Chapter 67.1

Chapter 67.1

“Oh, come on. Who is it?”

“He’s handsome, smart, fun, and ‘good at it.’ You know what I mean?”

“Yeah. No need to explain further.”

When Marian responded quickly, the others nodded in agreement. They genuinely didn’t want the details. Julia scratched her cheek, deeply pondering before she confessed. Everything was great except…

“He wants to be a priest.”

“…….”

“…….”

A silence fell over the group.

“But he’s good, right? So why does he want to become a priest?!”

Nikki shouted, voicing everyone’s frustration.

“It’s been his dream since he was a child. Da*mn it, then why did he get involved with me?”

Julia ruffled her hair and screamed, her friends sympathetically patting her back. It was like discovering a new favorite dessert shop only to hear it was closing the next day. How tragic.

Jasmine nodded seriously, her lips parting slightly. Everyone was sharing their stories, so maybe she should share hers, too.

Maybe she’d feel better if she did. Honestly, she felt overwhelmed and wanted empathy. Talking it out might help her find another solution.

“Ladies, actually….”

Sniff.

Huh? Jasmine tilted her head at the sudden sound of crying. What was this dramatic noise?

“Hey! What’s wrong?”

“Marian? Are you crying?”

Marian was crying. Tears flowed like a leaky faucet. Jasmine, startled, hurriedly handed her a handkerchief, but it quickly became soaked as Marian started sobbing loudly. Everyone was taken aback.

Even the usually composed Lichang was so surprised that she handed Marian her glasses cleaner instead of tissues and then frowned at her mistake.

No wonder they were shocked—Marian, despite her frail and sensitive appearance, was actually passionate and stronger in some ways than Julia, the border-protecting knight, or Lichang, the cold-blooded businesswoman.

At fifteen, after her family’s downfall, she worked tirelessly to support her siblings’ education and take care of her sick father without shedding a single tear. She had managed everything with sheer grit.

Even when some of her childhood friends turned their backs on her due to her family’s misfortune, young Jasmine had found Marian impressive for kicking them aside, declaring, “I wouldn’t want friends like you anyway.”

Could Jasmine have handled and taken care of her family so efficiently? She might have cried and struggled with her pride, but Marian endured and succeeded.

“Does pride put food on the table? The most useless thing in the world is pride.”

“Crying solves nothing. Better to spend that time finding solutions.”

These were the sayings of Marian, who had accomplished so much in her teens. Jasmine, raised in comfort, couldn’t have imagined.

Marian’s resilience was remarkable, and what was most impressive was that she never lost herself through it all. Jasmine and her friends had always thought Marian was the coolest person in the world back then.

Seeing such a strong friend now crying so hard made them feel even more worried and pained. It was like seeing a villain suffering and feeling unexpectedly sympathetic.

“Actually… the truth is….”

“Yes, yes! What is it?”

“Did your family go bankrupt?”

“It’s okay! We’ll borrow some money from Lichang and Jasmine! Interest-free!”

“Aren’t you going to ask for our opinions?”

Lichang grumbled but nodded nonetheless. This time, she handed over actual tissues. Marian took them, blew her nose loudly, and looked around at the group with reddened eyes.

“I think my husband is cheating.”

What?

Everyone’s jaws dropped.

When talking about the best couple in high society, it was Marian and her husband.

Of course, it was natural for them to fight and quickly reconcile like any normal couple. Everyone unconsciously assumed, almost like a law, that these swing-set-like spouses were completely separate from things like a full separation or common infidelity.

Moreover, Marian’s husband was not just anyone. He was the ice knight, chivalrous and austere, hailing from a family of judges—Sir Soyer Atlante.

He was the beloved cousin of the Minister of Justice, Lord Atlante, and from a young age, he was renowned as a talented, clean-cut youth with a cool, handsome appearance.

If Richard was the epitome of a knight in shining armor, then Soyer was the epitome of a cold-blooded knight.

But how could a man as cold as ice, who adored only his wife, suddenly be accused of infidelity?

Everyone was taken aback, and no one could speak first. Finally, Lichang furrowed her brow and asked, “Is it true? Are you sure?”

“I haven’t found concrete evidence yet… but otherwise, it doesn’t make sense!”

“Why? Explain in detail.”

Under urgent prodding, Marian sniffled, extended her empty glass, and Jasmine quickly poured her more wine. As she drank it down like water, she touched her forehead and thought carefully before flickering her eyes.

“It started two months ago. He always used to leave work on time, and if he were late, he’d send a letter or tell me beforehand. But suddenly, he started coming home late without saying anything. When I asked, he suddenly claimed there was overtime, but you know he’s incapable of lying. Even if ice spoke, it would be more superfluous than human.