Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 61



Only Noblemtl

Episode 61. Blake’s Proposal
2023.08.31.

The moment I saw the red hair, only one person came to mind.

‘Ellie.’

My heart sank.

I couldn’t hide my expression. The shock must have just come to my face.

Otherwise, Blake wouldn’t have been laughing like that.

“You must have guessed something from that expression, right?”

“… … I was surprised. I opened the letter… … and the contents weren’t paper.”

Odette tried to control her expression. It was a poor excuse, but not so much that it was lame.

No, even if it seemed lame, Blake would get caught up in it the moment she showed her embarrassment.

She asked as calmly as she could.

“Why are you showing me this? It seems excessive to call it a surprise gift.”

“Don’t stop me like that. I was just asked to deliver the letter.”

“But it’s not unrelated to this, right?”

Calling her out, playing chess, and giving her a letter at this hour when no one was around.

Did Blake really not know the contents?

‘Sending her hair cut off was a threat.’

A threat that could put Ellie’s life in danger depending on the situation.

And usually, threats are accompanied by demands, but there was nothing written on this envelope.

Of course. Because she was going to tell her demands through the mouth of the person who would deliver the letter.

Odette’s eyes, suppressing her nervousness and anxiety, furrowed slightly.

“Tell me what your intentions are, what you want. Stop saying nonsense that it has nothing to do with this.”

“Your words have become harsh, Odette. How presumptuous.”

“Then why should I be polite to you in this situation?”

The empty envelope fell from Odette’s hand as she fiercely retorted.

“Whenever you received the letter, or whether you were involved in this matter. You could have told me whenever you wanted. If you didn’t, there’s a catch. Isn’t that right?” ”

… … Well, you could see it that way.”

Blake, who seemed to be okay with the tone, smiled and touched the king next to the white queen.

“I just wanted to tell you the reality.”

“Reality?”

“Yes. You know, right? What happened during the three months that Cedric was away?”

It wasn’t just about Odette’s marriage.

Blake had been meticulously building a foundation to push Cedric out.

“It started in the north. The battlegrounds along the border that had been in a lull suddenly started counterattacking as if they had some kind of gentleman. Next was the west. A large number of smuggled goods were discovered at the Landeille Port. And that’s all? Deforestation in the east, Gentil in the south. It’s harder to find a region that didn’t have problems.”

Since the empire was so large, incidents and accidents were bound to happen everywhere.

However, the events that had occurred in the past three months were clearly too bizarrely concentrated to be coincidences.

Of course, Odette couldn’t have been unaware of these events.

However.

“You probably don’t care about these issues. They have nothing to do with you.”

“… … So, are you trying to say that these issues are related to me?”

“No, no. I’m saying that they’re related to your dear brother, Cedric. When people have problems, they always look for someone they’re familiar with.”

The current emperor is old and suffering from chronic illness, and most of the state affairs have long been delegated to the crown prince, Cedric.

So, the one who will be responsible for the problems that are occurring simultaneously is Cedric.

“Even if Cedric returns to the capital, he’ll soon be wandering around here and there. There’s no need to argue. If I neglect even one of these issues, I’ll definitely be blamed, so how can I ignore it?”

“… … So?”

“So, you’re going to be left behind.”

Cedric can’t protect you.

Blake’s index finger pointed at Odette.

“No matter how much those around you are dying, no matter how much you beg for help, he won’t care. But to trust Ertmann… … there is already evidence of trust right before your eyes.”

The severed red hair that appeared to be Ellie’s.

“Nothing you hold onto can protect you. This is reality.”

Odette bit the inside of her mouth at Blake’s words.

“The hell… … I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no relationship with Brother Cedric. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Really? Then you don’t have to feel particularly wronged by this. You’re powerless anyway. Right?”

Blake grumbled and sat up straight.

He pulled his upper body a little closer to Odette.

“My request is simple. Whoever’s hand you’ve been holding until now, now hold mine. Nothing will change much. We’ll take sides, and that hair… … will be fine.”

The explanation was long, but in short, it meant that he would save Ellie, so take his side.

After all, neither Cedric nor Walter could protect Odette, her completely.

The problem was that in this situation, there was no way to refute that statement.

Anxiety was eating away at Odette’s mind.

Odette’s hand on her thigh clenched tightly.

“Speaking sense! After doing this… … you’re asking me to hold your hand?”

“I don’t understand. I explained this much to you. Can’t you see how kind I am to you right now?”

Blake frowned in annoyance and picked up the white queen from the chessboard.

“Odette, why do you think you couldn’t take this queen?”

Because Blake had already touched the board? Or because Odette was not good at chess?

No, that was just an additional reason.

“Because you were distracted by something of low value.”

　
In retrospect, all the previous fights started when Odette moved a low-value piece.

As the dying pieces began to come into view, the initial goal of taking out the queen took a back seat.

“Do you understand now? Your resentment toward me, the owner of that hair… … Those are low-value pieces. But your safety, your comfortable life. These are high-value pieces.”

In short, Blake was saying this.

Don’t let the high-value pieces slip away while being distracted by something of low value.

Realize what’s more important.

“If you want to hold my hand, then you won’t attend the wedding tomorrow. In return, I’ll spare the owner of that hair.”

“… … Isn’t holding my hand enough?”

“Haha, that’s what you’re talking about.”

Blake burst into laughter as if he had heard something funny, but then quickly wiped the laughter away.

All that remained were cold, sunken purple eyes.

“I’ve been meaning to say this, but don’t you think it’s too much for someone as lowly as you to be the Duke of Ertmann? You should know your place.”

How could an illegitimate child act like a duchess ?

Blake muttered, coldly mocking

her. “You’re more suited to being your mother, Odette.”

“… … Is that why you’re interfering with my marriage?”

“Oh, of course not. I’m the type that wants to eliminate variables as much as possible.”

In short, he didn’t want Odette to have any room to run away

after she became the Duchess of Ertmann. “If you want, I can arrange a new marriage partner for you, so don’t worry too much.”

“They’re related to you by blood, right?”

“Strictly speaking, I’d say they’re related to the Rodel family. In any case, they’re not that close.”

The Rodel family was Empress Katharina’s maternal family, and Blake’s maternal family.

If they were to get married, they would be unable to escape Blake’s grasp.

‘If I hold Blake’s hand… … I will have to marry someone Blake arranges for me.’

Even if they knew, they couldn’t avoid it.

Just like this situation. As

soon as the thought crossed Odette’s mind, a deep sense of helplessness and despair began to creep up her skin.

Only after hearing the whole story did Odette realize why Blake had done this.

Really, there was no need to mention the conditions of the blackmail in the bag containing the hair.

Odette had already achieved her purpose just by sitting here.

‘It was Blake who sent military supplies to the northern border.’

The strange incidents that had occurred while Cedric was away.

Of course, Odette didn’t pay much attention to them, but she understood that they were unnatural.

Most of them were things that Blake had done.

‘I deliberately waited for Cedric’s brother to empty the capital.’

That way, even if a problem arose, it would be difficult to respond right away.

If Cedric receives the situation late and tries to solve the problem, the problem will have worsened and become much more difficult to solve than when he first tried to suppress it. What

Blake was aiming for was for the complicated situation to gradually damage Cedric’s reputation and tie him up.

While Cedric was running around frantically trying to solve problems everywhere, Blake could leisurely increase his power.

‘The problem is… … the situation didn’t cooperate.’

The reason was simple.

Because Odette had been relaying the situation in the capital to Cedric.

Thanks to this, Cedric was able to quickly deal with problems here and there using Odette’s ‘ability’, and the situation did not go as Blake intended.

Naturally, from his point of view, he would want to get rid of the confidant who was relaying the situation.

‘And then I got caught.’

Odette had said no, but that excuse would not have worked on Blake.

All she did was hide her ability so that it would not be discovered.

However, since she had been caught, it was clear that the result would have been the same no matter who she married.

Blake would have tried to interfere with the marriage in order to keep Odette’s leash, and she would have received similar threats.

‘I knew this would happen, but I kept bending down.’

She pretended to be a cowardly woman who did nothing, and lived with her head bowed even after being slapped and suffered all kinds of humiliation.

Because she wanted to somehow escape the palace and this gap.

But now that the high ground was right in front of her, this happened.

‘I never thought you’d try to tie me up like this… .’

Odette clenched her teeth in the helplessness and anger that welled up in her.

‘… … Wait.’

Like this, you say?

Odette quickly scanned her eyes without realizing it.

The messy red hair, the chessboard that was more than half empty.

And Blake, who was watching Odette’s agony with interest.

When their eyes met, he slightly raised his eyebrows.

“Is there something you wanted to ask?”

The moment she saw his attitude, Odette had a gut feeling.

‘… … Maybe.’

This situation could be fake.