I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 101

‘Did something happen on the way north, or is this just a quick fix to keep the attention off the Empress and her deputy?’

 

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

 

But no matter how much she thought about his words and demeanor today, he didn’t seem to have anything up his sleeve.

 

‘Still, we’ll have to keep an eye on him, there’s got to be something to it.’

 

Nervously, her gaze flicked to the High Priest and Cedric seated next to her.

 

“Uh…?”

 

Evelyn cocked her head, feeling a little uncomfortable. For a moment, the High Priest and Cedric’s faces looked too much alike.

 

Of course, she had heard that it was not uncommon for children to resemble their parents’ other siblings, not their parents. But…

 

‘Could it be that they share unusual genetic traits and even eating habits?’

 

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the High Priest’s plate: left-handed, dimpled, boyishly handsome.

 

‘It seems odd.’

 

Prior to the invitation, the butler and maid of honor had prepared the feast with meticulous care, researching the couple’s preferences and even the ingredients their bodies might reject.

 

The crown prince had informed them that he was allergic to shrimp, almonds, and peaches, but apparently the minister hadn’t said anything.

 

So it’s no wonder he was skeptical of the crown prince’s plate, which had shrimp, almonds, and peaches removed to one side.

 

“…….”

 

Evelyn’s face slowly paled as she channeled her magic toward them.

 

“Grand Duchess?”

 

Cedric, sitting across from her, stared at her questioningly.

 

“Is there something wrong with your complexion that you don’t look so well?”

 

“Oh, nothing like that…”

 

Evelyn withdrew her magic, instinctively suppressing the anxiety and fear that welled up in her.

 

“It’s just that with all the wedding preparations, I must have neglected my health.”

 

The High Priest’s expression remained unmoved. It was one of those times when I hoped his face looked unaffected.

 

“Pfft.”

 

The Empress, seated at the head of the throne, burst out laughing.

 

It was a small sound, but it was enough to get everyone’s attention.

 

The Empress laughed gracefully, as if savoring the attention, and caught Evelyn’s gaze.

 

“I knew you’d be a spoiled brat, but you’re actually quite shameless.”

 

Evelyn met her eyes, which glittered with hostility, and she pressed her fangs together, as if to break them.

 

And then she stilled, echoing the voice of her past life, the voice that had tried to kill her mother and her.

 

 

“End it without a trace. With Marcella gone and that wench dead, it will arouse suspicion…”

“Louise is the foster daughter of the High Priest, so she has reason to do his bidding, but what about you?”

“What do you have to gain by my death and my mother’s death?”

 

 

A flood of anger and murderous intent swirled inside her in a moment.

 

But on the outside, Evelyn’s face was as calm as ever.

 

“I will endeavor not to become a stain on the reputation of House Orpheus.”

 

The Empress’s sneer deepened, as if she didn’t like Evelyn’s calm demeanor.

 

“How dare you belittle the House of Orpheus’ reputation, a reputation that could be tarnished by a single blemish from your little wench?”

 

It seemed as if the Empress wanted to somehow discredit Evelyn’s intentions and diminish her standing.

 

“But what can I do about it? I’ve already won the favor of too many people here for that.”

 

Even if she exposed Evelyn as the illegitimate daughter of a count, the warm northerners would feel sorry for her.

 

‘Perhaps that’s why the Empress doesn’t mention my birth.’

 

It was then.

 

BANG!

 

“As expected from the Empress.”

 

The doors to the banquet hall swung open.

 

“You’ve always been such a jerk to my entourage in my absence, and now you dare to talk down to the Grand Duchess.”

 

Charlotte, dressed in a gown of luxurious silk and bright lace, strode gracefully into the hall.

 

Her poise, like a fish swimming through water, made it clear that she was the oldest adult in the duchy.

 

In a matter of moments, the banquet hall fell silent.

 

It was the Empress, flushed to the neck, who broke the short silence.

 

“Oh, no… Charlotte, is that really you? No, no, no, what is this…?”

 

The Empress was visibly flustered, and Evelyn had her own doubts.

 

Of course, she could have been expressing her own delight at seeing her godmother after so many years away from the empire.

 

But the Empress’s behavior now was far from that.

 

‘It’s as if she knows why the Godmother hasn’t been able to appear in public…’

 

As she wiped the suspicion from her eyes, an extremely uncomfortable greeting was exchanged.

 

“I see you’re still the same, High Priest, you used to follow the Empress so closely.”

 

Wiping the sweat from her brow with the napkin in her lap, the Empress gave an awkward smile.

 

“You, too, Charlotte,” she said, “have helped me… to rely on God in my troubled relationship with him.”

 

“Alas, I see.”

 

Charlotte’s mouth curved into a graceful smile.

 

It was an ordinary smile, but in the empress’s eyes, it seemed to question whether she really relied on God alone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After the frenzied feast, Evelyn made her way to Charlotte’s drawing room on the top floor of the castle.

 

Benedict and Mrs. Riktor, who had been instructed to escort the Empress to an outbuilding to the west, followed them.

 

“Are you all right, little lady?”

 

Mrs. Riktor poured a cup of soothing tea and examined Evelyn’s complexion.

 

She was the one who had witnessed the Empress’s outburst and immediately summoned Charlotte to end the whole situation.

 

Benedict’s shoulders shook as he remembered the Empress’s past as a manipulative, vain woman.

 

“Her Majesty is still the same,” he said, “but at least I know you’re having a hard time.”

 

At Charlotte’s entrance, the empress was unable to hide her embarrassment, and she left, complaining of a sudden illness.

 

“She wasn’t just panicking, she looked like she’d seen a ghost.”

 

Evelyn doesn’t think it’s the past that’s freaking her out.

 

‘What is it, what is it that’s so annoying.’

 

Charlotte’s eyes hardened as she took a sip of tea.

 

“How dare you send the grand duchess alone to that place.”

 

Evelyn took a moment to collect her thoughts, then turned to the butler and the handmaiden in anger.

 

“I asked the two of them to do it, and since they’re here to celebrate my wedding, I thought it only fair that I serve the food yourself. It’s all my fault.”

 

Wiping her brow, Charlotte picked up her teacup again.

 

Then she dismissed them, saying she needed to speak with the grand duchess in private.

 

“So, now tell me what’s on your mind.”

 

Charlotte’s eyes were intense and cautious, as if trying to read her mind.

 

“I don’t believe you confronted them just to do the right thing.”

 

It wasn’t long enough to read a person’s entire inner life, but Charlotte got a sense of Evelyn’s character.

 

She is selfless and good, and she’s not so driven that she’ll ignore someone’s malice toward her.

 

That doesn’t mean she endured the insult because she wanted to be in their eyes, knowing full well the bad blood between me and the Empress.

 

Evelyn pressed her lips together tightly, like someone with something to hide.

 

Charlotte watched her, her mind cooling as she considered the situation.

 

“Then the problem must lie with the Grand Duke.”

 

Contrary to popular belief, the relationship between the Grand Duke and the Empress was far from amicable.

 

Aside from the bad blood between him and the Empress, she criticized everything he did and used other princesses to harass him.

 

“What I want to know is how he managed to lure the Empress, who desperately opposes his marriage to the Grand Duchess and has been enlisting the Elders, to the North.”

 

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed uneasily at her words.

 

Charlotte felt sorry for her, but she felt it was time she knew what was going on in the capital.

 

“Or, on the contrary… do they have a real reason for coming north?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Evelyn’s stomach churned, as if her dinner hadn’t been good enough, and she couldn’t bring herself to act nonchalant in front of them.

 

After swallowing the digestive aid, Evelyn organized her thoughts based on the situation earlier.

 

“To conclude, I think… the Empress knows about the incident where a superlative demon devastated the Grand Duchy.”

 

Charlotte furrowed her brow, questioning her ears.

 

“You mean to tell me that that incident has leaked out?”

 

But everyone involved in the incident was dead, and the only ones left were the butler, the handmaiden, the grand duke, and herself.

 

Evelyn shook her head.

 

In response, Charlotte cleared her throat and raised one hand. She held up one hand, asking for a moment to think.

 

If it hadn’t gotten out, if the Empress knew such secrets, didn’t that mean she might be involved in this after all?

 

No, no, no.

 

This is the land she was born and raised in.

 

It was ruled by his brother, who loved the people more than anyone.

 

Charlotte’s complexion grew paler and paler, and Evelyn, concerned, took her hand and quickly warmed it.

 

“This is only my personal opinion. But what I witnessed at the dinner party a little while ago was rather disturbing, and I can’t help but theorize.”

 

Charlotte’s gaze, briefly caught in a whirlwind of confusion, snapped back to Evelyn.

 

Evelyn watched her eyes find their true color and spoke in a calm voice.

 

“We have discovered that the Crown Prince and the High Priest have the same ailment.”