With a click, the crystal orb floated into the air.
It expanded to the size of a large mirror, and an image began to play.
[Oh, Viscount… what if someone sees us?]
[Who’s going to be in a place this secluded? Hah… Rachel, I can’t hold back. Spread your legs.]
The sight of two naked figures entangled sent a wave of shock through the guests.
“Good heavens, how scandalous!”
Noble ladies, seated primly, gasped and covered their faces.
The men, coughing awkwardly, kept stealing glances at the orb.
As all eyes fixed on the scene, someone shouted, “Isn’t that the groom, Viscount Alex?”
“It looks like him! But who’s the woman on top? She doesn’t look like the bride.”
“…Wait, isn’t that the maid of honor?”
“So the groom’s cheating with the bride’s sister?”
Gasps grew into a chorus of “My goodness!” rippling through the crowd.
Sharp glares from the noblewomen stabbed at Rachel like knives.
“Gasp!”
Rachel clamped her hand over her mouth, her eyes trembling like a storm-tossed sea.
What is this?!
The footage captured her trysts with Alex.
Stunned, she hid her face.
Then it hit her—Why should I hide?
The image was blurry, with no clear proof it was her.
Her sagging lips curled into a smirk.
You knew all along and collected this evidence behind my back?
You scheming wench! You think I’ll take this lying down?
Lifting her head, Rachel’s eyes blazed with feigned injustice.
“This is a setup! That’s not me in the footage!”
The guests shrugged, whispering to each other.
Even if the image was grainy, the hair and eye color clearly matched.
Her audacity made them doubt their own eyes.
“My sister has a delusion of infidelity! She’s falsely accusing me with fake footage!” Rachel declared boldly.
As the guests wavered, Aselin let out a light laugh and turned up the orb’s volume.
[Ah, Alex… how is it? Isn’t Rachel so much better than her?]
Rachel’s ecstatic voice echoed through the orb, followed by panting and catlike moans that rang through the hall.
“The voice is identical, and the face too! Can you even fake something like this?”
“That’s a magical tool from the Western Continent—tamper-proof, used in courts for its credibility.”
“So she’s not just cheating with her sister’s fiancé but framing her sister as delusional?”
“What a disgrace!”
The growing outrage pressed down on Rachel, her face turning ashen.
“Ugh!”
Overcome with nausea, she covered her mouth, ready to flee.
Aselin grabbed her arm. “You should stay for the show. You’re the star, after all.”
Rachel glared venomously, struggling to break free, but Aselin’s grip was like a leech.
Unaccustomed to physical effort, Rachel couldn’t overpower Aselin’s calloused, field-hardened hands.
At that moment, Alex stormed over, his face contorted.
Rachel, expecting his support, gave him a pitiful look.
But he didn’t even glance at her.
He snatched the orb from Aselin and shut it off.
“Are you insane? Where did you get this to ruin our wedding?” he bellowed, face red.
“I did nothing wrong! It’s all Rachel’s fault—she seduced me!” he shouted, veins bulging.
Rachel stared at him, dumbfounded.
He cared only about his reputation, indifferent to her fate.
As she stood frozen, Aselin, with a leisurely smile, pushed Rachel toward Alex.
Whispering in her ear, she said, “Found your eternal match? Congrats. This trash is yours now.”
Rachel’s eyes widened as she stared at Aselin.
Too furious to maintain her facade, her raw green eyes burned with hatred.
Aselin met her gaze unflinchingly.
With a smirk, Aselin tossed off her cape.
The dazzling pink dress sparkled in the sunlight, intensifying the guests’ murmurs.
“My goodness, why is the maid of honor wearing the same dress as the bride?”
“…The sapphire brooch and red ribbon cinching the waist… isn’t that the dress of Katrina, Empress Verta II’s mistress?”
“You’re right! The infamous seductress who poisoned the empress and stole the emperor! It’s uncanny!”
Katrina, the only woman to turn every woman in the empire against her, sparked outrage.
Furious noblewomen rolled up their sleeves, pointing at Rachel.
“Katrina was better! Stealing your sister’s husband? She’s absolute filth!”
As they hurled insults, Aselin, smiling lightly, addressed the crowd.
“Please celebrate the union of Viscount Alex and my sister, who’ve found their eternal match. As the maid of honor, I’ll take my leave.”
With that, Aselin turned and strode toward the end of the aisle.
Alex, face flushed, grabbed her wrist roughly. “Who said you could leave? You’re marrying me. You’ll be a ghost in my house forever!”
“Am I crazy? Live twice with trash like you?”
Aselin’s icy words made Alex’s face twist.
He smashed the orb on the ground.
Crash! Shards flew, grazing Aselin’s cheek, drawing blood.
Unfazed, Alex stomped the fragments into dust.
“You won’t listen to reason, huh?”
Teeth grinding, he seized her throat.
As her breath choked, a clear, low voice cut through, laced with chilling menace.
“Let go of her.”
Alex’s eyes widened, recognizing the voice.
He flinched, releasing Aselin and stepping back.
In the stunned silence, Claude strode forward.
His long strides crossed the carpet, stopping before Aselin.
Time seemed to freeze as he gently took her wrist.
“Aselin.”
His low voice and intense gaze fixed on her.
His ethereal face, like something torn from a fairytale, and his piercing eyes made the women blush.
“Your Highness, Aselin is my wife. Even royalty shouldn’t meddle in marital affairs,” Alex said through gritted teeth.
Claude’s eyes turned feral, his red irises glinting with palpable killing intent.
“Why is she your wife? She rejected the vow. The marriage isn’t valid.”
“But she’s mine! I love her, and she loves me!” Alex insisted shamelessly.
Claude’s lips curled into a sneer.
He gently wiped the blood from Aselin’s cheek with his thumb.
“Is he telling the truth?”
“No. I don’t love Alex. I despise him.”
Her cold, unwavering reply stunned Alex, who bit his lip.
He couldn’t fathom why the docile woman who’d always adored him had changed.
If it was just about one affair, it made even less sense.
Recalling his father’s words—that a man should have many women—Alex shook his head.
He’d done nothing wrong.
Aselin was just being sensitive.
If he persuaded her now, she’d come back.
She had to.
Only then could he secure everything he’d planned.
Eyes blazing, Alex lunged at Aselin like a leech.
Claude pulled her close, their faces nearly touching.
“I permit your revenge,” he whispered, his voice sinking into her ear.
