Translator and Editor: Lea and Ishy

Chapter 29

Then, Carinne’s eyes gazing off into space looked back at Richard.

He couldn’t move under the strong gaze that shot straight at him.

As always. Nothing went his way when he stood in front of her. Even things about himself.

“No. It’s not your time yet.”

Carinne, who looked at Richard as if she could see through him, finally said aloud.

“Lennox Kravant protects Olivia. As long as he needs the Epure’s ability, he will try to keep her alive.”

She, who stopped talking for a while, exhaled a long sigh.

“If you approach without care, you’ll be in danger. Until I find a definite way, I forbid you to move in advance.”

Despite the cold anger, Carinne’s judgment was brutally realistic.

“Let’s do what we can until then.”

“..”

“We have been.. outnumbered.”

***

The lunch was more than I expected.

I put down the tableware, feeling satisfied and full.

Then I turned to Ash, who was still focused on eating.

Fresh fruits cut into smaller pieces for his convenience were constantly disappearing into the mouth of the finger-sized fellow.

His white cheeks were as full as a hamster who ate a lot of sunflower seeds.

-Is it that good?

-We skipped breakfast. I was starving to death.

He shook his head and raised one wing, as if he was signalling to not disturb him, before he went to poke an apple with his beak.

Lennox, who had been eating in an elegant and restrained position across from me, opened his mouth as he pressed down on the side of his lips with a napkin.

“Your bird has a good appetite.”

“He likes to eat anything. Especially apples.”

Then, subtly dragging his mouth, he asked me this time.

“Do you like your first meal here?”

“It was the best food I’ve ever had.”

From salads to beautifully plated desserts to stimulate appetite, it was a meal that had nothing short.

“Should I ask him to bring more desserts?”

“This is enough. If I eat more, my stomach will explode.”

Lennox smiled at my exaggerated tone and beckoned lightly.

The servant who was waiting began to clean up the plates on the table. He looked skilled in his movements, but strangely like a knight.

After a while, on the clean table, two teacups were placed.

The aroma of the deep scarlet liquid smelled like roses.

“Is there any wedding venue in your mind?

My eyes widened as he asked this question.

“I thought we weren’t going to take marriage vows.”

“We agreed on holding a simple ceremony, but never said we wouldn’t at all.”

I blinked as I asked back,

“Is it okay for us to have a wedding?”

At that moment, his fine straight eyebrows wriggled with discontent.

“What does that mean?”

“Uh.. To be honest, I didn’t think Your Grace would want anything cumbersome like a wedding.”

A considerable amount of time and money were required to hold a wedding ceremony, regardless of age.

Not to mention how it’d be for the marriage of the Duke of Kravant, the great nobleman of the Balkan Empire.

“I heard that people in the Empire regard weddings as special, which only happens once in a lifetime. Wouldn’t it be sad if we skip it?”

“Huh?”

What’s with the way of you speaking as if you’re talking about someone else, as someone else in the Balkan Empire? Besides that,

“Who says it’s only once in a lifetime?”

“What?”

He looked at me as if I were saying something atrocious. But that’s the face I wanted to make!

I jumped up from my seat.

“Are you telling me to bow for the rest of my life after I divorce Your Grace?”

“Hold on, that’s not what I–”

“Your Grace is going to marry the new Duchess, but I can’t marry again? Did you write something weird on our contract?”

Lennox, who had a shocked expression for a while, soon smiled briefly.

“If you’re so anxious and find it difficult to believe me, see it for yourself.”

“W-Who said that?”

“If you don’t like it, I don’t mind skipping the wedding.”

“I didn’t say no.”

As soon as I replied, his red eyes like rubies narrowed on me.

“Then?”

“I’ll do it. The wedding.”

I faltered down on the chair.

I was embarrassed that I raised my voice, but my desire to have a wedding was greater.

‘I did yell out that I would remarry later, but..’

It was weird. Somehow I couldn’t imagine myself marrying someone other than Lennox.

“I don’t have a specific wedding place in mind, but I will look for it.”

Lennox looked at me half-heartedly with an unreadable expression and replied,

“Okay.”

Breaking the slightly awkward atmosphere was the sound of a knock.

“Come on in.”

As soon as Lennox gave his order, a man entered the room.

The man with long, tied pink hair and a monocle greeted Lennox first, then turned towards me.

“Pleasure to meet you, My Lady. I’m Nishir Hosen, an aide to the Duke of Kravant.”

It was a very simple and flawless introduction.

“This is Olivia Brienne.”

“What’s the matter?”

Nishir offered a golden tray to Lennox, who went straight to the point.

“A messenger came from the imperial palace. This is a letter from His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Have words leaked out in the meantime?”

Lennox frowned. When he opened the seal and read the letter, he was blatantly annoyed, his expression more noticeable in the middle of the day.

“What’s wrong?”

Lennox answered, putting down the letter without showing sincerity,

“If I want my marriage approval, I’ll have to come to the imperial palace with you.”

In the Balkan Empire, it was customary for aristocratic marriages to be approved by the Emperor.

Since the Emperor was suffering from illness, the Prince would conduct it.

“He asked me to come with you?”

“Yeah. What sort of dream is this?”

Prince Edwin Roam Balkan.

In the original story, he was Olivia’s fiancé and the male protagonist who performed well throughout the story.

And in the end, the person who sent her to death.

‘He was supposed to appear by now.’

As I didn’t make the same moves as in the original, there seemed to be a changing variable in my meeting with Edwin.

Well, I don’t know what the original story means now.

“You don’t have to go,” Lennox said, considering his interpretation of my troubled expression.

“You don’t need to keep up with the rhythm of a foolish man.”

“But it’s the order of His Highness. Can I do that?”

“Yes. You can do that,” Lennox replied arrogantly.

“Because you’re my wife.”

“Pfft!”

I almost spat out the tea I was drinking.

‘This guy is really..!’

However, he was calm and weak. He even looked relaxed.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Let’s be accurate. We’re not married yet, are we?” I whispered with dissatisfaction.

“We’re almost married.”

“It’s only true once the marriage contract is stamped with the imperial seal.”

“Excessive calculations make relationships stark.”

Suddenly, his lips drew into a playful smile.

It was clear that he was intentionally teasing and enjoying my reaction. I didn’t have any bad taste.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Even him playing innocent was cheeky, but it was funny to see him get angry during the day.

‘Because he’s uselessly handsome..’

Apart from the unexpected behavior of this man, I couldn’t help but admit his mind-blowing beauty.

It’s truly harmful.

“Anyway. Don’t you have to comply with His Royal Highness to get approval for marriage?”

“Not necessarily.”

I leaned close to Lennox so that Nishir could not hear me.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to threaten him? Or use force?”

“..”

Just in case, I guessed that was his answer.

There was nothing more to hear. Is it really necessary for him to start a civil war just to get married?

“Let us go to the imperial palace together. It’s not that difficult.”

“You don’t have to do that. It’s only customary to get the Emperor’s approval, but it’s not an obligation.”

Unexpectedly, Lennox was being stubborn.

It felt like he did not want to let me meet the crown prince.

Nishir, who was waiting silently, opened his mouth at that time.

“Among your words, I apologize..”

He took another letter out of his arms. The envelope looked exactly like the one before. There was only one difference. The wax that sealed the first letter was red, but this time it was blue.

“The messenger told me to give this letter if Your Highness refuses.”

“You’re doing all sorts of things.”

Lennox received the second letter, his annoyed expression returning to his face.

After tearing off the seal roughly, his face distorted as he read the letter. I could hear him clicking his tongue and clenching his teeth.

“Is this a joke?”

His cold angry voice made my spine stand up.

The Crown Prince’s handwritten letter was crumpled mercilessly in Lennox’s hand.

“Excuse me, the letter from His Highness..”

I tried to dissuade him gently, but it didn’t work.

Eventually, Lennox jumped up from his seat and threw the crumpled paper into the fireplace. My mouth fell open as the flames—gaining new firewood—quickly set the letter ablaze.

‘What was it about?’