We Will Get Divorced: The Perfect Divorce Plan of the Sacrificial Daughter and the Cold-Blooded Soldier - Chapter 24

Nadine’s wooden sword barely managed to parry “my” strike.

“…Little girl, was your fear just an act?”

“I’ve had my fair share of experience, at least.”

“Then I won’t hold back.”

Nadine knocked away my sword and launched a series of strikes—one, two blows. Miraculously, I blocked them, stumbling backward step by step.

“Sierra, watch out!”

Julian’s voice reached my ears. Amazing, my husband’s voice. No matter how much noise surrounded us, it sounded as if he were right beside me.

“There’s no room behind you!”

Ah, that wasn’t it. He actually was right behind me.

Good grief. After blocking just two strikes, I’d been driven to the very edge of the stage.

“Don’t space out, little girl.”

“Eep!”

Then the third strike sent my weapon flying. The wooden sword slid across the stage and fell into the river. Confident of her victory, Nadine leisurely pointed the tip of her wooden sword at me.

“That’s far enough. Admit defeat, little girl. Shedding an amateur woman’s blood would only ruin the mood.”

No way I could back down after being told that.

“It’s not over yet!”

“That’s enough!”

Julian grabbed my arm as I tried to charge forward.

“It’s settled. Stop this now.”

“It’s not settled! Let me go!”

“No!”

“Let go!”

“No!”

“Let go!”

“How disgraceful! If you want to have a lover’s quarrel, do it somewhere else!”

Nadine raised her voice at our husband-and-wife exchange that seemed designed to buy time.

And then.

“Now, give up and step down from the stage. If you do, I’ll at least spare your life—huh?”

Suddenly, the Empress’s expression changed.

“Julian… where is your bodyguard?”

Sharp as ever. She’d already noticed.

At that moment, a loud explosion erupted from the stern.

Zach, it seems you pulled it off perfectly. Truly worthy of the Immortal King’s trusted right-hand man. He flawlessly executed the plan while everyone’s attention was focused on the stage.

What Zach had stealthily snatched were the fireworks that had been launched repeatedly from the beginning. He immediately lit the fuse and tossed them into the river at the stern. The subsequent explosion created a massive wave along with a water spout.

“Wh-what’s that?!”

Nadine lost her balance and dropped to one knee on the stage. Immediately after, the stern lifted, and the ship groaned as it tilted sharply forward.

“It’s a following wave, sister.”

I knew this from the time I spent about a month on a fishing boat as part of my father’s apology to the fishermen’s union for some past misconduct. A wave that chases and strikes from behind is the most dangerous kind. It steals control of the ship.

“Whoaaaa!”

Unable to maintain her footing, Nadine tumbled down the slanted stage like it was a slide. Meanwhile, I—

“Husband!”

“Don’t let go.”

—managed to hold my ground because Julian firmly gripped my arm. Nadine rolled all the way to the bow,

“Damn it!”

somehow clinging to the deck and barely avoiding falling off the stage.

But that alone wasn’t enough. The ship, tilted forward, would now be lifted sharply at the bow by the wave’s motion. As if to hurl the pitiful Empress clinging to the deck high into the air.

“Little girrrl!”

Nadine’s beautiful face contorted with shock, hatred, and terror.

“Sister, the river in early spring is quite cold—prepare yourself.”

With my words to see her off, the Empress created an enormous splash as she plunged into the Burfrock River, filled with melting snowwater.