Chapter 4 (Part 3)

To divorce, one needed a valid reason, and even with a valid reason, if approval wasn’t granted, the divorce couldn’t proceed. Moreover, it required the consent of not only the Emperor but also the vassals and high-ranking nobles, making it nearly impossible.  

The real issue was that the marriage permit between Theodore and Reinis didn’t even have the Emperor’s seal yet.  

Rio’s question, asked out of genuine concern, didn’t sit well with Theodore.  

“What exactly is your problem?”  

Theodore glared at Rio with a face full of irritation.  

Just as Rio, seemingly expecting this reaction, was about to respond, the door to the office swung open.  

A servant, looking rather flustered, burst in, panting heavily.  

“Y-you must come immediately!”  

The servant’s urgency was so apparent that neither Theodore nor Rio could even reprimand him for entering without permission. Both rose from their seats simultaneously.  

‘Lady Teyshire had gone to visit the lady earlier this morning—could something have happened?!’  

While following the servant, an inexplicable emotion welled up within Theodore. He felt so anxious that it seemed as though he could hardly breathe.  

When they arrived at the place the servant led them to, Theodore instinctively moved before he could think.  

“How dare you set foot here!”  

The moment he saw the face in the mansion’s lobby, an uncontrollable fury surged through him.  

“Is that any way to treat a formally invited guest?”  

“You were never formally invited here, Earl George Plarad.”  

Theodore wanted to crush the arrogant stance of the man standing confidently before him.  

At that moment, Plarad pulled something out from his coat.  

As soon as Theodore and even Rio saw it, their expressions hardened.  

A vivid red envelope sealed with the black insignia of the Duke’s manor. It was undoubtedly the invitation Chloe had taken with her, claiming to be visiting as Reinis’s friend.  

“How did you get that?”  

While Theodore was choosing his words, Rio recalled his younger sister. 

‘Was the reason Lady Teyshire visited the lady early this morning because of that invitation?’  

With that thought, Rio positioned himself between Theodore and Earl Plarad to prevent any potential mishap.  

It was only then that Earl Plarad noticed Rio’s face.  

“Y-Your Highness, the Crown Prince? The Empire’s little sun, Your Highness! What brings you to this place?!”  

“I came by briefly to discuss something important with the Duke. But what brings you here?”  

The moment he saw Rio, a flood of ideas raced through Plarad’s mind. Putting on the most pitiful expression he could muster, he spoke.  

“Well… Your Highness, my wife is imprisoned in the Duke’s manor.”  

Rio almost furrowed his brow at the sheer audacity of Earl Plarad calling someone “wife.”  

Seeing that Earl Plarad had recognized Rio, Theodore stepped back, seemingly deciding to observe the situation.  

“Your wife, you say? As far as I know, you are not yet married.”  

“Well, we haven’t held the wedding yet. However, her family has accepted my proposal, and we are about to submit the marriage permit. But the Duke’s manor has imprisoned my wife, refusing to let her go.”  

“Imprisoned? Are you saying the lady is being detained here?”  

“Yes! They’ve even threatened me to prevent me from meeting my wife! That man over there is the one responsible!”  

Earl Plarad, shouting in indignation, pointed his finger at Theodore.  

‘That man, huh. It’ll be amusing to see his expression later when he realizes the person he’s speaking so rudely to is the Duke.’  

Suppressing his thoughts, Rio composed his expression and looked at Theodore.  

“As far as I know, the lady staying here has not been detained. Now, why don’t you explain yourself, Commander of the Duke’s Knight Order?”  

Rio deliberately emphasized the last phrase, curious about Plarad’s reaction.  

The mention of “Commander of the Knight Order” seemed to drain the color from Plarad’s face for a moment, but he quickly adjusted his expression to feign pity and waited for Theodore to speak.  

“Hah… His words are false. If the lady had expressed a desire to leave, the gates of the Duke’s manor would have been opened for her at any time.”  

“Is that so?”  

At Theodore’s words, Rio nodded and looked at Earl Plarad as he spoke.  

“That… That’s not true! Even if it were, it’s a fact that they blocked me from meeting my wife!”  

“Is that true?”  

Rio, now seemingly enjoying the situation, asked Theodore with a faint smile.  

“It is true that I prevented him from meeting the lady, but the lady herself said she doesn’t even know him. She also questioned how someone she hasn’t married could be called her husband and became furious at the man causing a commotion in front of the manor.”  

Although Rio was his friend, Theodore couldn’t let his status be diminished in front of Earl Plarad, so he reluctantly played along.  

“W-What insolence! How dare you say such outrageous things about the person whose marriage arrangement with the lady and her family has been finalized! Even if you are the Commander of the Duke’s Knight Order, how dare you interfere with an arrangement between families!”  

Feeling the situation turning against him, Earl Plarad shouted angrily and began pointing his finger.  

At that moment, a sharp voice rang out from not far away.  

“I have no intention of marrying you!”  

Reinis, followed closely by Chloe, quickly descended the stairs.  

“W-wife!”  

“I told you before! Calling an unmarried lady your wife or partner is damaging to my honor!”  

“That’s right! Ren hasn’t married anyone yet, so don’t tarnish her honor by calling her your wife!”  

At Reinis’s words, Chloe chimed in, glaring sharply at Earl Plarad.  

Flustered by the cold reactions of the two women, Plarad hastily raised his voice.  

“T-That’s not what I meant! I… I’ve had such a strong desire to marry Lady Reinis that, from the day the marriage arrangement was finalized, I’ve considered her my wife.”  

“I’ll say it again—I have no intention of marrying you. I don’t want to marry someone I don’t even know!”  

“L-Lady, please don’t say such things.”  

Earl Plarad, speaking in a desperate tone, tried to approach Reinis, but Theodore stepped in to block his way.  

“Step aside! I’m going to meet my wife! This is a union between families! You have no right to stop me!”  

Plarad’s gaze, shouting without even understanding what he was saying, was anything but ordinary.  

He even went as far as to push Theodore aside, seemingly ready to drag Reinis away immediately. There was only one way to stop Plarad from acting so recklessly.  

“If you take one more step toward the lady, I won’t let it slide.”  

As he finished speaking, Theodore drew a sword from the waist of the knight standing beside him.  

Startled by this, Earl Plarad stumbled backward and fell onto his rear. Crawling backward while seated, Plarad turned to look at Rio.  

“H-How… how can you act so barbarically! Your H-…”  

“Enough!”  

Not wanting to reveal his identity just yet, Rio hastily shouted, cutting off Earl Plarad’s words.  

“Earl Plarad. Leave now.”  

“But… my wife!”  

“Wife? Didn’t the lady say she has no intention of marrying you?”  

At Rio’s response, Plarad realized something was wrong.  

Sensing from the atmosphere that he was being portrayed as the villain, Plarad understood that while marrying Reinis was important, it was even more crucial not to fall out of favor with the Crown Prince. With that thought, he stood up.  

“I won’t accept any further greetings. Stop causing a scene and leave.”  

At Rio’s words, Plarad bowed his head in greeting and began to leave the Duke’s manor.  

“Wait.”  

The one who stopped him was none other than Theodore.  

Hearing his name called, Plarad instinctively turned around to look back.  

Knowing that Rio would intervene if he raised his sword, Theodore lifted it instead.  

And then—  

*Thud!*  

The sword was lodged straight into the floor.  

Terrified by this, Plarad hunched his shoulders.  

Theodore slowly approached Plarad, step by step. The echo of his footsteps in the lobby was so intimidating that Plarad couldn’t help but swallow nervously.  

Stopping right in front of him with a fierce gaze, Theodore bent down slightly. Then, in a voice low enough for only Plarad to hear, he whispered:  

“If you come looking for the lady one more time, know that this sword won’t be in the floor—it’ll be in your neck.”  

Overwhelmed by the chilling threat, Plarad couldn’t muster any response and quickly turned around, fleeing the Duke’s manor as fast as he could.