IMTVD| Chapter 8

Episode 8

After that, Edwin didn’t make any more sudden moves.

All the way back to the estate, he just sat quietly in the carriage, holding the bouquet, like he was lost in thought.

The longer Chris watched him act this way, the more he felt something was… off. He wanted Edwin to say something,

anything that would prove Chris was just overthinking it.

“Is Her Highness the Princess the only guest for tonight’s celebration?”

“Why would the princess come to my house? Did someone send her an invitation without telling me?”

The moment “princess” left Chris’s mouth, Edwin frowned in clear annoyance.

From the way the conversation went, Chris realized no one had been invited at all. That’s when a terrible thought

started creeping into his mind—one he hoped was completely wrong.

While they were talking, the carriage rolled up to the front gate.

“Lively out here.”

“Well, it is for the celebration. The staff must be happy too.”

Chris silently prayed his gut feeling was wrong this time. He was rarely mistaken about these things, but for once, he

wanted to be.

The carriage stopped, and Edwin stepped out first.

“We’ve been waiting for you, my lord.”

Beaty, the head maid, stood at the front of the servants to greet him. When they noticed the flowers in his hand, they

all assumed this must mean the princess would finally be visiting the estate.

Edwin glanced around.

“…Strange.”

The servants’ smiles faded instantly. They’d worked hard to decorate the place—had it not met his standards?

But his next words confused them even more.

“Is my wife ill? Why don’t I see her?”

“…Pardon?” Beaty blinked.

But Edwin didn’t even look at her—he was still scanning the crowd.

The person he was looking for was Emilia.

Emilia Casper. The only other person who bore the Casper name.

Not seeing her anywhere left him with a bad feeling. He brushed past the servants and headed straight inside to look

for her.

Where are you, Emilia?

He started with her room and worked his way through the entire house. The longer it took, the colder his face became

but inside, his nerves were burning.

“My lord!”

The staff hurried after him, out of breath, but Edwin ignored them.

Finally, when he could think of no other place she might be, he turned to the panting servants.

“…Where is Emilia?”

Even without raising his voice, the anger in it was obvious. No one dared answer—until Beaty stepped forward.

“She’s gone, my lord.”

“…What?”

“With the Hermann family destroyed, it’s only right that such a useless woman no longer take up space at your side.”

For a moment, Edwin thought he’d misheard. And if he hadn’t, he didn’t even know where to begin tearing into what

she’d just said.

She had not only spoken the duchess’s name without title, she had lied to the duke himself.

He forced himself to hold back. He didn’t want to lose his temper on a day like this.

“Where is Emilia?” he asked again, one last time.

Beaty shut her eyes and yelled, “I told you—she left, knowing her place!”

Normally she would have kept her head down in a tense situation like this, but she couldn’t understand why Edwin

would go looking for Emilia of all people, and her gloating made her reckless.

“She was never right for you anyway!”

“…Is that so.”

“You didn’t like her either—that’s why you visited the princess’s palace every day, isn’t it?”

“So… what you’re telling me is…”

His voice was ice-cold now, and Beaty opened her eyes, expecting him to finally see reason.

Yes, the filthy Hermann woman was gone from the house. Yes, the Caspers were finally back to how they should be.

“Emilia left? This estate?”

“Yes, my lord.”

She was confident. Too confident.

A proper servant should have read their master’s mood, but she was thinking only of herself.

Edwin’s gaze dropped. He could hardly believe it.

“If you don’t believe me, go check your office. That shameless woman left exactly what you’ve always wanted sitting

right there on your desk.”

Without another word, Edwin strode off toward his office.

And what exactly do they think I wanted so badly?

The thought made him clench his fists.

When he reached his desk, he saw it—a single sheet of paper.

“…Ah.”

He rushed forward, picked it up, and felt his stomach drop.

It was divorce papers. Signed by Emilia Casper.

Why?

He thought back to that morning.

I told her we’d talk about us later…

He’d even secretly ordered the staff to prepare a celebration—wanting to surprise her.

He’d planned to tell her that he was sorry for how cold he’d been, that it had all been an act to keep her father from

discovering his feelings for her.

Now that the Hermanns were gone, he could finally say it outright: she’d been his one and only weakness.

Ever since the night of the princess’s banquet, he’d felt something new—something he’d never experienced before.

And it had always been for her.

He’d done everything for her.

And yet here he was, holding nothing but her handwriting on a page ending their marriage.

“…Did I make you wait too long?”

Had she gotten tired of waiting? Tired of him?

He turned around. The servants were hovering by the door, unsure what to do.

“Lock Beaty up.”

Everyone froze at the order. Beaty fell to her knees.

“M-my lord! Why are you doing this?”

“You really don’t know?”

“I’ve served the Casper family faithfully for years! What did I do wrong?”

Edwin laughed under his breath. “And Emilia?”

Suddenly, he thought he understood why her lips had so often been cut or bruised. Or maybe he didn’t want to think

about it too hard.

I must have trusted them too much.

While he’d been focused on crushing the noble faction, he’d left the household in their hands. Clearly, that had been a

mistake.

“Emilia was the mistress of this house. Can you honestly say you served her faithfully?”

He’d assumed they obeyed her at least in name, but now he saw how naive that had been. And the result of that

naivety was right in front of him.

“Didn’t you hear me? Lock her up.”

At his voice, cold enough to make them shiver, the servants finally moved. Beaty called out to him again and again,

but Edwin was already looking away.

“Chris. You knew, didn’t you?”

“…Yes, my lord.”

Edwin stepped out of the office. “Find Emilia. And you know what happens if you fail.”

Without waiting for an answer, he headed for Emilia’s room—the only room in the estate meant for its mistress.

“Emilia.”

The moment he entered, the chill hit him.

No warmth, no trace of her. It was as if no one had lived there for months.

“…Did you really leave me?”

That morning, he’d been full of hope. He’d been waiting for this day—when everything was finally over, and he could

be happy with her.

Even Diana’s petty nonsense hadn’t bothered him; his mind had been entirely on Emilia.

So how had it ended like this?

Did you… stop loving me?

Had she finally reached her limit and walked away?

Edwin prayed this wasn’t real.

Maybe she’d just gone out for a while. Maybe tomorrow morning, she’d be back in this room.

He sat there, staring at the flowers in his hand.

“She didn’t leave because she hates me. She didn’t.”

He clung to that thought as he stayed up all night, waiting for news of her.

But morning came, and there was nothing.