I'm Divorcing My Tyrant Husband

I raised my eyebrows at the unexpected words.

"If it was far away, it must have been an event, right?"

"Yes, it was a national wedding."

At Norman's brief remarks, I understood the circumstances.

'It was the wedding of Alexander and Robelia. In fact, if it was such a big event, he would have had to attend as a duke.'

I offered him a seat and asked the maids to bring the fine.

"Thank you."

I shook my head as he greeted me.

"Let's stop sharing empty greetings that we don't even want to be polite to each other."

I asked, casting a sharp glance at him over the fan.

"Why did you come to me like this, the most recent member of the Duke of Schwarzkopf?"

Normal aristocrats would spend a long time having long conversations and thinking about the other person's intentions without going directly to the main point.

However, spying on other people's intentions with the feeling of being on a single rope is not to my taste.

I'd rather not ask openly like this.

'Besides, it's a win-win. If you get stab when you are careless, something might come out of you in a panic.'

However, Norman made a curious face at my question.

Rather than showing a sign of embarrassment... It was close to a sad laugh.

"The Empress also thinks of me as the most aide to the Queen."

"Isn't that so?"

"I won't deny it. However, my visit to Her Majesty this time is not related to the Queen. I didn't come here to spy on your Majesty for her."

Rather, I felt as if I had voted for him from this side. Looking at the faces of the maids, it seemed that I was not the only one who thought so.

"Then what?"

"Do you, Majesty, remember the orphanage of St. Johanna?"

At his words, I quickly opened the list in my head.

'St. Johnna, St. Johnna.... Who is...'

I was looking through my head, but as I searched carefully, I remembered the convenience of memories that I had forgotten.

'Oh yeah! It was orphanage in a local city in the south. It was on my sponsorship list last month.'

In the meantime, I've spent money on really everything to get a divorce.

The money didn't mean that I couldn't buy only jewelry. This is because there are other things that aristocrats think are more useless than dresses.

It is the relief of the poor, such as orphans and the sick, and the quality of life of ordinary people.

'That's why I purposely sponsored nurseries, hospitals, and libraries. Because nobles think such things are more useless than buying a jewelry.'

Anyway, if I remember correctly, St. Johanna's Orphanage was one of the places I sponsored.

"I do remember, but what does that have to do with the Duke?"

I asked without hiding my doubts.

But Norman didn't give me the answer I wanted. Instead of answering my questions, he said something that made me even more bewildered.

"Why did you donate a large amount of money there?"

"Uh?"

"Why did you donate such a large amount anonymously, even every month for the past 7 months?"

'How the hell did he know that?'

Knowing so well the details of the anonymous sponsorship came only to the conclusion that he had done a background check on me.

I asked more sharply.

"I don't understand what you mean, Duke. What does it matter to you whether I donate to the orphanage or not? You came here suddenly without an agreement to interrogate me, so you don't even notice who this place is?"

"I'm sorry. your Majesty. My emotions have become a bit intense."

As I shouted, Norman calmly softened his momentum.

"Then, stop making it frustrating and say something straight-forward. Why did you suddenly come to me, and why do you suddenly ask about the orphanage?"

"It's... Your Highness. You might be embarrassed if I suddenly say this. No, maybe it's something you already know. Either way. I don't want to say anything rude to Your Highness, but...…"

"I was already full of embarrassment from the time you came to visit me without an agreement. So, stop taking your time and talk."

"I have a lot of ears, so you pass it on to me. If you do that, I'll explain everything honestly."

In particular, Caleb lowered the tip of his eyebrows and begged.

"I don't know what purpose the Duke came to the Empress here for. If you let me be in the meeting...."

"No, everyone, go out."

But I resolutely cut off his plea.

"Don't worry too much, I'll call you if I ever need anything."

Only then did the maids and Caleb have no choice but to leave the drawing room.

Caleb looked at this place several times, crying like a puppy scolded by his owner until the end.

As the door closed, I said.

"Now, it's the Duke's turn. Come on, tell me what's going on."

He opened his mouth with a face like a confessor in front of a priest.

"Yeah, it's nothing else... I actually, in fact, have an illegitimate child."

"........"

"Yeah, it's none other than..... Actually, he an illegitimate child."

And this time, I really didn't have the time to panic.

'What does this mean? illegitimate child? Are you serious?'

It was fortunate that I was holding a fan. Because I was able to effectively hide my face that I couldn't control.

'No, it didn't come out like that in the original! Norman's illegitimate child!'

But I couldn't help but say that I was shocked. Impersonating leisure is one of the most important strategies of negotiation, and above all... It's rude to make a fuss about someone else's weakness.

So I bȧrėly got a word out

"That… It's definitely surprising."

Aside from other things, to be an illegitimate child to the original sub-male who is the most sincere. This was definitely one of the breaking points.

'It's a problem whether it's true or not.'

Whether or not he knows what I think... He said calmly.

"His name is Ernst. People around him seem to call him Ern."

"Why is it a 'look? Aren't you the child's father?"

"Yes, but I am unable to take care of the child myself due to personal circumstances. I am ashamed... The child is currently in the nursery."

Only then did the pieces of the puzzle fit in my head.

"So it seems that Ernst, the illegitimate son of the Duke, is now at the orphanage of St. Johanna? So you did a background check on the anonymous sponsor of the orphanage?"

"That's right."

Norman nodded with a serious face and asked.

"Then you are saying that Her Majesty, unaware of Ernst's existence, accidentally sponsored the orphanage? Don't you know that Ernst is my son?"

"Of course. Why the hell did you think I knew and supported it?"

He asked sharply, but at the same time, he understood.

It was not a bad idea for the Empress to anonymously provide large amounts of support to the nursery.

Norman seemed to be in a complicated mood, knowing that the sponsorship was not intentionally aimed at him. He muttered with a bitter smile.

"I did"

"I have another question for you. Why did the Duke send your son to the orphanage? I don't think you're such an unscrupulous person who doesn't even take responsibility for your own children."

Still, it's because the name is the sub male protagonist. The emotion I felt for Norman when reading the original was that he was the most normal person among the characters in this novel.

A shadow fell on Norman's face as he heard my question.

"That's... in the future, you'll definitely know about my complicated in the future. You know what the reputation of me and my father is like."

I know that of course. Even though I came here to study, I also read the original.

'Clearly, because of the fact that he lived in the northern regions and his unusual appearance, he overturned the stigma of being a monster and lived a lonely life. The first person to approach him like that was Aisha.'

Only then did the fog in my head gradually darken and the form of truth began to come into my eyes.

"No way…... to protect the child from the stigma of your family?"

"Yes. As you know, my father and I lived separate lives from society. I wanted to get rid of this stigma, but as me and my father, who had only dealt with tough warriors in the remote north, we refused to do so."

Norman said with a sad face.

"I even thought about that when I was a kid. I wish I was born an orphan rather than living in such a lonely family like this. If I did, no one would have called me a monster, and I wouldn't have worn colored glasses on numerous rumors before I met you, and And he would have seen me the way I was."

"That's why you sent my child to the nursery…"

"I wanted to at least not let the child grow up under the prejudice of being a monster. And when the child grew up big and strong enough not to be ridiculed by the prejudice, I wanted to reveal the truth and pass on the duke and territories. It was also a request from her who died while putting the child in."

At some point I was seriously listening to his story, and I blinked to continue, and Norman continued.

"There is a problem. Although we continue to provide confidential support to the orphanage that has left the child behind, there are limits to this approach. The larger the amount we donate, the more we will get noticed and the rumors will spread, and eventually someone will ask the question. If that happens, it will only be a matter of time before it turns out that Ernst is my hidden child, and then my efforts to protect him from rumors will be in vain."

"In the meantime, you had to pay attention to other sponsors, right?"

"It's not just bothering me."

Norman said with a serious face.

"I sincerely leaned for it. Thanks to this sponsor's enormous support, my child was able to grow up in a much better environment without worrying about the secret being revealed, and I was genuinely curious. Who the hell is this sponsor. And with what intention did you sponsor to this nursery, perhaps do you happen to know the secrets of me and Ernst?"

"Now, your curiosity must have been resolved."

"Yes. From the moment I found out that there was a new sponsor... I kept thinking about who she was. When I found out through the investigation that the supporter was the Empress, I was shocked. You're not the kind of person who would give a large sum of money to a modest orphanage."

'What, this atmosphere... Don't tell me...'

I felt the ominousness of the cost.

And, unfortunately, my ominous premonitions were on the better side.

"And from then on, I've only been thinking about Your Majesty's. Whether your Majesty's intentions to support the orphanage, whether or not you knew the secrets of me and Ernst..."

Norman's eyes saying that... It was far from the cold eyes I imagined while reading the original.

According to the original description, Norman showed no affection for anyone other than Aisha. He trusted and followed only Aisha, the master who had tamed him, and showed only a cold and hard look to others.

But now, Norman in front of me...

'I… No matter how I look... ..'

I thought with a cold sweat behind my back.

In his red eyes... It doesn't contain sincere goodwill, interest, and warm affection.

Norman spoke with an incredibly friendly face.

"Now that I found out that there was no reason to sponsor the nursery, and that you didn't intend to catch and use my secret..... I have always want to come to have a deep respect for Your Majesty."