My Contract Husband is Going Crazy Because of My Iron Wall - Chapter 51.1
Chapter 51.1
“That was… obviously a lie! It was the only way His Majesty would give up on me.”
Though it was the truth, saying it would be akin to confessing, and I couldn’t bring myself to speak honestly.
I had already been rejected without confessing, and I didn’t want to be rejected again after confessing.
“I see.”
Reinhardt spoke flatly, turning his head away from me.
“I prepared a strawberry cake, thinking you might want to have some. Let’s hurry back.”
“Wow. Really?”
Like in the dream, I beamed with excitement at the thought of eating strawberry cake, relieved to have escaped the palace with both my body and mind intact. I felt even better thinking that Reinhardt would have been by my side even in the dream where everything was hazy like fog.
* * *
Crash!
As soon as he saw Irovel and Reinhardt off, Gerard hurled all the dishes on the tea table at the wall.
“Bring me wine!”
The attendant, who had anticipated this situation from the moment Irovel was summoned, skillfully cleared away the spilled desserts and broken dishes and brought the wine he had prepared in advance.
“Ugh…”
As soon as he put the wine to his lips, Gerard burst into tears that he had been holding back.
After the death of the Empress Dowager, Gerard knew very well that there was no one left in the world who would love him.
So he tried to have people instead of love. He thought that would be enough.
“I like Reinhardt. He’s the biggest reason why Your Majesty can’t have me, no matter what you do.”
However, the moment Irovel said those words, he was struck by a surge of envy for Reinhardt that he had never felt before. He wished those eyes, glowing with love even beneath that calm voice, would turn toward him instead.
…Even if he took Irovel by force, those eyes would never turn towards him. The moment he realized that, a deep despair washed over him.
‘I don’t want Irovel.’
Because having her wouldn’t make this despair go away.
He drank glass after glass of wine. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by the realization that he wouldn’t be able to escape this despair whether he had Irovel or not.
“Your Majesty.”
Roxanne, who entered the reception room, looked coldly at Gerard, who was almost on the verge of passing out from drinking too much.
“Your Majesty’s attendant came to me, saying he couldn’t bear to watch anymore and asked me to intervene. What exactly are you doing?”
“I want Irovel… No. I don’t want her….”
“What do you intend to do?”
Roxanne, who thought it was the drunken ramblings of a madman, scoffed lightly at Gerard.
“I don’t want her… If I can’t be loved either way, I’d rather be hated less….”
But the moment Gerard said that, the smile vanished from Roxanne’s face in an instant. She glared at him fiercely.
“You’re giving up? When you were making a fuss about not giving up, why are you talking like this now? No. I can’t allow that.”
“Empress, didn’t you want me to give up? Why are you talking nonsense now…?”
“Because now I have a reason to want the Grand Duchess of Erestein.”
“You want Irovel…? Why on earth?”
Instead of answering Gerard’s question, Roxanne smiled vaguely.
“Well…”
“Ha, that ‘well’…”
Gerard let out a hollow laugh, put down his wine glass, and straightened his posture.
“I don’t know why, but I’m going to give up on Irovel now, so you should give up too.”
“I’m not giving up.”
“What are you going to do if you don’t give up?”
“….”
Roxanne stared at Gerard silently, her eyes narrowed menacingly. Soon, her surroundings began to turn red.
As she opened her mouth again, she whispered to Gerard in a low, chilling voice.
“Don’t give up. Make Irovel Erestein yours.”
“…Yes.”
“Forget everything that happened just now.”
Gerard answered with unfocused eyes. The red glow gradually subsided.
* * *
“You’ve worked hard.”
When I returned to the mansion after finishing the investigation, Camilla was waiting for me.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. I came back after enjoying the dessert His Majesty gave me.”
“His Majesty personally investigated you?”
“Yes. I think he wanted to go on a date with me under the pretense of an investigation.”
“What did you say? So what did you do?”
To Camilla, who was contorting her face, I smiled and said, “I flirted shamelessly with Reinhardt, and thankfully he kicked me out.”
“I also received an answer that the trial would be dropped instead of leaving quietly.”
Camilla smiled, looking a little surprised at the words Reinhardt and I had spoken in turn.
“You two are really a match made in heaven. It’s a shame to leave it as just a contract marriage….”
“Mother. Please don’t make things difficult for Irovel.”
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