My Contract Husband is Going Crazy Because of My Iron Wall - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
“Your Highness…! We will escort you!”
“Don’t touch her.”
As the servants who had been waiting in the carriage and spotted us came rushing out, Reinhardt passed them and spoke in a chilling voice.
“Yes?”
Why was he acting like this? He didn’t seem to be rude to Jade and the other servants. Moreover, the atmosphere has changed in a strange way, but I couldn’t quite figure out how.
“Grand Duke Erestein! Where are you taking my daughter?!”
As we were about to get on the carriage, familiar voices were heard. The voices that made my heart turn cold just by listening to them, the unpleasant voices.
‘… That’s my stepmother’s voice.’
As she hurried up to and stopped Reinhardt, I saw Unius and my father behind her. They must have also received an invitation, so I expected to meet them at the reception hall. However, they haven’t shown up until now, so why are they appearing now?
“It looks like a group of lowly dhole has appeared.”
Camilla, who was in the carriage, spoke in a cold voice while covering her mouth with a fan. Before Reinhardt could answer, she got off the carriage.
“I think I just heard the most absurd thing in the world. Who are you calling your daughter?”
“You—?! You are so rude to me on our first meeting! Who are you?”
Compared to the elegant Camilla, my stepmother’s voice was strong and forceful. My shoulders trembled a little at the familiar voice that had oppressed me.
“Please wait here, Irovel.”
After Reinhardt put me in the carriage, he approached my stepmother and bowed.
“Nice to meet you, Duchess Hoover. I am Reinhardt Erestein, your daughter’s husband, and this is my mother, Countess Vrellod. If you have any business, please let me know.”
His tone was also very polite, like Camilla’s, though there was a fierce enmity in his eyes.
“Business? Of course, I came to take back my daughter!”
As my stepmother finished speaking, she looked around. Why did she appear now? She was probably watching us because there were many eyes in the reception hall, and she quickly followed us when we tried to leave.
“I’ve been asking, who exactly are you calling your daughter?”
At Camilla’s question, my stepmother raised her voice even more to answer.
“Are you playing with me right now? Who else would my daughter Irovel Hoover be if not the one who was stolen by your son?”
“You mean Grand Duchess Irovel Erestein?”
Camilla’s gentle voice suddenly turned cold.
“Irovel was wearing old dresses and old shoes, so I didn’t recognize you right away. But it’s ridiculous that her mother is wearing such expensive clothes.”
“It’s only natural that I don’t want to give a single penny to the daughter who was born from my husband’s affair. Don’t play games and return my daughter. Honey! Say something!”
“Um… we have never approved of Irovel’s marriage. Please return her….”
In response to her father’s weak argument, Reinhardt burst into laughter.
“Why do parents need to approve of a marriage between two adults? And why are you demanding for Irovel to be returned when she is not an object?”
“Your Excellency, marriage is not just a matter between two individuals but between families.”
Camilla responded with a mocking laugh to Unius’ words.
“But you didn’t even treat Irovel as a member of your family, so how is it a matter between families?”
“No matter what you say, Irovel is the daughter of the Duke Hoover on official records! Irovel, don’t just stand there, come here! Before we expose your secret!”
“Of course.”
I got out of the carriage and went to her.
Even though I still had a little fear, I didn’t show it. I didn’t know if she didn’t expect me to come, but she looked at me with a stunned look.
“Irovel, please come in.”
“Yes, I am going in.”
Reinhardt and Camilla, who had never shown a surprised expression, now had noticeably shocked faces, like they were looking at a drowning kitten.
After smiling at them for a moment, I turned to my stepmother again.
“I brought a gift that I want to give you when we meet today.”
Even if I still have some fear towards my family, I wasn’t so cowardly as to just hide and do nothing while others fought for me. The reason I stayed quietly in the carriage was to bring the gift I had prepared beforehand.
“Take it.”
I handed my stepmother a thick envelope. As soon as she took out the contents and checked them, her face turned pale.
I smiled elegantly like Camilla and asked.
“Have you changed your mind about living peacefully, Stepmother?”
“This, this is….”
A transcript of a recording demanding the return of the gems and records of selling the stolen gem and money laundering. In other words, these documents were evidence that my family had known about my identity and had turned a blind eye to it.
“What do you think I’m going to do with these documents?”
“Unius! Burn this document right now!”
In a hurry, Unius took the document from my stepmother and burned it with magic.
“Unfortunately, I’m not as stupid as Unius, so of course, it’s a copy. You can burn it as much as you want.”
When I laughed and replied, my stepmother’s voice became lower and more determined than before.
“Are you crazy? Not only will we die if these documents are revealed, but you’ll die as well!”
If my identity as a half-demon were revealed, my family and I would die. These documents were both a weakness for my family and myself.
“I know.”
“Why would you do this?”
“Because I don’t want to get divorced.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to get divorced and I can keep making a scene, so I don’t have to become a concubine.”
If I became a concubine, I would have to undergo a magic inspection and my identity as a half-demon would be revealed, so to avoid getting divorced, I had to bet on my weakness and stop my family from causing any trouble.
“Rascal! We just wanted to take you back.”
Except for that, their attitude changed so much before and after seeing the documents. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why? Are you tempted by the reward for becoming a concubine?”
“No! Even though you’re the daughter of another woman, I still think of you as my daughter…”
“Did you not say that?”
“I thought of you as my daughter, so won’t you come back without kicking me out?”
“You wouldn’t even think of kicking your real child out, no matter how trashy their life is.”
When I spoke while looking at Unius, my stepmother was silent.
“Please, please don’t interfere in my life anymore. Otherwise, I will personally offer these documents to the Emperor before you die.”
“Are you really crazy?”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
I responded with a bright smile. After all, in this harsh world, one must be half-mad to survive.
“Okay, then, can I go and present the documents to His Imperial Majesty?”
“Wait, wait! I’ll disappear right away! Just let me disappear! Unius, honey. Let’s go quickly!”
As if the threat worked, my stepmother frantically dragged Unius and my father away. As I watched them move away, my legs suddenly gave out.
“Irovel!”
Thanks to Reinhardt grabbing me, I avoided falling.
“Thank you. I feel relieved now…”
“You didn’t seem relieved at all. Were you really that tense that your legs gave out?”
“When I’m in front of my family, I need to act like a crazy villain, like I’ve been possessed. It’s because if I show any weakness, they’ll immediately try to take advantage of me.”
“Hmm, I was going to pay off the debt, though now it seems unnecessary.”
Camilla suddenly pulled out an envelope and handed it to me. When I looked inside, it was a document containing the testimony of the servants of the Duke of Hoover who witnessed my family’s actions.
“It may not have any legal effect, but it can be used to ruin their reputations. If they ever bother you again, use it against them.”
“Your ladyship…”
When did you prepare this? My heart swelled and I looked at Camilla, although she suddenly winked and smiled at me.
“However, what is this ‘secret’ your family mentioned? And what are these documents for?”
Oh no. Did I talk too loudly in front of Camilla? If she found out that I was a half-demon, she would immediately try to get rid of me for the safety of the Duke’s family.
What should I do?
“Answer her.”
“…I said I would pay off the debt.”
I pushed away Reinhardt’s hand and stood up to look at Camilla without any expression.
“Please use the debt you couldn’t pay today and keep the secrets of my family mentioned.”
“You’re making quite a bold request.”
Camilla let out a small laugh.
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