The Jilted Noble Lady's Windfall

Chapter 3

The annulment negotiations between Emperor Odin and Marianne were nothing short of a bitter battle. After all, those with nothing to lose have nothing to fear, and His Majesty Emperor Odin was unwilling to completely sever ties with Grand Duchess Archique. Thus, Count Arlen was forced to bring along the royal lawyer and haggle with Marianne for nearly a week before finally hammering out a rough draft of the annulment agreement.

Just when Count Arlen thought it was all over, news reached Grand Duchess Archique, who promptly dispatched her personal lawyer to Odin's palace. This forced Count Arlen and Odin's royal counsel to continue floundering in the dark whirlpool of the annulment, providing Marianne with ample amusement. “You really know how to drag things out.” “ Abigail, who had been watching the spectacle alongside Marianne, remarked sarcastically, ”You never intended to sign from the start, did you?"

Marianne shot Abigail a look that said, “You've been with me all these years for a reason,” and stated bluntly, “I've always believed in letting professionals handle professional matters. Before my mother sent the royal lawyer from Archique, no one in Odin dared take on my annulment agreement.”

Even though Count Arlen felt immense pressure from Marianne's annulment demand, he was, after all, a seasoned noble who'd seen it all. Even if he was living off the emperor's largesse in Odin, he was still feeding off the emperor's largesse.

Marianne dared not underestimate this veteran noble entrusted with imperial duties. Upon receiving the annulment notice, she sought support from Archique Grand Duchess while refusing to sign any agreement.

Though the Archique Grand Duchess was no loving mother, Marianne had no other recourse but to rely on her.

As for Count Calda...

Within Obsda, he was mockingly dubbed “the poster boy for freeloaders, the epitome of the deadbeat.”

Ask him to mediate between his wife and his elder brother?

Count Calda would rather bury himself alive.

“I see the young emperor has sent you quite a few jewels again these past days?” Abigail opened a bottle of champagne for Marianne, offering early congratulations on her escape from misery.

“Do you like them? If you do, borrow them for a few days.” Marianne offered generously. “After all, these are things you can't take with you. If you want to wear them, now's your chance.”

“Can't take them? Didn't the young emperor give them all to you?” Abigail was utterly baffled. “I've never heard of a noble reclaiming jewelry they've gifted. Besides King Cantreo, who would do something so tacky?”

“It's not that the young emperor lacks taste. I've indulged my whims enough, so it's time for us to part ways amicably.” Marianne sipped the amber liquid, adopting a thoroughly contented expression. "After all, my mother sent lawyers, not an embassy. Both nations' rulers tacitly agreed this matter should be settled privately. Since my mother has already made her stance clear to Odin's young emperor, any further fuss from me would be presumptuous and ungrateful. Marianne was an exceptionally clever child, which was the primary reason Grand Duchess Archique favored her above all others.

“After I depart, these jewels will be bestowed in Emperor Odin's name upon the maids and servants who cared for me, expressing our gratitude.” Marianne cared little for the glittering treasures. As one of the world's wealthiest women, Grand Duchess Archique had exposed Marianne to countless splendors; such trinkets meant to charm held no allure: Since we're parting ways, let's do it gracefully after proper compensation—a quiet departure."

At this, Marianne swirled the dwindling champagne in her glass and tossed Abigail a pointed question: “Do you know why nobles love giving jewels?”

“Because they're beautiful? Or valuable?” Abigail replied reflexively.

“No. Because women who accept jewels are easy to deceive.” Marianne saw aristocrats giving jewels much like wealthy older men in the twenty-first century showering mistresses with luxury goods—both methods quickly identified women who were easy to manipulate and discard: "Jewelry carries a steep markup. Besides, compared to land, an annual income, or even a proper title, is there anything cheaper than jewels?"

Marianne cut straight to the heart of it: “Money can get you a lot, but these hard-to-liquidate jewels are only good for showing off at balls.”

“But jewelry can be liquidated! Just sell it, and you'll have cash immediately!”

“Sounds good, but the question is: would you dare to sell it, and would anyone dare to buy it?” Marianne countered. “Jewelry dealers aren't fools. Some with a keen eye can instantly tell who gifted the piece.”

"Middlemen like jewelers, art dealers, arms dealers, even slave traders—they all have their own channels of information. Unless the noble himself comes to pawn it, jewelers will find a thousand reasons to refuse." Marianne found Odin's little emperor far more unpredictable than her first fiancé.

After all, Solins' Richard was a man who willingly “sold himself” to a “rich woman” for his country.

At least Marianne hadn't met a ruler more reckless than him.

Compared to Solins' Richard, Odin's little emperor was still too thin-skinned.

“He treats me like one of those easily deceived women.” Marianne knew well what constituted “hard currency” in royal circles, so she looked down on these tricks used to deceive others.

“Since he's willing to offer, I'll go along with it and do him a favor.” “Don't you find it amusing?” Marianne quipped. “If the man calls off the engagement, the woman is the rejected loser sent home. But if the queen calls it off, both parties part ways amicably.”

“In my case, no matter who initiates the breakup, I'm the public's pitiable figure—a complete failure.”

“The difference is, Odin's little emperor cares about appearances. He doesn't just bluntly say it like those other two bastards.”

Abigail was startled by Marianne's use of “bastards,” so she tried to be comforting: “At least... at least you're a wealthy, powerful, and land-owning failure. If all failures were like you, I'd want to be a failure too.”

The thought of Marianne's vast fortune made Abigail realize she wasn't offering comfort at all—she was just sour grapes.

A witch so poor she could drill through the earth was actually feeling sorry for her own sugar daddy?

Was she the one who'd lost her mind, or was this world gone mad?

“You're right. I have money, power, and land. No need to wallow like a bitter old woman.” “Marianne, a master of self-reassurance, beamed. ”So when we part ways, I'll take one last little swipe at the little emperor!"

Wait—who was it who just agreed to part amicably?

“...What are you planning now?”

“In the little emperor's name, I'll give the jewelry he gifted me to the court servants who've cared for me.”

“But isn't that a good thing?”

“The problem is, those jewels are useless except for looking pretty. You can't sell them, and there's nowhere to flaunt them. Do you think the servants who get them will be happy? They'll just complain that the little emperor doesn't understand people. Who would guess it was my idea?”

“...”

“I'll take the credit for the good reputation, while the little emperor gets saddled with the complaints.”

“...”

“I really am a considerate ex-lover.”