Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 80



Only Noblemtl

Episode 80. Sphere
2023.11.05.

A familiar name and suspicion flashed through Odette’s mind.

And that suspicion became certain when she saw the knight blocking the gate.

Because that knight and Odette were old friends!

“Sir Arnold!”

“Ah, it’s been a while. Your Highness! Your dress really suits you.”

“Thank you… … No, that’s okay. Why are you here, as Cedric’s knight?”

“Of course it is. I came to carry out the orders given by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Arnold spoke briskly with his characteristically amiable and friendly personality.

Unlike Odette, who was deep in thought, he looked flushed as if he was very happy to be back in the capital after such a long time.

“I don’t know the details, but His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered the control of the Ertmann residence as a punishment for insulting the imperial family. If no one objects to the order that will be delivered in the future, there will be no harm, so don’t worry.”

Odette’s mouth dropped open at the words that came out of her face, which was still sullen.

If no one objected to the disposition, there would be no harm.

Doesn’t that mean that if anyone objected to the disposition, there would be harm!

‘What kind of disposition are you going to impose?’

Was Cedric really that angry?

And.

“W-what is it, insulting the royal family?”

“I’m sure. His Majesty warned me several times, but I heard it was ignored.”

Arnold added with a smile that the punishment for the crime would be carried out soon.

“Oh, and there’s one more thing you added.”

“What is it this time?”

“Nothing much.”

As he said that, Arnold reached into his pocket, took out something, and held it out.

Odette flinched for a moment at the heated momentum.

She blinked blankly at the object he held out.

“… … A pass?”

It was also a pass for the Crown Princess Palace.

Arnold smiled faintly in front of Odette, who was bewildered.

“I heard you wanted to have a cup of tea together.”

The ‘smiling face’ drawing on the letter flashed over Arnold’s face.

And what Cedric was trying to convey.

– Come to the palace when I speak nicely with a smiling face, Odette.

Cold sweat ran down Odette’s back.

It was a tension that had not been felt in her simple life for many times.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Crown Princess’ Palace.

The rose petals that had been placed in a vase and decorated with a simple touch fell.

It was a trick by a mischievous hand wearing a white glove.

“Walter, I mean.”

And the owner of that hand, Cedric, opened his mouth with as much indifference as he had removed the rose petals.

“We’ve never been particularly close, but I thought we could communicate quite well.”

They had never said it out loud, but they were the same kind of people.

That was why they didn’t like each other, and that was why they had formed a bond with the slight sense of kinship they had with each other. That was the relationship between Cedric and Walter.

If you could call them friends, you could call them friends, and if you could call them colleagues, you could call them colleagues.

“Sometimes, on days when the sun was shining, the sky was rainbow-colored, the clouds were beautiful, and the temperature and humidity were harmonious, I would even use the expression “dear” in my messages to you.”

“When you die, it will be written in the obituary.”

“That would be right, at least if you hadn’t ignored all my repeated warnings and married Odette.”

Bang!

Cedric’s hand struck the table with his anger.

The face of the young man with silver hair that was slightly bluer than Odette’s was frozen as cold as the north wind in midwinter.

Looking at this appearance alone, it was hard to believe that he was usually a person who smiled often, but it was also a very familiar face to Walter.

Even if no one else knew, Walter knew very well that what Cedric was showing now was his true face.

“I told you so. I’ll be there in a month, so don’t get married within that time. Whether you’re getting married or whatever, do it after that. You’ll remember that I sent you here not once, but several times.”

There was a hint of intimidation in his frosty voice.

However, Walter, sitting across from her, simply answered calmly, one leg over the other.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But you completely ignored that and got married. Because of that, I couldn’t even attend my sister’s wedding. Do you think that makes sense?”

“Fortunately, the third princess is still single, so if she attends next time and brightens up the event, it will be a great opportunity to show off the strength of the imperial family.”

“Give me Odette, you son of a bitch.”

“No.”

Walter simply replied, putting his teacup down on the table.

He had a frown as if he was extremely annoyed by this confrontation.

“I came here because I had urgent business to convey, and all you said was to ask for someone else’s wife… … Even the crown prince seems to have no time these days.”

“Are you free? Are you, you son of a bitch? Do you know how I felt when I briefly left home and someone who wouldn’t even eat my well-raised younger sister snatched her away?!”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have a younger sister. Above all, have you already forgotten that you almost went to the border if I hadn’t snatched her away?”

“No, of course I do.”

“But still?”

“You don’t seem to know anything, Walter. In any case, the royal wedding is held in the palace. Whether it’s a Margrave or a Nabal, they have to crawl into the capital to get married. In the first place, the wedding itself would have taken several months.”

“So?”

“If I had killed my marriage partner back then, everything would have been resolved peacefully. Just like now.”

Cedric took something out of his bosom and threw it on the table.

A temporary title certificate with the name ‘Samuel Marbeau’ written on it, written by the Crown Prince’s authority.

Now, if the Emperor’s approval is given, the word ‘temporary’ will disappear from that paper.

It will become a real title certificate.

Walter’s eyes, scanning the paper, sank coldly.

“It seems to have been processed as planned?”

“Oh, right. It’s all thanks to someone who was such a good intermediary.”

The name written on the temporary title certificate was ‘Samuel Marbeau.’

He was the leader of the Western Margraves and the eldest son of Count Marbeau, the person Odette should have married according to the marriage proposal the Emperor had pushed for.

And the fact that he was granted the title meant one thing:

Count Marveaux was dead.

Cedric tapped the temporary title certificate with his index finger and continued.

“The title will be passed on as Your Majesty approves. Samuel Marveaux has a long-time fiancée, and they will be married within the year.”

“What other feelings?”

“Do I really need to ask? Of course I will. What kind of loyalty can I expect from a man who killed his own father because he wanted the title?”

Cedric’s lips were clearly smiling as he quipped, but given his cynical mood, it was clear that no one would use such an expression.

“A man who betrays once will betray again. He is not a man to be tolerated for long. But, well. It will be quiet for the time being.”

“Why? Did he feed him well?”

“Count Marveaux, who was the head of the counts, no, he is now the count. Anyway, now that he is gone, how can the other counts stay still? “A guy who was just covered by his father’s halo would have a hard time dealing with those raccoons.”

This was a story about Samuel Marveaux, but in other words, it also meant that the Western Margraves had lost their center of gravity.

A group that lost its center of gravity would naturally fight over the next center of gravity or fall apart as they fought among themselves. They

would no longer have time to gather together and have vain thoughts like before.

So, as a result, the Emperor was able to sit comfortably on the throne and obtain the painting he wanted without having to force Odette to marry him.

For Cedric, it was one more thing to score points with the Emperor.

Cedric muttered as he recalled the past.

“Come to think of it, it was strange when I first received your letter.”

Walter Ertmann, was he the kind of guy who would do good for others? He’s the kind of

guy who wouldn’t move unless it was beneficial to him, and yet he suddenly joined hands with Samuel Marveaux and offered a plan to kill Count Marveaux?

It was suspicious, but there was no reason to refuse.

Above all, Walter and Cedric were in a tacit alliance.

They believed that they would not have suggested anything that would harm the other.

“So I was going to accept it for now and see how it goes… … You’re going to take my sister while I’m away? I told you to wait!”

“If I had waited, you would have obviously interfered with the marriage, but you’re being stupid for waiting. And Odette agreed to it.”

“You must have seduced me, but you foolishly did it! I knew this would happen and didn’t introduce you to Odette, but you approached Odette while I was away… …!”

“… … You knew this would happen?”

Walter frowned as if it was the first time he had heard of it, but Cedric simply made a face as if he was asking the obvious.

“Are you saying that now? Do you really think I don’t know that you’ve had a strange gaze toward Odette since you were at Belfort?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t even interested back then.”

“What? Not interested? How dare you come to Odette? Your?”

“This crazy… … .”

It seems that Cedric wasn’t normal in Walter’s eyes.

No, if he thought about it, Cedric wasn’t normal to begin with.

However, he really seemed to have lost his mind when he heard that Odette had gotten married while he was away, and that she had married Walter.

‘I expected it, but this is really something.’

He had barely sent Arnold away, and now Cedric had appeared.

Walter got up with a shudder.

“It seems like we have no other business, so let’s go. Don’t call me like this again.”

“You’re going? Why don’t you stay a little longer?”

“No problem. You won’t benefit from seeing my face for too long, will you?”

Walter cynically retorted and turned around, but Cedric smiled with his hands clasped on the table.

“Let’s stay a little longer, at least let’s see Odette’s face one last time.”

“… … What?”

“I sent Arnold to Ertmann. Ah, don’t worry about the others. I’ll just bring Odette and retreat.”

Walter’s face darkened at those words.

“… … You’re bringing Odette? Why?”

“Why? Do you really think I’m going to keep Odette next to a dark-hearted guy like you? I’ll find a new spouse within three months, so you should prepare for a divorce. Now that I think about it, it’s time for you to come… … .”

Finally, Walter’s string, which had been tense and tense, snapped.

Crunch!

The table rolled to the floor with a loud noise, and Walter grabbed Cedric by the collar.

And at that moment.

“… … Brother Cedric? Walter?”

Odette entered the drawing room that had become a mess.