Contract Marriage Interrupted

Episode 68. Suppression of the first night

 

In reality, Odette had an assured life that she could seize at any time if she wanted.

She had extraordinary magical abilities, decent social skills, and a reasonable level of insight.

Moreover, by becoming Cedric’s henchman, she was in a position to take power at any time.

In fact, Cedric had encouraged it on several occasions.

-I know why you want to hide the fact that you are holding hands with me. It would be much easier to gather information that way. But isn’t it a little frustrating? If my relationship with you were a little stronger, the Empress wouldn’t be able to treat you so recklessly.

Odette refused it for two reasons.

First, because she doesn’t fully trust Cedric.

It was uncertain whether Cedric’s words were meant to test her ambition.

‘Even if those words are true now, people’s hearts can change at any moment.’

Therefore, the second reason was that Odette wanted to trust Cedric.

– I’m fine. As I mentioned, I don’t want anything. I just want to quietly live outside the Palace when the time comes.

– But…….

– Above all, if I reveal that I was my brother’s henchman, I will naturally gain influence. Then, can you keep me in check or not doubt me?

– …….

 

Cedric didn’t respond to Odette’s words.

So Odette refrained from asking Cedric the question, ‘Can you guarantee that you won’t kill me if you ever come to doubt me?’

The relationship between Cedric and Odette was strange. A relationship in which they’re fond of each other, but cannot fully trust each other.

No wonder. Because they are in a relationship that could pose a threat to each other at any time.

So in order for Odette to fully trust Cedric, and for Cedric to trust Odette, one of them had to leave the palace.

Odette expressed her willingness to take on that role with an open heart.

Because she couldn’t trust anyone in the Imperial Palace, and she didn’t have anyone by her side.

Odette became weary of all the distrust and conflicting relationships.

If there was anyone least suited for the ecosystem of the Palace, she was confident it would be herself.

“No wild animal sits under a tree without fruit, and there are no birds in a land without ears. That was my goal.”

Call it a scarecrow or a bright apricot blossom.

For someone without greed, unnecessary people wouldn’t entangle them. At that time, she wanted to trust and cherish her own people.

Odette told herself to trust the person next to her no matter what.

Yes, this was a story of trust.

Odette brought out the purpose of the story she had been wondering about.

 

“So…… Walter, I hope you didn’t deceive me.”

The gaze that had been directed outside the carriage window now turned towards the man sitting across from Odette.

He had an uncomfortable expression even before the gaze settled on him, but when it finally did, he looked away for the first time.

“……I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the masquerade ball.”

“Nothing I said to you was a lie.”

“Of course, I’m not saying you lied. Not saying something can’t be a lie. But deception isn’t always about telling lies.”

In short, Odette is telling Walter that she knows he is hiding something.

She noticed that Walter was still hiding something.

“I don’t think you were lying when you said you went in and out of the masquerade balls to investigate bootlegging. When you said it was in connection with Count Clovis, or when you said that it was for Brother Cedric.”

But they were all insufficient reasons for Odette to trust that he had been in and out of the masquerade ball.

It’s not that it was inadequate, it was ‘not enough’.

Odette had kept those questions from last night and now brought them up.

She wanted to talk about them when she was completely out of the palace, in case Blake interrupted her.

“Whatever you’re hiding…… you don’t have to tell me. It might not be something I need to know.”

This was the last line Odette presented.

There had been enough reasons in the palace not to trust anyone.

 

“Don’t deceive me, Walter.”

“…….”

Instead of responding to Odette’s words, Walter stared at Odette with a slight frown.

With that peculiar gaze that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

After a few moments of silence, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“You say you’re not greedy, and yet you’re asking for the most difficult thing.”

“……Is it difficult?”

“Of course it is. Isn’t simply wishing for truth a demanding request for anyone? We’re even deceiving our own grandfather right now.”

“Ah, yes.”

“In that sense, may I ask you something?”

Walter cleared his throat and, after feeling slightly awkward and then continued.

“Do you have any thoughts about the night?”

Odette’s mouth fell open as soon as she heard the word.

‘That’s right, the night……!’

Unfortunately, she had completely forgotten about that.

* * *

 

The Night.

In other words, their first night of marriage.

As soon as the words popped into her head, Odette felt the pressure that had been creeping up on her disappear at once.

In other words, she has gone back to her senses.

‘I was so out of my mind that I didn’t even think about it!’

To make an excuse, Odette had been thinking about the night before a few days ago.

She’d even called Ellie and Emma to discuss it.

.

.

.

 

“Of course you have to wear these nightgowns for the first night!”

“Ellie, isn’t this a bit too revealing?!”

“I heard that suppressing the initiative is important in things like this. Do you like it, Your Highness?”

“…… Emma, get that thing out of my sight right now.”

“Do you mean the nightgown or Ellie?”

“…… Nightgown.”

Who on earth put such unconventional, embarrassing, and promiscuous lingerie in her closet?

Considering that more than 90% of the clothes in Odette’s closet were not of her own choosing, but were already filled when she opened her eyes, it must have been the work of her butler, Philip.

In such a situation, it was somewhat embarrassing to question him so carelessly.

The problem is, it’s too unconventional, embarrassing, and promiscuous…… to pass off as modest for that reason, so let’s call it scandalous for short. Anyway, there was too much of this lingerie.

 

“No, Your Highness! Why are you doing this when you have an entire nightgown compartment filled with these things? This looks like very high-quality clothing, right? Oh my god, this lingerie is so soft and so see-through!”

“This underwear is quite aesthetic. The colors are harmonious while highlighting the beauty of the curves, so it’s not monotonous, and the jewel decorations placed in the right places are especially eye-catching. It’s definitely the work of a talented designer. I can tell that Your Highness has very high aesthetic standards, to choose such a wonderful nightgown!”

“……Please, just get them all out of here…….”

It seems a little too untrustworthy to fill an entire drawer with nightgown and then say, she didn’t buy it.

The image of Philip grinning and laughing while holding up his thumb seemed to linger in Odette’s mind, so she tightly shut her eyes.

But she didn’t forget to ask her doubts.

“Ellie, if you are so wary of Walter, why are you recommending these nightgowns?”

“Of course, because I’m wary of the Duke!”

Ellie’s argument goes along like this.

In the wild, the more colorful a thing is, the more dangerous and poisonous it is.

“So, Your Highness, you have to show him! Show that you’re not easygoing!”

“With lingerie, you mean…….”

“That’s right! It’s because people tend to get flustered when they see an unexpected side. It’s a strategy for catching them off guard when they let their guard down during the night!”

For the record, the source of this argument was a romance novel called <Hug Me, Count!>

It’s about a handsome earl who’s high-minded, rigid, and even obsessive about adhering to morals. When he ends up marrying a woman unable to write a character due to her beauty, unexpected events unfold.

 

In particular, the female protagonist, who is a countess, passionately expressed her ambitious goal to somehow seduce her husband and devour him whole in each chapter. And the opening story of the first night was a highlight.

[I’ve been waiting a long time, husband…… I’ll make sure to do it today. With such an attractive face, claiming to be pure until marriage doesn’t make sense.]

With those words, she swoops down on him in her skimpy lingerie.

And then he gets kicked away and spends the lonely early nights tied up in a blanket.

It’s a pretty funny story when summarized, but in reality, the level was so high that it was a very thrilling story that made readers bite their tongues without realizing it.

Ellie exclaimed as she showed this scene.

“This is what I’m aiming for, showing your true self!”

“Just so you know, I’m not going to fight, okay? It’s not like I have this idea that I’m supposed to be avoiding the first night.”

“Yes, but from what I’ve observed, Your Highness seemed quite influenced in that direction by the Duke. Am I right?”

“Well, I suppose so.”

“That’s why it’s times like these that you need to take the initiative! Your Highness, you have the power to wield, even against the Duke!”

“Me, against Walter?”

“Yes! Raise your hand and wave it around like this!”

“Like this!”

Before they knew it, Emma had also been captivated by Ellie’s theory and was chanting along with her from the side.

 

From her perspective, it didn’t matter who took the lead, because no matter what happened, it didn’t seem like there would be any trouble between the newlyweds.

And in that situation, is there any harm in Odette taking the lead.

Besides, Emma had been working for Ertmann for so long, so she secretly wanted to see it at least once.

To think that Walter, who treats even his grandfather as he pleases, could be swayed by his wife!

‘I must witness this!’

Emma and Ellie eagerly cheered Odette in this strange unity of purpose.

“You can command him, Your Highness!”

“We believe in you, Madam!”

And Odette responded.

“……Sh- should I?”

She was quite sensitive.

In particular, she likes the idea of being able to command Walter.

Why shouldn’t she realize she was the one being swayed?

She didn’t have any complaints, but she did want to take some control away from Walter at least once.

In the end, Odette approached the compartment where her undergarments were stored.

She carefully lifted the incredibly see-through lingerie with her fingertips.

“How about this…… Does it suit me?”

That’s how the early night suppression project began.