I’m Going to Change My Husband With a Predatory Marriage - Chapter 59

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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 59

Needless to say, Yulken had been thoroughly scolded and nearly thrown out by Arpard.
“Three months’ salary suspension for insulting the Imperial Family!”
“No! Please! I’m already having my salary deducted by the Protagonist! For a married couple to conspire together to rob a pitiful servant of his wages—this is too much!”
“What? Why is Hillia taking your salary?”
“Well, you see….”
Yulken explained the circumstances through tears.
As a result, Arpard learned of the wager that had existed between Hillia and Yulken.
And he summarized Yulken’s situation in a single phrase.
“You’ve reaped what you’ve sown.”
“….”
“Haven’t I told you countless times? You’ll die by your own tongue one day. This is hardly the worst of it.”
The two master and servant didn’t actually know that Yulken had died once before because of his words.
Yulken clung to him with sniffles.
“Please, couldn’t you persuade the Protagonist to reconsider?”
“You want me to return your salary?”
“Yes!”
Watching Yulken’s eyes gleam with hope, Arpard chuckled softly.
“No.”
“Why not! Don’t you pity a flea that’s been gutted of its liver!”
“Well, husband and wife are one body. If Hillia’s wealth increases, I benefit as well, so there’s no reason for me to object.”
As Yulken glared at him with resentful eyes and bolted from the room, Arpard hurled a sealed document at his retreating back.

* * *

Madame Fileren, who had entered the Prince’s Palace for the first time in nearly a week, let out a complaint.
“Your Highness! This is too much! You haven’t invited me, and you keep refusing all my requests for an audience!”
Hillia smiled gently.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. I told you I was ill.”
“Well, that’s true, but….”
Madame Fileren grumbled, yet she never expressed genuine concern for Hillia’s wellbeing.
Hillia concealed a bitter smile.
‘She must have gotten an earful from Evangeline for not being able to spy on the Prince’s Palace for a week.’
Her suspicion was accurate.
Madame Fileren was scrutinizing everything with keen eyes, searching for any changes that might have occurred.
Yet today, she was here participating in the fitting of Hillia’s gown for the banquet at Artanus Hall.
“What do you think, Madame Fileren?”
“….”
Hillia, who was trying on the dress, pretended indifference while focusing intently on observing her surroundings.
Then, Madame Fileren’s eyes caught something unusual.
‘What is that?’
It was a decorative piece carved from a large crystal, with several intricate geometric metal ornaments hanging from it.
Inside, it sparkled as if mysterious light were trapped within.
Without asking permission, Madame Fileren approached the object and inquired.
“What is this? I’ve never seen it before….”
Then Anny responded with clear displeasure.
“His Highness the Prince gifted it as a luminous decoration. It’s delicate, so you mustn’t touch it carelessly.”
Madame Fileren’s brow twitched.
‘How dare a mere maid!’
But fortunately, she had no opportunity to scold Anny.
Hillia, who always knew how to grovel, became angry first on her behalf.
“Anny! What an impertinent thing to say! Madame Fileren is my one and only friend!”
Anny’s expression fell.
“You may leave now and wait in the side room.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After Anny was dismissed, Madame Fileren finally spoke.
“I don’t mind at all. There was no need to send her away….”
“It’s fine. Feel free to look around. I’m afraid of the dark at night, so Ripa gave it to me. Even when the light goes out, it glows softly and beautifully.”
“Ri…pa?”
Hillia answered, her cheeks flushing a rosy pink.
“His Highness the Prince. It’s a pet name just between the two of us.”
“I, I see….”
Madame Fileren broke into a cold sweat.
After confirming that nothing else had changed besides this decoration, she found fault with Arpard’s gift.
“It’s large, but there’s nothing particularly special about it as a decoration.”
“…Isn’t that right?”
Hillia continued to smile brightly.
Madame Fileren inwardly scorned Hillia.
‘Boasting about something so trivial. Her vanity knows no bounds.’
Then she finally approached Hillia’s side.
After making Hillia wait all this time.
Not only the palace attendants, but even the atelier staff who shared some understanding with Madame Fileren began to narrow their eyes.
The schedule was falling into complete disarray because of the Countess of Fileren alone.
The Countess of Fileren deliberately clapped her hands in exaggerated praise for Hillia.
“You are absolutely breathtaking!”
Only her voice echoed through the reception room.
Normally, a Prince’s Consort’s dress fitting would attract not just attendants, but numerous noblewomen eager to observe.
Naturally, the toilet room should be bustling with activity.
But now the Prince’s Consort’s toilet room was quite empty.
The only person not belonging to the Prince’s Palace was the Countess of Fileren.
No one paid attention, and no one came.
It resembled the scene from the banquet day that was drawing near.
Madame Fileren inwardly despised and mocked Hillia.
‘Just as I thought—a foolish, stupid woman!’
And Hillia seemed entirely oblivious to Madame Fileren’s true thoughts.
She felt embarrassed yet relieved.
“Really? I’m so grateful. To be honest, I tried to book the most popular atelier in the Capital City, but when I heard they were booked solid for years, I felt my heart sink.”
Hillia’s voice grew increasingly forlorn as she spoke.
Madame Fileren concealed her sinister smile.
‘Of course—I already fed all the atelier information to Evangeline beforehand!’
Thanks to that, Evangeline was able to ensure that most of the Capital City’s popular ateliers couldn’t make Hillia’s dress.
Normally it would be impossible, but it was feasible because all of them were Evangeline’s regular clients.
Moreover, since Evangeline led the trends in the Central Social Circle, the atelier owners couldn’t afford to defy her.
Madame Fileren had regained some of Evangeline’s trust by handling this matter well.
But Evangeline, of course, was not satisfied with that alone.

“Simply ruining the banquet won’t be enough. We need to thoroughly humiliate that girl on that day!”

With those words, I instructed Madame Fileren accordingly.
To guide Hillia toward selecting a particular atelier.
That atelier’s entire staff had naturally been bought off by me.
Thanks to this arrangement, I had managed to obtain even the design of the dress Hillia would wear on the day of the banquet.
Hillia, completely unaware of these circumstances, could only express her gratitude to Madame Fileren.
“It’s all thanks to you introducing me to the Kemel Atelier. If things had gone differently, I might have ended up wearing the Former Empress’s heirloom instead of having a dress tailored to the latest fashion.”
“Please, it’s only natural for a friend to do such things.”
Madame Fileren sneered as she observed the nearly completed dress draped across Hillia’s form.
‘Yes, continue thanking me so foolishly. You’ll be weeping in despair on the day of the banquet.’
Madame Fileren, intoxicated by her sense of victory, failed to perceive Hillia’s true expression.

* * *

After Madame Fileren and all the staff from the Kemel Atelier had departed.
I could finally breathe easy.
Once Madame Fileren left, I apologized to Anny, who entered cautiously.
“I’m really sorry about earlier.”
“It’s fine! We already agreed to this plan anyway!”
Anny laughed spiritedly.
That’s right—Anny being driven out was naturally a rehearsed act we had arranged.
“By the way, our little one, or rather, Your Highness, you’re quite the actress yourself.”
“Thanks. Oh, Anny, check on ‘that thing’ for me—make sure it’s working properly.”
“Of course.”
Anny examined the condition of the mysteriously gleaming ornament that Madame Fileren had been fiddling with earlier.
If even a single crack or chip appeared, it would be disastrous.
“Everything looks fine. No issues at all.”
And then Anny, already knowing what to do, activated the device.
The crystal began to glow brighter, and sound started to emanate from it.

—Your Highness! This is too much! You didn’t even invite me….

Our conversation from earlier replayed in its entirety before me.
Anny marveled anew at the sight.
“It’s truly a remarkable device.”
Of course, I wasn’t surprised or amazed like Anny was.
‘The sound quality is far inferior to Earth’s recording devices, but even so, it’s an extraordinarily revolutionary creation for this world.’
Over the past week, Madame Fileren had been unable to enter the Prince’s Palace largely because I had been absent so frequently.
Searching for the creator of ‘that’ device.
It was strange to think about anew.
‘That such a bumbling person could be the creator of such a brilliant magical artifact.’
I recalled the vacant face I had seen days ago.
A man wearing broken spectacles and shabby clothes.

“Y-you’re really purchasing such a crude device for such a high price? I-I’m grateful, of course, but….”
“What? Y-you’re really investing such a substantial sum in me?! Oh, no, I’m grateful, naturally! But, but!”

Even with the information I obtained from Yulken, it took time to locate him immediately, but I eventually found him when it mattered.
And I was able to acquire it.
Both the device and its creator.
Of course, what I had prepared was not limited to this alone.

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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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