Today’s Goal Is A Safe Divorce! - CH 73

Your Grace…?”

Despite her words, Damon seemed unwilling to give her the letter.

Elysia felt hope seeing that. In fact, she didn’t want to see the letter from the Imperial Family so desperately. Besides, it was obvious that it was not good for her, so who wanted to read it? Nonetheless, it was different from not reading it at all.

“It looks like the recipient is in my name.”

Her name, written as ‘Elysia Caitlyn,’ revealed their will not to acknowledge her. It was right to call her Elysia Raphael, not Elysia Caitlyn now. It was not that they didn’t know that, but they dared to use her maiden name.

What could be the reason?

“Besides, it says Caitlyn, not Raphael. Surely this is a letter for me?”

“…Do you really want to read it?”

From the wedding day, the Imperial Family had been hostile to her. It was rather strange that they sent a letter.

“Yes, it is a letter from me.”

Obviously, the contents inside would not be favorable to her. Elysia was a little worried that she would have to read such a letter in front of Damon. Even on the day of the wedding, he got angry so whether or not he would be able to let it go quietly was a concern.

“It’s okay if you don’t mind the Imperial Family.”

“How can I not mind?”

“There will be no problem if you return the letter without reading it.”

Of course, there would be nothing wrong with Damon but that was not the case with Elysia. This letter was addressed to her, so even if he returned it, that damage would return to her.

Elysia was, of course, aware of that.

Strength and power were something that could never be talked about separately. No one could touch the overwhelmingly strong Damon, so when she stayed by his side, her story was different. In the first place, both her strength and powers came from Damon.

Elysia wasn’t a threat if left alone. She was, after all, an underdog who anyone could attack.

“I wonder what it is about.”

Unless Damon locked her up inside the castle, she had to accept it.

While she did nothing, everyone was already hostile to her, and it was only because she married Damon. Because of that, Elysia was flustered. She didn’t marry him because she wanted to. If she had other options, she would never have chosen Damon.

“Anyway… I would have to face the Imperial Family someday.”

“If the wife wants it, you don’t have to face each other forever.”

“…I don’t want that.”

He talked about imprisoning her in the castle casually. In the first place, she, of course, had no intention of engaging in active social activities either. It wasn’t any better for her if Damon was only in the Grand Duke’s castle as he wanted her to be.

She couldn’t get a divorce, let alone escape. Still, she wasn’t perfectly safe just because she didn’t leave the Grand Duke’s castle.

Sticking round-the-clock with the most dangerous Damon was also a problem, and it seemed that even the Empress would not let her go.

It was only Lady Armando and the Empress who were revealed now, but there must be much more than that. The fact that she had to fight against an unknown number of people was devastating. In fact, even Rowena, a member of her family, hated her.

“I wanted to see it.”

“If the wife wants to see them, I will give it, but…”

As Damon passed the letter to her, he looked unhappy.

Curious, she thought he wouldn’t care what happened to her though she was surprised. In particular, Elysia thought that as long as her life was all right, he wouldn’t be interested in her at all. All he needed was a shell of the Grand Duchess anyway, not her.

Nonetheless, she couldn’t figure out why his behavior didn’t seem to be that way. It was as if he wanted Elysia herself, not the Grand Duchess.

“You can’t refuse a letter from the Imperial Family.”

She shouldn’t be fooled by this intentional performance. Damon used hallucinations to turn her into a doll without her knowledge… falling for his performance was exactly what he wanted.

“Shall I open it for you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Elysia shook her head, thinking that Damon would get rid of it as soon as she opened the letter. Although she didn’t know fully, Damon seemed to have a great dislike for the Imperial Family. Of course, it was natural that he didn’t have a person he liked.

“….”

When she held the letter with the imperial seal in her hand, her heart was beating wildly.

There was definitely something about the power of the seal. She thought she would live a life completely far from the Imperial Palace, not knowing what people were doing.

“Was it the founding festival soon?”

“Come to think of it, I see.”

The letter, which she opened with great nervousness, was unexpectedly ordinary. It was a typical celebration for a wedding and a message to maintain good relations with the Imperial Family, and it ended with a message asking to meet face-to-face at the upcoming foundation festival.

Contrary to her nervousness, she was rather surprised by the normal letter. On the one hand, she felt like she was looking forward to the founding festival.

“I didn’t know…”

Even though she knew there was a founding festival, that was something far away from Elysia’s life.

At that time, all the people of the Empire, regardless of status, were excited. It was because there were tax cuts and fun festivals for the common people as well. However, she had never enjoyed the festival. It was the same for her, even if there were noble parties.

Elysia was, in the first place, an existence that could not fit in either of those two places.

“I am not interested in the founding festival…”

She had no particular interest in the founding festival.

It was just that when the time came, the maids got excited. Oh, Rowena and the Countess were particularly excited, too. She just remembered that they bothered her a little less due to participating in constant parties.

While they didn’t bother her directly, as the two of them went out to parties, they increased her workload all the same.

Because of that, the foundation festival was not an important event for Elysia.

“You don’t have to care. After all, it’s just a good-looking festival.”

“Yes?”

Damon’s remark surprised her. Who could say the founding festival like that?

In Caesar’s empire, the founding day was sacred. It was a monumental day when the first Emperor defeated the Black Dragon, who harassed people and caused evil. To say that such a foundation festival was just a facade…

It was a dangerous word that anyone who heard it could consider that treason. Even if he was arrested for insulting the Imperial Family right now, it wasn’t enough.

“I told you that it was a gaudy festival to cover people’s eyes.”

…Cover what?

Elysia couldn’t understand Damon’s words. Was there something she didn’t know? She was taken aback by the fact that he did not hesitate to say something that no one else could say. Any high-ranking noble could not criticize the founding festival just like that.

“Ha… But it’s the biggest festival in the Empire…”

“That’s right.”

Elysia, who had never been to a party before, didn’t know much about nationwide events though she did know that it was a day the Imperial Family cared about immensely. It was because Rowena was always bragging about it until her mouth was foaming.

She did that just to tease Elysia for not being able to go to the party.

Meanwhile, it seemed that Damon was amazing as he casually talked about a day that even the Imperial Family cared about. He didn’t seem to be afraid of the Imperial Family at all.

“It’s not a festival the wife should care about.”

If he wasn’t supposed to care for the foundation festival, she didn’t know what kind of festival she should be caring about.

“There is no need to be nervous.”

“That…”

Even if he told her not to be nervous, it wasn’t that she could be not nervous. Her first socialite debut was at the founding festival, which was the worst. It was a gathering place for all the nobility of the Empire, so making her debut in such a place was never good…

If she made even the slightest mistake, words would stay forever. She was not yet accustomed to life as the Grand Duchess, so there was nothing she could do.

Elysia already felt like her head was pounding.

“Your Grace might know it, but I have never participated in a party.”

“That’s fine with me, too. I have never shown my face at the founding festival.”

“Yes? Really?”

Elysia naturally assumed that Damon would have participated in the founding festival.

After all, no matter how much he didn’t attend every party, this was the founding party. It was, of course, the party hosted by the Imperial Family, so she had to assume that all the nobility of the Empire attended.

“Originally, the Grand Duchy did not attend the founding festival.”

Elysia’s face grew even more suspicious as she didn’t know what he meant by not going. Something flashed through her head, strangely, she couldn’t remember.

“Then, we don’t have to participate this time either?”

“Though the wife wants to attend.”

Elysia slightly frowned at the situation she couldn’t remember when it felt like she could remember something. It seemed as if she was missing something, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Because I can’t send the wife alone.”

“…Thank you.”

“So, don’t be pressured.”

As long as the Emperor said it himself, Elysia had no choice but to attend… no, if she said she didn’t want to go, she was sure Damon wouldn’t tell her to go. In the first place, he was a man with enough strength to do so. Still, it wasn’t suitable for her position.

“Well… Have all the Grand Duchesses not attended by any chance?”

If so, it was right for her not to go either.

“The Grand Duchesses of the past… I don’t know. There is no record of the Grand Duchesses at all.”

“No record…?”

“Yes. There’s no record.”

Elysia’s body flinched at Damon’s answer.

She was wondering why that happened, the use of the Grand Duchess Edward told her about. It was literally a tool to give birth to an heir… to the extent that they were not even recorded in the Grand Duke’s family.

“People may be a bit surprised by the Grand Duchess’ attendance, but there is nothing to worry about.”

That was the worry. The Grand Duchess was originally supposed not to attend, but if she suddenly attended, there would surely be some rumors.

“In the first place, the lifespan of the Grand Duke’s family itself is short, so there are not many records about each individual.”

“A lifetime…?”

“Both the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess are famous for their short lives.”

It was the first time Damon had admitted it directly like this. Elysia knew, too. The only downside of the mighty Grand Duke was that they had a very short lifespan. So, usually, the age when they took their post was early.

“Because they all died before there was even a record.”

It was as if he was saying he was going to die.

Elysia flinched at the sharp teeth that glowed white. It was not going to happen, but it felt like it was going to kill her.