My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - Chapter 87

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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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“Announcing the entrance of Prince Kildian and Miss Melis Haller.”
The Grand Banquet Hall of the Palace.
The doors to the ballroom, hosted to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday, swung open.
The gathered nobility raised their heads, turning their attention toward the entrance.
Melis could not conceal her smugness as she felt the weight of their gazes shifting toward her.
She wore a dress crafted by the finest artisans in the Capital—though their design standards had always been set by Amarynthis, the true trendsetter.
Her hair, curled with hot iron rods, her down-turned eyeliner, her lavish jewelry, and her elegant yet gentle smile all deliberately evoked a certain someone.
A few nobles burst into muffled laughter upon witnessing the spectacle.
“Look over there. She’s at it again, that cheap imitation of the Baroness.”
“First it was Princess Lucretia, and now she’s clinging to Prince Kildian?”
“You have to hand it to her, her ability to leech off others is almost impressive.”
“Why does Prince Kildian even bother dragging that woman around with him?”
“Have you forgotten that Prince Kildian once pursued the Baroness? No matter how you look at it, she’s just a substitute.”
“Isn’t she a bit too tacky to be a substitute? Look how low that neckline is. How utterly vulgar.”
The onlookers disparaged Melis within earshot, not bothering to lower their voices.
Melis, of course, caught every word.
Yet, she felt no anger. She did not shrink back either.
Instead, a thrill of pure ecstasy washed over her.
To her ears, their petty remarks sounded like nothing but bitter jealousy.
‘Amarynthis was always like this too. She would smile gracefully amidst those who sought to tear her down with spiteful words.’
Melis curled the corners of her lips upward, executing the smile she had practiced hundreds of times in front of her mirror.
A group of nobles approached her.
“You look exceptionally beautiful tonight, Miss Melis.”
“Especially that dress… Haha, my. I hardly know where to look.”
“That blue dress suits you so perfectly, it is truly dazzling.”
Flattered by the compliments, Melis chuckled, unable to hide her excitement.
“Thank you. You flatter me too much.”
There was no sincerity in their praise.
It had been a month and a half since Amarynthis left the Capital.
Kildian had dressed Melis lavishly and paraded her at every gathering he attended.
He had made it clear they were not lovers, and Melis had readily accepted that boundary.
However, from the moment Kildian began escorting her, whether they were romantically involved ceased to matter.
By bringing her along, he was effectively declaring to High Society that he intended to elevate Melis Haller into a prominent figure within Social Circles.
Kildian’s supporters played along, showering Melis with adulation.
Consequently, sycophants eager to curry favor with Kildian and the high-ranking nobles backing him flocked to Melis’s side.
Furthermore, a handful of men interested only in her body piled on the compliments.
Intoxicated by the illusion that she had finally become Amarynthis, Melis offered an even more elegant smile.
Just then, a young daughter of a viscount, pushed aside by the crowding onlookers, stumbled and tripped.
Splash!
Wine splattered across Melis’s blue dress, leaving a stark purple stain.
Melis’s face contorted for a fleeting second.
‘Do they have any idea how much this cost!’
Maintaining her smile suddenly became an arduous task.
Just as she was about to glare at the culprit, her very first encounter with Amarynthis flashed through her mind.
‘The exact same thing happened to Amarynthis back then!’
She convinced herself that heaven was smiling upon her.
This was her chance to shield the clumsy girl and display the flawless grace of a true noblewoman… no, a perfect young lady.
Melis truly believed the heavens were favoring her.
“I am so terribly sorry! Please forgive me! Are you unhurt? The crowd surged so suddenly…”
The young noble lady trembled with anxiety, terrified that she might incur Prince Kildian’s wrath.
To Melis, however, the girl simply appeared to be groveling at her feet.
Melis took a step forward.
“Your own gown has been ruined as well, Lady Viscount. Still, a single apology is quite sufficient.”
The young lady darted a nervous glance toward Kildian.
He was merely watching the scene unfold, looking thoroughly amused.
“Yes, th-thank you.”
Though she managed a brief response out of deference to Kildian’s companion, the girl’s anxious eyes remained fixed on the Prince.
Sensing this, Melis placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“If you cower like that, you will easily become a target for malicious people.”
Instantly, the nobles who had been snickering at the mishap found themselves branded as ‘malicious people.’
The young noble lady froze in sheer bewilderment.
No matter how powerful a backer Prince Kildian was, uttering such words in so public a venue was social suicide.
The young lady’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Melis misread her shock, assuming the girl was deeply moved by her sage advice.
Just as she herself had once been moved by Amarynthis. Swept up in her own delusion, Melis didn’t stop there; she placed her hand squarely against the slumping girl’s spine.
“What do you think you are—”
“Hold your head high and square your shoulders. There. That looks much better.”
Despite being escorted by Prince Kildian, Melis Haller remained the daughter of a non-hereditary noble.
A woman of inferior rank had just publicly corrected the posture of a viscount’s daughter in front of a massive crowd.
The young lady’s face flushed crimson with humiliation.
She wanted nothing more than to slap Melis Haller across the cheek, but Prince Kildian stood right beside her.
“E-Excuse me.”
Trembling violently, the young lady turned on her heel and fled the scene.
Melis glanced around at the onlookers.
‘This is the part where everyone is supposed to praise me for being an angel.’
Instead, she was met with a chilling silence.
As Melis stood there, utterly bewildered, the gatekeeper’s voice echoed through the hall.
“Announcing the arrival of the Baron and Baroness Huniswald!”
The quiet banquet hall erupted into a flurry of excited whispers once more.
Every eye in the room immediately shifted toward the entrance.
Even those who had been shamelessly flattering Melis to please Kildian were no exception.
Their attention toward Melis had been a calculated performance to win favor with a man of power, but their fascination with Amarynthis stemmed from genuine human curiosity.
As the doors parted, Scheit and Amarynthis came into view. They were whispering quietly to one another, trading playful glances before bursting into soft laughter.
It was not a practiced, fabricated expression.
Instead, it was entirely natural and radiant with life.
Admiring murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“The Southern Region must have treated them well. She looks more breathtaking than ever.”
“Baron Huniswald is a fortunate man indeed.”
“As expected, a cheap imitation can never rival the real thing.”
Melis tightly gripped the fabric of her skirt. Ignoring the palpable sense of dread washing over her, Kildian leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“I will create an opening. Go and seduce Scheit Huniswald.”
“But I—”
“Never forget exactly why I permitted you to stand by my side.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After offering a perfunctory greeting to Amarynthis, Kildian gestured for Scheit to step out onto the balcony.
Melis lingered nearby, slipping into the space the moment Kildian made his exit.
As soon as she crossed the threshold, she caught her breath in spite of herself.
His pale gray hair shimmered like moonlight in the shadows, and his melancholic expression made her heart skip a beat.
With adoration gleaming in her eyes, Melis glided toward him.
“My Lord, the moonlight is exceptionally beautiful tonight.”
If this had been the real Scheit, he might have felt a flutter of excitement just from receiving Melis’s attention.
But the man standing there was not Scheit.
Yulisian offered a vague, empty smile at the blatant flirtation before turning around.
“Ah, Miss Haller. I hear you have been keeping company with Prince Kildian lately.”
“Indeed. Prince Kildian mentioned he wished to reintroduce me to you, Baron.”
Melis closed the distance between them with slow, seductive strides.
Yet, despite her coy smile and the suggestive sway of her hips meant to emphasize her curves, his expression remained entirely blank.
Gauging his reaction, Melis feigned a stumble, letting herself lose her balance.
It was a transparent ploy.
Instead of catching her in his arms, Yulisian deftly stepped aside, merely catching her by the elbow to steady her.
A flash of mortification crossed Melis’s face.
Undeterred, she pressed forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his and locking it against her chest.
“Forgive me. I felt a sudden wave of dizziness…”
“If you are unwell, you should return home.”
He offered a cold, detached smile and attempted to pull his arm free, but Melis clung to him even tighter, pressing her body against his.
“That is a magnificent blade you carry.”
As Melis reached out to touch the Dagger of Grand Duke Yulisian, he twisted his torso away.
Yet, Melis stubbornly followed his movement, refusing to relent.
“Don’t you think I’ve grown more beautiful? My hair is curled, and my eyeliner slants down… I styled myself entirely to suit your tastes, Baron.”
Yulisian maintained his perfunctory smile while decisively wrenching his arm from her grasp.
“I am afraid you are mistaken. My taste does not run to curls—it runs to Amarynthis.”
The moment he turned to leave, Melis lunged forward from behind, throwing her arms around his waist.
“I love you!”
“How unfortunate. You would suffer far less heartbreak if you learned to give up a bit sooner.”
Yulisian coldly unclasped her hands, leaving her behind as he stepped out of the balcony.
Only then did Melis realize that the heavy curtains had been drawn wide open the entire time.

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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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