Contract Marriage Interrupted

Episode 25. Something nonsensical popped out

 

Suddenly, Odette recall the situation before she closed her eyes.

From her attendance at Count Xavier’s banquet, to the strange tea Regis had given, to Ellodie’s eyes contact in the doorway.

And finally…….

“……Duke Ertmann.”

To the way Walter had carried her in his arms.

Odette mumbled something under her breath, then pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed.

She saw the same silk nightgown. Of course, they were equally unfamiliar.

What in the world had happened while she was asleep that she found herself in a strange bed, wearing strange pajamas, in a place that wasn’t even an Imperial palace?

‘I shouldn’t have fallen asleep here…….’

The moment she saw Walter, she lost her grip on her nerves.

She can’t help but blame herself for her weakness.

It seems like I’m in debt to Walter for no reason.

Odette sighed and looked around.

‘Where am I?’

The mansion seemed to belong to some noble family, most likely Count Clovis.

If Walter had picked her up after her collapse, he would have done the common sense thing and asked Louis to take her home.

And even Louis wouldn’t have been able to bring Odette home, not only as a stranger, but also as a Princess.

 

She would have been moved to one of the family mansions.

‘So…… is this the mansion that belongs to the Count of Clovis?’

The question was quickly answered.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

Just in time, a woman who appeared to be a servant of the place gently opened the door.

The sturdy-looking woman smiled when she saw Odette and walked over.

“Did you have a good night’s sleep? I was wondering if I should wake you, but it’s almost lunchtime.”

“……It’s already lunch?”

“Yep. By the way, I’m Emma, and if you need anything while you’re staying at the Ertmann, just ring the bell.”

“Ertmann? Not Clovis? Then this is…….”

When she was about to ask if this was the mansion owned by the Duke of Ertmann, then Emma smiled and nodded.

“Yes! It’s Duke Ertmann’s mansion, Your Highness.”

Oh my God.

Something ridiculous had just spilled out.

As Odette’s mouth dropped open in shock, Emma giggled in amusement.

“I’ll leave the wash water here, so please rest for a moment. Even so, there was some guests who want to you when you woke up, so I’ll go get them.”

With that, she left, leaving Odette alone.

As Odette nervously washed her face and straightened her clothes, the door burst open again.

And this time, a very familiar face appeared.

 

“Your Highness! You’re awake!”

“Eh, Elli?! How did you get here…….”

“Duke Ertmann gave me a letter to Selvia’s Mansion, I saw it in the morning and ran right over!”

Ellie’s eyes narrowed with a face, “I did a good job, didn’t I?!”.

Of course, she immediately changed back to her excited face.

This gave Odette a bit of a headache.

Waking up in Duke Ertmann’s castle was bad enough, but now Ellie was here.

“Elli, what on earth happened while I was asleep? I haven’t been asleep for days here, right?”

“Oh, of course not, that’s what I’m asking, do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to wake up, I have such exciting news but you can’t hear it!”

Ellie wished she could have gotten an invitation somehow.

Ellie’s family, Selvia, did not receive an invitation because they were from a Korean-American family.

And she couldn’t go with Odette because she already had Louis.

But unlike Ellie’s disappointment, Odette’s reaction was a little shaky.

“Interesting…… news?”

She was nervous that something had happened to her while she was asleep.

“What else has Count Xavier done…….?”

“As expected, you knew! Count Xavier, that’s him!”

Odette’s heart sank at Ellie’s words.

But.

“Everyone in the capital is probably chewing on him by now? It turned out really bad!”

“…… Huh?”

It turned out really bad?

Odette blinked in surprise, and Elli smirked, pulling something out of his bag.

A daily gossip paper with news of the nobility.

What mattered was the headline on the front page.

[‘Returned Prodigal Son’ Count Regis Xavier is having an affair with an actress at the L’Etel Theatre?]

* * *

 

“It’s going the way your Excellency handled it.Thanks to Count Xavier throwing a grand banquet, there was no need to spread rumors.”

“I’m sure he was planning on making rumors about the Fourth Princess, so that’s why he made it grand.”

Walter replied sarcastically, adjusting the cufflinks on his wrist.

A slightly furrowed brow and a languidly lowered gaze, as if he were somewhat annoyed or tired.

And the combination of indifferent low notes had a strangely sensual edge.

If it had been anyone else, they might have observed it closely, hoping to know something, but for Russell, it was a familiar sight.

No, he was too preoccupied with something else to notice.

‘I didn’t realize you’d prepared for this.’

Russell’s gaze fell to the short report.

There was nothing about Walter’s past activities written there that Russell did not know.

Odette just didn’t know it would turn out like this.

Especially this part.

‘Helen, an actress at the L’Etel Theater.’

She was a new actress with a docile appearance who seemed similar to Odette at first glance.

And she was the one Regis had bought to replace Odette.

He just didn’t know it yet.

that Walter had already bought Helen.

“What happened to the actress?”

“I’ve put someone in place, as you ordered. She should be fine for the time being, and if she’s in any real danger, I can put her in touch with a foreign theater company.”

“Ask and do as her wish. She’s a good actor, and I’m sure she’ll get my share wherever she go.”

At Walter’s words, Russell found himself nodding in agreement.

‘She was indeed a good actress…….’

Yesterday, when Walter met Ellodie in the hallway.

Russell was with him at the time.

Thanks to this, he unexpectedly witnessed everything that happened nearby.

From Odette’s collapse into Walter’s arms after he pushed Elodie out of the way and opened the door, to Walter becoming incredibly angry immediately afterwards.

‘……Hm.’

Looking back, it was a scene I never wanted to see again.

Even so, Walter was the type of person who made people sick just by his presence due to his unique authoritative attitude and intimidating nature.

 

Because he was so angry.

If it weren’t for the Odette he was holding, it was clear that the person in front of him, Regis, surely made he lost his temper somewhere.

‘That eternal expression.’

Luckily, Walter had Odette and more importantly, he had reason.

So instead of punching Regis in the face, he chose to carry Odette down the corridor out of sight of the others.

– D- Duke……. I- I didn’t realize it, but surely your Highness had gone out into the garden-

– There is only one hallway leading to the room, but you didn’t know that the person who went to the garden was going to the room? Do you think that makes sense?

– T- that’s because I was away for a while.

Ellodie tried to excuse herself, but Walter turned away as if he would hear nothing more.

– Ellodie Montoire. As of today, you are not permitted to reside in Ertmann anymore.

– W- what? No- where am I supposed to stay, then Duke?! Duke!

– Russell, get her away.

Wouldn’t it have been more compassionate to see newspapers rolling on the side of the road.

Russell stopped Elodie from shouting for Walter to go with such an idea.

Meanwhile, the incident broke out.

– You shameless man! How could you do that to me!

Slap!

Regis, who had been sneaking away to the ballroom, was slapped across the cheek with a loud sound.

– What the hell!

– Are you going to pretend you don’t know me? You’re the one who say that I’m the only one for you, and now you’re thinking about seeing another woman, and I knew it! You’re so shameless!

– No, what the hell are you talking about? I don’t even-!

– I’m the one you loved, you said, you bastard! You said you loved me, and then you asked me to stay away from you to attract another woman? You had the audacity to think of meeting me after all this time!

– You, you crazy woman!

Slap!

Regis’s cheeks got slapped again.

That was not a slap like Russell had seen before.

‘A good, hard slap.’

The momentum was so strong that no one in the crowd dared to tear them apart.

The idea of Count Xavier being spanked by a weeping woman was an exciting one.

At first Russell wondered if it was a real scandal, but then he realized that the woman’s face was familiar.

She was an unknown actor who often delivered Walter’s letters along with large checks.

– Ahaha, that’s funny. Great! I’ve been bored lately anyway.

The face that had said excitedly after reading the contents of the letter was overlaid on Helen’s crying face.

– Why doesn’t anyone stop her! Get that crazy woman now!

– Let go of me! If you try to persecute me here too, I’ll tell your secret!

– You, damn you!

The “secret” Helen is referring to, of course, is Regis’s request.

 

It was only a little too late that the realization he had fallen into a trap flashed across Regis’s face, but there was nothing he could do about the flow that Helen had already taken.

So Helen went all out, causing a huge stir in the social scene.

“There was also an appropriate article in a gossip magazine. It’s worth buying in advance. Did you know all of this and prepare for it?”

“If there’s a chance, why wouldn’t I be prepared?”

I didn’t know it would all turn out like this.

He shrugs it off as if it’s no big deal, and opens a letter on his desk.

After skimming the contents, he smirked.

“Ellodie Montoire must have caught the eye of the Grimoire.”

“This is from Grimoire?”

“Yes.”

Walter set the letter down and flicked it with his index finger.

“It says that the Marquess of Grimoire will not be the chaperone of Ellodie Montoire.”

* * *

 

‘This is absolutely ridiculous!’

in a rattling carriage.

Ellodie bit her lip in exasperation.

Not long ago, she had been a guest of honor at Ertmann, and now she was traveling to Ertmann as an outcast.