Chapter 3

Chapter 3

With his beautiful blond hair, blue eyes, handsome features and tall stature, Emperor Gerard resembled a prince straight out of a fairytale. No one who saw him would ever imagine that his wives, including the Empress, would amount to twenty-one.

“You were supposed to marry me when you became an adult.”

“I never once consented to that.”

“What are you talking about? I am the Emperor, why would I need your consent?”

The Emperor held the belief that the opinions of those beneath him were unworthy of consideration, as he valued power above all else. Despite his superficial nature, I couldn’t help but be enamored by his appearance.

Only his appearance.

“Your Majesty, I apologize. I advised Irovel that she should be amusing even if you held affection for her. So, I told her to retort a bit to receive more affection. Haha.”

Unius chuckled at the Emperor with a friendly face before whispering to me.

“Hey, are you crazy? Don’t talk nonsense, and please stay quiet. If we lose the reward for the concubine because of you, you better watch out.”

“If you’re so tempted by the money, then you can become a concubine yourself.”

“Again, you’re spouting nonsense.”

“You know what? You and I are blood-related, so your face is also the Emperor’s taste.”

As I replied, enjoying the disgusted expression on Unius’ face, in the meanwhile, the Emperor looked at me with a sly expression.

“Oh, I see. Is that so, Irovel? You’re pretty cute.”

“No, really, I absolutely do not want to be seen as cute by the Emperor.”

“It’s okay to do so cutely but remember your boundaries. Rebellion is what I hate the most.”

“You still think the world exists for you alone, huh?”

At that moment, someone walked towards the Emperor with a sinister smile. The only person who could talk to the Emperor in a rude way was Reinhart Erestein, who was born as the Emperor’s brother but couldn’t aim for the throne because of his status as a concubine’s son.

He was the man who had just become my husband.

“The throne is not a place for you to satisfy your dirty ambitions, Gerard.”

Even though his voice was calm, he exuded an intimidating presence, like a lion silently observing its prey from a hill. Not only did I feel it, but the Emperor’s confident blue eyes also trembled. He tried to straighten his shoulders and lift the corners of his mouth, yet they quivered uncontrollably.

“Does a mere Grand Duke have the right to teach the Emperor, Your Excellency?”

“Do you have the right to talk nonsense to my wife?”

I gazed at Reinhardt in surprise.

‘…He’s on my side?’

The price for obtaining my picture was just signing a marriage contract, and there wasn’t even a clause stating that he had to protect me from the Emperor.

‘I’m a little moved… but I shouldn’t feel it!’

There was a clear clause in the contract that forbade him from getting close to me, so why was he like this? Besides, what would he do if he defended me like this and made me fall for him?

‘He violated two of the contract clause as soon as he signed it.’

It seemed that I had to be careful when we would be together in the future.

“Why is Irovel your wife? She’s supposed to be my wife.”

“You only pursued her.”

“Ha, the word ‘pursue’ doesn’t exist for the Emperor. There is only ‘command’.”

“You should know that even with your great command, you cannot take someone else’s wife.”

“So, did my brother really marry Irovel? Even when Irovel is still a minor?”

Like I said before, I was a minor.

“You’re not an adult yet? Won’t you be my concubine when you become an adult?”

Why would the Emperor, who was obviously lacking in the moral sense, bother to wait for me and say such things? The Emperor, who everyone could tell lacked morality, didn’t wait for me for no reason. It was because, legally, a minor cannot get married.

The Emperor was pinpointing that very fact to Reinhardt.

“…I mean, the Young Lady.”

Reinhardt gazed towards him.

‘Did he just turn him into someone who goes after minors?’

“Oh, you didn’t know? Well, if my naive brother had known, you wouldn’t have dared to take away the Emperor’s potential wife.”

“….”

Reinhardt, who had been confident until now, had no words to refute the fact that I was a minor.

Ding, dong.

Suddenly, the sound of the bell announcing twelve o’clock rang out. The people who were watching this interesting drama with the eagerness to eat popcorn began to move together.

“We honor the Emperor’s birthday!”

They began saluting. While they were busy saluting, I said to the Grand Duke.

“Please legally marry me, Grand Duke Erestein.”

I gave him a marriage registration form to be officially submitted to the Imperial Court, which held a higher level of legal validity compared to the marriage ‘contract’ we had signed earlier.

Contracts only between individuals could be rendered void by law or by the Emperor’s command, but documents submitted to the Imperial Court were essentially recognized by law. However, it was limited within the confines of the law.

“I’m sorry. It seems we have to annul the marriage.”

Reinhardt turned away from the registration form with a grim face.

“Your Excellency, look. I’m no longer a minor.”

I pointed to the part of the certificate where my date of birth was written. March 1st, Year 101 of the Imperial Calendar.

“Today is my birthday. I’m the same age as His Majesty the Emperor, remember?”

“….”

Reinhardt glanced back and forth between the Emperor and me, surrounded by people jostling for a glimpse. Only Reinhardt was by my side now, as Unius had rushed over to the Emperor.

“Where are the Duke and Duchess of Hoover?”

“They’re both at the mansion. My stepmother made a lot of fits when it was my birthday, while my father committed adultery with a demon and is now serving as my stepmother’s servant.”

“Is that so?”

“Your Excellency, can’t you do it?”

“….”

He didn’t answer right away. Even though I was an adult now, Reinhardt seemed hesitant to marry someone who was a minor.

‘Honestly, he doesn’t have to worry about that. I was already twenty in my original life, too.’

If I added up the three years I lived inside the novel, I was even older than Reinhardt if I calculated it that way.

“Now that I have come of age, if the Grand Duke does not marry me, I will have no choice but to become His Majesty’s concubine.”

“….”

“You know, if we become a member of the royal family, we must undergo a magical examination.”

“….”

“Please save me, Grand Duke.”

Reinhardt sighed and brushed his bangs back, then stopped when he remembered something.

“I’m sorry. For doing something handsome… I mean, I didn’t mean to say that I’m handsome… d*mn it.”

As if proving that he was a cold Northern Duke, Reinhardt’s pale cheeks flushed red. Unlike the Emperor, who openly boasted his handsomeness, he seemed to be the type who couldn’t stand compliments about himself.

He hastily changed the subject.

“Anyway, I will sign the marriage certificate. However, I think we need to change the contract term a little.”

“What term?”

“The no-approach term. Realistically, it may be difficult to maintain, as there may be events like today where we attend together. And in order to effectively separate you from Gerard, I should be by your side.”

“That’s true, but… as you know, I tend to fall in love quickly, so I’m worried that if we stick together, I might fall in love with the Grand Duke.”

“I have a plan for that.”

Reinhardt said in a resolute voice.

“My face is the most worrying part for you, isn’t it…”

“….”

“I will try to become ugly.”

…Did I turn Reinhardt into a narcissistic patient? Saying he would try to become ugly… people who wish upon shooting stars to become handsome would cry hearing that.

“Wow, are you a serious narcissistic patient now?”

“…Isn’t this all because of you?”

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