I’m Going to Change My Husband With a Predatory Marriage - Chapter 52

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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 52

Arpard tilted his head in confusion.
“What makes you think I’m trying to gloss over this with my good looks?”
I answered sharply.
“That squirrel comment, obviously!”
Arpard chuckled softly.
“Why would I need to gloss over anything? Is there a reason I should?”
“What did you just say?”
I glared at him, bristling at his tone suggesting he had no reason to make excuses.
“Well, it’s simple. I haven’t done anything wrong, so there’s no need for me to hastily smooth things over and move on.”
This infuriating man!
I was about to explode in anger when Arpard leaned his face close to mine.
!
I froze in surprise.
In that moment, Arpard continued with perfect logic.
Caught off guard, I found myself drawn into his reasoning.
“I already told you—you asked me to draw attention to myself. I simply chose the most effective method.”
“…Ha!”
“If you’re angry because I failed to draw attention properly, I’d understand. But that’s not the case, is it?”
I wanted to argue otherwise, but I couldn’t.
It was the truth.
He had fulfilled my request to draw attention—perfectly, even excessively so.
Arpard laughed and delivered his conclusion.
“So you’re just throwing a tantrum because you’re embarrassed.”
“That’s…!”
Denying it seemed utterly futile.
In the end, I gave up trying to extract an apology or a promise of better behavior from Arpard.
I was asking for too much, it seemed.
So I declared boldly instead.
“I’ll repay you in kind for what you’ve done! Don’t say I didn’t warn you later!”
Arpard laughed with genuine amusement.
“I look forward to it.”
His overflowing composure was absolutely infuriating.
I made a vow to myself.
‘I’ll shatter that composure of his! I absolutely will!’
I’ll make sure to see that man trembling with shame and embarrassment!
As I burned with thoughts of revenge, Arpard’s smiling face suddenly drew close again.
Gasp!
I was caught completely off guard because I had been lost in thought.
His breath was so close that its moisture settled upon my lips.
‘You… you’re far too close…’
Fortunately, Arpard did nothing further.
He reached out and gently stroked my hair.
“Your hair color is quite remarkable. It reminds me of cherry blossoms, or perhaps cotton candy.”
I could barely manage to calm my racing heart.
‘Thank goodness. I thought he was going to kiss me.’
But I was wrong. It was far too early to feel relieved.
Arpard twirled my hair between his fingertips before dropping a bombshell.
“The thing is, when you say I’m using some kind of charm technique, the truth is probably that you find my appearance so appealing that you misinterpret everything I do as if I were using such a technique, isn’t it?”
“…What did you just say?”
I shook my head desperately.
“That’s impossible! You’re not my type at all.”
Arpard’s expression grew somewhat serious.
“…Is that so? Then what is your ideal type?”
My competitive spirit flared up.
This time, I absolutely would not fall into his trap.
So I deliberately described a style completely different from Arpard’s.
“First of all, I dislike men who are excessively handsome. It feels burdensome.”
“Hmm?”
Arpard’s brow furrowed.
“This is the first time I’ve met a woman who dislikes handsome men.”
“It’s a matter of preference, preference! And… someone shorter than you, with a more solid and gentle impression… someone sincere is more my type!”
“…”
Arpard’s furrowed brow remained unchanged as he tilted his head curiously and asked.
“Isn’t that… the Knight you hired and brought here?”
“…Huh?”
I had only described a style different from Arpard’s.
In trying to avoid anything too peculiar while speaking casually, my description apparently ended up sounding oddly similar to Count Beltane’s appearance.
I spoke honestly.
“Ah, the similarity to Count Beltane is purely coincidental.”
“Don’t you think that’s a rather meaningless excuse, considering you always say the same thing?”
“And don’t you think it’s just the truth, considering I always give the same answer?”
It really is the truth.
There is nothing between Count Beltane and me.
‘Well, perhaps not nothing, given his knightly oath.’
We are simply a loyal Knight and his Lady, bound by that vow.
That was when Arpard asked me seriously for the first time.
“Are you truly… not lovers? You and him?”
There was something cautious about the way it sounded.
“I’m telling you, that’s how it is.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“If we were really in that kind of relationship, why would I need to hide it?”
“…Doesn’t it bother you? After all, I’m your legitimate spouse.”
Could he please stop harping on about being my legitimate spouse?
I couldn’t understand why he’d become so fixated on it lately.
I stated the facts plainly.
“That’s because we’re in a contractual relationship. I don’t mind if you have a lover, and you won’t mind if I have one either.”
Yes, we were the kind of relationship where we’d even exchanged contracts.
I already knew that Arpard would eventually have a lover, and I was prepared to let him go when that time came.
I assumed Arpard’s talk of being my “lover” to Count Beltane was simply his characteristic sarcastic manner of speaking.
“….”
I expected Arpard to naturally nod or give an affirmative answer.
But even after a long time, he gave no response.
I lifted my eyes and looked up at Arpard.
“Arpard?”
Arpard, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at me, wore an expression that was difficult to describe in words.
Before I could speak again.
Arpard suddenly said something.
“Do you remember the promise?”
“…What promise?”
“The promise we made back then, when I abducted you.”
Could he mean the abduction marriage contract? But wasn’t that in the Catacombs the day before? The contract was written at the Palace.
As I heard Arpard’s additional explanation, I remembered.
“The promise we exchanged regarding that Knight.”
“…Ah!”
Count Beltane was the only one who had drawn his sword to stop Arpard back then.
In exchange for not charging him with treason, I had agreed to grant him what he desired.
‘Ugh, I was just trying to forget about that!’
I had forgotten, but it seemed Arpard had not.
‘Well, of course he’d remember it well—it’s a promise favorable to him.’
He was absolutely the type who would never forget something like that.
There seemed little point in trying to deny it. Besides, I was worried Arpard might pick another fight with Count Beltane, so I nodded.
“I remember. Why? Is there something you’d like to ask of me?”
Surprisingly, Arpard nodded.
And he made a request I had never anticipated.
“When we’re alone together, don’t talk about other men.”
“…!”
I stared blankly at Arpard, somewhat taken aback.
Isn’t this exactly like… that thing?
Possessiveness, something like that?
I immediately dismissed this absurd thought.
‘No way, that can’t be it!’
Truth be told, it wasn’t a difficult request, so from my perspective, it was beneficial.
I was about to nod quickly when I suddenly realized something strange.
“…But you were the one who brought up Count Beltane first, weren’t you?”
At that, Arpard’s eyes widened.
“Remarkably, that’s true.”
Why was he speaking so foolishly? It didn’t suit him.
Arpard tilted his head in the opposite direction and asked.
For some reason, the gesture looked endearing—had I lost my mind?
“Ah, so if I don’t mention it first, you have no intention of speaking about other men in front of me?”
“That’s correct.”
As I nodded readily, Arpard laughed brightly.
It was a smile that looked oddly boyish, yet I couldn’t understand why it seemed so satisfied.
While I stood dazed at this unexpected side of him, Arpard spoke cunningly.
“Then I’m canceling this request.”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
What on earth was he talking about all of a sudden!
“You said if I don’t mention it first, you’d have no reason to speak of it. So there’s no need to waste this precious favor. Canceled.”
This cunning bastard!
Dragon blood must carry not only a foul temperament and the danger of madness, but also this wretched craftiness.

* * *

And two days later.
While receiving the attendants’ service in the toilet room, I received a letter sent by the Black Mercenary Corps.
The contents were simple.

「The tea leaves have been safely transported. The compensation you provided previously is sufficient.」

The contents were utterly mundane and cryptic—deliberately obscured so that anyone reading it would find it impossible to decipher.
Of course, it was a cipher.
‘Tea leaves’ referred to Princess Solenu.
So when I decoded the letter’s contents, it read like this:
‘Princess Solenu has given me a positive answer through the method I taught her.’
Excellent. Now it was time to move to the next phase.
I laughed with quiet confidence.

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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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