I Ended Up Snatching a Marriage With the Male Lead! - Chapter 58

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I’d rushed into marriage with the male lead.
Chapter 58

And with that thought came another.
What if I just ran away and lived with a man who loved me purely?
But Reina soon realized how foolish that thinking was.
After spending a few more nights with Cedric, he asked casually one evening.
“Your father really does adore you that much, doesn’t he?”
“Yes.”
Reina answered by projecting herself onto her beloved half-sister.
“So if his daughter wanted a man, he’d even give her a noble title?”
“He would, in the Capital…”
Because from what she could tell, her father would do anything for her sister Roziah.
And not long after, Reina noticed something was wrong with her body.
‘No… surely not…’
She went immediately to find a physician in the Capital, and—
“You’re pregnant.”
She was carrying a child she’d never anticipated.
‘What am I going to do?’
She’d only enjoyed the warmth of being with Cedric; she’d never imagined a child.
And while she still had no idea what to do, Cedric suggested they go down to his hometown together.
Reina nodded in agreement.
With her body in its present state, she couldn’t go back to the Count’s House anyway.
But on the way to Cedric’s home, Reina heard something shocking.
“Actually, Reina… I have a fiancée.”
“…What?”
“No, no! I mean, I was forced into that engagement. You’re the only one for me. I’ll tell that insufferable woman it’s over as soon as we arrive, so don’t worry.”
Cedric reassured her like this.
But instead of being reassured, Reina’s eyes snapped wide open.
Looking at Cedric again, his eyes were far from innocent.
She had simply wanted to believe that by overlaying her old memories onto him, he was giving her pure affection.
But now, if she revealed that she wasn’t actually the beloved daughter of the Count’s House, she truly would have nowhere to return to.
Reina’s trembling hands gripped her belly.
After that, she became even more coquettish and kind to Cedric, so he wouldn’t abandon her.
She said cruel things to his fiancée when they met at his home, doing everything she could to drive a wedge between her and Cedric.

“Did Cedric really say that to you with his own mouth?”

Even as she saw those wounded eyes, she had to.

Reina left the room with heavy steps, then suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Ugh.”
Cedric, who’d been eating dinner, went rigid.
“So you’re saying what I’m eating looks like garbage?”
“…What?”
Seeing her shocked expression, Cedric sneered further.
“You’re a noble count’s daughter, and you look down on me because I’m the child of a fallen noble house?”
Reina lowered the hand covering her mouth and quickly shook her head.
“No, no. It’s not like that—it’s just the morning sickness…”
“Stop. Don’t say another word.”
But Cedric was clearly offended. He stood up and threw his food in the trash.
He was already in a foul mood from meeting that Alex fellow today.
After letting out an irritated sigh, Cedric forced himself to smile sweetly.
Then he grabbed both of Reina’s shoulders.
“Cedric, it hurts.”
“If you don’t want to stay in this shabby place, then let’s just move into Illake Count’s Residence, okay?”
At those words, Reina hesitated and looked down.
Lying, as always.
“Father still seems angry. Even though I send him letters, he never writes back.”
Cedric, who had been so tender at first, began to change once the Count’s House fell silent.
Cedric stared coldly at her swollen belly.
With nowhere else to turn, Reina simply gripped the hem of her dress.
He turned to leave with irritated steps.
“Wait, Cedric.”
Reina called out to him in a voice barely above a whisper.
“What?”
His dismissive tone made her bite her lip.
He was clearly going out to drink again.
“Um… could you possibly pick up some medicine when you come back? My belly is hurting so badly.”
“Fine, I will.”
With that answer, Cedric immediately opened the door and left.
Reina stood alone, staring at the closed door, and wiped the cold sweat from her brow.
Then she went back into the dark room.
“Sob… sniff.”
She curled into a ball on the bed, wrapping her arms around her belly.
Had she wanted so much?
It wasn’t that she’d wanted the glamorous life of a noble lady.
Was it really so wrong to have simply hoped for a husband who would warm the space beside her, for love?
‘It hurts… I’m scared.’
Every inch of her body ached, and the thought of giving birth filled her only with dread.
Then, the child in her belly gave her a gentle kick.
“Sniff… sob.”
Reina quickly wiped away her tears.
And she strained to listen for the inaudible heartbeat of the child within her.
So she finally fell back asleep.

* * *

A week later.
Rustle, rustle.
Ivan laid out a newspaper as large as his own body and flipped through the pages.
The broad pages were packed densely with Imperial Language text.
Ivan carefully searched through the complex articles for words he’d learned so far.
And for the words he didn’t know, he was practicing guessing their meanings from context.
‘This is fun.’
Lately, the newspapers he read contained so many words he already knew.
“House Valen, Duke, marriage, surprising! Mystery woman! Who?”
Ivan read out the words one by one in a loud voice.
“I-Ivan!”
Bang!
Just then, Emilia rushed into the archive and snatched the newspaper from his hands.
Ivan blinked at her.
Emilia quickly hid the newspaper behind her back and spoke awkwardly.
“Ivan, I think we should stop studying with newspapers for a while.”
“Why?”
“The articles might not be appropriate for you to read.”
Emilia avoided Ivan’s gaze and looked off into the distance.
Just then, Herald, who had followed her in, pressed a book into Ivan’s hands.
“You’re right, Ivan. A fairy tale book would be better for you right now.”
“Okay!”
After a moment of confusion, Ivan nodded enthusiastically.
The child mercifully opened the book and began concentrating on it.
“Whew.”
Emilia let out a long sigh at the sight.
She stared uncomfortably at the newspaper she’d recovered from Ivan.
Herald glanced at the paper and remarked dryly.
“It’s a monthly publication this time. You really do pick through all sorts—daily, weekly, monthly editions, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t find any of this particularly amusing.”
Emilia answered firmly to what seemed like a jab from Herald.
Just as he’d said, lately every newspaper being published was overflowing with speculation about her—or more precisely, about the Duchess of House Valen.
Some articles claimed she was the Duke’s first love.
Others painted her as a seductress beyond compare.
No matter how speculative the articles were, none of them got a single thing right.
It was natural that the newspapers were so eager to speculate about the Duchess of House Valen’s true identity.
She wasn’t the well-known daughter of any prominent noble house, and with rumors she was a commoner, naturally people were desperate to know who she really was.
Especially with the incident that had fueled the flames.
Emilia shot Herald a resentful look.
“That’s why I wish you hadn’t gone to the dressing room.”
Yes, announcing the marriage at the Tournament Venue had been unavoidable.
The problem was what Kaiden had done on the way back to the Mansion.
It wasn’t just the ladies in the dressing room who’d witnessed it—countless noble daughters had seen him from who knows where.
‘He’s not even trying to hide the fact that we’re married.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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