Contract Marriage Interrupted

Episode 59. Beware of the lost

 

Odette was skeptical, but unfortunately her intuition was correct.

Odette roughly heard the story of Louis visit to Belfort Academy.

“I think what seemed like a curse was actually due to the influence of the holy relic. I don’t know the details since they didn’t share it, but…… It seems like it has become a very useful example.”

“…… Is that so? Anyway, I’m relieved it wasn’t a curse.”

“That’s right. I thought for sure it was just paying for his looks.”

Anne Sophie added a few more words about how shallow the Divinity Department was, and a few more about Odette’s upcoming wedding.

Mostly she talked about how excited she was to go to the Palace, about the dress Odette had given her, and about how she’d have to be away on the wedding day, so the vigil was confirmed.

“Thank you for your time, Anne. Well, I’ll be going now.”

“Oh, wait! Your Highness! I almost forgot. I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I had a vision about Your Highness a while ago.”

Anne Sophie’s visions were irregular and appeared in a somewhat disorganized manner.

As a result, it’s difficult to tell whether this is foresight or not, and even so, it is literally rat poison for the distracted Anne Sophie.

Sophie herself didn’t fully trust her own visions.

It’s not easy to pick them out from among the thoughts racing through her head.

Therefore, she either ignored most of her foresight, or even if she sensed that she had foresight, she did not tell the person directly.

So it was unusual for her to go this far.

“I usually try to ignore them, but…… I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an image or a thought, I just felt like I had to tell you.”

However, Sophie seemed unsure whether this was such a crucial matter and appeared somewhat hesitant.

She was just conveyed one sentence.

“Beware of loss. That’s all.”

“……Loss?”

“Yes. Do you have any guesses?”

“I don’t really have anything important enough to lose, but…… What could it be?”

“I’m glad you don’t have anything important to lose, but…….”

Odette’s words left Sophie puzzled, and she clenched her fist against her chin as if in deep thought.

“Since you’re getting married, could it be a warning about losing the wedding ring?”

* * *

 

A Silent Night.

‘I almost got caught.’

There was a figure moving secretly in the darkness.

It was headed to a large banquet hall located in the outskirts.

This banquet hall, which periodically lights up the entire room, was created for one purpose only.

‘Masquerade.’

A place where people can completely disguise their identities with colorful fancy masks and wigs.

Although it was called a ‘masquerade’ the atmosphere here was quite different from a typical ball.

Not only did the disguised attendance create an atmosphere of freedom without regard to status or pretense, but it also allowed people to mingle freely, gamble, and drink without fear of judgment.

Thanks to this, the term ‘masquerade’ was merely a deceptive expression.

In reality, the masquerade ball was a place where those who dreamed of deviance and those who wanted to have secret affairs gathered and had debauchery.

‘And It’s also the most famous place for secret meetings between adulterous men and women.’

Because of its free atmosphere, it was a place that every adult nobleman had secretly set foot in at least once, but it was by no means a place for someone about to get married to visit.

That’s what brought a young lady, Ellie here.

She had witnessed something not long ago.

Walter, an unscrupulous man who is marrying her precious Princess, said he would attend this masquerade ball!

In truth, Ellie had been watching Walter’s every move.

‘Though I found no evidence of it at Duke Ertmann’s office that day.’

Still, the suspicion was not lost on her.

Lizaina’s words about Ellodie and Walter always meeting secretly never left her mind.

However, the marriage process had already progressed a lot, and it was true that it was difficult to cancel the marriage from Odette’s perspective, so Ellie planned to check it out with her own eyes first.

 

There was no reason to disturb Odette, who’s about to be married and knows nothing.

‘If Your Highness had insisted on assigning guards, it could have been a big problem.’

In that case, Ellie might have been caught investigating Walter’s trail.

She swallowed hard, recalling a conversation she overheard when she went to Duke Ertmann’s mansion.

– Your Excellency, are you sure you want to go? Please allow me to go instead. It’s no good to keep going in and out of places like that when you’re about to get married.

– If I go this time, I won’t have to go again after I get married. If possible, handle this without Odette knowing.

It’s enough of a shock to go to a masquerade ball, but to handle it discreetly from Odette was even more surprising.

Ellie’s heart sank as she heard the words.

‘Maybe he’s going to see Ellodie Monttoire.’

He may have been deceiving Her Highness and committing an affair!

After listening to the conversation, Ellie decided to see with her own eyes what on earth Walter was doing at the masquerade.

And if it was indeed an affair, she would gather evidence and bring it to Odette.

For that, Ellie had spent quite a bit of money on an extravagant dress, wig, and mask.

At least when she comes to this fancy banquet, she wouldn’t be noticed if she looked shabby.

When she arrived at the masquerade ball, she was greeted by a footman.

“Do you have an invitation? Otherwise, you’ll have to pay the entrance fee.”

“Here, admission fee.”

Ellie handed over the gold coins, and the footman went away satisfied.

 

Ellie began to hide by the building’s outer wall, carefully observing the carriages entering one by one.

How much time had passed?

Just as her legs began to ache, a two-seater carriage passed through the main gate.

Two men stepped out of the carriage.

Two men who look quite tall and have good bodies.

“Masks are always a pain in the ass.”

“Hold on a bit. Once we’re inside, drop the formality.”

Ellie could hear their conversation in the distance.

‘……! The voice sounds familiar.’

Walter’s heavy and calm bass voice was a type that was hard to forget, but it was also true that Ellie was a little more familiar with the lieutenant’s voice.

Ellie rarely had the opportunity to talk directly with Walter.

The voice of the slightly shorter one who just got off the carriage was unmistakably Russell Huntley’s.

Ellie’s face stiffened as she recognized the voice.

‘I really hoped it wouldn’t be him!’

He’s really showing up at a masquerade ball.

What on earth was the Duke doing here?

‘I need to follow them quickly!’

As Ellie hurriedly approached the entrance of the venue.

At that moment.

“Kyaah!”

A hand suddenly emerged from behind Ellie, covering her mouth.

Ellie, who was startled, struggled, but it was not enough to overcome the criminal’s strength.

The mask came off in an instant, and just as she was about to scream, a poisonous-smelling handkerchief covered her nose and mouth.

“Help! Mmph! Mmph!”

It didn’t take long for her struggling body to give out and her consciousness to slip away.

Even as she sensed her limbs going limp, she fought to cling to consciousness.

‘Oh, no…… I have to tell the Princess…….’

With that thought, Ellie blacked out.

Soon after, a dark figure lifted her and vanished into the darkness.

* * *

 

‘Something feels strange.’

Maybe it’s the loss, maybe it’s Anne Sophie’s strange foresight.

Or is it because the wedding will be held when the sun rises tomorrow.

Odette couldn’t sleep until late at night.

‘I shouldn’t stay up too late. Otherwise, I’ll get scolded by Ellie again.’

Ellie and Odette were the same age, and although Odette had matured in many ways, it was Ellie who always scolded her.

Perhaps because Ellie had four younger siblings, she unconsciously treated Odette, who was in her care, like a sister.

She was Odette’s closest friend and family member.

She was the one who kept Odette from getting tired of the lonely life at the Palace.

Perhaps that’s why she felt so much more alone in the Palace without Ellie.

‘I would have been more at ease if she could stay in my palace.’

Odette was in the Empress’s palace.

It was customary in the Empire for a girl to spend a few days with her mother before her wedding, but since there was neither an Empress nor Odette’s biological mother in the current Imperial family, Empress Katarina had taken over that role.

So Odette spent the next three days at the Palace.

When they finally met, Katarina didn’t approach Odette as warmly as before, nor did she act coldly towards her.

‘I heard she dismissed Lady Patrice.’

After the tea at the Wellington Hotel, the Marchioness Patrice’s circle had diminished considerably.

Not surprising, given the disastrous outcome of the tea party, she also got into an open fight with another noble lady.

After that day, she fell from grace, and Katarina smoothly removed Marchioness Patrice from her circle without a word.

It meant that Katarina had chosen Odette over the Marchioness Patrice.

Katarina even mentioned this directly.

.

.

.

 

“-So, you don’t need to worry about the tea party incident. I chose you, so no one would dare gossip about it.”

“……I see.”

Odette responded lightly to Katarina’s words without any formalities.

“And you don’t even thank me?”

“It’s not something I asked for. Or did you mention it because you want to hear gratitude?”

Katarina raised one eyebrow at Odette’s lack of response.

“Odette. Did you blame me for what happened at the Tea Party?”

“No. No one blames the sun for going down at night.”

It means that Odette doesn’t blame her because she was always that kind of person.

It was a pointed remark.

Eventually, Katarina sighed.

“You made a foolish choice back then. If I hadn’t chosen you over the Marchioness, you would have had a hard time reentering society. Sir Arnold may be able to protect you for now, but do you think he will be able to protect you in the future?”

“…….”

“Considering social life, you should have bowed your head.”

“I do, Your Majesty”

Odette, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“How long should I keep bowing?”