All I Wanted Was the Alimony - Chapter 40

“I plan to capture those men and interrogate them to find out why they were struck.”

Joad’s hand trembled. He wanted to immediately object to Paello’s decision.

‘Wait, you’re saying you’re going to capture people who might be nobles or servants and interrogate them? What if Her Grace the Grand Duchess was actually in the wrong? How are you going to take responsibility then? Are you out of your mind?’

But Joad couldn’t say a word.

“I’ll be heading to Territory No. 4 the day after tomorrow, so take care of it right away. I’ll see you again there.”

Paello expressed his intent in a resolute tone.

Joad is a knight.

A knight obeys the commands of their lord. So Joad bowed his head politely to Paello.

“Yes, understood, Your Grace.”

Obedience to superior orders.

He felt like crying, but if he was ordered to, he had to obey. There was no other way.

The interrogation of the boat manager Max, which hadn’t yet finished, would also be forcibly moved.

***

The makeup was complete. Lucienne’s voluminous red hair was let down in loose waves.

Hannah, now accompanied by another maid, brought several dresses suitable for the party.

They were all elegant and luxurious, with off-shoulder or tube top styles for the bodice, and minimal decoration.

Since it was a birthday celebration for the Empress Dowager, they had brought understated designs.

When Hannah asked which one she wanted to wear, Lucienne chose the off-shoulder A-line midi dress in navy blue.

The floral pattern embroidered with jewels at the hem sparkled like stars, which she particularly liked.

When she put it on, it looked calm and elegant as expected. Most of all, the length was just right, making it easy to move around in.

But once the dress was fully on, something unexpected happened.

Hannah put a beautifully crafted necklace with a large, dazzling diamond around Lucienne’s neck.

The maid was the first to sparkle with admiration.

“Oh my! It’s so glamorous and beautiful, Your Grace!”

“Your Grace the Grand Duchess! You’re absolutely stunning! Whoever did your makeup and hair, it’s perfect!”

Hannah, praising her own work, was overjoyed.

“Isn’t it too flashy for the Empress Dowager’s birthday party?”

“The other ladies will be dressed extravagantly too, so it won’t be too much.”

“But the Empress Dowager is the main focus of the celebration.”

“That’s why you should dress all the more elegantly and show a lively, cheerful appearance.”

Just then, a knock came from outside.

A maid quickly opened the door, then returned to report. “His Grace the Grand Duke has come to escort you. It seems like you two are in sync.”

The maid looked very excited. It was as if heart-shaped sparkles were bursting from her eyes.

Lucienne didn’t question it.

‘He must look incredible again.’

After saying she’d be back and rising to her feet, Lucienne met Paello and understood the maid’s reaction.

As expected.

With part of his bangs swept slightly to the side, Paello looked so dashing that he practically radiated light.

He was so dazzling she could barely look at him directly, and Lucienne found herself cursing in awe in her mind.

‘Damn, he’s beyond expectation. How far can someone go with looks like that?’

She now also understood the maid’s comment about them being in sync.

He wore a navy blue formal suit with a classic-style silver cravat.

In his breast pocket was a neatly folded silk handkerchief, and the gold chain of a pocket watch dangled slightly.

“Ahem.”

Paello cleared his throat softly as he looked at Lucienne’s dress.

“How curious. Our outfit colors match.”

A rosy flush spread across his cheeks. It hadn’t been planned, so Paello seemed a bit embarrassed, and Lucienne’s cheeks heated up in response.

“Y-yes, it seems so.”

Paello took Lucienne’s hand and kissed the back of it.

“You look very beautiful, madam. Shall we go?”

***

The birthday celebration proceeded smoothly. After offering congratulations to the Empress Dowager, the nobles broke into small groups, conversing over soft classical music, and some began to waltz.

Paello too was engaged in conversation with other noblemen.

At first, it was casual small talk, but soon the conversation shifted to imperial politics, border issues, and legislative reforms.

‘I don’t understand any of this. And I’m not interested either.’

Lucienne, who had been standing beside Paello, lost interest, stepped away, and sipped a cocktail while wandering around the party.

Murmur, whisper.

As everyone talked at once, countless voices filled the air.

At first, she had listened without much thought. But now she knew she could block out the chatter like background noise if she chose to, just like ordinary people.

Looking around, Lucienne spotted Verdi.

Several noble ladies surrounded Verdi, letting out small cheers every time she spoke.

What on earth were they so thrilled about?

Curious, Lucienne focused her attention, and Verdi’s voice came through clearly.

“Congratulations again, Hanana. You’re going to be appointed as an administrative secretary in the northern Ronatere territory.”

The noble lady with dark brown hair beside her clasped her hands as if overwhelmed with emotion.

“Really? You saw a revelation in a dream, didn’t you?”

“Yes, this kind of feeling is always a 100% hit.”

“I’m so envious. Her Highness the Princess’s holy powers.”

At the other lady’s words, cheerful laughter spread among them.

Lucienne was dumbfounded by how confidently Verdi spoke.

‘How can she be so sure about something that hasn’t even happened yet? Unless she’s possessed, like me… huh?’

Lucienne recalled hearing at the hunting competition that Verdi had helped noble ladies through her dreams.

Come to think of it, the case with the duke’s daughter and her parrot also seemed different from the original, and Emilion hadn’t appeared at the boat ride either.

Even at yesterday’s hunting competition, the prize was different from the original.

Verdi had tried to share the weapon with Paello first, not Emilion.

Moreover, despite their awkward relationship, Verdi had acted rudely toward Lucienne without hesitation, which was strange.

Verdi hadn’t originally been that kind of character.

She only began showing her scheming side after the ending.

‘Wait, could she be possessed too? Or has she regressed? Or maybe she got real holy powers thanks to protagonist buffs?’

Lucienne tilted her head, then soon became displeased.

Whether regression, possession, or holy powers—

If she was hostile, it was of no benefit to Lucienne. One way or another, she needed to figure out what it was.

‘Let’s check if she’s possessed first.’

Lucienne slowly walked toward Verdi while gently swirling her cocktail glass.

As she walked, all sorts of thoughts crossed her mind. If Verdi was possessed, was she from Earth or another world?

Was she perhaps operating with a system window in front of her eyes, doing quests and leveling up?

‘I should watch closely to see if she focuses on empty air.’

Maybe her rude behavior during the boat ride, or the hole in the boat, were actually quests.

And it gave Lucienne a bit of hope.

‘If Verdi’s Korean and a woman around my age, maybe we’d get along.’

If Verdi was a possessor and knew Lucienne was one too, her future might change.

If they could negotiate and cooperate, they could maximize mutual benefit.

Verdi, who had been laughing joyfully with the noble ladies, soon noticed Lucienne and fell silent.

There was caution in her gaze.

If she were receiving assistance from a system, some kind of message should have popped up when a villainess approached, but Verdi didn’t seem to glance meaningfully at empty space.

‘Looks like she’s not being aided by a system.’

Having eliminated one possibility, Lucienne pretended not to notice and moved behind Verdi.

Verdi seemed a bit bothered, glancing sideways, and Lucienne quickly muttered under her breath just loud enough for Verdi to hear.

“Buldak spicy noodles.”

Verdi raised her left eyebrow. Seeing her doubtful expression, Lucienne muttered again.

“BTS.”

“?”

Verdi frowned.

‘Not from my generation?’

Lucienne hesitated, then decided to try something every Korean would know, something that transcended eras.

“The Hunminjeongeum proclamation.”

Verdi’s expression turned even more sour. Lucienne then tried a word everyone would know regardless of education.

“Kim… chi?”

“Huh? Grand Duchess Ronatere? Why are you muttering weird things behind my back?”

When Lucienne stared back wide-eyed as if clueless, Verdi closed her mouth, seeming to think she had misheard.

Lucienne sighed inwardly and touched her forehead.

‘Ah, so she’s not Korean?’

Then she’d need to test with globally recognized words.

This time, she added melody to her mumble.

“Olympics, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok. Du-dum-da-dam.”

As if quietly humming a song. She even added a little rhythm at the end.

“……”

Verdi stared at her, full of suspicion. Lucienne was now certain.

‘Not a possessor.’

Lucienne debated whether to directly ask if she had regressed but gave up on the idea.

Just asking the question would tip Verdi off that Lucienne’s situation was different now.

If Verdi had regressed at some point, she must have already laid out a solid plan for her ideal future.

And in that ideal future, there was no room for Lucienne.

If Verdi had any intention of coexisting, her attitude would’ve been different from their first meeting.

She wouldn’t have openly offered the weapon to Paello either.

Lucienne figured it would be better to just keep listening to the conversation from a slight distance.

“Until the East Sea’s waters and Mount Baekdu are dry.”

Having come to that conclusion, Lucienne pretended to be nonchalant and hummed a real song as she walked away.

Once she was far enough that her presence wouldn’t be noticed, Verdi and the noble ladies resumed their chatting.

Of course, Lucienne could still hear everything perfectly.