Her resolve not to be surprised by anything crumbled instantly.

It had taken so long because everything had been thoroughly investigated. Elysia placed the documents on the table with trembling hands. Although she had some anticipation, reading the detailed investigation was somewhat different.

County Caitlin was now completely under Sierra’s control.

No one could oppose Sierra, who had become the heir to one of the four major Duchy. This fact was unknown externally because she had covertly taken over the County.

Moreover, Edward had revealed himself as a wizard.

Elysia massaged her temples as her head throbbed. As expected, Sierra had deliberately approached him, playing on his desire to save Elysia. Perhaps in the original story, she had similarly enticed a grieving Edward, who had lost his sister.

At that thought, Elysia suddenly wondered why the author had hidden Edward’s—or rather Ethan’s—true identity.

“Sierra must still have feelings for Damon, right?”

Her speculation was likely correct.

Sierra was a woman capable of killing her own sister and mother for her goals. It was puzzling why she started making moves even before the Emperor’s death.

Was Sierra opposing Damon to destroy everything so she could survive? She wanting to usurp her place by siding with Edward seemed odd because the documents stated that she and Edward were planning to marry.

“If it was a normal marriage, there’s no reason they couldn’t tell me.”

Why hadn’t there been any talk in social circles about the marriage of Lady Armando? There had been no discussion about the succession of the County either. There was no reason to keep these matters so secret.

In addition, Edward had referred to Sierra as someone helping him.

“This is strange…”

It was so strange that it made her more suspicious. If Sierra truly wanted to be by Damon’s side, then there shouldn’t be any mention of her planning to marry Edward. Rowena seemed completely unaware of Edward’s marital plans, too.

No matter how much she struggled to escape on her own, the reality remained unchanged.

“The last part is troubling…”

The news that County Julius Caitlin was suffering from a serious illness caught her attention.

It was hard to believe that the previously healthy County had suddenly fallen ill. She had a rough idea of who might be responsible. There were even rumors that the Countess wouldn’t leave her room.

“It’s just like Sierra’s tactics.”

She knew how Sierra became the heir to the Duchy. She had incapacitated a perfectly healthy heir. Moreover, Sierra had spent a long time gaining the Duke’s trust. In reality, whatever happened to the County shouldn’t have concerned Elysia. She should have been happy that someone was willing to take care of that problem for her.

“But why do I feel so upset about this…?”

She should have been pleased, yet she felt terrible.

Was it because all this had been arranged without her knowledge? Or because it seemed like Sierra was using Edward? Edward was oblivious to it all.

Yes, that was it.

* * *

Her life returned calm, like the quiet before a storm. The extravagance continued, and Damon made no comment, acting as if he was ignoring it all. Ultimately, it was Elysia who felt weary to the point of collapse, yet she couldn’t stop now.

“….”

“Will you be going out today as well?”

“Yes.”

Asking her this had become the routine. He didn’t seem particularly concerned about her, yet his actions were puzzling. It felt like he was still keeping tabs on her activities.

“How long do you intend to keep this up?”

“Yes?”

“No matter what the wife does, I won’t change.”

It was his way of telling her to stop the extravagance right now. In truth, Damon hadn’t blinked an eye at her lavish spending. It seemed that even the people were starting to tire of her extravagance. The initial blaze of interest had cooled down.

Her plan was falling apart.

Elysia bit her lip in frustration.

“Elysia.”

“Ah…”

As Damon kissed the back of her hand, Elysia’s face flushed with heat. She desperately wanted to escape him. Yet, at the same time, she wished she never had to leave.

“Take care.”

It seemed the plan to provoke through extravagance had failed. Whatever Damon did, the bubbling rumors had subsided. It felt like everyone had simply stopped caring. It was a meaningless expenditure, akin to pouring water into a bottomless pot.

She really didn’t want it to come to this… but there was only one option left.

Infidelity.

Who would dare to cross Damon Raphael and engage in an affair with her? It was nearly impossible. Moreover, it seemed unlikely that Damon would let her go even if she did have an affair.

“I don’t want to die.”

She found it hard to believe that the perfectly healthy Damon would kill the Emperor. While the Emperor and him were not on good terms, was that a reason to kill each other? Maybe her lack of understanding of noble society was to blame.

Nothing was simple.

Her divorce, Edward and Sierra’s marriage, and the relationship between the Emperor and Damon were all entangled like a knotted thread.

“…Do I really know everything about Damon?”

Initially, she was confident she knew all there was about him… but now, she wasn’t so sure. The more time passed, the more she doubted if her knowledge was correct. The original Damon was a character brought to life by her friend. And it was Elysia who had changed him midway.

Had Damon become a character beyond the understanding of both her and her friend? Unpredictable like a bouncing ball, thus becoming an anomaly in the story, a contaminant that disrupted everything.

“Madam.”

“Ah…”

“What are you thinking so deeply?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing.”

Today’s outing was meaningless, as usual. As had become routine, she visited all the dress shops and jewelers in the capital. Returning home flooded with dresses and jewels, she realized that no one paid her any attention anymore.

Her assumption that gossip could overcome fear was wrong.

“Will you be going out tomorrow?”

Above all, Elysia had expected the people inside the Grand Duchy household to turn against her first. They were not kind to her because they liked her. She thought they would turn their backs on her the moment she showed any defiance, but despite her continued extravagance, the attitudes of the servants remained unchanged.

There was an initial surprise, but they continued to treat her well.

It wasn’t an act. They genuinely wanted her to be the Grand Duchess and seemed anxious about her leaving… But why?

“No… I just don’t want to go out tomorrow.”

“I see.”

Lately, Elysia had been going out every other day, spending money, but it was inevitably exhausting. Especially when she realized that her actions had no impact on the other party, all her motivation vanished.

“Julia.”

“Yes, do you have any tasks for me?”

Even now, there was a sense of relief when she said she wouldn’t go out.

It didn’t seem like they were glad she was stopping her extravagance. They were happy she was staying in the Grand Duchy. Elysia roughly understood the situation. The atmosphere noticeably changed with her presence or absence, making her extravagance seem a small matter.

“Don’t you hate me?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, I could just stay quiet… but I’ve been spending money like water.”

It wasn’t just that.

She had thrown parties, spending an enormous amount of money, even to the point where Estelle had to intervene. Elysia had hosted extravagantly lavish parties, embodying everything she had despised about the nobility before.

She was so disgusted with herself that she almost couldn’t bear it.

“It’s Your Grace’s personal budget. And whatever you decide to do is your freedom. It’s not my place to hate you… Please don’t say such things.”

Elysia had deliberately set a rule to flaunt her extravagance. Her goal was to be disliked.

Still, she couldn’t understand why. Instead of being hated by others, she began to hate herself more. As time went on, facing Damon became increasingly difficult, and guilt continually weighed her down.

“Never mind.”

“….”

Now, she really didn’t know.

The reasons she had for wanting a divorce seemed to stem from things that hadn’t happened yet. Yes, she understood the original story was approaching. Sierra had become the heir to the Duchy, and she had met Edward.

Everything seemed to fit.

But not entirely. Only the major branches of the story had followed the original story. She was now confused about what she knew to be true. However… the story’s end required Edward to become Emperor.

For that to happen, the current Emperor must die.

“I don’t know… I don’t know what I should do.”

She thought all she had to do was leave Damon’s side. She believed that not getting entangled in the original story was enough. But having learned that Edward was the male lead, she realized it was impossible to escape.

She was necessary for the male lead’s awakening.

…Elysia’s death was an essential part of the story.

__