Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 101



Only Krnovel

Episode 101. Happiness (2)
2024.01.18.

Walter slowly raised and lowered his eyelids. As death drew near, he lived more often in fragments of the past. When he closed his eyes, he saw Odette, and when he opened them, he drew her. That’s why he knew more clearly.

This was reality. In Walter’s memory, or in his thoughts, he had not been loved this much by Odette.

However, he must have chosen death by drinking the poisoned tea himself. He could vividly remember the moment when death swept over him like a swarm.

But reality?

“How could I… … .”

The voice was smooth. It was a clear voice, as if he was saying that he had simply closed and opened his eyes, not like someone who had just woken up from sleep.

However, the voice did not continue. The first reason was that Walter was flustered by the smoothness of the voice and was speechless, and the second reason was that Odette had suddenly embraced Walter at that moment.

“… … !”

　
Odette’s shoulders shook as she hugged Walter. She could barely hear the sobs, barely audible to Walter’s ears. Odette was crying.

Odette was crying for him.

‘It’s worth dying once.’

No, should I say she died twice now?

Walter patted Odette’s back, nonchalantly thinking thoughts that would have made anyone else think she was out of her mind. Then, a sob was heard from beyond her shoulder.

“Why, why did you do that…?”

“… I didn’t know there was poison in the tea.”

“T-T-lie. Heh, heh, you clearly said you wanted to live happily, heh, live….”

The hand that had been patting Odette’s back slowly hardened.

It was because he could sense what she meant.

-I really hope you’re happy, Duke Ertmann.

Odette had never said such words in her life.

“I, I was selfish, heh, toward you, and why did you… … .”

Odette had never been so selfish in this life.

All of that was a fragment of the past that no longer existed.

With just a few words, she could tell that Odette had regained all her memories.

“… … .”

She had thought that one day, when she learned that Louis had regained his memories, Odette would do the same, but she had never thought that it would be intertwined with her own death.

She had hoped that it would never come. In her previous life, Odette would have been the Odette who loved Louis.

But on the other hand, she had also hoped for this situation.

This situation where Odette knew everything and was embracing her.

“There is no such thing as a happy life for me. Odette… … because you are dead.”

She felt their hearts beating as they touched. It was definitely two heartbeats.

A sense of life that she had not felt for a very long time.

What it meant was clear. The deal with ‘him’ was over.

Perhaps the deal was completed when Walter drank poison and died, and Odette saved him afterwards.

‘If this bondage had been released… … Now I can talk.’

Knock, knock. My heart was pounding. The warmth I held onto, the faint scent I could feel beneath my pulse were all vivid.

Ever since I was given this life, I have never missed… … .

“… … I love you, Odette.”

Instead of answering, Odette kissed Walter.

And so, Walter returned to his second life.

* * *

Walter and Odette explained the circumstances of the situation to each other. Walter said that after Odette died, he was dragged to the battlefield by Arnold’s hand, and that he overworked himself there and eventually died.

“It was fate. No one would have known that a sacred object would be placed there, and no one would have thought that I could use it.”

“So… … the pendant I gave you was helpful?”

“Yes. I heard that it was made for people like you.”

Walter talked about his dealings with ‘him’, and also about the misfortune that comes with those who are born with the power of the gods, like Odette. And the deal Walter made was to take Odette’s misfortune instead.

Odette tried to shed tears again after hearing this story.

“Then, in the end, it’s the same as me killing you… ”

“It’s not your fault, it’s because I foolishly loved you.”

Of course, Walter skillfully brushed that aside.

“If you’re really sorry, why don’t you just stay by my side and don’t go anywhere? I died because of you and lived because of you, so you should take responsibility for it.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on leaving anyway! Don’t call me stupid. I, I… … am the one you love.”

Odette spoke firmly even as her face turned red from Walter’s teasing, and as a result, Walter ended up

blushing instead. He wiped his red face away and laughed in vain, then started flirting with Odette.

“I never thought I’d hear that from you… … It feels better than I thought. Can you do it again?”

“Oh, no!”

“You said you loved me? Was your love really that much?”

“That’s it for today. If, if you want to hear it… … Come tomorrow.”

Walter let out a low laugh at Odette’s words that she only says she loves you once a day.

“Then I’ll do your share. I don’t think I’ll get tired of hearing it no matter how much I hear it.”

As he spoke, Walter had a blue gemstone ring on his hand. A blue gemstone ring with the phrase

[Ariella’s Help] engraved on the inside. That was the thing that saved Walter. * * * Odette’s power to breathe life into him was certainly great. It was already effective enough just by making Walter’s body, which had clearly stopped breathing, circulate blood again. However, in order to make Walter regain consciousness, an artifact with the highest level of healing power, such as the , was needed. So what Odette asked Louis to do was simple. Bring her the , the jewel that was in the Empress’s Palace. If Louis refused, Cedric could have pressured Blake or Katarina to bring it, but if they found out that Odette wanted the , there was no telling how they would react. Perhaps Odette could have held out for a while, not giving him the jewel, until Walter, who had barely managed to put together, stopped breathing again, so it was important to solve it behind the scenes as much as possible. Cedric said this about this. “The is actually more known as a jewel than a holy relic. First of all, in order to use it as a sacred relic, I need the ring body, but they don’t know that I have it. So if Louis Clovis agrees… … .” “I guess I can get the jewel without much suspicion.” “Yes, that seems like the best scenario right now. But is it possible? Blake is never easy on anyone, even my own people. Even if Louis Clovis wanted to help you, it would be impossible if Blake caught his weakness.” Cedric thought that it would be realistically impossible for Louis to help Odette. Louis, who was on Blake’s side, would never help Odette, and even if he did, Blake was not someone who could be easily fooled. However, Odette knew that Louis had memories of the past, and she also knew that Louis was not stupid enough not to create an escape route. And the fact that he could never turn away from her. ‘No, to be exact, he could not turn away from my death.’ It was the fact that Louis wanted to deny the most, and it was Louis’ weakness. Perhaps it could be called his greatest failure. Odette provoked that point, and as expected, Louis could not turn down Odette’s request. Instead of keeping his grandmother in the capital, which he had originally asked Blake to do, he asked for a jewel. And Blake readily gave Louis the jewel at his whim. was a jewel, but it was not as precious as a diamond. The that was completed in this way was so effective that its reputation was not lacking. After putting on the ring and its effect was activated, Walter opened his eyes in less than a day. “My friend told me that Ariela is not a name, but a variation of an ancient word meaning to deceive time. He probably would have had to wait a long time to open his eyes, but thanks to deceiving time, he was able to open his eyes quickly.” “ So does that mean that my death never happened?” “Cedric tried his best to stop it, but… “I guess it was inevitable that it got out a little bit since the Empress’s side had planned it.” Theories about Walter’s death were already being raised frequently in gossip magazines. Now that Walter has opened his eyes, they can be put to rest to some extent, but if Blake’s side is determined and pushes ahead, it will be difficult to completely avoid suspicion. “That’s why I decided to tell people that I saved you from a critical condition with my abilities. For now… … It’s not completely wrong.” “I don’t mind telling the truth, though.” “Louis… … That’s why I don’t want to put the blame on Count Clovis. I think I’ll feel better if we don’t owe each other anything.”

Walter looked at Odette with an unfavorable gaze. He had told her that Odette was born with misfortune, but he had not told her that the more it was known that she had this ability, the more severe the misfortune would be. So he wanted to prevent any possible danger.

‘Odette’s misfortune would have ended with my death anyway.’

She also had the right to have her ability recognized. So Walter nodded.

“Do as you wish. Since I owe you my life anyway, I will not speak on this matter.”

“… … Are you saying that I should not criticize you for using the holy relic?”

“When did my princess become so perceptive?”

Odette glared at Walter with a red face at his words. “I was already perceptive!” As if she was about to claim. However, since she had not known Walter’s heart for so long, she could not bring herself to say such a thing, so she could only keep her mouth shut.

‘What do you mean by perceptive when your true intentions are so obvious?’

Well, I have nothing else to say about being tactless. Walter smiled and pulled Odette into his arms. Odette’s silver hair, which was being embraced obediently, tickled his fingertips, and a similar sensation filled his chest.

A sense of life that he had long forgotten.

Perhaps it could be said that it was a sense of being loved.

That was enough to live again, Walter thought as he held Odette in his arms for a long time.