It’s Trouble Because Unrequited Love Is So Fun - Chapter 32
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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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***
“It seems the day has finally come for Your Grace to kill me.”
Pasan, the chairman of the Kairozen Council of Elders.
He had quite a high status with a grandmother who was a collateral member of the imperial family, and he had turned forty this year.
Even for someone like him who had been through all sorts of trials and tribulations, the current situation was quite bewildering.
“To suddenly call me out in front of a graveyard.”
He found his own appearance standing in front of the graveyard somehow very perplexing.
But what was even more bewildering was Raphael, who had called him to this place.
“There’s something important. They said we need to meet here to avoid being seen by others.”
“Who…?”
Pasan stared intently at Raphael’s indifferent expression and tilted his head in confusion.
That’s when it happened.
“I said that!”
What appeared stepping on the morning dew was Serenthia Rosemary.
Pasan’s eyes narrowed.
‘The worst existence that moves Raphael’s emotions, makes him uncontrollable, and destabilizes his abilities.’
Chairman Pasan cherished Raphael.
He constantly monitored his movements and interfered excessively even in marriage matters because he wanted him to maintain his position as Grand Duke well.
That’s why Serenthia Rosemary was all the more irritating.
However, Serenthia spoke to Chairman Pasan in a gentle yet unintimidated, chattering manner.
“So the reason I called Chairman Pasan is…”
Pasan listened to everything she had to say first and then spoke.
“…So, to summarize. Lady Serenthia and His Grace Grand Duke Kairozen, for the two of you to marry, you need me?”
“Yes! You’re the perfect person for the job!”
Pasan looked back and forth between Raphael and Serenthia. His gaze was like looking at madmen.
“You need a godfather? Then let me ask just one thing. It’s an honest question, so please tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“If it’s not for the Rosemary Family… what aspect of His Grace made you decide to marry him?”
“What aspect…?”
“For example, His Grace’s financial comfort, or your status as Grand Duchess, things like that.”
Serenthia made a thoughtful expression. Then she answered seriously.
“I like Raphael himself… as a person?”
Pasan instinctively looked toward Raphael instead of Serenthia.
He was just looking at Pasan indifferently, as if he had already become numb to such confessions.
Pasan stared intently at Raphael’s blue eyes.
“So, what’s the Chairman’s answer?”
After looking at Raphael once and Serenthia once, alternating between them.
Pasan curved his eyes and grinned.
“That’s the worst reason I least want to hear.”
“…”
“Godfather? I refuse. I won’t do it even if I die. Find someone else.”
It was a perfect rejection.
***
The next morning.
Veronica’s lips curved up like a drawing as she came to receive payment for her daughter.
Contact had come from Raphael in the early dawn.
[Let’s set up a table to discuss the 【Bride Price】.
There will be no haggling; I intend to match exactly the amount you demanded.]
At those words, she smiled broadly.
‘With this, I can now buy pretty clothes for our Max and Evelyn, buy a nice villa, and pay off debts.’
She had been so angry about not being able to properly provide for Max and Evelyn while feeding and clothing Serenthia all this time.
“Hmm…”
She read the documents carefully and then sat at the table in the drawing room.
Sitting across from her at the table were Serenthia and Lady Isidel.
“Really exactly the amount I demanded.”
“Yes.”
“For over twenty years, you’ve never once properly shown filial piety.”
“Mm…”
“Now you’re showing filial piety like this. How admirable.”
“In exchange, there’s a condition that we don’t postpone the wedding.”
“Hmph, fine. Let’s do it that way.”
Serenthia just stared at Veronica and said nothing more.
‘If I praised you, you should at least say thank you. Really, so stiff.’
But just as Veronica was clicking her tongue inwardly while organizing the documents.
“Come to think of it, Mother. You said you prepared a dowry, right? Please give me the dowry first.”
“Ah, right. Here it is. I prepared plenty, so take it.”
Veronica held out a money envelope to Serenthia with a greedy expression.
One hundred gold.
It was a pathetically small amount of money, at a level meant to humiliate the recipient.
Veronica shrugged her shoulders while looking at Serenthia’s expressionless face.
“You look quite disappointed. This is money your mother prepared with difficulty, so what. Is money more important than this mother’s sincerity?”
Those weren’t words she should say, considering she had valued money enough to set an excessive amount for the 【Bride Price】.
Toward her, Serenthia smiled gently and answered.
“No, I’m not disappointed. Rather, if the dowry had been large, I might have weakened my resolve, so this is good.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s nothing.”
Soon after, Baroness Veronica smiled brightly. Her gorgeous dress, studded with gems, sparkled and shone.
“When do I receive the Bride Price then? I see here it says immediate payment…”
“We should give it to you, of course.”
As soon as Serenthia finished speaking, the door creaked open.
And the person standing there was a man Veronica had never seen before.
‘No, he seems somehow familiar too.’
Just as Veronica tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
That man stood tall next to Serenthia. Serenthia opened her mouth with a bright smile.
“Here, let me introduce you. This is our godfather.”
“…Godfather? What are you talking about?”
Looking at Veronica’s dumbfounded expression, Serenthia grinned.
“Yes. According to imperial law, Mother isn’t the only one qualified to receive the 【Bride Price】!”
“What? You, what are you saying…”
“According to imperial law, a godfather also has the right to receive the 【Bride Price】. With the bride’s consent, it’s even possible for the godfather to receive the entire 【Bride Price】, isn’t it?”
Then Veronica opened her mouth with an absurd expression.
“That doesn’t make sense… I never agreed to you making a godfather!”
“I don’t understand why it doesn’t make sense. It was written that since I’m legally an adult, there’s no problem with making a godfather myself.”
As Pasan stood reliably beside me, I smiled wickedly.
So, how this came about was…
***
‘A godfather? Absolutely not.’
Listening to Serenthia’s nonsensical rambling and being swayed by her antics.
This wasn’t the ‘controlling type’ Raphael Kairozen that Pasan knew.
Her foolish schemes would only cause problems with Raphael’s abilities…
‘Love is the most useless emotion in the world.’
…It also stirred his long-buried emotions.
Long ago, Chairman Pasan had been married.
Against his parents’ opposition, to a commoner woman of lowly status.
But she…
‘Died.’
She returned as a miserable corpse, carrying his child.
Until then, Pasan had tried to find the identity of her killer.
Because he didn’t know the secret hidden behind her death.
But when he half-madly uncovered the truth.
[Pasan.
I never loved you. No, I despised you terribly.
I chose suicide because I wanted to escape from you.
You were truly such a horrible person.]
Before the woman’s corpse, hearing this tragic news, he couldn’t breathe.
“…Lies.”
Her gaze toward him, that voice speaking of love—it had never been false.
But when he checked if her will was enchanted with deception magic, used truth-detecting magic as well, even performed an autopsy on her body, and investigated those around her…
Literally, everything was telling the clear truth.
The words of love, the love they had shared—it had all been lies.
Learning all these facts, Pasan completely collapsed.
The love he had believed in was nothing but an insubstantial illusion.
So a political marriage for producing heirs, without any love, would be better.
If it was going to be false anyway, it was better not to share emotions at all.
“I like Raphael himself, you know?”
His lips twisted instantly.
“…You speak the most useless words.”
Love is merely a fleeting emotion. Like that woman who left him behind.
‘And for Raphael, it would be a fatal poison.’
Raphael himself might not know it, but he was wavering. Losing control of his abilities was proof of that.
So…
‘Absolutely not.’
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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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