Standard Contract Guidelines for a Fraudulent Marriage - Chapter 41

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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 41

“Oh, M-Mother.”
“You must greet the Duke of Insel as well!”

The moment the Duchess released her wrist, Violet steadied herself, though she swayed slightly.

She kept her head bowed the entire time, as though trying to hide her face behind her long hair by any means necessary.

The instant she stood before Loarston, her already small frame curled further inward as she stammered out her words.

“D-Duke. It’s b-been such a long time since we’ve met. I h-hear you’ve m-married. C-congratulations…”
“Thank you, Miss Violet.”

His reply was simple and unadorned.

For just a moment, something like despair flickered across Violet’s eyes as she glanced up, but Loarston pretended not to notice.

“I… that is…”

Whatever she had meant to say died on her lips, and Violet hurried away, her head still lowered.

“My goodness. Just look at her.”

The Duchess Heyzen snorted derisively.

Adelia watched Violet’s retreating figure with concern.

“Shouldn’t someone go after her?”
“There’s no need, Duchess. My daughter is hopelessly graceless—how else would you explain her? At this rate, she’ll never marry, not even past twenty.”
“Please, don’t say such things. She’s quite charming and rather delightful.”

At that, the Duchess cast a sidelong glance toward Loarston and laughed mockingly.

“If my daughter had even a shred of charm, she wouldn’t have failed to marry the man she loves, would she?”

Loarston, no longer able to bear it, finally spoke.

“That’s quite enough, Duchess.”
“Oh my, what’s the matter? Everyone in High Society already knows that girl harbored an unrequited love for you all these years. Surely your bride is gracious enough to accept the poor dear’s greeting?”

Damn it. Loarston cursed inwardly.

He had expected Violet to be brought up, but not like this—not in such a manner.

The Duchess’s words created the impression that he had known of Violet’s feelings all along and coldly dismissed them for sport.

Sure enough, Adelia’s eyes held a flash of bewilderment as she turned to regard him. It was as though she were asking: Is this true?

Loarston spoke.

“Duchess, my wife has done little but study, so she knows precious little of High Society’s idle gossip. Such conversation can wait for another time.”
“Duke, honestly. Is your bride a child? Besides, she seems hardly as simple as my own daughter—so why protect her so? People will talk, you know.”
“I don’t care what people say.”

He gave a slight bow to indicate his intention to withdraw.

Then he took Adelia’s hand and guided her away to another part of the hall.

When he stopped walking, Adelia turned to him with an unreadable expression.

“And how exactly should I understand all this, husband?”

Loarston could tell by her tone alone that she was half-joking, yet he did not laugh it off. Instead, he answered with earnest sincerity.

Sometimes a scrupulous honesty, however frustrating, is the only true answer.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s true that Miss Violet harbored an unrequited love for me, but…”
“But?”
“Nothing ever happened between us. I swear it.”

Adelia crossed her arms and tilted her head with a skeptical look.

She seemed to be doing it playfully, and though such gestures did not come naturally to her, Loarston found the unfamiliarity endearing.

“Still, I’d wager you’ve been on at least a few outings with her? I’m quite aware of how popular the Duke of Insel is. Surely there wasn’t just that one girl harboring feelings for you? I’ve even heard rumors that you occasionally walked together in the city streets, and—oh!”
“…Where exactly did you hear that, junior?”

Adelia had pulled her hand from his, but she laughed as though she’d scored a point.

“So I was right?”
“That’s…”

He had nothing to say for himself.

It was true. Such a thing had indeed occurred.

But to be honest, those walks were less like courtship and more akin to a form of consolation on his part.

Young women would frequently send him tearful letters by the dozen, all pleading just to walk alongside him once in their lives, or they would show up at his estate unannounced.

“The estate became so chaotic because of it all that I had little choice.”
“Hmm. Was that truly your only reason?”

For a moment, Loarston’s expression grew complicated, and he smiled awkwardly.

“Truly, I promise. How can I convince you?”

Loarston pressed his forehead gently against hers as he spoke.

“…It even escalated to quarrels in front of the estate. That’s when I realized this couldn’t continue.”
“Good heavens, senior. You should have known from the start that it was wrong.”
“You’re right. It was all my mistake. But Violet… well, if it weren’t for her mother, I doubt I would have known Violet harbored those feelings at all. You saw how painfully shy she is.”
“The Duchess was terribly harsh with her own daughter. What good does it do to belittle one’s own child like that?”
“Indeed.”

Loarston offered a bitter smile.

Just then, the orchestra began playing a different melody from before.

Simultaneously, the voice of the Royal Palace’s Master of Ceremonies rang out through the hall.

“His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen!”

Everyone turned their attention toward the elevated dais.

As the King and Queen ascended, all those present lowered their heads or knelt in greeting.

“Her Highness Princess Claria!”

With a beautiful flourish of music, Claria appeared in radiant splendor, and a gasp rippled through the crowd.

She ascended the dais as lightly as a butterfly, then turned to survey the assembly.

The delicate wave of her hand was the picture of a fairy-tale princess come to life.

“…The Princess looks absolutely beautiful tonight.”

Adelia whispered softly, suppressing a twinge of bitterness that threatened to rise.

At that moment, Loarston, who had been clapping politely, raised an eyebrow slightly.

“If you wore that dress, you’d be ten times lovelier than Claria.”
“What on earth are you saying?”
“Why? I mean it.”

While the two of them murmured to each other amid the crowd’s applause, Claria, standing on the dais, narrowed her eyes.

From the moment she entered the Banquet Hall, she had instantly located where Loarston stood.

‘What’s he doing over there, looking at me like that?’

She wanted to stamp her foot, but there were far too many eyes upon her.

Claria’s face hardened as she forced a smile, eyes blazing.

‘This won’t do. I’ll have to teach him a lesson.’

Unaware of what thoughts churned in Claria’s mind, Loarston was only thinking of how quickly he and Adelia could leave.

Following the brief formal proceedings came the customary presentation of gifts and birthday wishes to the Princess.

Seeing guests move into their designated positions, Loarston caught Adelia’s wrist and gave it a gentle tug.

“Shall we slip away, my dear?”

Adelia looked bewildered.

“But everyone’s presenting their gifts directly.”

Adelia was concerned about how Princess Claria would react if Loarston didn’t approach her himself with a gift.

‘She’ll surely be furious.’

With that thought, Adelia turned the tables, grasping his wrist and whispering urgently.

“Senior, you’re really just going to leave like this?”
“Why not?”
“The Princess seems about to lose her temper.”

At Adelia’s words, Loarston glanced toward Claria, who was receiving congratulations.

And he froze.

The moment he turned, their eyes met directly.

Those pale blue eyes, unwavering as they fixed upon him, glittered as though sparks might fly from them.

“…She already seems angry enough at me, so perhaps leaving is for the best?”
“Pardon? Oh my…”

Adelia turned to look, and she too went rigid with shock.

Claria’s stare was so sharp it created the illusion of actual pain.

“You should go to the Princess. I’ll be fine here.”
“I’d rather not leave you alone.”

Those words struck something tender in Adelia’s chest.

But what worried her more was the reckoning that would surely follow.

Judging by the Princess’s temperament, if Loarston simply slipped away now, she would undoubtedly storm the Estate before long.

Having already endured such visits twice, Adelia was loath to repeat the experience. So she gave Loarston’s shoulder a light push.

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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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