CWMBR 95

Chapter 95

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Once unleashed, that anger swelled uncontrollably.

He had forgiven her even when she drugged him at the Glynford Grand Theater. Even when he suspected she had deliberately given him the drug and conceived his child, he did not blame her. Instead, he took responsibility for everything by marrying her. Of course, it was regrettable that his indifference during their married life led to a tragic miscarriage, but he hadn't maliciously caused her to miscarry. Rather, the moment he realized her situation, he confronted it and admitted his fault.

"How could you do this to me...?"

...how could she possibly tell him she wanted a divorce? Shouldn't they first resolve the misunderstandings between them and make peace?

Ain puffed on a cigarette, his breath steaming in the cold. Bridget still hadn't contacted him.

Perhaps she really had fallen for someone else? Actually, this was all just an excuse; the truth might simply be that she wanted to meet a new man. Objectively speaking, whether by looks or character, she was definitely the kind of woman who could capture the attention of many men. Divorce wouldn't be a flaw.

And with her tender heart to boot, anyone who understood even a little of Bridget's nature would surely think it right to make a move. Given how widely known her marital discord was, someone might have been offering comforting platitudes. Someone like Gilum, for instance.

No, but wait. Was Gilum in his right mind? How could a royal investigator possibly make such personal advances toward a married woman who was his subject of inquiry? It was utterly inappropriate. Discipline had clearly broken down completely. It should be reported to the royal court so he could be sent back for re-education.

Ain contacted Sanne on impulse. Since Sanne was Gilum's direct superior, he planned to issue a warning through her.

But what came back was Sanne’s dry reply.

"I specifically instructed him to pay special attention to Madame Wise. She must be going through a difficult time, after all."

It was an absurd answer. Ain's expression hardened, but Sanne didn't bat an eye.

How could she not see a problem with Gilum’s behavior? Ain's distrust of the Royal Academy members now ran deep.

That day, having gained nothing substantial from Sanne, Ain entered the office irritably and spotted the Tervia Monthly neatly placed on his desk. Iliont had apparently found it again, hidden away in an out-of-the-way corner, and carefully returned it.

He instinctively reached to toss it aside. But then, 'accidentally,' he ended up opening the magazine. And 'coincidentally,' it opened to a marked section. Unable to ignore the visible text, Ain found himself reading a bit. The column he opened discussed the psychological changes experienced after a breakup.

The column, which explained psychological states divided into several stages, contained nothing remarkable, just as he expected. Things like not feeling the reality of the breakup and denying it, or blaming the other person and getting angry. Of course, since he wasn't even in a state of breakup to begin with, none of this applied to him anyway.

As Ain was about to close the magazine with a snort, one word caught his eye in a fleeting glance.

"…………Negotiation."

A lengthy explanation followed the word, but Ain recognized only the term itself with absolute clarity.

Negotiation. His mind suddenly cleared as if he’d been holding onto a lightbulb moment. The negotiation table was no different to him than a sofa. It was something he handled as easily as breathing, so this time too, it shouldn’t be difficult.

The suffocating feeling that had clogged his chest for days, like a blocked pipe, suddenly cleared.

Sanne had originally told the two of them to prepare their demands. Naturally, Bridget would have demands too, and Ain believed he could grant whatever they were.

He immediately drafted a proposal to sit down at the negotiation table with Bridget. After several revisions and security checks, he finalized the document.

That final version was now in his hands.

"So you agree to the divorce?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Didn't you come here to say you agree to the divorce?"

If he said no, she looked ready to storm out right then. He couldn't end it the moment they sat down at the table.

Ain pulled the final draft he'd prepared from his pocket and handed it over.

"………………What is this?"

"Negotiation materials."

"Huh?"

To secure the other party's investment, one must instill confidence in their future prospects and effectively highlight the benefits the other party stands to gain, based on accurate information. Objective analytical data was essential to build trust.

"Accurate data on the Wise family's standing and the benefits you'll gain by living as Madame Wise."

Bridget's hand, flipping through the documents Ain handed her with an indifferent gaze, paused abruptly.

"You said you have nothing to regret, but objectively, that statement can't be true. Just looking at those documents alone should make that clear."

"……………… Did you bring these documents just to brag about how great the Wise family is?”

“If it were to boast about the Wise family, I would have used a more effective method.”

Listing the greatness of the Wise family in such documents was merely a tedious repetition of phrases.

There was no need for such a troublesome task; simply visiting the Wise family’s main residence was enough for ordinary people to fully grasp its grandeur. The Wise family mansion, no different from a colossal work of art, inspired awe in visitors through its sheer grandeur alone. So if he had wanted to show off, he would have taken Bridget to the main house.

In that moment, Ain realized anew that he hadn't taken her to the main house. He hadn't even formally introduced her to relatives, let alone the main house.

The wedding itself had been half-hearted, with no Wise family members in attendance. Ain had unilaterally set the date and location back then, and hadn't even notified the family home, so even if they'd wanted to come, they couldn't have. Some relatives had learned of Ain's marriage through the newspaper.

Naturally, he'd never once received a request to bring Bridget home after the wedding. From the start, the Wise family had never truly accepted her as one of their own. Given how haphazardly the entire process had been handled, it was only natural.

Ain suddenly, instinctively realized he had made a colossal mistake. But the documents were already laid out before Bridget, who stared down at them with cold eyes.

"Objectively speaking, it must be nice to be from such a prestigious family. So what's this?"

Bridget didn't even flip through the entire document; she just placed it on the table. Ain frowned at this and said,

"In the back section, you can see the benefits you'll gain as Madame Wise."

"What good is checking that? We're getting divorced."

Her words weren't wrong at all. That was, assuming they were getting divorced.

"Bridget, I'm explaining the disadvantages our divorce will bring you."

"Yes, that's right. The one disadvantaged by our divorce is me, not you. So you have no reason to refuse it."

Regrettably, Ain’s final draft was discarded without serving its intended purpose. Ain didn't glance at the discarded papers. Instead, he stared at Bridget, who looked ready to leave at any moment.

"Why on earth would you make such a foolish choice?"

Bridget quietly observed him as he asked, his expression one of incomprehension. Her calm, settled green eyes held no particular passion. She just looked slightly annoyed and irritated.

"If you're not here to settle, then leave."

"I want to negotiate. Sanne said we should each outline our demands, so I want to know yours."

As she showed signs of rising, Ain blurted out quickly, without thinking. He knew this attitude wouldn't help the negotiations at all, but an inexplicable anxiety made him impatient.

"My demand is clear. We become legally strangers. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"What I wanted was to confirm our marriage was legitimate."

"Yes, how can we call ourselves husband and wife when we can't even be sure of that? Next time, marry legitimately and live a faithful family life."

"Bridget!"

Seeing her attempt to end the conversation, Ain instinctively grew impatient.

"I intend to be faithful to our family life."

Bridget's gaze showed not a hint of disturbance. It even seemed bored. Yet, this was all Ain could offer.

"My attitude will change, so our married life will change too. In the direction you desire..."

"The direction I desire?"

Bridget muttered in a puzzled voice, then let out a deflated laugh.

"You still don't even properly understand what that means, do you?"