I Married to Retire, Only to Find Out My Husband Was an Emperor Chapter 10

My father and older brother gave me a thumbs-up when they saw my outfit.

We rode in a carriage to Count Benner’s estate.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Count Benner hurried out to greet us.

“Welcome, Gustav! And Sir Heinrich, Lady Regina! Thank you so much for coming!”

The count looked genuinely happy to see us.

Ever since my father had rescued his son-in-law, who had been stranded in the middle of enemy territory during the war, Count Benner had regarded our family as his saviors.

“Thank you for inviting us, Benner.”

“Think nothing of it. It’s only right that I do this much.”

Count Benner patted my father’s shoulder and whispered meaningfully.

“Of course… Even I couldn’t manage this twice, but I somehow made it happen this one time. I really pulled some strings.”

“Thank you. I won’t forget this favor.”

While the two middle-aged men exchanged glances, the head butler approached and bowed politely.

“Lady Regina, Sir Heinrich. I’ll escort you to the ballroom first. It seems our master and the count have something to discuss.”

We followed the head butler into the hall, where magnificent chandeliers glittered overhead.

Many nobles had already gathered there.

All their eyes turned toward us at once.

Their gazes held a mix of curiosity, awe, and a little fear.

Just then, an elegant woman made her way through the crowd and approached us.

It was Ellie, Count Benner’s daughter.

A dependable-looking man stood beside her. He was her husband.

“Welcome, Lord Eisenbach. And Lady Regina.”

Ellie was famous for being gentle and wise, so much so that people called her “the model of a noble lady.”

She was also deeply grateful to our family for saving her husband, so she welcomed us with genuine warmth.

“Thank you so much for coming. Thanks to you, my husband was able to return alive.”

“It’s an honor to meet the people who saved my life.”

Ellie spoke, and her husband followed by bowing politely.

I gave an awkward smile and nodded.

Then Ellie took my hand firmly and spoke with sparkling eyes.

“Today, Lady Regina, you’re the star of the show. So please don’t feel pressured. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”

“…The star of the show?”

I tilted my head.

I had clearly been told that the Eisenbach family had been invited as special guests. So why was I the star?

It seemed a little strange to dismiss it as nothing more than a welcoming remark.

But before I had time to think about it, Ellie led me toward the center of the ballroom.

As she guided me along, Ellie naturally came to a stop at one point.

Then she spoke to a man standing nearby.

“Oh, there you are. Let me introduce you. This is Sir Cedric, the second son of the Marquis of Valder.”

A tall man with a neat appearance turned around.

When he saw me, he bowed politely in greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Regina. I’m Cedric von Valder. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

For a moment, I looked at him with uncertainty.

I couldn’t remember ever being treated well by anyone in high society, apart from the members of Count Benner’s family.

Most people either avoided me, calling me a “savage,” or got scared of me, calling me the “Black Grim Reaper.”

But this man was different.

He didn’t frown at the sight of my men’s formal outfit. He looked me straight in the eyes and smiled.

He was a truly respectable and well-mannered gentleman.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Cedric.”

We made some light conversation.

He asked about my experiences on the battlefield without being rude, and listened carefully to my answers.

His manner was flawless. He was friendly and showed interest in me without crossing any boundaries.

He was on a completely different level from the men I had met until now, who either trembled in front of me or ran away.

Just then, a commotion broke out near the ballroom entrance, and I saw my father coming in.

“Oh, the duke has arrived. I’ll take my leave for now. I hope we can speak again later.”

Sir Cedric bowed politely and stepped away.

Ellie and I started walking to greet my father.

As we walked with her arm linked through mine, Ellie asked carefully,

“What did you think of young Lord Cedric?”

“Pardon? Oh, yes. He seemed like a polite and pleasant gentleman.”

“Right? The House of Valder is famous for its fine family values. If you happened to like him…”

A strange feeling suddenly came over me. The words “star of the show.”

The introductions that had been made so naturally.

And that follow-up question asking what I thought of him.

My senses had been sharpened on the battlefield for the sake of survival.

‘Once is a coincidence. But twice is no coincidence. And if you let your guard down the second time, you’ll lose your head the third time.’

My father’s rambling behavior and Count Benner’s words about having “pulled some strings” suddenly fell into place like pieces of a puzzle.

I stopped walking and looked at Ellie.

“Lady Ellie.”

“Yes?”

“What do you mean by that?”

I asked seriously, with the same sharp gaze I used to watch the enemy’s movements on the battlefield.

“What did I think of Sir Cedric? You’re asking me as if… I’d just been on a blind date.”

At my sharp remark, Ellie’s eyes widened.

She looked thoroughly flustered.

“Oh my? Surely… you didn’t come here without knowing?”

“…What is it that I’m supposed to know?”

Ellie fell silent for a moment, thinking.

Then, as if she had figured out what was going on, she took my arm with a serious expression.

“Please excuse me for a moment, Lady Regina.”

She looked around before leading me away.

“This isn’t the right place to talk. Let’s go to the ladies’ lounge. I’ll explain everything.”

Unable to shake my uneasy feeling, I followed her.

I felt as if I had fallen into a trap.

And not just any trap, but a love trap set by my most trusted allies—my father and older brother.

 

 

****

 

 

The place Ellie took me to was a large, quiet room.

She gestured for all the maids to leave.

The maids who had been preparing refreshments stopped what they were doing, quietly closed the door, and left.

Soon, only the two of us remained in the lounge.

“I understand that this party was planned by my father and Lord Eisenbach for Lady Regina… as a ‘gathering to find a suitable husband.’”

Ellie hesitated for a moment, moving her lips as if unsure what to say. Then, as though she had made up her mind, she finally spoke with difficulty.

“A ‘gathering to find a suitable husband’…?”

I repeated the strange string of words, and Ellie added an explanation with an uneasy expression.

“It’s something that happens from time to time in the capital.”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“It’s an unofficial party where fathers or godfathers who care about a young lady of marriageable age use their connections to gather suitable marriage candidates in one place.”

“…”

It felt as if someone had hit me over the head.

So this was why my father and older brother had been rambling.

Their talk about “Count Benner’s reputation” and “special guests” had all been bait to lure me here.

“Then does that mean everyone at this party… came here to become a candidate for my future husband?”

I asked, unable to believe it.

“But there are people here who aren’t men of marriageable age.”

“That’s just to make the gathering look complete,” Ellie replied.

“If we gathered only the candidates, it would be too obvious and Lady Regina might feel pressured. So we invited other people as well, to make it look like an ordinary social gathering.”

Ellie took a deep breath.

“But… the men around your age, yes, that’s right. Even if they haven’t come with the specific intention of becoming candidates, they’ve all come with you in mind.”

“…”

I listened to her words with a heavy heart.

“…My father must have asked you to do this, right?”