Chapter 29

The eyes of the mourners were focused.

“Thank you for being here today. Until now, you have been busy delivering your deepest condolences to my uncle Count Laurent and aunt Marchioness Conrad, so I haven’t had a chance to meet and talk to each of you.”

Fabian looked around once.

He spoke in a relaxed manner, “So, I would like to say this at once, even now, despite the excuses.”

I heard someone swearing.

Of course, I was the only one who heard it.

Fabian spoke without hesitation, “I know that my uncle and aunt did not tell you this ahead of time because of their grief over the loss of the Grand Duke. It concerns the will of the deceased His Highness the Grand Duke.”

As soon as he heard the word ‘the will’, Dominic ran out screaming.

“Shut that mouth of yours. How dare you put my father’s will in your dirty mouth?”

“Ri-right, do you have to bring up such an extremely private story now?” (the aunt)

“Uncle, aunt, if you wanted me to shut up, you should have used a more skilled shooter. Maybe that’s why you spare gold coins for your own?” Fabian said with a soft smile.

The eyes of the police have changed.

It was because the person who had been shot a while ago suddenly pointed out the culprit.

“What are you talking about, Fabian? What do you mean by a shooter? Why would we do that? Watch your words, you have to be polite in front of the mourners. Oh my God, that’s why people should have a good education,” Valerie shouted again.

But as the mustachioed police officer turned to look at her, her complexion quickly turned white.

– He must have done it, idiot Dominic. He had kept the gold coins to run away. You have a knack for ruining things!

It was an inner voice that was close to certainty.

At least this time, it doesn’t seem to have been done by Valerie. Because she was suspicious of Dominic.

Dominic clenched his fists and tried to run to Fabian, but two police quickly rushed at him.

He was lightly suppressed and placed on a chair.

“Count Laurent, no violence. Can you sit quietly?” one of the police pressed Dominic on the shoulder and said threateningly.

Fabian smiled and took a step closer to him.

“Judging by uncle Dominic’s reaction, I think some of you have guessed it. That’s right. Ladies and gentlemen, it wasn’t my uncle who mentioned in the will of the deceased Grand Duke, but……”

After Fabian deliberately sighed, he spoke dramatically with a smile, “—I was the one who was appointed as the next Grand Duke.”

People mumbled in surprise.

Dominic screamed and was about to stand up immediately, but the police officer forcefully grabbed him and pressed him down.

Instead, Dominic shouted out loud, “There is a condition!”

“It was,” Fabian said leisurely. “It was that I had to marry a noblewoman within a year.”

“Right! Do you think any parent would give their daughter to someone like you? A person with a sane mind wouldn’t marry off his daughter to a witch’s son!” said Dominic.

Among the mourners, there were a few people who nodded as if possessed.

Some looked at Fabian.

Ignoring them, Fabian answered, “Unfortunately, I have already met that requirement.”

“What?” Dominic opened his mouth.

There was also a little shock on Valerie’s face.

clang.

Next to Valerie, a teacup fell and shattered on the floor of the parlor.

Heloise, who had been quietly drinking tea next to her mother, dropped her teacup.

“What do you mean?”

Heloise asked in a trembling voice, “Did you meet the condition? Are you saying that you are already married? I mean, are you married? Brother?”

“That’s right.”

The person standing next to Fortus took a step forward. [T/N: Fortus is Poe/the aide]

It was clear that he knew the purpose of this stage very well.

“I am the lawyer of the Laurent family. I swear by the Bible, everything lord Fabian said now is true.”

“Yes?”

“Fabian had already married an aristocratic woman three days ago. At the same time, he became the legitimate Grand Duke of the Laurent according to the deceased Grand Duke’s will.”

Before the lawyer could finish speaking, screams shrouded in confusion erupted.

“No way!”

“Liar!”

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Who the hell is your partner?”

“Perjury is a crime!”

At the same time, there was one person who looked surprised but happy.

It was Leonid.

He opened his eyes wide and folded his arms to watch the crowd clamor.

‘Seeing you smile, you really are Fabian’s friend.’

I gently set the brandy glass in my hand down on the table next to me.

Then I sat up straight and straightened my dress.

I took out the ring I had kept in the pocket just in case and put it on the ring finger of my left hand.

It was the ring that Fabian handed while proposing to me and passed down from generation to generation to the Grand Duchess of Laurent.

My black veil lay on the table, perhaps the maid had taken it off when I lost consciousness.

I quickly picked it up and put it back on my head. Make sure my face is completely covered.

Fabian was standing leisurely looking around.

A few minutes later he reached out and the lawyer took the papers from his pocket.

Fabian said as he took the papers.

“Here is my marriage certificate. It is signed by His Majesty the King.”

The king’s signature on the nobility’s marriage certificate.

It was proof that the state recognized the marriage.

“I have already confirmed the authenticity,” The lawyer nodded seriously.

Fabian opened the papers to the people.

That doesn’t mean people can read the details in detail, but it was an action that was effective in itself.

However, I caught a glimpse of a small dark red stain on one corner of the document.

‘Blood……?’

I looked at Fortus in surprise.

Three days ago, Fabian told him to come back alive.

‘No way……did you get hurt?’

But on the surface, there seems to be nothing wrong.

The eyes looking through the glasses were just calm.

Then Fabian walked up to me and held out his hand.

All eyes were on me.

‘The time has come.’

I bit my lip under the veil and placed my hand on his hand.

He lifted me up lightly.

“She is my wife. Miss Marcia Blick—no, she is Grand Duchess Marcia Laurent.”

I took Fabian’s hand, closed my eyes tightly, and took a slow, deep breath.

Soon, voices of astonishment and condemnation poured out from both mouth and heart.

Someone asked, “Blick? This is a family unheard of, are you sure it’s a noble family?”

“Of course.” (the lawyer)

Marcia added, “His Majesty Herman III, the then king, conferred a baron title to my great-great-grandfather. If you look further, the name Blick is definitely on the list of contributions to the founding of the kingdom.”

This kingdom was founded several hundred years ago. So, it was said that our family has inherited the blood of aristocrats from then on.

It must have met the terms of the will.

It was something Igor used to say when he was drunk, so I remembered it very well.

“She is a relative of the aide! An aide without a surname! Then she is a commoner!”

I heard the voice of a boy who seemed to have just gone through puberty.

Richard had his face flushed with anger.

“Be careful with what you say, Young Lord Richard. You didn’t even ask my name when you came into my room—a lady’s room—without an invitation,” I replied with a smile.

Anyway, my smile was covered by a black veil, so it wouldn’t be visible.

Until then, Fabian was holding my hand.

I tried to gently pull my hand out. Then the power came into his grasp.

In the end, holding his hand, I lifted my head and looked at him.

Fabian looked around without even looking at me and said, “As the owner of this house, I welcome all who come to pay tribute to former Grand Duke Frederick Laurent. You are welcome to stay as long as you want. But, I can’t keep disrespectful guests under my roof.”

The corners of his lips rose slowly.

His red eyes narrowed, and he smiled as he raised his chin.

It was a deadly smile that seemed to be captivating.

“Uncle, aunt, I would like you to leave the Laurent estate right away. Oh, but before that, the charges of trying to assassinate Grand Duke Laurent must be cleared. The police authorities are out to investigate after a long time, so you couldn’t defend yourself at this point.”

He turned to the mustachioed police officer he was talking to earlier.

“I’ll give you a room if you need it. Feel free to use it as an investigation room.”

Dominic’s face turned from red to black.

He shouted loudly, “Don’t be silly! I can’t admit it!”

Dominic twisted his body as two police grabbed him by the shoulders.

Fabian stared at him silently before he turned his back and left the parlor.

Holding my hand tightly, I walked down the hallway.

He has big hands considering his tall stature, so my hand was almost buried.

‘Why won’t you let go of my hand?’

When I looked around quickly, there was no one coming and going, so I quickly pulled my hand.

He let go of my hand this time.

“I said don’t touch my body.”

Fabian raised his eyebrow.

“Is it because of the contract that says no physical contact? Do I have to cross my arms while escorting? What if we have to dance?”

“That, that…… That’s different. That’s a category of courtesy.”

“What’s different?”

“A little while ago……”

A while ago, we were holding hands to show that we were married.