Chapter 31
“You said His Highness called the reporters?”
Aselin squinted against the blinding flashes of the cameras, shielding her face with her hand.
Then suddenly, a black cloak was thrown over her, cutting off the light.
In the darkness, she felt a large hand gently wrap around her head, guiding her cheek to rest softly against Claude’s solid collarbone.
“You’ll know everything in a few days anyway. For now, just rest.”
Claude’s voice, usually sharp and cold, sounded unusually gentle today.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten or even drunk a drop of water since morning.
Aselin licked her dry lips.
She had been rushed and overwhelmed all day—surely she could afford a moment of peace like this?
And it was probably best not to press him further about the reporters.
He looked well at the moment, probably thanks to his medication, but his condition was still unpredictable. Who knew how he might react if provoked?
Relaxing her stiff body, Aselin quietly closed her eyes.
Scenes from her past life flashed before her eyes—her life had ended in horror at the hands of her ex-husband.
She still remembered the pain of poison melting her organs.
As if her insides were being scraped out with needles and burned with fire.
She wanted to forget it, but the agony was burned into her soul.
Aselin’s eyelids trembled.
Yes, compared to what I went through, this is just the beginning.
I’ll show them that there are things worse than death.
Just as they once showed me.
Breathing slowly, she sank into the quiet.
The steady beat of Claude’s heart echoed in her ears.
Her own pulse, which had been racing, began to calm down.
All the noise, the camera flashes—everything was shut out.
All that remained was the warmth of Claude’s scent, filling her senses.
***
[Lord Alex Wade’s Engagement Broken Off! Reason: Affair with Bride’s Sister?]
That headline blared from the front page of the newspaper.
Sipping hot cocoa in the sitting room, I read the article in full.
The photo captured a furious Alex tearing at his hair, and a stunned Rachel desperately covering her face.
[An Affair with the Bride’s Own Sister? Women Across the Empire Outraged!]
The more I read, the more my lips twitched.
Seeing them publicly humiliated like this was strangely satisfying.
It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest.
Taking another sweet sip of cocoa, I turned the page.
And then—
There it was. A large photo of me being embraced under Claude’s cloak.
I knew reporters had gone wild at the wedding, so I figured it might show up in the papers.
But actually seeing myself wrapped in Claude’s arms—my face hidden but clearly present—made my cheeks burn.
At least my face was covered. That was something.
Still, it was probably only a matter of time before people figured out who the woman under the cloak was.
“Don’t worry. I called the reporters myself.”
Claude’s words from the wedding came back to me.
I’d questioned him, but he had only smiled faintly and wrapped me in his cloak.
He’d said something cryptic about everything becoming clear in a few days.
But now, a whole week had passed, and nothing else had happened.
My curiosity grew, and I pressed my fingers to my temple, trying to piece things together.
Could it be… he called the reporters to destroy Alex and Rachel’s reputation?
The thought made me shake my head.
Claude wasn’t some local fixer. Why would he get involved in my personal affairs?
It was a one-year marriage contract. That’s it.
Just when I dismissed the idea and lowered my gaze, another headline struck me like a bolt.
[Why Crown Prince Claude Created the R. Wade Law]
- Wade Law? I’d never heard of such a law in the empire.
Eyes wide, I hurried to read the article.
[Engagements, being formal promises of marriage, are protected by Bertha Empire law.
Regarding the cancellation of engagements, Crown Prince Claude recently created a new national law called the R. Wade Law.
This law removes the clause preventing breakup even when one party is at fault, and establishes new terms for ending engagements.
The empire’s rigid laws are shifting toward realism.
This is expected to be a welcome change, especially for women who’ve been vulnerable in broken engagements.
The law, approved by His Majesty a month ago, includes the following:]
He created a new imperial law?
Claude did?
More confused than ever, I read the next part quickly.
My eyes locked onto the key clause:
[Cancellation of Engagements]
[If the other party is at fault, the engagement can be ended immediately with a priest’s confirmation. A new engagement is also recognized at the same time.]
My jaw dropped.
If he made the law a month ago, that was around the time we got engaged.
Did he plan all of this from the start?
I shivered and rubbed my arms.
A perfect face with such insane foresight—almost too flawless.
I needed to stay sharp.
This was a contractual relationship. Getting caught in a trap was the last thing I needed.
I gulped down the rest of my cocoa.
Then—pfft!
I sprayed it everywhere.
[—In reference to the recent scandal involving Lord Alex Wade’s affair with his fiancée’s sister, Crown Prince Claude named the new law the “R. Wade Law”—]
I couldn’t help it. I burst into laughter, nearly splitting my sides.
This wasn’t just about protecting the legality of our engagement—it publicly branded Alex as an infamous cheater.
Wiping cocoa off the newspaper, I held it carefully and stepped out of the sitting room, smiling.
***
The hallway was quiet, like the storm had passed.
After Rachel fled with all the jewelry, her loyal maids vanished too.
Well, Dana was my only maid to begin with.
Lately, it felt like Dana and I were the only ones living in this huge duchy.
But I liked the peace and quiet.
It let me focus on my research, free from gossip and drama.
Click, clack. My footsteps echoed down the dimly lit hallway.
Claude’s image from the wedding rose in my mind.
He’d wrapped me in his cloak and lifted me into a golden carriage.
He said he would “punish” me and took me to the palace.
But what happened next was unexpected.
He laid me in a bed, turned off the lights, and left.
And then… nothing.
He never came back that night.
I just stared at the ceiling until I eventually passed out—probably thanks to the ridiculously soft bedding.
“Man, I slept well…”
The next morning, a maid brought me a feast in bed.
Claude was still nowhere to be found, and I returned to the duchy after eating a full breakfast.
For someone who was supposed to “punish” me, he sure made me feel refreshed.
But… something still felt off.
He made such a fuss, only to leave me alone?
I was glad the worst didn’t happen, but still…
Wait…
A sudden thought hit me, and I froze in place.
