Finally, The Divorce
Canna walked down the corridor, barely suppressing the laughter bubbling up inside her.
‘Divorce. It’s finally happening!’
Sylvien was a man who kept his promises. The trial involving Prince Cassil had proven that beyond doubt. Therefore, he would proceed with the divorce.
Convincing Alexandro Addis—her father—had now become his responsibility.
‘Father, please come back soon! We have a divorce to finalize!’
She felt euphoric. Canna continued walking, pressing down the laughter that kept threatening to burst free.
Then she stopped dead in the middle of the hallway.
“Oh my.”
She had run into a very welcome face.
“Hello, Mary. Have you been well?”
“……!”
Mary Goldian.
Countess Josephine Elvester’s most trusted lackey and a servant who had worked in this mansion for many years.
She was the insolent maid Canna had woken by dumping water on her face when she first returned to this world.
“How’s that calf of yours? No trouble walking, I hope?”
As Canna approached with a deceptively sweet smile, Mary stumbled backward. After the way Canna had nearly shattered her shin with a whip, the reaction was only natural.
“Hmm? Why aren’t you answering?”
“Ah, n-no! No trouble at all!”
“That’s the spirit. You should answer with that much energy. Otherwise the person asking feels rather awkward, doesn’t she?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“Where is Countess Elvester? I’d like to see her.”
“She… she’s away on a trip……”
“Ah, I see. So she’s absent at the moment.”
No wonder the mansion felt unusually peaceful. Canna smiled with wicked delight.
“What a shame. That means there’s no one here to stop someone from whipping your calf again.”
Mary’s face drained of all color. Canna savored the cruel pleasure and let out a soft, mocking laugh.
“Whipping someone was surprisingly entertaining.”
“Hiiik!”
“I had no idea hitting someone could be so thrilling.”
“I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
Canna felt not the slightest guilt over this petty intimidation.
‘Compared to everything she did to torment Juhwa, this is merciful.’
She wished Juhwa could see this. Maybe it would bring her some comfort?
‘I wonder what Juhwa is doing right now?’
Canna smiled bitterly and walked past Mary.
‘Has she eaten tteokbokki yet? She missed it terribly while she was here.’
She wanted some herself. Spicy rice cakes sounded heavenly.
Still, Juhwa must be doing well. She had no choice but to be, in that environment. After all, there was tteokbokki, fried chicken, and blood sausage waiting for her.
Most importantly, she had a family that loved her.
The atmosphere inside the Addis mansion was brutally tense.
“Lady Isabel and Sir Kallen had a terrible fight.”
It hadn’t been a fight—Kallen had simply scolded her one-sidedly. Canna popped one of the scones Leah had baked into her mouth.
“Grounded? Is that true?”
“Yes. Knights have even been assigned to watch her.”
“And Chloe—no, Mother—just allowed it?”
“She’s pretending she doesn’t know anything about it.”
That sounded exactly like something Chloe would do. She cherished her daughter Isabel, but she practically worshipped her sons Orsini and Kallen.
It was a strange feeling.
Long ago, they had all united to ignore and torment her. Now they were fracturing because of her.
‘This is quite entertaining.’
Tearing apart the once peaceful Addis family piece by piece was more fun than she had expected.
“Sister, you’ve returned?”
“Kallen.”
Kallen approached quickly, scanning her from head to toe.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“You can’t possibly be fine. You fell into the pond and lost consciousness!”
Anger flashed across Kallen’s face as he remembered yesterday’s events.
“You should have been resting, yet you weren’t even allowed that much.”
“It’s alright. I slept deeply at the Valentino mansion.”
“……”
Kallen’s brows furrowed. He stroked his chin, staring at her with obvious displeasure. Finally, he realized what was bothering him.
Canna’s dress.
It wasn’t one of hers. It wasn’t one he had given her. And it was different from the dress she had changed into after falling into the pond.
Then the answer was obvious.
‘Is the Duke of Valentino launching a gift offensive?’
It was laughable.
After neglecting her for so long, he was now trying to buy her affection with presents.
As her loyal younger brother, Kallen found it extremely irritating.
‘Men like him are as fickle as boiling water.’
Unfortunately, his sister didn’t understand men at all.
She was far too naive.
If her heart softened because of the gifts and she began trusting Sylvien Valentino again—
‘Absolutely not.’
Soft-hearted Canna would only end up hurt again someday. Kallen could not bear to witness that.
“Sister, do you like that dress?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes.”
Canna glanced down at the dress and answered absentmindedly. She honestly hadn’t given it much thought.
But her reply completely twisted Kallen’s mood.
‘As I thought, her heart is wavering.’
He could not allow her to be swayed by that cold-blooded man’s whims. That dress needed to become meaningless to her.
“Are you free today?”
“Why do you ask?”
Kallen suppressed his revulsion as he glared at the hem of Canna’s dress.
“Sister, please don’t take offense. But you possess far fewer clothes and accessories than other noblewomen.”
Since it was the truth, Kallen stated it without shame.
“If you’ll allow me, I’d like to give you some gifts.”
An instinctive wave of rejection surged through Canna.
‘A gift from the likes of you? What if it brings bad luck?’
Still, no matter how unpleasant the giver, a gift was a gift.
‘Besides, I can always sell them later.’
Canna broke into a bright smile.
“Alright. I’d be grateful.”
Kallen took her to El Andwa’s boutique.
“Welcome, Sir Kallen. I’ve been waiting after hearing the news.”
Andwa was a young woman around Canna’s age, a stunning beauty with flowing golden hair that caught the light like waves.
‘She’s even more beautiful than the rumors suggested. She really was an opera singer before.’
After having her measurements taken, Canna sat on the sofa and browsed the dresses Andwa presented. They were samples; the final versions would be tailored specifically for her.
“Sister, is there no dress that catches your eye?”
When Canna simply stared at them with a blank expression, Kallen began to look anxious.
“No, I like them all,” she said quickly, not wanting to seem indifferent. “Especially the red ones. I’ve always liked red.”
Kallen immediately signaled to Andwa.
“Send every red dress to the Addis mansion.”
“Understood.”
Canna clicked her tongue at his heavy-handed taste.
‘Is he telling me to wear the same color every single day?’
But Kallen was not finished.
“Send all the designs you’ve shown us so far as well, Miss Andwa.”
“Yes, Sir Kallen.”
Canna stared at him in disbelief.
‘So this is the legendary ‘I’ll take everything from here to there’ in person!’
She never imagined she would witness it herself.
“Kallen, you really don’t have to—”
She would have preferred the money instead. Canna whispered, “There were a few designs I didn’t particularly like.”
“You might change your mind later.”
“……”
“I’m simply preparing for every possibility.”
Canna was rendered speechless. What kind of extravagant waste was this?
‘If he’s going to buy everything anyway, why bother asking what I like?’
As if reading her thoughts, Kallen explained his true intention.
“Miss Andwa. When designing future dresses, please create one additional piece using red silk. This is a personal commission.”
Andwa never sold identical designs to multiple clients.
In other words, she had essentially become Canna’s exclusive designer.
“Sister, shouldn’t you discard that insignificant dress now?”
Only then did Kallen look at her current attire with a satisfied expression and openly criticize it.
“Forgive me for saying so, but it doesn’t suit you at all.”
Exactly. It didn’t suit someone as cold-blooded as Sylvien Valentino.
‘What suits Sister is a man with a warm heart, who loves only her, and obeys her unconditionally.’
A man over 185 centimeters tall with an excellent physique, outstanding swordsmanship, a prestigious family background, exceptional education, and devastatingly handsome features—yet completely unaware of his own beauty. A man who has no interest in any woman except Sister.
Kallen smiled with deep satisfaction.
‘Only such a man would dare.’