Chapter 71
With a trumpet fanfare, the master of ceremonies announced,
“Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, Your Highnesses, enter!”
Odelia, stepping onto the red carpet, gazed at the crowd of nobles, each smiling with different expressions.
The gentle melody of stringed instruments resonated, followed by applause and cheers from the guests.
Odelia walked through the crowd with a ceremonial smile.
In truth, she was not accustomed to such events.
But unlike Odelia, Ludville, standing beside her, wore an indifferent expression.
He didn't give the nobles a single glance, regardless of whether they were staring.
He walked with his gaze fixed solely on Odelia.
Like a man madly in love.
As if he were acting out an obsessive love for her, for the final performance that would further imprint their relationship at this banquet...
'It's too persistent to be acting.'
It felt like his gaze would pierce through her face.
Odelia finally couldn't bear it any longer and spoke, as if surrendering.
"Are you still angry, perhaps?"
"...No."
"Your eyes are fierce, though."
"I'm merely acting because others are watching."
At those words, Odelia swallowed a small sigh.
"If you have something to say, please just say it now."
Better to be hit sooner rather than later.
Ludville didn't answer her immediately.
A moment of silence followed as if he were choosing his words, then he replied in a low, calm voice.
"No, I'll tell you later."
"Why?"
"If I bring it up in this place... I fear I might forget the seriousness of the situation."
"..."
She understood the meaning of those words at once.
He meant that he was deliberately avoiding the topic of the ring.
Now was the middle of a banquet hall where guests were laughing and chatting, enjoying the banquet, and there was an enemy to deal with immediately, Cardel.
'...How much is he planning to grill me?'
Odelia, who had been trying to gloss over it, grew a little afraid.
Should she run away as soon as the banquet was over?
No, but in a situation where they had to share a room, there was nowhere suitable to escape to.
'Hmm.'
After agonizing inwardly for a moment, Odelia eventually turned away from him.
She used a very convenient method of simply covering it up and avoiding it.
Ludville...
Sorry, but she didn't have time to worry about him right now.
The wedding had been successfully completed, and there was something she had to do before that.
After the congratulatory speeches and toasts, the dinner began.
Dozens of wine glasses clinked, making clear sounds, and dishes with fragrant steam rising from them were lined up along the long tables.
Meanwhile, Odelia merely touched the rose-colored champagne to her lips and quietly surveyed her surroundings.
And she found her.
A figure who stood out even among the many nobles.
Beloa.
She stood upright with an impeccable outfit and a refined smile.
It was a familiar attitude.
The posture of someone who had lived being more conscious of others' gazes than anyone else, so as not to disgrace the family.
At that moment, Beloa, who was quietly greeting and scanning the crowd, met her eyes in the air.
"Sister Beloa."
Odelia approached and spoke first.
Sister...
It was an unfamiliar title that she had never uttered before.
"Odelia... No, I should call you Grand Duchess now."
Beloa responded with a painted smile, without any sign of embarrassment.
"Today's wedding was truly admirable. I wish you both abundant blessings, and may all your days with the Grand Duke be peaceful."
It was a perfect greeting that no one could find fault with.
A brazen lie and a fake smile to conceal the rift between the two.
Odelia lightly threw a stone into this meaningless play, creating ripples.
"Why are you alone? What about Gawain, brother?"
"..."
At that moment, Beloa's smile seemed to stiffen slightly.
But only for a moment.
"...Brother is always busy with official duties. He is in a position with many responsibilities."
'Hmm.'
Odelia thought that Beloa was still the same.
So meticulous...
And.
'Still living trapped by Gawain.'
That was Beloa's only flaw.
Worshipping Gawain, the Cardel family, like a religion.
Beloa had trampled on Odelia countless times.
She had framed her as mentally ill and locked her in the temple's basement, bound her in Magic Circles, and in one life, even put her on the pyre as a witch.
While committing all those misdeeds, there was one person that Beloa could never let go of.
That was Gawain.
'No, to be exact, it could be said to be the Cardel family.'
Cardel had always put Gawain forward as the heir, the Envoy of God, and the savior of the empire.
Beloa had always faithfully followed the will of such a family.
But paradoxically, Beloa was always betrayed by that Gawain.
The things she had done to Odelia.
She received all of it back from Gawain in the same way.
Because Gawain had driven Beloa out as a villain for his own power.
Perhaps that was why.
Odelia didn't hate Beloa that much.
Of course, it didn't mean that she forgave all of her misdeeds.
But...
'Isn't it a puppet-like life?'
A life lived without ego, simply moving as the family told her to.
It wasn't like she had moved with the ambition to seize power like Gawain.
She had simply accepted everything if it was the will of 'Cardel'.
She volunteered as a tool herself, even though there was nothing to gain in return...
She didn't feel much anger towards such a person.
She didn't find her as hateful or want to tear her down like Gawain.
There was one time when Beloa had helped Odelia.
In that life, Gawain was dying of a wasting disease...
She couldn't tell the temple and receive treatment.
It was because syphilis was a rather dishonorable disease for the heir of Cardel, who was called the Envoy of God, to have.
The Cardel side tried to sacrifice Odelia to hide Gawain's illness.
They were trying to save Gawain by using up all of her Purification ability.
But even if they squeezed out all of Odelia's Purification ability, it was uncertain whether they could cure the disease.
To be exact, the probability that his disease would be cured by Purification ability was quite low...
But why would the Cardel family care about such a thing?
It was when the order came down for them to throw Odelia into the Magic Circle.
That day, Beloa visited the basement where Odelia was.
"Get up."
"Go through that passage and go to the back gate. There will be no one there now."
"A knight named Lude is said to be waiting for you."
With those words, Beloa handed over a small cloth pouch.
Inside the pouch, which was smaller than the palm of her hand, were a couple of herbs and a few gold coins.
It was the first time she had disobeyed Cardel's orders.
The reason was unknown.
Whether it was because she had judged that Gawain could not be saved even if she squeezed out her Purification ability.
But even if the probability was low, there was still a chance that he would survive.
Anyway, Beloa chose to help Lude and let Odelia escape.
"Your lifespan will be at most a few years anyway."
She was saying it as if she was letting her out because she didn't have much lifespan left.
In fact, Beloa had taken a loss and saved Odelia at that time.
