While Min-ha understood her situation and agonized over what to do in the future, it was already evening.
Elle went out of the room, saying she should help in preparing her meal, while Min-ha, who was left alone, was still thinking about her future course of action.
It is hard to imagine that Seth Persen, who couldn’t stand anyone not responding to his knock, quietly opened the door.
“…..What are you so preoccupied with? Enough that you can’t even hear me knocking?”
“Ah!”
At the sudden voice of Seth Persen, Min-ha stopped thinking and raised her head. Then, she found him by her side, looking at her as if he was observing her closely.
Wearing a black military uniform and a black sword at his waist, he looked cold and overbearing. The eyes that looked down at her were as cold as the deep sea.
His expressionless face was hard to see, but Min-ha could tell at least one emotion he is feeling. That would be hate. That he hates her very much.
Min-ha, who had been looking into Seth’s frosty gaze, turned away as she felt his gaze become very burdensome. Then, as if he was more offended in comparison to the last time they talked, Seth spoke in a colder voice.
“You don’t want to see me anymore?”
“Pardon? No, not really.”
“Well, that’s good. If that’s what you desire, then this conversation will end quickly.”
Hearing her uninterested response, Seth put out the parchment scroll he was holding in his hand. Then, he pointed to a blank space and said,
“Just sign here. After that, you’ll be free from me, someone who makes you sick just by looking at his face.”
“…..”
Seth spoke in a determined voice and looked at her with cold eyes.
Min-ha looked at the parchment and then fixed her gaze into Seth. Then, he said, raising one eyebrow.
“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re not going to tell me that you still can’t sign it and divorce me.”
“No, that’s not it. I’ll sign it as you wish. Minase…..No, I’ve done a lot of cruel things. Both to you and your brother.”
“…..That’s it?”
“I don’t want to be forgiven. I can’t be forgiven.”
It was not Min-ha’s fault, but after hearing the situation from Elle, she said it in a sense wherein it was not unreasonable for this handsome man to behave in this way.
Min-ha continued, thinking so.
“You can hate me forever. Because I think it’s natural for you to do that.”
“……….”
“So, Minase Persen….No, I hope you don’t forgive a woman like me for the rest of your life, and meet a woman who’ll treat you better and live happily.”
“What did you say just now?”
Seth asked Min-ha, as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying.
And Min-ha could fully understand why he reacted that way.
Minase Persen is a woman with big pride, hence she wasn’t someone who could admit her mistake so easily.
However, the one living in the body of Minase Persen is Kim Min-ha. Therefore, I should act like myself, not like her.
Min-ha continued to speak while looking into Seth’s eyes as she understood that he still had his doubts.
“I mean it. I don’t have any hidden intentions.”
“………”
Seth’s eyes showed that he was surprised by Min-ha’s subsequent remarks, making it seem like the words that came out of her mouth were totally unexpected.
Min-ha carefully opened her mouth to ask a favor for her future course of action that she was thinking about a while ago.
“Well, by the way…..I’m really, really sorry, but can you please listen to a request of mine?”
“……Did you just apologize? What’s wrong with you?”
His eyes, slightly puzzled by the word ‘please’, turned cold again.
He was suspicious of her sudden weak attitude, thinking that she was doing this to avoid divorcing him.
Min-ha said, feeling overwhelmed by Seth’s current appearance.
“I have a final request. I want you to listen to what I have to say.”
“Alright. Tell me, I will give it to you unless it’s an increase in alimony.”
“No, it’s not that. I don’t need alimony if you do me this favor.”
“Then, what is it?”
“Please prepare a job for me.”
“…..What?”
“Or, let me stay here until I get a job. That’s my request.”
Seth’s face stiffened when he heard her say those words. It was as though he had heard something he shouldn’t have heard. No, as though it was the first time in her life ever that he had heard something like that.
Seth stared at Min-ha’s face. Then, soon, he snorted and looked suspiciously at her.
“What new way of negotiation is this? What are you doing?”
“…..Pardon?”
“Are you trying to increase the alimony by doing this? Or are you trying to turn this situation around and then tell me to never get divorced?”
“…..Excuse me?”
Min-ha was secretly annoyed at Seth’s sarcastic attitude.
Of course, it’s not that I don’t understand what Minase Persen did to him, but isn’t it kind of unreasonable of him to keep responding like this?
Min-ha looked up at Seth and said,
“When did I ask for more alimony? I just asked you to prepare a job for me. Why don’t you listen to what people say?”
“Listen to people, really?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What?”
When Min-ha got angry at Seth’s response, he snorted and continued.
“When there was a time when one had to worry about food, you wouldn’t move a finger saying how would a noble lady such as yourself do something that only lower classes are supposed to do. You who have never washed your own face by yourself not even once, what are you saying you would do?”
“…..Yes? Wash my own face?”
Min-ha had an unknowingly bad expression on her face. She is from a class that doesn’t need to work, but how could she not even be able to wash her own face? I thought she could at least do those simple things.
Seth, who saw Min-ha’s expression, continued his words as if he wanted to see how she’ll respond.
“I don’t know what your intentions are, but wouldn’t it bother the person who you’ll work for?”
“E-Excuse me!”
“So, you’d better stop with your dirty tricks. Aren’t you taking it too far already?”
“………”
“But you’ve changed your mind a little, it’s a good thing.”
Seth went to where Min-ha was and grabbed the quill pen that was on the table. He used the pen to modify one phrase written on the divorce papers. Then, he said, handing the quill pen he was holding to Min-ha.
“I don’t know whose idea it is, but I’d say it’s a pretty good strategy to say you’re going to work so as to avoid leaving the mansion.”
“……..”
“I’ve increased the alimony a little as you wished. So, stop your nonsense of trying to acquire even more money from me. I need you to sign here.”
“Ha…..This is your response to my request?”
“Yes. It’s enough to live a life of luxury for the rest of your life. But of course, it’s not for free. I need you to follow all the conditions stated here to acquire the alimony.”
“……Really, your distrust for this woman is endless. Well, I’d do the same too.”
“What?”
Instead of answering Seth’s question, Min-ha quietly picked up the quill pen in his hand and found the part he had just changed earlier.
‘What? You think I can’t work?’
Who? Me? I studied so hard so as to get a full scholarship in college, and at the same time, I was doing four part-time jobs to give my parents living expenses.
I know it’s definitely a criticism directed at Minase Persen, but I was still angry when he said it while looking straight at me because it seemed like it was directed towards me.
Min-ha snorted and looked down at the amount Seth will be giving her as alimony.
Along with the amount that had more ‘0’s than I have expected, there was a detailed clause below it that was explained with more than one paragraph. Min-ha snorted again.
‘Oh, since you’ll be giving me this much, you want me to follow all these conditions? Let me see what they are then.’
[Condition 1. Do not use your title as the former Duchess of Persen for your benefit.
Condition 2. Once you leave the mansion after the divorce, do not tell anyone about the secrets of the Persen household, and do not interact with the Duke of Persen.
Condition 3. Do not exchange letters with anyone outside the Persian territory. If it needs to be done for urgent business, you must disclose the contents of the letter to the Duke.
Condition 4. If you intend to leave the Persian territory, make sure to follow the procedures of the said territory.]
Min-ha was dumbfounded by the conditions included.
‘No, you want me to live with all these conditions? I know you gave me a lot of money, but aren’t you being too harsh? There are so many things I don’t know about this world yet.’
No matter how difficult the situation was, it was unacceptable. Min-ha drew two lines above the number that Seth wrote, made an arrow next to it, and wrote the number ‘0’.
“Will you believe me if I do this? Moreover, if I don’t get this much money, I don’t have to follow conditions that are as many as these, right?”
“……What is this?”
“You’re mistaken if you think that I’m saying this to get more alimony.”
“……..”
“Of course, you can’t believe it. You may not want to believe it. But I want you to believe this one thing. I’m going to change for the better. I’m not going to bother you, your brother, or your servants anymore.”
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Min-ha said so with sincerity. From her point of view, it was obvious that he wouldn’t believe what Minase Persen said even if she said it with sincerity, but she still hoped that he would believe this.
Min-ha suddenly added.
“Please, please.”
Seth’s cold blue eyes shook slightly.
Then, he stopped with his sarcastic attitude and stared at Min-ha with a serious face.