CH 25

Newspaper Reporters and Interviews

Fortunately, Ramilio’s remarks seemed to be received with a smile.

The gentlemen laughed and congratulated them on their engagement, saying, “Then, spend the rest of the day leisurely you young couple,” and then they left.

The young ladies, who were gazing enviously at the handsome Ramiro, were admonished by their father and soon dispersed.

“Husband….”

“I know, don’t blame me. I’m dying of self-loathing right now.”

“No, that’s not it.”

She was happy.

Lucrezia had been educated with the expectation that she would be the coordinator of international relations as a marshal’s wife.

If she was still in the Illuminati, she would’ve been bitterly thinking, “What a blunder.”

And yet―

“Ramilio-sama, you’ve always been reluctant to get engaged.”

“That’s not it. I just don’t know how to treat a pretty girl like you. I can’t act like I usually do because I’m uncomfortable, so what am I really supposed to do?”

“Even if you tell me that….”

Lucrezia laughed at Ramiro’s nonsensical statement.

What she had been uncertain of for a long time emerged clearly in her mind.

‘This person can’t be with anyone else but me!’

Lucrezia had a weakness for such things.

Once, as Falco’s fiancée, she was dissuaded by his parents, saying, “I need you to support me.”

Lucrezia’s grandfather, father, and mother-in-law were all incompetent when it came to family affairs, even though they had high pride, and before long she began to think, “I have to be strong.”

‘I’m happy. I’m glad that I can help you with my abilities.’

The more difficult the predicament, the more Lucrezia got fired up.

Moreover, if it was for the beautiful and charming Ramilio, and not her father, who wasn’t at all cute, she would be more enthusiastic about it.

“Congratulations on your recovery. Can you tell us a little bit about how it all happened?”

They’re here.

The nobles had left, and they must have thought it was about time.

Newspaper reporters, whom she had called in advance, gathered at Ramilio’s place.

“Of course. Let’s talk over a leisurely meal over there.”

Lucrezia took them all to a separate room.

After relaxing with a special dish served only to them, she told them a beautiful story that would be popular with the masses, with a few adaptations.

“My husband is very religious and lived a modest life. Not only did he observe the precepts of diet, but he also rarely indulged in the luxuries that are typical of aristocrats, and he lived his life like a very virtuous monk. Perhaps it was this wonderful attitude that caught God’s attention. My husband’s eyes began to improve rapidly….”

“No, that was Lucrezia with medicinal herbs….”

“Our prayers have been answered by God! It has been answered, hasn’t it?! Husband!”

“… Yes.”

Of course, he couldn’t say that Lucrezia had cured him with some dubious herb. The masses were still superstitious and didn’t like the idea of a non-priest practicing medicine.

She had no intention of providing a story that would cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

‘My husband is too straightforward.’

What kind of response will improve the public’s impression? Or how can we silence the literary writer?

He didn’t know, so he was preyed upon.

“My grandfather was the brother of the previous king of the Illuminati. Help yourself to the rare shellfish my grandfather used to eat. This champagne is also very precious and is normally only sold to the royal family… Oh, I’m honored that you like it. You may take a bottle as a souvenir if you like.”

Lucrezia, behind closed doors, entertained them more than the aristocracy.

Their carriage was illuminated by the morning sun as they return home.

After seeing them off, Ramilio blurted out.

“….. I wonder what those guys will write this time.”

“I am sure they will write something good.”

“I doubt it.”

Perhaps because so many terrible things had been written about him, he seemed to be completely distrustful.

“Anyway, if they write anything bad about Lucrezia, I’m going to have to get rid of them this time.”

A disturbing statement. Lucrezia was in a position where she should’ve admonished him.

However, she was unexpectedly moved.

Ramiro’s eyes were stern, probably because he was tired from dealing with people and lack of sleep, but such an expression was also attractive to Lucrezia’s eyes.

“Husband…”

No words came out. Lucrezia didn’t know what to tell him in such a situation. She had been called the white-haired lady, a girl that people didn’t want to marry, a girl with a creepy look, a girl with dark dull eyes, and had been mocked in various other ways, so she didn’t know what to look like when she was cherished.

Ramiro noticed Lucrezia looking up at him intently and looked back at her.

Lucrezia’s heartbeat fluttered when she saw those beautiful amber eyes.

It was a change in hue caused by the medication he had been taking, which had caused them to decolorize.

‘His eyes are now a similar color to mine.’

Such a trivial thing made her feel awfully happy.

She wanted to look at each other more, but Ramilio suddenly turned his face away.

***

[Beauty and the Beast. The Ugly Duke Regained His True Appearance by the Power of Love.]

In the newspaper, there was a large illustration of a beautiful man and woman leaning against each other.

Falco was eating his meal in a café when he noticed the large headline in the newspaper spread out by his neighbor and froze.

His eyes were glued to the beautiful woman in the copperplate print.

‘It’s Lucrezia, isn’t it?!’

Falco hurriedly bought himself a copy of the newspaper.

‘What’s the meaning of this?! I thought she was unhappy because she was married off to the Ugly Duke?!’

His hands trembled as he held the newspaper. He felt terribly betrayed.

After reading through the contents, Falco was sweating profusely.

…. He was currently a fugitive. He had no money, so he applied to do manual labor and lived among the workers.

Demanding heavy labor.

Poor housing.

Daily copper coins that disappeared with just a meal.

It was a series of unbearable hardships for Falco, an aristocrat, but fortunately, he had trained his body well, so he was able to do simple labor such as carrying goods in the port town in no time.

Because of the nature of the land, gossip was heard even if you didn’t want to hear it.

It was said that the Marshal and his wife – in other words, Falco’s parents – returned to the Illuminati immediately after the incident and desperately pleaded for Falco’s life.

However, the tension with Rai seemed to have reached an untenable point, and it was difficult to get them to rescind their plea.

Falco was feeling regretful about his decision.

‘If only I’d stayed engaged to Lucrezia, none of this would’ve happened.’

Translator Notes:

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