Chapter 10: Wedding Preparations (1)
It was impossible to win against someone who refused to listen.
At the dinner with the duke’s family, Aracila managed to claim victory by either interpreting their words in her own way or responding in a way that left them speechless.
She mainly used two tactics:
“The more you oppose us, the stronger our love burns.”
Whenever they hinted at disapproving of the marriage, she responded like this.
“So you’re saying you won’t see me after the wedding? I’ll gladly honor your wishes.”
Whenever they tried to nitpick her, she answered with a dejected expression.
Having utterly failed to gain the upper hand, the duke’s family eventually left the dining hall with exhausted expressions.
“I braced myself before coming, but how was it?”
Aracila’s eyes sparkled as she exchanged parting words with Damian, who had come to see her off.
In truth, just before entering the dining hall, she had overheard the duke’s family talking through a slightly open door.
When she heard them suggesting a marriage between Iris and Oscar, a chill ran down her spine, followed by a surge of fury.
How shameless can they be, trying to take my sister!
And so, she had engaged in the meal far more aggressively than she had initially planned.
“You did well. You seem to have a remarkable talent for leaving people at a loss for words.”
Damian genuinely praised her. Even he had never seen the duke’s family speechless so often.
Since childhood, he had always dealt with their absurd arguments alone. But having even one person on his side made a world of difference.
So this is what it means to have support.
Though, it helped that the person standing by his side was none other than the extraordinary Aracila Hugo.
Maybe this is why people live in groups.
He quietly observed Aracila’s expression, which was clearly lifted by his praise, and thought to himself.
He still preferred living alone, but maybe having one person around wouldn’t be so bad.
“I’ve never lost an argument in my life. If I may give you some advice, sometimes, to win a verbal battle, you have to abandon logic.”
“Indeed, Lady Hugo, you certainly spoke like an unbridled foal back there.”
“That’s the most insulting comparison I’ve ever heard in my life. Do you want to be headbutted by a foal?”
As Aracila narrowed her eyes at him, a carriage arrived behind her. Damian opened the door and bowed politely.
“I’ll have to decline. Have a safe trip back.”
“Sure, have a miserable evening.”
Aracila climbed into the carriage with Audrey, slamming the door shut.
Damian watched as the carriage, bearing the Hugo marquisate’s crest, disappeared into the distance before turning around.
As he ascended the marble steps, he paused when someone appeared at the top.
“Damian, do you think you can take what belongs to Oscar by doing this?”
The duchess looked down at her stepson with a cold gaze. Damian let out a small chuckle.
“Are you laughing? Don’t get ahead of yourself, Damian Vandemir. No matter what you do, you’re nothing but a loser!”
“For now, perhaps, Duchess.”
Damian climbed the stairs at a relaxed pace and stopped in front of her.
“But if I keep trying, perhaps one day I’ll be a victor—just like you. By taking what belongs to someone else.”
“You… you—!”
The duchess’s face turned bright red.
She had once been the best friend of the late duchess. But she had betrayed her friend, stolen her husband, and even had a child, eventually taking over after her friend’s death.
The duchess knew very well that Damian was throwing that in her face.
Why did he have to look so much like him…?
Her beloved son hadn’t inherited the looks of the man she loved, but the detestable Damian was his spitting image.
To make matters worse, his molten-gold eyes reminded her of the late duchess, which infuriated her even more.
“Well then, I have things to attend to.”
Damian nodded lightly before stepping past her and ascending the stairs. The duchess clenched her fists and glared at his broad back.
Damian Vandemir, do you think I’ll let you marry so easily?
She grit her teeth, her trembling fists revealing her determination.
The Vandemir duchy attempted every possible method to persuade the Hugo marquisate.
They offered gold and jewels, proposed lucrative business deals, and promised to fulfill any desire they had.
But the Hugo marquisate didn’t budge an inch.
Instead, following Aracila’s request, they directly informed the emperor about the marriage.
The emperor, hearing it not just from an individual but from the heads of both families, was delighted and summoned them both.
“Hoho, so the union between our two noble houses is finally happening. And it’s a love match, no less—what wonderful news. Congratulations, Duke and Marquis. Your second son and second daughter have found a great match.”
Stroking his long, white beard, the emperor smiled warmly.
He had been close friends with the late Duke Vandemir.
This was precisely why the current duke couldn’t simply nullify the marriage arrangement—because the emperor himself was upholding the late duke’s wishes.
“I shall personally attend the wedding. Once again, congratulations.”
And with that, Damian and Aracila’s marriage became official, forcing them to begin preparations immediately.
As they left the emperor’s presence, Duke Vandemir pulled Marquis Hugo aside.
“Marquis, I oppose this marriage. More precisely, I oppose my second son. Wouldn’t my eldest son, Oscar, be a better match?”
The duke, desperate and frantic, tried to persuade the marquis.
However, the marquis gently pushed his hand away and shook his head.
“My second daughter is best suited to your second son.”
After just one meal with Damian, he had realized something.
The only man who could match Aracila’s values in marriage was Damian.
“Then why not marry your eldest daughter to my eldest son instead? Damian has been a troublemaker since childhood—his wife had to endure so much that she eventually left to study abroad. Are you really okay with marrying your daughter to him?”
“Oh, I’m perfectly fine with it.”
“Why are you so fine with it—!”
The duke shouted, exasperated that the marquis wasn’t taking him seriously.
If Damian got married like this, it would be a disaster. But no matter who he spoke to in the Hugo family—father or daughter—none of them were willing to listen.
“Marquis, think carefully. As you know, marriage isn’t just about appearance.”
“My wife married me for my looks, though.”
The marquis, one of the rare nobles who had married for love, took the chance to brag with a grin.
His smile bore such a striking resemblance to Aracila’s that the duke felt his blood pressure spike.
“Your daughter might be different! So please, persuade her—”
The marquis placed a hand on the duke’s shoulder, his expression turning serious.
“Duke, I suppose you wouldn’t understand, having never raised a daughter yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“People say raising a daughter is easier than raising a son. But once a daughter sets her mind on something, no one can stop her.”
“Are you telling me that a child dares to disobey their father?”
“Rather than that, at twenty-one, whether it’s a son or a daughter, it’s time for them to live independently.”
The marquis chuckled heartily and gave the duke a light pat on the shoulder.
“Anyway, if it’s going to be a political marriage, wouldn’t it be better to have willing participants rather than forcing those who don’t want it?”
“But…”
“His Majesty has already given his approval, so let’s not waste any more breath. I’ll be on my way.”
The marquis strode off with a breezy smile, leaving the duke grinding his teeth in frustration.
Having failed in his last attempt to persuade the marquis, only one option remained.
He had to make Aracila Hugo abandon the marriage at all costs.
The wedding date for Aracila Hugo and Damian Vandemir was set with surprising speed.
The first reason was to prevent interference from the duke’s family.
The second? Both of them wanted to marry as quickly as possible—so they could divorce just as quickly.
“Aracila, isn’t getting married in a month too soon, no matter what?”
Iris, sitting on the bed and watching her younger sister prepare to go out, voiced her concern. Worry and unease were written all over her face.
“Why not? His Majesty even offered the Grand Temple as our wedding venue. If we can do it quickly, why drag it out?”
There was truly no reason to delay. The emperor had provided the venue, and everything else could be arranged with money.
Luckily, both families were wealthy enough to push the wedding forward at full speed without any setbacks.
“Still, a month is too fast.”
“Sister, our dear father managed to accept my marriage in a single day. A month is plenty of time.”
Aracila wasn’t oblivious to her sister’s reluctance to let her go.
But she remained resolute.
This was the only way to save her sister.
“Sorry, but I have a meeting with the duchess today. I need to get going.”
“Alright, Aracila.”
Iris adjusted Aracila’s slightly tilted hat and took her hand, giving her one last piece of advice.
“If the duchess says anything to you, don’t feel the need to respond to everything. Let some things slide if they’re bearable. And if her demands aren’t unreasonable, just
comply. That way, she won’t have a reason to latch onto you.”
Having heard from their parents that the duke’s family opposed the marriage, Iris was trying to help in any way she could.
Even though she was still reluctant about Aracila’s marriage, she wanted to support her.
“You want to get married quickly, right? Then be patient when necessary and don’t leave any room for trouble. Understand?”
“Yes, sister. Thank you. I’ll be back.”
After sharing a brief hug with Iris, Aracila left the house and headed toward a quiet coffeehouse.
Today, she was meeting the duchess to discuss the wedding.
She arrived right on time, but seeing the empty seat across from her, she decided to sit and wait.
Well, I was three minutes late when I first
met Sir Vandemir, so…
And so, she waited.
The duchess finally arrived—thirty minutes past their scheduled time.
“Hello, Duchess.”
“Nice to see you, Lady Hugo.”
Without so much as an apology, the duchess shamelessly took her seat across from her.
Aracila considered calling her out but remembered her sister’s advice and let it slide.
This was something she could overlook.
“The reason I called you here today is that I have something to give you.”
“For me?”
At the duchess’s signal, a maid stepped forward and handed over a thick envelope.
Aracila accepted it without a word.
It was surprisingly heavy—filled with an overwhelming number of documents.
“Read it now.”
“Alright.”
Inside were detailed records regarding the dowry and wedding gifts.
Jewels of every kind, extravagant dresses, even a brand-new mansion in the capital…
The sheer scale and cost left Aracila momentarily speechless.
At this point, isn’t the duchy less of a noble house and more of a gang extorting money?
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
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thanks for the chapters