The murmur that started with one or two people became a wave, then a tsunami. The courtroom began to buzz.
“Everyone, silence!”
His Majesty the Emperor finally calmed them down.
“What are you saying, Duke?”
“According to Article 9, Section 3 of imperial law, even for serious criminals, if they are pregnant, the trial is temporarily suspended.”
“Meaning?”
Astaire didn’t avoid the Emperor’s gaze and spoke in a clear voice.
“My wife, Duchess Daphne Seyfried, is currently pregnant with the Seyfried ducal family’s heir.”
“Oh, the duchess is pregnant?”
“Yes.”
The Emperor stroked his chin with his finger, seemingly intrigued. Daphne’s hands trembled slightly, but she never avoided the Emperor’s gaze.
“I ask the duchess. Is what Duke Seyfried just said true?”
Daphne swallowed hard.
Of course she wasn’t pregnant.
Astaire knew that too.
Yet he was lying right now before the sun of the Avont Empire.
Perjury in a courtroom presided over by the Emperor.
This was likewise a serious crime.
She felt dizzy imagining what would happen if the fact that she wasn’t pregnant became known.
He was committing a bigger crime to avoid the immediate one. What was he thinking?
She wanted to yell at Astaire for causing such a huge problem, so unlike him.
But it was already too late.
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
Daphne had to become Astaire’s accomplice in the end.
Under the table, he gripped her hand tightly.
“Then today’s trial regarding the duchess will be temporarily suspended. That’s what imperial law states.”
The Emperor’s declaration finally fell.
Carlos had much to say, but ultimately made no objections.
“Th-that’s a lie!”
At Carlos pointing and spouting whatever came to mind, Daphne flinched without realizing it.
“Pregnant? How could that be!”
Astaire looked straight at Carlos and spoke calmly. He seemed like he’d been waiting a long time to say this.
“We, the ducal couple, will not forget that Your Highness mobilized even your personal guards to mercilessly escort and confine my wife, who is pregnant. First Prince.”
“Are you threatening me now?”
“It’s not a threat.”
It couldn’t not be a threat. Daphne read the blazing emotion of anger in his seemingly calm eyes.
It was a small enough ember that only she, sitting close to him, could see.
Daphne hoped Carlos would just stop here. She hoped he wouldn’t needlessly add fuel to Astaire’s fire.
Even she couldn’t predict what Astaire might do to Carlos.
Gulp.
She swallowed involuntarily.
“…”
An indescribable silence hung between the two men, Carlos and Astaire. The tension was taut, like both sides were grabbing and pulling at the air.
Like a rabbit swept up in a fight between tigers, she felt helplessly caught up in it.
“Then today’s trial ends here.”
Bang, bang, bang.
The Emperor struck his gavel, signaling the trial’s end. People murmured as they filed out of the courtroom.
* * *
Finally, Astaire and Daphne were free to return to the duke’s estate. They maintained silence throughout the carriage ride.
“My lady! You’ve returned!”
As soon as they arrived, the head housekeeper greeted them.
“Goodness, your face is quite damaged.”
“You should go inside and rest quickly. We’ve prepared easily digestible food for you both.”
The estate’s interior looked peaceful, contrary to their worries. Thanks to the efforts of aide Germo, the head butler, and head housekeeper, the duke’s estate seemed no different than usual.
That’s when it happened.
“My lady, congratulations!”
The head butler approached with a moved expression.
At the word ‘congratulations,’ Daphne’s heart sank. She couldn’t smile at all.
“…Thank you.”
Daphne barely managed to say. Seeing her poor complexion, the head butler made a fuss.
“Are you alright? Should I call the physician…”
“Bring the meal upstairs. My wife is very exhausted right now.”
Astaire said while taking Daphne’s hand and going upstairs.
At his final addition, Daphne’s breath caught.
“My wife isn’t just responsible for herself anymore.”
“Of course, Your Grace! From now on, we’ll take special care in attending to my lady.”
Astaire lied without blinking, even to those closest to them.
Not knowing his words were complete acting, the head butler and head housekeeper smiled brightly as they escorted the ducal couple upstairs.
Daphne didn’t speak the whole time.
She felt like opening her mouth would immediately expose the lie.
She felt like she’d suffocate from the weight of the lie she bore with Astaire.
Click.
The soundproofed bedroom door of the ducal couple closed completely.
She hadn’t intended to come here, but naturally following Astaire, she ended up in this place.
It had been a long time.
Since she’d been to the bedroom they only used when fulfilling their marital duties.
Only when the door closed did Daphne finally throw off her mask and protest to Astaire.
“What were you thinking saying such a thing?”
“Then was there any other option?”
At his counter-question, Daphne couldn’t say anything.
Certainly, at that moment, Astaire’s method had been the best option.
But.
“If it’s revealed that I’m not pregnant, the aftermath will be enormous. Naturally, the First Prince will seize this opportunity to try to bring down the Seyfried ducal family.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Her breath caught.
Knowing all this, Astaire had decided to bet everything he’d built up—the Seyfried ducal family and everything else—on her.
Had this man truly gone mad?
Daphne’s head throbbed at his enormous gamble.
When she swayed, Astaire sat Daphne on the edge of the bed.
“Lie down if you’re uncomfortable.”
“No, Your Grace. I’m fine.”
“You’ll need to act sick from now on.”
Astaire didn’t hide his sarcasm.
“If you want to survive instead of dying like you said, follow what I say.”
“What were you thinking…”
“I was thinking of saving you.”
Astaire said, looking straight at her.
When trapped in those green eyes, Daphne couldn’t do anything.
“I could only think about keeping you alive somehow. That was the only way.”
Astaire knew too.
Viscount Brandley had fallen beautifully into the trap Carlos the First Prince had laid in advance. He’d used him as bait to bring down the couple Astaire and Daphne.
Everyone knew that obvious move.
“But… but…”
Her lips were parched.
She felt dizzy at the fact that she had to participate, half-forcibly, in this enormous fraud against the imperial family.
Daphne squeezed her eyes shut then opened them.
“This is fraud.”
“That’s right.”
Astaire readily admitted.
“We’re accomplices. Even if we fall to hell together, we go together.”
“…In the end, things went the way you wanted, Your Grace.”
Never letting her go.
Even if falling, falling while holding her hand.
This was the result of his terrible possessiveness.
Astaire interlaced his fingers with Daphne’s and kissed between their joined fingers.
Though it was a feather-light kiss, it was a burdensome kiss for Daphne.
“You can’t let go of this hand.”
Even when she tried to pull away, he wouldn’t let go.
“You know that.”
Astaire smiled bitterly.
That appearance looked so much like a demon dragging her down to hell that Daphne was startled.
The grip holding her hand grew stronger.
“Let go…”
When she pleaded almost tearfully, only then did Astaire grimace and release her.
“Do you have to make that expression at me?”
Astaire spat out like chewing. Daphne looked at him like asking what he was talking about.
“What…?”
“Are we really married or not? You always look at me that way.”
“Because we weren’t really married to begin with.”
To Daphne, this was an obvious fact. She rather had difficulty understanding Astaire’s words.
“You…”
Astaire looked like he had so much to say. But even waiting silently, he said nothing.
His face looked like he was chewing and swallowing all pain, anger, suffering, and love-hate.
Watching Astaire make such a pained expression while looking at her.
Thump.
Strangely, Daphne felt her heart sink.
“It doesn’t matter anyway.”
Astaire sneered.
“Real or fake, we’re married.”
Slowly, he approached Daphne.
Afraid of the shadow cast over his expression, Daphne backed away. After a few steps, she fell onto the bed.
“And we’re accomplices.”
Astaire whispered while pressed close to Daphne.
“Don’t worry about perjury. If you get pregnant from now on, it won’t be perjury.”
That’s when she realized.
This man.
Astaire Seyfried had completely lost his mind.
There was no way pregnancy would happen easily in such a short time.
If it worked that way, the couple wouldn’t have needed to pay enormous amounts to the gynecologist every month.
“This is an absurd plan.”
Urgency and anxiety seeped simultaneously from Daphne’s whisper.
She desperately grabbed the wrist fumbling at her collar. But no matter how much she tried to push him away, the man wouldn’t budge.
Buttons came undone one by one at the man’s hands. With each one, the white skin hidden beneath the fabric was gradually revealed.
“You’ve completely lost your mind, Your Grace.”
Daphne was now half in despair.
Swish, the strength left her hand gripping his wrist.
Doing the act she’d already done with him dozens of times a few more times wouldn’t change the situation. The fortune of pregnancy wouldn’t come to them.
Yet Astaire was making this insane gamble.
“Yes, I’ve lost my mind.”
Astaire quietly agreed.
Thud.
The moment the clothes wrapping her body finally fell away completely, Daphne squeezed her eyes shut.
“Whether I’ve lost my mind over you or over something else, I don’t know.”
Astaire added with self-deprecating laughter.
With her eyes closed, her hearing became more sensitive. Swish. She could hear too clearly the sound of Astaire loosening his cravat and throwing it to the floor.
“It’s okay.”
Slowly, Astaire laid Daphne deep into the bed. At those words, Daphne strangely experienced the odd sensation of her pounding heart settling calmly.
“Here, my heart is beating too.”
Astaire took her hand and placed it near his heart. As he said, she could feel the pounding heartbeat beneath the broad, firm chest muscles.
“You’re the only woman who makes me like this.”
In the moonlight, only his eyes sparkled. Eyes resembling a deep forest path at night held Daphne.
Daphne couldn’t escape from him.
Not last time, not this time.
“Daphne.”
She reached out and caressed the man’s face. She touched the lips moving to pronounce her name. They were soft, pliable flesh, ironic considering the harsh words they’d poured out enough to bring tears.
The moment he called her name, her heart responded.
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Aenea01
This novel would end after a 500 chapter… Unbearable: even a tea party lasts for 5-6 chapters… The author is more fascinated with dresses and jewels, instead of diving into the peculiar ability of the FL… I drop it