Chapter 05
She’d thought it was a gift from God added to her sudden regression, but even that seemed suspicious. Still, if he kept insisting on asking her opinion, the answer was obvious.
Wasn’t a choice with at least some hope better than making a fuss about going through with a marriage destined for the gutter?
“I’ll consider accepting the broken engagement.”
Cherdian showed a subtle expression at her answer for a moment.
As relief gradually embroidered itself over his deep red eyes, this time it was Odelite’s turn to smile bitterly.
How wonderful it would have been if things had been like this before she died, in her previous life. Even if he didn’t support her, if he’d at least drawn a line early on saying he had a woman he loved so she wouldn’t do—
‘Then that wouldn’t have happened.’
She didn’t think Cherdian was vicious. At least he’d never mistreated her materially.
He’d simply believed his wife had committed adultery with another man and gotten angry.
Though Odelite found it hard to accept, those who’d watched Cherdian for a long time looked relieved it had ended at just that.
No matter how lenient high society was about nobles keeping mistresses, when a husband was truly enraged, a wife had to quietly endure that rage.
‘But still, I was truly terrified.’
Odelite still couldn’t forget that hand gripping her thigh tightly that day.
It was even more chilling than the gaze of the man who’d looked at the sheet with slight bloodstains after their wedding night with an indifferent face. The thick tongue blocking her lips and the mouth biting her collarbone.
She only realized she hadn’t been violated after returning to her room, but what good did that do?
She was still afraid of this man, and that was a fact that wouldn’t change even if she turned back time a hundred times.
Afraid the man who could turn into a beast the moment he got angry, she’d flinched ever since at just seeing physically robust men.
Yet she hadn’t dared refuse because the moment she did, that man might pounce on her again.
‘Right, it’s better not to see him at all.’
She decided to just accept this life.
They couldn’t avoid meeting at the theater company, but he was a man who’d found theater itself boring in the first place. He wouldn’t visit the troupe often.
Once she saved up even a small amount of money, she wanted to leave the troupe and go somewhere a bit farther away. Somewhere quiet, far from this glamorous high society, alone.
Once her pneumonia healed, to that life she’d wanted to live.
Thinking this, Odelite smiled faintly with a somewhat calmer face.
That single ray of sunlight seeping into despair was terribly warm.
As she smiled with her head slightly lowered, Cherdian’s expression grew tense. However, Odelite didn’t notice.
* * *
Cherdian’s announcement of the broken engagement brought tremendous aftershocks.
Those who’d wondered why he would marry the youngest daughter of an insignificant provincial family while paying off enormous debts began spewing countless rumors and gossip, like this was their chance.
Eventually, the news of the broken engagement spread throughout high society just as quickly as the marriage announcement had, and within barely half a day, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know.
Some even heard that Odelite wouldn’t become a duchess and immediately voiced all the complaints and slander they’d kept in their hearts.
But Odelite herself showed no reaction even while hearing these rumors.
The moment he got her consent, Cherdian left the room and announced the broken engagement to her father. Recalling how despair had crossed her father’s face before hope settled there again, she just lay curled up on the bed without even thinking to remove her dress.
‘I really came back. And I really don’t have to marry that man.’
Blinking with her head buried in a cushion, she repeated the words she’d said hundreds of times once more, whispering to herself that this was reality.
But in a reality that didn’t feel real no matter how much she thought about it, after catching her breath for a moment and repeating it who knows how many times, she finally recognized it as reality and burst into tears.
‘Then I can work at the theater company now, and I can earn my own money, and the family won’t collapse, and also, also—’
I can do the things I wanted to do.
Odelite shed tears in elation and shock. Her mind grew hazy from the sudden fortune, but the sensation wasn’t bad.
Soon, trembling and crying, she slowly got up and stared at the mirror.
Looking outside where it had grown dark, she was getting up from the bed to remove her dress when someone knocked on the door.
“Odelite, may I come in?”
The cautious voice belonged to none other than her mother, Viscountess Seidwin.
Worried her daughter might be shocked by the broken engagement, she was startled when her daughter suddenly rushed at her the moment she opened the door.
“Oh my, Odelite.”
“Mother.”
Odelite burst into complete tears at the sight of her mother, whom she was seeing after so long.
In her previous life, her parents had died in an accident six years after Odelite married.
She’d already completely fallen out with Cherdian by then, so Odelite could only cry alone.
Though Adelgart held a respectful funeral since it was the duchess’s family, her husband merely maintained his position and didn’t approach Odelite’s side.
Of course, even if they hadn’t fallen out, Odelite didn’t think he would have tenderly comforted her.
“Mother, Mother.”
“Odette, don’t cry. Actually, the broken engagement…”
“Mother.”
The viscountess, thinking her daughter was heartbroken over the broken engagement, hurriedly consoled her. But in excessive joy and emotion over the suddenly changed world, Odelite just cried endlessly.
Eventually, the viscountess also closed her mouth and patted Odelite’s back.
After some time passed and Odelite gradually stopped crying, the viscountess gently sat on the bed with her daughter.
“My dear, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I just cried because tears suddenly came.”
“You can be honest. Mom understands you. How shocked you must have been by the sudden announcement of a broken engagement. Still, Duke Adelgart promised compensation, and since the wedding ceremony didn’t actually take place, it’s not like you can’t marry in the future.”
But there was no one bold enough to take as his wife a viscountess’s daughter who’d broken off an engagement with Adelgart, which enjoyed the greatest power and honor among nobles.
So even if she remarried, it would be difficult to become a noble’s wife. Even marrying a commoner would be quite a burden on her husband.
Due to this broken engagement, she’d essentially completely lost her guaranteed ‘future’ as a noble young lady.
But Odelite wasn’t particularly regretful about that fact. Her previous life had been terribly exhausting to pin hopes on marriage, and she didn’t particularly want to repeat that life.
Of course, she might regret it if a man she loved appeared.
But instead of saying this, Odelite comforted her mother.
“I’m fine. Besides, it’s not even my fault.”
“Right. Goodness, Duke Adelgart too, really, suddenly coming now with talk of a woman he loves. How can anyone be so irresponsible?”
“Still, isn’t it better than treating me cruelly after marriage?”
“That’s true, but.”
The viscountess hesitated at her daughter’s consolation for a moment, then sighed. Soon, wiping her tearful daughter’s face, she continued.
“I still secretly hoped you’d become a duchess. Apart from wealth and glory, I wished you’d live happily as the wife of a wonderful man.”
At the viscountess’s words, Odelite smiled bitterly.
Actually, her previous self had similar expectations. He was the person who’d rescued her from hardship.
Moreover, his appearance was splendid enough to be every girl’s object of admiration, and he’d accumulated many military achievements on the battlefield, enough to be called the model of a noble man.
How could she not love such a man? He was even her husband.
‘Besides, if he’d go so far as to marry me, someone he had no acquaintance with, and help Seidwin, I thought he either liked me to some degree or saw potential in Seidwin.’
In fact, after marriage, she’d heard her brother Kahid had done quite a lot for Adelgart. Though she didn’t know the specific details, she was grateful to Cherdian for creating a stage where her brother could display his talents.
Of course, she also knew she and Cherdian didn’t suit each other.
He was a duke who discussed state affairs with the king and was the head of all nobles, but she was just the youngest daughter of a humble family with nothing but a title, and though beautiful, she was utterly shabby compared to the elaborately dressed young ladies of the capital.
So she’d struggled with all the effort she could muster to gain his love and respect.
In the end, his indifference and terrible coercion had killed her heart.
‘I was the foolish one. I blindly believed he was a good person just because he helped me. I didn’t even notice I was just a shield to cover up the future scandal with Lilia.’
Odelite, murmuring inwardly, let out a deep sigh. Understanding this somehow, the viscountess made a subtle face before slowly reaching out her hand.
“But Odelite, Duke Adelgart asked you to join his theater company. Are you really going? I knew you liked writing, but Mom’s a bit worried.”
“It’s fine. I can’t burden my brother at the family estate for my whole life either.”
“Kahid and Edgar would be hurt if they heard you say that. You’re their sister—what burden could there be?”
When Odelite let out a light laugh, the viscountess stood up. Soon, after affectionately kissing her daughter’s cheek, the viscountess said.
“You must be so tired today. Rest well. Tomorrow’s sun will rise tomorrow.”
“All right, Mother.”
Odelite soon looked at the closed door and let out a deep sigh.
Slowly walking to the vanity, she suddenly saw a small box in one corner of the vanity and froze.
The gold pattern embroidered on the elaborate red velvet box—the box bearing Adelgart’s crest—was none other than what Cherdian had sent a few days before the wedding.
Odelite looked at it, then turned her head away without regret.
For the first time in a long while, truly a long while, Odelite went to sleep without any worries or concerns.
Anticipating a new beginning.
* * *
A few days later, when Seidwin returned all of Adelgart’s betrothal gifts, the broken engagement became a complete fait accompli.
No matter that the ducal family had promised to pay off Seidwin’s debts, Odelite didn’t want to keep even one of those items because of what the betrothal gifts meant.
The viscount also respected his daughter’s opinion and returned everything to Adelgart—from various jewels and dresses on the small end, to several villas owned by Adelgart and even a castle that had once been used as a royal retreat on the large end.
But on the very day they returned the betrothal gifts, someone who introduced himself as Cherdian’s aide visited the viscounty.
“His Grace has commanded this. Since the betrothal gifts have already been given, there’s no need to return them. Please accept them as compensation from Adelgart.”
Viscount Seidwin hesitated at this. They were precious treasures a mere viscounty could never hold in a lifetime. Noticing her father’s hesitation, Odelite spoke coldly.
“I’m sorry, but we must decline the betrothal gifts.”
