Chapter 35
“Your Highness. I do not want that position of Crown Princess.”
Heine wanted to say it clearly while she had the chance. That she wanted freedom. That she absolutely hated the imperial palace.
“Heine. That position is not something you can obtain just because you want it, nor can you discard it just because you don’t. Your father and my mother intend to seat you there.”
Lucas spoke as if soothing a child, and Heine clenched her fists even tighter, feeling as though tears might burst out at any moment. It felt as if she had been locked inside a suffocating prison tower with no escape.
“You are not my ideal type, Your Highness.”
Feeling unbearably frustrated, Heine blurted out something—anything—that might offend Lucas.
“My ideal type?”
“Yes, Your Highness. My ideal man is someone who breaks the bed on the first night.”
When Lucas echoed her words in disbelief, Heine decided this was the moment to go all in. After shamelessly saying something so embarrassing in broad daylight, she even dared to sweep her gaze over the Crown Prince’s body from head to toe.
Well? What do you think? Obviously not Crown Princess material, right? So dump me!
Thinking about it, this plan didn’t seem too bad. Sure, it was embarrassing and would damage her image somewhat, but it was far better than becoming Crown Princess.
“Ahem… I understand Miss Heine’s ideal type quite well… But you aren’t exactly my ideal type either, so let’s call it even.”
To hide his embarrassment at her blatant gaze, Lucas took another sip of tea.
I see… Then I suppose I’ll have to bring that up.
Seeing no sign that Lucas would withdraw even after all this, Heine decided to use her specialty—her major.
Writing novels.
“Your Highness… then let’s have a contract marriage.”
At Heine’s sudden proposal, Lucas actually found her rather cute and let out a small laugh.
A contract marriage? Wasn’t that something straight out of a romance novel? If it were a political marriage, maybe—but a contract marriage? He figured she must be at that age where she read too many romance novels.
“A contract marriage, you say… Very well. Let’s hear the conditions.”
“A one-year contract marriage, followed by divorce. Give me complete freedom. Along with a title.”
Heine put to use something she had picked up at a meeting of the Abel Empire Human Rights Organization.
“A title? Has our empire ever granted titles to women?”
Lucas glanced at her, clicking his tongue inwardly. There really were a lot of strange women around Belita. Philina included…
“Your Highness. I heard you’re planning to propose an amendment to the divorce law for Philina. Then please propose a bill granting women the right to acquire a non-hereditary title for me. I’ll stay by your side for as long as you wish. After that, I’ll divorce you.”
Heine took a step back and extended the timeframe. When she mentioned Philina, Lucas’s expression seemed to turn sharp for a split second, but when it returned to normal, she chose to ignore it.
“I’m not doing it for Philina. And women can’t even inherit titles—acquisition is out of the question. Isn’t that absurd?”
Lucas looked at Heine as if she were a sheltered flower in a greenhouse, ignorant of how the world worked.
Even men needed to become high-ranking officials to have a chance at acquiring a non-hereditary title. A woman acquiring one? He thought she was simply being childish.
“Your Highness. A bill for women’s title inheritance will be proposed next June. I’m working on it together with Lady Belita.”
“Belita?”
At Heine’s bright smile and her completely unexpected words, Lucas couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Yes, Your Highness. So please don’t worry, and accept my conditions.”
At her confident tone, Lucas studied her face carefully.
Uncommon green hair, a face that looked slightly more mature than her age. Judging by how refined she looked when she kept her mouth shut, the count’s family must have educated her well in etiquette.
In short, she was flawless as Crown Princess material.
“Very well. Then let’s make it two years. After that, I’ll grant you both a title and your freedom.”
Lucas gave a provisional affirmative answer.
Two years would be tight, but enough time to deal with Bart and receive the abdication from the Emperor, allowing him to ascend the throne.
Besides, there was no guarantee that women’s non-hereditary title rights would actually pass.
“Then from now on, we are equal partners. Contract marriage partners. Please treat me as an equal.”
“Fine. Let it be so, my partner.”
Still naïve, Heine believed everything would proceed smoothly and sealed the verbal contract with a handshake.
A week later, after the envoy delegation meeting, the Empress announced their wedding date as February 15.
December 31. The last day of the year, the hundredth day since I was dragged into this empire and married, and the day the envoy delegation meeting began.
As I tore off the final page of the calendar that morning, my heart pounded with joy and excitement. Was it because it was the end of the year? Because tomorrow would be the New Year?
Neither.
In just one month, Lucas would propose the amendment to the divorce law. And if things moved quickly, I could be divorced and legally single again within two months. That possibility made my heart race.
Just endure for two months. Just endure two consummation nights, and I’ll be able to go to the Luna Empire.
Unaware of my thoughts, Callis came to my room that morning and brought up the banquet scheduled for the evening.
“You can’t dance with other guys at the banquet. You can’t turn back into a log again. You’re only dancing with me.”
Tsk. It seemed my legal husband had forgotten that I had Brother Chester.
“Callis. I’m going to dance with Brother Chester too. Only with you and him.”
I assumed he wouldn’t be jealous of a legal sibling, but at my words, Callis’s expression darkened slightly.
To appease him, I had to grab his thick arms again and shake them back and forth.
“Fine. No more than that. Just up to your brother.”
Wow… Anyone watching would think he was one of those obsessive male leads from a romance novel.
And what he didn’t know was that I hated obsessive men.
In novels, obsessive male leads were terrifying. Some locked the heroine in their mansion and did all sorts of things… It felt like a horror novel.
Anyway, since I’d turn into a log if I danced with anyone else, I had no intention of dancing with others to begin with.
“Of course. I told you, just you and my brother.”
Since I was already doing it, I tried to improve Callis’s mood by holding his hand and swinging it side to side exaggeratedly.
As I did, it started to feel oddly fun, so I lifted his arm high and spun myself around once.
Oh! You like this, huh?
Seeing his lips twitch, it seemed he liked having his arms or hands swung around. I should use this trick often when I needed a favor.
“Ahem. Only me and Young Duke Chester.”
“Got it.”
From the morning, I’d been in a great mood thinking about divorce, and after cheering Callis up by shaking his hand, I spent the rest of the day being tormented by banquet preparations.
“All right! Let’s begin, everyone!”
The head maid stormed in with the others and began tormenting every inch of my body.
At her solemn command, I was moved to the bathroom, soaked in water, doused in scented oils, perfumed all over, and dressed up while starving the entire day.
“There’s a dress your mother sent. That’s the one you’ll wear.”
Instead of the modest dress the head maid brought out, I insisted on the blue, backless dress my mother had sent.
“Madam… that’s far too indecent. In this empire, no one wears such revealing dresses.”
The head maid trembled as if she were seeing something obscene, lifting the dress with just two fingers.
“We’ll wear that one. And put all my hair up. So my back is fully visible.”
Finding their reactions amusing, I said that, and their faces turned even paler.
Margaret enjoyed their reactions along with me, but when she decided it was enough, she offered a compromise.
“Madam. Please wear the dress, but we’ll let your hair fall down completely. We’ll cover your back with your hair.”
“Very well. Margaret, you’ll do my hair.”
At Margaret’s compromise, color returned to the head maid’s face, and she agreed.
Vivian and the others fixed their eyes on Philina’s dress as they watched her enter with Callis.
Oh my… there’s… there’s no fabric on her back!
Vivian, who had just awakened to provocative designs, absolutely loved the dress.
I should use this for my nightwear designs later! I should ask Philina to show me her nightgowns too.
Reasonably concluding that Philina’s nightwear would be even more scandalous, Vivian resolved to visit the ducal residence again soon.
Callis appeared in a black uniform bearing the insignia of the Rubelia Knights, wearing a cloak, while I appeared in that dress. All eyes turned to us—more precisely, to my back.
But so what? I was already someone who had kissed this legal husband in front of everyone. These stares meant nothing to me.
Callis, however, seemed bothered and busied himself covering the parts my hair didn’t fully hide with his large hand—the very bottom of my back, just above my hips.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress. Thanks to your grace, we have concluded this year safely.”
“Ahem… The House of Rubelia has worked hard this year. I hope you will continue to serve the empire faithfully next year.”
As we stepped forward to greet the imperial family, the Emperor and Empress exchanged formal words while openly frowning. Lucas also looked displeased, clearly not fond of my dress.
But our Belita’s eyes sparkled as she said boldly,
“Duchess. Turn around once. Let me see your back.”
I wasn’t the type to shy away from such a request.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I was about to turn around willingly—
“Your Highness. My wife suffers from severe anemia. If she turns around, she’ll collapse.”
Callis said something utterly ridiculous and held my waist tightly to keep me from moving.
Hey. Everyone here knows I’m ridiculously healthy!
I’d hunted three wild boars! I’d confidently say I was in the top ten percent of women in this world in terms of stamina! And yet he was lying without shame.
“Oh my. The Duchess has anemia? Then please be careful and withdraw.”
Whether Callis’s absurd lie worked, or the Emperor simply didn’t want to see my back, I was led away from the imperial family just like that.
Vivian?
As I moved to where the high-ranking nobles were, I exchanged a coded look with Vivian.
Judging by her eyes, she was clearly planning to raid my wardrobe soon.
Heh. If I show her the new lingerie and nightwear my mother sent this time, she’ll be thrilled.
When I mouthed, “My room tomorrow,” she understood immediately, her face lighting up in a wide smile.
