Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 89



Only Noblemtl

Episode 89. Detected
2023.12.07.

Countess Noarsh.

Walter said that she was no longer related to Ertmann, but Odette knew that wasn’t all.

If she had been, Walter wouldn’t have frowned so much.

He wiped his face as if he was tired and opened his mouth.

“It’s true that Countess Noarsh is my biological mother, but since she said she would give up custody, she is no longer related to me in the least.”

“Then, have you ever seen your mother since you were young?”

“No.”

“Do you want to see her again?”

“No, not at all. Is there any reason to continue this conversation?”

Walter’s last question was sharp.

For Odette, it was the first time she had seen Walter’s sharp side.

At that preemptive warning, Odette hesitated for a moment and then continued slowly.

“Countess Noarsh asked me to treat her properly since she is your biological mother.”

“You must have lost your mind while I was away. Don’t worry about it.”

“Of course I think so too. I even came back early today to say something.”

Walter raised an eyebrow at Odette’s answer.

“You said something, which is braver than I thought.”

“What’s with that look? But I can’t just sit there and do nothing.”

“I’m saying you did a good job.”

Walter chuckled and lightly pressed his lips to Odette’s forehead.

“My mother dealt with whatever nonsense she said and came back, so I wonder why she looks so upset.”

“… … .”

Odette thought back to when she had left the banquet hall.

It was fine up until then.

Until she left and got into the carriage.

However, on the way back, Odette suddenly became worried about Walter.

‘But she’s still his mother… … I wondered if I had acted too much according to my own mood.’

If Walter demanded an apology from Odette for that reason, Odette was confident she would bow down.

What really worried Odette was that her actions might hurt Walter.

There are people like that sometimes. People who, when someone they care about gets hurt, stamp their feet as if they were hurt themselves.

Walter had been separated from his mother for a long time, so perhaps he would be sensitive to Countess Noarsh.

Or he might be angry that she was ignoring him for treating her so rudely.

Either way, it seemed reasonable at first glance.

Because…

‘… I don’t know anything about Walter.’

When the thought crossed his mind, it felt really strange.

Walter acted as if he knew everything about Odette.

Whether it was his natural ability or the fact that he was leaking information about himself, that was the result.

He knew what Odette liked, how much sugar was in her tea, and the gifts he brought her never went beyond her tastes. He

even received a necklace that seemed so extravagant that he couldn’t say it out loud, but thought it was pretty in his heart.

– Oh, my. Thank you so much, Walter! But how did you know that I liked this? I never told you.

-… … It’s just a feeling,

he said, a little vaguely.

In fact, it wasn’t that important how Walter knew Odette’s tastes.

What was important was that Odette didn’t know anything about Walter’s tastes.

Walter wasn’t picky about food, he didn’t talk about his tastes, and he was always in a comfortable environment where he didn’t have to be picky about his tastes.

And he was extremely reluctant to talk about himself.

‘I’ve never heard anyone talk about myself, let alone my mother.’

It felt strange. Odette, who was not usually prone to motion sickness, felt a shiver on the well-paved road, mixed with her feelings about Countess Noirche.

The name of the shiver was guilt.

While preparing for the social gathering, Odette had asked Walter this question.

– Come to think of it, don’t you socialize? I did for a while.

– That was to meet you. I don’t need it anymore.

– It must be fun to meet someone other than me.

– It’s not fun.

Walter’s words were strangely definitive.

He hugged Odette behind her, who was looking at the mirror, and muttered, burying his face in her neck.

-I only need you. Nothing else is necessary.

It was an embarrassing memory to recall. It

was even more so because he had to work hard not to overinterpret Walter’s words that he only needed you.

The important part of that conversation was that Walter had no social activities at all.

The only person he could call a friend was Cedric, but even he was not that close.

So the only person who could take care of Walter was Odette herself.

‘I didn’t know anything.’ He

felt guilty about that complacency.

He should have taken care of that before questioning whether he really loved Walter, but he felt like the tables had turned. He

also cared about what he had said to Countess Noarsh.

“… … I told Countess Noarsh to come to Ertmann if he wanted to claim that he was your biological mother.”

“Publicly?”

“Yes.”

“Then I might not come. It would be better to postpone it than to go and get rejected and look ridiculous.”

“No, I think I will come.”

Walter looked puzzled by Odette’s strange confidence.

But there was no other way to explain it. This was literally just Odette’s confidence.

“… … That’s why I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I think I made a big deal out of it.”

“It’s okay. I don’t think we’ll even have to meet in person. Is that all?”

If that’s all, then fine.

Since Countess Noarsh was the topic, it was inevitable that she would feel tired, but it wasn’t Odette’s fault.

Walter told Odette not to worry and hugged her, and Odette quietly looked up at him.

As if the fact that he had been so tense a moment ago was a lie, Walter looked relaxed.

The usual relaxed look that Odette knew.

‘Can’t I talk now?’

Odette opened her mouth at the sudden thought.

“… … “That’s not all.”

“Then?”

“I remember hearing stories about you when I was little.”

“About me? From Cedric?”

“No, the maids were talking. About your parents.”

Walter was not one to miss what was being said, even though she had made a general statement.

His face hardened slightly, but Odette continued her story.

“I don’t remember well, but… … everyone felt sorry for you.”

“… … So? Did you feel sorry for me too?”

Walter’s question was subtly sharp, but not enough to pierce.

Odette squeezed Walter’s hand tightly.

“I thought I wanted to hug you when I met you someday.”

I was a little girl who knew best how frivolous the word “feel sorry” was.

“I didn’t mean to say I felt sorry. To pity you. It may sound childish, but you were better off than me. Who would feel sorry for someone?”

“Then why did you want to hug me? You said you didn’t pity me.”

“I thought that if I hugged you, you would hug me.”

When I was too young, I only vaguely wanted to hug you.

But now that I think about it, I think I understand.

I wanted to find you in a similar situation, comfort you, and be comforted by you.

Walter laughed softly at Odette’s words.

“Your intuition seems pretty useful. Didn’t it end up like that?”

“Yes. I thought so too.”

Until she realized that she didn’t know anything about you.

So Odette couldn’t laugh. She couldn’t dare to just be hugged by Walter.

Odette pushed Walter away and stood facing him.

“I’ve received a lot from you. But I think you’re the best of all.”

“When did you say you were the worst?”

“I’ll say you were the best of the worst.”

In a way, Walter was also Odette’s misfortune.

Because his appearance ruined all of Odette’s plans, and countless other things happened because of him.

But Odette liked Walter, her relationship with Walter, everything Walter gave her.

She liked the stability, the warmth, the low voice that rang in her ears.

No jewel could compare to that.

Even if she could live without the jewel, Odette felt like she could never go back to the way she was before she fell asleep with Walter.

‘That’s why I couldn’t tell you.’

She was afraid that bringing up this story would ruin her relationship with Walter.

When she realized that she didn’t know anything about Walter, Odette was even more shocked by the fact that she wasn’t surprised at all by him.

She had been aware of it to some extent. She

just ignored it because she thought it wasn’t that important.

‘… … Or maybe she liked it now and didn’t want to break it.’

Whatever the reason, it was cowardly.

Now that she had realized it, Odette couldn’t stay silent for long.

If she really cared for Walter

, she had to tell him. She was the one who could and should embrace him now.

After a little hesitation, Odette opened her mouth.

“Walter, the contract we signed. I looked at it again a while ago, and there’s a clause that I just don’t understand.”

“… What?”

“The clause about suicide.”

And it was only a clause that said ‘Walter Ertmann’s’ suicide.

Walter was a thorough man.

In addition to the clauses for death or disappearance, he even left a clause for the case of suicide.

In the case of suicide rather than accidental death, variables such as forging a will could occur, so he deliberately fixed that part in the contract in advance. He

never expected Odette to look into it so thoroughly.

“You… … Are you thinking of dying?”