I Would Rather Marry The Black Beast Than Become an Empress

“Episode 28”

Veronica came quickly to check on Aris’s condition.
“Hmm, surprisingly… I guess it’s because I took breaks on the way here.”
She had even taken a long nap today. In the kingdom, showing such behavior would have earned her a scolding from the queen, but now she felt a rare sense of freedom.
“Veronica.”
“Yes?”
“Marriage has its advantages, doesn’t it?”
Seeing Aris speak with an innocent expression, Veronica couldn’t help but smile.
“Shall we head back to your bedroom now? Oh, by the way, Lady Rita said she has prepared a night snack in case the Grand Duke stops by.”
“Really?”
Aris tried to respond as naturally as possible. People would assume that they had spent their first night together without any issues.
“But it’s quite late after the dinner banquet…”
“His Highness is often too busy with work to have dinner, so he sometimes has a night snack instead.”
“I see.”
It seemed Rita’s improvised explanation was working well.
“First, let’s go back and change clothes.”
“Yes.”
Veronica escorted Aris down the long hallway. The stately Grand Duke’s residence still felt new and dignified to her. The elegance and majesty of the place increasingly appealed to her, in a way that the Leon Palace couldn’t match.
“The Grand Duke’s residence is reminiscent of the old Leon Palace.”
“The old?”
“Yes. Many things changed after Lady Miranda, the current queen, arrived.”
“Then, when my mother was here… was it different?”
“Yes. It was similar to here. It wasn’t excessive but elegant.”
Hearing this, Aris felt a greater sense of affinity for the Grand Duke’s residence. Her mother’s keepsakes, which retained a noble elegance rather than opulence, really matched the atmosphere of this place.
“Indeed. The Leon Palace is so overcrowded with decorations that it feels suffocating, and the Imperial Palace is so extravagantly bright that it dazzles the eyes. …I like the Grand Duke’s residence the most.”
“The Imperial Palace?”
Veronica asked, puzzled.
“It’s so dazzling there. I just…”
As she continued, Aris suddenly stopped herself. She had to be careful with her words. Aris, as she was now, had never been to the Imperial Palace.
“Well, I saw it in a court painter’s sketchbook. Every paint seemed to have gold in it, making it incredibly bright and luxurious, which felt a bit overwhelming.”
“Oh, right. I’ve heard it’s extremely extravagant too. They say every place is adorned with gold, don’t they?”
“Oh… really? I didn’t know that.”
Fortunately, it seemed Veronica hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Aris resolved to be more careful with her words in the future. The vivid memories of encountering Patrick unexpectedly were causing her more distress. In silent contemplation, Aris returned to her bedroom.
“The night snack is already here.”
On the table, a silver tray held several meticulously prepared finger foods. There was milk, a tea pot, and even wine. The person who had prepared this had paid great attention to detail.
“Lady Rita said if you feel tired, you should let her know. Then, His Highness would rest separately.”
Upon hearing that, Aris realized even the candle placed beside the silver tray had been thoughtfully chosen. Its gentle fragrance was intended to ease her fatigue. Every detail mirrored Ricard’s consideration. Remembering him, the way he held her hand and confessed his feelings, her thoughts drifted with the flickering candlelight.
“Would you like to change into your nightclothes?”
Watching the flickering candle, Aris shook her head.
“Having taken a nap, I can’t sleep at night.”
Sensing her mood, Veronica immediately bowed her head.
“Please take your time to rest.”
“Okay.”
Aris turned away from Veronica, her cheeks inexplicably flushed. Soon, she heard the distinct heavy sound of the bedroom door closing. She felt she would grow accustomed to this sound.
“…He should be here soon, right?”
The awkwardness had not completely disappeared yet. But thinking that Ricard would come to see her made her restless. Aris walked towards the mirrored room attached to the bedroom. She fixed her lipstick, smudged from eating, until it was perfect. She was satisfied with the way her platinum blonde hair was neatly styled.
“This is…”
Ah
Aris’s fingers lingered on the pearl necklace. There was one thing she hadn’t asked Ricard about, even up until their wedding.
“Alright, let’s take this off.”
She wondered if Ricard would notice the sparkle on the nape of her neck again tonight. Her heart began to race a little.
“He said it sparkled in the greenhouse.”
On the first night, her hair had been let down and brushed smoothly, so her neck wouldn’t have been visible. But tonight, her hair was all pinned up, leaving her delicate neck exposed.
“I need to check again.”
If he really could see the fragment, he would undoubtedly notice the sparkle that was impossible to miss.
“Is he really my destiny?”
In the mirror, Aris’s lips, tinted with pink lipstick, whispered. Her slender fingers touched the nape of her neck. She could still see the tiny, sharp fragment embedded just below her neck, glimmering.
‘I used a bloodstone. That’s why he can see it.’
The late Queen Sophia had said this. The stone Aris had used to turn back time and cheat death was a dragon’s bloodstone, and its power was no illusion.
“It’s all true.”
Aris still vividly remembered the day she had slashed her neck with that bloodstone.
“That fragment must still be there.”
Even though she had turned back time, the fragment in her neck hadn’t disappeared. It was proof that Aris had indeed come from another time. Sophia had the same mark on her wrist. The dragon’s bloodstone was real.
“His Grace is arriving!”
At the call of the chamberlain, Aris hurried back to the bedroom. The spacious room had a massive bed by the window and separate areas partitioned with tapestries, furnished with a table, long sofa, and chairs.
“Oh.”
In this opulent space that hardly seemed like a bedroom, Aris momentarily felt unsure of where to go. But before she could decide where to greet him, she heard the heavy door of the bedroom opening. She had a feeling she would soon become accustomed to this sound.