Chapter 04
She’d barely managed to reach death and gain her freedom, only to have to repeat her life all over again. The man had been impossible from the start, and she’d tried everything she could—she knew it wouldn’t work, which made her even more desperate.
The maids looked at her pale face with pitying expressions. They seemed to think she was sad about marrying a man she didn’t love.
“Miss, don’t be so sad. Still, Adelgart is the family with the greatest power and wealth in the kingdom, so you’ll be able to enjoy prosperity and glory.”
“A-And though Duke Adelgart may be rough and frightening, I heard he’s not the kind of man who lays hands on women.”
“Miss.”
But despite the maids’ consolation, Odelite ended up shedding tears and finally burst into sobs.
This eventually startled even her eldest brother Kahid and her sister Angelica, who had been greeting guests outside.
“Odelite, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Goodness, look at your makeup all ruined. Duke Adelgart will be here soon—what’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
At the gentle appearance of her brother and sister, looking much younger than she remembered, Odelite cried even harder. Angelica, patting her tearful sister without understanding why, took a handkerchief from the maids’ hands.
“Come now, dear sister, if the bride cries at the wedding…”
“Do I really have to get married?”
At the tearful voice, Angelica’s hand, which had been gently wiping her eyes, stopped. Kahid, standing beside her, looked shocked. At her sister’s sudden change from the shy girl who’d been sitting there just this morning, Angelica asked calmly.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Just—do I really have to?”
“Is this because of the rumors? About Duke Adelgart’s hidden…”
Odelite didn’t answer. Watching her bite her lip and shake her head, Angelica sighed lightly. But then Kahid spoke in a low voice.
“If you really don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”
But looking at her gently smiling brother, Odelite realized how stubborn she was being. If not for this marriage, Seidwin would walk straight down the path to ruin.
In the end, she had no choice but to force out a smile. She’d dominated high society for years. Hiding her feelings was easy.
“No, I’ll do it. Actually, I was just testing you. To see if you and sister love me, if you’d give me everything I want.”
Kahid and Angelica looked a bit dumbfounded. But when Odelite smiled and shooed them out of the room, they had to leave without understanding what had happened.
After finally sending even the maids away and announcing she’d do her own makeup, Odelite pressed firmly around her eyes and sighed.
There was no other way.
She smiled bitterly and took a deep breath. Thinking about what her past actions had brought back made her stomach churn and tears stream down, but still there was no other way.
Just as she was thinking this and slowly sitting down at the vanity—
“Duke Adelgart, how—!”
Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Thinking she should at least fix her face, a mess from crying, Odelite picked up a makeup brush and froze.
At the name faintly audible from outside, she slowly turned her head, thinking she’d misheard. According to her memory, she’d first seen Cherdian just before the wedding ceremony started—precisely at the entrance to the ceremony hall.
‘There’s no way he’d appear here.’
As she thought this, the commotion grew closer and the door burst open.
“…!”
Odelite stared at the figure appearing beyond the door, frozen in place with shock and tension.
The man had a slightly youthful face but was still just as cold-looking. But he, who never let out even a careless breath at any time except in bed, was unexpectedly disheveled.
‘Why does he look like that?’
Though he wore a navy uniform embroidered with fancy gold thread, he was more of a mess than she was after crying her eyes out.
Most shocking of all was that while he’d clearly opened her door, he seemed the most surprised person there.
He just stared at her, gripping the door handle tightly. His complex gaze held something indecipherable—shock, emotion, or perhaps elation.
Odelite watched Cherdian with an anxious face, trying to guess his intention, when he suddenly strode forward and she found herself standing up.
“Y-Your Grace, Duke Adelgart?”
Not knowing how to handle the man before her, she floundered and finally called out to him quietly. But at that moment, Cherdian, standing before her, saw the dried tears around her eyes and hesitated. Soon his brow furrowed and he murmured quietly.
“You were crying.”
Odelite realized how she must look to this man and hastily wiped around her eyes with the back of her hand.
Either way, the viscounty needed Adelgart’s help, and she wasn’t immature enough to show she was being forced into marriage. But Cherdian reached out and stopped her action.
Or more precisely, he tried to stop her action but seemed to realize something and suddenly lowered his hand again.
While she was wondering about this, Cherdian suddenly spoke.
“Lady Seidwin.”
“Ah, I greet Duke Adelgart. Though I saw you in a portrait before, I’ve been rude.”
Odelite spoke as calmly as possible. But her voice clearly showed she was trembling.
But now Cherdian stared at Odelite with his face completely hardened, like his earlier wavering had all been a lie. At his instantly changed gaze, Odelite looked up at him nervously.
The intimidating presence of a man two spans taller than her was frightening even seeing it again. So she ended up waiting for him silently, when he spoke in a calm voice.
“I apologize for saying this before the wedding ceremony begins. It’s an urgent matter, so I’ve been rude.”
“…Not at all. But what brings you here so suddenly?”
Odelite swallowed and smiled. Seeing the man’s face again pushed her into slight fear.
But then Cherdian looked at her and slowly spoke.
“My lady, please break off our engagement.”
Odelite’s eyes widened. She unconsciously covered her mouth slightly in surprise. Cherdian’s every action was beyond her expectations and understanding.
Suddenly breaking off the engagement?
Why had the situation suddenly changed like this?
Odelite considered her words and lowered her hand again. From the perspective of knowing the future, she did want to break off the engagement, but she had more to lose. If she could have canceled it, she would have proposed it first.
But if Cherdian brought up breaking off the engagement first, that changed things. Odelite hesitated slightly, then spoke calmly.
“May I ask the reason for these sudden words?”
“I have a woman I love.”
“…!”
Her stomach suddenly churned and she even forgot to breathe.
If he had a woman he loved, did he mean that actress who was his mistress—Lilia, called every man’s goddess and object of worship?
Though the scandal between the two was from the distant future, perhaps the relationship started before he married Odelite.
Moreover, the play that shot the previously unknown Lilia to stardom was sponsored by Adelgart, and she’d even heard that the dress and jewelry Lilia wore the first day she entered the royal court were personally ordered by Cherdian from a jeweler.
And that became the most decisive trigger for the scandal between Lilia and Adelgart.
Of course, what added credibility to the rumors was that Cherdian, who had no interest in theater, enjoyed dates with Lilia at the theater every Saturday.
‘Does he want to marry Lilia? But why is this so different from the past I knew?’
Though she had some doubts, this wasn’t an unfavorable situation for Odelite at all. But she wasn’t stupid enough to jump around and eagerly accept just because a favorable situation had been handed to her.
Odelite straightened her back as much as possible and spoke haughtily.
“But Your Grace, we’ve already finished preparing for the wedding ceremony, and if you suddenly say you’ll break off the engagement, we can’t help but be flustered.”
“I know. So though I’m canceling the marriage, according to our contract, Adelgart will help with the viscounty’s debts and business instead.”
“Such one-sided help is difficult. No matter how much our family is falling apart, we have our family honor, Your Grace.”
Odelite felt miserable, like she’d become a woman begging a man to accept help for her family. Even after turning back time, the best option among her choices was this man.
So she had to move for her family’s benefit. If she could just save her family, playing the role of a hollow mistress of the house by marrying him was nothing.
In fact, she’d already done it so it wasn’t difficult, and now that she knew his heart, she just needed to stop caring.
Though somewhere in her heart, emotions left behind by the past still remained.
Cherdian stared at Odelite’s face. As she tried to read the emotion in his cold eyes, Cherdian suddenly spoke.
“Of course I won’t provide one-sided help without any compensation. Though it’s my whim, Seidwin has its honor too.”
“Then.”
“In exchange for Adelgart helping Seidwin, how about the lady working as a playwright in Adelgart’s theater company?”
“…What?”
Odelite was genuinely stunned.
Adelgart’s theater company was practically the royal theater company—the troupe most beloved by the king.
No, before that, how did this man know she wrote?
But seemingly having no intention of answering her question, Cherdian spoke coldly.
“I know the lady sought employment in the theater district.”
“How did you…”
“I’ve seen the lady’s writing.”
Odelite tilted her head. When?
Cherdian continued.
“In exchange for the lady joining the troupe, and as compensation for my unilaterally canceling the marriage, Adelgart will pay off Seidwin’s debts and invest in all future business ventures.”
The tremendous proposal plunged Odelite into a labyrinth instead of elation. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why this man had suddenly changed his mind like this.
Could it be… had he also returned to the past?
But Odelite immediately dismissed this thought. Even if she’d made it possible by dying, he had no reason to return.
Cherdian’s face was excessively indifferent. Unlike when he’d entered the room disheveled earlier, he was now exactly like the man lingering in her memories.
Odelite considered for a moment. His proposal would definitely help the family, but this wasn’t a problem she could solve alone.
“I think it would be best to consult with my father first.”
“I have a duty to seek the lady’s permission first.”
“This isn’t something I can decide alone.”
“Still, I want to ask the lady’s wishes.”
It was a subtly persistent question. She wondered why he was so insistent on asking her wishes, but there was no answer.
