Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 66



Only Noblemtl

Episode 66. Was it my fault?
2023.09.17.

In addition, since she had already stepped into the life of the upper class, the humiliation she had to endure whenever she met people of the upper class was not easy.

Even Leah Denzel, whom she had met by chance at the salon a while ago, had deliberately stepped on Elodie’s shoes and made fun of her.

– Oh, excuse me. The color was so dull that I thought it was carpet. Hmm, it’s not really carpet, is it? If so, I’d be sorry.

If she could have slapped Leah’s face, who was saying that with a sarcastic expression that showed no remorse, Elodie would have gladly done so.

Elodie’s patience was already at its limit, and she eventually accepted Blake’s offer.

Everything seemed to be going well.

At least, until Walter’s men came rushing into the mansion.

But Elodie had not yet given up hope.

‘But maybe.’

One of the people who kidnapped Ellie was Blake’s confidant.

He must have told him the situation, since he quickly disappeared as soon as Walter’s men entered the mansion.

So maybe Blake would come to rescue her.

He had clearly said he would protect her.

But what if he didn’t come?

Then, would he have to die without a fight?

‘Damn it! Damn it!’

I don’t want to die like this!

Tears flowed down Elodie’s cheeks again in despair, and sobs began to leak out little by little.

Only then did Walter seem to notice Elodie’s presence.

And then, he opened his mouth as if he was a little puzzled.

“I don’t know why you’re crying like this. It doesn’t really make me feel sympathy. Oh, or are you crying because you want to live?”

“Huh, huh… … Let me go… … Whatever you want, I told you. I, I have the 2nd prince behind me… … .”

“Oh, the 2nd prince. Did you believe that?”

Walter sneered.

“I guarantee you. He won’t come.”

“There’s no way… … .”

“Don’t you know yet? You were used.”

At Walter’s words, despair rose thickly on Elodie’s face.

“I, I… … .”

“Why didn’t you give up your greed? Or at least use your heart kindly.”

If Elodie had given up her greed, or at least not accepted Blake’s offer, she could have lived a decent life.

Her abilities were not bad and she had ambition, so she might have become a person of considerable influence later on.

However, Elodie was blinded by greed and threw away all those possibilities.

So the result was obvious.

“There will be a letter to Montoire. Elodie Montoire enjoyed a promiscuous life and ran away with another man, and it seems that she was afraid of being immoral and incurring her father’s wrath.”

The Viscount Montoire had already sent his daughter to the capital with a feeling of self-abandonment.

That was also the reason why Elodie had never been able to return to her own territory.

She knew that if she caused another accident and came back, her father would never accept her.

So if Walter contacted her like that, Viscount Montoire would foolishly hope that Elodie would find satisfaction in the life she had run away from.

He wouldn’t even pretend to look for her.

“You, you had this in mind from the beginning… …”

“Of course. Of course, don’t worry, Montoire. Your father, unlike you, has a good personality and has never caused any trouble, so there’s no need to apply the principle of guilt by association.” If it

weren’t for that, Viscount Montoire might have had to receive support for his daughter.

Elodie gnashed her teeth and squealed at Walter’s words telling her not to worry and to die in peace.

“T-you devilish human! You’re crazy!! The 4th princess doesn’t know anything? That you’re this kind of person!”

When Odette’s story came up, Walter’s face hardened for a moment.

Elodie took advantage of the gap and raised the blood vessels in her throat.

“You, you’re in love with the Fourth Princess, right? Isn’t that why you’re doing this? But what’s the point? No one will love a scumbag like you! You’ll get nothing if you try to get it that way. You’ll soon be like me. You thought you had everything, but you’ll end up dying miserably!!”

Walter chuckled.

Without showing any sign of displeasure.

“You’re right. Why didn’t you become a prophet instead? You seem to have talent for that.”

“… … Wha, what? What does that mean?!”

She was right. What Elodie had done was a curse.

A one-sided curse that Walter would soon meet a

miserable end. And yet, he agreed to it without a hint of displeasure?

Suddenly, a strange thought crossed Elodie’s mind, but Elodie’s question could no longer come out.

“Take care of it. Our business is over. Russell, I’ll go back.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The guards of the mansion rushed in, and a bag was placed on Elodie’s head.

Walter’s back was visible through the gap.

That was the last scene Elodie saw.

* * *

As if the commotion of the previous night had been a lie, everything went smoothly when the sun rose in the morning.

Odette, who had barely woken up, had to hurry to the palace with a half-asleep face.

The only thing Odette was worried about was the fact that Blake might interfere again.

‘I wish he would just give up since his plan to blackmail me went awry.’

Given Blake’s personality, it didn’t seem like he would back down like this.

Above all, it was especially true that Blake had revealed his own hand to some extent in order to deceive Odette.

‘Now that we know who the supplier of military supplies in the North is, it won’t be hard to cut him off.’

The same was true for smugglers and other problems in other regions.

If he relayed this information to Cedric, Cedric would foolishly discuss it with Duke Pavel and resolve the issue.

Fortunately, Odette didn’t have to worry about that part.

The problem was that Blake would try to rob Odette somehow since his hand had been robbed.

The most effective way to do that was to disrupt the wedding.

‘I don’t know how he’ll backstab me again…’

Odette returned to the palace, slightly nervous, even in her daze.

However, as if mocking Odette, the wedding proceeded without a hitch.

At least, she expected him to question her for suddenly leaving in the middle of the night.

“I expected it, but you’re here. Chief Maid, I don’t have time, so dress her up right away.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

That was all Katharina said when she saw Odette return.

‘Come to think of it, Blake couldn’t have not told the Empress.’

If Odette didn’t show up for the wedding, the person who would be most directly held responsible was Katharina.

So Blake couldn’t have not told Katharina when he planned this scheme.

Katharina must have known that Blake was preparing to hit Odette in the back of the head when Odette first set foot in the Empress’s palace.

‘I somehow wondered why he kept quiet after being treated like that by me.’ I

wondered if he had judged that it would be no good to bother her, who would become Duchess Ertmann.

But that couldn’t have been the case.

‘He left me alone because he had a plan.’

So was there a plan behind leaving me alone now?

Odette held on to her tension again.

Even in any other situation, she would have been tense, but today, she was especially nervous because she wasn’t feeling well.

‘I overdid it yesterday and didn’t sleep well, so I’m so tired.’

In fact, Odette had been unable to open her eyes more than halfway. She

felt like she could fall asleep if she was hit.

That’s why she had to hold on

tighter! “Your Majesty, your skin is really beautiful. Wouldn’t white suit you?”

“I’ve been to many weddings, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful dress!”

Odette didn’t let up even when the maids talked like this.

“What, what? Do you think I’m going to congratulate you on your wedding? Where did you go in the middle of the night? Don’t come back at all.”

She didn’t let up even when Regina frowned with a displeased expression when she met her after she finished getting dressed.

Oh, thanks to that conversation, at least she was able to be sure that Regina didn’t know anything.

Anyway, even when his eyes met with Blake’s appearance late, even when Empress Katharina clicked her tongue.

Finally.

“-With this, I hereby announce that Walter Ertmann and Odette Benoit Celestine are now husband and wife.”

Even at this moment when the Cardinal’s wedding speech was over and the marriage was announced… … !

Clap, clap, clap!

Thunderous applause erupted, and Walter nudged Odette, who was standing there dumbfounded.

“Odette?”

“… … Was I worried?”

“What do you mean?”

“Of course I expected something more. I thought Blake would somehow try to interfere with the marriage… … .”

At Odette’s muttering, Walter made a “ah” sound.

“That’s why. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Why?”

“Because we ran out of money.”

Just as Odette was about to ask what he meant by running out of money,

Walter’s hand gently lifted the veil covering Odette’s face.

“But I think we should do what the guests are most looking forward to.”

　
The vow kiss that always marks the end of a wedding.

Odette blushed slightly and muttered, looking away.

“I think we should exclude Ellie from those guests.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll have to exclude my grandfather as well.”

And so the two did exactly what everyone else in the guests, except for two, was waiting for.

It wasn’t as deep or persistent as Walter usually did.

It wasn’t particularly affectionate or polite, either.

The reason was obvious the moment they kissed.

‘… … This guy was nervous, too.’

Of course, the reason was probably quite different from the reason why Odette was nervous.

Maybe the momentous event of marriage itself was making him tremble.

But somehow, the thought that she was not alone made Odette happy.

So, she kissed her husband and whispered to him, who had left.

“I will take good care of you in the future, Walter.”

“Of course.”

Walter smiled gently, and Odette nodded in satisfaction and turned around.

And at that moment.

“… …!”

Odette’s eyes met someone among the guests who was staring at her persistently.

That was, Louis Clovis.