Chapter 8
His beautiful figure, clad in pure white clothes, blended perfectly with the falling snow.
Wow, that face is insane. No wonder he’s ranked No. 1 in popularity in Empress Maker.
— Trisha, calm down. Of course, I’ll keep my promise.
Before I could finish being awed, Dorian’s soft voice flowed out.
— …Really?
— Two days from now is our wedding. We’ll marry with everyone’s blessing.
— Then why did you just say that…
— Ah, I only said it in advance. So you won’t be too hurt later.
— Huh?
— When the time comes, I’ll find some excuse to divorce you.
Trisha’s pale face turned even whiter.
Unbothered, Dorian kept talking.
— I’m already being merciful.
— …Merciful?
— By letting you prepare yourself mentally. The later you find out, the worse the pain will be.
I honestly had no idea what was going on, but after piecing the situation together, only one word came to mind:
Scammer.
Dorian was about to pull a complete hit-and-run. What was wrong with the personalities of the male leads in this world?
What the hell is going on? Caesar and now Dorian—both are totally different from their original images.
He shook the gray pouch in his hand lightly and smiled.
— I’ll put this to good use. I really needed it.
With that, Dorian turned away coldly. I reached out toward Trisha, who just stood there in shock, saying nothing. I couldn’t touch her since I was only like a phantom, but at least I wanted to comfort her. She looked like she might collapse any second.
“It’s okay. Living alone is way better than marrying that bastard—huh?”
Suddenly, Trisha’s body swayed and she crumpled forward. I thought she fainted from the shock of betrayal, but it wasn’t that.
Thud.
— Dorian, please!
Kneeling in the cold snow, Trisha clasped her hands together. Her clear violet eyes brimmed with tears. Dorian’s steps halted.
— I won’t ask you to love me. I won’t bother you either.
— …Trisha.
— I won’t even ask to be treated like your wife. I won’t mind if you meet other women. Just please, don’t say you’ll divorce me!
Before I knew it, she had crawled forward to grab his robe. The sight was so desperate, like she was begging, that my fists clenched of their own accord.
“Get up! Are you crazy? Have you no pride?”
I rushed toward her, trying to lift her up, but my hands just passed through her. I couldn’t even brush her sleeve, and that made me furious.
“You know he’s using you, and yet you’re begging him to marry you? What the hell do you lack?!”
If I were you, I’d have cursed him out and gone looking for another man. You’re gorgeous, you’re rich, okay maybe your personality’s a bit rough—but still, no need to debase yourself like this!
Even as I fumed, Trisha’s tearful pleas continued.
— You know what my father is like.
— ….
— I was raised as nothing more than a tool for him. If you say you’ll divorce me…
— It’s an open secret that Duke Kainan is desperate to become royalty.
Her words were abruptly cut off.
— What you just said is something even a three-year-old beggar on the street knows. Everyone knows Duke Kainan kept sending marriage proposals to the royal family to make his daughter an empress.
Dorian’s face showed sheer boredom as he looked down at her.
— I know. If you’re divorced, you’ll lose all value. Not many nobles will want to take in a discarded lady.
— Then you also know how my father might deal with me. He could even kill me!
— No, Trisha. That won’t happen.
Dorian lowered himself to kneel on the ground, meeting her gaze. Gently, he wiped away her tears. The sudden shift caught both of us off guard.
What’s with this act all of a sudden?
— Don’t be so anxious already.
— Dorian…?
— He’s still your father. He must care for you a little, right? Seeing you cry makes me feel bad.
With warm words, he lifted her up and brushed the snow from her shoulders. He seemed like a completely different man. Seeing him return to the image of a caring lover, Trisha burst into tears and buried herself in his arms.
Isn’t he just going to shove her away any second? What’s he scheming?
But contrary to my suspicion, Dorian held her tightly, comforting her for a long while. Eventually, he spoke. His tone was gentle, but the words were poison.
— Your father’s too calculating. He won’t discard you. At worst, he’ll send you off as some grand duke’s wife in another empire, or maybe as a concubine to their emperor.
— …!
— Sorry, but I can’t grant your request. Honestly, I want to distance myself from Duke Kainan as fast as possible.
With that, Dorian lightly pushed her away. He didn’t shove hard, but she stumbled back unsteadily.
This sick bastard. She was begging on her knees, and he toys with her like this?
“You bastard! I wasted my mobile data trying to romance you, you piece of shit!”
I cursed him every which way, throwing punches, but not even a strand of his hair was disturbed. If he were physically here, I’d have slugged him already. And I knew I wasn’t the only one who’d want to rip out that silver hair—anyone would.
— I know everything.
Just then, Trisha’s voice rang out again. Calm now, so much so that both I and Dorian turned to look at her. She was no longer crying.
— What did you just say?
— I said I know everything.
— Know what?
— I know exactly what you demanded in exchange for marrying me.
For the first time, Dorian’s face stiffened. Only briefly—he quickly plastered that bright smile back on.
— You secured support from the Kainan duke’s mana-stone mines and enormous funds, didn’t you?
— Eavesdropping is a bad habit.
— Dorian, you’re aiming for the throne, aren’t you?
— …!
He slowly brushed his hair back and sighed.
— Everyone thinks it was my father who pushed for you to become empress, but that’s not the truth, is it?
— That’s a baseless claim.
— Even though I know it was you who arranged the secret meeting with my father three years ago?
— ….
— You’re the one who proposed marriage. You promised to make him the emperor’s father-in-law if he’d support you in the succession struggle.
— Well, this is a surprise.
Dorian chuckled darkly. The eerie laughter made Trisha flinch and step back.
When the laughter stopped, his gray eyes behind the glasses had gone ice-cold.
— I thought you were just a greedy fool, like your father. Turns out you weren’t completely brainless.
— Ha. So that’s how you thought of me.
— So what can you do about it?
— …!
— There’s no proof. Nice effort, but nothing changes.
Trisha stood tall, meeting his gaze head-on.
— No, there is something.
Gone was the girl who had begged. Her violet eyes now blazed with fury.
— I’ll tell my father you never intended to keep your promise.
— …What did you just say?
— Then his support for you will vanish into thin air.
— Trisha.
— Get lost, you bastard.
I thought I misheard her. So did Dorian.
— What did you say…?
— I said get lost. And don’t call my name again—it disgusts me. Are your ears clogged?
Whoa. Look at that attitude. Spicy.
I knew she wasn’t some meek, gentle maiden, but still—her fire surprised me. Dorian’s face froze as her curses hit him head-on.
Clap, clap, clap.
I couldn’t help but applaud. Honestly, earlier I wanted to smack her awake, but she surpassed my expectations. Though shaken for a moment, Dorian regained his composure, wearing that same arrogant face again.
— Ten years locked in a mansion, and this is the extent of your manners?
— Manners, my ass. Who wouldn’t turn foul after being locked up for ten years? And you expect me to be polite to you right now?
— …You just called me a bastard?
— Damn right I did. You’re worse than a bastard. How does it feel, knowing the mines and funds you were counting on just slipped away? Refreshing?
— Enough.
Even Dorian, usually so composed, was visibly straining to keep his dignity.
— Why stop? Are you mad already?
— You parade around bragging about your pure bloodline, but in truth you were just trying to cling to our family for money.
— Wearing glasses to look smart—do you really think that works? Even the emperor doesn’t bother with that crap. When you finally make money, start by buying yourself new frames.
— And look at your pasty white skin from rotting indoors. Try holding a sword or riding a horse. You’re completely unattractive as a man.
But Trisha wasn’t done. It was as if ten years of pent-up rage were exploding. Every insult and jab came flying out. Clearly, she had inherited her father Duke Kainan’s fiery temper. Dorian, who was used to nothing but prim and proper noble ladies, was visibly rattled.
— …You know this won’t do either of us any good.
— At least I can crush your ambition to be emperor. Someone like you on the throne would ruin the empire.
At the word emperor, Dorian’s face went pale. He looked truly shaken. Deafened by Trisha’s barrage, he was speechless.
— That’s right. Maybe I’ll be sold off to some old foreign duke. But that’s still less disgusting than marrying you.
— …!
— Go ahead, say something, you opportunistic, two-faced, pasty ferret. But you won’t, will you?
With that, Trisha spun around and strode away.
That was when it happened.
— Trisha. Seems you’ve forgotten something.
Dorian’s voice rang out behind her.
