CMESD 01

Chapter 1 

I’m Going with Mom!

A poor young lady with no influential backers has very few choices in life.

She can become a a private tutor, enter an older nobleman’s household as a second wife, or…

“I propose a contract marriage, Lady Milton.”

…make a transaction with a man who simply needs a nominal wife on paper.

“As you know, imperial law requires a marriage in order to register a child into the family registry. However, I have no intention of taking a real wife and complicating the succession.”

Out of all the options I was weighing, the person who reached out a hand to me was the Grand Duke of Preston.

Deep blonde hair, eyes that sparkled like sapphires, and a hero who had just returned from the battlefield. The proposal made by the man known as the empire’s sword and shield wasn’t particularly heroic.

“Are you telling me to make your child the heir and then leave without a word once it’s done, Your Grace?”

I was completely dumbfounded.

No matter how little I had to my name, I never expected to be treated with such utter disregard.

I had been told I needed to make my debut in high society, so I scraped together every coin I had—borrowed and saved—just to step foot into aristocratic circles, but it was clearly a complete waste of time.

It wasn’t too late yet. I should storm out of here right now, sell off these unnecessary dresses, and find a job as a tutor.

Thinking that, I moved to turn away with a cold, unyielding expression.

“Three years. For the duration required to legally register the child, you will quietly become the Grand Duchess and then vanish. In exchange, I will pay you one hundred gold coins in a lump sum.”

“And you will provide living expenses through a monthly trust until I die.”

“Agreed.”

It was simply too much money to turn down.

Before the Grand Duke could change his mind, I swiftly grabbed his hand.

Endure just three years and walk away with enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life? Only a fool would turn down an offer like that.

A single marriage could solve my entire life’s problems. I readily agreed to marry him.

It was, by all accounts, a flawless arrangement.

—Or so I had thought.

Chewing on the origins of how all of this began, I took a fresh look at my stark reality.

Those three years had flown by in an instant.

Throughout that time, I believed I had been a Grand Duchess that Liam could be satisfied with.

At least, that was my own thought.

Judging by the fact that the person sitting across from me when the contract reached its final day wasn’t Liam, but rather his attorney, Liam’s thoughts must have been rather different.

“Thank you for your hard work all this time, Madam.”

“Hard work, nonsense. If His Grace had only allowed it, I would have gladly kept working as the Grand Duchess a little longer.”

I subtly hinted at my willingness to extend the contract while carefully reading Jade’s expression. The hand I had hidden beneath the desk was trembling.

Please.

A fleeting flash of distress crossed Jade’s face.

It lasted only a split second. Quickly regaining his composure, he spoke as if nothing were amiss.

“My, my. That fellow Liam really ought to realize what he’s missing out on.”

So it really wasn’t going to happen, then.

I had half-expected as much, seeing as my letters sent to Eastern had gone entirely unanswered.

To begin with, Liam had never replied to a single letter I’d ever sent him, but since the extension wouldn’t have been a bad deal for him either, I couldn’t help holding onto a sliver of hope.

Noticing my expression, Jade offered words of comfort.

“I can assure you, Liam will definitely come to regret this.”

“Is that so…?”

“Of course.”

Yet, despite his reassuring words, Jade’s expression clearly showed how thoroughly uncomfortable he was sitting in that chair.

And naturally, he would be.

Even if it had all been planned from the start, the person tasked with delivering notice of a divorce could hardly be expected to enjoy themselves.

Especially when they had genuinely gotten along reasonably well with the other party.

Giving a polite, deliberate cough, he steered the conversation back to the main agenda.

“Now, before we sign, let us do a final review of the documents.”

“Yes.”

“Right here is the settlement agreement. If you find anything unusual or have any questions as you look through it, please let me know immediately.”

With those words, Jade handed me a copy of the documents and began reviewing his own set.

It felt less like he was double-checking for genuine errors and more like he was simply trying to fill the awkward silence.

Still, even the longest divorce settlement documents must eventually come to an end.

Flipping to the final page, he raised his head and asked:

“Now, do you have any questions?”

“The lump sum payment of two hundred and eighty-four gold coins, the monthly living expenses secured through the trust, alongside a two-story mansion, three carriages, twelve horses, eight maids, and three valets.”

And after this, I suppose I won’t ever be able to see Luna again.

Trying hard not to look too dejected, I continued:

“Is there anything else I need to know beyond that?”

“Hmm.”

Jade’s eyes drifted downward again. This time, he really did seem to be checking if anything had been left out.

“No, nothing at all. Is there anything else you would like to demand outside of these terms?”

“Beyond all this?”

“You only have to say the word, and I’ll show you just how much I can squeeze out of Liam.”

“I appreciate the thought, Jade, but this is more than enough.”

At my words, Jade looked almost more disappointed than I was, but he soon nodded and pulled a fresh document out of an envelope, sliding it across the table toward me.

“Very well. Let us also review what you will be giving up, Madam.”

I apathetically skimmed through the paperwork.

The items listed were purely formal matters I was already well aware of.

I would no longer be permitted to use the Preston surname, either publicly or privately.

I would be barred from engaging in any business ventures associated with the Prestons for the next ten years.

I could neither make nor do anything that would tarnish the prestige of the House of Preston.

I nodded indifferently as I read through clauses elegantly scrawled across the page.

The very last line bore a hastily scribbled clause in angry red ink, stating that violating even a single one of these terms would result in the immediate suspension of my living expenses and the filing of a massive lawsuit for damages.

None of it mattered to me, as I intended to leave the capital the moment everything was sorted out. Unless the Grand Duke’s household happened to be hiring wet nurses or maids again—though even then, probably not.

No. Wait. Even if they were looking for a nanny or maid for Luna, I wouldn’t be allowed to apply. If rumors started spreading about how a former Grand Duchess had fallen so low, it would immediately become a scandal for Luna.

This is better for Luna, too.

Suppressing my aching desire to somehow remain by the child’s side, I spoke up.

“I’ve checked everything. Is that it?”

“Yes. Once His Majesty the Emperor’s official approval comes down, all legal procedures will be finalized. Thank you for your hard work, Madam.”

Jade broke into a bright smile and extended his hand toward me. This would likely be the last time I ever faced this man.

Jade Hickston.

As the Count of Hickston and the owner of the largest law firm in the empire, every second of this man’s time was quite literally worth its weight in gold.

“Thank you for everything, Jade.”

I smiled, clasping his outstretched hand. Aside from the heavy ache of knowing I might never see Luna again, a strange sense of liberation washed over me.

I need to explain things to Luna and pack my bags.

Because of the lingering, foolish hope that the contract might somehow be extended, I hadn’t even started packing. Looking back on it now, it was remarkably stupid.

What on earth was I thinking, assuming I wouldn’t need to clear out my room the moment I signed the divorce papers?

If I leave everything I was given here behind, I should be able to leave by today. I’ll head back to my hometown first, clear up the debts, and then…

As I mentally ran through the life plan I had cobbled together in my spare moments over the last three years, the study door abruptly flew open without so much as a knock.

With Liam currently absent, there was only one person in the entire estate who would ever do such a thing.

“Luna.”

The eight-year-old young lady of the Grand Duchy.

The niece whom Liam had been so desperate to secure in the family registry that he had resorted to a contract marriage.

A little girl who still barely reached my waist strode purposefully into the study.

Her hair was a lighter honey-blonde than Liam’s, and her eyes, several shades darker than his, were so deep they appeared almost black beneath the shadows.

“Luna, how did you come—”

The moment Jade opened his mouth with a troubled expression at the sight of the thoroughly furious child, Luna cut him off with an angry voice.

“I heard everything.”

Stepping forward, I tried to intervene.

“I don’t know what you think you heard, but…”

“You and Dad are getting a divorce, aren’t you?”

Ah. Well, she certainly heard correctly.

Stunned into sudden speechlessness, I clamped my mouth shut.

I hadn’t intended for her to find out this way. I shot a desperate, pleading look toward Jade for help.

Even the lawyer renowned for commanding the highest consultation fees in the entire empire looked deeply distressed as he awkwardly bent his knees to her level.

“Luna, Luna’s mom and dad…”

However, before Jade could stumble through an explanation of the situation, Luna spoke up with absolute finality.

“Uncle Jade, I appreciate it, but you don’t need to explain.”

“Huh?”

“Mom and Dad are getting divorced, so I have to choose one of them to go with, right?”

Huh?

At the utterly unexpected words, Jade and I exchanged a blank look.

The bizarre silent exchange—where each of us could only silently ask the other What on earth is she talking about? while no one offered an answer—finally ended when Luna slammed her hands onto her hips with a fiercely determined expression.

“I’m going with Mom!”

Her bold, ringing voice echoed sharply against the walls.