Chapter 80

Chapter 80

‘Isn’t this crazy…?’

Seymour leaned casually in the alleyway and sighed.

‘Missing something like that.’

The music box Prince Ronald offered was unconditional money. It was an ancient relic that looked like it was three thousand years old, not three hundred years old just by looking at it. However, he turned around without even participating in the auction…

‘I hate to see it.’

Laria was sitting in that high-class seat with the people of Icard. Her small frame was buried deep among the people who had a tremendous presence even by standing still.

He was glancing up at Laria, who was sitting in a high place, and at some point, Evan’s red eyes turned to him. Then, as if showing off, he was wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

‘What cheeky little bastard…’

He had just turned fourteen, but his eyes were already wary of every man. And, Laria leaned on him casually throughout the ceremony.

It was natural. Laria and Evan were a married couple. It was an arranged marriage that happened suddenly even though they were still young, though the relationship wasn’t bad. The ones he saw at the banquet seemed like friends of the same age who were moderately close.

It could be said that it was the most ideal marriage arranged in childhood. Getting along with friends like that, and when they become adults, the relationship would naturally develop.

Still…

Even though Evan was her husband, he didn’t know who Laria was at all. For example, how bright she was with the flow of money, how good she was at getting things done. Or, how well they fit in with each other to the point where he felt like he had met his fated partner…

…It was just an arranged marriage with a child.

‘It’s me who really suits her, who knows her better.’

Thus, it was just that. He didn’t want to see Laria in Evan’s arms while going to pick up the auction items.

When he ran into Laria, who was coughing like crazy in the lake of Abonitar, his heart sank. The coughing was worse than he had seen in Borotna. Nonetheless, all he could do was ask her if she was okay just mimicking.

Although he got along very well with her, she was someone he couldn’t reach.

However, he wasn’t a person to give up just because he couldn’t reach out to someone.

‘As I like money, I like Laria, with whom I can make money together, and as I like it, I want to monopolize it…’

Seymour was lost in thought for a moment.

‘I lost track of time when I was with her, but it was too painful when she praised Kyle or was with Evan. Have you ever left your money behind and couldn’t control your emotions like this?’

For him, Laria was already more important than money.

‘Wait and see…’

He thought of Laria, who was sitting in a high place.

‘Even if right now I’m below looking up at you, I’ll never stay in this position.’

* * *

After the auction was over, a small party was held in the VIP class. In fact, we were not in the mood for a party because of Rosaline’s deal this morning. Nonetheless, since Duke Icard received a medal, people were lined up to greet him and we could not leave immediately.

‘…This is why you didn’t make a reservation for the special class in the first place.’

Only then did I understand the original plan of going home after receiving the medal.

“Laria.”

Olivia was the first to open her mouth, “Who will you give the flower to?”

“What? Ah, haha…”

“I am your godmother, do not forget.”

Of course, as soon as she started, the rest joined the war.

“I’m your husband, Laria,” Evan said, unable to take his eyes off the flower in my hand.

“…If I don’t get that flower, I think I’ll be hurt tonight.”

“I’m already hurt.”

Suddenly, Duke Icard cut off Evan’s words and intervened.

“No one is as hurt as I am today.”

“Ahahahaha…”

In the end, I couldn’t overcome the pressure and got up.

“I…I’m going to go to the bathroom.”

“You don’t want me to go with you? I’ll escort you there.”

“No, it won’t take long.”

“I’m worried…”

“I’ll be back really soon.”

After refusing Evan to follow me to the bathroom, I left, intending to check out the music box. When I hurriedly looked inside the music box in the bathroom, there was a quite ugly cat doll nestled in a pretty shiny decoration.

‘Wow. One of the three ancient magic items is in my hand like this…’

In my current situation, I had to gather all the unpretty things, though I didn’t have room to think about that.

‘Sorry, Seymour. I’ll take this with me for now.’

The music box was something Princess Elanie found later anyway, and I had to take over this doll.

I carefully disassembled the music box, removed the doll, and quickly put it in my pocket. As I was about to go back to my seat after leaving the bathroom without thinking,

“Honestly, it’s not even a medal, is it?”

I halted, witnessing the scene of gossip.

Near the special seats, five or six young nobles gathered and cursed the Icard family.

“I think they have benefited just because there weren’t any suitable candidates. What’s with that old book?”

Well, that was something I agreed with.

After discovering the old book, I never thought of it as something worthy of a medal.

“I feel a bit uncomfortable about Duke Icard. Is it really out of loyalty to the Empire? I think he has a different point of view.”

‘Whoa, that’s correct. You can spread the mat.’

“In terms of good and evil, I think it’s right to say he is close to evil.”

‘Well, I think so, too. Using black magic is just evil.’

“That’s why he got a daughter-in-law like that.”

‘Wai-Why is the topic going like that now?’

I, who was just agreeing inwardly, narrowed my eyes.

“Why would you adopt a daughter-in-law who was so insignificant and even ill? Is it because the mental state of the small Duke that was abandoned at the academy is not normal?”

“I saw her sitting side by side with Miss Olivia in the same pose. It’s obvious that she has been educated.”

I folded my arms and took a deep breath. It was okay to curse Duke Icard, but I couldn’t stand it if they cursed at me.

“The small Duke’s mental state is not normal.”

One of the members of the group, a young lord, smirked mischievously. He had a nasty expression.

“That, I guarantee. He’s very violent and he can’t even communicate properly.”

‘…How dare you talk about guarantees against someone?’

I felt my eyes roll, and I bit the inside of my mouth. Even discussing Evan’s mental state—Are you just cursing at my husband right now?

“They said he was completely desolate after the death of the Duchess. He makes the living uncomfortable just because of the dead.”

“Didn’t it happen fourteen years ago already? I guess it’s not normal…”

“You never know. Maybe, that daughter-in-law is acting for the sake of life. Wouldn’t it be easy for that crumb to survive in that family?”

‘You’re right about what you’re saying about me, although the crumb part is very unpleasant.’

I stayed still for a while, listening to the conversation further. The more I listened, the angrier I felt thinking of hitting them to relieve my anger.

“Here… I just can’t get past it.”

In the end, I swallowed dry and spoke to the group. Everyone was startled by my sudden appearance. Some muttered, ‘We’re in trouble now, what do we do?’

I continued speaking, mixing shaky breaths.

“It’s okay to insult me. Because that’s not wrong, however…”

The fingers holding the hem of the dress were trembling, and the voice was full of tension. It was the perfect figure for people who were surprised by my appearance to think, ‘Isn’t it more trivial than I thought?’

“Don’t curse Duke Icard, Evan, or Olivia. They are kind and warm.”

Hearing my words, they glanced into each other’s eyes and exchanged glances as if they were confused.

“What do you mean by insulting? It was just an evaluation.”

As expected, one of them immediately refuted. I asked back in a slightly insecure voice.

“Can you say the same in front of the Duke’s family?”

“Absolutely. What did we do wrong?”

‘Oh, is it? Now you have two options. 1, lie flat on the ground, saying there was a misunderstanding. 2, Go out to the enemy territory and press me down. However, if you face someone who looks afraid of talking like me, they would rarely choose number one.’

The reason why no one backed down in front of a child who looked weak was just because they believed this side never survived.

“Princess.”

The brown-haired young lord, who had the dirtiest impression among the group, stepped forward. It was the boy who was going wild earlier, saying Evan’s mental state was not normal.

“Then, let’s hear where he’s nice and warm.”

As expected, you chose number 2.

“No, let’s go back before that. Which part of the things we said about Young Master is wrong?”

It meant to tell with my own mouth how bad it was.

“That, that… Of course, I know I lack a lot in the Duke of Icard, but…’

“Not so abstract. Why is Princess speaking so vaguely from a while ago?”

‘That’s because you’re all right.’

“If you’re going to take sides, you have to do it right, and if you want to brag about yourself, do it right—Kuhhk!”

…Because I was waiting for someone.

The brown-haired young lord, who was talking openly to me, was thrown to the floor helplessly.

“How has nothing changed since the academy? Didn’t I say this last time?”

Evan stepped on his neck with a cool face.

“If you want to swear, do it openly, in front of me.”