I Had an Arranged Marriage With My Unrequited Love — Chapter 8

LAST NIGHT, A BAR ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY.

HEY, TOM.

WHAT HAPPENED WITH SCORING THAT BIG PAYDAY?

HA! DON'T EVEN ASK.

BIG PAYDAY MY ASS, I BARELY MANAGED TO BREAK EVEN.

WHY, DIDN'T THINGS GO WELL THIS TIME?

IT WENT WAY WORSE THAN EXPECTED.

THE DUCHESS HAS A NAIVE-LOOKING FACE YET IS AN ABSOLUTE IRON FORTRESS,

AND I ALMOST GOT KILLED BY HIS LORDSHIP.

UGH, JUST THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME SHIVER.

TSK TSK, AND WHERE'D THE MONEY GO?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

IT'S ALREADY GONE TO GAMBLING, OBVIOUSLY.

SAME AS EVER, I SEE.

ANYWAY, WASN'T THAT PUSHING YOUR LUCK A BIT TOO MUCH?

NORMALLY YOU JUST FLEECE POCKET CHANGE FROM COUNTRY NOBLES,

BUT SUDDENLY 'ROYALTY'?

AND THAT'S FROM THE FORMER EMPEROR'S FAMILY, TOO...

WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF YOUR HEAD ROLLED RIGHT OFF THE MOMENT YOU MESSED WITH THEM.

HEY NOW!

WATCH YOUR MOUTH, YOUR OWN HEAD MIGHT ROLL OFF FIRST IF YOU KEEP THAT UP.

AND I DON'T TAKE FIGHTS I CAN'T WIN, THERE'S A METHOD TO ALL OF THIS.

REALLY? LET'S HEAR IT THEN, WHAT IS IT.

...WELL.

...IT'S ALL THANKS TO THAT PERSON.

WHAT?

INFORMATION REGARDING THE DUCHESS'S OUTINGS,

THE CHILDHOOD FRIEND SHOWING UP AND STIRRING THE POT JUST A BIT TOO CONVENIENTLY TO BE MERE COINCIDENCE...

IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT PERSON,

SHAKING UP THAT NOBLE DUCAL HOUSE TO THIS EXTENT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO EASY.

...HMM.

SOUNDS LIKE A STORY THAT GETS DANGEROUS THE DEEPER YOU KNOW.

SO, IS THE BIG SCORE OVER NOW?

NOPE.

...WHAT THE HELL DID I DO TO IRENE LAST NIGHT?

IS ANYONE OUT THERE?!

YOUR GRACE.

BRING ME WARM WATER AND A SOFT TOWEL.

AND CALL A DOCTOR.

AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE AGAIN.

UNTIL THAT PERSON'S 'GRAND DESIGN' IS COMPLETE...

...IRENE?

A SPLITTING HEADACHE AND THE SMELL OF ALCOHOL LINGERING ON MY LIPS.

TRACES OF BEING BITTEN ALL OVER,

AND A BODY MESSED UP BY BODILY FLUIDS.

LIKE A BROKEN MUSIC BOX, MY MEMORIES ARE CHOPPY AND CUT OFF.

YESTERDAY THAT REPORTER GUY BROUGHT MORE PHOTOS AND TOOK THE MONEY,

AND UNABLE TO BRING MYSELF TO GO INSIDE THE HOUSE, I WAS PACING AROUND BEFORE HEADING TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE...

...ALEXA.

RIGHT, I WENT TO MEET ALEXA,

INTENDING TO HAVE A DRINK, BUT BEFORE I KNEW IT, I WAS DEAD DRUNK.

I'M PRETTY SURE I TALKED A LOT ABOUT SOMETHING, BUT...

MY MEMORY IS AS HAZY AS IF IT WERE COVERED IN FOG.

AND...

...THIS IS THE WORST.

TO PULL OFF SOMETHING LIKE THIS, HOW AM I ANY DIFFERENT FROM A BEAST?

...UHM...

ARE YOU AWAKE, IRENE.

...AH, DUKE...

AH...

S-SHOULD I WIPE IT DOWN MYSELF?

IRENE, PLEASE LIE DOWN.

I'VE CALLED A DOCTOR. PLEASE, UNTIL THEN, I...

N-NO...!

YOU DON'T NEED TO GO AS FAR AS CALLING A DOCTOR.

BUT YOUR BODY...

AH...

IT'S NOT EVEN LIKE I'M BLEEDING OR ANYTHING, PLEASE DON'T WORRY SO MUCH OVER IT.

I'LL ASK A MAID TO APPLY SOME OINTMENT.

...I'LL GO WASH UP NOW, DUKE.

DRINKING ALCOHOL THAT I NEVER USUALLY TOUCH WAS A MISTAKE.

THOUGH SHE SAYS SHE'S ‘FINE,’ IRENE IS CLEARLY WALKING ON EGGSHELLS AROUND ME.

...I AM SORRY, IRENE.

WHATEVER MY FEELINGS MIGHT BE,

WHAT I DID IS SOMETHING A HUMAN BEING SHOULD NEVER DO.

I SINCERELY, TRULY APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT.

I WILL MAKE SURE SOMETHING LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.

AND, FROM NOW ON...

DUKE.

I AM REALLY OKAY, I KNOW...

REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER HAPPENED LAST NIGHT...

IT'S PART OF BEING A MARRIED COUPLE.

AND BEARING THE DUKE'S CHILD IS ALSO MY DUTY AS HIS WIFE.

SO PLEASE DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

UM, I THINK BREAKFAST WOULD BE BEST AS SOMETHING THAT HELPS WITH HANGOVERS.

SHALL I HAVE IT BROUGHT HERE? OR TOGETHER IN THE DINING ROOM...

MY MIND WENT ICE COLD IN AN INSTANT.

PART OF BEING A MARRIED COUPLE, A WIFE'S DUTY?

COULD IT BE THAT LAST NIGHT, IRENE TOO...

ENDURED IT WITHOUT PUSHING ME AWAY BECAUSE OF THAT?

PERHAPS EVER SINCE OUR MARRIAGE,

SHE HAS SPENT EVERY SINGLE NIGHT WITH THOUGHTS LIKE THOSE...

IF THAT'S THE CASE, I...

IMPERIAL PALACE

YOUR MAJESTY THE EMPEROR.

THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY HAS SUBMITTED A REPORT.

WHAT IS IT THIS TIME? AS IT IS, I ALREADY HAVE A MOUNTAIN OF WORK PILED UP.

IT STATES THAT THE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN TEST WAS SUCCESSFUL,

BUT THAT THE RISK BURDEN IS TOO HIGH TO BUILD AN EXPRESS TRAIN TRAVERSING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

AIDE LUCIAN VON EBERT

HAND IT OVER.

...HA!

THERE'S NOT A SINGLE TECHNICAL MATTER IN HERE.

'SINCE WE MUST CHOOSE A SUITABLE CITY FOR THE TRAIN TO PASS THROUGH,

WE MUST RECEIVE LOBBYING FROM NOBLES BEGGING TO HAVE IT PASS THROUGH THEIR TERRITORY,

OR GRANT AUDIENCES TO GRAND NOBLES WISHING TO INVEST...'

JUST LIKE THE OLD GEEZERS THEY ARE,

IT'S ALL ENTIRELY WORLDLY NONSENSE.

ANOTHER USELESS PILE OF CHORES HAS BEEN ADDED.

WORK WAS ALREADY BACKED UP AS IT IS, AND NOTHING'S GETTING RESOLVED...

AND THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF THAT BASTARD.

...EBERT.

YES, YOUR MAJESTY.

THAT DAMN 'MARRIAGE' OF HIS IS CHOKING THE LIFE OUT OF ME.

SUMMON THE DUKE OF DELOISTER.

ALEXA BELLATORIUM EMPEROR FELIX'S COUSIN