“To have received recognition as a couple…. How dare you bind yourself as one with another woman who isn’t me, right in front of my eyes?”
Growling as she bit her lower lip in displeasure, she glared at the Princess and asked.
“Is what he said true?”
“…It’s true. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance, Valoa. Since this involves the Count Hartwell family and the Duke Dalton family, of all households, we paid our respects to Father first and received his approval.”
Sorry, my foot. For the record, the one who suggested getting the Emperor’s approval before the wedding was also the Princess.
‘I thought she was just being unusually excited back then….’
Looking at it now, it must have been to prepare for this very moment.
To use the uncontrollably wild Valoa while ensuring the marriage didn’t fall apart, one would need a shield at the level of the Emperor.
“Ha, haha! Hahaha!”
Sure enough, it seemed that no matter how much Valoa lived as she pleased, even she could not ignore the Emperor.
“So you’re telling me to back off? To just get lost without even laying a finger on these two who are shamelessly clinging together before my eyes? Ha!”
Raging on the spot as if her anger had pierced the ceiling, she eventually smashed a vase, unable to contain her fury.
Leaving behind the shock of the guests and the footsteps of the guards, Valoa spoke irritably.
“It seems you want to make a villain out of me, fine. Today, I’ll return quietly just as you wish. After all, a hunt isn’t successful simply because you keep driving the prey, is it?”
“….”
“But, just you wait. I never give up on what I want. If I can’t have it, I’ll crush it, tear it, and break it just to get my hands on it once. Even if I throw it away out of boredom the moment I have it!”
Sweeping her gaze slowly over the room as if to engrave her foul mood upon the place, she turned around with a fierce attitude.
Naturally, there was no one who stopped her.
***
The storm-like wedding, which would remain long in the memories of high society, came to an end. The two, who had seen off even the last remaining guest, were now the ones being seen off.
Family and friends offered their final greetings toward the two standing in front of the carriage.
“Congratulations on your marriage once again, Bea! Have a great trip.”
“Uh-huh, I’ll buy something delicious when I come back. Thank you for seeing me off until the very end, Miriel.”
“Congratulations on the marriage, Senior! You two really look good together.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. Thank you for attending, Lady Susanna.”
“Oh, don’t pay much mind to Lady Crawford’s behavior. She’s originally… that kind of person, isn’t she? Everyone in high society will take your side anyway.”
“Exactly! You’re already a married couple by imperial law, so what more can she do? Just treat it as if nothing happened!”
It was a fairly intense memory to act like it never happened, but…. Well, did the facts matter? The hearts of her friends who were thinking of her were what mattered.
Nodding vigorously, Beatrice pulled her friend, Susanna, into a tight hug and grinned.
“Who came? I don’t remember anyone but you guys.”
“Oh, stop it~!”
“Brother, please take good care of my friends after we leave!”
“Don’t worry about us; you two just get there safely. Don’t go on your honeymoon and start hitting and fighting each other again.”
Beatrice climbed into the carriage, ignoring her brother’s words like a true younger sister.
Clyde, who had entered the carriage a step ahead of her, lowered his head as he looked after Beatrice.
“We will pay our respects after we return.”
“Right.”
The two, who had been waving through the window while affectionately embracing each other, sat far apart from one another the moment they saw the silhouettes of their relatives fade away.
It was perfect timing, as if they had rehearsed it.
“Ugh, I seriously thought I was going to die from the goosebumps.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Right when Beatrice was about to say another word to him as he loosened his cravat in reply.
It was then that he arched an eyebrow as if something had occurred to him and gave a smirk.
It was that ominous smile he often wore when teasing Beatrice.
“But what can you do? From now on, you’ll have to get used to these ‘goosebump-inducing things.’”
“Bullshit… No, wait, you’re right. Damn it…. Even that short time during the wedding was hard, but you’re saying we have to keep doing this cringey stuff from now on? And changing how we address each other to Hu, Hus… anyway, to that title?”
“Honey.”
“It’s not like I forgot the word, you know?”
“If that’s truly uncomfortable, there’s also darling, or sweetheart, or my love. Ah, pumpkin too.”
The more Clyde rattled off the terms of address used between lovers, the colder Beatrice’s expression became. Rolling her eyes as if not a single one was to her liking, she cut his words short with a frosty voice.
“I hate those even more.”
“Really? It rolls off my tongue much better than I thought, though.”
“What did you say? Liar!”
The moment she stared at Clyde with a look of disbelief, Beatrice realized she had made a wrong decision.
Because Clyde had put on a smile with eyes that were deeply serene like an angel, as if he had been waiting for her to utter those words.
Very, very suspiciously.
Sensing an ill omen, Beatrice immediately reached out to cover his mouth, but he was a step faster than her.
Lightly snatching Beatrice’s hand, Clyde affectionately interlaced their fingers and spoke with a laugh.
“A liar, Darling? Are you telling me you can’t trust the words of the man who just became your one and only Honey and other half?”
“Urgh.”
“For my love to distrust me this much, Clyde is so heartbroken. It seems my sweetheart needs to kiss it and make it better?”
“Argh! Aaagh! I g-get… I get it! I’ll admit it! Happy now? Huh?”
Clyde drew a little closer toward Beatrice, who had even bitten her tongue out of sheer embarrassment.
“Hmm? Admit what? Goodness, why are you struggling so much. Are you being shy, Darling? But if you run wild in the carriage, you might go owie, Wifey.”
“I said I get that you greased your tongue! Stop it, you brat!”
Beatrice swung a backrest cushion toward the madman who had wrapped his other arm around her waist so she couldn’t escape.
Easily catching the cushion she threw after releasing her hand, Clyde shrugged his shoulders in a winner’s posture and added.
“If you don’t want to be defeated by me every day, you’d better adapt quickly. Because you’ll have to live with these words in your mouth until you’re sick of them.”
“Ha! Such exaggeration. It wasn’t even this much during the wedding. Why on earth would we have to stick together this closely?”
“That is because…”
Beatrice’s eyes narrowed again as he trailed off, unlike his usual self. She was trying to gauge what kind of nonsense he was trying to pull this time.
Despite Beatrice’s wary attitude, he remained silent for a moment as if contemplating something, then tossed out an unexpected question.
“I’m asking honestly since it’s just between us, Bea, how did you feel when the princess supported our marriage and helped us hold the ceremony quickly?”
“How did I feel…”
Even as she rebuked him for asking such a question, Beatrice fell deep into thought. It was because Clyde’s expression looked more serious than she had expected.
Resting her chin on one hand and blinking a few times, she slowly parted her lips.
“Well, first of all, was it satisfying? As someone who knows the ending, I was a bit expectant. And…”
“And?”
Lowering her gaze for a moment, she lightly pursed her lips.
‘And I felt a bit… displeased.’
She didn’t know precisely what emotion it was, but she felt a churning sensation in her stomach.
It was paradoxical, meaning she felt positive emotions like gratification and relief, and negative emotions like frustration and annoyance all at once.
‘How should I put it, it felt like winning but losing.’
“Then, what about when Valoa Edmond Crawford came and caused an outrage?” (t/n : i thought it was Valoa Edvane Crawford, but why suddenly Valoa Edmond Crawford lol.)
“Huh?”
That was, of course….
‘Wait, but why am I contemplating the answer?’
Wasn’t she the one who asked why they had to get so used to the titles! It was just as Beatrice was parting her lips to ask why he was talking about something else.
“I was resentful.”
At the blunt sentence heard from beside her, Beatrice’s eyes widened slightly. Turning her head to face him, he was no longer laughing playfully.
“It’s true that we moved cleverly. It’s also a fact that, as a result, we won. Though we used the princess’s shield a bit, we handled Valoa’s scene well too.”
“….”
“But setting all that aside, I’m just resentful that this was the best I could do right now.”
If only they had the ability and prestige to break through the situation without borrowing someone else’s strength.
‘Of course, even if that were the case, I would have done the same if I could make use of it….’
There was a massive difference between choosing something while in total control, and not. Beatrice was someone who knew that fact better than anyone.
‘Because I’ve experienced it.’
Comments (0)