16. This Marriage Is Invalid!
“Do not cry.”
She was embarrassed by her sudden crying, but instead of asking questions, Jillian comforted her by gently wiping the tears under her eyes.
“You’ve just got yourself together and woke up, so you shouldn’t overdo it.”
Oh my god.
He was so kind that I couldn’t believe that was reason he told me not to cry.
But even more so, if the tears didn’t stop, would he be able to understand?
I needed to stop quickly, but as soon as I realized I’m crying, the tears came out even more.
Bianca was constantly rubbing and wiping away the water that was coming out of her eyes, as if she had a breakdown.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
I tried to look at his expression, but in my vision, he was covered in golden light, so I couldn’t see his expression properly.
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden…”
‘It’s too vulgar to be just for attention.’
The etiquette teacher criticized Bianca’s tears to no end.
‘How dare you!’
The Emperor and crown prince were angry, saying this was not permitted.
So, ever since Bianca grew up, she has never cried in front of others.
But, I did something like that in front of Jillian.
I couldn’t believe I couldn’t stop!
Then Bianca didn’t wipe her tears away anymore and quickly covered her face.
“Soon..”
I’ll stop soon.
Panting, her whispering were muffled under her palms and came out like moans.
What should I do now?
Should I cover my mouth?
Either that or……
Bianca panicked.
There was a time when my thoughts were so chaotic that they came out violently.
It was Jillian’s apology that calmed her down.
“I’m sorry, Madam.”
Bianca removed her hand covering her face at the unexpected sound and looked up at him.
Her face was soaked, and tears were still flowing non-stop.
However, Jillian did not frown or scold even when he saw the tears.
“I upset you, right? I was wrong.”
Instead, he apologized, saying it was his fault for her crying.
I didn’t hear it wrong.
At that time, I was just looking at Jillian in a dazed mood.
“Sorry.”
“…….”
Jillian slowly extended his hand as if asking for permission and brushed the corner of Bianca’s eye.
What I encountered was neither a hard face nor a cold gaze.
All that touched Bianca was a soft, downy hand.
While he was looking at me as if I was fascinated, the tears that had not yet flowed disappeared completely into his hands.
“I was wrong, Madam.”
Both the panting and the tears flew away as if vaporized by his apology.
“I was wrong, Madam.”
Although he was smiling faintly, Jillian’s expression was extremely serious.
“Jillian…….”
He was originally like this.
He was so kind that he forgot my situation, and was incredibly friendly.
It was so unconditional that it could not be understood through common sense.
“Do not cry.”
But, I swear it wasn’t like this at first.
Bianca clearly remembered how he reacted the first time he saw her tears.
It seemed like it was going to get me frustrated, so I asked him to stop.
He lifted the corner of his mouth and smiled, making the face of this man so handsome that it took my breath away.
Thanks to that, I was even frustrated without even knowing the reason.
Clearly, back then, he had enough leisure to pretend to be sly.
But now he is different.
It would be better if just smiled and be okay like I did when I left the imperial castle.
But at first glance, the sight of him bowing down and saying it was his fault, without even asking why, seemed desperate.
Why…..
“Do not cry. I will do a little better.”
However, Bianca could not ask why until the end.
It was because Jillian, who was admitted ‘his sins’, looked so pained even though he was smiling.
‘Sorry!’
My eyes suddenly closed as I heard a whispering sound like a spell.
***
“I guess it’s strange…?”
At these words, the hands of the deputies who were bustling around stopped as if they had become stiff.
“What?”
“Termina.”
Izar was resting his chin and making a sad expression, but the lieutenants who attended him nearby knew that Izar was sharper than ever.
Every time he slowly blinked, the pitch-black eyes hidden between his long eyelashes repeatedly appeared and disappeared.
“They may be ruthless, but they are brighter than anyone else in calculating.”
Ten golden chests.
In the land of Izar, there was an inexhaustible gold mine.
Gold was nothing to Izar, but not to others.
In addition, Izar’s gold was of high purity and had a unique softness, making its value unrivaled.
Therefore, his chests of gold were truly enormous.
Izar remembered the Emperor of Termina, who acted as if he would send Bianca away with the ten golden chests at any moment.
It was Izar Kartan who rejected it.
It was him.
He was afraid that Kartan’s queen will look like she was sold for money.
He was afraid that his reputation as the Golden Kartan will be tarnished.
He hoped that Bianca, who was more brilliant than anyone else, will become a complete Kartan.
It was a year of waiting.
There was no way that he, the head of a country, was unaware of the treatment Bianca Termina received.
A poor princess who was born by eating the Empress and earned her father’s hatred.
The ransom for such a princess was ten chests of Kartan gold.
No one will be able to touch Bianca.
That wasn’t all.
There was a custom of ‘Kartan’ giving a ‘gift’ when going to meet the bride.
The gift was a sign of respect and love from the groom to the bride.
But the groom was none other than Izar.
A man with the Kartan of Abundance.
No one can even guess how brilliantly he will prepare for his bride.
Emperor Termina was no fool.
But he gave up on all that?
That wonderful opportunity to sell off Bianca, whom he hates more than a thorn in his eyes, for such a high price?
Crackling.
Izar’s fingers tapped the armrest with great rhythm as he rested his chin.
This was his habit when he was lost in thought, and it was also his habit when he was very angry.
The adjutants in the barracks all held their breath and narrowed their eyes at each other.
It was after a few glances were exchanged.
Among the subordinates, the one who had served Izar the longest sighed softly and opened his mouth.
“Izar, I have something to tell you. Please accept it.”1Did he just say Izar without a title, that’s strange…
“Speak.”
Crack.
The tip of his fingernail fell with a heavy sound, as if striking the wooden armrest.
Crack.
“There were no lies in Prince Termina’s story.”
“………”
“However, there was something he forgot to tell Izar.”
“What is it?”
He made it sound too kind.
Could it be that the young snake cub had forgotten?
It must have been hidden.
Izar twisted his lips wickedly and laughed.
Crack.
His hand movements became a little more erratic.
“It is said that Termina sent a marriage proposal to the Duke of Baloch, and the duke responded to the proposal.”
“However?”
The fact that he recited a story he clearly knew in an old-fashioned way clearly meant that there was a twist prepared for him.
However, Izar was in such a bad mood right now that he didn’t even want to wait that little bit.
They say there was gold in Kartan, but there was iron in Termina.
That was why Izar quietly retreated even after losing his promised bride.
Because iron was definitely needed.
But why be patient in this situation?
When he urged him angrily, Salvar, who was kneeling in front of him, spoke in a whisper.
“The name written in the marriage proposal was Bianca Termina.”
“So?”
“There is no royal family member named Bianca Termina.”
“If Bianca Termina is not a royal, then what is she?”
What is this nonsense.
Izar raised an eyebrow.
Although Salvar must have seen an expression of displeasure, instead of just giving a calm explanation, he even smiled slightly.
“Izar. Princess Bianca was already removed from the royal family a month ago.”
Izar, who had been sprawled out on a chair with a grumpy look, bounced up and stood up.
“She is not a princess?”
“I think he probably erased her name because he thought she would die at the hands of the Duke.”
Apart from using the her as a sacrifice to calm down the raging monster, it may have been done out of arrogance, not wanting to set a precedent that ‘Baloch’ had caused harm to ‘Termina’.
Izar crossed his arms and said nothing.
“……”
The sinner Bianca have been erased without leaving any trace.
It’s literally a death sentence.
No one would dare to think of looking into the imperial family, so the Baloch Duke would not know.
Termina would be able to use this as an opportunity to completely exploit Baloch, so it would not have been a loss-making business even if he had lost the ten golden chests and did not received Izar’s gift.
“But Bianca Termina, or rather Bianca, survived and headed to the North…?”
Izar, who was muttering to himself, asked Salvar again.
“Who else knows this?”
“A month ago, the chamberlain of the Emperor’s palace slipped and fell on the stairs.”
“He must be dead.”
Salvar bowed his head deeply.
It’s an interesting enough story.
But that was it.
It was Baloch who was fortunate not to fall into the trap prepared by the insidious, but it had nothing to do with Izar, who lost his bride.
“Ha ha…”
You’re the lucky one.
Izar got upset again and almost threw himself on his chair.
Maybe he should have secretly told the snakes of Termina what he had prepared as a gift.
No matter how much he thought about it, his irritation never subsides and he just ended up feeling regretful.
Izar had not forgotten what the Empress Dowager had whispered.
‘Your Majesty, you must take Termina’s daughter as your bride!’
‘Did the rumor that she were the best in the empire make your mother’s heart flutter? Kartan’s daughters are as beautiful as flowers!’
‘Your Majesty, is it possible that this is the only reason?’
The Empress Dowager folded her eyes and smiled.
Decades ago, she was beautiful enough to be called the Star of Kartan, and even now that her hair has turned gray, her beauty has not faded.
On the contrary, it may have even become more noble with the passage of time adding to its maturity.
Izar, who grew up with such a person as his mother, did not like anyone until he was well past adulthood.
That’s why he just thought that the mother’s sudden comment about Princess Bianca was because she was the best international beauty.
But that wasn’t his mother’s only reason.
‘It is said that the archbishop of Termina once referred to the princess as ‘the one who has been waiting for a long time’!’
‘There was even a rumor that it was because the archbishop of Termina had become senile!’
‘They could make jokes too!’
The Empress Dowager, who had a disgusted expression on her face as if she had heard a bad joke, gently patted the back of Izar’s hand.
‘You take her with you when those idiots don’t know better, Your Majesty!’
His mother, smiling brightly, was infinitely beautiful.
The Princess Bianca I met like that was indeed as beautiful as the rumors, or even more beautiful than the rumors.
She was so beautiful that anyone would be captivated by her, and even Izar thought it wouldn’t matter if the oracle was false.
“Hmmm…”
Why do I feel this annoyed?
Am I sad about missing my favorite face after a long time?
It is rare to find a woman as beautiful as the princess, so the Duke of Baloch really won by taking her as a bride…
It was at that time that Izar’s face, which had been laughing at the meaningless thoughts, suddenly became cold.
“Salvar!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“The duke signed the marriage proposal from the imperial family?”
“Yes.”
Izar shouted, bursting out in laughter at Salvar’s immediate answer.
“This marriage is invalid!”
***
TL:
There are still 6 chapters..
