Episode 81. Is He Angry?
Odette had come straight to the Crown Prince’s palace with Arnold’s help.
When she first heard the story from Arnold, Odette was skeptical about Cedric’s request.
Even though she was married to Walter, Odette had no intention of revealing her relationship with Cedric.
However, once Cedric returned and met Odette in a tumultuous manner, most people would likely suspect some kind of relationship between them.
At least Cedric and Walter are close friends, and Cedric knows that Odette hates being the center of commotion, so it seemed unlikely that an incident like this would be sold with Odette’s name in it.
Therefore, she planned to politely decline and ensure the situation was contained.
– Decline? That’s regrettable. His Highness will be disappointed.
– Please convey my apologies to His Highness. It’s too sudden to have a drink together, and I’m not sure what the matter is…….
– Hmm, I see. His Excellency Duke Ertmann was also at the Crown Prince’s palace. I suppose he wanted to see you both together, since you’re married.
– ……Walter is there?
And at that moment, the image of the smiling face painting flashed through Odette’s mind.
Along with it came the last warning from Duke Pavel and Cedric’s earnest letters trying to stop her from marrying Walter.
‘……Was I in trouble for holding the ceremony before my brother’s return?’
Did he think she disregarded and offended his request?
And is he taking out his anger on Walter?!
Odette’s imagination, fueled by her lack of understanding of the situation, spiraled out of control.
She even imagining Walter hanging upside down and being beaten, and it was only then that she had the courage to leave the front door.
She hurriedly ran, worried that Walter might indeed be under pressure.
“…… brother Cedric? Walter?”
As she opened the door, what she saw was Walter’s hand gripping firmly onto Cedric’s collar.
Only then did Odette feel that all her imagination was shattered and she realized one thing.
In most situations, Walter was someone she didn’t need to worry about…….
“W-what is going on here……?”
Unlike Odette, who was shaking in shock, the two remained calm.
“It’s been a while, Odette.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”
Cedric, who was released from Walter’s hand as if nothing had happened, straightened his clothes and smiled.
“It’s not uncommon to find someone who dares to grab the prince’s collar. I felt a little bit choked and my life was in danger, but I’m fine.”
“Don’t worry, His Highness has always enjoyed the tension of life and death situations.”
“Haha, it seems like the Duke has lost his mind a bit since earlier. How about we put him in the ward and have a drink together, Odette? I feel like we have a lot to talk about.”
“Unfortunately, Your Highness, that won’t be possible. My wife and I are planning to leave immediately.”
With that, Walter held out his hand to Odette.
But Odette didn’t take it.
For some reason, Odette wore a slightly hurt expression, which caused Walter to raise an eyebrow inquisitively.
“……Odette?”
“……Walter, I came here worried about you. I was afraid that my brother might cause you trouble.”
“I was indeed in trouble. If you hadn’t come, I would have surely smacked that face.”
“And then you would have been arrested for assaulting a member of the royal family?”
Odette sighed and furrowed her brow.
“Don’t be rude to my brother.”
“…… Are you defending him now?”
“I’m asking you to show the proper respect. I don’t care if you’re rude to me, but he’s not just anyone.”
At the sight of Walter holding Cedric by the throat, Odette’s mind raced through a million scenarios.
Knowing Walter’s usual reckless behavior, the fact that he grabbed Cedric’s collar wasn’t particularly surprising.
What shook Odette was the realization that Cedric, someone known for his connections, could easily brush off such an incident with a smile.
‘Especially when our estate is already under control for disrespecting the nobility.’
What if Walter’s disrespect Cedric and worsen the situation?
The image of the smiling face from Cedric’s letter, described as the final warning, kept flashing through Odette’s mind.
Since Odette could not even dream of the fact that Cedric cared for her, the thought suddenly occurred to her that both Walter and herself might end up in Cedric’s hands if they were not careful.
No, even if she was safe due to her blood ties, Walter might not be as fortunate.
‘Because Walter is…… Ertmann.’
Ertmann, a high-ranking noble family often exaggeratedly described as having nowhere higher to climb within the Empire.
At the same time, a family that suffered extinction once in the previous generation and earned the Emperor’s hatred.
Given Walter’s association with the Ertmanns, if he were to incur the wrath of the royal family again, it would be difficult for him to obtain a second chance for salvation.
So, for Odette, there was nothing more terrifying than the current situation where harm could be Walter’s death.
‘I’m just glad I’m not too late…….’
She sighed and then spoke up.
“Walter, I’ll talk to my brother and then return, so you should go back first. The estate’s restrictions should have been lifted by the time I come back, so you’ll be able to enter.”
Walter’s face contorted, but Odette did not comfort him.
Right now, the priority was to prevent Cedric from harming Walter and the Ertmann family.
“Brother, I’ll apologize on behalf of Walter for his rudeness. Walter, I’ll see you later.”
However, there was no response.
“……Walter?”
Out of curiosity, Odette called Walter once more, and only then did he turn around.
Click. The sound of the door latch echoed faintly as it turned.
Before stepping out of the room, Walter added.
“I’ll see you again when we’re done, Cedric. I think I have some conversation to share with you as well.”
As Odette said, it was a declaration that she would not return to the mansion.
The problem wasn’t the words, but the chilling coldness of the voice.
Odette unconsciously narrowed her eyebrows slightly at the familiar voice.
It was a tone she had heard before.
‘That voice…….’
It’s definitely the same tone she heard when Walter grabbed Russell by the collar..
So that means…….
‘……Walter, are you angry?’
* * *
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find any fault in himself.
That was the conclusion he had reached after careful consideration.
‘Cedric, none of this would have happened if it weren’t for that bastard.’
How dare he bring Odette by his side and mutter about taking her away as if she were some trivial thing of his?
Of course, Walter was aware that he had fallen for Cedric’s provocation too easily.
If it had been someone else saying the same thing, Walter wouldn’t have been this angry.
No, it was more like agitation than anger.
Cedric’s words had unsettled him.
‘It’s entirely possible with that guy Cedric.’
Not because Cedric is the Crown Prince, but because he is the only family Odette has ever loved.
Arnold cannot force Odette to divorce, but with Cedric’s persuasion, it might be possible.
‘Odette never really wanted this marriage in the first place…….’
If my dear brother-in-law were to say a few words, she might easily yield and agree to annul the marriage.
Walther was shaken by that fact.
Especially considering Odette’s appears in such a situation, admonishing Walter not to be rude to his brother-in-law.
Walter feel uneasy.
No, it wasn’t technically uncomfortable, but the judgment felt distorted and filled with curses.
‘Don’t be rude to him?’
It’s like, ‘No matter what Cedric does, he’s my brother, and I’m going to fight back’.
Odette’s demeanor proved to him that he could never be what he was to her like Cedric does.
‘No, that’s the way it should be.’
Walter was just someone she had chosen to avoid an unwanted marriage, while Odette had built a long-standing bond with Cedric.
Above all, Walter knew very well that Odette was having a bit of a hard time with him.
‘Perhaps she doesn’t like me.’
And he considered that a good thing.
Since he was going to leave anyway, there was no need to unnecessarily get closer to Odette and make things difficult for her.
But…….
‘…… It seems like I’ve become foolishly hopeful.’
After spending a few days with Odette as if they were truly a newlywed couple deeply in love, he found himself unwittingly deluding himself.
Perhaps Odette also harbored some feelings for him.
Perhaps her willingness and the time they spent together showed some truth after all.
‘How stupid.’
It was his idea from the start to demand Odette to love him.
Of course, it was out of fear that Odette might fall in love with Louis and walk the path of destruction, but he couldn’t deny his personal desires.
Odette was faithfully fulfilling the terms of the contract.
But it was pathetic that he could not be satisfied with that and kept wanting more.
The lingering anxiety and the noisy anger that refused to settle seemed to represent his foolishness, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
‘If this continues, I might think I want to live longer.’
Walter leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes.
A furrow appeared between the straight eyebrows.
The familiar ache in his heart was getting deeper by the day.
‘Is this what it means to have misfortune instead.’
The more Odette’s name became a household word and her life stabilized, the more persistent Walter’s ‘misfortune’ became.
At some point, he vaguely felt that his end was near.
Perhaps just crossing this year would be the end of it.
So, Walter needed to make sure to die before then.
It would be more nutritious for him to be dead before then than to be unnecessarily jealous of his wife’s blood relatives.
‘Odette will be spending time with Cedric anyway.’
It would be good to have something to confirm during this time or to keep an eye on.
He happened to see something on the way here from the Imperial Palace.
The moment when Walter was about to take a step to restore his memories.
“Walter!”
A familiar voice stopped him.
It was Odette.
