TCBCVF 85

~Chapter 85~

A cluster of ladies sat together, their eyes gleaming as if they’d just heard the juiciest gossip.
The whole group seemed strangely animated…

“This time, young master Gusto—can you believe it…”

“But didn’t Lady Ansie say she never agreed to that?”

Gregory and Laritte?

Seraphina’s face froze.

Don’t tell me… something happened between them while I was in the dark?

Even as dread settled over her, shame twisted in her chest.

In the past… I would never have been the last to hear such news.

She had once been the centerpiece of society, the purest of lilies.
Back then, people scrambled for a single word with her.

Even shut away in the shared townhouse, she had received a constant flow of letters and notes keeping her up to date with every whisper of the social scene.

That golden age now felt like a distant dream.

No. I need to find out what’s going on first.

Shaking her head, Seraphina steeled herself and cut into the conversation, wearing a mask of boldness.

“Pardon me, but what are you talking about? Are you speaking of Lari and Gregor?”

At that, the chattering ladies darted sidelong glances at her.
Their gazes carried a subtle condescension.

“My, Lady Lopez hasn’t heard?”

“We assumed you must have, given how often you told us you were so very close to the Gusto family.”

Their mocking tone sent a flush of crimson up Seraphina’s cheeks.

Unbelievable. These same women used to barely dare speak to me!

She wanted to put them in their place as she once would have—
but her backing was gone.
No more support from House Ansie.
No more protection from the Gustos.

Before she could recover, another lady added sweetly, as if doing her a favor:

“Young master Gusto has proposed to Lady Ansie.”

“What? A proposal?”

Seraphina gasped.

But the bombshell wasn’t over yet.

“And not only that—they say the two have already filed their marriage registration.”

Lies.

Seraphina’s green eyes shook like an earthquake.
The ladies, meanwhile, smiled faintly, lips curved in open mockery.

“I’ll admit, I was surprised myself. Young master Gusto always seemed so attentive to Lady Lopez.”

“I heard they’d already broken off the engagement. But then, such a sudden proposal?”

“Perhaps he truly was in love with Lady Ansie all along.”

“…I see.”

Seraphina forced a calm smile.

“I have some matters to attend to. If you’ll excuse me.”

Once she was clear of them, her legs gave out.
She sank onto the floor.

This can’t be real.

Her empty green eyes drifted through space.

Gregory would never choose Laritte over me.

A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she shut her eyes tight.

All this time, she had assumed—

Yes, someday she would meet a dashing husband and enjoy the wedding of the century.
But Gregory, at least, would always remain devoted only to her.

That was why she so often told him:

“You’re Laritte’s fiancé, remember.”

Not because she wanted him with Laritte—
but because she was certain he never actually would be.

Laritte had been her insurance policy.
A way to keep Gregory from clinging to her when she rose to glittering heights with her perfect groom.

But now, hearing that Gregory had truly cast her aside for Laritte—
her chest tightened with panic.

No. This must be a misunderstanding.

Gregor had told her, hadn’t he?

That she was the dearest in all the world.
That he had never once thought of another woman as a romantic interest.

Seraphina clenched her fists.

Tomorrow. She would go to him tomorrow and clear this up.
Gregor would surely explain everything.
He wouldn’t leave her. He couldn’t.

She forced herself to think positive thoughts.
But the sticky, suffocating unease clinging to her body would not let her go.

The next morning.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I rushed straight to the Marriage Bureau.

First, I checked the marriage registration Gregory had supposedly filed.

Gods above… Past me, what on earth were you thinking?

Pressing a hand to my aching head, I nearly groaned aloud.

I understood now how it had happened—
but I had no idea how I was going to fix it.

Noble families typically assigned each new child a unique identifying phrase.
You know, something like a poetic line from an exam passage:
“The sunlight licked the leaves with dazzling clarity.”

Each person received their own such phrase, shared only between the family head and the individual.
It was then registered with the imperial authorities whenever a new child was born.

Think of it as a mix between a national ID number and a personal seal.

Every important document required that phrase.

How could I have ever been foolish enough to give Gregory mine?

The realization made my stomach twist.
Gregory, remembering my phrase, had used it to file the registration in my stead.
The Bureau, unaware, had accepted it without question.

I scoured the paperwork line by line, but everything was in order.
Even—

“…The Council Chairman’s seal is stamped here?”

I stared suspiciously at the document.

For marriages involving the family head or heir of a noble house, the Bureau Head’s seal wasn’t enough.
The seal of the Nobles’ Council Chairman was also required—
since the head and heir would one day sit on that very Council.

As heir to the Viscounty of Ansie, my papers required that seal.

But how did Gregory get the Chairman’s seal?

The existence of that requirement was confidential.
And the seal was guarded directly by the Chairman himself—
to apply it, you needed his personal approval.

Which meant this had all gone forward without me.

“Haahhh…”

A long, weary sigh escaped from the depths of my chest.

Would I really have to fight the Gustos in court?

I knew annulment trials took at least three years.
And even before filing, I’d need to notify the High Temple first…

Wait.

I froze.

Come to think of it, I haven’t checked with the Temple yet, have I?

Normally, filing with the Bureau was the end of the process.
But for noble family heads and heirs, things were different.

The Bureau and the High Temple each retained a copy of the marriage registration—
a double safeguard against fraud, since the stakes of title and fortune were so high.

As the heir of Ansie, there should be a copy of mine at the Temple.

And like the Council Chairman’s seal, the Temple’s involvement is also confidential, isn’t it?

Gregory wasn’t exactly thorough.

Maybe—just maybe—he hadn’t known.
Maybe he’d forgotten to file with the Temple.

Snatching at that fragile hope, I hurried into a carriage bound for the High Temple.