Chapter 4

When I think about it this way, I’ve had quite a difficult life, haven’t I...

Now that I’ve remembered my past life, I have no intention of living as I did before. But up until now, I had to live by following others to avoid losing my place in the world.

But I don’t want to live such a life! I can use magic, and I have a lot of magical power. Ideally, I’d like to work somewhere where I can put to use what I learned at the academy.

As I was thinking about all this, the sky began to brighten. I was almost at the city I was aiming for.

The first thing I need to do is dissolve the marriage. Once that’s done... well, I might as well go to that country.

I decided on my next steps and continued walking towards the city. By the time the sun rose and the morning came, I had safely arrived.

This city is the largest in the Marquis Calisto’s territory. Despite the early hour, the city was already bustling with activity, and the pleasant smell of baking bread and the sound of children’s laughter filled the air.

In the midst of this, I headed straight for the church. The church doors were already open, and inside, a few people were visible, offering their prayers.

I approached a nearby priest.

“Excuse me, could I please have a white marriage certificate?”

“!... Please, this way.”

The priest seemed surprised but immediately responded. He was probably surprised because very few women request a white marriage certificate. It’s something that women generally don’t want others to know about.

But I, who remember my past life, don’t care about that. In fact, I’m grateful that a white marriage certificate can invalidate a marriage.

I was led to a separate room and sat down, and the priest also took a seat facing me.

“May I have your hands, please?”

As he said this, he took my hands, and something flowed into my body.

“!”

I was surprised, even though I knew about it theoretically. This is the first time I’ve experienced it. The priest uses magic to verify the marriage, and although it only takes about a minute, it feels like something foreign is moving inside my body, which is quite uncomfortable. However, there’s no other way to get the certificate.

The white marriage was successfully verified, and the marriage annulment procedures were completed. The priest seemed surprised that I was the Marquise Calisto, but he calmly processed everything.

And just like that, I went from Serena Calisto to just Serena.

I could have returned to the Alrey family, but I didn’t. I’d rather be a commoner and live on my own than return to that family.

I have the memories of my past life, and even as a noble lady, I’ve always taken care of myself. So there’s no problem. Besides, I’ve heard that the country I’m heading to is meritocratic. If that’s the case, I shouldn’t have any trouble surviving as a commoner, as long as my abilities are recognized.

I have a vast amount of magical power and the knowledge I gained at the academy. I’m also confident in my skills, having single-handedly developed and produced magic potions for the Calisto family’s new business for three years. With the memories of my past life, I should be able to do well in a meritocratic country.

After leaving the church, I bought the necessary supplies and immediately boarded a stagecoach to head for the border.

The Marquis Calisto’s territory is relatively close to the capital, so the border is quite far away. I considered the possibility of being caught by the Marquis family’s pursuers if it took too long to leave the country, but I quickly dismissed that thought.

The people at the manor might not notice my absence for a day, or even three days. It would take at least another day to contact the capital, where my ex-husband lives. By the time they send out pursuers, a considerable amount of time will have passed, making it difficult for them to catch me.

Besides, I was never taken seriously, so my ex-husband might just be happy about the annulment and not bother to catch me.

Well, even if that’s the case, I want to leave this country as soon as possible, so there’s no harm in hurrying.

From then on, I continued to change stagecoaches and head for the border. It took a considerable amount of time to reach the border.

To earn money along the way, I made magic potions and sold them to the adventurer guilds in the cities. I had brought the tools from the manor, and I could gather materials during the stagecoach’s rest stops, so I had a decent amount.

Thanks to the potions I made at night in the inns and stored, I was able to earn a decent amount of money. I’d like to sell all my stock, but if I sell a large amount in the same place, it might reveal my location if they are after me.

Besides, the remaining potions are stored in a bag with a spatial magic spell, so they won’t deteriorate. I can sell them after crossing the border. I’ll need money to start a new life, so I can never have too many potions.

And so, after changing stagecoaches for three weeks, I finally reached the border.

From here, my new life begins.