I’m Going to Change My Husband With a Predatory Marriage - Chapter 103

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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 103

Arpard had said he would return within a week.
Today marked the seventh day.
Yet not a single strand of his hair had appeared by nightfall.
I remained sitting alone upon the bed.
‘What could possibly keep him away for so long? Will he not come today either?’
A delay of a day or two in one’s schedule was hardly uncommon.
Perhaps the roads were congested, or some accident had occurred….
‘Though the probability is low, what if he has been injured somewhere?’
My heart quickened at the mere thought of such possibilities.
Then my mind veered in an entirely different direction.
‘What if he has finally met that “lover” of his?’
Across my three previous lives, there had never been a time when rumors of Arpard’s secret lover did not circulate.

“The Crown Prince lost his lover and descended into madness.”

This was a sufficiently dramatic and romantic tale, and it had long been the subject of discourse among the people.
Even the Emperor, his father, believed it to be true.
Yet not long ago, Arpard himself had vehemently denied it before me.

“I have no intention of keeping a lover.”

Thinking back on it, Arpard’s tone at that moment was not that of someone telling a lie.
There was no particular reason for him to do so.
Had I not told him repeatedly that he could take lovers as he wished, and that I would grant him a divorce whenever he desired?
There would be no need for him to hide anything from me.
When Arpard returned, if I asked whether he had perhaps gone to meet a lover….
‘He would surely be angry.’
Yet such a thought occurred to me.
What if he did not grow angry and instead confirmed it?
What if he then demanded that I honor the promise I had made?
“….”
I suddenly felt my chest tighten, and a wave of frustration washed over me.
I had felt this similar emotion before.
‘It was like this right after I learned that Evangeline was Ludwig’s lover.’
Though I had not loved Ludwig, I had trusted him as my husband, and I had thought of Evangeline as my friend.
The feeling of being betrayed by both of them was so devastating that it was nearly impossible to put into words.
Now there is only anger and a thirst for vengeance, but there was a time when I was genuinely wounded.
‘Why does that memory return to me now?’
Even the sorrow and rage from that time.
It is merely imagination, not something that has come to pass in reality.
I felt that it would anger and sadden me more than when I was betrayed by Ludwig and Evangeline.
I was bewildered as my mood suddenly began to darken.
To think that sleeping alone in this vast bed for a week could weigh so heavily on my spirits.
It seemed the comfort that another person’s warmth provided was far greater than I had anticipated.
‘And Arpard has not even returned with a lover…!’
At a time when I should be consumed with thoughts of revenge alone!
I shook my head vigorously to dispel the negative thoughts and decided instead to examine what I had gained today.
I rose from the bed and lifted the ornate jewelry box from the table.
It was what the Duchess of Muzen and the Young Duke had presented to me.
A gesture of gratitude for my having saved the Duchess’s life.
And with it, a clear expression of their support for me.
When I opened the box, there gleamed an amethyst tiara, along with a necklace, earrings, and brooch.
The Duchess of Muzen, a devotee of purple, had gifted me these luminous amethysts.
She had worn this set herself in her youth, and the quality and craftsmanship of the jewels were exquisite.
This single set alone would suffice for me to adorn myself when standing at official ceremonies.
Of course, it was not merely for saving their lives that they had decided to support me.
It was the information I had subsequently provided that had proven decisive in moving them.

“Was it truly mere coincidence that she possessed the cure and was there?”

When the Countess suffered an allergic reaction to the Lupis flowers, Evangeline happened to have medicine right there on hand.
The Young Duke understood my meaning and asked with a hardened expression.

“Your Highness believes this was planned?”

I naturally voiced the question they would inevitably have, turning it back on them first.

“Even if Evangeline Roux, the Viscountess had been there alone, it would have been difficult to call it mere coincidence. But then I appeared with medicine as well. Do you think this could happen by chance?”
“By your logic, the only conclusion is that either Her Highness the Crown Princess or Evangeline attempted to harm my mother.”

I smiled and had Anny bring over a potted plant.

“It’s a gift for the Countess.”

It was a pot overflowing with blooming red Lupis flowers.
Yet when the pot arrived, neither the Countess nor the Young Duke expressed alarm or anger.
Only bewilderment.

‘As I thought, they don’t know what caused the allergy.’

After returning to the Ducal Mansion, they would have called a physician, so they likely knew it was an allergic reaction.
But they wouldn’t know the cause. Allergies have so many possible triggers, after all.
I had the pot placed before the Countess and began my explanation.

“The Countess collapsed that day because of a reaction to this flower. You remember, don’t you? There were vines of this flower on the Terrace where Evangeline revealed herself.”

The Countess gasped and rose to her feet, while the Young Duke stepped in front of his mother and regarded me warily.

“What are you doing? To mother again…!”
“Don’t worry. You’re fine, aren’t you, Countess?”
“…Eh? Ah, yes. I’m not itching, and I can breathe just fine.”
“Didn’t you say this flower was what caused mother to collapse?”

Yet the Countess was perfectly fine now. Naturally, they could only find it strange.
I tapped the pot and spoke.

“It’s been treated with magic. The pollen and fragrance don’t escape at all. As long as you don’t touch it directly, you’ll be fine.”
“…!”
“The medicine I gave you last time should still have plenty left, and with this flower as well, you can return to the Manor and safely confirm what caused the Countess to collapse.”

The Countess, whose complexion had grown pallid, regained her composure before her son could.

“Forgive my presumption, Your Highness. But that alone does not prove that it was not I who orchestrated that day’s events.”
“Of course not. I’m sharing this information so that you won’t suffer the same fate.”

Admiration flickered across the Countess’s expression.
She immediately grasped what I was saying.

“When I collapsed, I’m told that Evangeline disappeared without a word. Yet Your Highness is telling me everything.”

She studied me as she spoke.

“May I ask your reason?”
“It couldn’t possibly be mere goodwill alone, could it?”
“…!”
“While I do hope you’ll understand the danger and avoid it, I would find it quite troublesome if the Muzen House fell into Evangeline’s hands because you were deceived.”

Though I had said I was helping because it benefited me as well, the smile that bloomed on the Countess’s lips deepened.
I added a few more words—some information that would lend greater credibility to my claims.

“If you wish to verify the truth, it would help to inquire about the ownership of the building where Evangeline revealed herself.”
“…Thank you. Yet there remains something that troubles me. How could Evangeline have known of my allergy, which I myself was unaware of?”
“I couldn’t say. I only learned of it through monitoring Evangeline’s movements.”

This was the one thing I could not answer.
That Evangeline was the Possessed, and thus knew from having read the original work.
The Countess would likely tighten security within both the Imperial Capital and the Ducal Mansion.
The Countess and the Young Duke seemed to have reached their conclusions as I intended.
That the Empress and Evangeline had gone so far as to toy with the Countess’s very life to draw the Muzen House into their scheme.
Which was, after all, the truth.
In the end, the Countess accepted the position of Maid as well.

“It is an honor to serve the Imperial Court, Your Highness. And as this is a gift offered to my savior, I humbly beg you to accept it.”

I had also offered this amethyst jewelry set.
I gazed down at the box with a satisfied expression.
‘Good. I’ll have one more thing to show off when Arpard arrives.’
I was planning to hold a tea party soon, and I intended to adorn myself with this set and bring the Countess along as my maid.
There was no more effective way to announce that the Muzen House had fallen into my hands.
‘Now that I think about it, what ring should I wear with this?’
I pulled the bell cord to summon Anny.
“Bring me all the rings that would complement this amethyst.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Anny arrived with the ring box, beaming with a smile.
Amid the glittering flood of jewels, I found a ring that would harmonize with the amethyst.
“A matching amethyst would work nicely, and since the tiara has pink diamonds woven through it, pink or red tones would be lovely as well.”
Then something familiar caught my eye among the rings.
A gold ring with three violet diamonds set like flower petals.
With each regression, one light had faded, and now it shone like an ordinary jewel—that wedding ring.
Every time I regressed and opened my eyes, it was already on my finger.
Anny gasped and apologized to me.
“I’m so sorry, Your Highness! I should have put it away beforehand…!”
Well, this was my wedding ring with Ludwig. It was no wonder Anny found it distasteful.
“It’s alright, Anny.”
Now that I thought about it, this was originally one of the Imperial treasures, wasn’t it?
I lifted the ring and pondered anew.
‘Yes, I should look into this as well. I’ve forgotten about it all this time….’
That was when the bedroom door suddenly burst open without warning.
“Who is—! Oh, Y-Your Highness!”
Anny gasped in alarm and began to protest, but her words trailed off.
The sudden intruder was Arpard, who had made his appearance after a week’s absence.
“Hillia!”
“Oh, welcome back, Arpard.”
Anny quickly excused herself from the room.
“….”
“….”
After a brief greeting, only an awkward silence hung between us.
The reason was simple. Arpard’s gaze was fixed on one thing alone.
The wedding ring with Ludwig that I was holding.
“You still have that?”
His tone was as uncomfortable as if he were chewing a chestnut whole.
Thanks to that, I could tell that Arpard knew what this ring was.
I wondered how it would look—a woman holding her former fiancé’s wedding ring in front of her current husband.
Well, it was a blessing that we weren’t actually a married couple.
In that instant, Arpard reached out and took the wedding ring from Ludwig as though snatching it away.
“What?!”
Then his other hand grasped my left hand firmly, as if to prevent me from escaping.
From within Arpard’s embrace, something gleaming suddenly emerged.
Without a word, he slipped that ostentatiously glittering object onto the ring finger of my left hand.
It was something I recognized.
‘Why is this appearing here?!’

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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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