CH 9

As soon as she realised who he was, Marienne became rapidly disgusted with what had just happened. Throwing himself into saving a damsel in distress, it was the cliché of clichés.

‘But I’m not Odette.’

It’s all too much. You don’t need to jump in front of a carriage to save a passing extra who isn’t even a heroine. What kind of surprise is this, anyway? Is this going to be the part where Odette stumbles upon the northerner and sympathises with his humanity?

‘Odette, don’t be fooled. Don’t fall for a character that doesn’t exist!’

I believe in your judgment and spirit, starting from the bottom and finally reaching the throne. Marienne prayed earnestly to Odette, who was watching from somewhere.

“I saved your life, and you don’t even thank me.”

The northerner looked down at Marienne.

“I see from your badge that you’re from the Ministry of Finance, and I remember Byers as being boring, but at least polite. I’m guessing you’re not one of his subordinates.”

“…”

“Or did the shock make you stupid?”

“…”

“I don’t know how you got into the upper echelons with that mentality.”

He swept his eyes over Marienne as if he could see through any strange object. A coachman came running up behind them, grabbing the reins of the rampaging steed and barely calming it down. Now that the situation was under control, the rest of the group naturally switched to spectators.

Everyone alternated between glancing at the northerner and Marienne. None could fail to recognise the Duke of Blackwood, Cain Blackwood, clad head to toe in black. A battlefield myth says that he could punch through an enemy’s iron armour with his bare fists. So the rumours were true, she thought to herself.

And Marienne was getting tired of the obvious. It was unforgivable to speak ill of Vileon in the context of a northerner. The rising anger in her chest urged her on, and she spat into the back of the turning northerner.

“Bastard.”

Cain Blackwood froze. He turned slowly over the course of about five seconds; he had a knack for moving slowly on his own, even without the benefit of a male-only special effect.

His icy blue eyes stared at Marienne.

“What did you just say?”

“You’re not old enough to be going deaf already, you bastard.”

A gasp escaped from the onlookers.

“Motherfucker…”

“You want me to tell you why you don’t get a thank you for saving someone’s life? You act like you saved my life when you’re the one who just nearly died. And what, Lord Byers is boring?”

Marienne tilted her chin up to make eye contact with him.

“What’s really boring is the way you talk, my Lord. I’m bored to death with the sight of your dead hair blowing in the wind, and I’m bored to death with your steamed-up attitude of politeness and kindness, so don’t you ever insult Lord Byers in my presence again. You’re a half-wit who’s going to die with your middle leg stuck in a rusty doorway, the Chancellor is incomparable to a gutter-like fellow like you.”

The use of respectful language has gone beyond liberal. The jaws of the onlookers dropped to the floor at her flamboyant use of language, which included profanities they had never heard or seen in their lives.

Cain Blackwood, meanwhile, said nothing, just stared at Marienne. Some would call it a hellish silence. This was the end of Marienne Didi. There would be no one around to offer her early condolences, and she would be cursing the Duke of Blackwood, the Grim Reaper.

It was a long time before Cain Blackwood spoke again.

“Do you know who I am?”

Marienne bared her teeth instead of answering, unwilling to treat him as a fellow human being.

“Shouldn’t you at least know the name of the man who’d kill you five minutes after he saved your life?”

“Five minutes? I think it’s been five years.”

“Cain Blackwood.”

Just hearing the name in a nurturing way made my stomach churn.

“What’s your name?”

“I don’t care if you’re a Duke with a bunch of medals, you don’t have the authority to kill innocent officials in the palace.”

“There are limits to my patience to wait until the end of the day.”

“Ah, but at least you recognise your own shortcomings.”

Marienne whistled like a sulking bully.

“That’s surprising, I thought you’d be too narcissistic to admit it.”

The Northern Duke was indeed violent. As if his threat to kill Marienne wasn’t enough, he grabbed her by the throat with one hand and lifted her into the air. When he turned around, his hands were as quick as a pickpocket’s, as the slowest man in the world was determined to kill.

‘How come you don’t know the law that says you don’t kill women and children!’

He smashed the wagon with his bare hands. Cain Blackwood, the male protagonist of <The Marriage Alliance,> is a man whose strength is beyond human comprehension.

Scaling a castle wall with his bare hands is no small feat. He can single-handedly carry a chunk of iron that would take dozens of men to carry at once, and he can fly around the battlefield without eating or sleeping for days.

Damned bastard. What are you going to do. Are you trying to twist a little girl’s hair because she said something offensive.

Marienne swallowed hard, intent on dying with at least one spit in his face, but as she did so, her breathing became increasingly laboured. Her face was bright red from the rush of blood, but Marienne never moved her legs.

To preserve the dignity as the Northern Duke’s hater.

“You’re out of your mind.”

The insolent Cain Blackwood snapped.

“You know who I am, and you still call me…”

“Duke Blackwood.”

A familiar voice came from behind Marienne.

“Release my aide at once.”

It was Vileon.

“This is not a request.”

“Not a request?”

Yes, I knew you wouldn’t go down without a fight. Marienne glared at Cain Blackwood, her eyes narrowing.

“This is my command as the King’s personally appointed Chancellor.”

Cain Blackwood smirked. Vileon’s self-depreciation seemed hollow, and the northerner’s cynicism was stinkier than a week-old egg.

It was none of Marienne’s business that he broke the hearts of young ladies every time he attended an imperial ball, and dying at the hands of a handsome man doesn’t make it any less painful. It’s the same as dying, anyway.

‘And he hasn’t even loosened his grip yet.’

My breathing was laboured, my consciousness dulled.

“I see now that you’re an aide to Lord Byers. And you know what, if I were the Lord Chancellor, I would have let people down first at this time. You might hit my vital point.”

Marienne’s body swayed in the air as Cain Blackwood flicked her arm.

“This was just going to kill me.”

“No, this is Marienne Didi, the third aide. She’s also a member of the Empress’s entourage, and I should point out that unlike the Duke, she values human life.”

“An aide to… which princess?”

“Who else is close to me but Odette?”

The grip on Marienne’s throat loosened somewhat. Cain Blackwood retorted that this was the first he had heard of the Fourth Princess’ entourage. To which Vileon replied that he should be in and out of the palace more often.

As it turned out, Marienne was able to break free from his grasp. As soon as she hit the ground, Vileon helped her to her feet. Marien had hoped to maintain her dignity until the northerner was gone, but it was virtually impossible.

She tried to breathe so urgently that she coughed. Vileon rubbed her back soothingly. “I’ll call a doctor when you’ve calmed down,” he said, and “I know it’s a little hard, but take a deep breath. There you go. Now exhale.” Marienne broke down.

It was similar to the day she’d come over to yell at him to dye his hair for Odette. Vileon’s warmth makes you want to lean on him.

She hadn’t begged for her life when Cain Blackwood choked her. Her eyes are red, but only from the blood rushing to her head. Just a moment ago, she was begging him to kill her.

And now Marienne wanted to cry.

She wanted to bury her face in Vileon’s arms and sob, whether the northerner was watching or not. She wanted to scream for him to pick that bastard’s branches.

Somehow, she knew it would be okay with Vileon.

“You glared at me without any hesitation, but you look so childish in front of Chancellor Byers.”

I blinked back tears.

“You’re going to have to start managing your people, Chancellor, because a person like that is bound to stab another person in the back.”

It was the first time he’d used respect since his arrival. He was doubly unpleasant because of the way he spoke, but Marienne had changed her mind by now.

‘It wasn’t a matter of respect!

It was about being annoying.

Suddenly she was furious. They say anger brings out the best in a person, and they were not wrong. Unable to steady herself without Vileon’s support, Marien flipped the whites of her eyes and vowed revenge.

“I’m going to crush it…”

Cain Blackwood clicked his tongue.

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Sir, you don’t even know how to end a sentence with something other than…”

“What did you say about the Fourth Princess’ entourage?”

The bastard said, looking at Vileon.

“If this is indeed the Fourth Princess’ entourage, I may have to reconsider her offer.”

A man who couldn’t eat from one to ten. Marienne gritted her teeth. She remembered the contract between the princesses and the duke.

Cain Blackwood would assist Odette Rose in her quest for the throne. If she succeeds, the Blackwood estate will be exempt from taxation for 100 years. Their first child will be raised on the Blackwood estate as Blackwood’s heir, and Odette Rose will have no claim to it. They shall divorce as soon as the child has safely passed his first year.

To him, it’s still just an intriguing proposition, but to Odette, it’s a gamble she’s made with her life. A frail queen offers you an heir, and she must have asked you to keep it a secret.

And now you’re going to admit that she’s ‘offered’ you something, even in front of all these people?

“I’m going to smash you to bits, okay? Then you can go cry yourself to sleep. Do you understand?”

Marienne swung her fist at Cain Blackwood. Not just a pretend hit, but an actual punch. It didn’t matter if his body was harder than a rock or not.

Violence was what Marienne Didi wanted at this moment. She’s going to land a punch in his groin, even if it crushes her fist. Of course, that part is an exception, but it would be even better if there was a sound of bell crushing.

But Vileon hastily dragged the woman to her feet and hid her behind his back. Such a waste when the target was so close.

“Duke of Blackwood, my aide is in urgent need of medical attention due to shock. Please allow me, her superior, to apologise on her behalf for her somewhat uncharacteristic language.”

“It wasn’t… kicking.”

Cain Blackwood narrowed his eyes.

“I meant to bend my knee and hit him square in the face.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Again.”

He called out to Vileon. His gaze went to Marienne, who was still baring her teeth at him.

“The only place for a mad rabbit is in a stewpot.”