I Was Tricked Into A Fraudulent Marriage By The Obsessive Villain - Chapter 5.9 - Banquet

“A wife?”

Titia bit her lip and began to speak.

“I have never heard news of His Highness the Grand Duke getting married.”

Titia struggled to grasp her sanity, denying the situation.

No. It can’t be.

“If you are pitying Lady Hardin because she seems to be delusional, you don’t have to, Your Highness.”

This must all be something Lady Hardin concocted by herself.

Titia continued, trying to rationalize the situation for herself.

At Titia’s words, all the nobles’ attention turned to Carvain.

Or, more precisely, the words that came out of his mouth.

“I had to defend the battlefield.”

Carvain opened his mouth, attracting everyone’s attention.

“I was afraid someone would claim my wife as his, so we held our own private ceremony a long time ago.”

“……!”

The nobles were abuzz at his words.

Ladies and wives blushed and cheered quietly.

A vow ceremony just between the two of them! Wasn’t that something filled with romance, only found in romance novels? The pinnacle of romance!

And those eyes, those lines!

That lighting, temperature, and humidity!

The Grand Duke was completely a man in love.

His handsome face whispered love with those eyes. The Grand Duke and his wife seemed like people who had jumped out of a myth.

“No. No.”

Titia muttered quietly, denying reality.

It can’t be. It shouldn’t be.

Brown eyes boiled with pride and jealousy, a muddle of unpleasant emotions.

There was no such thing as an unofficial Grand Duchess that she had ever heard of.

Could it be that arrogant Lady Hardin threatened her man?

If that frail person was merely threatened, she could have accepted it with a heart as calm as the sea.

If only he would stop now if only he would beg for forgiveness now! If he would kneel at her feet and beg with tears, she could have forgiven him.

However, contrary to Titia’s wishes, Carvain hammered down the reality of the situation.

“Ah, Jonathan. Let me introduce my wife, Iona Hardin Thanatos Tenebres, the Grand Duchess.”

“…Ah, ah. It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Your Highness, the Grand Duchess.”

The openly used title of Grand Duchess, along with the name of Lady Hardin and the royal family name ‘Tenebres’.

It was as if he officially nailed it down, going as far as plastering it on the walls.

“Ah… But.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Carvain opened his mouth, staring at Titia.

“You. Do you know me?”

“……Huh?”

“I’ve never seen you before today, yet you speak as if you know me.”

Carvain twisted the corner of his mouth and spoke.

The face that had been wearing a public mask and acting kindly was gone, replaced by a fiercely sharp expression.

The spirit emanating from his ominously sunken eyes instantly pressed down on Titia.

“From now on, act with respect towards the Grand Duchess. I will only overlook it today.”

His icy gaze was fixed on Titia. Under that gaze, Titia collapsed onto the floor.

“…Ah.”

It was the end. The end.

It was a perfect victory for Carvain, as clear as if the referee had declared a K.O.

Iona was watching from Carvain’s arms as he trampled on Titia with relish.

Soon after, as if he had finished what he came for, Carvain pulled Iona by the wrist.

“The time for music to start is approaching, wife. Shall we leave then?”

The Grand Duke, as if he couldn’t even see the left-behind Titia, escorted the Grand Duchess away from their spot.

The nobles stared at the remaining Titia with cold eyes.

The deluded one who coveted the Grand Duke and tried to brand the Grand Duchess as a deluded one.

“Ah… Ahhh!!!!”

Titia collapsed, wailing.

***

As the music signaling the start of the dance flowed, Iona was being led by Carvain onto the dance floor.

“Wife. Are you upset?”

Carvain gently led her and asked.

Iona glared at the man holding her hand with dagger eyes.

“Did you do that on purpose?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You just stood there and watched.”

At the accusation that he didn’t stop that woman from touching him, Carvain answered with wide eyes.

“Not on purpose. I was just waiting for you to save me.”

“…….”

“Did you not see the eager look in my eyes, waiting for my wife.”

…If only words could be unsaid.

Like flowing water, the man let words slip again.

No matter what he says, it’s obvious!

Iona expressed her frustration by stepping on Carvain’s foot.

Thud. The sharp heel of her shoe drove into the toe of his fine footwear.

Contrary to Iona’s expectations, there was no sign of impact on Carvain.

Instead, he seemed to enjoy it.

“Step on me more. If that makes you feel better.”

“It’s not going to happen!”

Carvain laughed as he looked at Iona’s frustrated face.

Iona silently took in that harmless smile. Yes, this occasionally defenseless face. The raw emotion hidden behind the mask, constantly shaking her…

Carvain then slightly lifted Iona, placing her foot on his instep.

“What, what are you doing? Put me down, now.”

Iona’s ears turned red.

“I’ll keep doing this until you’re satisfied.”

Does he want to dance all night?

Carvain’s mouth curled into a smile.

“…Don’t tell me you were going to do something with that woman if I hadn’t intervened?”

Despite Carvain’s efforts to appease her, Iona couldn’t shake off her uneasy feeling.

Was he planning to keep Titia by his side, as in the original work? The doubt shackled her.

“How could I possibly do such a thing while I have you?”

Carvain answered smoothly.

Iona narrowed her eyes sharply and glared at him.

“Just you wait. I’ll take that wrist of yours!”

Thinking I wouldn’t talk about taking your wrist, did you!

Iona said, annoyed.

“Everything I have is already yours.”

Carvain answered with a gentle smile.

 The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess looked like a fairy tale couple.

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to the beautiful couple as if they were from another world.

Iona let out a deep sigh as she felt all eyes on her.

“……phew.”

It seems like I’ve dug my own grave again… No way it’s just my imagination. Damn.

It felt deeper than the tunnel Isaac had dug some time ago.

“By the way. Are you going to keep dancing like this?”

“Why? Is it too heavy? I told you to put me down…”

“No, it’s not that…”

Suddenly, Carvain stopped moving and leaned his head closer to Iona.

“I’m more interested in what my wife said earlier.”

“What?”

“You said you’re planning to see about having children.”

Carvain whispered with a teasing smile from up close.

“You’ll have to show me how that’s done, don´t you?”