Chapter 19

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 19

Chapter Title: The Second Divorce

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Agatha was slowly growing tired of her second husband's scandalous obsession with women.

Then one day, an incident occurred that she simply could not ignore.

'Who is that?'

A boy with snow-white silver hair and dull purple eyes stood in the center of the palace hall.

She asked in astonishment, but it was something she didn't even need to ask.

The child had hair and eye color similar to Fernando's. He was undoubtedly his illegitimate son.

'It's nothing for Your Highness to concern yourself with.'

'His Highness the Prince will handle it.'

'Meaning it's something Fernando needs to handle.'

A man who did nothing but tumble around with women—whatever drew his attention was obvious. Agatha silenced the mouths desperately trying to defend Fernando.

'Enough.'

She headed straight back to her room and began writing a letter to the Emperor, Warmirai II.

Fernando burst in just after she finished the letter.

'Agatha, my sweet young beauty.'

With his hair disheveled and only a shirt thrown on haphazardly, he had clearly just rolled out of bed.

The thick perfume of the woman he'd been with wafted to her nose. Agatha made no effort to hide her disgust at the cloying scent.

'You saw Adam, didn't you?'

Fernando chuckled as he plopped his rear on her desk.

'I forgot to tell them not to let him catch your eye. But Agatha, I'm a victim here too.'

Then he launched into utter nonsense that didn't even qualify as an excuse.

'That cute little thing tricked me and had a kid. You should've seen how shocked I was!'

He put on a show of sniffling, insisting he was the real victim. It was the most brazen nonsense Agatha had ever heard.

'You were shocked?'

'I really was.'

Fernando grinned lecherously as he grabbed Agatha's hand and placed it on his chest.

'Can't you feel it pounding from the shock?'

His heart was utterly calm, contrary to his words, and the warmth of his skin against her palm only stoked her fury.

No matter how badly she needed Mainucor Empire's line of succession, she couldn't spend her life with a man like this.

So Agatha added one final line to her letter to the Emperor.

「I must divorce him, Your Majesty.」

A few months later, Agatha returned to the Roxiba Empire. That marked her second divorce.

Shaking off the loathsome memory, Agatha suppressed her disgust and lifted her head.

The wedding banquet was still ongoing. At the very least, she had to smile and see it through here.

While Agatha danced with Antoni, Enoch conversed with other nobles.

Most of them wielded significant influence at court.

The biggest catch among them was Count Tear, owner of the empire's vastest granary region.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say half the food consumed in the capital—the empire's largest city—passed through Count Tear's hands.

His grain even supplied the imperial palace, earning him the Emperor's deep trust.

The moment Agatha saw Count Tear grasping Enoch's hand in a shake, she made her way over.

"Enoch, have you been waiting long?"

The banquet's stars had finished their dance with the Crown Prince. At their appearance, the expressions of the central nobles, Count Tear included, shifted.

Aratus was a fine connection as a house regaining its prestige, but it paled next to Noblesse.

Three months after her sixth divorce, Noblesse—a family exerting tremendous court influence—was drawing razor-sharp attention and overtures from the central nobles.

"Not at all, Madam."

Enoch naturally offered Agatha his arm and drew her into the center of the conversation.

"Count Tear says he's succeeded in cultivating a new crop."

"Oh, really?"

The count quickly cut in.

"You'll see for yourself, but the wedding gift I presented is that very crop, Marchioness."

As Agatha regarded the count, he openly boasted of the new crop's virtues.

"I brought in wheat native to the southern regions and refined it successfully."

He rambled on about how the grains were far larger and sweeter than ordinary wheat, then spoke with a meaningful look.

"To celebrate your marriage, I wanted to offer the first harvest. And if this grain brings even better tidings, wouldn't that benefit us both?"

Agatha realized Count Tear was using the new crop as a pretext to cozy up to Aratus—and by extension, Noblesse.

The yields from the empire's premier granary were hardly trivial.

He must have heard that the Noblesse trading firm was snapping up massive quantities of wheat lately to supply the old Aratus lands and the new territories.

"I've heard you're quite keen on wheat these days. Might I visit your mansion sometime, Marquis?"

For her husband, who needed a steady wheat supply in the near term, Count Tear—master of the empire's top granary—was no bad partner.

'Well, he's the one being asked. If he's amenable, he'll nod.'

As expected, the man—who fully grasped the unspoken intent—nodded slowly.

"I'm eager to see what it tastes like. Thank you for the gift, Count Tear."

I'll review the contract when he visits.

Following Count Tear's overture came a friendly nod from Count Molfinie, the Finance Minister.

"You two make quite the pair."

He appeared deeply satisfied with Enoch securing territories for new trade routes and Agatha's marriage granting leverage in Mainucor Empire negotiations.

In the Finance Ministry, where revenue growth fueled power, the minister fervently blessed their union.

"I haven't seen a grander wedding lately."

With the arrival of the Molfinie family—who had held the post for generations—the nobles who'd been hovering eagerly began to cluster.

"I quite agree. Truly the Noblesse lady—no, now Marchioness Aratus. Befitting Marchioness Aratus."

Agatha stood leaning on Enoch's arm, absorbing the blatant flattery pouring forth.

"Madam Agatha, might you spare some time for us as well?"

After several exchanges, her closest allies approached.

Agatha first greeted Madam Iris Domunia, who led the group.

"Thank you for attending the wedding, Madam Iris."

"You look radiant today, Madam Agatha. Congratulations on the marriage, Marquis."

As Iris finished, Kate Eblain, Duchess Heiress, spoke up.

"Congratulations on the wedding. You must be weary of hearing it, but today's ceremony was splendid."

"Hohoho. Won't the salon decorations change entirely starting next week?"

Another close ally, Countess Sylvia Camelon, joined the wedding praises.

"I'm delighted you approve, even though it was prepared in haste."

"It didn't feel rushed in the slightest. The wedding arch left a deep impression."

"I adored the crystals in the outdoor decor. I want to recreate that in my garden."

Comments continued to flow on the venue's beauty, the wedding's magnificence, and the bride and groom's perfect match.

Amid the accolades, Agatha deftly inserted Enoch, imprinting her seventh husband on her allies.

"The marquis helped immensely. He brought Aratus retainers to the mansion and pitched in personally."

Hearing of Enoch's cooperation, another ally, Vanessa Beatrice, Marchioness Heiress, lit up.

"How considerate. Marquis Aratus is so attentive."

"It reminds me of preparing my own wedding. Mother and I were utterly swamped."

"Honeymoon to a distant spot, yes?"

"That's right. We'll check on the territory construction en route. It'll soon be a trade hub, so we must keep an eye on it."

The allies' faces—and those of the surrounding nobles—changed. Negotiations hadn't begun, but the indirect mention signaled that those wishing to join should start preparing terms.

"Ah, y-yes. When refurbishing the island, will you accept investments?"

"City expansion and port maintenance will demand vast sums. Surely many nobles will lend a hand, Madam."

"Well, I'm focusing on internal affairs for now. I expect my husband to handle external matters."

All eyes turned to Enoch. Gazing down at Agatha pressed to his side, he drew her closer and spoke.

"Can't decide without inspecting the site. We'll consider it after the honeymoon."

"Ah, quite so. Safe travels."

"Have a wonderful time."

After fielding the now even more enthusiastic guests for several more hours, the banquet finally concluded.