When My Contract with the Misanthropic Duke Ended, I Filed For Divorce, But My Husband's Obsession and Doting Became Unbearable - Chapter 24

…In the end, the argument between the Crown Prince and the Duke only stopped because their time ran out.

The Crown Prince left with his usual smile, teasing the Duke until the very end, while the Duke left openly showing his displeasure. After that, Reed and His Majesty also exited the room.

“…Seriously, what did they even come here for?”

They barely spoke to me at all. It felt like they just came to have a verbal battle with each other and then left. As for the Crown Prince, it honestly seemed like he only came to use me as an excuse to tease the Duke. Maybe His Majesty came along just to make sure Reed and the Crown Prince didn’t get too carried away?

Reed said he wanted to talk to me, but we hardly had any conversation either. Well… that was actually a relief for someone like me who wouldn’t have known what to say anyway.

In the end, the only important things that were actually discussed were the divorce being finalized and that I would be living in the royal castle. But if what my brother said was true—that the divorce itself was a lie—then it was never really “finalized” in the first place. I wonder if the Duke will ever notice that.

There are so many things I want to ask Reed or my brother, but I’m not sure when I’ll get the chance.
I heard Reed will be busier now that I’ve woken up, and although the Duke said he’d come to see me every day, he didn’t specify when—probably because of his work.

I’m sure Reed and my brother both have their reasons for doing what they did. And honestly, I want to see what the Duke will do from here on out, so… I have no intention of telling him the truth about the fake divorce just yet. Not that lying doesn’t make my chest hurt, but still…

“…Maybe this is a little unfair,” I muttered.

My voice faded away in the empty room. But really, I’d never done anything like this before—lying to someone just to test their feelings. So I hope it’s understandable that I’d feel a bit guilty.

My brother and Reed used to tell me that sometimes lies were necessary, but I was never good at them.
Right now, all I’m doing is keeping quiet about the lie, so I’d like to believe there’s no real danger of it being exposed…

Maybe my brother already knew I’d feel that way when he told me about it. Still, whether it’s him or Reed, I honestly can’t tell what either of them is thinking.

Maybe if things ever move forward between me and the Duke, I’ll finally understand their intentions too.

But to make that happen, I know I have to find some confidence in myself. If I don’t, then even if I come to believe the Duke’s feelings are real, my own self-doubt will only get in the way.

The problem is… I have no idea how to gain that confidence. In both looks and personality, there’s nothing about me that really stands out.