PLMYP 53

Please Let Marriage Be Your Payment!

Chapter 53 —

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“……It’s true that Count Miles shouldn’t be attending someone else’s wedding right now.”

At this point, the issue wasn’t even about saving his son anymore. Count Miles needed to think about abandoning his son if it meant survival.

If things went wrong, he could be accused of supporting the Assassins’ Guild. In that case, who cared about the safety of a reckless son?

“So, you gave Harry Miles thirty million Larcs?”

The question carried the meaning: ‘Did you purposely trap him because of me?’

Of course, that was exactly what she had done. Irenea remembered everything Harry Miles had done to Leonard in the past.

The moment she accepted Leonard’s love, everything of his became hers too.

She had taken not only his heart but also his wounds. So, she too had the right to seek revenge.

The only person who could deny her that right was Leonard himself—if he were dead and gone. Since the present Leonard had no memory of the past, even he had no right to take that away from her.

So Irenea boldly clung to Leonard’s arm and spoke in a shameless tone.

“Don’t you dare say it wasn’t necessary. Everything was Harry Miles’s own fault. He’s the one who took the money even after you said you had paid your debt. He’s the one who ran to the gambling house because he believed in a so-called secret winning strategy….”

“Wait a second. I think you misunderstood. I wasn’t blaming you.”

“Really?”

Irenea tilted her head slightly to look up at Leonard.

Leonard pulled his arm free from her grip only to wrap it around her waist. Then he gently rested his head against her shoulder.

“You did it all for me.”

The mercenaries who had trained Leonard had a rule: ‘Take your own revenge with your own hands.’

Of course, when he had been young and got beaten up by someone stronger, they had stepped in to avenge him.

But once he grew strong enough to defend himself, they never interfered again.

“You… the more I learn about you, the more I realize you’re really….”

“Really what?”

Leonard pressed her when she trailed off, and Irenea impatiently urged him to finish.

Just as Leonard’s lips began to move—

“Marquis, His Highness the Second Prince has arrived!”

“Ah, damn it.”

The timing couldn’t have been worse.

Irenea cursed inwardly, and Leonard stared at her in surprise.

It wasn’t just the rude word—it was the way she spat it out, exactly like a mercenary would.

‘I must think that only because I used to be a mercenary myself.’

Shaking off the odd feeling, Leonard straightened and held out his hand to Irenea.

“Since His Highness came in person, we must go greet him.”

“I’d rather throw him out….”

Irenea sighed deeply, making it clear she wasn’t happy, but still let herself be escorted forward.

‘Fine, if he deliberately came late, I can overlook it.’

But why now, of all times? She had been on the verge of saying something sweet, maybe even admitting she found Leonard charming or attractive.

Her anticipation shattered, Irenea silently cursed in her heart as they approached the Second Prince.

And yet, when she stood before him and curtsied gracefully, her smile was dazzling.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness. Have you been well?”

“What if I haven’t? Are you going to prepare me medicine?”

Before Leonard could greet him, the Second Prince snapped at Irenea with a displeased face.

Irenea wasn’t so much offended by his rudeness to her as she was enraged that he ignored Leonard.

‘So he didn’t want to come and is making it obvious.’

She noticed the growing attention of the guests watching them, then suddenly acted surprised.

“My goodness! You’ve been unwell, Your Highness? No wonder His Majesty said you would attend our wedding in his stead and deliver his gift—we were so worried why he hadn’t come himself!”

With those words, she openly exposed the Second Prince as nothing more than a late errand-boy for the Emperor.

Some guests, catching her meaning, leaned toward each other and whispered loudly enough to be heard, glancing at the Prince.

“You insolent…!”

The Second Prince’s face turned bright red. He was about to shout when his attendant quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Your Highness! Remember, you are here as His Majesty’s representative…!”

Thankfully, the Second Prince calmed himself enough to think rationally.

Though his eyes burned with anger at Irenea, he forced his voice to stay level.

“As the Marquis’s wife says… I’ve been unwell recently, resting to recover my strength. I’ve only just regained my health, and so Mother the Empress asked me to come here on her behalf.”

He smoothed over his punishment by disguising it as sick leave. Then he held out his hand to his attendant.

The servant placed a box in his hand, which he casually extended to Irenea.

“This is a congratulatory gift from Her Majesty. Accept it with honor.”

“We are most grateful, Your Highness. May I open it here?”

“Go ahead.”

Irenea opened the box at once. Inside was a necklace—jet black gemstone at the center, surrounded by tiny diamonds glittering like a chandelier.

“My, how beautiful it is!”

“Her Majesty wishes to see you wear it soon.”

“Of course. I’ll be delighted to. Please tell Her Majesty I’ll thank her personally.”

Hugging the box to her chest, Irenea’s face glowed with joy.

“Please let her know I’ll visit in a few days.”

“No, I mean—”

The Prince frowned, hesitated, then said bluntly:

“In a week, there will be a grand event. Her Majesty is very busy with that, so she cannot meet you separately.”

“Then I’ll see Her Majesty at the railway opening ceremony in a week.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

His quick nod seemed oddly unnatural—almost as if he had been waiting for her to say that.

While Leonard quietly studied the Prince’s face, sensing something strange, Irenea smiled brightly.

“Yes. I’ll make sure to wear this necklace that day.”

Her sparkling eyes showed she was genuinely looking forward to it.

---

That night.

‘There’s definitely something wrong here.’

Even while pouring hot water over himself, Leonard couldn’t ease his frown.

‘From the start, the fact that he attended instead of the Emperor was suspicious.’

He couldn’t forget the way the Second Prince had looked at Irenea.

It reminded Leonard of the crazed gleam of an arsonist thrilled by fire.

He had seen the same eyes the day the Prince forced him to put the Rays Messer up for auction.

‘Could it be the necklace? But that’s an imperial gift from the Empress….’

If he really was plotting something, what was his goal? To drive a wedge between the Emperor and Marquis Blair?

But what would he gain? Whether it worked or not, if caught, he’d face the Emperor’s wrath.

‘I won’t solve this by brooding alone.’

The hot bath was making him dizzy anyway. And tonight was his wedding night. Collapsing in the tub would be the worst humiliation.

Leonard stood, dried himself, and thought—

‘Our first night….’

Just the words made his face flush.

He excused his racing heart by blaming the hot water, then stood at the door to the bedroom.

Irenea was waiting inside—he could feel her presence.

Nervously clenching and unclenching his fists, he imagined different scenarios, took a deep breath, and finally knocked with a cough before opening the door.

“Lin.”

“What took you so long? I almost fell asleep waiting.”

Irenea sat on the bed, hair damp and flowing, wearing only a bathrobe.

Leonard froze. He had pictured her at the table with wine, not this.

‘Speaking of wine… it’s still sitting on the table….’

His eyes drifted there helplessly, while his lips stayed shut.

Irenea, noticing, patted the bed beside her with a teasing smile.

“You’re not planning to stand there all night, are you?”

“Unfortunately… I don’t have that kind of skill.”

Why don’t I have it? he thought to himself.

Muttering, Leonard slowly approached the bed, walking stiffly like a rusty hinge.

Why was even that awkwardness so endearing to her?

The moment he sat down, Irenea suddenly shoved him back onto the bed.

“What’s this? You let me push you down so easily? Isn’t that too careless?”

“Against my bride, on our wedding night… what kind of defense should I be making?”

Leonard, lying there, let his gaze travel along her silver hair brushing against his cheek. Then he quickly flipped their positions, pulling her into his arms.

“Didn’t you say you liked rough men, my wife?”

“And my husband still isn’t rough enough for my taste.”

“Then I’d better start with a kiss.”

Irenea whispered and pulled his neck down to her. Their breaths melted into one.