~Chapter 47~
“You can’t enjoy the privileges of a duchess without fulfilling the duties.”
The voice inside the crystal orb replied coldly.
“How can she sit back and enjoy her position while ignoring the people?”
Damien answered calmly but firmly.
“The duchess is managing the estate from our home. What more do you want?”
“That woman—”
“Address her properly.”
Damien’s tone turned sharp and dangerous.
“She is the Duchess of Maledictus, married into the imperial family. Not just ‘that woman.’”
Now that the ritual had been completed, the royal family had no valid reason to interfere with Rubiana’s role.
Even if Damien went to the victory banquet alone, only he might lose standing. Meanwhile, the royal family would use the event to display their warm, family-friendly image.
Which meant—they wanted Rubiana there for a reason.
‘This must be Leonard’s doing.’
Prince Leonard, the second prince, had been falling behind the crown prince in the succession race.
However, after the army he commanded won a major foreign war, the public viewed him as the hero—even though he never stepped foot on the battlefield, only giving orders through magical communication.
This banquet was essentially his.
So the palace was ready to meet his demands, including seeing Rubiana.
They likely wanted to assess her personally as well.
“Fine, you’re right. I apologize for being disrespectful.”
The Emperor’s voice came from the crystal.
“Still, as the Duchess of Maledictus, tied by marriage to the royal family, she should attend a royal banquet.”
“If you truly intended to treat her that way, there would be no reason for us not to attend.”
Damien smirked bitterly.
“But we both know that’s not the case. Attending would be foolish.”
“…Why do you insist on seeing her under false pretenses?”
The Emperor was silent for a long moment.
Then finally:
“Because the ritual is complete. We must now accept her.”
Even so, the real motive remained unclear.
Still, it was true they couldn’t reject Rubiana as easily anymore.
Damien, his eyes sharper than ever, made a deal.
“If you’re serious about accepting her, then we shouldn’t need to go to the banquet at all.”
“Damien Maledictus—”
“Attending under the condition that it benefits both sides would make it a fair deal, wouldn’t it?”
The soul contract was designed to force the royal family to acknowledge Rubiana’s status—someone they couldn’t control.
If they wanted her to appear publicly, her rank had to be recognized as valid.
‘The banquet is annoying, but if used well, it could stop future interference.’
Still, Leonard’s fixation on Rubiana had to be avoided—or blocked completely.
“We’ll attend only if this is the last royal event Rubiana is required to join, and she will no longer be summoned by royals for personal reasons.”
Silence fell again.
“…Very well.”
The Emperor agreed.
And everything was recorded.
“Now, I’ll make sure there won’t be any magical incidents at the banquet.”
“What do you mean—?”
Fwoosh—
Dark smoke and shadowy curses began pouring out of Damien’s body.
[Kyaaahhh!]
[We’re free, we’re free!]
[Yay! Yay!]
All the curses that were previously bound to Damien had been released.
“W-What are you doing?!”
The voice from the orb sounded panicked.
Damien merely smiled and looked calmly into the crystal.
“H-His magic…!”
The more curses Damien absorbed, the more magic the royal family could use through him.
Now that he’d released many of them, the palace would have reduced magical access—at least until he accepted them back after the banquet.
“Damien Maledictus! You damned—!”
Click.
Damien disconnected the crystal orb.
‘That should limit any magical nonsense they try to pull at the banquet.’
Though he sounded firm and confident, inwardly, he still questioned whether he’d made the right call.
As the tension drained, exhaustion hit his eyes.
And then—
“Um… Damien…”
It was barely a whisper, but there was no way he wouldn’t recognize his wife’s voice.
Rubiana peeked shyly through the cracked door.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard everything…”
She looked guilty.
Damien shook his head and walked over.
“It’s fine. Nothing you shouldn’t know anyway.”
In fact, he was going to tell her about the banquet soon.
“The palace wants us to attend the victory banquet, right?”
“Yes. And it seems you’ll need to come this time. But I’ve released some curses to send a clear warning—they won’t dare mess with you now.”
His voice, unlike the one he used with the Emperor, was calm and protective.
“And I’ll make sure of it.”
Rubiana blinked her large red eyes, thoughtful.
Damien knew this look—she had something on her mind.
“Ruby? Do you want to say something?”
She nodded.
“The biggest winner at this banquet will be Prince Leonard, right? The one who approached me last time?”
“Yes.”
She pressed a fingertip to her lips, brows furrowed.
“Then if he doesn’t stand out at the banquet, he might be in trouble politically, right?”
“That’s correct. This banquet is basically about him.”
She lifted her head again.
Her eyes sparkled—not just with beauty, but with life.
“So you’re sure Prince Leonard is the one who insisted I be invited?”
“Yes. Everything points to that.”
“Then what if he loses face at the banquet?”
If Leonard looked bad, the royal family wouldn’t keep pushing Rubiana to please him.
Leonard would lose standing—and they would gain strength.
“I know how to ruin it for him.”
She grabbed Damien’s hand with a bright, mischievous smile.
“Let’s ruin that banquet together.”
