Contract Marriage Interrupted - Chapter 92



Only Krnovel

Episode 92. Crack (3)
2023.12.17.

Even after arriving at the ballroom, Odette’s confused mind did not calm down at all.

She had had ‘that dream’ until this morning, so perhaps it was natural.

It was just that it was so severe. Even Ellie noticed that Odette was unusually unstable, so she asked her worriedly.

“Are you okay, Your Highness? Your complexion doesn’t look good… …”

“… … It’s okay. It’s just that I’m a little worried about Walter.”

Strictly speaking, it would be correct to say that she was worried about the dream, but that wasn’t completely wrong either.

If Walter had just told the truth, Odette would have easily been able to tell what happened in the dream. No matter

what kind of person Louis was, or how much she cried in that dream, it wasn’t reality.

‘… … But Walter’s lies are reality.’

What on earth is Walter hiding?

I thought I had found someone I could trust and rely on, but now I couldn’t trust him at all, and I was confused.

I knew I had to try to talk to him, but because of Walter’s attitude, it was hard to even talk to him right away.

For example, Walter had been looking at Odette ever since he entered the ballroom.

Even when Odette was chatting with others.

“Don’t you think Duke Ertmann keeps looking this way?”

“Oh, I guess I’m not the only one who feels this way. I heard you two are on good terms, I’m really jealous.”

“… … That’s too much praise.”

Odette awkwardly laughed at the compliments that were usually given to newlyweds. She

decided to leave aside the question of whether they would have walked in together if they were really on good terms.

However, she couldn’t stop a sharp thought from prickling her mind.

‘Just as I’m avoiding Walter, Walter is avoiding me.’

If there’s only one person avoiding, they’re bound to bump into each other and make a noise.

However, the two were living a life without any contact. This means that Walter was also intentionally avoiding Odette.

If he was not only ignoring me but also intentionally avoiding me, did he think that lying to himself was no longer productive?

That was why he didn’t want to spend any more time on Odette, who was just a contractual marriage partner, and if it was just a hassle to act like a good couple.

‘… … In the end, I’ll be the one who bends.’

It wasn’t because Odette was in a sorry position.

After meeting the Marquise Noarche, she had promised to be a strength to Walter.

So Odette planned to do her part no matter what Walter said or did.

‘It’s just… … I’ll have to keep the line this time.’

She wasn’t going to go back to their close and affectionate relationship.

Instead, they would be much more rational and public.

‘It’s strange.’

Even though she knew that he was deceiving her, and even though she was confused by it, she didn’t hate or fear Walter.

In the end, Odette had to admit that she had been more interested in Walter than she had thought.

So when time passed and this feeling faded away,

when the confusion subsided, wouldn’t she really be able to distance herself?

‘A little more, to live up to the title of contract couple… … .’

Odette sighed inwardly and headed to the balcony. The distracting atmosphere of the ballroom seemed to be making her already complicated mind even more complicated, so she wanted to cool her head.

The balcony she had arrived at, walking as fast as her feet could take her, was a very familiar place.

It was the place where she had first met Walter, and where she had originally been supposed to meet Louis.

‘I don’t know what kind of coincidences there are.’

Odette let out a hollow laugh and took her hand off the railing she was holding onto.

It was a very inappropriate choice to come out to the balcony where she had first met Walter in order to organize her thoughts.

It seemed like it would be better to go somewhere else. The moment Odette turned around with those thoughts,

the balcony door opened, and when she saw someone coming in, she froze in place.

Because he was the face Odette always saw in her dreams.

“Louis Clovis.”

Perhaps because he had lost weight, Louis’ face, which seemed even sharper, overlapped with the image from her dream. And the question Louis had asked her earlier.

-… … Don’t you remember me?

An absurd hypothesis flashed through Odette’s mind.

Louis never missed that moment of confusion. Her

thin lips slowly opened. As if she was grasping at her only rope.

“Odette.”

Among the many emotions entangled in Louis’s eyes, hope flashed through his mind.

“Do you remember me now?”

* * *

“Your Majesty, why don’t you make up with your wife? How long will you be angry?”

“I’m not angry. We didn’t fight, so there’s nothing to make up with.”

“If you’re not angry, why did someone who could barely live with you suddenly cut you off? I think you’re really angry.”

To someone who doesn’t know, Russell might seem out of his mind to dare nag his master, but in other words, it meant that Russell had his limits.

Although Walter had a tendency to be self-centered, he was always a rational and reasonable person.

In the ten years that Russell had been working for him, he had never once shirked his duties.

“That was before he met your wife.”

No, it was before he returned from the battlefield.

Walter had really become strange. Russell couldn’t say for sure, but he had felt it for months, and he guessed that Odette was the cause.

‘Because he’s not usually devoted to his wife.’ It was only

after he’d been locked in his room for three days after the wedding that Russell humbly admitted

that Walter was deeply in love with Odette .

Well, even without such an extreme example, anyone could have known that if they had seen Walter’s behavior toward Odette. Russell, who knew Walter well, simply shook his head for a very long time, saying that he couldn’t possibly do that.

In any case, Russell was positive about this. Odette seemed to be in love with Walter, and since they were married anyway, what more could there be?

‘It’s time for Your Majesty to find someone who fits his fancy.’

It was strange to see Walter acting strangely toward Odette, but it was nice to see.

At least that was the case until a few days ago.

Until the cold war between Odette and Walter began.

“Everyone seems bewildered when people who were dying and dying together are like this. But since your Majesty is a very kind person, wouldn’t you accept it if Your Majesty admits his mistake?”

Russell was certain that Walter had done something wrong.

Odette was a person with firm convictions, as expected from someone who grew up in the palace, and at the same time, she was affectionate, unlike someone who grew up in the palace.

He had worried that she might be too weak, but he was surprised to see that she was quite strong.

It didn’t seem like someone like that would cause trouble first. At least, more so than Walter.

Walter also nodded his head, as if he agreed with Russell’s opinion.

“Of course.”

“Right? But why don’t you do that?”

“Because even if she accepts my forgiveness, it doesn’t mean we can go back to how we were before.”

Walter also intuitively felt that Odette had caught on to his lies.

Of course, there were many opportunities to correct this situation.

If Walter had apologized right after realizing why Odette’s attitude had become cold.

If I had told her that I had nothing to hide from Odette except one thing, she would have nodded. And she would have said,

“I will trust you. But it would be better for us to keep this distance.

A contractual marriage, and a clause that we would devote ourselves to each other.

All of that was colorless because Odette and Walter were so immersed in a sweet dream.

There might have been people who tried to interfere with their marriage, but their relationship was strong.

So, simply put, this incident shattered the sweet dream that surrounded them. It

was just waking up from a dream, so it was not painful or damaging.

The moment he realized that he could never return to that dream again.

Walter thought that this might be a better outcome.

After all, he was someone who had to leave someday.

‘If I think of Odette, I should keep my distance.’

It was something he knew in his head but couldn’t do, but when the situation actually became like this, keeping his distance became easier than he thought.

His dying heart no longer hurt, and not being able to see Odette properly was nothing compared to the past years.

If he continues like this, one day he will die as if he never existed.

Then Odette will soon forget him, and she will be able to live happily under the protection of Cedric, who will ascend to the throne.

Maybe one day he will fall in love with Louis, or someone else.

Walter knew that there would be no place for him in Odette’s future.

Even so, his ominous hope would not go away…

“Your Majesty, you have to experience it to know how things will turn out. If it’s going to be like that anyway, it wouldn’t be bad to try it once.”

Russell said, awkwardly ruffling the back of his head.

“I know what I’m saying is presumptuous. But sometimes, don’t you regret it less if you try? At least, it’s better than just looking at me from behind with a face dripping with regret like now… … Why, why do you look at me like that?”

Walter stared silently at the face of the person who knew him best.

Then he asked.

“… … Do I look so regretful?”

“No, are you calling that a word? Did you really not think so?”

“I thought I erased it.”

“What do you mean erase it? It looks like I’ve covered you from head to toe! If I don’t see it, do you think I have eyes in my feet?”

So please!

“Go and say something!”

* * *

Walter was pushed out by Russell’s back.

Russell said that this kind of ballroom was a good background to break the awkward atmosphere, and sent Walter out first. He meant for him to find Odette and have a friendly conversation.

Besides, Walter knew where Odette would go when she got tired of the banquet, so if he waited, she would come someday.

How long had he waited? As he had expected, Odette showed up soon.

“… … Walter?”