Contract Marriage Interrupted

Episode 17. You haven’t noticed yet?

 

Ellodie doesn’t know exactly what happened between Odette and Walter.

She could only vaguely guess, based on Walter’s reaction, that Odette had chosen Louis, Count Clovis.

And in Ellodie’s opinion, love was the only reason to choose Louis over Walter, who was superior by all accounts.

So, she naturally thought that Odette would love Louis.

‘So why is she making that look for Duke Ertmann?’

It was the look of someone who realized they’d been cheated on.

It’s a look you can’t wear if you don’t have a heart on him in the first place.

Of course, neither she nor Walter seemed to realize it.

And that was nothing short of heavenly luck for Ellodie.

‘You haven’t noticed yet?’

Besides, I don’t think they’re in such a good relationship because neither of them talk to each other.

Ellodie’s tearful eyes quickly moved between the two.

And, she spoke to Odette before anyone could open their mouth.

“Are you the one who came with the Duke? I’ve been rude to your partner, will you forgive me?”

“No, I’m…….”

Odette hesitated for a moment.

 

She realized that saying, “I’m not Walter’s partner,” would sound lame in the context of Ellodie’s pointed reference to her.

‘There are already rumors circulating around, and I don’t know how this could blow up if I make a mistake.’

As much as she didn’t want to, she had to mediate the situation.

“I am not Duke Ertmann’s partner, but it would not be nice to put a lady in trouble for a long time with just one mistake. Duke Ertmann, do you have something to say to this lady?”

“……No. But I don’t want the same mistake to be repeated twice.”

“I will never do that, I swear!”

Ellodie cried, and Odette soothed her.

“The young lady’s sincerity must have been fully conveyed. Right, Duke?”

Walter didn’t answer, but at least in this moment, the silence could be interpreted as affirmation.

Even if there was no proper apology, if words were said at this point, it would have meant that the matter was essentially over.

Around that time, Louis came to help Odette.

“Since you two seem to be on good terms, I think we can discuss the rest of this separately, and then we’ll-“

“Wait!”

Louis was about to pull Odette away. Ellodie grabbed Odette’s hand.

Ellodie’s moist eyes looked up at Odette, innocent and desperate.

“This is also fate, and I would like to ask the name of your Highness who helped me. Is that too much to ask?”

* * *

 

Odette couldn’t resist Ellodie after all.

‘I couldn’t help it. If I refuse her here, I’ll only be the bad person.’

The plan was to give her a proper name and leave, but the problem was that Ellodie didn’t want to move away.

– My God, I must not have recognized you, Princess! My name is Ellodie Montoire, and I will never forget the help you have given me!

With these words, Ellodie became very persistent with Odette.

In some ways, this was a cute behavior for a young lady making her debut, but Odette felt very uncomfortable with Ellodie.

‘I wonder if Ellodie Montoire and Duke Ertmann really have such a…… relationship.’

It had been a while since they had been in the ballroom, and Odette had gotten a sense of the rumors that were circulating.

She could sense that something was wrong from the fact that the gaze toward her and Ellodie was strangely uncomfortable.

‘But I never have thought that there’s a rumor going around about Duke Ertmann seeing a woman.’

No, in this case, “seeing” would be an understatement.

From the sounds of it, he had a woman in his house.

So here’s what Odette heard at the banquet.

 

– Duke Ertmann cherishes it to the point of giving an entire outbuilding to the Viscountess Montoire.

– The dress she wears today is by one of the most famous designers in the capital, and Duke Ertmann has generously given it to her.

– It is even said that the dress she is wearing today was handpicked by him.

These stories were somewhat absurd, but they seemed to be accepted as truth to some extent, given that the person she came with was the niece of the Marchioness Grimoire.

‘If it’s the Marquess Grimoire…… he is famous for his close relationship with the previous Duke of Ertmann.’

Talking about the previous Duke of Ertmann, Walter’s grandfather, Arnold.

And the friendship between the Marquess Grimoire and Duke of Ertmann, which lasted three generations, was famous enough to be well known even to Odette, who was blind to social news.

With the Marquess Grimoire in tow, one would not expect him to make things up.

And so it was with Odette.

This messed with Odette’s head.

‘What are you thinking, making a relationship so blatantly?’

Aside from whether Walter’s proposal was real or fake.

‘Didn’t Duke Ertmann…… have feelings for Lizaina?’

To marry Lizaina smoothly and to make her jealous, Odette alone was enough. This means there is no need to attract other women.

She was confused by Walter’s inexplicable behavior, but at the same time, she was displeased that the scene she saw a while ago couldn’t go away from her head.

– Duke! I’m glad to see you here!

 

Ellodie giggled as she hugged him, and Walter who frowned at her.

Walter’s reaction without addition was proof of their closeness.

For some reason, it made me feel a little down.

Meanwhile, their story is being told everywhere in the ballroom.

‘I was only going to see Count Xavier and go back.’

This makes me feel like I’m just giving food to people who like rumors.

At least Lizaina wasn’t at this banquet.

Odette’s gaze darted to the back of the room.

A few feet away, Louis and Walter were chatting animatedly.

“I hear you’ve been ill lately, Count Clovis. Are you feeling better?”

“I’m getting that question everywhere. I’m fine, except that it’s embarrassing to have it spread around that I haven’t been taking care of my health.”

“Well, I see you’ve recovered from that.”

Walter smiled loosely and brought the glass he was holding to his lips, and their conversation drifted away as Louis brought up other things.

She couldn’t hear much due to the distance, but from the looks of it, it was going well.

To someone who didn’t know each other well, they could be quite formidable.

‘You seem to get along better than I thought.’

She thought Walter hated him for saying no to Count Clovis.

Then why on earth did he propose to her?

 

Just as Odette was tilting her head in confusion, Ellodie clapped her hands.

“By the way, Your Highness! You haven’t gone inside the banquet hall yet, right? The dancing is still going, how about take a look for a while? It’s very pretty! I will guide you.”

The inside of the banquet hall is a place where you can relax and enjoy the decorations.

For the hosts, it’s a way to show off their family’s wealth, so it’s not surprising that it’s lavish, but Ellodie who was making her debut, it’s a bit too luxurious.

‘Maybe it’s better to go inside than to stand here.’

And Odette didn’t think Ellodie’s offer was a bad one.

Of course, there were some things that were hard to say no to.

“Okay. Then, can you show me around?”

“Of course!”

Odette walked after Ellodie, who answered cheerfully.

Without any expectation of what would happen next.

* * *

 

“…… She leaves?”

A slow voice escaped from the mouth of Walter, who was looking at a spot in the ballroom.

It was then that the faint smile on his face disappeared, but no one had yet noticed.

Instead, the young man next to him, who was chatting animatedly, expressed his wonder.

“Leave, who do you mean?”

“The Count’s partner. And the young lady of Montoire, who was very much interested in the Count.”

“Ah, you mean Miss Elodie, she was a cheerful and cute person.”

The young man, Louis, smiled brightly.

Ellodie followed Odette around and spoke to Louis next to her a few times, and it was because she remembered that.

And Walter did not miss the opportunity then asked as if he was wondering.

“You seem to have a very good impression on the young Lady of Montoire?”

“Isn’t a cheerful person good to have around? Just being together makes me feel better.”

“Yes, but the Count’s partner seems to be far from cheerful.”

Louis’s face hardened slightly as Odette’s story came to the surface.

This was because Louis had only vaguely heard of the rumors going around about Walter and Odette.

Among other things, Odette had told him.

– I was waiting at the meeting place, but I was interrupted by Duke Ertmann.

– Just in case you misunderstand, Duke Ertmann and I have nothing to do with each other.

From her demeanor, it seemed that Walter was reaching out to Odette unilaterally.

He don’t know if that’s real or not, but it wouldn’t be good for him to react too bluntly.

 

“……Haha, cheerfulness isn’t necessarily the mark of a good person, is it?”

Louis laughed and stuttered. Walter smirked at his skillful conversation.

“That’s right, there are many criteria for a good person.”

“You’re right, and Her Highness the Fourth Princess is certainly a good person.”

“Is that why the Count became Her Highness’s partner?”

“She is a good person, so why turn down a chance opportunity?”

When he told him that becoming Odette’s partner was a coincidence, Walter looked at Louis with a slightly suspicious look.

As if checking Louis was hiding something.

“Her Highness the Fourth Princess and Count Clovis, it’s a somewhat unfamiliar combination, so I’m left wondering how they became partners.”

“Other people said that, too. I understand.”

“And recently…… I heard an unusual story. I wondered if the Count might be one of them.”

“An unusual story?”

“Something that is not in my memory and somewhat absurd comes to mind.”

Memories of being close to someone you weren’t particularly close with come to mind, or something you haven’t experienced feels like your own.

Walter added as if something had suddenly occurred to him while giving some examples.

“I heard that it brings back memories of marrying someone you had no particular relationship with. What about the Count?”