us” back then.

And if you follow that line of thought, it leads to one conclusion.
The Harried of that time was…

“…I suppose we’ll find out tomorrow.”

Tomorrow is the day Richard and Harried will face each other in a match.

It would not be an exaggeration to say it is the most anticipated bout of the tournament.

What will be revealed there?
I will see it through.

And then, the next day.

I headed from the inn to the match venue.
Today, I planned to travel after meeting up with Richard first.

After what happened yesterday, caution and safety measures could not be neglected.

It was morning now.
An early enough time that it would not count as being late.
And I was with Richard.

“…Electra!”

A familiar voice called out.

No, I remember it well.
But it was a voice I had not heard in four and a half years.

For two years after our marriage, he never returned home.
That was a royal command, an act of risking his life to protect the nation, so I reminded myself not to blame him for that.

However, becoming close with another woman during that time was unforgivable.

A marriage lasting two years.
Leaving a divorce letter without discussion and leaving the house.
Spending half a year at the church, then moving to the frontier to work.

At that point, about a year and a half had passed since the divorce.

Then moving to the capital and preparing for the tournament for nearly a year.

…Yes.
Four and a half years.
It is surprising how well one can remember a voice.

And coming toward me while calling my name like this.
It would be fair to call them a “well-matched couple.”

Of course, not me.
Him and Livia.

“Ellen, get behind me.”

“Yes, Richard.”

Approaching us was Harried Carlson, the viscount.
My ex-husband.

Anger was clearly visible on his face.
Perhaps because I did not properly engage with Lady Livia.

He charged toward us with his sword still at his side, forcing Richard to step forward and place his hand on his hilt.

Come any closer, and he would cut him down.
No questions asked.

“…!”

Seeing the knight blocking his way with such a dangerous air, Harried finally stopped.

“Stop there.
Do not call my precious, beloved fiancée Electra by her given name.
You are being far too familiar, Viscount Carlson.”

A preemptive strike from Richard!

He did not wait to receive the other man’s anger or arguments before responding.

Crushing the opponent’s momentum at the outset is a basic principle of combat.

In a way, Richard’s way of handling this was very similar to what I had done yesterday.