Chapter 125
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I possessed the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower.
Chapter 125
True to its name as a great empire, the Cletan Empire held banquets for far longer periods than the Salt domain.
But now, with the Emperor bedridden by illness.
Many voices argued that prolonging such festivities during these times would be inappropriate, and the duration had been repeatedly shortened until it settled on a single week.
Of course, aside from the first and last days of the banquet, only young nobles attended every single day to mark their presence....
So what was the problem?
'The Grand Duke happened to be one of those young nobles.'
And so I intended to make full use of the week allotted to me.
In other words... I was determined to fulfill my duty.
'First, I need to figure out how to spread word throughout society that the Grand Duke has a lover.'
Fortunately, since we were distant relatives who had known each other from before, it was easy enough to fabricate a plausible romance.
Now that I thought about it, if I hadn't been introduced as a distant branch relative of the Grand Duke, this contractual romance would have caused me considerable headaches.
Thankfully, in the Cletan Empire, marriage is legally permissible beyond the eighth degree of kinship. How fortunate.
While I was lost in such idle thoughts, I felt the carriage come to a halt.
"We have arrived!"
At the Coachman's voice, I snapped from my reverie and lifted my head.
Perhaps because I had been tense, his voice seemed to ring particularly loud.
It was amusing, in a way—as an illegitimate princess of a rival nation(?), I had visited the Cletan Imperial Palace more than once before, yet now, with someone beside me, my heart trembled so violently it felt as though it might burst through the ceiling.
"I shall take your arm."
"Oh, of course."
The Grand Duke, having descended from the carriage, naturally offered his escort.
As I carefully took his arm, I found myself unable to meet his gaze directly and could only lower my head.
'So he really doesn't usually dress up like this.'
Now that I thought about it, his face seemed particularly handsome today. No, looking at him again, I was almost under the illusion that a brilliant halo shone around him.
Unlike usual, his pomaded hair swept cleanly back from his forehead accentuated his sculpted features all the more brilliantly.
Moreover, the deep navy formal wear, which appeared to match my dress as a set, fit his frame as though it had been tailored specifically for him.
The sleeves even bore elaborate embroidery, yet paired with the Grand Duke's cool, intellectual demeanor, it didn't feel excessive in the slightest.
How unfair that someone so thoughtless could be rendered so strikingly handsome.
My inner turmoil didn't end there.
"April, this way."
The way he briefly added my name.
...Honestly, wasn't calling me by name playing dirty?
I thought I had grown accustomed to his appearance by now, yet the moment his voice reached my ears, my composure crumbled entirely.
Under normal circumstances, I might have fled on the spot, but now I could only respond to his call with a voice dripping with awkwardness.
"Y-yes... K-Kaian."
Thus, our form of address was ultimately settled not as "darling," but as each other's names.
Of course, "darling" had merely been an example, and I had never truly intended to use it.
After all, doing so might have jeopardized the Grand Duke's marriage prospects. How amusing.
In any case, after our rather thorough discussion, we agreed to call each other by name and permit a degree of physical contact befitting lovers.
Of course, I'd established a few other basic principles as well, but the most important one was something else entirely.
'We must appear as lovers to anyone who sees us.'
To obtain the Solid Marquis House's consent, I needed to present myself as the most perfect lover imaginable.
And that was precisely what Liam had emphasized repeatedly when he brought the contract a short while ago.
"You must approach this contract romance with great care. If handled carelessly, the Grand Duke's already poor reputation in the Imperial Capital could deteriorate further."
"The Grand Duke's reputation?"
"Currently in the Imperial Capital, the only faction that supports the Grand Duke is the Solid Marquis, who maintained a special relationship with the previous Grand Duke. Past marriage proposals were exchanged for that very reason."
I had assumed the marriage talks were arranged purely for political reasons or family interests, but Liam's explanation differed from my initial understanding.
"The Solid Marquise was the late Concubine's godmother, and both the Marquis and Marquise have cherished the Grand Duke since his childhood. If they learn he has found true love, they will gladly bless the union."
"I see."
"The crucial point is... if it appears clumsy, it could be perceived as deception! Therefore, you both must appear as lovers completely and genuinely in love!"
So the Solid Marquis couple viewed the Grand Duke so favorably that they had promised, at least verbally, to marry off their late-born daughter to him.
Moreover, unlike typical political marriages conducted for family gain, since this arrangement was rooted in genuine affection, they would inevitably be more emotionally sensitive about it.
Recalling my conversation with Liam, the weight of responsibility pressed down on me once more.
'From the Grand Duke's perspective, he's avoiding an unwanted political marriage, but from the Solid Marquis House's perspective, he's rejecting a proposal made in goodwill.'
Yet regardless of how favorably they viewed the Grand Duke,
if the Grand Duke himself found this marriage arrangement uncomfortable, it would be better if the wedding didn't proceed.
"We've arrived."
"Oh, yes!"
While I had been lost in deep contemplation, the doors to the Banquet Hall had suddenly loomed before me.
The Grand Duke, who had paused his steps, opened his mouth to address me.
"Your hand."
"...Pardon?"
"I'm asking for it."
Ah, of course.
Until now, our escort had been merely formal—his arm linked with mine—but now I needed to shift to a demeanor befitting our role as lovers.
Such as, for instance, 'holding hands.'
"Oh, yes!"
The Grand Duke's calloused hand was far rougher than I'd anticipated, yet his touch was remarkably gentle—as delicate as if he were handling a glass marble on the verge of shattering.
Despite the gloves he wore, the sensation of his firm skin came through vividly, and I could barely steady my trembling fingertips.
"Let's go in."
As my face flushed with embarrassment, an attendant opened the doors leading into the Banquet Hall.
"The Grand Duke Blaire has arrived!"
As we stepped through to that grand announcement, the dazzling chandeliers of the magnificent Banquet Hall flooded my vision with brilliant light.
Yet the splendid spectacle didn't hold my attention for long.
The moment we entered, I felt it—a barrage of piercing gazes directed straight at us. So many eyes, all at once.
I couldn't bear the weight of it and lowered my gaze.
Good heavens... how on earth did Lemeia endure this?
'I feel my social composure crumbling in real time....'
Desperate to disappear into the floorboards, I found myself gripping the Grand Duke's hand all the more firmly.
At least I occasionally encountered people I'd met at the Embrose Marquise's or Empress's tea parties, which was fortunate.
So while not entirely unfamiliar faces surrounded me, this situation—where I'd become the center of attention at a banquet—left me somewhat flustered.
"Blaire Grand Duke's partner? What on earth is her identity?"
"I heard she's a distant relative... and that she's involved in business ventures the Grand Duke oversees."
I'd thought such situations were only permitted in novels.
Yet here they were, speaking openly as if ensuring everyone heard.
As I listened to the whispers of noblewomen fanning themselves, I suddenly felt an odd sensation in my hand and my eyes widened.
"Oh...."
The Grand Duke, who had been gazing steadily ahead without wavering, had suddenly interlaced his fingers with mine.
Wasn't interlacing fingers something only lovers did?
Ah, yes—lovers, that's right.
Thanks to his quick thinking, I regained my composure and began walking beside him with as composed an expression as I could muster.
And in that moment.
"April."
His tender voice brushed against my ear.
"Yes, yes?"
"The princess."
What?
I turned to look at the Grand Duke in surprise, and he gave a subtle nod toward another direction.
"Lemeia Salt is over there."
I turned my head in the direction he indicated.
Immediately after, my eyes met Lemeia's.
Despite it being ages since I'd last seen her, and despite the fact that she was here as a prisoner of war in an enemy nation, Lemeia remained as beautiful and lovely as ever.
"Ah...."
Contrary to what I'd vaguely imagined, actually encountering Lemeia caused my heart to settle into an unexpected calm.
Lemeia too showed a flicker of surprise for a moment, but true to her nature as the queen of high society, she quickly turned away with an unaffected expression.
What could she be thinking? At least she wasn't doing anything strange, which was a relief.
Just as I thought we'd narrowly escaped danger.
"Your Highness the Grand Duke, or rather, Brother Kaian! It's been so long."
Before I could fully collect myself, an unfamiliar voice interjected.
The woman who approached us was a striking beauty with camellia-red hair and vivid emerald eyes.
But what troubled me most was the unmistakable hostility gleaming clearly in her gaze.
'Surely not.'
Though I'd hoped otherwise, as she drew near and looked between the Grand Duke and me in turn before her expression twisted into something bitter...
"But who is this woman beside you? O-ra-buh-ni?"
Yes. I could only be certain of one thing: this woman was Camellia Solid.
'What is this situation....'
There were three women here.
In the original story, the Grand Duke's one true love—Lemeia Salt.
In the original story, the Grand Duke's wife—Camellia Solid, the Young Lady of the Solid Marquis House.
And then there was the Grand Duke's sudden fake lover.
'That fake lover is me....'
Facing the reality of it all, I found myself caught between laughter and tears as I looked up at the Grand Duke, overwhelmed by the crushing weight of the situation.
P-please... save me....
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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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