I Thought It Was An Arranged Marriage - Chapter 16

Rumors of premarital pregnancy spread through the social circles, and he became the laughingstock of the town. People didn’t show it, but everyone whispered about how he had lost such a good match because of his dalliances. And so close to the wedding, too.

At this point, if it wasn’t a premarital pregnancy, he would be an even bigger fool. He immediately forced himself on Amelia, making sure she got pregnant. He knew it would subject her to extreme ridicule, but he had no choice. It was better than being mocked himself.

But soon after, he learned that Rosaline had received a proposal from Grand Duke Bryant. Unless Rosaline was a fool, they would marry, and he would be the ultimate idiot.

So he regretted it. He shouldn’t have gotten her pregnant. If he hadn’t, he could have been the unfortunate man whose fiancée was stolen by a powerful man!

It was unfair. It drove him mad with frustration, but there was nothing he could do. The engagement was broken, and he was married to another woman, while Rosaline married another man. Moreover, that man was someone he couldn’t even dream of competing with.

His quality of life had plummeted. He could no longer leisurely choose his playmates as he used to. The days when anyone would eagerly respond to his advances were over. It was infuriating and unfair. And yet, Rosaline Marte looked so happy. It was too unfair.

“That’s something that never happened.”

“It’s not a trivial matter. We were engaged for nearly two years.”

“But we broke off the engagement, and now we both have our own families. That’s what arranged marriages are like, aren’t they?”

“It’s easy, isn’t it? So easy for you.”

Rosaline clenched her teeth. If she didn’t, she felt she might just punch him in the mouth with her tightly clenched fist. How dare he say such things to her.

But Rosaline couldn’t say anything. As she had said, it was something that never happened. Marriage with him, infidelity, an illegitimate child. It was all something that could never happen now, so she just held back.

She gave him a cold glance, turned away, and ignored him. It was Lucas, her husband, who stopped him from hurriedly grabbing her.

“Were you here, Rosie?”

“Luke…”

Rosaline was momentarily flustered. Even though there was nothing between them, she was flustered. She was innocent, but situations were not always transparent. It was a situation that could look very strange if someone wanted to see it that way, and it could be easily misunderstood.

A space with just two people, a man and woman who were once engaged, a drunk man with a flushed face looking pitiful, and a woman who was flustered upon seeing her husband. Rosaline knew that her reaction made her look even more suspicious, but she couldn’t help but be flustered.

“You’re here too, Young Marquis Addis. Are you enjoying the banquet?”

“Y-Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”

Kallen’s exaggerated stammering and the shifty eyes revealed unmistakable glee.

Kallen, being a man, understood the minds of other men well. No man would not misunderstand this situation. And for Kallen, the brief moment of misunderstanding was crucial, and he thought he couldn’t miss this opportunity. His reputation had plummeted because of the broken engagement with Rosaline.

What if he became involved with Rosaline secretly? Wouldn’t that help salvage his tattered reputation a bit?

‘How obvious,’ Lucas thought.

But Kallen overlooked one thing: Lucas had no intention of falling for such a transparent trick.

In fact, Lucas had already been aware of Kallen’s presence. And the moment he saw Rosaline heading to the balcony unaware, he had been on edge. He couldn’t help but be drawn to her despite his resolve to hold back.

But what mattered most was his wife’s reputation, so he had cast an illusion to distort the perception of those around and cast a soundproof spell to prevent the conversation from being heard. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t hear it himself, but he couldn’t make things difficult for Rosaline just to satisfy his curiosity.

After that, Lucas counted silently to a thousand. He wished he could be a more lenient husband. The maximum time he could afford for his wife’s supposed lover was that much.

And now, facing Kallen, Lucas thought his judgment had been correct. No matter what Rosaline felt, that man was not worthy of being near her.

Even if he had been Rosaline’s lover, how could he be so blatant in front of her husband? Wasn’t he setting the stage for Lucas to question Rosaline? He was a petty and shortsighted man. Removing him in front of his wife was undoubtedly the right decision.

“You seem quite drunk. Shall I call someone for you?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Do you have something to say?”

“I…”

Kallen deliberately trailed off, gazing wistfully at Rosaline. Confident in his appearance, he believed his moist eyes and sorrowful expression could write a story even without words.

But he made two mistakes. First, the only audience was Rosaline and Lucas. Second, he was drunk. With a flushed face, slurred speech, and unfocused eyes, it was hard to look impressive no matter what he did. Especially in front of two people who harbored nothing but hostility towards him.

“You are really drunk.”

Lucas clicked his tongue and called for a servant. He had the Young Marquis Addis escorted out respectfully. Regardless of his personal feelings, it was the host’s duty to ensure that no unpleasant incidents happened to a guest who got drunk at the banquet hosted by the Grand Duke’s family.

But he didn’t want to let him sleep in his house. Who knew what kind of baseless stories might spread? Besides, it seemed that Kallen himself was eager to create a scandal. Lucas decided to meet with Marquis Addis and quickly ordered Kallen to be sent home.

“Luke.”

“Yes, Rosie.”

At the sound of her calling him, Lucas reflexively smiled and wrapped his arm around Rosaline’s shoulder. While she hesitated, not knowing what to say, Lucas was just fidgeting.

“Rosie, your body is cold. How about going inside now?”

“But…”

“Most of the guests have already left. Only a few are left in the hall, chatting. We can leave it to the butlers.”

“I need to distribute the thank-you gifts.”

“I’ve already confirmed that they’ve all been taken. They seem to need the place only for business or political discussions.”

“Then, shall we go in?”

“Let’s go, Rosie.”

Lucas gently rubbed Rosaline’s shoulder and arm while muttering a spell. In an instant, they found themselves in their bedroom, and Rosaline blinked in surprise. Every time she saw her husband use high-level magic so casually in daily life, she was taken aback. Right, my husband is an archmage, she reminded herself. She should be used to it by now, but since she had no talent for magic, she was always surprised whenever she realized it.

Mages were a chosen few, and even among high-ranking nobles, they were rare to encounter. Most mages secluded themselves in towers, focusing on personal research. There were no mages like Lucas who held a title and actively engaged in social and political activities.

Rosaline looked at her remarkable husband anew. Handsome face, high power, endless wealth, perfect physique, excessive stamina. But right now, he was solely focused on her lowered body temperature.

With a serious expression, he was rubbing and massaging her shoulders and arms to warm her up. His face showed no signs of suspicion about what he had just witnessed. It didn’t even seem like he was going to bring it up.