I Will Become the Ex-Wife of the Beast - Chapter 33

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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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The evening meal in the hall was unusually quiet. Given who the members were, it was never a lively affair to begin with, but there wasn’t even a trace of the buzz you’d expect from people who would be attending a wedding the next day.
I glanced around, trying to figure out who was responsible for this silence, and in the end I lowered my head.
“….”
Yes, well, all of this is my fault.
But this time, it isn’t because of some sorrow over not being able to bring up the alimony.
Kiers’s voice reached me as I sat there, too ashamed to lift my head, fork clutched in my hand.
“Eliya, please, go ahead and eat.”
“Ah, yes.”
With everyone stealing glances at me, at least my future husband, who would be my husband starting tomorrow, was the most composed of the bunch. Even now, Count and Sir Lear were pretending not to, but they kept sneaking looks my way.
Why, you ask?
With a rustle, I gripped the sleeve of my dress, the soot still clinging to it, tightly toward my body. Pulling the clothes out of the incinerator had been fine, but I hadn’t expected the aftermath to be this severe. Aside from the smell of burnt fabric, there was soot all over the hem of my dress, and I hadn’t even noticed it had gotten on me.
Who would have thought my clothes would end up pressuring that invincible beast of a man?
Being stared at was an unbearable burden, but the real problem lay elsewhere. The wedding is tomorrow, and what am I supposed to do? Even if it’s just a formal ceremony, I’m about to stand there like this.
If I’d known it would come to this, I should have accepted Grandfather’s offer to take care of it.
Naturally, back then I never imagined things would turn out this way. With a matter of life and death pressing on me, what was a wedding dress for? I also didn’t want to make a big fuss, so I figured I’d just wear something clean and sign the papers.
That’s only natural, since that was before that man dropped his bombshell.
A wedding or whatever else, unless it’s a funeral, means little. Not that I’m trying to make it mean something now, but surely a new bride in a dress covered in soot and smelling of smoke isn’t quite right.
“……Hoo.”
At my deep sigh, Sir Lear turned his head with a start.
Just stare openly, why don’t you.
Part of me wants to go over there and spread out the hem of my dress for him, but then that man over there would probably see too. If you asked me what difference it makes whether Sir Lear watches or Kiers watches…
Well, I’d have to say it just feels a little off.
In truth, it’s tradition for the bride to prepare her own dress. Especially in noble houses, it was not uncommon for the entire household to spend months working on just one gown. The bride’s mother would take charge, touring famous boutiques, or in families with even greater influence, they’d summon a designer altogether.
They’d make several dresses, wear one for the main ceremony, and show off the rest during the banquet that lasted for several days. That was the bridal dress I knew of.
But that’s only true for a “lady from a noble house who lives comfortably.”
For a bride like me, the poorest of the poor, destined to become the wife of a beast who might die at any moment, all of that is nothing but a pipe dream. The only thing I had was an old-fashioned dress my eldest sister once wore, and now even that has been ruined.
Ugh. Why did you do that?
I’d tossed the bundle of clothes I’d brought back from the incinerator into the clothes box in a fit of frustration, and that’s how the clothes inside ended up in this state. I belatedly screamed and shook the garments out, but there was so much ash that my eyes started stinging.
I cautiously called out to the Count.
“Um, Count. About tomorrow’s wedding…”
“Ah, yes. Please, go on, Lady Eliya.”
“We don’t really have to wear a dress, do we?”
“……Pardon?”
“I mean… well, I heard it’s just a formal vow anyway. Since we all know each other, wouldn’t it be better to keep things comfortable? I much prefer that to anything cumbersome. You could call it a personal taste. Ha-ha.”
It’s a relief that the words came out smoothly under the circumstances, but the truth is, my laughter isn’t really laughter at all.
The Count, seeming briefly flustered, glanced at Kiers as though checking his reaction, then responded with a kindly smile.
“Certainly. Do as you wish. Whatever you wear, my lady, you will be beautiful.”
“….”
Oh my, this old gentleman, really.
Overly kind words can sometimes bruise a person twice over.
With tears welling up, I prayed that they would just pretend not to notice. Still, judging by how calm the Count and Sir Jerome were, maybe it isn’t that bad after all.
Is it really different from how it looked when I checked inside the room? Am I being too sensitive, too self-conscious?
Yes, Bella. It might not be a big deal. Even that beast of a man is sitting there so quietly.
Just as I gathered a bit of courage and finally picked up my knife, the hall erupted with noise. It was Devon and the Aiden twins, back from training.
“…Oh, you’ve already started eating. Apologies for being late, Your Highness.”
“Oh, the ladies are here too. But what on earth is on the menu that it smells so burnt…”
“Wahhh!”
What do you mean, it’s nothing!
I stood up at once and, barely containing the emotions I had only just managed to calm, dashed out. Chair scraping across the floor, I felt a startled crimson gaze follow me, but he won’t be looking for long.
Why? Because I’m going to crawl into a box!

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“……Did we do something wrong, perhaps?”
“Devon, Aiden.”
Seated at the center, Kiers called out the names of the twins, one by one, as they stood there looking reluctant. His voice was strangely low and composed. Surely he had finished his meal, yet no one could tell why he had picked up his knife again.
“Your Highness, Lady Eliya seems a bit unsettled about tomorrow’s ceremony. Though I suppose that’s only natural. Everyone’s like that, after all.”
“Get… out.”
“….”
At his firm yet quiet words, the twins froze stiff. It hadn’t sounded like “get out,” had it?
There was no need to check. Kiers’s gaze, cold as a flame, had already shifted to someone else.
“Huh? Is Brother-in-law Grand Duke angry?”
“No. Why would I be?”
“….”
Now that they understood whose mercy had spared their lives, the twins shut their mouths and retreated to the far end of the table. Kiers set down his knife and, with an air of studied indifference, called for Rose.
“Lady Rose, come here.”
“Hm? Me?”
“You still have a meal to finish.”
With her sister, who would have fed her, long gone, Rose could only dangle her legs while barely peeking over the tabletop. Count, who had been secretly hoping for a chance to feed Rose himself, lifted his water glass with a look of sharp disappointment.
“Who on earth is the cotton candy here?”
Muttering to himself, Kiers scooped Rose up at once and seated her beside him. He hesitated for a fraction of a moment, as though he would have preferred to sit her on his knee, but doing so would have had the knights seated around them begging for mercy in unison.
Such exhausting creatures, he thought, clicking his tongue softly and hiding his irritation.
“Lady Rose, you’ll need to sign a contract with me first.”
“…Hmm, it’s delicious.”
When she had first taken her seat, Rose had looked startled, her mouth falling open the way it did when she saw cotton candy. But once he began cutting her meat, she fell silent.
A beast and a kitten, an odd pairing. The knights watching seemed quite taken aback, yet the scene didn’t feel out of place. Still, since everyone knew precisely who held authority in this room, none of them dared be the first to speak. Whether he noticed or not, Kiers went on cutting Rose’s meat and spoke with unconcern.
“…I shouldn’t think a dress is so hard to come by.”
What he meant was: go and get one.
Count lowered his voice, looking troubled.
“That’s true enough, but the ceremony is tomorrow, after all. And the lady herself said she’d prefer something simple.”
“And?”
“Ah…”
Under Kiers’s look, which asked what that had to do with anything, Sir Lear came to Count’s aid.
“Even if we sent someone to Liden right now, the trip there and back alone would take half a day. And then there’s the time needed to order and fit the gown… From what I’ve seen of Mother, one designer would likely need a full fortnight just to work on it.”
“Half a day, then. Thirty people should do it.”
“….”
“Rose, you need to eat your vegetables too.”
Leisurely, Kiers pointed to a carrot Rose had hidden beneath her parsley. Her lips were pressed tightly shut as she held her ground with a frightened look, but when her mouth opened just a little, he too was satisfied.
“Hmm, if need be, fifty would do as well.”
“Y-Your Highness.”
“A hundred.”
Kiers smoothed the hair of Rose, who was chewing away. He frowned at the soot-stained hairpin and gave a slight shake of his head.
“Make it two hundred. Just because she’s a young lady doesn’t mean it’ll be any less work.”
“…Your Highness, that isn’t the issue. Forgive me, but might we not instead prepare the banquet hall, even if it’s on short notice? Duchess Verna is sure to bring the finest designers in the Capital to show off, and we can’t let ourselves look lacking.”
“…The finest designers?”
Kiers lifted his chin, seemingly interested for the first time. Sir Lear, seeing his chance, moved to press his case, but Kiers’s interest lay elsewhere.
“Why are the finest designers in Hessen?”
“…Pardon?”
“That’s not why I revived Liden as a commercial center.”
Making no effort to hide his displeasure, he passed a glass to Rose. The attendants hurried over to pour water, but he shook his head and sent them all away.
Gurgle, gurgle. The sound of milk being poured was as quiet as his voice.
“Well. I suppose it isn’t easy to gather that many designers overnight.”
“That’s right, Your Highness. As Sir Lear says, perhaps it would be better to hold the banquet…”
“Having hundreds of people clamor over a single gown is impractical, so offer a reward from the start. And should anyone find the arrangement too burdensome and try to flee, I wonder whether a perfectly sound carriage might not roll off a cliff somewhere.”
“….”
Pu-hah!
Breaking the silence, Rose pulled the milk glass from her mouth with both hands, and Kiers picked up his napkin. “Now we should be going.” The scrape of a chair being dragged rang out long and loud as he took the small hand in his.
“Well, it isn’t as if I’m insisting you do it.”

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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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