Chapter 1 – Arrange Marriage (Part 6)

Due to the standoff between Duke Dveshi and Duke Loden over who would enter first, Sophia met Clive’s eyes again, and this time he smiled broadly and waved. Seeing that, she couldn’t help but sigh.

Once again, Sophia ignored him and followed her father into the audience chamber. The King, who had been waiting, rose from his seat to greet them specially.

“Welcome.”

After Duke Dveshi and Duke Loden greeted the King, they stepped back, leaving Sophia and Clive standing side by side before the King.

As they greeted him with a respectful demeanor, the King smiled contentedly.

“You make a fine pair.”

“Thank you.”

After greeting, Sophia glanced sideways at Clive standing next to her. It was her first time seeing his face up close.

Though Clive seemed a bit different with a stern expression before the King, she realized it was an illusion when he winked again upon meeting her gaze.

Why is he doing that? Now it seemed he liked any woman. 

Feeling uneasy, Sophia forced a smile in return. Since they were to be married, they needed to appear as harmonious as possible.

Of course, she had no intention of getting close. She thought she could maintain a proper distance and divorce when the King’s interest waned. There was no guarantee that a playboy like him wouldn’t meet other women even after marriage.

“Marriage alone isn’t enough to bind the two families. To connect more deeply, it seems better to have a child. If that happens, I will personally become the child’s godfather.”

But when she heard the King’s words, she realized it was a misjudgment on her part.

Wha-what?

Sophia, who hadn’t expected the King to interfere with the issue of heirs, was startled, her mouth slightly agape.

It was a rare and honorable thing for the King to become a child’s godfather, but neither Duke Dveshi nor Duke Loden seemed pleased.

Seeing their considerably flustered expressions, it seemed both Dukes had been considering divorce. The King had evidently read their thoughts and issued a warning.

“I’ve said what I wanted to say, so I’ll leave the rest to you two.”

The King stepped down from the throne and stood in front of Sophia and Clive.

Behind him, Duke Loden and Duke Dveshi glared at each other. Oblivious to the tense exchange, the King chuckled.

“Have you introduced yourselves to each other?”

“Not yet.”

“No.”

Clive and Sophia answered simultaneously.

“Well, you two should have a conversation, right?”

The King, thinking he was being considerate, arranged some time for Clive and Sophia to talk. Although it wasn’t necessary, they couldn’t refuse the King’s order.

Following the guidance of a royal attendant, they moved to a quiet space, and after the attendant left, they sat facing each other on the sofa in the room.

Having never spoken before, an awkward atmosphere prevailed, and Clive was the first to speak.

“Lady Dveshi. This is the first time we’ve had a conversation. I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a long time. Circumstances didn’t allow it, but I’m glad we can now.”

“Indeed.”

“When there’s a rift between families, it’s a loss. You know? Love is everything in the world.”

Clive, who had been making small talk, suddenly made an unexpected statement.

“Love?”

Sophia slightly furrowed her brow.

“Yes, love. Without love, I’m just a shell of a person. So, no matter how hostile our relationship is, I don’t hate you.”

“Ah, yes.”

The man’s serious face as he spoke of love wasn’t very convincing, and the more he spoke, the more Sophia’s face hardened.

“But there’s one problem.”

“What problem?”

“I can’t be satisfied with just one woman, so what should I do? Still, your appearance is my type, so I’ll try to love you for a long time, my love.”

Claiming he couldn’t be satisfied with one woman and then immediately calling her ‘my love’… How could he say such cheesy words when they met for the first time today, and even though she was from the Dveshi family?

Clive’s words were so absurd that Sophia was at a loss for words. How could he say such embarrassing things when they had just met?

Staring blankly at his smiling face with his white teeth showing, Sophia could only shake her head in disbelief.

There’s someone as peculiar as my brother Liam in the Loden family.

Although she was surprised, she thought Clive was better than her other two brothers, so she decided to endure his cheesy words a bit longer. 

Clive, reading her mind, made an incomprehensible expression.

“Why? Did you not like being called ‘my love’? You’ll have to get used to it since we’ll be husband and wife.”

“Y-yes, I suppose.”

Though she didn’t think she’d ever get used to it, Sophia agreed for now. As the atmosphere between them softened, she finally brought up the topic she originally wanted to discuss with Clive.

“Um, about the child…”

Feeling embarrassed, Sophia hung her head low.

“Don’t worry about that. Even if it’s the King’s command, I don’t force myself on a woman who says no. So I’ll wait until your heart opens.”

Despite saying he’d respect her, his smile, wide enough to show his white teeth, seemed too frivolous to trust.

Though she felt uncomfortable with his smile, Sophia held back and asked another question.

“Do you think we can become close?”

“Of course. If you recognize my true charm and open your heart, I think we can become close anytime. If that happens, we’ll be a good couple, my lady.”

Clive lightly kissed the back of Sophia’s hand, and she maintained her aloof expression.

He really is a playboy, just like the rumors say.

The more they talked, the more Sophia was convinced that Clive was a man with light words and actions. Though she felt uneasy because she didn’t entirely trust his words, he was still the man she was to marry. So she tried not to view him too negatively.

However, having a child was a different matter, so she decided to think more about that issue.

* * *

“What? A-a child?”

After Sophia and Duke Loden returned home together, the Duchess Dveshi nearly fainted upon hearing the news, but fortunately, the Duke supported her, preventing the worst-case scenario.

After catching her breath, the Duchess calmed down by drinking a glass of water, and then she confronted the Duke about the absurd situation.

“Isn’t it too much to order them to have a baby when I’m already against the marriage? Isn’t His Majesty becoming the godfather just a demand for them to have a child?”

Since they had been planning to actively pursue a divorce, the Duchess’s reaction was understandable. Knowing this better than anyone, Duke Dveshi felt heavy-hearted.

“I’m worried too. But it’s the King’s command, so we can’t argue.”

“What about our Sophie’s life? She’ll have to live unhappily for the rest of her life. Isn’t that pitiful?”

“Indeed. I feel bad because you have to marry because I refused. What should we do? I didn’t expect the King to force you to have a child.”

As their conversation grew increasingly heated, Annette’s voice suddenly interjected between them.

Feeling extremely sorry as the situation seemed to be taking a turn for the worse, Annette held Sophia’s hand and comforted her.

“Having met him in person, Clive doesn’t seem as bad as we thought. He seems to have less hostility towards our family.”

Worried that the Duchess might be concerned, Sophia tried to mention Clive’s good points while hiding the fact that he was a playboy.

“I’ve heard the rumors too. What good is it if he has no hostility? He’s said to be a playboy. It seems there’s not a single decent person in the Loden family.”

However, that was just Sophia’s misconception. The Duchess had secretly looked into it and knew about Clive’s playboy tendencies.

“Won’t he change once he’s married?”

Since having a child would make divorce difficult, Sophia was determined to see her future husband in the best light possible. Otherwise, she felt she wouldn’t be able to bear it, as her heart might break right now.

“As if. There’s no way a person from the Loden family could be good.”

Seeing the Duchess click her tongue as if there was no hope, even the smallest bit of hope felt shattered.

“Then what should I do? Should I use forceful methods to curb his playboy tendencies?”

Though she didn’t want to deal with his playboy ways, Sophia was willing to use any means necessary for her future.

At this, Duke Dveshi shook his head, indicating that it was nonsense.

“Even if you beat him with a stick, he’ll still cheat. So, Sophia, you just need to monitor his actions. Find his weakness.”

“Isn’t cheating already a big weakness?”

“That’s not enough. What we need, Sophie, is a weakness big enough for you to get a divorce.”

“A divorce?”

At the mention of divorce, Sophia looked at her father. Given the order to have a child, could divorce really be that easy?

“Yes. Knowing you’ll suffer if you marry into the Loden family, how can I just stand by and watch? So, before you have a child, we must think of a way to get you out of that house as soon as possible.”

Can I trust my father’s words?

She wasn’t sure if she could get a divorce, but if it were possible, Sophia wanted it too.

“Alright. I’ll definitely find it.”

With a determined expression, she nodded.

The engagement proceeded swiftly. Three days after meeting the King, the engagement ceremony took place. Of course, the expenses and preparations were all handled by the royal family, making it possible.

“Since I’m covering all the costs, there won’t be any complaints, right?”

To prevent any objections like “This engagement can’t happen!”, the King spent a large sum to hold a grand engagement ceremony in the royal garden, which felt more like a wedding.

However, despite the grandeur, the atmosphere of the engagement ceremony was gloomy. The expressions of the attendees were as dark as storm clouds, making the surrounding air heavy.

Yet, amidst the dreary atmosphere, there was one man beaming with a smile.

That was Clive Loden. Dressed in a white suit with gold-embroidered epaulets, he was the only one with a bright expression.

Duke Loden, displeased with his son’s standout appearance, glared at him with eyes full of malice. Sitting beside him, Sophia also received the same gaze.

Like father, like son—how chilling.

The sight of Duke Loden sending a murderous glare reminded Sophia of his third son, Killian, so she naturally thought of him.

Recalling the murderous look she had seen at the banquet, she felt relieved that Killian didn’t attend today’s engagement ceremony. If he had been there, she would have received cold stares from two people.

While Sophia was lost in thought, the engagement ceremony was brief. Many parts were omitted, but the King’s single statement, “The engagement is established,” concluded everything.

“Now that the engagement ceremony is done, there should be no more fighting.”

The happiest person at their engagement ceremony was the King. Looking satisfied, he raised his glass high.

“May peace and happiness fill the future of both families.”

With the King’s brief congratulatory speech, the engagement ceremony ended.

Receiving reluctant applause from several people, Sophia and Clive bowed and expressed their gratitude to everyone.

“We can become a good couple.”

After the greetings, Clive winked as if to reassure her. Seeing him like that, Sophia couldn’t help but sigh.

He really is clueless. No wonder Duke Loden keeps glaring at his son.

Sophia felt truly unfortunate to have to marry a man who seemed so carefree.

After the engagement ceremony concluded without incident, the Dveshi and Loden families immediately returned to their respective homes as if the ceremony had never happened.

As a result of today’s engagement ceremony, the Dveshi family concluded that they could not accept a member of the Loden family as part of their family. They thought the light-hearted man didn’t suit Sophia.

Thus, that night, the Dveshi household was bustling with plans for Sophia’s divorce.