I Thought It Was An Arranged Marriage - Chapter 24

It was obvious how much those in the know would be slandering her. In their mouths, she would be a wanton woman deceiving her husband with her former fiancé.

But reading the part that said she hid her true nature behind a dignified face and that the marquis’s family had requested a breakup after seeing through it, she couldn’t even laugh.

It wasn’t funny at all. It was Kallen who had complicated relationships with women, not Rosaline. She only had her husband, then and now. And now she’s able to judge the situation calmly. Rosaline thought, this absurd nonsense must have come from the Marquis Addis’s side.

‘The marquis wouldn’t use such a shallow trick, and Kallen is capable. It must be some small fry supporting Kallen who started this.’

Seeing Rosaline’s cold face, her aide, Mariette, became anxious. She had reported it because the Grand Duchess should know, but she didn’t expect such a reaction. She thought Rosaline would scoff and dismiss it as nothing.

Everyone in the Grand Duke’s residence knew Rosaline’s innocence. The Grand Duke’s obsession with his wife was astonishing. It was the kind that could have become endlessly desolate with even the slightest mistake.

Fortunately, Rosaline’s quiet and introverted nature meant she rarely went out. She wisely chose which external events to attend and considered it natural to be accompanied by the Grand Duke each time. To the people of the Grand Duke’s residence, the harmonious relationship between the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess seemed like a miracle.

So she thought they would laugh off this nonsense and discuss how to handle it. But Rosaline reacted more sensitively than ever. She seemed to shiver with anger and hatred at the mere mention of her name alongside Kallen’s.

The emotions Rosaline displayed were intense hatred and disgust. Mariette, who sensed these raw emotions, felt a chill.

‘I heard they had a good relationship during their engagement, but maybe not.’

Come to think of it, she never consciously noticed it, but Rosaline never mentioned Kallen Addis, not even indirectly.

“Leave it alone.”

“Pardon?”

“I won’t respond separately. If I make a statement, it’ll only look more ridiculous.”

“That’s true, but…”

Indeed, it was. There had been nothing between Rosaline and Kallen, and there never would be, so if they just lived normally without responding, the rumors would die down on their own.

People who liked to talk would do so regardless of evidence. If there was something, they would talk twice or thrice as much. Objectively, the wisest course was to avoid creating situations where they might meet and hold Addis accountable after the rumors died down.

The basis of the current rumors was all speculation with no eyewitness accounts, so there was nothing more to talk about. The two hadn’t met since that banquet. Most importantly, once the identity of the mistress was revealed, the story would end.

“People who like to talk will say there are no eyewitness accounts because we’re meeting secretly. But how can we care about everything? I’ll just ignore it. Let Addis handle the cleanup.”

“Yes, madam.”

It was the right decision. And Mariette was convinced. The madam and Kallen Addis could not coexist. The reason was unknown but unimportant. What mattered to her, as a retainer of the Grand Duke’s house and the Grand Duchess’s aide, was her lord’s heart. The Grand Duchess had shown clear hatred and disgust towards young marquis Addis, and that was enough.

Mariette frowned briefly. It wasn’t that she dared to defy the madam’s decision. However, if the Marquisof Addis’s family, feeling victimized by losing the Grand Duchess, also lost their only son… They would surely rebel strongly.

It wasn’t difficult. She was confident she could handle anything from making a noisy example to dealing with it secretly without anyone noticing, just as her lord wished.

But Mariette had one strength and weakness: a humane heart compared to her ruthless handling of matters. She felt a bit of pity for the Marquis of Addis. They had been allies with the same cause.

It was inevitable. Who told them to raise their son like that? And who dared to engage him to our madam? Mariette’s humane heart extended only as far as her ruthless handling of matters.

And Kallen Addis blew away Mariette’s shallow sympathy in one go.

Kallen’s actions went beyond common sense. At first, he was flustered too. He did want to seduce Rosaline somehow, and it was true he had a mistress.

But he hadn’t planned to act recklessly from the start. He intended to seduce Rosaline first, and once he was sure she had fallen for him, he would then boast.

He had a mistress, but she wasn’t someone he could proudly show off.

‘How can I say she’s a commoner!’

On that banquet day, feeling miserable and angry, he sought out a courtesan. He went to the establishment but felt so much self-loathing that he only drank heavily.

Spending money to enjoy a woman. It was unthinkable. He didn’t mind giving gifts or allowances to noble ladies or young misses. But spending money for a night with a woman was something only pathetic guys who couldn’t attract women on their own did.

“Ha, please forgive me just once! My family, sob, they’re starving at home… Sob, without me, my whole family will die.”

Then he found a woman clinging to the manager, crying her eyes out. She was plain and shabby but quite beautiful. Particularly, she had a refined look that suited Kallen’s taste. She even vaguely resembled Rosaline. He suddenly wanted to dress her up in makeup and expensive clothes.

Moving quickly, Kallen found out that she worked in the kitchen of that tavern, had been offered a courtesan position but hesitated and refused, and today she ruined an expensive dress of a courtesan, so she had to pay a large sum.

It wasn’t a huge amount, but it was probably a mouth-dropping figure for a commoner. Kallen, being a generous noble, paid her debt and kindly coaxed her out. She was clearly a virgin.

What followed was easy. Seducing and sweet-talking an innocent woman was his specialty. His good looks worked everywhere.

The woman, Maria, was truly innocent and naive. Her untainted purity was endearing. He liked how she worshipped and admired him no matter what he did. To him, who’s weary of the increasing ridicule and mockery, she was like a refreshing rain. So, although she was a commoner, he had taken her as his mistress and was taking care of her.

But he didn’t want his friends to find out. A commoner mistress, not even a fallen noblewoman. He couldn’t let them know he had sunk so low. If they found out, he couldn’t imagine the ridicule and scorn he would face.

So he had been vague with his words, and before he knew it, he was rumored to be in an inappropriate relationship with Rosaline.

‘It’s embarrassing but not bad.’

He hadn’t said anything. He just didn’t actively deny the words added by those around him. He might bear some moral responsibility, but he wasn’t in a position to care about that now.

So he kept his words to a minimum and wore a troubled, melancholic expression. If the rumor spread properly, who knew? He might actually become Rosaline’s lover.

Moreover, that day, Grand Duke Bryant had witnessed his and Rosaline’s meeting. He even scattered some bait, so the Grand Duke might already be misunderstanding their relationship. If so, he might have scolded or criticized Rosaline because of this rumor. Then Rosaline, feeling wronged, might have raised her voice…