What the hell, this is the first time since she exchanged points for the Mind Reading Technique.
"He won a battle, returned home with his followers to celebrate, only to find a note nailed to his own front door."
The man casually pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment from his chest, slowly placed it on the counter, and then used his long, fair fingers to smooth it out little by little.
It seemed as if he wasn't rubbing a piece of parchment, but the person who wrote it.
Ellie Miller curiously leaned down, and upon seeing the familiar handwriting, a chill shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
On the note was her flamboyant handwriting:
"To the esteemed Duke of Coldcrest:
I feel a marriage without conjugal relations is unfortunate. Although I'm not sure if you are inadequate in some respect, in order to avoid wasting each other's time, let's cut our losses and divorce!
Oh! I asked my maid, and the kingdom, following the Radiant See, prohibits divorce among the nobility.
However, there are always ways to silverline the policies from above; look at Lady Rose and her husband for example! As long as both parties agree, even if there is no formal divorce, living separately is as good as really being divorced.
So, from now on, let's stay out of each other's lives, and I wish you an early 'recovery' and to swiftly find a suitable lady to spend your wonderful life with~!
Your wife, no, ex-wife, Ellie Miller."
Ellie Miller: "..."
"Can you tell me how my 'friend' should deal with this woman?" the man, or rather, the Duke of Coldcrest, Artor Coldcrest, asked in his usual composed tone.
But damn it, wasn't that even scarier!
Ellie Miller tried to muster a forced smile while gradually retreating backward, and then, in a flash, when the man wasn't paying attention, she dashed towards the back door of her small shop at her fastest speed ever.
The mysterious guest, namely the Duke of Coldcrest, stood motionless, as if convinced that his prey would not escape.
Ellie Miller rushed out of her shop, only to be stunned.
The previously dirty and chaotic black market street was now surrounded by knights in black armor.
The knights held high dark blue military flags adorned with a crest of a shield, dagger, and wolf head. The sight of this flag made anyone from the Kingdom of Clark weak in the knees.
The people of the black market were already terrified out of their wits, trembling and without any will to resist. They looked like a group of prairie dogs driven out of their burrows.
The boss of the street, Ellie's biggest 'supporter,' known as "Thomasen the Ripper," was currently playing dead on the ground.
He lay prone in front of a knight's foot, just like a corpse.
Ellie Miller: "..." Brother, is this what you meant by being inseparable!?
Where exactly are you being inseparable!?
Two knights from the Coldcrest Knights approached. They wore Dark Secret Silver Full Body Armor, with only a narrow slit in their helmets through which their cold eyes could be seen.
On the chest of their armor was branded the family crest of the Duke of Coldcrest, indicating that these knights were 'loyal dogs' who had sworn to die for the duke.
The two knights said nothing, merely gestured for her to go with them.
Ellie Miller: "..."
She was forced to return to the small shop.
The Duke of Coldcrest slowly removed the hood of his cloak, revealing that face, known as "the most handsome man in the kingdom."
In the cramped and simple shop, the tall and noble handsome man was silently watching with his sky-blue eyes the 'escaping wife' who had left the note.
But as the 'wife' in question, Ellie Miller herself just wanted to die.
"Um, I think we've ended on peaceful terms… right?" she awkwardly said.
She was just a time-traveler with memories of the original body. So she couldn't understand how things had escalated to this.
What kind of marriage was this between the original body and this husband? The husband would coldly ignore her every day, never coming home, and since the wedding, the original was still a virgin!
Of course, it wasn't all one person's fault that this marriage was such a mess. The original wife was even more ridiculous.
Day in, day out, like a lunatic, she was either stalking her husband or on her way to stalking her husband.
The black history could be measured in tons.
A quick check of memory would show the original being 'escorted' out of a noble gathering by male servants, kicking and cursing all the way, making a deep impression on everyone.
The duke's 'Mad Lady'; that's how they mocked the original behind her back.
With such a pair of 'spouses,' Ellie Miller completely didn't understand why they hadn't divorced yet, what were they holding on to?
The icy blue eyes of Artor Coldcrest stared straight into Ellie Miller's soul, "Peaceful terms?"
Ellie Miller: "..."
Back then, she thought Kostanyn was such a big place; what if that dog of a man returned and couldn't find it?
In an attempt to be efficient, she nailed it on the front door and even ordered the butler that no one was allowed to take it down.
Step, step, step, metallic boots clanked on the somewhat rotted wooden floor as Artor approached Ellie Miller.
Ellie Miller backed away until her back hit the wooden door.
The tall man stood imposingly before her, casting a shadow that entirely enveloped Ellie Miller.
His cool fingertips pinched Ellie Miller's chin.
"Dear, why didn't I realize before how much 'fun' you could bring me?" the Grand Duke smirked coldly.
"If you weren't my wife, you'd be on the stake now rather than wasting my time here. Tell me, what exactly is our relationship?"
"???" Ellie Miller wondered how one word led to the stake?
But she was very sensible, immediately calling out sweetly, "Hubby!"
She looked nothing like the bold woman who wrote the "divorce notice."
The Duke of Coldcrest: "..."
He retracted his hand and said coolly, "Return with me."
Ellie Miller's porcelain-like skin had a slight red imprint from his fingers. But there was no time to care about that now; the duke's demand made her bristle, "No way!"
It was the peak of her career now! Wasn't it easy to gain those 76 rep points??
Artor leisurely took out a bottle of alchemy reagent from his cloak and clunked it on the table.
It was the 'special edition' Libido Test Kit that the Flower Pixie lady had previously bought to get back at her ex-boyfriend.
Ellie Miller's eye twitched.
"Balk."
The knight who had been outside strode in steadfastly, clenching a fist to his chest in salute upon seeing the grand duke, the metal armor clanging with a dull "bang," "Duke!"
"Selling witch medicine, what is the punishment according to kingdom law?"
"According to the law, it's hanging, and if it causes significant impact, it's the stake."
Ellie Miller was stunned, "This is alchemy, not witch medicine!"
Artor nodded as if listening to Ellie's explanation, then asked, "Is this the Holy Water of the Radiant See?"
"Uh, no."
"Then is it a magic potion sold by the Potion Brewers' Association?"
"... No, it's not either."
Artor stated, "Then it's witch medicine."
The duke's intent was clear: either he took his wife, or he burn a "devil" who sold witch medicine.
Ellie Miller thought she might still have a chance to save the situation, "But this is not the Clark Kingdom territory! Why should I be judged by kingdom law?"
Knight Balk straightforwardly replied, "Madam, this place has been conquered by the Coldcrest Knights, according to the Continental Agreement, it is now the duke's personal territory."
Ellie Miller: "..."