MHS | CH 02

~Chapter 2~

After Cedric left, Isabel burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Yet, her father didn’t move an inch.

‘So, this sudden call was about marriage,’ I thought.

I stood there, tense and absent-mindedly listening to their conversation. To be honest, I didn’t really hear what they were saying. It was because, after meeting him like that, I had run away like a crazy person.

It was embarrassing, even thinking about it again.

‘Please, just go ahead and get married,’ I prayed, clasping my hands tightly.

How great would it be if that actually happened? If things followed the novel, she would refuse to marry and even argue with the emperor.

I glanced at Isabel, seeing her tightly gripping the hem of her dress.

Preparing myself, I tried to listen carefully to what she was saying, but what I heard was unexpected. My eyes widened as I looked at the two of them.

“Okay. If that’s what Father wants, I’ll accept it,” she said.

Despite the tears flowing down her face, her voice was steady.

Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.

“But Father, it’s time for Claire to get married too, isn’t it?”

“…Claire’s marriage will take some time.”

Hearing my name suddenly called snapped me out of my daze.

Of course, they wouldn’t just let this go.

“I’ll do my best. I want my sister to marry into a good family,” Isabel said.

“I’m fine, really…” I replied.

But Isabel grabbed my hand and smiled.

“It’s just that I care. What if weird guys start clinging to you because they think you’re easy to take advantage of?”

“No, I can handle it myself…”

“How thoughtful. Alright, I’ll leave it to you,” my father said.

I stood there, my mouth wide open.

Wait, I said I was fine, so why is everyone suddenly so concerned about my marriage? It felt strange since they had always treated me like a burden, but now they were worrying about my marriage.

***

A few days passed.

Isabel came running to me, looking excited, and handed me a note.

It was a profile of a man.

I was about to read it when Isabel snatched it back and looked me in the eye.

Her intense gaze left me feeling puzzled, and I didn’t get a chance to see the profile.

“Sis, this guy is handsome, young, and rich,” she said.

“Oh, is that so…?”

“He doesn’t care who he marries. This guy’s the same.”

That part was similar to me. But I hadn’t even had a chance to check.

Without waiting for my response, Isabel continued speaking.

“Sis, I overheard Father talking. It seems he’s planning to arrange a marriage with Count Gerbon soon.”

“…Gerbon?”

She couldn’t possibly mean that fat old man, right?

I made a face of disgust, unable to believe it.

Sending me off to someone that old seemed way too cruel.

‘Especially since Father said he would leave it to Isabel, but now, suddenly…!’

The emperor’s promise seemed utterly worthless, unlike what I had expected.

“We don’t have much time,” Isabel said urgently, pressing me.

Honestly, I was tempted by what she said.

“Once Father’s attention shifts, you can do whatever you want later anyway.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“Besides, it’s uncomfortable staying here, isn’t it?”

With Isabel bombarding me with words, I found myself nodding.

After all, I didn’t care who I married as long as it wasn’t Cedric. I had planned to divorce after keeping up the appearance of marriage for a while, anyway.

“Fine, whatever. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

“If Father finds out, he’ll throw a fit. So I was thinking we should keep things quiet for now.”

And that’s how I ended up getting married secretly without a formal wedding.

***

Now, this was my second time meeting him.

The first night didn’t count since I hadn’t seen his face.

As for that thing I said about taking him if I could – forget it. If I were Isabel, I might have taken him with confidence, but I didn’t mean I wanted him this way.

Back to the present, I was mindlessly moving my spoon, not even sure if the food was going into my mouth or up my nose. I was just mechanically moving the spoon back and forth.

“Not feeling well?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh… I’m just a little tired.”

“Why don’t you take a walk after eating?”

I nodded in response.

The food tasted good, but the moment I realized that Cedric was sitting across from me, my head became a mess, and I lost my appetite.

‘I need to send a letter to Isabel.’

There wouldn’t be much point in confronting her, but I still wanted answers.

I glanced at Cedric. He was cutting his meat with a blank expression.

His broad shoulders, his flowing black hair, and those blue eyes that looked like a cloudless sky.

Sitting there, straight-backed and composed, I asked him, “So, you knew from the start that I would marry Your Grace, right?”

Cedric gave a slight nod.

He didn’t ask me anything, even though I could’ve questioned him more harshly.

“But why did you stay silent even though this is different from what the emperor promised? You know I’m illegitimate.”

“What does that matter?”

“It matters! Even though you accomplished so much, you were sent to war repeatedly because of the promise to marry Isabel, right?”

He had every right to demand a proper spouse. But he didn’t.

As a result, I was the one who had to suffer.

I clenched my fists.

“This is an unjust marriage.”

“Unjust?”

“Yes, to be honest, I was supposed to marry a count from the borderlands, not Your Grace.”

“Do you know his name?”

“Kader Taylor…”

I wasn’t sure if that person even existed, but Isabel had said that the name of the count was Kader Taylor.

I lowered my head like a defeated puppy.

I could guess what kind of expression Cedric was giving me, so I avoided his gaze.

He’s probably wondering what I’m talking about. Even though I know I sound ridiculous.

But I don’t want to live with a husband who would cheat on me!

“I don’t know who that guy is, but it seems like you don’t like me.”

“It’s not that…”

“Then why are you still speaking formally to me? It feels distant.”

“…I think a little distance is good between a couple.”

“If that’s what you prefer, I’ll use formal language with you too. I don’t particularly enjoy it, though.”

There was no need for him to match my formal tone. It was just that Cedric’s presence was so overwhelming that I found it hard to speak casually.

That’s why I kept speaking formally, but he seemed to take it differently.

I had no choice but to nod. Still, I couldn’t hide my stiff expression, which he seemed to notice, so he asked seriously,

“Is my face not to your liking?”

“No.”

“Then, is it my body that doesn’t please you? But I think you’d like a body like mine.”

“…What?”

Did I just hear that right? I stared at him in shock, but Cedric looked back at me with a straight face.

“I just thought so. If it’s not my body, then is it the Grand Duchy you don’t like?”

“No! The Grand Duchy is magnificent. The breathtaking snowy landscapes, the warm sunlight streaming through the windows—it’s amazing.”

It was so much bigger and prettier than my own room. The trees in the garden were lovely, and despite being in the cold north, the place was surprisingly warm.

As I rambled on, Cedric’s eyebrow twitched. I wasn’t good at lying, so I ended up being honest.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin, looking as though he was thinking deeply.

I swallowed nervously, trying to gauge his reaction.

What if he got angry and accused me of mocking him? He might even bury me in the snow of this cold northern land.

There were rumors that Cedric, indifferent to others, could be quite temperamental.

Of course, those were just rumors, but there seemed to be a grain of truth in them.

Look at those huge arms. He could probably throw a person with ease.

But, contrary to my worries, his next words were surprising.

“Were you not satisfied with our night together?”

“…Excuse me?”

I blinked slowly.

What did he just say? It felt like I was in a hearing, but looking at his serious expression, he seemed genuinely concerned.

Honestly, anyone who spent a night with him would’ve been thrilled.

But I couldn’t say that out loud.

It was too embarrassing to admit that in front of him, especially with those intense eyes staring at me, making my face turn red.

“Maybe I wasn’t good enough. I noticed when you said you like being blindfolded and tied up…”

“What are you talking about?”

I snapped out of my thoughts, startled by his words taking such a strange turn.

When did I ever say I liked that?

Seeing my wide eyes, Cedric narrowed his gaze.

“Let me ask again.”

He stood up and walked over to where I was sitting, leaning in close to meet my eyes.

“Were you disappointed by our night together?”

“…No, it’s not that.”

I shook my head.

He might not understand why I was acting this way, but I was feeling hopeless, like I could die from embarrassment.

If he seduced me like this and then ran off with Isabel… how miserable would that be? That’s why I couldn’t let myself get attached to him.

At least not until I was sure he wouldn’t fall for Isabel. Then, maybe I could enjoy this relationship.

As I averted my eyes, Cedric gently cupped my face with both hands, holding me in place.

“Claire, when people talk…”

Gulp.

His blue eyes glimmered, like waves crashing in a storm. The sight alone made my hands sweat.

“You should look them in the eyes.”

“I wasn’t disappointed!”

I blurted out to save myself.

“So you weren’t disappointed, that’s good to hear. If there’s anything uncomfortable about being married, feel free to tell me anytime.”

I quickly nodded and tried to pull away from his hands, but—

“If you were disappointed, I was ready to spend days and nights making it up to you.”

His large hand softly stroked my face before releasing me.

Frozen in place, I stared at his back as he returned to his seat.

‘…Days and nights.’

His words kept echoing in my mind.