I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 14
“What nonsense are they…”
“Wait a moment!”
I stopped Cassion, who was about to burst through the door, and listened carefully.
Somewhere in the middle of the original story, there is an incident at a royal banquet where the Second Prince’s bloodline is attacked. But that time is still far off, yet such words are already circulating under the surface?
“Asilia…?”
“Shh.”
‘Hasn’t the Second Prince always enjoyed mingling without regard for status?’
‘Hmm. Even if he associates with commoners, if he’s not of royal blood, it would cause a huge uproar…’
“Huh.”
I let out a sigh of disbelief. Are such rumors really circulating just because the people he associates with are of lower status, without any concrete evidence? Of course, the source of the rumors must be the Empress and the First Prince.
Bang-
“?!”
“Oh my, excuse us. We didn’t realize there were guests inside.”
Thinking there was no point in listening further to such baseless gossip, I opened the door. The faces of the people huddled together whispering turned pale.
Surprisingly, those gathered were not neutral or First Prince supporters, but nobles who had been supporting the Second Prince.
“Y-Your Grace, the Duke.”
They trembled, afraid that Cassion, who was glaring behind me, might have heard their words. Such little courage and loyalty.
It’s because of people like this that we need to solidify the position of someone like Cassion to raise the Second Prince to Crown Prince.
“We came here to rest a bit after dancing continuously. Could you please vacate the room?”
“O-Of course, Duchess.”
“Please rest comfortably! It’s truly a wonderful invitation meeting!”
Fearing Cassion might draw his sword on them, I spoke up, and they scurried out as if their tails were on fire. Having come to this corner to gossip as soon as the invitation meeting started, I wonder if they actually saw anything properly. I should remember their faces.
“…Asilia.”
As I clicked my tongue and sat down, smoothing my dress, I heard Cassion’s heavy voice. Is he going to get angry about why I stopped him?
“You don’t actually believe such talk, do you? His Highness the Prince is certainly of royal blood.”
He leaned forward, appealing to me even as he sat across from me. Well, I suppose from his perspective, he might think that way. After all, the top priority of our contract marriage is to make the Second Prince the Crown Prince.
“Don’t worry, I don’t doubt it at all.”
He momentarily looked dumbfounded at my straightforward answer, having looked anxious as if he’d made a fraudulent contract.
I was frantically thinking about how to explain this, what excuse to make. I hadn’t thought this through properly, expecting to have this conversation later…
“Asilia?”
But as my silence lengthened, he called out to me again, perhaps feeling uneasy. Should I just blurt it out?
“Actually, I’ve heard something…”
“…?”
“It’s not the Second Prince who isn’t of legitimate birth, it’s the First Prince.”
“What?!”
Ah, was that too direct? At this conclusion that came out without forethought, he sprang up, his fists still tightly clenched. I gestured for him to be quiet and led him to sit beside me rather than across from me.
“No, I’m asking you to trust the Second Prince and me, there’s no need to go that far…”
“I’m not saying this to comfort you, it’s real information I’ve heard. Do you think I entered into this contract marriage without any information? I bet my life on it because I had something to believe in.”
“…Didn’t you just do it because you had nowhere else to go?”
He looked at me as if he’d been slightly blindsided. I won’t deny that I can be a bit forceful, but it’s not to that extent.
“Do you think I proposed this contract just based on your face?”
“…”
“No, this is ridiculous. I did it because I had faith in His Highness the Second Prince and was confident. And in the process, you happened to be a suitable candidate. It’s mutually beneficial, you see?”
“…No… I… I didn’t realize you had thought it through so deeply.”
“Aren’t you the one who entered into this contract too carelessly? Even if it’s fake, it’s still a marriage. You should approach this with more caution from now on.”
As I crossed my arms and clicked my tongue, his pupils shook wildly. Well, I suppose he just thought he needed the Duke’s position and it seemed interesting. Isn’t it too reckless to trust just based on looks?
“Anyway, they say if you want to know someone’s complexes, listen to the insults they use. Someone who constantly calls others ‘stupid’ likely has a complex about knowledge, and someone who calls others ‘beggars’ probably has a complex about money.”
I turned sideways to face him directly, still with my arms crossed, and began a summary lecture.
…Actually, if asked where I got this information, I wouldn’t have an answer, so I’m trying to buy time by stunning him like this first.
“The source of these rumors is likely the First Prince or the Empress. It was convenient for them to slander since His Highness the Second Prince associates with people based on ability, regardless of their social status.”
“…Watch your mouth, Asilia.”
I moved closer to him and whispered in his ear.
“Originally, Her Highness the Second Empress, mother of the Second Prince, was married at 18, immediately became pregnant, gave birth to the Prince, and passed away. While it’s possible to have an affair, given the circumstances, it would have been quite difficult, don’t you think?”
The Second Prince’s mother was a princess from a vassal state, who came to the empire almost like a sold good at a young age to ensure her country’s safety, gave birth to a child, and died.
It’s said that she was so delicate that she never left the palace until her death. Would such a person have been strong enough to give birth to someone else’s child and insist it was of royal blood?
…Well, it could be possible, but in the original story, it was said not to be the case.
Anyway, my words didn’t seem to sound completely baseless, as Cassion’s expression became serious.
Usually, when someone asserts something strongly, it tends to gain credibility.
“You’re right. His Highness the Prince is undoubtedly of legitimate birth. …But isn’t it just speculation that the First Prince’s faction is trying to slander him? And… that he might not be of legitimate birth.”
“Well… this is really, really important information. I’m only telling you this because we’re on the same side.”
I moved so close that I was almost kissing his ear. He flinched but held his ground as I took a deep breath before revealing the crucial information.
“I… know who the First Prince’s real father is.”
“…!”
“I don’t know him directly, but I know his general appearance and name?”
Ah, if he asks where I heard this information, it’s really going to be awkward. Maybe I should prepare some measures in advance.
“We’re still in the early stages of our contract, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t ask where I got this information. I obtained it at great risk to my life.”
“At the risk of your life…?”
He suddenly looked me over as if searching for any injuries. Sorry, but that’s a lie.
“But I don’t intend to keep this information to myself. Let’s use this information together to raise His Highness the Second Prince to Crown Prince. I was planning to tell you someday, and suggest we find the First Prince’s real father and bring him to court.”
“…Ha…”
“I didn’t expect that day to be today. I was planning to gather more concrete information before telling you.”
“…This sudden information is making my head spin.”
I understand. For me, I just read it in a book and thought, ‘Oh, so that’s how it is,’ but for him, this must be earth-shattering information. However, it seemed that his worry about me doubting the Second Prince’s bloodline had completely disappeared.
“I didn’t know such talk was already circulating under the surface. At this rate, the rumors will spread in no time. We need to be prepared.”
I lightly touched his forehead, which seemed to be aching, then stood up abruptly. Cassion’s gaze naturally followed me upward.
“But that’s something to think about after tonight is over! If we try to do too much at once, we might mess things up, so let’s focus on today’s tasks!”
“…Isn’t that a bit harsh, considering the magnitude of the information you just shared?”
“Don’t go soft on me, you blood-crazed war hero! Let’s get up! We’ve been cooped up here too long. We need to return to the hall.”
“No, just a little more time to think…”
“Will thinking now solve anything except give you gray hair? Today’s task is to solidify your position for His Highness the Prince’s sake. That’s enough.”
I linked arms with Cassion, who was reluctant to stand, pulled him up, and headed out to the corridor. The sound of music reaching its climax grew louder as we approached.
“…Hmm. Looks like you had a good time.”
And just as we entered the hall, we ran into His Highness the Second Prince. Perhaps because we, as hosts, had been absent for quite some time, he addressed us with an un-princelike sly smile.
“It’s reassuring to see that Your Highness seems to be enjoying yourself as well.”
“Indeed. It’s been a while since I’ve genuinely enjoyed myself.”
While the Prince and I laughed together, only Cassion gritted his teeth. He seemed heated by the sight of the Prince enjoying the invitation meeting, oblivious to others’ inner turmoil, but I stepped on his foot to cool him down.
“…It seems this will be an unforgettable night.”
His gloomy voice, suppressing pain, resonated low enough for only the two of us to hear, but unfortunately, neither the Prince nor I were the type to be intimidated by such things.
