Contract Marriage Interrupted

Episode 28. A debt of 500,000 Dirhams

 

Ellodie was having a very hard time resisting the urge to burst out laughing.

‘Look at that face!’

The sight of Odette’s frozen face made her feel better.

The tantrum she’d been having with Leah and Lizaina today had melted away.

But while she was relieved, she also had a bad taste in her mouth.

‘You took the most expensive one.’

What Odette was wearing is made of the highest quality satin that only five pieces could reach the capital, and it was embroidered with a special silver thread that was not immediately noticeable but subtly reflected light whenever the angle was different.

At first glance, the dress looks unassuming, but that’s what makes it so noble, and it’s the perfect way to show off your wealth.

‘I saved it for last.’

I can’t believe Odette wore it out of the house!

‘She must have done it on purpose.’

As a Princess, she’d know what was expensive.

In Ellodie’s eyes, Odette was the quintessential ‘goody-two-shoes’ character.

Doesn’t it make me angry to see people taking advantage of my absence to enjoy my things.

Odette looked shocked at the topic.

“……I didn’t know it was Lady Ellodie’s dress.”

 

“Oh, is that so? Well, if you wore it knowingly, it would be theft. I don’t think His Highness is that pathetic, but…… But that doesn’t mean my dress will come back, right?”

Now that the dress had been altered to Odette’s measurements, she couldn’t even bring herself to wear it.

It was made of a fabric that wasn’t readily available, making it difficult to repair.

It’s too expensive to buy a new one, and it’s too expensive to even look at without Ertmann’s wealthy.

So from the start, Ellodie didn’t approach the Princess with the idea of getting the dress back.

“I’d like Your Highness to make restitution as a way of apologizing, and I’m sure you can do that.”

“If it were money, I could give it.”

“No, not that.”

Money? That can be easily covered with Ertmann’s halo.

“I’ve gotten you into a trouble, Your Highness, and I hope you’ll pass on my apology to the Duke, and if he forgive me, I’ll consider it as the dress paid.”

“What do you mean…….”

Odette furrowed her brow, puzzled by the sudden request.

“What do I mean? I’m asking you to tell His Excellency.”

Someone popped out from behind Ellodie.

Half-lidded, tired-looking eyes, a line at the corner of her mouth, and a peculiarly ragged expression.

It might have been first seen to Odette, but it was a familiar face to Ellodie.

 

“S- Sir Russell?”

“Yes. I heard that the Fourth Princess was here, so I came to see her…… Why is Lady Elodie here, and what did you just say?”

Since this was Russell, who was nevertheless coveting Ellodie, his expression seemed more unkind than usual.

It’s best to get out of here rather than stick around.

Ellodie made a quick judgment and looked faintly smiling.

“I- I’m here to pick up my dress, and pick up my luggage.”

“Well, I was planning to send you your luggage once your place of residence has been decided. Did you ask His Excellency for permission? Duke Ertmann’s residence is a place where outsiders cannot enter without permission.”

“…… Outsiders, you say? Isn’t Lady Elodie supposed to be staying here?”

Russell shook his head slightly at Odette’s question.

“She was, but not anymore. His Excellency sent Lady Ellodie away because of the thing that happened yesterday.”

Russell stammered, but it was clear what he meant by ‘the thing’.

Odette suddenly realized what Ellodie had meant when she had asked her to tell Walter.

‘You’ve been kicked out for lying.’

And you asked me to cover it up?

Have you already forgotten that I nearly got into danger because of you?

Odette’s mind raced with shock and disbelief.

On the other hand, Ellodie was flushed in embarrassment and sulking.

 

“To talk about me like that in front of everyone else, you’re so mean!”

“What? I wasn’t talking about you, Lady Ellodie, I was talking about Ertmann’s situation.”

“You insulted me by saying like I was kicked out!”

Ellodie shouted, her eyes filled with tears of frustration.

It had the effect of making her look so pitiful that made people want to quickly wipe her tears away.

“You were kicked out anyway.”

Unfortunately, Russell wasn’t interested in that.

He scratched his cheek with his index finger then spoke in a stern tone.

“What were you talking about just now? To convey your message to His Excellency…… Why don’t you do it yourself?”

Despite the nonchalant in his voice, his gaze was sharp.

“I think in some cases, we may need to take action. What do you think, Your Highness?”

“Tha- that…….”

“I wasn’t asking you, Lady Ellodie.”

“……!”

Ellodie’s face turned pale at the unexpected turn of the situation.

With a small sigh, Odette spoke up.

“It was nothing, Sir Russell. It’s just that the dress, that was prepared by Ertmann’s maids, was the one that Lady Ellodie has.”

“A dress, you mean the one you are wearing now?”

“Yes. And we were talking about how to make restitution for it.”

 

Odette’s gaze shifted to Ellodie, who had become panicked.

Ellodie was probably nervous that Odette might tell him what she had asked for.

‘You seem to think that I’m going to tell him.’

But Odette had no intention of revealing it.

“I was thinking of discussing the reparations with Duke Ertmann, that’s all, so I hope you won’t press Lady Ellodie too hard.”

“……!”

Ellodie’s face is back relieved now.

Along with a bit of confusion.

She seemed puzzled that Odette had covered her.

Of course, Odette hadn’t made that choice for Ellodie’s sake.

‘If I tell Lady Ellodie story here, it will cause trouble.’

It would certainly harm the maids who brought the dress.

And even if there was someone who was truly malicious and put Ellodie’s dress on her, there were others who would suffer.

Odette didn’t want to make it harder on the other maids, who had done their best for her.

“As for the dress, it was a mistake on my part, so I want to end the matter by paying appropriate compensation.”

“……I see, so that’s what happened.”

I don’t know if Russell realized this, but he nodded with an odd expression on his face.

Then he made a humming sound and said.

 

“By the way.”

“……?”

“The dress your Highness wearing is not Ellodie’s dress.”

It was simply a bombshell.

* * *

 

First of all, the dress was indeed bought by Ellodie.

But the problem was that it was Ertmann’s butler who had signed the receipt for the dress she had decided to buy.

Naturally, Ellodie protested this conclusion.

“I can’t accept it, surely the Duke said it was okay to buy the dress!”

“Yes, it is true that His Excellency had agreed to support Lady Ellodie’s debut, and he had specified the amount as 200,000 dirhams.”

“……200,000 dirhams? I didn’t hear anything like that…….”

“I gave it to you in the letter, and you signed it. Don’t you remember that?”

“……!”

Elodie suddenly remembered the stack of papers she’d signed in her excitement, without even reading them.

It was an agreement to support Ellodie with Ertmann’s money.

She briefly looked at and signed the word that it would be written to block any room for an excuse letter.

 

And of course, the amount was written there…… she was not looking at it.

“The dresses Lady Ellodie bought cost nearly 1.8 million dirhams, and since you can’t buy something we’ve already purchased, Ertmann will keep the dress and make arrangements for you to pick a few pieces within a certain amount and take them home…….”

Odette’s dress in question cost a whopping 500,000 dirhams.

That’s a lot of money, considering that you could buy about three simple evening dresses for 200,000 dirhams.

So to summarize.

“This dress was never meant to be Lady Ellodie’s in the first place.”

With those words, Ellodie blushed bright red and ran away.

Then Odette…….

“This- this dress, costs half a million dirhams……?”

…… her eyes widened at the unthinkable price of the dress.

* * *

 

So currently.

“Don’t worry about the dress, I was going to give it all to you anyway.”

“……What the hell do you want from me?”

Odette sat facing Walter with the tension of a lifetime.

Fortunately her training as royalty could make her to keep a calm face under the pressure.

Odette thought that if she ever wrote her diary, she might include sentences like this.

[There may have been a Princess who was sold for a debt, but it will be the first time for a Princess who came back with a debt.]

‘I can’t believe you’re thinking of giving me all these dresses……!’

Odette hadn’t yet realized that her dress was the most expensive of them all.

In her mind, the prices of the other dresses were already going over triple digits.

Of course, it would have been okay if I didn’t receive the dress. What’s important now isn’t it the intention .

‘Didn’t you treat me a bit too well.’

Odette should have suspected Ertmann’s extreme treatment, not admired it.

This isn’t a ridiculous trick to fatten yourself up!

‘You know that there’s nothing free in this world……!’

The defeat was that I had let go of my guard too much because of the help I received from Walter.

And the result was a debt of half a million dirhams…….

Odette swallowed hard and opened her mouth.

“I- I don’t need another dress, and…… I will return the money for this one as soon as possible.”

“I thought I just told you that you don’t have to worry about it, or am I make it difficult for you to understand?”

Walter raised one eyebrow ss if genuinely confused.

“You don’t have to pay anything back. It’s all yours.”

“……There is no such thing as giving without paying. There must be something you want.”

“Of course there is.”

As expected. Now you’re showing your true intention.

Odette lowered her eyelids.

She was confident that she wouldn’t be surprised by what came out.

‘What could it be?’

I hope it’s not what I’m thinking about…….

“Marry me, Princess.”