Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 51



Only Noblemtl

Episode 51. Don’t You Remember?
2023.07.27.

It wasn’t just seeing strange things, but also seeing hallucinations related to a specific person, and even the fact that it didn’t happen in reality was all the same as Louis’s situation.

He even felt hallucinations that he had never experienced before as if they were real, and he couldn’t tell the difference between hallucinations and reality.

“This is very rare. Hallucinations usually distort reality, but hallucinations that have no connection to reality and no contradictions. It can’t be considered mental illness.”

Of course, there were some minor differences between Louis’ case and the records.

For example, Louis suffered greatly when he first had hallucinations.

However, there was no such example in the records.

‘I don’t know if it was because they didn’t exist or if the records were simply missing.’

It was likely due to a lack of cases.

In any case, such minor differences were not enough to deny the connection between this record and himself.

The moment Louis saw this record, he instinctively felt that his story was correct.

“They say they are still researching how the holy relic affects reality and the people around them. In the first place, they say it is not even clear why or how the holy relic grants wishes.”

However, there were a few things that could be known right from what was written.

Everyone who used the holy relic harbored some kind of regret.

And after their wish was granted, their whereabouts became unknown after about a year or two.

Zantipe said of this, “It is questionable whether it is even a holy relic.”

However, after hearing that explanation, Louis’s thoughts were filled with the words of another person.

– It is a very vicious curse, and in the case I know, it has caused people to commit suicide. –

It is said to be a curse that drives people crazy to the point of death… … Fortunately, it does not apply to the Count. Those were

the words of Walter, whom he had met at the banquet of Count Xavier’s family.

After learning about the holy relic, it felt even clearer.

‘Duke Ertmann had guessed what kind of state I was in.’

That was something that someone who didn’t know anything about this holy relic could say.

‘So is his words true?’

Was Odette really the culprit behind all this?

If so, what on earth was his relationship with Walter Ertmann that made him tell me this?

In the midst of all this confusion,

the question was once again answered in an unexpected place.

Unable to hold back his longing for Odette, he attended the banquet hall of the imperial palace to see her from afar.

Odette and Walter kissed in front of everyone.

The commotion and the tumultuous atmosphere around them

all struck Louis’s intuition hard.

‘… … something is wrong.’

Was it because he had been exposed to too many ‘nightmares’?

He felt a sense of loss as if he had lost something that should have been there.

Maybe he couldn’t come to his senses when he closed his eyes because his wife, Odette, was in Walter’s arms.

Louis tried to leap forward without realizing it, his back pressed against his anxiety.

At that moment.

“… … !”

If only I hadn’t met Walter’s eyes as he was about to carry Odette out.

His cold gaze seemed to warn me.

‘You’re not worthy.’

When

I came to my senses, Walter had already carried Odette out of his arms and disappeared.

At that place, Louis realized one thing.

Walter’s telling me about the curse was not out of favor.

And.

‘Duke Ertmann, he’s hiding something.’

Maybe he was the one who pushed himself into this pit.

* * *

　
Was it Walter or Odette who used the holy relic?

Was this ‘nightmare’ that was tormenting him really just a hallucination?

And how would this ‘nightmare’ end?

‘One thing is certain… … neither Duke Ertmann nor Odette are free from this phenomenon.’

He was sure that one of the two was the culprit.

And Walter might know much more than he thought.

But the matter of Odette was still unclear.

‘In the current situation, the one who most likely used the holy relic is Odette.’

If the ‘nightmare’ he was experiencing was not an illusion.

If Odette, who said she regretted marrying him, actually existed, then she had a good reason to use the holy relic.

‘It makes sense that she brought in Duke Ertmann to avoid marrying me.’

Then it is also possible to explain why Walter, who heard Odette’s explanation, was able to guess Louis’ condition.

Of course, there are still some questions about this hypothesis, but it was currently the most plausible hypothesis.

‘First of all… … The fact that my hallucinations mainly focus on marrying Odette is a problem.’

Walter did not appear in those hallucinations. So naturally, Odette had to come to mind first as the main culprit.

The way to confirm whether this hypothesis was true was simple.

Test whether Odette knew about the ‘nightmare’.

However, there was a problem.

“… … You still haven’t responded to my letter?”

Odette had not accepted any of Louis’s advances.

He had written several letters to her, but Odette had not responded.

However, it was not like there was no way to meet her.

This may be real or just my hallucination, but Louis had information from his marriage with Odette.

-Louis, isn’t this place unpopulated? It’s a good place to sneak out, saying you’re going for a walk. The road is dark, so other people don’t come here often. It’s my secret place. Louis

headed here, recalling the voice of Odette, who was his wife, in his hallucination.

Following the voice in his dream, it seemed like a foolish thing to do at first glance.

‘But if Odette really comes here.’

At that time… … it was proof that this ‘nightmare’ wasn’t an illusion.

If it weren’t for Odette’s words in his dream, there would be no way for Louis to know about this place, or that Odette frequented this place.

‘Since there were a lot of people because of the wedding announcement, she must be thinking of getting out.’

If it was the Odette he knew in his dream, it would be like that.

Odette was someone who didn’t like being in the spotlight.

The thought of possibly meeting Odette and Odette standing affectionately with Walter in the banquet hall listening to the Emperor’s announcement of their marriage floated around in his head.

Every time his pacing stopped, joy and sorrow crossed over several times.

He felt a presence behind him.

And.

“… … Count Clovis?”

The moment he heard Odette’s voice, Louis realized what he had lost.

Why had the thought of something so wrong struck him the moment he saw Odette kissing Walter?

“Odette.”

From the moment he experienced the ‘nightmare,’ he had wanted to turn back the clock for the first time.

The mistakes he had made in his marriage with Odette.

So that Odette would not lose her smile. So that she would not regret it anymore.

A new desperate question flowed out of Louis’ chapped lips.

“… … Don’t you remember me?”

* * *

When he first realized that it was Louis who had been in this place.

‘Does Count Clovis know this place too?’

Odette naturally thought the other person was Walter and felt a little embarrassed that she had called him by his name.

Come to think of it, this place wasn’t that secretive.

“I’m sorry, Count Clovis. I made a mistake because I was supposed to meet someone here.”

Odette apologized with an awkward smile.

However, the person who received the apology had a slightly

strange reaction. It wasn’t that Odette’s mistake to mistake someone, but Louis looked strangely surprised.

No, it wasn’t just a surprised expression.

It was a surprise mixed with suspicion, anticipation, resignation, hope, and sorrow.

“Odette.”

As the unusual silence grew longer, Louis’s lips opened.

“… … Don’t you remember me?”

Odette tilted her head at the question, which seemed desperate for some reason. Was he asking

because he had called me by the wrong name?

“There’s no way I wouldn’t remember. I received the letter you sent. If it was something that happened at Xavier’s banquet, you don’t have to worry about it.”

The Louis Odette remembered was a very affectionate person.

And since he knew how to be polite, Odette said that, thinking that he might have something in mind about what happened at Xavier’s banquet.

However, Louis’s reaction became even stranger.

His expression became painful at Odette’s words.

“… … You are saying that you received the letter but did not reply?”

“Because you did not think it was necessary to reply?”

“I asked to see you… … It was something that didn’t require a reply.”

“I asked to see you? Were you only talking about Xavier’s banquet?”

“Are you pretending not to know? I’ve clearly told you many times… …!”

Louis frowned and was about to raise his voice, but then suddenly remembered something and stopped talking.

“… … You didn’t receive my letter?”

“If it was the letter I sent right after Xavier’s banquet, I received it.”

“I sent you letters after that too. Asking if we could meet. Didn’t you receive any?”

Only then did Odette realize where this misunderstanding had come from.

After Odette and Walter caused a scandal at the imperial banquet.

– Hmm, you’ve been getting a lot of invitations. I expected that.

– You really can see through me. You didn’t even bother to look at me before! Are you going to leave?

– No, regardless of your intentions, accepting an invitation now would only create gossip. I guess I can ignore it.

– Then I’ll just throw away the ones I absolutely have to respond to!

-Yes, please.

Odette delegated the work of the letters to Ellie, and Ellie probably sorted them with the other maids or servants. It was too much for one person to handle.

‘And… … It seems that some of the letters got mixed up in the process.’

Since there were few that absolutely had to be answered anyway, they must have gotten mixed up while they were just throwing them away.

Realizing her mistake, Odette touched her forehead.

“… … I’m sorry. There were so many letters that came recently that the subordinates must have thrown them away while sorting them. By the way, was there something we needed to meet?”

Louis’s letters clearly drew a line between Odette and her.

But how could he send several letters asking to meet?

“Wasn’t it Your Majesty, not me, who needed to meet?”

And what he said next surprised Odette.

“Your Majesty… … was thinking of marrying me, wasn’t it?”