Chapter 85
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 85
Norman couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he entered the Salon where his friends had gathered.
Viscount Andre and his companions burst into laughter at the sight of Norman arriving with a grin, and they jabbed him in the ribs.
"What's this? We gathered thinking you'd be gloomy, but you look delighted. Are you actually happy about becoming the prince consort to the princess?"
"Nonsense."
Norman cut them off curtly and collapsed into a chair.
The moment I thought of Princess Vivian, my mouth turned bitter again.
That woman was three whole years older than me.
The fact that she'd reached old age without marrying surely meant something was fundamentally wrong with her.
Yet how could Father possibly foist such a woman upon his only son!
No matter how much wealth and prestige were involved, I found it utterly abhorrent.
If he desired it so badly, let him take her himself.
Norman drained his drink in one irritated gulp.
"Still, I hear she's rather fair-looking? She doesn't appear at many events, but they say she's quite a striking beauty when she does."
"Beauty or not, she's just a withered old thing locked away in the back rooms. A has-been."
"That's harsh. She's not even that old!"
"Once a woman crosses twenty-five, they're all the same anyway."
"True enough—the younger, the better."
Norman and his friends chuckled and brought their pipes to their lips.
The exotic water pipe imported from distant lands had a peculiar effect of elevating one's spirits.
The mingling of smoke and spirits quickly thickened the atmosphere.
Whether intoxicated by drink or tobacco, they giggled at one another like fools.
"Ah, damn it... that woman... Trisha Onium."
Norman let out a wistful sigh as silver hair shimmered before his hazy eyes.
Afterward, I made inquiries to see her again, but that woman rarely ventured out.
She remained confined to the Town House in Onium's Capital, visiting the Temple only once a day.
Occasionally she would call at the Royal Palace to meet Princess Fresia, and that was all.
"...Just once more, just... one more time."
I wanted to find a way...
I was dying of frustration. The thought that my own marriage was irrevocably decided made me feel like I was losing my mind.
"...Onium? Trisha Onium?"
Viscount Laxon, who had been smoking beside Norman, suddenly spoke her name aloud.
"Ah yes... that woman is beautiful, I'll grant you. Her temperament is rather foul, though... but then again, her house bears the wolf crest, so it would be strange if she didn't have a sharp tongue."
Viscount Laxon giggled and toppled backward.
"How do you know that woman?"
Norman asked in a roughened tone.
Viscount Laxon, still sprawled on his back, hummed out his response.
"Ah, our Merchant Guild has been trading with Onium for quite some time. We need Spinel to deal with the magical beasts in the Borderlands, and we're the sole importer of it, you see..."
"And...?"
"Heh, so I've seen her a few times. Following my father around... hmm. Now that I think about it, I recall being invited to the Merchant Guild's dinner party in a few days. I should see how beautifully she's grown. She was quite lovely even as a child..."
"Can I go there too?"
Norman shot to his feet and asked.
Onel Lakson, glancing at his desperate expression, laughed with a sharp edge to his voice.
"What's this... you've taken a fancy to that woman?"
"So, can I go or not?"
"No. That gathering is only for our Merchant Guild members."
"...Damn it!"
Norman flopped backward dramatically, spewing curses.
Onel Lakson, drawing on his water pipe, spoke in a corrupted tone.
"Give it up. The Silver Wolf is too proud to possess. She comes from the venerable house of the Borderlands Count—they hold authority rivaling even a Duke's Residence... And besides, you're supposed to marry a princess."
"...Who said I wanted to marry that woman?"
"Ah, so you want to have her? Kekeke. Your dreams are ambitious!"
Onel drew the last drag deep into his mouth before exhaling slowly.
With hazy eyes fixed on empty space, he murmured.
"...I heard she came looking for a betrothed."
"What?"
At words he hadn't anticipated at all, Norman's brow furrowed.
Just as Norman was about to snap back angrily that this made no sense, Onel's next words twisted his expression into something sinister.
"Apparently, she's had a long-standing betrothal agreement with the Temple's Knight Commander. They promised marriage, but it kept getting delayed, so she came to the Capital herself to fetch her intended husband."
In Zeronium, a male-dominated society, the news that a female house lord had come to the Capital to retrieve her betrothed was extraordinary in itself.
But the house in question was Onium.
The Wolves of Onium, dealing with foreigners, possessed a combative and open-minded nature.
It wasn't entirely unbelievable.
At the mention of "the Temple's Knight Commander," a face immediately came to mind.
'Rowen Ganash!'
That large, bear-like man with golden eyes and crimson hair—so rigid and unbending.
The very man who had cast him out of the Temple like street garbage.
'Trisha Onium and that man are betrothed?'
It was unbelievable.
The age difference alone was considerable, and they seemed utterly mismatched.
But how on earth could those two possibly...?
"But... there's a rumor that this Knight Commander refuses to marry."
"What?"
"Hmm... well, I don't know the reason, but in any case, he won't leave the Temple, and his intended bride has waited long enough to come find him herself... so it doesn't seem entirely baseless."
Suddenly, a wicked desire flashed through Norman's mind.
"...If I can't have her, then no one else should either."
"What?"
"That Temple Knight Commander... he's obviously so rigid that he won't marry a woman with a tarnished reputation. No matter how baseless the rumors might be."
"What do you mean... ah!"
Viscount Laxon, who had been listening blankly, clutched his belly and burst into laughter.
He chuckled with delight, clearly charmed by Norman's idea.
Watching another's descent into depravity was always such an exquisite pleasure.
"What an amusing notion. What an amusing notion indeed.... Kekeke!"
Norman regarded Onel Lakson with narrowed eyes.
It seemed he would need to draw this fellow into his scheme.
"Onel, if you help me.... I'll give you what you desire."
"What I desire? What could that possibly be?"
"...Did you think I wouldn't know your twisted tastes?"
"Ah!"
Onel's eyes widened in surprise, and he rubbed his chin as he spoke.
"Don't deceive me. You must give me the yellow lily's."
Norman let out a soft laugh and extended his hand.
The filthy hands of two intoxicated men intertwined.
* * *
"Oh! It's the day after tomorrow, miss! The day after tomorrow!"
I conducted a final inspection of the completed dress.
The moment I sat down to rest after finishing the exhausting morning fitting, Julie had already brought up the subject for the fifth time.
"Calm yourself, Julie."
"C-c-calm? I can't calm down! Why am I trembling?"
"Julie, take a deep breath. Slowly."
Haaah— haaah!
Elia gently patted Julie's back as she took deep, exaggerated breaths. It was only just past noon, yet this was already her fifth outburst.
Even Grace, who had remained composed, was beginning to feel her own nerves fraying from Julie's excitement.
"S-so, the honeymoon! You're going to Contana, aren't you?"
"Yes. We have business there as well, so we're combining the two."
Because we had expedited the marriage through a simplified ceremony, we couldn't obtain approval from all of the Seven Great Houses.
The other houses would gather for the wedding, but Contana said they couldn't arrive so quickly due to their house's nature.
So Lucas and I decided to travel there directly after the ceremony.
'Contana is an island city. When the water rises, the paths disappear, and when it recedes, new paths emerge. Some call it the Mystical Isle, while others refer to it as the Witch's Island.'
'It was on that very island... that the curse began.'
Lucas had explained it simply.
Even from such a brief explanation, I could discern that this place held tremendous significance.
But setting everything aside, I felt my spirits soar at the prospect of traveling itself.
More than the wedding, my heart swelled at the thought of leaving the Capital and venturing to an unfamiliar place.
Hoping that day would arrive soon, I gazed up at the blue sky with a contented smile.
My leisurely respite was interrupted about an hour later by a visit from my betrothed.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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