Come and Cry at My Funeral - Chapter 16
‘Did my husband burn it?’
Or was it just thrown away, too insignificant even to keep…
“This time must be different.”
It had to be.
Freesia quietly stared at the numbers on the back of the button.
340.
The countdown to her lifespan was ticking down every day.
But this was just the beginning.
This time, she would be remembered as ‘a useful wife’, and ‘a duchess not to be ashamed of’.
And at the very least, in front of her death, that man would shed a tear for her.
Definitely.
***
All the while Izar was leaving the bridal chamber, his heart was boiling with indignation.
In Celestica, the gap between the ruling class and the domain’s people was as vast as the sky and earth. From the perspective of the ruling class, marrying someone like Freesia was akin to being forced to bed with an animal.
‘Even if she is indeed the daughter of the Antares family, a bastard child?’
To be thrown upon him, the master of the Arcturus Duchy?
Izar had led the domain since he was ten until now, at twenty-three, and to endure such an insult was unbearable.
“That shepherd woman…”
Izar glared angrily at the door of the bridal chamber from the hallway.
‘To what extent can I trust what she says?’
Considering she secretly informed him of the Antares’ scheme, it seemed she wanted to emphasize she was not in league with her family.
But who knows?
Even her actions could be calculated.
With the Emperor involved, nothing could be taken at face value.
Yet, what was truly irksome about that woman wasn’t just the tiresome situation of the family.
“…Does she have no pride?”
To remain so composed in the face of her husband’s declaration of, ‘You have no rights as a wife.’
And her most audacious request was merely, ‘Look after me when I’m sick’?
Izar clenched his teeth, feeling a sense of defeat seeping in.
“Where does she get off with such nonsense?”
Despite the worst relations with the imperial family, Arcturus was still a distinguished noble house.
It was impossible for someone marrying into such a family not to harbor any ambitions.
‘Either she has no pride, or she’s scheming to worm her way into a man’s heart.’
Izar had no intention of falling for either tactic. As he entered his office, his retainers, wearing grave expressions, stood up to greet him.
Immediately, complaints and frustrations erupted.
“Milord!”
“How dare they deceive in such a sacred marriage ceremony…!”
“We cannot let Antares get away with this. This is a matter that calls for a declaration of war between domains!”
Izar had warned them in advance, so they had all held back. The retainers were also nursing their disappointment and humiliation.
They had expected the Duke to receive glory for saving the capital from the monsters.
But now, they had been hindered yet again.
Some even harbored the troubling thought that perhaps the position of ‘lady of the house’ in this family was cursed.
Charles, twisting his lips in dismay, spoke up.
“Milord, what excuse did Antares make for this?”
“They say they had no choice, it was the Emperor’s command. Predictable.”
Izar mocked, recalling his ‘father-in-law’s’ excuses.
Before coming to the manor, how disgustingly that shameless man had behaved.
〈It was His Majesty’s command, what could I do… As His Majesty said, once I found my daughter, I had to send her off as she was the eldest!〉
Charles nodded reluctantly and asked,
“Then, Milord, what do you plan to do about the… Ducal Lady?”
“I will not consummate the marriage with that woman.”
“……!”
In Celestica, a marriage not consummated could be nullified.
For now, they couldn’t act outright due to the imperial family, however…
“I need to find an excuse to send her back whenever possible.”
With a suitable pretext, he would expel her back to Antares.
The retainers all breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Charles lamented,
“Still, Elder Madam Electra will be furious…”
All the retainers nodded in agreement, their mouths sealed shut.
After Izar’s mother ran away, his father reluctantly married a woman from a vassal household. But as the title ‘Former Duchess Arcturus’ reminded them of Izar’s mother, the retainers addressed the new wife, Electra, as the ‘Elder Madam’.
Electra had fallen ill with a contagious fever just before the ceremony, recovered but stayed behind, not accompanying them to the capital this time. Considering her temperament, this was a blessing in disguise.
Had she been there, the illegitimate ducal lady would likely have been grabbed by the hair and forced to kneel. Once they returned to the domain, trouble was bound to erupt soon.
And would anyone really stand up for that illegitimate ducal lady?
Izar massaged his temples, voicing his frustration.
“Then she’ll have to deal with it herself.”
Perhaps it would be easier for everyone if she ran away?
Then, he could blame everything on the Antares family.
Charles nodded but pressed on with another question.
“However, Milord, I was surprised you remembered the face of the shep… ahem, Ducal Lady.”
“…….”
“Have you been close to her in the domain?”
