I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 24
While Cassion went to get drinks, I observed the Empress more closely. She sat without a single change in expression or movement since entering, to the point where she barely looked alive.
“Hmm…”
In the original story, only the Empress’s actions and schemes were mentioned, with no description of her personally. That’s why I had imagined her as a vicious person, but seeing the First Empress in person gives a very different impression.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
As I was feeling mixed emotions about the fact that to make the Second Prince the Crown Prince, we’d have to drag this dignified person down to the ground, suddenly a shining golden head of hair filled my vision.
I jumped in surprise, my shoulders twitching, and heard a soft chuckle. This guy is laughing after startling me?
“I apologize, Madam. I didn’t mean to… Even your startled appearance is as lovely as a rabbit’s.”
“…Young Master.”
“Didn’t I tell you that you could call me Lex, Duchess?”
His already dazzling appearance seems to have been dressed to the nines for the banquet, to the point of being blinding. His golden hair shimmering like honey and deep blue eyes were truly angelic, but it’s surprising how such looks can still make someone unpleasant.
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to mingle with those young ladies over there, Young Master?”
The gazes already directed at me multiplied several times as he approached. Especially the heated stares from young ladies of marriageable age made me openly show my discomfort, but Lex Romenel didn’t budge an inch.
“I’m quite shy, so I find it more comfortable by your side, Madam.”
“As far as I know, we’ve only met once before.”
“You made me feel at ease from our first meeting, Madam. It was the first time I’ve experienced such a sensation.”
Is he crazy? He was like this in the garden too, but this is a banquet hall where everyone can see. Why is he so blatantly flirting with me, a married woman?
“It pains me to see such a beautiful lady standing like a wallflower. Won’t you come out a bit more towards the front?”
“No, I’m comfortable here…”
“And I’d like the opportunity to share the next dance with you, Madam.”
He naturally took my hand without permission and led me to the center of the hall, then suddenly bowed and kissed my hand, inviting me to dance.
It wasn’t just a light touch pretending to be a kiss on the hand, but a firm press of his lips that I could feel clearly even through my glove. Startled, I quickly pulled my hand down.
“I don’t want to.”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I wanted to push him away completely, but aware of the watching eyes, I rejected him clearly but in a voice only he could hear. However, my voice overlapped with another voice that had been waiting.
But Lex seemed more surprised by my words than by Cassion’s sharp tone, and he stared at me with his mouth slightly open.
“…I apologize, Madam. It was a bit noisy, so I must have misheard…”
“I said no.”
“Get away from my wife.”
Once again, Cassion’s voice and mine overlapped. Seeing Lex’s jaw drop even further, I held up my right hand that he had grabbed towards Cassion’s face.
“Honey, could you disinfect this for me? It feels quite unpleasant.”
“…!”
While Lex’s face instantly turned bright red, Cassion, who had been full of anger, regained his smile as he looked at me. He glared at Lex as he slowly removed the glove covering my hand.
“Of course, if that’s what my wife wants.”
He bowed and slowly kissed the back of my bare hand. As if thoroughly disinfecting that exact spot, his lips lingered for a long time. When they finally left, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“It’s better to throw away the glove. It’s too dirty.”
For an unmarried young lady, not wearing gloves at a banquet would be a great discourtesy, but I’m already married anyway. Pretending to look regretful, I leaned against him.
“How embarrassing, what should I do? Could you hold me and cover me a bit?”
“Of course.”
He’s unusually in sync with me today, despite usually being so clumsy. Holding the drink I had asked for in one hand and enveloping my hand with his other, he looked at me once, then at Lex again, and snorted.
“…Madam, is there really a need to embarrass me to this extent?”
Lex’s face was flushed red to the extreme. I tilted my head innocently and whispered in a soft voice that wouldn’t reach the people still watching us with interest.
“What did you just call me, Young Master?”
“…Madam?”
“That’s right. I’m a married woman. Go play your games somewhere else.”
Ah, this is when I should show off a wedding ring, but I don’t have one. I remembered that I had forgotten about it, distracted by the dress and dessert after asking for a ring big enough to crack a skull.
“I only pitied you, Madam. I wanted to be a friend and comfort you, thinking you might have had an unwanted marriage…”
“You’re not my type.”
Why is he like this, really? He seems embarrassed, but perhaps because of that, he’s persistently approaching without giving up. I pretended to greet him and whispered as I got closer.
“I know I’m pretty, but you’re annoying. Could you just get lost?”
“Pfft.”
I thought I had whispered quietly, but Cassion, who had stuck close to me when I approached Lex, must have heard my words too. I politely greeted the frozen Lex and then clung to Cassion as we walked away.
I could see the young ladies seizing this opportunity and flocking to console Lex. It would be hard for him to escape now. Whether from mental shock or physical.
“Phew, I think I need to drink this on the terrace.”
“Come this way.”
After finally shaking off the leech-like Lex and receiving the drink Cassion had brought, he led me to the terrace that only appeared after going all the way to the end of the hall. There was still a hint of laughter in his voice.
“Don’t laugh. He was really persistent.”
“Ah… That’s true. I’ll take care of him separately, Asil.”
“No, there’s no need to go that far. He’s still the second son of a Count’s family after all.”
“Who cares? He’s a guy who hits on other people’s wives.”
“I guess he’s getting cocky because of his looks.”
After entering the terrace and closing the door, even drawing the curtains, almost all the noise from the hall was blocked out. Taking a deep breath of the night air and exhaling, I felt a bit better.
“Didn’t you say he wasn’t your type?”
“That’s right. He’s pretty-looking, but I’m not into pretty boys like that.”
“…Then what is your type?”
My type? I’ve never really thought deeply about my type… But Cassion seemed quite curious and patiently waited through my silence.
“I think I’d like a man with a twist.”
“A twist? What do you mean by that?”
“Like someone who’s handsome but doesn’t know it, or someone who’s manly and steady but looks pitiful when crying?”
“…You’re into men who cry pitifully?”
“No, if you summarize it like that, it makes me sound like a pervert.”
But it’s not entirely wrong. There’s nothing better than seeing a beautiful person cry because of me. Compared to that, Lex was not only the son of a First Prince faction noble but also a pretty boy who was too aware of his own charm and too shameless, which was really unappealing.
“…I can’t even remember the last time I cried…”
“What did you say?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Still, aside from the princes, we’re practically the hot topic of this banquet. If we stay out too long, it might look like we lack spirit. As I take one last deep breath of the night air, I hear him mumbling something behind me.
“We’ve had our drinks, so let’s go back to the banquet now.”
“Already?”
“I don’t think it’s good to stay out for too long. If we’re going to do this, we should make everything clear.”
He didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic, but he nodded and escorted me. Come to think of it, Cassion might actually fit the bill of a man with a twist. Before our contract, I was concerned about my ability to influence him, but who would have guessed he’d turn out to be so compliant?
“…Building three dams, what a waste of money on unnecessary things.”
“This is why nouveau riche lacks class. They don’t know how to spend money. It’s embarrassing to call them fellow nobles…”
As soon as we returned to the hall from the terrace, we ran right into some First Prince faction nobles gossiping in a corner near the curtains. They turned their heads at the sound of our approach and froze like stones when their eyes met ours.
