The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Family Wants A Divorce

✦  Chapter 1 – Our Fourth Anniversary  ✦

「Translator – Creator」

‘I’m back.’

The words echoed silently in my mind, a mantra of disbelief and dawning horror. 

But where did it all begin?

For now, my memories were vivid, painfully clear.

It was mere days after laying Rianna to rest that the final wave of transcendent beings had descended upon our world.

The kingdom fell.

I fell.

Slain by a horde of unimaginable creatures, my life’s purpose unfulfilled.

And yet, here I stood.

“Brother-in-law? Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

Alois was calling out to me, just as he did eleven years ago.

At this point, I had to accept it.

‘I really have come back.’

Strength coursed through my rejuvenated body.

Every step I took felt miraculous.

Despite this, my instincts, shaped by my memories, clearly saw Alois as an adversary.

“Brother-in-law?”

I couldn’t ignore his calls forever, so I decided to confirm it.

“Alois, where are the bouquet and cake I prepared?”

“Ah, you’re finally awake, huh? The servants have the bouquet ready, and the cake is being delivered this evening.”

Alois then clutched his head in frustration and pleaded.

“Please, go and cheer up Sister. Right now, it’s chaos out there.”

“Yes, Alois.”

There was a part of me that wanted to kill the red-haired man standing before me.

My hands itched to wrap themselves around his throat, to unleash eleven years’ worth of pent-up rage. But reason, however unwelcome, held me back. He was a Helmund, after all. Born with the overwhelming physical abilities of the Helmund family, abilities an ex-commoner like me couldn’t hope to overcome.

Not yet, anyway.

So, I passed him by.

‘Bouquet, cake, and chandelier.’

Today would be eventful.

The bouquet had a hidden blade, the cake contained a potion to induce stomach cramps.

And the chandelier would fall on me, crippling my right leg.

‘All of this… was your plan, Alois.’

This time, I won’t fall for it.

As I passed by him, I noticed the pendant hanging around Alois’s neck.

It was a gift my wife Rianna had given him when they were children, something he always kept with him.

And inside the pendant was a letter Rianna had written to him as a child.

That very thing was why Alois had ruined my life.

‘A depraved, incestuous fetishist.’

He was a lunatic, infatuated with his own sister.

Outwardly friendly towards me, but inwardly filled with the deepest hatred.

Three years from now, unable to hide his feelings, he would face tragedy and be exiled from the family.

❖

Stepping out of my room, I found myself facing the central hall of the Helmund manor, a familiar sight; the staircase leading to the second floor faced the front door directly, and the spacious, dignified interior was as well-maintained as ever. 

The weapons mounted on the walls hinted at the family’s deep martial tradition.

And there, at the foot of the staircase, stood a woman with fiery red hair, her hands clasped delicately before her.

“Rianna…” 

The wife I had buried with my own hands.

The pride of the kingdom who fought against the transcendent beings until the bitter end.

The Crimson Rose, Rianna Helmund.

“Isaac.”

At my call, she slowly turned her head to look at me. Her blood-red eyes, like crafted jewels, seemed to scold me.

“One of Father’s strict rules is that family members must have breakfast together.”

Her expressionless face, familiar despite the ten-year gap, was as it always had been.

For the record, I was not counted among those required to attend breakfast; despite being the husband of the eldest daughter.

“However, today I did not attend breakfast. I had asked Father for permission.”

“Because of me?” 

She nodded curtly. “You told me you had prepared a special breakfast for our anniversary.”

And now, fate, it seemed, was determined to rub salt in my wounds.

“…………..”

I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze drawn to the simple band that adorned her left ring finger. At the same time, I felt the weight of my own ring, a strange sensation after years of it being absent.

Rianna, why did you keep the ring from a husband who ran away?

Questions remained, but there was no one to answer them.

“Though I’m a little late, let’s have breakfast.”

Without a word, Rianna headed to the dining room. There, a table set for two awaited us, with ready place settings.

It must have been something the me of this world had arranged.

We took our seats, and like clockwork, servants appeared at our sides, placing bowls of steaming soup before us.

And among their faces, one stood out, both familiar and welcome.

“Mili.”

The youngest cook in the Helmund kitchen, with her tanned, bronze skin, was a striking peer of mine.

We used to chat often back in the day.

However, I had lost contact with her after fleeing Helmund.

“Yes, Sir Isaac.”

Though I called her name out of familiarity, Mili seemed to take it as a signal.

She brought bread and sandwich ingredients, placing them before me; they were rather rudimentary ingredients, unlike the usual lavish fare of Helmund.

‘Ah.’

Seeing them, I finally remembered. 

Part of the anniversary event was to recreate the first meal I had ever made for Rianna.

“………..”

Back then, her expressionless face had intimidated me, making it difficult to actually make anything properly.

‘But now that I look at it…’

With the benefit of hindsight, I detected a flicker of something else in her gaze. Not disgust, not disappointment, but… anticipation?

Once the servants retreated, I began making a sandwich for Rianna. 

With more confidence than I’d had all those years ago, I hoped this small gesture could repair, or at least, reinterpret the past.

I sliced the bread in half, layered slices of cheese, and arranged crispy bacon strips. A few pickled cucumbers serve as the only nod to vegetables. As a final touch, a generous scoop of savory mashed potatoes completes the masterpiece.

“Here you go.” 

“………….” 

Rianna’s gaze lingered on the sandwich I was offering.

And she cautiously accepted it with both hands. 

Back when we first met, it took quite a bit of effort to convince her to eat with her hands. Back then, she considered it a breach of etiquette.

As I was making my own sandwich, I caught a glimpse of Rianna. She cradled the sandwich between her hands, taking delicate bites; the sight brought a small smile to my lips.

❖

Soon, time passed, and evening arrived.

The banquet hall in the Helmund estate.

On the balcony, bathed in the soft glow of starlight, Isaac gazed up at the night sky. 

Beside him stood his elegantly dressed wife, gazing at the same sky.

Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back, accentuating the ethereal pallor of her skin.

Her eyes, as crimson as a summer rose, blazed with a fire all their own. 

Truly, she lived up to her reputation as the Kingdom’s most beautiful woman.

Today had been a busy day.

Isaac had meticulously prepared a fresh bouquet of flowers.

Instead of the extravagant cake from a renowned bakery, he sought out Mili, requesting a small, unassuming confection.

The chandelier did fall as Alois had planned, but having anticipated it, he smoothly avoided it.

And now, after nearly ten years, he found himself back in this place.

‘In my past life, I was knocked out by the falling chandelier.’

A gentle breeze caressed his face as he turned slightly. 

Rianna stood beside him.

Her stoic, emotionless expression and cold red eyes always made him tread carefully around her.

“Rianna.”

“………….”

She remained silent, offering no response to his call.

Her gaze remains fixed on the heavens, as if awaiting something.

“I put a lot of effort into today.”

For Isaac, today’s event was fourteen years in the making.

And now, the final part.

In this spot, where the empty Helmund rose garden shone brightly under the moonlight.

Gently, Isaac drew Rianna’s left hand into his own.

“We’ve been through a lot together.”

“………….”

“But we’ve managed well enough as husband and wife.”

Even Rianna’s carefully composed facade faltered, replaced by an expression of surprise at his unexpected statement.

“I’ve given our relationship a lot of thought. Trying to determine the best course of action for both of us.”

He softly cradled her left hand with both of his.

“Rianna.”

Then, as he carefully removed her wedding ring from her ring finger, he uttered the words hanging heavy in the air.

“Let’s get a divorce.”

The wind, scented with roses, blew through.

“What?”

For the first time tonight, Rianna’s carefully constructed mask of indifference crumbled.

END of CHAPTER