Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 100



Only Noblemtl

100. Happiness (1)
2024.01.14.

Count Clovis.

The owner of this mansion and the young head of the Count Clovis family was busy checking the letters he had received since early morning.

The letter, sealed with black wax and without even a sender, contained only a simple message that his plan had succeeded.

‘Walter Ertmann is dead.’

The letter said that Cedric was preventing this fact from spreading, but death cannot be undone. There would be a limit to how much one could hide it.

Above all, Blake and Katharina had no intention of letting Cedric hide Walter’s death. As soon as the sun rose, Cedric would have to work hard to prevent Katharina from searching for Walter.

‘And I can finish the deal, too.’

Louis closed his eyes with a tired expression as he recalled recent events.

After regaining all his memories, Louis’ only goal was to get Odette away from Walter. Walter may not have any memories of the past, but even if you look at it positively, marrying Odette despite knowing everything was nothing more than covering her eyes and satisfying his greed.

‘Greed… … It’s the same for me.’

Even if it was for Odette, there was no way he didn’t have a desire to turn back the clock on his past mistakes. The secret Walter hid was just the first opportunity for Louis to rationalize his greed.

Louis also knew this fact, but this life was too lonely for him to live alone while holding onto his past memories. Even though he knew that everything he thought he had at this point was close to being swept away, he didn’t have the confidence to stand on this difficult life. A

new opportunity given to someone who lost everything would be a blessing, but a new opportunity given to someone who had ruined everything was just an extension of his suffering. After

Odette died, Louis finally admitted that he had ruined everything.

Those who called him friends spat and left when Louis stopped opening his wallet, and the investment that caused a rift between Odette and Clovis had already failed as much as it could have failed.

The work he started with the thought of wanting to prove himself without Clovis’s halo ended with only telling him the painful truth that he would have been on the streets a long time ago if Clovis hadn’t been there.

What on earth did I have to prove by killing Odette?

In his despair and loneliness, he missed his wife so much. Although it had started as a contractual marriage, the only person who had always been by his side and made him not lonely.

‘… … Odette.’

If she was there, he would have the courage to live this lonely and difficult life once again.

So Louis received two promises on the condition of boarding the same boat as Blake.

– If Duke Ertmann dies, Clovis will take Odette’s place as his new wife. You won’t complain about that, right?

– Of course.

– And the second condition is a bit annoying. Tie Clovis’s feet to the capital. I knew that the two of you were not on good terms, but isn’t this a problem that you can solve on your own?

– I’m asking because I don’t want you to know that I tied your grandmother’s feet. Will it be difficult?

– It won’t be difficult, but I hate wasting my manpower on things like this. I’ll grant you one favor, so think about this again. If you ask for money, I’ll give it to you.

Louis had tried to distance himself from Clovis in the past. And every time that happened, Clovis would go to Odette in tears, and Odette, who got caught in the middle, had no choice but to take Clovis’ side.

Even so, Odette incurred Clovis’s unnecessary hatred.

Louis had no intention of repeating the same mistake, and his demands remained unchanged.

‘I will go down to the County of Clovis as soon as I marry Odette.’

Clovis would be tied up, so it was obvious that she wouldn’t be able to come down, and that would be a good time to start anew with Odette. Now that Walter, who had been the biggest obstacle, was gone, everything seemed to be going smoothly for Louis’s plan.

“Master, a guest has arrived… … What should we do?”

At least, until an unexpected guest came to visit him this early in the morning.

* * *

When Louis first heard from the butler that a guest had arrived, he thought that Cedric or Walter’s people had come. He

had guessed that his tail had been stepped on. However, even if he had come to visit, the dead would not have come back to life. It was a bit unnatural for him to have come for revenge. Above all,

if it had been someone he had not previously engaged with, the butler would have foolishly cut him off, so it was strange that he had even told him.

– As you said, it seemed like a guest without a prior engagement, so I tried to send him away, but he couldn’t just kick out Her Highness the Princess… …

And then, Louis’ heart sank.

He ran down to the living room without even having time to get dressed properly. As his hurried steps reached the stairs, he saw a sight that he could only see in his now faded memories.

Standing in the living room of Count Clovis…

“… Odette.”

“I was hoping, but you’re no different from what I remember. Count Clovis.”

Odette, sensing someone’s presence, circled the living room and turned her gaze to Louis at the end.

It was a face that clearly recognized Louis correctly. There was no confusion on Odette’s face.

So Louis was certain.

“You too… … have regained all your memories.”

“Yes. I don’t know what triggered it, but I definitely remember everything now. You and I were married. It wasn’t a dream.”

At Odette’s calm tone, hope slowly rose over Louis’ face.

Just the fact that she had regained all her memories and came to him made him feel a sliver of hope. The hope that maybe they could start over again, that Odette would choose him.

“Thanks to you, I now know the situation to some extent. Walter used the holy relic to turn back time, and we got caught up in it.”

“… … Do you trust what I say?”

“Because there was enough information in Belfort. Thanks to you, the confusion has gone away. I want to express my gratitude.”

Odette trusted Louis’s words. So she must have known now that Walter had been deceiving her. The fact that he came to see her must be proof of that.

Louis’s hope gradually grew more certain.

However, the moment it took on a firm shape, it was shattered by Odette’s subsequent words.

“But I didn’t come to see you today to thank you.”

“… … Then?”

“Maybe you’ve already contacted me, but Walter is dead. It must have been the work of the Second Prince or the Empress.”

Louis’ heart sank at her indifferent tone.

He knew he had to act calm, but a strange sense of anxiety was running up his spine.

Louis tried to open his mouth as if he didn’t know anything. But Odette was a step ahead.

“I know you were involved in that.”

“… … I don’t know what you’re talking about. How could I,”

“Send Regina to Walter, fabricate a scandal, and cause discord between Cedric and Walter. As a result, you’ll blame Walter for killing Cedric and discredit him. That’s your plan. I know.”

It was surprisingly accurate.

Louis’s role here was to procure magical tools to fabricate the scandal and work behind the scenes to spread the rumor. Of course, he couldn’t hide his tail completely. So Walter or Cedric, who had good information, would have known.

‘Walter Ertmann, I thought he wouldn’t tell Odette, given his personality.’

Did he open his mouth cowardly?

As if he had read the momentary doubt, Odette continued speaking calmly.

“It doesn’t matter how I found out about this. If you want to evade, you can. I didn’t come to you to hear a confession.”

“… … Then?”

“I want to save Walter.”

Odette slowly approached and stood in front of Louis. Louis met Odette’s eyes for the first time in a long while. Her

clear golden eyes caught his gaze. Odette’s gaze, which had been completely devoid of life since a certain moment in her memory, seemed to have changed.

Louis’s brow furrowed at the words that seemed to indicate that Walter had caused the change.

“Do you still believe Walter Ertmann even after regaining your memories? He deceived you. He deceived you even though he knew everything. He watched you die—”

“I asked you to.”

Louis’ face crumpled for a moment. He doubted his own ears.

“… … What?”

“I asked you to. I want to die now, so let go of the hand you’re holding.”

Odette dropped her gaze. It seemed as if she had let out a small breath. It was not easy for her to recall the moment when she chose death, but Odette had to tell Louis.

“I couldn’t stand being by your side any longer. Of course, I have no intention of going back. Walter held me back… … but he was not the kind of person who would turn away from my only request.”

“… … No, that can’t be. He killed you. Walter Ertmann, if it weren’t for him-!”

“I killed me, Louis.”

A sharp voice followed in her confused mind.

“No matter what the circumstances, I was the one who decided to die, and I was the one who actually pushed myself to death. So if you want to blame me, blame me. I’m the one who killed your wife. But the people who aren’t related… … leave Walter alone.”

If he felt even a little sorry for me, if he felt even a little sorry for his dead wife.

“Please save Walter. I need your help.”

* * *

It seemed like a long dream.

Walter slowly rolled his eyes under his eyelids as he thought about that.

He, who had thought that he would never experience love in his entire life, had come to love someone, and had even held the person he loved in his arms in exchange for bearing that misfortune. Now, the feeling that feels like a part of his shadow is love, but being happy in it felt so strange, like burying one’s face in a snowdrift.

At some point in his happiness, Walter realized.

I had loved someone passionately, but I had never imagined being loved.

That was why this scene was so unfamiliar.

“… … Walter! Walter! Are you awake?”

Odette looked down at him with worried eyes.