The Divorcée’s Dessert Cafe
Chapter 10

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Erin had gotten everything she wanted. As she was talking down the corridor on her way out, she noticed a man walking toward her from the other end. Judging from his outfit, he seemed like a noble. She tried to pass by him without much thought, stepping slightly to the side. While others might recognize her, she didn’t think it mattered. She was no longer even a duchess.

Suddenly, the man grabbed her wrist. She stopped and looked at him, revealing a hazy view of his face in the lamplight of the corridor. It was the face of a stranger, a little plump and crude, like a haphazardly peeled potato. Put nicely, he seemed obstinate but put in more honest terms, he looked impish. He had a mocking look in his eyes that she found offensive. And while his outfit was luxurious, he was obviously a rake. There was nothing about him that suggested a hardworking or dignified man.

Though I suppose a nobleman who frequents a gambling house probably shouldn’t look hardworking or dignified.

“What do you want?” she said, keeping her tone as civil as possible. He studied her keenly.

“How much?”

It was so absurd that she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. But she was at a gambling house—it was expected that prostitutes and courtesans were to be found within its walls. The man seemed to have mistaken her for such a woman, but she had no time to humor his stupid blunder.

Smiling lightly, she snatched away her wrist. “It will cost far more than your life.”

She tried to walk past him, not wanting anything further to do with him, but he quickly lunged at her and grabbed her wrist again.

“Come on. Why so snobbish? I know all the noblewomen who are customers here. You’re obviously not one.”

Of course, you don’t recognize me. She’d never been to places like this in her entire life. She didn’t know who he was, either. He seemed to be a low-ranking noble who wasn’t qualified to enter the imperial palace. It was no wonder they didn’t recognize each other. His glistening eyes looked her up and down, and she felt goosebumps on her skin.

“Let go of me,” she said, trying to pull away, but he refused to let go.

“Oh, don’t be like that. I’ll pay you handsomely— Ah!”

She used her free hand to lightly lift her dress and do a lightning-quick kick precisely at his shin. The impact was so hard it produced an audible thud, and he screamed as he collapsed onto the floor.

“Ouch!” The man trembled with humiliation and glared at her before hatefully shouting, “Y-you lowly wench!”

She raised an eyebrow. He still seemed to think she was a prostitute. Perhaps I have no choice but to tell him who I am. She was caught in a quarrel with a strange man and would have to end things by revealing her identity. Otherwise, things could get out of hand.

Left with no choice, she was about to explain when the door next to them opened, and someone irritably said, “You’re making too much noise.”

A man appeared through the doorway. He seemed strong and had a confident handsome face under his glistening silver hair. However, he had an arrogant look in his blue-gray eyes. He looked at the two of them mockingly, and the man on the floor stared in shock before quickly ducking his head.

“Y-Your Highness!”

It was Raymond. The empire’s capital was big and busy enough for one to never run across someone they hated for the rest of their life. However, it was difficult to avoid the heir to the throne forever. Even if there were no chance encounters, it was inevitable to see him at some triumphal celebration or his coronation.

Erin had known that she might meet him again someday, but she hadn’t known she would meet him here at such a time. It had been about three weeks since she signed the divorce papers. She quietly tutted at the sight of Raymond’s picture-perfect face, which she hadn’t seen in a while. She’d wondered how she would feel if she were to see him again. But now that he was in front of her, she felt nothing at all.

Despite looking nonchalant, there was a burning question in Raymond’s eyes. He seemed to be wondering why she had suddenly appeared in this kind of place.

She bowed calmly, in keeping with decorum. “Your Highness.”

The man on the floor belatedly recovered his composure, quickly stood up, and bowed again.

“Your Highness, m-my apologies. I-I simply spoke with this woman... I was drunk and treated her rudely...”

He was as subservient as could be, opposite to his cocksure behavior moments ago. It wasn’t surprising since Raymond would one day become emperor.

“Apologize to the person you insulted, not me,” he commanded, and the man quickly turned to Erin.

“F-forgive me, my lady... I’m sorry...”

His forehead was nearly touching the ground. Erin sucked her teeth. She wished she could kick him again, but the sight of him quivering and begging for mercy took the fight out of her. Raymond looked at her, hearing her tut. He narrowed his beautiful eyes blatantly, then annoyingly eyed the man who’d prostrated himself on the floor.

“Get out of here.”

“Th-thank you, Your Highness. If you’ll excuse me.”

The man then all but crawled out of the corridor. After his hasty exit, Raymond walked up to Erin, and his handsome face formed an openly taunting smile.

“Who knew we’d meet at a place like this?”

She had the feeling he was amused to find her at a gambling house after her haughty request for her dowry. She didn’t let him cow her.

“You’re right. I had no idea you had this kind of penchant. Does Lady Serena know of this?”

She’d simply returned his ridicule, but his face instantly went cold, and his emotionless eyes looked straight into hers. She expected him to be angry at her for being rude. Instead, he sighed.

“If you don’t have enough money, you should just have asked for more in alimony, not come to a place like this...”

She barked a laugh. Apparently, he thought she was here to gamble. It left her nonplussed.

“Look, I’d rather you didn’t misunderstand. I’m here to see someone because of my shop.”

“Your shop? Do you really intend to run a cafe, or whatever it is you called it?”

“Yes. I believe I told you last time.”

She’d done so when she signed the divorce document. Had he forgotten already? She simply stated a fact, but he seemed to have misunderstood her intention. He gave her an offended, reproachful look.

“I understand you resent me over Serena, but is there a need to go so far just to get back at me?”

“Why are you mentioning that woman now?” she asked. She was the one who was truly flabbergasted.

“Aren’t you... doing this because of your grudge against Serena and me?”

“No.”

For once, he had a stupid look on his face. Erin remembered Serena, the golden-haired beauty who’d always been by his side with a loving look on her face. Right. I once tried to fight that woman long ago.

Ever since she entered the palace, she’d been compared to her in all possible aspects. One was an innocent, lovely mistress of lower nobility, while the other was a gloomy, shy wife from a prestigious family. One had loved the duke for a long time but had pitifully been forced to live in the shadows because of her status. And the other was a high-ranked duchess who’d become his wife thanks to the emperor.

Even though Erin had been the duke’s wife, it had been Serena who always received the praise and sympathy of others. Back then, she was thought of as a malicious woman who’d stolen the spot of the wife by means of her blood. Even her noble status stemmed from a ruined household saddled with debt. It was hilarious that the daughter of a bankrupt marquess considered herself a noblewoman and had married the duke. People had mocked and disdained her because of it. Serena’s looks, which made many refer to her as the most beautiful woman in the empire, also contributed to it. Anyone who met her fell under the impression that she was the victim of all of this.

Raymond had only made things worse, since he’d always been on her side. Even if Erin had done nothing wrong, he acted annoyed with her whenever there was some kind of trouble with Serena.

“Don’t cause unnecessary problems,” he’d said.

That was why Erin had given up on the struggle. There had been no point in winning against Serena.