I Had an Arranged Marriage With My Unrequited Love — Chapter 9

YOUNG MASTER.

YOUNG MASTER.

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER.

FROM NOW ON, YOU ARE THE HEAD OF THE DELOISTER FAMILY.

..., MY PARENTS...

BUTLER!

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?

IT IS BAD NEWS.

WE CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE, SO NOTHING CAN BE DONE...

IS THERE NO CURE IN THE NEIGHBORING KINGDOMS?

WE HAVE RECEIVED NO ANSWER YET.

THE HELSINGTON FAMILY HAS FALLEN AS WELL.

THEY SAY LAST NIGHT, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM COLLAPSED WHILE COUGHING UP BLOOD.

...THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. PACK YOUR BAGS AT ONCE.

STEFAN.

LOOK AFTER THE YOUNG MASTER WELL FROM NOW ON.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, YOU MUST NEVER COME OUT!

GEEUP!

DUKE.

DO NOT LOOK BACK.

...I CANNOT.

AT THE VERY LEAST, I MUST BID THEM FAREWELL.

I STILL HAVEN'T...

SAID A WORD TO YOU....

YOUR GRACE.

...WHAT IS IT?

IT SEEMS YOU MUST GO TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE AGAIN TOMORROW.

IS IT BECAUSE OF WORK?

WE ALREADY SORTED OUT THE HANDOVER LAST TIME. WHY THEN...

THE EMPEROR HAS ISSUED A DIRECT COMMAND, YOUR GRACE.

...UNDERSTOOD. YOU MAY LEAVE NOW.

AH, AND...

LAST NIGHT, YOU DRANK AND LET SLIP SOME CARELESS WORDS.

WHAT DID I SAY?

WITH THE NUANCE THAT YOUR WIFE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO MARRY YOU EVEN IF SHE DISLIKED IT...

I-I THOUGHT YOUR GRACE OUGHT TO KNOW, WHICH IS WHY I MENTION IT.

...HA.

SO THAT WAS WHY IRENE LOOKED SO TERRIFIED AT NIGHT YET COULDN'T PUSH ME AWAY.

DOESN'T THIS MEAN I PRACTICALLY TOLD HER I NOTICED THAT MAN'S EXISTENCE...

THE “DUTIES OF A MARRIED COUPLE“ IRENE SPOKE OF

THAT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY THE PRESSURE REGARDING AN HEIR.

THOUGH THE EMPIRE OUTWARDLY APPEARS PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS,

IT IS PASSING THROUGH A LONG AND ARDUOUS RECONSTRUCTION.

SEVEN YEARS AGO, A PLAGUE SWEPT ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

IT SHOOK THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF THE EMPIRE TO ITS CORE.

THE IMPERIAL FAMILY SUFFERED THE MOST DEVASTATING BLOW OF ALL.

IT WAS TRULY A CASE OF THE BLOODLINE BEING COMPLETELY WIPED OUT.

FEARING THAT THE NATION'S PRESTIGE AND STANDING WOULD COLLAPSE,

THE EMPIRE STRICTLY SEALED EVERYONE'S LIPS SO THAT THIS HORRIFIC TRUTH WOULD NOT LEAK BEYOND THE CITY WALLS.

THANKS TO THIS, MOST LOWER NOBILITY AND COMMONERS MERELY REGARDED IT AS OMINOUS RUMORS,

AND REMAINED ENTIRELY UNAWARE OF THE INSIDE STORY BEHIND THE SUDDEN SHIFT IN THE THRONE'S MASTER.

THE EMPEROR WHO BARELY SURVIVED BACK THEN AND ASCENDED THE THRONE AT A TENDER AGE IS...

ALEXA BELLATORIUM.

SHE BECAME A WORKAHOLIC BURDENED WITH THE MONUMENTAL TASK OF RECONSTRUCTION,

AND HAS NOT SHOWN HER FACE AT A SINGLE OFFICIAL FUNCTION SINCE HER CORONATION.

SO IT IS ONLY NATURAL THAT IRENE FEELS THE PRESSURE.

SHOULD THE EMPEROR FAIL TO PRODUCE AN HEIR,

OUR CHILD WILL BECOME THIRD IN LINE TO THE IMPERIAL THRONE.

THIS MARRIAGE WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE EMPEROR'S DECREE...

SINCE THE MOUBER FAMILY LOST ITS REPUTA- TION THROUGH BUSINESS FAILURES AND FRAUD,

MIGHT SHE NOT HAVE BEEN TORMENTED BY THE PRESSURE TO SECURE AN HEIR AND ESTABLISH HER STANDING AS THE DUCHESS?

...I HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD IRENE'S POSITION AT ALL UNTIL NOW.

WHAT SHOULD I DO...

AH, YOUR GRACE. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE I MUST TELL YOU.

THE ACCESSORY YOU ORDERED AS A GIFT FOR THE DUCHESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND DELIVERED.

WOULD YOU CARE TO INSPECT IT?

...BRING IT HERE.

IT WAS ADORNED WITH WHICHEVER JEWELS YOU DESIRED, YOUR MAJESTY..

THIS IS THE TOP-GRADE PINK DIAMOND NECKLACE.

EVEN LADY GRANTEREA, WHO ACCOMPANIED YOU, WAS CERTAIN-

AS I SAID, IT IS FOR MY WIFE.

AH, YES. YOUR GRACE.

YOU TWO ARE AS DEVOTED AS EVER.

THE DESIGN WAS KEPT RELATIVELY LIGHT AND COMFORTABLE.

IT INCORPORATES THE LATEST TRENDS, SO SHE SHOULD FIND IT EASY TO WEAR ANYWHERE.

I SEE, IT SEEMS TO HAVE TURNED OUT WELL.

ASSUREDLY, IT IS A WELL-CRAFTED NECKLACE WITH CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE FINISH.

...YET, WILL IRENE TRULY LIKE THIS?

A NECKLACE CUSTOM-MADE WITH JEWELS SPECIALLY CRAFT- ED WHILE THINKING OF IRENE.

HOWEVER...

NO MATTER HOW FINE A THING I GIVE HER,

MIGHT A SINGLE WILDFLOWER PICKED BY JOSHUA HOLD FAR MORE MEANING?

...IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MADE NEATLY.

HAVE AN APPRAISER VERIFY IT.

UNDERSTOOD, YOUR GRACE.

HOW ON EARTH DID THINGS GET SO TANGLED UP?

ALL I EVER WANTED WAS...

WHAT KIND OF MEN DO WOMEN LIKE?

DOWNTOWN LAST YEAR, HOTEL

...HMPH.

NATURALLY, A MAN WHO IS HANDSOME, EARNS A HIGH ANNUAL INCOME, AND HOLDS POWER, I SUPPOSE.

HOWEVER...

THEODORA GRANTEREA

THAT IS LIKELY NOT YOUR GRACE AT PRESENT.

...WHY IS THAT?

AS A CONVERSA- TIONAL PARTNER AND CHILDHOOD FRIEND, I SHALL SPEAK PLAINLY.

JUDGING SOLELY BY YOUR ATTIRE, YOU LOOK LESS LIKE A HIGH-RANKING GENTLEMAN OUT COURTING,

AND MORE LIKE AN UNPOLISHED BUMPKIN.

... ... IF THAT IS THE CASE... SHALL I HAVE THE DRESSMAKER TAILOR THE MOST EXPENSIVE GARMENTS AVAILABLE?

EXPENSIVE CLOTHES DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY MAKE ONE LOOK REFINED, YOUR GRACE.

THEN...

YOUR GRACE.

UNTIL LAST YEAR, YOUR GRACE HAS BEEN GUARDING THE BORDER IN THE DUCHY BEFORE COMING TO THE CAPITAL.

RUMORS WILL CIRCULATE THAT YOU HAVE COME TO SEEK A BRIDE, SO YOU MUST MAKE PREPARATIONS BEFITTING THAT.

FIX YOUR HAIR AND PUT ON THE CLOTHES

EXACTLY AS I TELL YOU.

AND...

YOU WOULD DO WELL TO SMILE A BIT IN FRONT OF LADY MOUBER.

YOU ALWAYS WEAR THAT EXACT EXPRESSION ON YOUR FACE FOR EVERYTHING.

SMILE?

YES.

IN A STATE LIKE THAT, LADY MOUBER MIGHT JUST RUN AWAY.

...I SHALL DO AS YOU WISH.

YOUR GRACE.

YOU HAD A REASON FOR ROLLING AROUND IN THE MUD WITH THE KNIGHTS AT THE BORDER SO DESPERATELY, DID YOU NOT?

YOU OUGHT TO GIVE IT YOUR EARNEST EFFORT.

...RIGHT.

SHE IS THE ONE WHOM I,

HAVE SECRETLY ADORED FROM THE VERY DEPTHS OF THE PAST.

ENTERING HIS GRACE, THE DUKE OF DELOISTER!

IN ORDER TO PROPOSE TO YOU,

I HAVE COME TO THIS PLACE.