Contract Marriage Interrupted

Episode 44. On one’s mind

 

As if the years he had lived were not in vain, Arnold had an excellent eye for people.

Of course, that didn’t mean he could read minds or anything like that, but it did mean that he could at least get a sense of the disposition of those he watched carefully.

And as far as Arnold was concerned, Walter was a terrible pessimist.

Until then, Arnold didn’t know.

Normally, a parent would know this, but Walter’s parents had all left Ertmann.

Therefore, Arnold felt a deep sense of regret as he came a step late to find his grandson who was deeply affected by inertia.

Of course, when talking with Walter, Arnold couldn’t help but feel more exasperation than pity.

‘He wouldn’t even look at anyone else, but he gets so angry just because I had some tea with the woman who will be his wife?’

It was a sight he wouldn’t have believed if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

Now that he looked closely, it seemed like his grandson had changed to some extent.

‘Did he learn something on the battlefield?’

Perhaps he had finally regained some of the character he had lost when he left home.

No, maybe it was a distortion created by his perspective.

Arnold concealed his surprise and furrowed his brow.

“It was a coincidence, you clueless idiot.”

“Say something that makes sense. If by chance I could be sitting here alone with Odette, I would have done it a long time ago.”

Walter scoffed coldly, as if he didn’t believe Arnold’s words at all, and gestured to Russell, who came in behind him in a huff.

 

“Adding excuses would only make it pathetic. So let’s go to the Duke’s residence and talk about the rest, grandfather. Escort him, Russell.”

“…… To think this kind of guy is my grandson…….”

“What did you say, I couldn’t hear you.”

Arnold made a few more complaints after that, but Walter quietly brushed them off as if he was used to them.

This level of bickering between grandparents was actually close to cuteness.

When Arnold disappeared, hanging Russell’s hands almost like shackles, Walter turned to Odette to check on her.

Fortunately, Walter sighed after seeing that there were no signs of abuse on Odette’s body and that her clothes were not damaged.

“I don’t know what my grandfather said, but don’t take it too seriously. He has never had favorable feelings toward the Imperial family and has an unusually harsh tongue, It’s not personal against you in particular.”

“Ah, were you worried about me? Don’t worry, nothing has happened.”

Only then Odette realized why Walter was looking at her closely.

“Sir Arnold, no, I mean…… Marquess Puart, was a very gentlemanly man.”

“…… Gentleman, you say.”

“Yes, indeed. He must be a good figure.”

A look of ‘no way’ passed over Walter’s face, but Odette ignored it.

“More than anything, as your grandfather said, we met by chance. I came to attend a tea party today, but there was a bit of a commotion. Just then the Marquis came and helped me.”

“If that’s true, why are you here having tea with my grandfather?”

“I heard they have good tea here.”

“…… Is that your answer?”

“It’s a little embarrassing to say this, but I don’t often get the chance to drink expensive tea.”

Walter chuckled at Odette’s slightly awkward explanation of how she wouldn’t miss a chance to enjoy expensive tea treated by the Marquess of Puart.

He realized that Odette was deliberately playing down the situation.

“You’ll have plenty of opportunities like that in the future. Next time, you can just say no, I don’t need to hear about it.”

“Nothing really happened, so don’t worry, and…… I don’t think there’s anything worth worrying about, right?”

Walter raised an eyebrow at Odette’s words.

That seems to mean something.

But Odette just smiled.

“I’m serious.”

Because you seem to like me quite a bit.

* * *

 

“When you met Sir Arnold, Are you alright, Your Highness?”

At Ellie’s question, Odette looked back.

After the disastrous end in the Marchioness Patrice tea party’s and her unexpected meeting with Arnold.

The sun had already set, and she could see Ellie following on the back, lighting candles everywhere.

“Sir Arnold has never had favorable feelings toward the Imperial family.”

Ellie’s expression was quite concerned.

Even so, he was well known to dislike the imperial family, and judging by the way he was bickering with Walter today, she seemed to be worried that he might have said something harsh to Odette as well.

Walter was similarly worried.

Even though Odette had told him not to worry, he kept saying things like.

– If my grandfather says anything that might cause you any trouble, don’t hesitate to tell me.

At the time, she thought Walter was the only one who worried, but seeing Ellie act like that made her think that her side was particularly tactless.

‘Do you think Sir Arnold would have threatened me…….’

Of course, Odette hadn’t considered such a development until she reluctantly agreed to the first tea time.

Even so.

“It’s really okay, He must have liked me.”

Odette could say with confidence.

Arnold seemed doubtful until the end whether Odette had figured it out, but she knew very well that the questions thrown at her were a test.

Well, it’s not like she explicitly lied.

‘But things like tea…… that might be easily caught.’

 

Arnold was indeed not an easy person to please.

When Arnold asked her to tell him what it tastes like because he doesn’t have much knowledge about tea.

Odette almost laughed out loud.

The tea she drank was definitely brewed incorrectly and bitter.

So, people who don’t know much will think that Arnold really doesn’t know much about tea.

No high noble would order a bitter tea.

And they must have known if the taste of the tea package was good or not.

But that would be walking into a trap set by Arnold.

‘Sir Arnold…… wouldn’t really ask about the taste of tea because he doesn’t know.’

Arnold tried to figure out things about the other person through bitter tea.

How and to what extent they might be deceiving him.

So Odette’s method was simple.

‘Tell them straightforwardly.’

However, using this method might come across as rudely suggesting that the tea doesn’t taste good, so she wraps it up nicely.

Along with praising the taste of the tea, she introduced ways to alleviate the bitterness.

She didn’t give any room for him to catch her in a lie.

By doing so, even Arnold, who had been setting traps and waiting for her to fall into them, would come to realize.

Odette understood his intentions, and the fact that she had already escaped from all of them.

 

– This is quite bitter.

The expression on Arnold’s face as he smiled seemed to say that he had already figured everything out.

Odette’s strategy had worked.

‘His expression was much more relaxed than before.’

She thought that Arnold, who was smiling while drinking tea, looked a lot like Walter.

That also meant that Arnold’s attitude had become quite friendly.

“Judging by the conversation we had at tea time……. I think it would be good to look forward to positive signs.”

“Well, if that’s what Your Highness says, I have nothing to worry about.”

Ellie nodded, expressing relief.

However, suspicion did not go away as Ellie tidied up the melted candles.

‘…… Is this really okay?’

There was something bothering her.

The fact that Ellie didn’t even go to Ertmann today.

– Ellie, please send this letter to Ertmann. It’s not something that seriously requires attention, so you can just have someone do it.

The letter Odette left with Catherine before attending the tea party contained simple options related to wedding preparations.

For example, suggestions like ‘A dress with a not too low-cut in the back’ and ‘Choose the venue as the Duke wanted.’

 

Since they had been steadily preparing for their wedding ever since they signed the contract, so it wasn’t something new.

Odette also took that into consideration and added that she could ask Ellie to hire someone else.

However, Ellie chose to use the letter as an excuse to visit Ertmann on purpose.

‘…… I need to check what I can check.’

Just yesterday, Ellie heard chattering voices near the Imperial Palace while passing by.

– Ellodie Montoire is still roaming the social circles, huh……. Maybe I didn’t step on her hard enough back then.

It wasn’t difficult to recognize the voice even without scrutinizing it closely.

‘It’s the voice of the Third Princess…… and her handmaiden.’

A conversation between Lizaina and her favorite maid, Margot.

– From what I heard, it seems like she was kicked out of Ertmann and cut off from Grimoire, who was with him as a chaperone, but I don’t know how that’s possible. Does she have a strong backing?

– Backing? She must have. Duke Ertmann. If not him, who else? If the Duke wanted to, it wouldn’t be difficult to ban at least one girl from that vassal family from entering society.

Lizaina muttered bitterly, saying that not doing so meant that Duke Ertmann was watching over her.

Although she was able to moderately watch public opinion and get out of the way without losing face too much, she still didn’t feel very good when it came to matters related to Walter.

 

– The Duke, this is ridiculous. After humiliating me like this, acting like he and Odette are doomed to be together. Don’t you know that he’s been seeing other women since then?

-Then, was it true what Ellodie Montoire said about her relationship with the Duke…….?

– Hmph, I guess so. His taste seems quite consistent. Ellodie Montoire and Odette look alike, don’t they? Both seem stupid.

After that, the stories about Walter, Elodie, and Odette continued, but only one really caught Ellie’s ears.

– Odette, that bitch is just stupid. I thought that Walter was a prince on a white horse, but he’s just a man who was having an affair even before he got married?

Lizaina giggled, saying she could already guess the future.

Didn’t even remember how she got out of there.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in a deserted corridor, catching her breath.

Many things were floating around in Ellie’s head.

Lizaina’s mocking. Walter and Odette who had been talking quite intimately, as if they had suddenly become that close.

And…

– I look forward to seeing you again, Odette.

And the way Walter’s eyes were fixed on Odette.