My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - Chapter 69

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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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Prince Kildian was in a foul mood from the very break of dawn.
Last night, he had somehow managed to avoid detection, escaping any suspicion of being complicit in Princess Lucretia’s crimes.
Princess Lucretia had also been pinned as the culprit behind the attempted poisoning of Princess Isoldra, a scandal that had been echoing through the palace walls.
Kildian had broken free from the shadow of suspicion surrounding Princess Isoldra’s attempted assassination, but the aftershocks of having a criminal for a fiancée hit him squarely during the state council meeting.
“Does it make any sense that Prince Kildian was entirely unaware?”
“She is his own fiancée, after all.”
“How can a man who doesn’t even know what is happening right beside him manage the affairs of state?”
The moment his political rivals gripped his fleeting mistake, it transformed into a razor-sharp blade.
Kildian twisted his lips, suppressing a sudden urge to overturn the entire room.
“It seems everyone has forgotten that I was the one who uncovered the plot to assassinate my sister.”
He managed to silence them, but the atmosphere remained precarious, balanced on a knife-edge.
The morning council meeting, filled with nothing but biting criticism, stretched his already frayed nerves even tighter.
“Amarynthis.”
He swallowed the name down alongside a draft of strong liquor.
Saidel, who had been reviewing documents in Kildian’s stead, stole a cautious glance at the prince upon hearing that heavily chewed cadence.
Paying him no mind, Kildian poured himself another glass.
Recalling the events of yesterday brought a shudder of raw fury creeping back over his skin.
The moment Amarynthis spoke up to clear her name, Kildian had seen right through her.
She hadn’t been aiming for Princess Lucretia.
Her true goal was to sweep away the maidservant who acted as the princess’s hands and feet.
All for a grander design.
Until now, Kildian had turned a blind eye to Princess Lucretia’s cruelty. The fact that the dead maids had no record of leaving the palace after being dismissed meant nothing; without a body, it was mere circumstantial evidence, easily brushed off as a clerical error.
Amarynthis had undoubtedly known this as well.
That was why she cut off Princess Lucretia’s limbs beforehand, ensuring the princess would dig up her own grave with her own hands.
And through it all, she kept herself hidden, putting Princess Isoldra forward as her shield.
She knew that the instant she revealed her prowess in political maneuvering, people would either rush to court her or conspire to check her power.
It was a cunning gambit to avoid being dragged into the political quagmire.
She had cast her opponent utterly into the mire while ensuring not a single speck of mud splattered her own dress.
‘A chilling woman.’
Yet, that realization sparked a strange, fluttering excitement within him.
As expected, she was far too precious to be left alone.
He wanted to possess her.
Of course, he had no intention of abandoning the Nodis Kingdom.
But he wanted to make that brilliant mind, those piercing eyes that glared even while trembling with fear, and that silver tongue that swayed others entirely his own.
Her alluring hair, her deceptively gentle eyes, and that pale skin gleaming like polished pearls.
Unable to contain the boiling emotions within him, Kildian slammed his glass down.
The crystal shattered into fragments, burying themselves into his palm.
Startled by the sharp crack, Saidel snapped his head up.
Catching sight of Kildian’s injury, he rushed forward in utter panic.
“Your Highness! Oh, good heavens, to your precious, imperial body!”
He scrambled to gather medicine and bandages as though his own flesh had been torn.
Cradling the prince’s hand, he began to tend to the wound.
While Kildian let his hand rest in Saidel’s care, his breathing ragged, the Chief Chamberlain knocked on the door.
“Your Highness, the Family Head of Rootsild wishes to see you.”
“Let him in.”
The moment the door swung open, the coppery scent of blood mixed with the sharp sting of alcohol drifted through the air.
Arpeggio frowned briefly before his face shifted into an expression of surprise.
“Are you injured?”
Stepping inside, Arpeggio tripped slightly over the threshold.
The documents he was holding cascaded to the floor.
Blocked by Saidel’s head, the contents of the papers remained hidden from view.
Kildian shoved Saidel’s head straight into the table, silencing the man’s incessant, theatrical laments as he treated his hand.
“Ouch! Your Highness! That hand, that’s your injured hand!”
Ignoring the outcry, Kildian stared down at the documents Arpeggio was gathering.
An application for an artifact.
Ordinarily, this paperwork should have passed through the Imperial Comprehensive University and the Administrative Office before reaching his desk.
Yet Arpeggio had brought it directly to him.
Kildian often granted Arpeggio such conveniences.
There was nothing unusual about it, but Kildian’s instincts whispered otherwise.
This was no ordinary application.
Removing his hand from Saidel’s head, he motioned for Arpeggio to take a seat.
Groaning, Saidel scrambled over to a mirror.
Fortunately, because he had shielded his face with his arms when he was shoved, no glass shards had pierced his skin, though a shallow cut had opened on his chin.
Saidel pouted at his reflection, wiped away the blood, and then approached them once more with a practiced, sycophantic grin.
“Well, if it isn’t the Rootsild Family Head! It is always a pleasure to see you.”
Arpeggio looked between the two of them before settling onto the sofa, a warm, affable smile gracing his features.
“The tension between you two remains as terrifying as ever.”
“What is that?”
“As you can see, it is merely an application for an artifact. It is quite urgent.”
When Arpeggio proffered the papers, Kildian snatched them away.
As he scanned the artifact blueprint, a cynical sneer twisted his lips.
“Did that bastard Scheit tell you about this too?”
Arpeggio’s smile faltered slightly.
Scheit had explicitly claimed he knew nothing about it.
Had he been lying? Did this mean he hadn’t entirely betrayed Kildian?
“My brother-in-law knew? He told me he was clueless, so I believed him. Actually, my sister was the one who figured this out using her own wits.”
“Amarynthis…”
“I hear you have been entering my sister’s chambers without her permission. It is highly improper to do so to a married woman’s room. Even I, as her family, refrain from such actions.”
“That happened last night. It seems she wasted no time running to tattle to you.”
“She informed me of other matters as well. Like how you demanded she arrange a marriage alliance with the Princess of Nodis Kingdom. My sister is hardly a matchmaker.”
Arpeggio’s smile vanished as he locked eyes with Kildian.
“I am rather disappointed.”
“Arpeggio, did you not wish to maintain good relations with me? The benefits I offer are by no means trivial.”
“And yet, Your Highness, you were secretly using Amarynthis behind my back to claw those benefits right back, were you not?”
“Ha…!”
Amarynthis was a timid creature who knew nothing of trust.
She was a woman who couldn’t even trust the cousin who had doted on her since childhood.
That was precisely why he had squeezed her without a second thought. And she had revealed everything?
Where on earth had such sudden trust sprung from?
Until now, Kildian had been able to sway Amarynthis for one simple reason.
Despite her extraordinary intellect, her core was soft and fragile.
She craved human connection but feared it just as much. She yearned for someone to acknowledge and believe in her, yet she herself could trust no one.
Thus, fully aware of Arpeggio’s affection for her, Kildian had pressured her, manipulated her, and reaped the rewards.
He had treated Amarynthis like a private gold mine known only to him.
Now, the veil had been completely lifted.
This meant that keeping Scheit Huniswald around was useless if he couldn’t even utilize him to draw in funds.
“So, what do you intend to do about it?”
“You know as well as I do that once trust is shattered, business is concluded. From now on, you deal only with me.”
“My, how exceptionally close the two of you have become.”
Kildian sneered, tossing the documents onto the table.
The paper scraped against the shattered glass beneath it, producing a grating, unpleasant screech.
Unfazed, Arpeggio chuckled softly and slid the documents back toward Kildian.
“Ensure that I can continue to cooperate with Your Highness.”
It was a demand for a show of good faith.
Kildian found the entire situation profoundly insulting.
However, Arpeggio was not a man he could lightly offend.
His clan, his wealth, and the countless high nobility aligned with the Rootsild Family were all weapons at Arpeggio’s disposal.
Swallowing the bitter taste of humiliation, Kildian signed the document.
“Are we done?”
“As expected of Your Highness. You are a man of reason. I will exert all my influence and resources to ensure the investment you requested last time proceeds without a hitch.”
“…Get out.”
“Until next time, then.”
Watching Arpeggio depart, Saidel began to edge slowly toward the door.
Remaining by Kildian’s side when the prince was on the verge of exploding would undoubtedly court disaster.
Of course, he had no intention of leaving him entirely to his own devices.
Kildian required another outlet for his rage.
Saidel dragged a suitable prisoner from the basement and shoved him into Kildian’s chambers.
For a long while, agonized screams echoed through the halls, until finally, a blood-spattered Kildian emerged from the room.
“Clean up what’s inside. And prepare for a hunt; you’re coming with me.”
“Yes, of course, Your Highness. I will have everything arranged immediately.”
Saidel bowed obsequiously, though his eyes carefully scanned Kildian’s frame.
Checking to see if he had sustained any wounds.

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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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