If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 114

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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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Chapter 114
Only after the atmosphere had become irreversibly tense did my parents finally step forward.
“Miela, you’re late.”
“Duke Roderick.”
The Emperor regarded Father as though he were reinforcements arriving in a desperate siege.
But surely Father hadn’t come as the Emperor’s ally?
‘Father is naturally on my side.’
Since the engagement was already approved and my parents had consented to announcing it at Prince Jeffresian’s wedding, they were hardly the type to obstruct me—they would support me wholeheartedly.
I smiled with innocent delight, anticipating the Emperor’s imminent despair.
“I was about to come down, but I wasn’t satisfied with my hair ornament.”
As I spoke with a playful giggle, Leonhardt interjected smoothly with a gentle smile.
“You looked beautiful before too.”
“That’s true, I suppose.”
While everyone else stood bewildered and at a loss, only Leonhardt and my family maintained a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
The Emperor finally fell silent with an uncomfortable expression, his understanding of the situation now complete.
At last, the Empress Dowager, who had been merely observing, opened her mouth.
“This old woman is quite surprised, hearing such a story for the first time.”
It was a statement drawing a line—nothing had been officially discussed yet.
She appeared intent on salvaging the situation however possible.
But this level of response was already anticipated.
“That’s because I’m telling you today.”
Leonhardt answered with uncharacteristic cheerfulness, as though he’d been waiting for this moment.
Then he added in a serious tone.
“You will grant your permission, won’t you?”
It was phrased as a courtesy, though permission was practically unnecessary.
The Emperor and Empress Dowager, possessing at least some conscience, exchanged glances while wearing troubled expressions.
They were well aware their justification for interfering was weak, having essentially neglected Leonhardt until now.
Even in this situation, the Empress continued to look straight ahead as though deaf to everything, deliberately ignoring us.
‘Please continue pretending you don’t know.’
After Prince Jeffresian’s crimes were exposed before the regression, the Empress had chosen to confine herself rather than face the truth—I harbored no expectations of her whatsoever.
Since she wouldn’t interfere, we simply alternated our gaze between the Emperor and Empress Dowager.
Under our persistent stares, the Emperor and Empress Dowager exchanged looks of discomfort.
Thus another suffocating silence stretched for several dozen seconds.
The Empress Dowager, apparently believing it would look better for the highest-ranking elder of the Imperial Court to resolve this, spoke with considerable firmness, as though steeling herself.
“Today is Prince Jeffresian’s wedding, and an engagement is a promise of union between families, so let us call upon the Duke and Duchess separately for discussion at a later time.”
I was certain that “later time” would never come.
Her intention to buy time was transparently obvious.
Even if such a meeting miraculously occurred, her intention to oppose was unmistakable.
There was no way my family hadn’t noticed what I had perceived.
True to form as a typical hedgehog family, my parents—who couldn’t even imagine their daughter being opposed by her future in-laws—appeared genuinely hurt by the Empress Dowager’s response.
Mother masked her true feelings behind a smile as she countered.
“We’ll set a date soon. Oh, and since we’ve already given our consent, you needn’t worry about that part.”
As Mother spoke in that cheerful tone and smiled brightly, the Emperor’s face, which had been barely maintaining composure, crumpled openly.
He had clearly sensed her intention to speak as though his opposition was naturally out of the question.
The way Father kept signaling with his eyes seemed like a reproach—as if to say, “You said you’d stick with us for life, so what on earth is this?”
The Emperor appeared to have been absolutely certain that my doting parents would oppose this engagement.
‘No wonder he was looking at us with such hopeful eyes.’
Father, pretending not to notice the meaning behind the Emperor’s gaze, picked up where Mother had left off.
“The Prince is so fond of our daughter that we simply couldn’t refuse.”
Father went even further than Mother.
“Since we need to discuss the betrothal ceremony, we should coordinate the schedule quickly.”
Having said that, my parents led me toward the seating area prepared for House of Roderick.
I could feel the Emperor’s bewildered gaze following us from behind.
The moment we took our seats, Prince’s wedding ceremony began with perfect timing.
However, the guests, still reeling from the shock of moments before, clapped half-heartedly with dazed expressions on their faces.
Having apparently heard the gist of the situation before his entrance, Prince’s expression was murderous enough to kill someone.
‘You should manage your expression better.’
Leonhardt had maintained his composure even while facing a declaration of war, so compared to him, Prince still had a long way to go.
Regardless of what Prince was feeling, I found the wedding atmosphere turning into complete chaos absolutely delightful.
I exchanged glances with Leonhardt and smiled broadly.

* * *
Having had his wedding ruined by Leonhardt’s scheming, Prince made only a brief appearance at the reception before returning to the Crown Prince’s Palace.
Since the South’s great famine incident, Leonhardt’s standing among the Empire’s people had been steadily growing.
While the truly important noble families remained largely loyal through financial incentives and displays of power, even the support of the common people—whom Prince considered beneath notice—slipping away was infuriating to his greedy nature.
Prince had intended to hold this wedding more splendidly and flawlessly than anyone else’s, thereby capturing the attention of the masses who were dazzled by mere appearances and turning their favor toward himself.
But that plan had completely fallen apart.
He was in no mood to smile with the benevolent and affectionate face of the Crown Prince as he usually did.
Crash!
With no one watching, Prince finally let loose.
It was the rage he had been suppressing all this time, fueled by the Emperor’s persistent scrutiny following recent events.
Once he stopped holding back and began to vent, emotions poured out like a dam breaking, and he couldn’t fathom how he’d endured it all.
Even after nearly destroying an entire room, Prince still couldn’t suppress his anger and continued to seethe.
The Emperor’s support and his position as the acknowledged heir were Prince’s greatest weapons.
To wield that weapon properly, he had to remain the benevolent and affectionate Crown Prince.
It was difficult, but he had persevered with the thought that he couldn’t lose to some monster from the Separate Palace.
Yet as the situation pressed closer, he began to wonder if continued restraint was truly the answer.
‘Wouldn’t it be simpler to dispose of that monster before he grows any stronger?’
Without sparing a thought for Elodie, who was eagerly waiting in the bridal chamber, Prince summoned Viscount Perington.

* * *
Viscount Perington was equally displeased that his only daughter’s wedding had been ruined.
With neither the groom nor the bride appearing at the reception, he had no choice but to remain, maintaining a dark expression throughout the gathering.
However, the moment the Crown Prince’s servant summoned him discreetly and he faced the Crown Prince, he realized it would have been better to stay at the reception, despite the unpleasant whispers echoing behind him.
“Your Highness is the legitimate heir—there is no need for such measures.”
Viscount Perington hastily tried to dissuade Prince, who had just declared that Leonhardt must die.
“The Emperor is watching.”
Perhaps that was why the Prince’s and his own room for maneuver had narrowed considerably.
Yet the Prince, who seemed to have lost all reason, appeared deaf to Viscount Perington’s persuasion.
‘I cannot simply stand by and watch him bind himself in chains.’
The anger he had suppressed needed an outlet to prevent it from overflowing.
Viscount Perington’s mind worked rapidly.
‘There is no helping it.’
Killing Leonhardt in the current situation, with the throne at stake, was hardly advisable.
However, there were other methods to cool the Prince’s head.
For instance, allowing him to release some of the violence he had long suppressed due to the Emperor’s watchful eye.
For Viscount Perington, who had once been a leader of the Underworld and maintained close ties to it still, such a task was not difficult.
“Your Highness…”
Fortunately, the Prince yielded to Viscount Perington’s persuasion, and thereafter, the rate of unidentified corpses appearing in the Underworld increased dramatically.

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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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