The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 55

The Archbishop bowed to Lucas, who was standing next to Giselle, after giving her a benevolent smile and greeting. He stood with an impassive expression and responded with a slight bow.

“…Maybe it’s because he’s a religious figure, but there seems to be something different about his whole aura. Should I say it’s holy?”

Giselle murmured admiringly as she watched the Archbishop leave, receiving greetings from others. Lucas, who had been silent until then, snorted.

‘If she knew how much donation that old man demanded in return for officiating this wedding, she wouldn’t say such things.’

Moreover, he had been constantly nagging about supporting church construction projects in the past, and thinking about how he would use this opportunity to do so made his head ache already.

‘But still…’

Lucas glanced sideways at the woman beside him. Seeing her still gazing with sparkling eyes at where the Archbishop had disappeared, he couldn’t help but smile.

He didn’t particularly want to shatter her naive imagination about the Archbishop.

It was quite cute how she could act so smart and capable at times, yet so guileless and naive at others.

‘…It’s also amusing.’

As he chuckled to himself again, suddenly the sound of people murmuring grew louder.

Then, the people gathered around parted like the Red Sea, and Giselle gasped quickly upon seeing someone.

The Crown Prince was approaching them.

“Your Highness.”

Lucas bowed politely towards him. The Crown Prince nodded to acknowledge the greeting, then turned his gaze to Giselle and smiled brightly.

“Won’t you formally introduce me to the beautiful bride?”

“This is my wife, Giselle Taylor.”

“…It’s an honor to meet the small sun of the kingdom. I am Giselle Taylor.”

Giselle curtsied, holding the hem of her dress and bending her knees, trying to hide the trembling in her voice.

It was the first time she had faced the Crown Prince at such a close distance. Not every noble had the opportunity to meet the Crown Prince up close.

“Haha! We finally meet, Mrs. Taylor.”

The Crown Prince expressed friendliness with a cheerful laugh towards Giselle, who had greeted him with great tension.

“I wanted to invite you before the wedding, but this friend of mine was so adamant in blocking it. But now that I see you, I understand. I already knew you were beautiful from the photo in the newspaper, but to think you’d be this stunning…”

“You flatter me, Your Highness.”

Giselle was flustered by the Crown Prince’s friendly words and demeanor, not knowing how to react. Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulder and addressed the Crown Prince in a cold tone.

“We both know my wife is beautiful, so you can stop now, Your Highness.”

“Lucas, what are you saying!”

‘We both’ know she’s beautiful? Has this man gone mad?

Giselle looked at him with shock, accompanied by somewhat violent thoughts. Simultaneously, the Crown Prince’s lips twitched before he burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Lucas, to think I’d hear such words from your mouth. You’re truly remarkable, Madam. It seems he really loves you.”

“Ah… No, that’s not…”

He’s just being thorough in his ‘husband role’.

Too thorough, that’s the problem.

Giselle pinched Lucas’s side lightly with a bright red face. However, he maintained a nonchalant expression as if it didn’t hurt or even tickle.

“I’m not lying, Giselle. It’s a fact that you’re beautiful.”

“Please, stop saying such things. Especially in front of His Highness.”

Giselle glared at the man who was overly immersed in his ‘husband role’ and whispered.

‘Please!’

‘Juuuuust a bit!’

Perhaps understanding the desperate plea in her gaze, Lucas made an ambiguous expression, almost smiling, then shrugged and closed his mouth.

“Haha! This is truly a rare sight to behold!”

The Crown Prince looked back and forth between Lucas and Giselle, bursting into laughter again. Lucas sighed as he watched the Crown Prince laugh without restraint, holding his stomach.

“I believe that’s enough, Your Highness. I assume you came here to discuss something with me.”

No matter how powerful money was, it was unusual for the Crown Prince to personally attend a commoner businessman’s wedding. Unless he had some ulterior motive.

When Lucas pointed this out, the smile disappeared from the Crown Prince’s face. His genial expression instantly changed to a cold one.

Giselle’s eyes widened as she witnessed this transformation up close. The Crown Prince noticed her reaction and gave a bitter smile.

“Oh my, it seems I’ve startled the lady. But it’s true that I came to congratulate you two on your marriage, apart from business. After all, Lucas is like a close friend to me, despite everything.”

“I welcomed Your Highness’s visit gladly for the same reason. But that’s that, and business is business, isn’t it?”

Lucas responded to the Crown Prince’s words and gestured to guide him to a separate room. Bushin, who had been watching from somewhere, promptly approached them.

“I’ll escort you, Your Highness.”

“Well, both master and butler are truly remarkable.”

The Crown Prince gave a hollow laugh at the butler who had approached as if he had been waiting, then followed him out of the banquet hall. Some nobles who had been glancing this way hurriedly followed the Crown Prince.

As Giselle quietly watched this scene, she heard Lucas’s voice.

“Giselle, I need to step away for a moment. Will you be alright on your own?”

“Of course I’ll be fine. I’m not a child.”

She turned to look at him and shrugged. But Lucas frowned as if he didn’t quite believe her.

“Go on, Lucas. His Highness is waiting. Well, you might not find me trustworthy, but I won’t go so far as to overturn the banquet hall, will I?”

Giselle joked as she pushed his back. Lucas reluctantly started to move but turned back to look at her.

“I trust you.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said I trust you, Giselle. If you were a foolish woman, I wouldn’t have proposed marriage in the first place.”

He lightly tapped her forehead with his fingertip and then turned away.

“Uh… hmm.”

It was just a light tap, like he was gently pushing her away. Like he was scolding a child for having strange thoughts.

Yet for some reason, heat spread from where he had touched her forehead. The warmth from his fingertip spread across her cheeks to her entire face, and then down to her neck.

“Why is it so hot? I didn’t even touch any wine today.”

She hadn’t even touched any alcohol, be it wine or champagne, fearing she might make a mistake.

No, there hadn’t even been time for that. As soon as the banquet started, she greeted the Archbishop, and after that, she briefly greeted the Crown Prince.

Nevertheless, as the heat showed no signs of subsiding, Giselle fanned herself lightly with her hand and then called over a passing servant.

“Could I have a glass of water, please?”

“Yes, Madam.”

The servant promptly returned with a glass of water. It was cold water with precious ice cubes floating in it.

Giselle smiled and thanked him for his thoughtfulness, then took a sip of water and looked around.

After drinking the water so cold it made her whole body shiver, she finally began to notice her surroundings.

For example, her parents strutting around as if they were the owners of this place…

Giselle swallowed a sigh as she looked at where her family was. The conversation she had with them before the banquet started came back to her mind.

「We’ve been looking at a townhouse that’s on the market. It’s from the Count of Rumbel and it’s in the center of the capital…」

「I’m thinking of participating in a yacht race, but first I need to buy a yacht.」

Since when did we live in a townhouse? We can’t even properly maintain the mansion, which is getting old and dusty.

Moreover, since when did William participate in yacht races? No, he had never even been on a yacht before. So what yacht race is he talking about participating in?

The demands they put forward were all extravagant and luxurious. Yet they were so nonchalant and shameless about it.

As if they hadn’t even considered the possibility that Giselle might refuse their demands.

Because that’s how it had always been.

It had always been entirely her responsibility to support them, to clean up after their extravagances and mistakes.

「If you want to buy a townhouse, go ahead. William, if you want to buy a yacht, do so.」

「Then–」

「However, I can’t help you with even a single penny.」

But she couldn’t live like that anymore. She couldn’t let Lucas become their wallet too.

So she firmly refused their demands.

The Baron and Baroness, along with William, were delighted at first, thinking Giselle had readily agreed, but then they became angry and hurled abuse when she said she couldn’t help them with even a penny.

「What? You can’t help? Are you treating your parents like beggars! Do you think your family standing right in front of you are beggars coming to beg?」

「Who do you think you owe your current position to! You don’t even know the grace of your parents who raised you with hardship. You must have thought you got here all on your own.」

「I knew you were like this when you started showing off after earning a few pennies, but isn’t this too much? Your only brother is just asking for one yacht, and you can’t even buy that?」

They accused Giselle of being selfish. But she didn’t bend her will even in the face of their accusations and verbal abuse.