Chapter 35. An Exaggerated Scandal

What Aster handed me was a bouquet of pink roses, my favorite.

“Why the flowers?”

“I saw them on the way and thought of you.”

“Thank you.”

The thoughtfulness made me happy. I quietly smelled the roses and then placed them on my lap. The scent of the flowers soothed my nerves, which had been on edge since coming to Blanche Castle.

It was an unexpected gift, making me even happier. I thought he wasn’t the type to give such gifts, but he did well.

Anyone looking would think we were in a blissfully happy relationship. Even the butler’s gaze was unusual.

He was probably trying to gauge my relationship with Aster.

Since the butler was the Duke of Blanche’s confidant, he would report back to him. It was a very cute gesture from Aster.

Aster greeted the butler with a nod and closed the carriage door, as if telling him not to disturb our private moment.

I heard the butler cough awkwardly outside and say, “Have a safe trip,” before stepping back.

Once the presence outside disappeared, I spoke up.

“That was impressive. The butler seemed completely fooled.”

I said, shaking the bouquet, and Aster tilted his head in confusion. He looked at me with a dissatisfied expression and said,

“I didn’t buy it to show off. I really thought of you.”

“Of course.”

Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.

When I replied cheerfully, Aster let out a low sigh. He seemed to mutter something to himself, but I didn’t catch it.

Then Aster spoke.

“By the way, how was the interview?”

“As expected, they were ready to make my life difficult. They want to give me a hard time.”

I smirked, recalling how they had insisted I move into Blanche Castle before the wedding. They knew I would hate it and deliberately provoked me.

“I agreed to move into Blanche Castle next week.”

“Before the wedding ceremony?”

“They want to establish dominance from the start.”

“You don’t have to push yourself so hard. As I said before, you don’t have to sacrifice anything in our contract.”

I stared at Aster. On the day we agreed to marry, Aster said he would gladly become my sword.

He seemed genuinely interested only in what I would gain from this marriage.

Indeed, I stood to gain the most from our plans. There didn’t seem to be much benefit for Aster.

This made me feel strange. Was I feeling guilty about using someone who was willing to be used?

I didn’t want to be the only one benefiting from this contract marriage. Even if the other party was asking to be taken advantage of.

I wasn’t the type to exploit someone just because they were willing.

Lost in thought about these complex emotions, Aster spoke.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

“About you.”

“That’s a commendable thought.”

Aster looked at me with surprise. Seeing the corners of his mouth lift, he seemed pleased. I fixed my gaze on him.

“I’ve been thinking about what you might gain from this marriage. From the first day, it seemed like you were the one who got caught.”

On our first meeting, I took his virginity and easily entered his principles. He demanded responsibility, and I tied that responsibility into a contract, favorable to me.

“So I’ve been wondering what I should give you.”

“Interesting. You’re worrying about that.”

Aster turned his body towards me, intrigued. Our knees touched in the carriage.

As our eyes naturally met, Aster said,

“But Camilla, your premise is wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“As I said before, I returned to Ahivith because of this marriage.”

“….Ah.”

“So, it’s not me who got caught from the first day, but you.”

Aster chuckled and lightly touched his forehead to mine. Embarrassed, I closed my eyes, thinking he might kiss me.

Feeling his subtle gaze, I couldn’t look at him directly and lowered my eyes. For some reason, meeting his eyes felt awkward.

“Anyway, think about it. What I can do for you in this marriage.”

“Well, I think it would be enough if you don’t mention divorce.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t let go of anything that comes to me.”

“…….”

“I’ll try to make sure that pretty mouth of yours doesn’t mention divorce.”

With those words, Aster stepped back. Considering how sensitive he had always been about the word ‘divorce,’ he seemed to have a strong sense of responsibility towards me.

Well, growing up without a proper family, he probably had some fantasy about having one. I felt guilty again for proposing such a messed-up marriage to him.

“Still, if by any chance, you ever want a divorce in the future, I’ll gladly give it to you. My desire to do something for you is genuine.”

“That’s not a very grateful thing to say.”

“In this world, there’s nothing that’s absolutely impossible or absolutely certain.”

“That makes me want to break that rule even more.”

Aster’s eyes, which were usually playful, were now more serious than ever. They were so cold it felt as if his temper was flaring up.

His attitude of making decisions without considering the other person’s feelings made me frustrated.
‘This is all for your own good.’

I added just in case.

“Think about it and don’t regret it later. At least once, I’ll do as you wish.”

“Alright.”

Aster smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear.

“I should take that offer to ensure you won’t change your mind later.”

“Okay. You should hold onto something too. It wouldn’t be fun if only I had control over you.”

I felt relieved that we finally seemed to be on the same page. At that moment, he pulled me close and whispered,

“You’re already good at taking control.”

“!!”

“Take care.”

Aster, who had just dropped a bombshell, left a brief butterfly kiss and exited the carriage. Left alone in the wreckage, I let out a hollow laugh, my face flushing red.

“Huh, huh!”

I was so stunned that no words came out.

What does he mean by taking control!

I glared at Aster through the carriage door, fuming. I kept staring until he closed the door with a bright smile and waved.

‘That, that, that crazy man!’

The slight guilt I had felt towards Aster disappeared completely. Maybe it was me who got caught. It felt like I would be devoured by that sly man before I knew it.

I slapped my cheeks to snap out of my daze.

“Get a grip, Camilla Francis.”

I managed to calm down only after giving myself a mental pep talk all the way back.

* * *

Soon after, the news of my marriage to Aster spread quickly in Ahivith. And an interesting phenomenon occurred. Those who had seen Aster and me dating before started spreading the rumor unanimously.

Our unintended one-month contract relationship had deceived people perfectly.

[The Love of the Century Continued by Imperial Decree!]

The newspapers sold like hotcakes every day, filled with stories of my passionate romance with Aster. It was like a scene from a play, with everyone fascinated by the sudden alliance between two formerly hostile families.

I had been wondering how to deceive the Duke and Duchess of Blanche, but this was a stroke of luck. I actively used public opinion to act like a woman madly in love with Aster.

How deeply in love must I be to offer the Rain Mine as a dowry?

As soon as the journalist, who had been secretly prepped, reported that the dowry was the Rain Mine, our marriage became a fait accompli.

Everyone believed I was utterly smitten with him. It was an exaggerated scandal.

With all the commotion, it was only a matter of time before the news reached the imperial family. After all, the imperial family had played a role in bringing us together, so they must have been very pleased with the current situation.

As expected, an invitation from the imperial family arrived soon after. It had only been less than a month since my debutante.

Moreover, I was stunned by the proposal that exceeded my expectations.

“What did you just say?”

“For the harmony of the two families, we would like to hold the wedding at the palace.”

The Empress made an astonishing proposal with a gentle smile. They wanted to hold the wedding at the Ahivith Imperial Palace.

‘I didn’t intend for things to escalate this much.’

People were more enthusiastic about the union of the hostile Blanche and Francis families than I had anticipated. There was no turning back now; I couldn’t just reveal it was a contract marriage.

* * *