IWLNCSM 01

Chapter 01… To Take Revenge, You Need an Axe

To him, I was like an old, unsellable house—one that didn’t appreciate in value, only drained him with taxes.

September, from Iona’s diary

How on earth did we end up like this?

Iona, her gaze fixed, murmured inwardly.

“Would you repeat that, please?”

His voice was carefully restrained, but beneath it, she could hear the unease that leaked through.

She hadn’t meant to make him this anxious, so she was a little taken aback.

“No, I mean—you can have another lover if you want…!”

She didn’t even finish the sentence before he lifted her and set her atop the desk.

Normally, he was so gentle. But the moment she brought up the idea of him having another lover, he turned utterly ruthless.

Wasn’t this what we agreed on in the first place?

But when she looked down at the man kneeling before her, their eyes meeting, she felt her resolve melting away.

Honestly, it was all because of his face. Or maybe his bursting chest muscles.

Or perhaps those sharply defined thighs, or his throat moving with each breath.

In short—Dionhardt, tilting his head as he glanced up at her, was exactly her type.

“Do you really need another lover?”

The low voice brushed against her ear.

It wasn’t threatening. No, it was more like… a wolf afraid of losing its master. She nearly blurted out that she’d give him whatever he wanted.

Ah, no—I can’t get swayed. The constellations want a reverse harem genre, remember.

But before she could think further, Dion softly pulled her hand and pressed it against his cheek, rubbing against it with an affectionate desperation. Her heart nearly burst, and she had to hold her breath.

This… this shameless man!

Black hair like night itself, deep-set eyes, a sculpted nose, a strong jawline—all within her grasp.

Looking like the pinnacle of some devilish collection, behaving this way was simply unfair.

And the worst part? Dionhardt knew exactly how to use his looks.

“My dear.”

Their eyes met—and he smiled, the corners of his eyes curling.

His voice, deep and sweet enough to make her heart lurch, continued slowly.

“Your ex-husband is standing at the front gate again.”

“……!”

“Don’t you want to tease him a little?”

Dionhardt’s mischievous eyes flicked toward the open window.

She had opened it on purpose to let in the spring breeze—but who knew it could be used like this?

Her ex-husband was a bastard, but admittedly, a capable one.

Though the master bedroom was a fair distance from the front gate of the Grand Duke Kaelas’s mansion, he would surely hear everything through that small gap.

Dion slipped his hand beneath her back as if ready to carry her to the window.

His veined, devilishly seductive hands trailed up her spine, making her shiver. Her hesitation didn’t last long.

After shutting off the “broadcast,” Iona looped her arms around Dionhardt’s neck.

“Make it loud enough to drill into his ears.”

[▶ Viewers’ complaints are flooding in!]
[Some constellations are seriously considering that this is better than a reverse harem.]

Messages of protest filled her vision. But Iona ignored them, blinking three times to disconnect.

“If this was supposed to be seduction, it worked.”

“Then take it that way.”

She smirked, imagining her ex-husband outside fuming with misplaced betrayal.

Even though her relationship with Dionhardt had only developed after the divorce papers were signed, he claimed she had been cheating.

Ridiculous. If he wanted fidelity, he should’ve been a better husband. He was the one who cheated first.

Cheating wasn’t just about sleeping with someone.

Before the divorce, Iona had endured his constant emotional infidelity.

And one sunny day, she’d decided.

Fine. Let’s see this through to the end.

If it came to a hair-pulling fight, let’s see who won.

She wasn’t about to die alone, quietly and prettily.

Not again.

So Iona decided—she would never, ever endure anything again.

Iona’s husband had been a holy knight.

Chaste, disciplined, dazzling with silver hair and violet eyes like violets in bloom.

When he donned his uniform and walked the streets with his fellow knights, women would clutch their chests.

Tall, broad-shouldered, stern-faced—he was at his most radiant in his order’s uniform.

He was the man who kindly aided the weak, who struck down injustice on the spot.

The Empire’s sword and light: Felix Theresia.

Praised by all, his only “blemish” was his wife—Iona.

A vain, frivolous woman, they said.

That was the label attached to her.

Damn it, how unfair.

And now, that very same Iona was penniless, wandering the streets.

If I’d known I’d get thrown out like this, I would’ve spent every last coin without hesitation!

She had tried so hard to scrimp and save because he always complained about money.

I should’ve fought back against those rumors instead of staying silent. How could I have been called wasteful when I had nothing left to spend?

No—that wasn’t all.

I should’ve exposed him. The man you all praise so much? He’s a pathetic mama’s boy, always running to his mother whenever something goes wrong.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it.

He was obsessed with the saintess, trailing after her everywhere. I should’ve leaked it to the tabloids—“Holy Knight’s Wife Abandoned for the Saintess!”

But no, she had covered for him, because he was her husband.

Forced into a political marriage at twenty.

She’d thought it would be better than her family—so she had tried. She had really tried.

And this was her reward.

“Cough, cough…!”

Now, what use was it to fume?

She had already been cast out of the Theresia estate.

I’d rather die than return to my family. I will die before I go back.

Breathing hard, she clutched her hood closed with stiff hands.

Her health had always been fragile, and now with a feverish cold, she was worse off than ever.

Ugh, so dizzy.

He had thrown her out like trash, not even letting her take a proper coat.

“To teach you the value of protection from your family,” he had said.

With no emergency money, she couldn’t even rent a cheap inn room.

He must’ve thought she would bow her head and crawl back.

But not this time.

“If you want to come home, apologize for your insolence toward the saintess.”

“Ha! And why should I? I am the mistress of this house, not that saintess!”

“Still as arrogant as ever. When you feel remorse, kneel in front of the mansion. Until then, you are no Theresia.”

What she had seen was the saintess practically tearing his shirt off.

They claimed the room had never been used, but it was the couple’s marital bedroom. As his wife, didn’t she have the right to question it?

His reply had been priceless.

“Don’t misunderstand. The saintess was merely tending my wounds.”

Looking like that?! With her nostrils flared from excitement?!

While Iona argued, the saintess had hidden behind Felix’s back.

If she was innocent, she should’ve faced her directly.

And when Iona pointed that out, Felix had looked at her with utter disdain.

“Your mind is filthy. Do you always have such vulgar thoughts?”

Truly remarkable.

If there were a contest for turning things upside down, her husband would win first place.

He’s the one at fault, yet he talks about fixing my behavior?

The world needed to know just how petty and vile he was.

But…

Her vision blurred.

Stumbling, she suddenly felt a cold touch—then looked up.

From the ashen sky, sleet began to fall.

On days like this, people went on dates or hurried home. But she had nowhere to go.

Neither family nor in-laws. No friends left, ruined by rumors.

Truly pitiful.

Bang!

Before the thought finished, her body was hurled upward.

A carriage skidded toward her.

She had no strength to dodge. The impact hit, scattering her like sleet.

Did someone order a hit on me?

The coachman’s eyes, when she saw them, chilled her to the bone.

There was no surprise—only intent.

As if he had wanted her dead, he drove the horses over her again.

Ah, I should’ve caused a scene. If I was going to die this miserably, I should’ve gone out with a bang.

That was her last thought, watching the coachman flee.

She thought she heard someone whisper, “Oh-ho, this could be fun.”

But that must’ve been her imagination.

Then came suffocating darkness, bitterly unfair.

And then—

[▶ An unidentified contractor has used <Helheim’s Hourglass> on you!]
[All the constellations are watching you closely!]
[Some constellations lick their lips at your thirst for revenge.]
[Some constellations have blessed you with <Amazing Adaptability!>]

Cold air gently stirred her back into consciousness.