Around that same time, a letter of excommunication was also sent to the Duke of Babelloa.
As you said, I will leave the family. I am no longer a daughter of the House of Babelloa. Please submit the letter of excommunication to His Majesty. It was dirty to be together (this sentence was crossed out several times), no, it was fun, let's not see each other again.– Meldenik
The content of the excommunication request was very clear. No, it was a bit ambiguous to say it was neat. The letter, which was still "alive," looked like it was written roughly. Meldenik didn't even show the sincerity to correct her mistakes or to use new stationery.
The Duchess held up the fan in her hand as if pondering something. Every time she gently fanned herself, her bright red hair fluttered like a ruby. "Why is she so boldly asking for excommunication? Does she have some belief that gives her confidence?"
Looking at his wife's bewitching face, the Duke of Babelloa roared, "...Your pride must have been hurt! It seems she was determined to humiliate him again. Oh, it's too much." He acted as if he wasn't aware that Meldenik was his daughter. He had no idea that he had pushed Meldenik away, telling her to shut down first. He had a habit of quickly forgetting his own mistakes and remembering only the faults of others. They were naturally that kind of people—those who rejected anything not beneficial to them. It didn't matter if it was their own family.
"Meldenik will come back with a whimper. Don't you think so, Madam?"
Hildegard's brown eyes sparkled and shone. "I'm sure she'll keep her head down, sir." She nodded in agreement with the Duke of Babelloa. But her intuition told her something else. She thought Meldenik had changed. However, Hildegard smiled, folded her fan, and lowered it.
'The spies also told me. Meldenik isn't doing anything.' The spies she hired reported that Meldenik was lying around in the abandoned house covered in dust. She was often seen shedding tears. If you always live the life of a loser like that, you are bound to fail. Hildegard had never lost a match against Meldenik. It would be the same this time. Her mouth twisted to the fullest when the Duke of Babelloa slammed the table. The staggering Duke of Babelloa had high blood pressure and looked like he was going to die tomorrow.
"For now, I think it's better to file the excommunication letter as she wants."
The Duke of Babelloa's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, Madam? Still, the repercussions are a bit much." Perhaps it was because she was his biological daughter. Or was it because he didn't want to cause a fuss in the family? It was the Duke of Babelloa who had always scolded and insulted Meldenik, but he seemed troubled by the idea of actual excommunication.
"It's not like she'll be really excommunicated. It's a moderate scare tactic."
"Scare tactic, you say?" The Duke of Babelloa's thin ears began to flutter.
"Yes, it takes four weeks of mediation to excommunicate anyway. After that, His Majesty's trial is also necessary."
"Ahem, adjustment period. Yes, that's right." Nobles were rarely excommunicated. Even then, most of them canceled their excommunication within the four-week mediation period. It was safe to say there was no case where it would go to the emperor's approval for trial. "If you go through the mediation period and go to trial, you will be the first high-ranking nobleman to be excommunicated."
Hildegard raised one hand to cover her mouth. She thought she was going to burst out laughing. The current emperor was a figurehead with no power, but he was also a political enemy who kept the power of the Duke of Babelloa in check. There was no way he would not approve the excommunication of Princess Meldenik, which was the shame of the Duke of Babelloa. If he excommunicated Meldenik, the daughter of the Duke of Babelloa, he would be able to hurt the Duke as well. Once Meldenik was excommunicated, it would be easier to get rid of her.
'I have ruined my business and brought all kinds of shame to excommunicate Meldenik, but at last I see the light.'
Hildegard, who had hidden her true intentions inside, distorted her delicate lips. It wouldn't be long before her daughter would have all of Meldenik's possessions. "I'll take care of the excommunication."
"Okay, shouldn't we make an example of this colt?" Madame Hildegard, who was watching the Duke of Babelloa whimpering, thought of her daughter, Sheria. Her beloved daughter would be basking in the afternoon sunlight right now. Together with the priests of the Holy Kingdom, she wondered if she would be having fun in a beautiful resort. So shouldn't Sheria lay the foundation for herself until she returns to the system? A smile loomed over Hildegard's lips.
"Yes, you have to make an example."
Hildegard saw the Duke of Babelloa frowning and grabbed the teacup on the table, bringing it to the corner of his mouth. Meldenik's every move was already in Hildegard's hands. She lowered her eyes and laughed. If this continued, Meldenik would be excommunicated without any help from the Duke and become a commoner. In the Empire, it was impossible for a commoner to marry a nobleman, so naturally, the position of Duchess Hesman would belong to Sheria.
"I wonder why Duke Hesman has not yet broken up with Meldenik." Hildegard's brow furrowed for a moment.
'...Maybe it's because it's annoying and hurts his pride.' If that wasn't the problem, why would Lennox Hesman, who had everything, cling to the stupid Meldenik Babelloa? There was no reason for Duke Hesman to do that.
"Why are you so anxious? You weren't very close to Meldenik."
"Still, it's so sad that she fails in business every time." She chewed her lip and looked back at the Duke of Babelloa. "Thinking about what she did makes me angry."
The Duke of Babelloa's face turned red with anger. Hildegard regained her composure and stared at him, smiling. This man also chose her over his first wife, Meldenik's mother. Therefore, there was nothing to be anxious about.
"I will first file Meldenik's excommunication with His Majesty the Emperor, Your Excellency. Secretly, without anyone knowing." Everything was going well. She stroked the Duke of Babelloa's jawline and smiled strangely. It would be good to make a small commotion before excommunicating Meldenik so that she could not recover.
'So that you can grasp my situation, as always.'
"I'll send a letter to Meldenik saying that I will file a complaint with him." Hildegard's face was hollowed out. What smeared on her face was a distinct and cruel joy.
On that very day, the "Ripple Sentence of Meldenik Babelloa" was secretly delivered to the imperial palace.
Four days later, at dawn.
The stationery store in Meldenik was in the middle of being remodeled. Meldenik widened her eyes when she saw the mailman coming from afar. Finally, the long-awaited news came.
"Finally, the excommunication sentence has arrived!" The postman delivered the message: "We have secretly filed a letter of excommunication. After four weeks of mediation, prepare for the trial of excommunication by His Majesty the Emperor." It was Hildegard's handwriting.
When I read the letter, I was jumping up and down with excitement from early morning.
'One step forward to excommunication! Two steps to the breakup!' I will soon be able to cut ties with the Duke of Babelloa!
But unlike me, Dominic still looked worried. "Why doesn't Duke Hesman reply to the Annulment Letter? You really wanted to break up."
I replied with a deep voice, "He? I guess he doesn't want to break up. Well, I'm not interested anymore." Seeing that he didn't want to break up, he didn't know it, but it seemed that Meldenik had something worth using. Lennox, who never loved Meldenik, was not only reluctant to break up but also quietly expressed that he didn't want to break up. But now it didn't matter what Lennox was thinking, or what the Hesman family thought.
"But now he doesn't have to break up."
"Why?"
"If I am excommunicated, I will become a commoner, and then my engagement will naturally be null and void. According to imperial law, nobles and commoners cannot marry."
I was worried that I would not be excommunicated from Babelloa, so I strongly demanded that he be excommunicated. But now, I didn't have to gnash my teeth and ask Lennox to break up. I could break up the marriage naturally.
"I really feel like I've lost my teeth."
Lennox and Hildegard have a collaborative relationship. However, the two had clearly different interests. Duke Hesman wants to marry me for unknown reasons, and Lady Hildegard wants to marry me off and marry Sheria to Lennox. In other words, I took advantage of their different interests and achieved my goal without direct confrontation.
'Operation Divide and Conquer was a great success, Madame Hildegard. Are you excited that you gave me a shot?' But I'm just grateful that she does what she wants. I wanted to kiss her pure white cheeks.
I hummed and rubbed the window of the stationery store. Looking at the clean windows, I thought that my future would be just as clean.