If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 30

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 31

Perhaps calculating that Father wouldn’t oppose it if I agreed, the Emperor kept talking to me as I sat there completely flustered.

“You’ve seen his face before, so you know he’s handsome, and the Imperial bloodline is generally faithful, so you won’t have to worry about women causing problems.”

However, the Emperor’s appeal had no effect on me whatsoever and only stoked Father’s anger.

“What are you saying to a child! Our daughter believes marriage is about two people who love each other living happily ever after forever!”

The latter part was said in a much quieter voice, but it was still audible.

‘Ah, that’s a bit much.’

Even when I was really six years old, I wasn’t quite that naive, but I pretended not to hear it as a way of being filial.

The Emperor also just smiled with an expression that said he had plenty to say but wouldn’t.

Father, who belatedly realized he had been excessively doting in front of another person just as he did at home, looked embarrassed and avoided the Emperor’s eyes.

The Emperor’s smile deepened, as if he found it amusing to see Father, who was a proper Duke outside, rarely flustered like this.

“If other people heard what Aimers is saying right now, they would doubt their ears and be shocked. Hahaha.”

The Emperor looked like he wanted to tease Father a bit more.

However, since getting a positive answer about the Crown Prince from us was more important, he put aside his playfulness and asked again.

“That ‘two people who love each other living happily ever after forever’ can be done with Jeffrisian. Right?”

‘Wrong.’

I pretended to look elsewhere to avoid being caught with my expression crumpling momentarily.

However, Father’s position seemed different.

He hardened his expression as if taking bitter medicine, pondered for a moment, then gave a more lenient answer than before.

“If they both say they like each other, there would be no reason to stop them, but my wife and I have no intention of arranging marriages for our children. No matter who the other party is.”

However, perhaps Father’s step back felt more final than his previous roundabout refusal, as the Emperor’s attitude became more serious.

The Emperor, who had been pondering with a low hum, spoke with a deliberate smile.

“Fine, let’s compromise on that much. Just don’t change your words later.”

“Yes, well.”

At Father’s indifferent but definite answer, the tense atmosphere that had been circulating in the drawing room began to ease.

‘Compromise? Says who.’

I also knew that Father’s answer just now was the best option, as long as we didn’t intend to make an enemy of the Emperor.

‘But this way, won’t the Emperor keep creating situations where the Crown Prince and I get involved together, saying he wants us to grow attached?’

I absolutely oppose that!

I racked my brain hard to get out of this situation.

‘There’s no choice. Time to cause a scene!’

Fortunately, there was one more ‘handsome and generally faithful’ member of the Imperial bloodline besides the Crown Prince.

“Hmm, Miela likes Prince more than the Crown Prince though?”

I tilted my head as if I only half-understood the adults’ conversation and was saying something random, muttering as if for them to hear.

Father was shocked that words about liking a boy came from my mouth, and the Emperor was greatly flustered that I mentioned Leonhardt.

The atmosphere that had been relaxing thanks to the two adults’ efforts became stiff again.

‘I understand our daughter-obsessed Father reacting that way, but why is the Emperor surprised?’

I secretly pursed my lips and grumbled.

He’s your son too!

When I just smiled brightly without revealing my inner thoughts, the Emperor composed his expression and smiled back.

“Hahaha, it seems the Young Lady has become quite close with the Prince. But from what I see, an older man would suit the Young Lady.”

The Emperor’s tone was affectionate, but I felt subtle pressure.

The feeling was like telling me not to think about getting involved with Leonhardt.

This time, managing my expression wasn’t easy.

‘Hmph.’

I didn’t hide my sulky face and showed it openly.

The Emperor was a weak person, but he wasn’t a bad person.

‘Except when it comes to Leonhardt… That’s why I hate it even more!’

Speaking truthfully, Leonhardt at this point was a direct Imperial family member who had become distant from the throne.

In such cases, they’re usually used as pieces for political marriages.

‘Anyway, since he’s the Crown Prince’s full brother, even if Leonhardt and I were connected, there would be no problem with the marriage alliance between House Roderick and the Imperial Family.’

But the Emperor didn’t want to use Leonhardt even as a piece for political marriage.

It certainly wasn’t because he wanted to let his children enjoy the happiness of marrying someone they love, like my parents did.

He wanted to treat Leonhardt as if he didn’t exist at all.

‘Pushing him into a political marriage would be more humane treatment.’

It was too much, including how he turned a blind eye even though he must have guessed that the Crown Prince deliberately called Leonhardt out to humiliate him.

‘Anyway, the Crown Prince will take care of this revenge through his unfilial conduct, right?’

But even so, I had loyalty to Leonhardt that I couldn’t just let this pass.

I avoided Father’s and the Emperor’s gazes as if looking elsewhere to hide my eyes that would surely look mischievous.

After preparing my heart during that brief time, I began to throw a tantrum like a well-raised child.

“No! I like Prince better!”

Leonhardt was too precious to be compared with the Crown Prince.

Perhaps because my words were full of sincerity, the Emperor made a troubled face.

“Haha, yes. That can happen when you’re young. Young Lady, I noticed earlier that you seemed to like pastries—would you like more?”

‘An adult trying to smooth over the situation with snacks, how unimpressive.’

I let the Emperor’s words go in one ear and out the other while continuing to be stubborn.

“I think His Highness the Prince will be more handsome even when we’re adults!”

Though I said it like a guess, it was 100 percent sincere.

I had seen what both of them looked like as adults in the first round.

‘Even setting aside personality, Leonhardt is much better.’

As I nodded my head stubbornly, the Emperor kept sending glances to Father.

It meant for him to somehow try to persuade me.

However, Father, who was learning his daughter’s taste in men for the first time, was so stunned that he completely missed the Emperor’s signals.

“Until last year, she said Father was the most handsome…”

The Emperor looked at Father resentfully as he repeated the same words like a broken recording magic device.

‘Why do you keep trying to drag our Father into this! Huh? You’re the one who brought up an unsuitable match to a child who was just sitting quietly.’

I tried not to show my sarcastic mood and asked.

“Why can’t I marry Prince?”

It was the ‘directly pointing out awkward situations strategy’ that only a child could use.

The Emperor hesitated and couldn’t give an answer.

Because he too felt deep down that it wasn’t right for Leonhardt to receive such treatment just because he was born with red eyes.

‘I wish he’d just been completely mean to the end.’

I gave the answer that the Emperor couldn’t.

“Is it because Prince is cursed?”

At the words thrown without even a layer of cushioning, the Emperor’s complexion turned pale.

Father’s expression, who had been spacing out until now, also looked a bit troubled.

I continued speaking as if oblivious.

‘I was really disappointed that I couldn’t say this in the first round anyway.’

“Other people said so. There are rumors that Prince is cursed because he was born with red eyes. That’s why he lives alone in the Separate Palace.”

I spoke clearly while making eye contact with the Emperor.

‘Feel some guilt while listening to the story of the son you turned away from.’

The Emperor met my eyes with a surprisingly expressionless face.

A grown man who had been smiling genially the whole time suddenly hardening his expression would be quite scary for a young child.

But since I wasn’t a real child, I steadfastly continued with my next words.

“But you know, I don’t understand that. How is Prince a cursed child? Red eyes are rare in the Empire, but I heard there are tons of them in other countries far away—are all those people cursed too?”

‘The evidence that red eyes were cursed was a fragment of a prophecy book that was on the verge of crumbling and might not even be real, right?’

Everyone in the Imperial Family, including the Emperor, knew this fact.

A complex look cast over the Emperor’s expressionless face.

I said what I really wanted to say, like driving in a wedge.

“If you’re a father, shouldn’t you stop other people from saying bad things about His Highness the Prince being cursed?”

‘Not like you, who closes your eyes and turns away.’

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