All I Wanted Was the Alimony - Chapter 21

The Empress Dowager’s voice toward Lucienne was filled with affection.

The Empress Dowager shifted her gaze and said solemnly, “Princess, I believe it would be best for you to apologize for the great discourtesy shown to a precious guest who has come from afar.”

“…Pardon? But the Grand Duchess also did to me!”

“Even if aged, I do not confuse the order of things. Do I need to say it twice?”

“!”

Startled, Verdi bit lightly on her thumbnail.

“This can’t be happening.”

Though she muttered it very quietly, it was still heard by Lucienne.

As the Empress Dowager’s gaze sharpened as if she might command a roar, Verdi said to Lucienne in a shrinking voice, “It wasn’t my intention, but it ended up that way unintentionally.”

Frankly, Verdi’s tone gave off a sense of being flustered rather than remorseful.

However, the fact that the princess bowed her head at all was rare, which caused a slight stir among the onlookers.

“Oh my, Her Highness the Princess is apologizing.”

“Oh dear, how pitiful.”

I can hear you, you fools. Pitiful, really.

Clicking her tongue inwardly, Lucienne cleared her throat. “Is that your apology? If you’re going to apologize, I’d appreciate it if you did it properly.”

“…Pardon?”

Verdi looked as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“What, did you think if you just half-heartedly pretended to apologize, I’d go, ‘Oh, how grateful I am,’ and accept it?

“……”

“You’re someone who should know better than anyone what learning means. Why are you acting this way?”

Though Lucienne was the so-called villainess, she truly didn’t expect the heroine Verdi to come at her first, but now that it happened, they were already clashing.

‘Since it’s come to this anyway.’

Lucienne decided to leave Verdi with the impression that she had nothing to gain by challenging her.

That way, whether Verdi was a schemer, a straightforward heroine, or the mastermind, she wouldn’t dare touch Lucienne easily.

“Who, where, when, and how the wrongdoing was committed, what harm it caused to the other party.”

“……”

“Whether any facts have been misrepresented due to this, how deeply the wrongdoer regrets it, and how they plan to take responsibility… these things should be addressed, shouldn’t they?”

As Lucienne listed out the proper form of an apology, Verdi’s lips trembled. “You… you want me to say all that?”

For someone who had never in her life apologized to someone of lower status, it must have been an immense shock.

“If you hadn’t fabricated accusations, there wouldn’t be a need for such an apology in the first place, would there?”

“You were rude, too.”

“I was raised as a noble Grand Duchess in the Demon Kingdom. If I can’t tolerate even justified protests, how could I endure baseless accusations? Besides, if I don’t wrap this up properly, won’t he misunderstand later?”

Verdi looked to the Empress Dowager and Empress with a very troubled expression, hoping someone would intervene.

“Princess, even if it’s a misunderstanding, if you’ve done wrong, you should take responsibility.”

But the Empress Dowager was firm. The Empress, who was about to say something, read the Empress Dowager’s expression and hastily closed her mouth.

Even Lucienne was somewhat surprised.

‘Who knew the Empress Dowager would be this obsessed with Paello?’

It was too clear to be called a misunderstanding.

The Empress Dowager seemed so moved, unable to take her eyes off Paello, as if even looking elsewhere during this precious moment would be a waste.

She didn’t even notice the glances exchanged by those around her.

Verdi, who had been biting her lips, soon lowered her head and began to apologize in the way Lucienne had demanded. But she couldn’t finish it.

Because she couldn’t hold back her tears and ran off in a choked sob.

She looked less sorrowful than resentful.

“Ah! Your Highness!”

The maid attending Verdi quickly followed after her.

The Empress Dowager sighed through her nose as if there were no helping it. “The Princess is still immature. I hope you’ll be generous and forgive her.”

Lucienne didn’t respond. Showing forgiveness now would do nothing good for her villainess image.

Paello politely bowed his head. “We should have arrived together. It seems a misunderstanding arose because I sent my wife ahead. I apologize.”

The Empress Dowager smiled very kindly. “Think nothing of it. You’re planning to attend the hunting competition tomorrow as well, are you not?”

Paello’s eyes turned toward Lucienne. When Lucienne smiled brightly in response to the silent question, Paello also calmly lifted the corners of his mouth slightly.

“What kind of beast’s hide would you like?”

The Empress Dowager couldn’t hide her beaming smile.

“If it’s something the Grand Duke catches, I’ll like anything. I just hope your precious body doesn’t get hurt.”

“Please don’t worry. I’ll search well to find a good one.”

Just then, a knight shouted from the other side.

“Light blue boat number six is ready!”

Paello looked at the ticket in Lucienne’s hand.

“It looks like our boat is ready.”

The Empress Dowager extended her right hand.

“You and the Grand Duchess seem to be getting along well, so that makes me happy, too. I hope you have a pleasant time, Grand Duke.”

Paello lightly kissed the Empress Dowager’s fingertips to offer a polite greeting and stepped back. Then he offered his left arm to Lucienne.

Many questions filled Lucienne’s mind. But she decided to think about them later. For now, leaving the place came first.

While the Empress Dowager was elated after being received by Paello, the Empress behind her was biting her lips in frustration.

Lucienne greeted the Empress Dowager and grabbed Paello’s arm.

Once she confirmed they had moved quite far from the gazebo, Lucienne quickly said to Paello, “I didn’t think you would come.”

“At events like this, attending as a couple is standard.”

“You said you’d only come on the last day.”

Paello rolled only his eyes to look at Lucienne. “That was the plan, but if you’re attending, then we should come as a couple.”

“……”

It was unexpected.

That Paello would care about appearances in their relationship.

When Lucienne looked up, Paello’s gaze returned to the front.

“That’s the duty between spouses.”

Duty.

“Ah.”

Lucienne felt a little sorry for Paello.

While he was saying that, she was still planning how to get divorced no matter what.

Lucienne bit her lip lightly, then shook her head inwardly.

‘No, if I want to ignore the original story and live well, I need to stay focused!’

At the crucial moment, Verdi would join the male lead Emilion to take Lucienne down.

Since she intended to escape anyway, she had rammed in without regret, and being beside Paello would only make a death sentence ending more certain.

“Welcome, Your Graces, the Grand Duke and Duchess.”

The shaggy-haired boatman bowed nervously and greeted Paello and Lucienne repeatedly.

“Please step onto this boat.”

A light blue boat adorned with flowers.

It felt almost like a floating café.

At both ends of the boat were spacious, cushioned seats facing each other, with round cushions embroidered in gold thread as backrests.

On the built-in wooden table dividing the boat space were refreshments. On the floor near one seat, a picnic basket and a white parasol were prepared.

“Wow. It’s beautiful.”

Lucienne couldn’t help but exclaim, not expecting a boat ride to be this luxurious.

“Please step on carefully.”

Paello escorted Lucienne onto the boat, then opened the parasol and handed it to her.

“The sun might be strong.”

The unexpected kindness tickled her heart, and Lucienne burst into laughter.

“Thank you.”

The moment their fingertips touched while exchanging the parasol, Lucienne felt a spark as if electricity had passed through.

“Ah.”

“Oh.”

The two uttered brief sounds at the same time, making it awkward for no reason.

‘Ugh, what’s with static in summer?’

But the moment their eyes met directly, Paello’s pupils slightly widened, and he fell silent. Lucienne did the same.

‘Is it because the weather is so clear?’

Under the sunlight, Paello’s dark red eyes sparkled like jewels, making it impossible to look away.

Even the boat’s splendid decorations suddenly seemed to lose their luster.

‘What is this?’

Her heart fluttered slightly for no reason.

Lucienne tightly closed her lips and quickly held up the parasol.

Paello sat across from her and began rowing. The boat glided smoothly across the water, tracing a long line.

Beneath the warm sunlight, the sound of the oars splitting the water and the murmuring conversations of the people nearby felt peaceful.

Lucienne looked around at the people on the surrounding boats.

They showed no sign of knowing what had happened at the Empress Dowager’s gazebo, focused only on their own conversations.

And Paello and Lucienne, seated face to face, kept their gazes turned away in silence.