Chapter 17
As Frisia had requested, their parents did not attend.
Perhaps because of Frisia’s words, saying she didn’t want to see parents who only ever hurt Rose, Rose Deblanc had officially received the title of Countess three days before the wedding.
“Sis, you should stop working so much now. And even if Lily causes trouble, please be patient with her.”
“Of course. I have to manage without you now.”
Rose, on the verge of tears again, bit her lip hard, forcing a smile.
“Duke of Cromford. Please keep your promise.”
“Of course. I swear on my life that I will look only at Frisia, and no one else.”
Frisia wanted to say that this felt too much, but the heavy atmosphere kept her from speaking.
It was all because of Marquis Gondere. If the Duke hadn’t been struck by that arrow, he wouldn’t be acting this way.
As they walked toward the archbishop presiding over the ceremony, Frisia quietly whispered words meant only for the Duke’s ears.
“You don’t have to feel so responsible.”
She was certain that the Duke had planned to cancel this marriage entirely. Even if helping Marquis Gondere had been a lie, if he hadn’t been injured, he would have had no reason to rush into marriage like this.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I just wanted to say there’s no need to thank me. For someone like me, nothing really changes no matter what happens. But you’re different.”
In a story, a minor extra dying is a common plot point.
But if the main villain died before the protagonist even appeared, the entire world of this novel might collapse.
“That sounds like you’re saying it’s okay no matter what happens.”
“Isn’t that all I can do? So please, feel free to use me as a shield. The temple priests heal injuries quickly, and it hurts less that way.”
In the original story, assassination attempts on the Duke of Cromford were so frequent that they were countless.
As the protagonist’s power grew, so did the organizations and factions threatening the Duke’s life. By the later parts of the story, it got to the point where groups would fight over who got to assassinate the Duke first while the protagonist tried to stop them.
So until it came to that, it wasn’t a bad idea to act as a sandbag while building up excuses to escape.
<“I’m scared of the constant assassination attempts. Please divorce me.”>
Frisia nodded to herself, satisfied with this perfect scenario, but the Duke looked visibly displeased.
“On this day, as new life is born and a new family is created, we gather here to offer our blessings…”
The archbishop’s officiation was long, filled with drawn-out words of blessing.
Starting with the etymology of “marriage,” and moving on to stories about lovebirds laying many eggs, Frisia felt the drowsiness she had been holding back finally overcoming her.
It was even more boring than a principal’s speech at school, and she began nodding off, her head drooping as she struggled to stay awake.
The sudden feeling of someone holding her hand tightly snapped her back to her senses.
“…Do you?”
“Huh?”
She answered reflexively, and the next moment, applause filled the room. As the choir began singing, she realized what had just happened.
Her answer had just sealed the marriage.
“I now declare these two joined in matrimony.”
Frisia was speechless, but the Duke remained calm.
As she looked at him in shock, the Duke nonchalantly lifted her veil and leaned in close.
“I look forward to our life together, my wife.”
The moment she saw his face up close, her heart skipped a beat before she could stop it.
Their first kiss, done while fully conscious, tasted faintly of bittersweet mint.
The wedding reception on their first night ended earlier than expected.
Still in the fourth dress she had changed into that day, Frisia collapsed onto the bed, closing her eyes.
“Madam, you need to change first.”
She didn’t even have the energy to respond, pretending not to hear as she curled up.
Now that the whirlwind of wedding procedures had ended, reality finally began to sink in.
“Pardon me, madam.”
Seeing her limp and motionless, the maids carefully removed her makeup while she lay there.
If only she could have been born with this bare face. With warm towels, the heavy makeup was wiped away, leaving no trace behind.
“My eyes hurt.”
“It’s probably from the makeup. Please wait a moment.”
A cool ice pack was placed over her throbbing eyes, bringing a sense of relief.
Feeling refreshed, she also felt her exhaustion returning, making her want to sleep right then and there.
“I want to take this dress off…”
She tried to loosen the knots while lying down, but it was impossible.
Thankfully, the knots in the hard-to-reach places were undone, allowing Frisia to squirm out of the cumbersome dress with her eyes still closed.
“If I’d known it would be like this, I should have just run away.”
“M-Madam…”
“It’s not like I actually did it. I’m just tired, so I’m talking to myself.”
As she loosened the garter knots holding her stockings, Frisia massaged her aching legs repeatedly.
Her feet hurt, her back hurt, her head hurt, and she was just so sleepy.
The exhaustion pressing down on her made her resent the Duke even more.
“I just want to sleep… Ah, right there, that feels good.”
A maid with large hands massaged her legs, making her feel much more comfortable.
After thanking her several times, Frisia closed her eyes, thinking back on all the people she had met that day.
“Even with so many people congratulating us, there probably aren’t many who are truly on the Duke’s side.”
If she had run away from that position to save herself, what would have happened?
The Duke’s subordinates would surely have destroyed the Deblanc family for tarnishing their master’s honor, killing Rose and Lily in the process.
But now that Rose was a Countess, she and Lily would surely find happiness.
Now, only one goal remained: to get labeled as unfit for the role of Duchess before the protagonist appeared, so she would be driven out.
Preferably, she would secure a generous settlement and get divorced safely.
“Madam, please get up. It’s time to prepare for the wedding night.”
“Wedding night, my foot.”
What the Duke needed was a wife in name only.
Though their relationship may have started with hatred, by the 500th chapter, the protagonist and the main villain’s connection had grown far beyond simple enmity.
“The person the Duke will truly love won’t be me.”
Of course, that was obvious. The question of who the cold-hearted Duke of Cromford would end up with was one of the hottest topics among <Leveling Up Because of the Villain> fans.
