Episode 79. Cedric’s Return
No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed like that dream was ruining her.
Otherwise, how could she keep having these foolish thoughts?
It’s even more awkward because Walter was quite affectionate.
‘He probably doesn’t even love me.’
Even in this situation, Odette’s judgment remained clear.
Walter was indeed a better husband than she had anticipated. Especially since he had honored the terms of their contract.
If anyone saw what Walter did to Odette, they would say he was a husband who really loved his wife.
He spent most of his time in the mansion with Odette, and even in the presence of his servant, he would spare her small gestures of affection, such as kissing her on the cheek or the bridge of her nose.
He was so passionate about the role that he made Odette feel a sense of crisis and deliberately hugged Walter.
But that doesn’t mean Walter really loves Odette.
‘That’s not the case.’
Odette remembered asking Walter before they got married.
– Do you love me, Duke Ertmann?
And Walter just frowned.
It was the kind of rejection that would embarrass anyone who asked the question.
If Odette hadn’t immediately interrupted the conversation, the atmosphere would have become quite awkward.
The problem is that Walter’s attitude towards her didn’t change in the slightest after that.
‘He’s always been the same.’
If he had changed, Odette would have noticed.
So Odette realizes that Walter’s heart hasn’t changed since the beginning.
That he couldn’t possibly love her.
‘And here I am, getting swayed by these foolish dreams.’
She feels incompetent, to say the least.
But upon reflection, the situation hadn’t actually worsened.
‘Maybe I’m actually doing quite well in fulfilling the terms of the contract.’
After all, the contract terms were originally about to love Walter.
It just changed from pretending to love him to admitting she couldn’t.
So there was only one thing that was bothering Odette.
‘Do I really love Walter?’
Or is it just a dream that makes her feel this way?
In her troubled state of mind, went as far as retrieving the contract she had written before marriage.
The concise and matter-of-fact words strangely helped calm her mind.
At least until she read this line.
[To love only Walter Ertmann.]
It was written as an obligation that Odette had to fulfill in the contract.
Beneath it, as if in opposition to the conditions, the obligations Walter had to fulfill were written.
[To love only Odette Benoit Celestine.]
Looking at these conditions side by side, Odette couldn’t help but chuckle.
It almost seemed like a document written by young children promising everlasting love to each other.
It wouldn’t have seemed that way if it weren’t for the other clauses, which were far from childish.
Odette smiled and turned the page again.
If there’s one thing she noticed right away after reading up to this point, it was that the contract was much more detailed than she thought.
‘Of course, I knew it because I looked it over when I signed the contract.’
At the time, Odette was so focused on arguing with Walter that she didn’t really read beyond the terms of the contract.
But now, what was written behind it is incredible.
For example, there were eight clauses detailing Odette’s rights as Ertmann’s hostess, and even in the section where it mentioned Odette’s claim to Ertmann’s property, which included a lengthy list of how much it was worth.
Odette’s eyes widened, and she sat upright, having been skimming through it so casually.
‘Hey, this was written by Walter, right?’
Some of the clauses seemed so biased towards Odette that one might think it was a contract she made to exploit Walter.
Especially the sections labeled as Odette’s rights spanned over three pages, while Walter’s rights were summarized in just one line.
[Walter Ertmann has the rights as the legal spouse of Odette Benoit Celestine.]
What do you mean, ‘the rights’?
It was such a vague expression compared to the meticulous detailing of Odette’s rights earlier.
‘I can’t believe I didn’t know about this when I signed the contract.’
If she had known, Odette would have definitely asked for Walter’s rights to be written down as well.
She wasn’t the type to take advantage of situations for her own benefit alone.
However…….
– Let’s keep the conditions like this, and as for these back pages…….
– Sign here. The back page is just a more detailed version of the front page, so you can read it later.
– Ah, I see. Alright.
…… Walter interrupts.
Of course, what he said wasn’t entirely wrong.
In fact, the clauses were all in the front, and the back pages were there to define in more detail what the meaning and content correspond to.
It’s just that the ‘details’ are a little different.
‘I guess I’ll have to go over these parts again later.’
There was one part that particularly bothered her.
The part about inheritance.
‘They even went as far as to mark it with the family seal to ensure its validity within the family.’
The content of the clause was simpler than expected.
[If Walter Ertmann remains missing for more than three months, all property in Walter Ertmann’s name will be transferred to Odette Benoit Celestine.]
[After Walter Ertmann’s death, Ertmann has a duty to protect Odette Benoit Celestine, and from the moment Walter Ertmann’s death is confirmed, Odette Benoit Celestine has all the rights she can exercise as Ertmann’s mistress. Obligation is permanently lost.]
Although the content was somewhat harsh, it was harmless to Odette.
Especially the part about permanently losing all rights and obligations as the mistress of Ertmann after Walter’s death meant that no one could force her to fulfill those duties as the mistress of Ertmann.
In other noble families, when the husband passed away and the mistress was left alone, it was common for other members of the family to pressure her as a widow, preventing her from remarrying or leaving the family estate.
This clause was supposed to protect Odette from that.
On the face of it, there shouldn’t be any problem.
‘This is the only part of the clause that clearly spells out the name.’
Most of the other clauses used words like ‘spouse’ and ‘other’ that could apply to both parties.
However, only in this clause was the name written particularly clear.
The death or disappearance of Walter Ertmann.
‘Why not just say “the death of the spouse”?’
It was even more puzzling considering that the person who wrote this document was Walter.
It’s like…….
‘…… It looks like someone who was about to die left a will.’
It was too uncomfortable to just ignore.
In the midst of her perplexity, there was a sudden noise.
Thud!
Odette raised her head at the familiar sound.
“Ah!”
And a feeling of warmth washed over her features.
Through the half-open window, Odette’s white bird was flapping its wings.
It was the bird she had sent to Cedric.
Odette put down the contract with a smile, walked over to the bird, and untied the letter from its leg.
‘But my brother said he’d be back soon.’
Was he writing this to tell me when he was coming back?
With an excited heart, Odette opened the note.
But what she found inside was not what she expected.
Well, the formal greetings and affectionate tone at the beginning were as she knew them.
The problem is what was below them.
[After returning to the capital after a while, I feel a sense of quiet and unfamiliarity. Perhaps it’s because the faces I was accustomed to seeing at the palace are no longer there. I’ll make time soon to spend with you, even if it’s just for a cup of tea. It might help alleviate the lingering sadness of my absence. Take care, and see you soon.]
The blood drained from Odette’s hand as she held the note.
The contents were concerning, but what frightened her the most was the small drawing at the end.
The smiley face.
Odette had only seen it once before.
It was during a time not long after Cedric had left, when she had briefly visited Duke Pavel to deliver a message.
She saw Duke Pavel throw up his hands in visible frustration when he received Cedric’s letter.
And at the end of the letter…… there’s a smiley face.
In the end, the Duke of Pavel sent Odette away in despair.
– I’m sorry, Your Highness. We will check what you brought later. For now, I must first resolve what His Highness the Crown Prince has requested…….
– I don’t mind, but…… Is it that serious? I looked at the letter and it didn’t seem so dire.
In response to Odette’s question, Duke Pavel rubbed his gray brow and explained.
– Your Highness may not be aware, but in society, such drawings are often used to convey a hidden message: ‘Speak nicely with a smiling face.’
– This is…… practically a warning. It’s like trying to salvage spilled water…… to make someone disciplined as a new recruit.
How on earth could Brother Cedric turn his maternal grandfather into such a disciplined recruit?
Odette kept the curiosity that suddenly occurred to her and soon forgot about it.
At least until this moment.
‘Cedric sent me a warning?’
Panic surged through Odette’s spine.
She immediately pulled the string, called Emma, and prepared to go to the Imperial Palace.
But it wasn’t Emma who opened the door.
“Madam!”
“…… Philip? What’s the matter all of a sudden?”
“Something urgent has come up!”
The stern-faced butler had an unusually anxious expression on his face.
After all, what happened just now was not an ordinary incident.
Even for someone as experienced as Phillip, this was unprecedented.
“The- the imperial army has lay siege to Duke Ertmann’s residence!”
“……What? That’s not possible. Only the Emperor or the Crown Prince, Brother Cedric…….”
Odette muttered with a furrowed brow, then suddenly fell silent.
She glanced back in the direction the bird had flown.
Exactly in the direction where the Imperial Palace is.
No way…….
‘……Cedric’s brother?’
