Chapter 11
Belle didn’t want to take advantage of Ian’s help without any sense of conscience.
“But we need to be clear about something.”
“Huh?”
“This is, after all, a marriage of convenience.”
“What’s the difference?”
There is a difference. A marriage built on the premise of a contract and a marriage based on love have completely different foundations. Belle knew that, in the end, Ian would likely want to end this marriage whenever he chose. Or perhaps, after all her revenge was completed.
“If that’s what makes you feel comfortable, then let it be.”
Ian calmly accepted her terms.
She considered writing a contract, but then thought better of it—leaving a written record could backfire if someone found it, potentially ruining everything. So, they settled on a verbal agreement.
“If you find someone you truly love, we can divorce at any time. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
“…No. So, does this mean the marriage terms are settled now?”
“…Yeah, I guess so.”
Even though this was her issue, it seemed like Ian wanted to wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible. As a result, Belle felt a little embarrassed.
She awkwardly smiled and cleared her throat before asking,
“…So, when and how do we register the marriage?”
“Since we’re talking about it, let’s go do it now.”
“Huh? Now?”
“There’s no harm in doing it quickly. We don’t know how those two will react.”
That was true.
Count Agrita had given Belle such a murderous look earlier that it seemed like he might lock her up at any moment. It was because she had been so defiant toward him. He’d probably use the excuse of verifying her identity to take her back to the Count’s mansion. Of course, Belle had no intention of following him.
“Alright.”
So, Belle followed Ian.
Noble marriages required parental consent. But since Belle had been living under the name ‘Annie,’ commoners didn’t have registered households. Therefore, there was no issue with marrying as ‘Annie.’
Cedric and Count Agrita would likely try to make an issue out of this, though. Annie wasn’t Belle’s true identity.
“…Is this really okay?”
“Yeah. It should be fine.”
Even so, there would still be ethical concerns, so Belle wouldn’t become Cedric’s wife. But the marriage to Ian might end up being canceled, and if that happened, her position would become uncertain…
“Stop overthinking it.”
It was as though Ian had read her thoughts, as he spoke firmly.
“…You’re like a ghost. Can you read my mind?”
“After spending so much time together, it’s easy to tell what you’re thinking.”
Hmm. Ian had spent less time with her than her father or Cedric had, yet they didn’t seem to understand her thoughts. She realized that mentioning this could make Ian angry. He was completely different from the others. Belle found herself laughing lightly at her own thoughts.
“Anyway, stop worrying. Our marriage won’t be annulled.”
—
A few days after they submitted the marriage registration form.
As expected, the Duke’s mansion was thrown into chaos. Cedric had called the whole family together.
“Marriage? You!”
With flames of fury in his eyes, Cedric stormed toward Ian, glaring at him. Beside him stood Count Agrita.
“Belle, you’ve caused trouble again.”
It seems the two of them were trying to scheme, only to realize that the marriage had already been completed.
“Father, is this even possible?!”
Cedric was throwing a tantrum, visibly enraged. His shouting was so loud that the servants were glancing over, clearly watching the scene unfold.
“Belle was already my wife!”
Ugh, hearing him say that she was his wife was truly tiresome. How many times had he repeated that? Before Ian could speak up, the Duke calmly opened his mouth.
“Cedric, you already have a wife.”
“…Huh?”
“Then why do you keep bringing up the past and dragging Count Agrita into this?”
“Well, Count Agrita is her real father, so of course…”
“If this woman is truly Belle Agrita, your relationship with her is already over. After she died in that accident, didn’t you quickly remarry? Why are you clinging to this now?”
The Duke decisively made it clear that Cedric and Belle’s relationship had already been settled. Cedric, seemingly caught off guard by the Duke’s words, fell silent.
“Ha, but…”
“Dear, I think Cedric is making such a fuss because of this marriage with Ian. That’s why he’s acting this way.”
At that moment, the Duchess stepped in, seemingly defending Cedric.
“Exactly!”
Cedric quickly agreed, nodding enthusiastically.
“Above all, Count Agrita might still be her family, so naturally, he would be involved in this matter. He’s already testified that the girl is his daughter.”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“That this marriage is invalid. No matter the memory loss, when has anyone ever married twice into the same family?”
The Duchess, logically refuting every point, stared at Ian and the Duke, as if daring them to say anything more.
“There’s a flaw in what you’re saying, Mother.”
“Huh?”
Belle hadn’t wanted to get involved. She thought that if her marriage with Ian became invalid, it wouldn’t matter. They wouldn’t separate, so living as de facto spouses could even benefit Ian.
But seeing the Duchess’s self-satisfied expression, Belle couldn’t help but step forward.
“I’ve told you several times that I’m not Belle Agrita, but Annie. How can you be so sure that I’m Belle Agrita just because of memory loss and Count Agrita’s words? I’ve never heard of such a name.”
“…But the circumstances suggest otherwise.”
Belle, who had always been a docile daughter-in-law, had suddenly stood up to argue. The Duchess looked at her, slightly surprised by the change in behavior.
“Even if I admit I’m Belle, is it illegal to marry twice into the same family? Is that even stipulated in law?”
“Well, there’s nothing specifically illegal about it, but think of the gossip.”
“I’ve heard that Belle Agrita is from the fallen kingdom of Aven. Her family was considered traitors and had no place in high society. So, whether this is settled or not, people will gossip about her anyway.”
“Do you think the gossip about you is the same as the one about the Rothiers family? As the lady of the Rothiers family, this is something I cannot tolerate.”
“Well, if the marriage is forced to be annulled, that’s not going to avoid gossip either, right? Isn’t it true that there’s nothing confirmed yet that I’m really Belle Agrita?”
Above all, Belle herself had been calling herself Annie.
And now, Cedric, with his new wife, was trying to force an annulment of the marriage between Ian and Belle. If that happened, noblewomen would have a field day gossiping about it. In the end, no matter what happened, there would be rumors.
“Whether we marry or not, people will talk. So, is there really a need to annul the marriage that has already taken place? It’s not even illegal.”
“Profit…”
The Duchess, trembling with anger, was about to speak again, but then…
“I have already given my approval.”
The Duke stepped in, stopping her.
“Dear!”
The Duchess widened her eyes in surprise and raised her voice at the Duke.
The Duke had given his approval?
“…I am prepared to endure whatever rumors may spread. You should no longer get involved in this matter.”
With the Duke speaking so decisively, the Duchess couldn’t say another word. She closed her mouth tightly and stepped back.
“Father! Why?!”
Of course, Cedric, unable to understand the situation, continued to protest.
“Shut up.”
But in front of the Duke’s terrifying words, even Cedric, like a dog, shrank back instantly.
“Count Agrita, you should leave as well. No matter what the situation is, the girl has already married Ian. That means she’s no longer a member of the Agrita family, but a part of the Rothier family now.”
“…So it seems.”
The Count no longer questioned it and quietly withdrew. He understood that this wasn’t a situation he should meddle in any further.
Just as the heated atmosphere started to calm down,
“…Wait a moment.”
The Duchess, with an air of not being willing to concede, spoke up again.
“You’ve already submitted the marriage registration, so I will yield on that. But I cannot allow you to have a wedding ceremony. That’s something we need to settle.”
It seemed that in this life, Belle wasn’t meant to have a wedding ceremony.
Of course, she wasn’t disappointed. More than anything, since it was a contract marriage, there was no need for a ceremony.
When she was younger, she might have had romantic fantasies about such things, but living with Cedric had long erased those memories. It felt like a distant past, almost forgotten.
Just keeping the marriage that was almost annulled was something she was thankful for.
“I refuse.”
But Ian’s words cut through the Duchess’s statement like a splash of cold water.
