Chapter 27
* * *
Lucas led Stella by the hand into the banquet hall.
Stella, a countryside baron’s daughter, was looking around timidly, awestruck by the grandeur of the imperial palace.
Her appearance was something else. Having just arrived at the palace via a magical teleportation circle after treating a toothache, she was dressed in a shabby robe.
But that was exactly Lucas’s intention.
‘If a shabby rural noblewoman displays the power of a saint? The contrast will make it even more astonishing.’
He wanted to create a dramatic impression to etch Stella into people’s minds.
Stella was an innocent woman who knew nothing. That’s why she believed and followed Prince Lucas’s words without question.
Plus, with her pink hair and blue eyes, she was pleasing to look at.
“Stella, look. Everyone is watching the beautiful you.”
Lucas said with a kind smile. Stella, with a frightened expression, tightly gripped his arm.
“My appearance is too plain.”
“Once they see your holy power, they won’t even notice that.”
Lucas surveyed the banquet hall with a pleased expression. People were whispering. He hoped they’d spread the word even more. The more they criticized Stella’s appearance, the more successful the show would be.
But something was off.
Even though he’d thrown out the bait, people glanced at Lucas and Stella once before quickly resuming their own conversations.
Unable to understand, he listened closely to what they were saying.
“Who’s the beggar next to Prince Lucas?”
“I don’t know. But that’s not the important thing!”
“Right!”
“The Grand Duke Kaiden proposed!”
“And to that scoundrel, of all people!”
“How could this happen!”
Lucas’s eyes widened.
“What…?”
“Your Highness…?”
Stella, standing right beside him, called out to him, noticing something strange. But Lucas didn’t have time to pay attention to her.
‘Kaiden… proposed to Marion?’
* * *
Taking advantage of Lucas and Stella’s entrance, I dragged Kaiden to an empty room in the palace.
Kaiden, perhaps aware of his fault, followed me without a word.
“Your Grace, have you lost your mind?!”
At my furious roar, Kaiden answered confidently.
“No.”
“Then why are you and I getting married?!”
I was so angry that steam might as well have been coming out of my ears.
“Before the princess could propose to me, you were there.”
What followed was Kaiden’s attempt to persuade me.
I eventually gave in to his persuasion…
“Let’s make this deal.”
“Fine.”
And so, our fake marriage began.
* * *
“Extra! Extra!”
Newspapers were flying around the capital’s streets. The empire’s citizens eagerly grabbed the fluttering papers and devoured them with their eyes.
Murmurs could be heard everywhere.
“The Grand Duke of Baltstein proposed to that scoundrel knight!”
“Oh my, oh my! They say they’ve been lovers for a long time?”
“Then what about all the scandalous rumors that scoundrel spread? Wasn’t she famous for only meeting men who resembled the crown prince?”
“Get this! They say whenever the two had a lovers’ quarrel, the scoundrel would go out with other men in a fit of anger! And she deliberately picked men who resembled the crown prince, someone of higher status than the grand duke!”
“What a scoundrel…! The grand duke must be a saint.”
I, who had come out to buy a lunch sandwich, overheard the people’s whispers with dead-fish eyes. Since I had my robe pulled low, no one recognized me.
Bled, floating beside me, spoke.
[You’re becoming more and more of a scoundrel, Marion.]
‘I know.’
[Meanwhile, the grand duke has become the romantic of the century, devoted to a lowborn like you. By the way, these rumors spread fast.]
As Bled said, the rumors were spreading across the empire.
It hadn’t even been a full day since Kaiden proposed to me, yet people were using expensive magic to spread the gossip far and wide.
That’s how shocking and juicy the gossip was.
‘In contrast…’
The mention of Stella, the original female lead and saint, was relegated to a corner of the newspaper.
If things had gone as they should, Stella would have been the star of this extra.
The scene of Stella, appearing in her shabby state at the palace and displaying her holy power before the emperor and nobles, should have been illustrated.
But instead, it was replaced with an image of a handsome man kneeling to propose to a knight.
“They say it’s been ten years since that scoundrel entered the grand ducal castle? So they hid it for ten years?”
“No way they were together from the start! At first, they were like siblings, but you know how it goes.”
“Oh, you mean going from siblings to darling? Heehee!”
The passersby giggled, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
The commoners were incredibly interested in this romance of the century. But the imperial family and nobles would likely feel differently.
[Let’s head back. Kaiden said he’d come find you soon.]
‘Right.’
Following Bled’s words, I hurried back to the hotel.
Since Kaiden’s proposal yesterday, things had moved quickly. I left the palace before the emperor could summon me. Soon after, news of the proposal reached the emperor’s ears.
I heard the emperor spat out his tea when he heard. It must have been so absurd that he couldn’t even maintain his imperial dignity.
But there was someone even more awkward to face than the emperor.
‘Haa… How am I supposed to face the former grand duke?’
Feeling guilty about facing Leopold, the former grand duke, I had moved my lodging to a hotel in the capital last night. It was more like fleeing than moving.
Kaiden was his only grandson. Leopold, with his discerning noble eye, had been pushing Kaiden to meet suitable marriage candidates.
For someone like me, a commoner, to show up as a bride candidate…
I knew Leopold had treated me almost like a granddaughter, if not quite. It felt like I was repaying his kindness with betrayal.
Seeing my low spirits, Bled offered words of comfort.
[If you think about it, Kaiden’s the culprit here. You didn’t do anything wrong.]
That was true.
It was Kaiden who caused this mess to avoid marrying Princess Caroline. Of course, I had my own interests at stake too.
In the original story, Kaiden kills me. But if I marry Kaiden?
I’d bet that, given Kaiden’s character, he’d never kill someone who was his wife.
He might do anything else, but not that.
‘I don’t know. Survival comes first.’
I took a bite of my sandwich.
* * *
“People out there are completely trashing me.”
At my words, Kaiden looked at me, as if asking what I meant.
We were currently holding a strategy meeting in my hotel room.
The hotel was arranged by Kaiden. It was spacious, with a sitting room, bedroom, and even a separate maid’s room.
“Who’s saying that?”
“I overheard people talking.”
“Oh.”
Kaiden seemed aware of the rumors outside.
“Your stock is soaring, but mine’s hitting rock bottom.”
As I grumbled, Kaiden looked at me for a moment, then glanced down at the teacup on the table. He looked back at me and spoke.
“You should’ve behaved better then.”
Ugh, that’s infuriating!
Sure, I did go around meeting men in my youth. But I didn’t do it while dating Kaiden.
We weren’t even dating in the first place!
“I’m the type to only look at one person when I’m in a relationship, you know? This is so unfair!”
As I pounded my chest, Kaiden said in a strangely annoyed tone.
“Not really curious.”
“Oh, right. Of course you aren’t.”
Hmph, it’s just a deal between us, isn’t it?
Both of us, feeling slighted, fell silent for a moment. Then Kaiden sighed and spoke first.
“From now on, we’re a loving couple.”
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By Anna 💓
