The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Household Wants A Divorce-Chapter 1: Fourth Wedding Anniversary

So I came back in time.

Where should I even begin?

My memories were clear.

A few days after I laid Rianna’s body to rest...

The Transcendent Race launched a full-scale offensive.

Then, the kingdom fell.

And I died at the hands of the Transcendent Race’s army.

After that, I found myself here.

“Brother-in-law? Are you feeling unwell? No, really, are you okay?”

Alois called out to me.

Just like 11 years ago.

At this point, I had to accept it.

I really came back...

Vitality coursed through my body.

My legs were healed.

But my instincts, honed by my memories, showed its hostility towards Alois.

“Brother-in-law?”

Since I couldn’t just ignore his calls forever, I asked him a question.

“Alois, where are the bouquet and the cake I prepared?”

“Ah, finally woke up from your daze, hm? Well, the maids are done preparing the bouquet. As for the cake, they’d be brought in when dinner starts.”

After he said that, Alois started clutching his head, pleading.

“Please go quickly and cheer up my sister. It’s absolute chaos over there right now.”

“Alright, Alois.”

I wanted nothing more than to beat up the red-haired man in front of me to death right here and then.

Almost fell to my impulse, I clenched my fists, holding myself back. At the end of the day, he was still a Helmont.

Being of common birth, I couldn’t overcome the overwhelming physical abilities that the Helmonts innately possessed.

At least, not yet.

So I passed by him.

Bouquet, cake, and chandelier.

From my memories, a lot would happen today.

Hidden in the bouquet, a blade. Mixed in with the cake, a drug that induced stomach pain.

Lastly, the chandelier would fall on me, crippling my right leg.

It would be a terrible day that wouldn’t only ruin my day, but also my future ahead.

Everything...is your plan, isn’t it, Alois?

He, the one who ruined my life.

The third son of Helmont that was standing before me. Alois Helmont.

But this time, I wouldn’t fall for it.

As I passed him by, I noticed the pendant he was wearing around his neck.

It was a gift that my wife, Rianna, gave him when they were young. Ever since then he always carried it with him.

Inside the pendant was a letter Rianna wrote when she was young.

And that was the reason why he ruined my life.

Deranged pervert.

He was a madman who lusted after his own sister.

A man who always acted friendly towards me, but inwardly hated me more than anyone.

That was why he wanted to turn me into an even more incompetent man. Why he intentionally caused that ‘accident’. But...

In the end, even that wasn’t enough.

Three years from this point in time, he became unable to hide his feelings. And the tragedy of being expelled from his family befallen him.

*   *   *As I stepped inside, the massive central hall of the Helmont Mansion greeted me.

The stairs leading to the second floor that directly face the main entrance, and the spacious, dignified interior that was always well-maintained.

The weapons hanging on the walls were like a symbol that this family was one that was deeply versed in martial arts.

And right in front of the stairs leading to the second floor...

A red-haired woman stood with her hands folded.

“Rianna...”

The wife I buried with my own hands.

The pride of the kingdom that stood and fought against the Transcendent Race until the very end.

The Blood Rose, Rianna Helmont.

“Isaac.”

At my call, she slowly turned her head to look at me.

Her blood-red eyes, like jewels carved by a master craftsman, were full of reproach towards me.

“One of Father’s iron rules is that family members have to have breakfast together.”

Even after 10 years, her expressionless face looked familiar.

For reference, the family members that she mentioned didn’t include me.

Despite me being the husband of their eldest daughter.

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From these sorts of minor things, one could see what the Helmonts’ view of me was.

“But today, I didn’t attend. I asked for Father’s permission in advance.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes. Because you said, you prepared breakfast for our fourth wedding anniversary.”

I did. But in the end, it ended as a disappointment..

“...”

At that moment, the ring on her left ring finger caught my eye.

And then, mine.

The feeling of the ring on my left ring finger after not wearing it for so long felt rather awkward to me.

Rianna.

Why did you keep the ring of a husband who ran away from you?

The question remained, but there was no one left to answer it.

“It’s a bit late, but let’s have breakfast together.”

With me as an escort, Rianna and I went to the dining room. No words were exchanged.

There, a table set for two was prepared, along with the tableware.

Probably arranged by the me from yesterday.

As we sat at the table, the servants quickly brought out the soup.

Among them, I saw a familiar, welcome face.

Milly.

The youngest cook working in the Helmont’s kitchen.

An impressive woman, the same age as me, with tanned, copper-colored skin.

In the past, I used to talk with her often.

We were of the same age, and were both commoners. She was the only one who could relate to my hardships.

She comforted me in her own way; she made delicious food to soothe my lonely heart.

I’m glad that I can see her again.

After I fled from Helmont, I lost contact with her.

“Milly.”

“Yes, Sir Isaac.”

Her name escaped my lips, out of happiness to see her, but she seemed to think that I was giving the signal I instructed her yesterday.

She carried ingredients to make a sandwich, and placed them in front of me.

These were rustic ingredients not usually seen in Helmont.

Ah, right. I prepared this, didn’t I?

Seeing them made me remember.

I was trying to recreate the first meal I made for Rianna to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

“...”

Back then, I was too intimidated by her expressionless face to make it properly, but...

Now that I get to look at her calmly...

I noticed a strange expectation hidden beneath her expressionless facade.

After the servants withdrew...

I made a sandwich for her.

Cutting the bread in half, slicing the cheese, putting it in, cutting the bacon into bite-sized pieces.

Adding a few pickled vegetables for garnish.

And finally, topping it off with salt-seasoned mashed potatoes.

“Here you go.”

“...”

Rianna, who had been staring at the sandwich I offered, carefully took it with her hand.

When we first met...

I remembered how I struggled to convince her to eat with her hands. She refused, saying it was against etiquette.

After that, I made my own sandwich.

A smile couldn’t help but appear on my face as I saw her carefully biting into the sandwich she was holding with both hands.

It reminds me of the old days.

This was my staple food back when I was a ferryman.

After all, I could eat it even as I rowed my boat through the river.

At that moment...

As I stared at Rianna as she ate the sandwich...

I felt it; all sorts of things that had changed.

On the blue river.

Back then, when we ate sandwiches together on the small boat.

When we laughed over trivial worries like whether our skin would tan in the sunlight.

Back then, I never imagined this future awaited us.

Once again, I glanced at Rianna, still eating her sandwich.

Surprisingly...

This visage of her munching on a sandwich...

Was the only thing that remained unchanged in my memories, amidst everything else that had changed.

*   *   *Time passed, evening came.

In the banquet hall of the Helmont mansion.

Isaac was looking up at the starry sky from the balcony.

Beside him, his elegantly dressed wife was staring at the same spot.

Hair flowing down to her waist, snow-white skin emphasizing its crimson color. Her red eyes burned with a different intensity than her rose-colored hair.

She lived up to her reputation as the Rose of Helmont and the kingdom’s unparalleled beauty.

Today had been quite a busy day for Isaac.

He had prepared a new bouquet, and instead of using that extravagant cake he previously prepared, he asked Milly to make a small, humble one.

As per Alois’ plan, the chandelier did fall, but having anticipated it, Isaac dodged it cleanly.

And then...

After 10 years of twists and turns, he found himself in this place again.

In my past life, I was knocked unconscious by the chandelier.

Following the breeze’s direction, he slightly turned his head.

Towards Rianna, who was standing next to him.

Her frozen expressionless face, devoid of even a hint of emotion.

The coldness reflected in her red eyes that always made him feel on edge.

“Rianna.”

“...”

She didn’t respond to his call.

Instead, she continued to look at the sky, as if waiting for something.

“I’ve done a lot of things for today.”

For Isaac, it was an event 14 years in the making.

And now, for the finale.

Here, where the empty rose garden of Helmont was brightly illuminated by moonlight.

Isaac gently pulled Rianna’s left hand towards him.

“We’ve been through a lot.”

“...”

“Even so, we’ve managed to keep our lives as a married couple going. In our own ways.”

Hearing that, even the expressionless Rianna showed a bit of surprise, staring at him blankly.

“I’ve pondered many times. About what direction we should take, regarding our marriage.”

He gently held her left hand with both of his.

“Rianna.”

Carefully removing the wedding ring from her left ring finger, he quietly declared.

“Let’s get divorced.”

As a rose-scented breeze blew by.

“What?”

For the first time today, Rianna’s expressionless facade cracked.