IDMH Chapter 28
I Decided My Husband
"So what do you plan to do next?"
Perdes didn't react in any way and sat down on the sofa across from me. It looks like he has no intention of being treated like royalty.
That's a good attitude. I smiled contentedly.
If Perdes had been thinking that way, I would have regretted choosing him a little. Because I didn't need someone with a thirst for power in my plan.
"First, I will receive permission from the Emperor to marry His Highness, and then we will go to the Duchy of Leopold together."
"The difficulty is quite high from the beginning."
Perdes tilted his head crookedly and crossed his arms.
"There is no way the Emperor would allow it. Above all, you haven't forgotten that I haven't had a coming-of-age ceremony yet, right?"
"How could I forget?"
I took a quick look at his tiny body and smiled slightly. Perdes immediately realized what my gaze and smile meant and said with a frown.
"I'm still in the growth phase."
"I see."
"I will grow steadily over time."
"I hope so."
"..."
Perdes twitched his lips and then turned his head, perhaps dissatisfied with the fact that I had agreed. I'm young at heart too. I laughed, but I felt like Perdes would get upset if I laughed again, so I swallowed hard and said.
"If we are getting permission to marry from the emperor, you don't have to worry. I prepared that part in advance."
"You're confident."
"Sure."
It was not for nothing that I received a memorandum from the Emperor.
"Then what are you going to do with my age? This is established by law, so not even the Emperor can change it at will. You're not saying you're going to get permission to get married from the emperor in two years, are you?"
"No way."
If the Emperor had waited until then, I would not have reached out to Perdes for help.
"First, I will tell the Emperor that we will get engaged and that we will get married after Your Highness's Coming of Age Ceremony."
"It's an engagement."
Perdes muttered meaningfully and then burst into laughter.
"What that means is that you will complete my revenge before my coming-of-age ceremony."
"Yes."
It would be nice if I had more time as I have to do difficult things. There was no way the Emperor would just sit back and wait, so it had to be finished within that time.
Therefore...
"His Royal Highness's role is very important."
As I spoke seriously, Perdes' expression also became serious. The upper body, which had been loosely leaning against the back of the sofa, stood upright.
"What role should I play?"
"All you have to do is pretend to be on the Emperor's side and tell me his plans."
"... what?"
Perdes asked me, unable to believe his ears.
"So, are you asking me to act as a double agent?"
"Yes."
"Could it be that your revenge target is the Emperor?"
"That's right."
"What?"
Perdes laughed and held his head as if he was very embarrassed.
"You're trying to commit treason. You're crazy. Is that why you asked me to marry you? Make me Emperor..."
"You seem to be misunderstanding something, but I have no intention of elevating His Highness the Crown Prince to the throne of Emperor. "I have no intention of committing treason."
Treason meant going against the Emperor's will and taking his place. But what I wanted was not to take away the Emperor's position. It's completely destroyed.
Don't let anyone sit there.
Well, if my plan fails, then I will choose to go to the underworld with the Emperor, but not for now.
Perdes narrowed his eyes looked at me and asked.
"Are you sure it's not treason?"
"No."
"You have no intention of making me Emperor."
"It looks like you've read a lot of novels."
Although I joined hands with Perdes, I had no intention of telling him these details.
Even if we are walking the same path now, someday we will take different paths. If something went wrong, it was better for him not to know so that he wouldn't be held jointly responsible.
Thanks to my sparing words, Perdes relaxed his tense body and took a deep breath, as if he could believe what I said.
"But being a double agent is very difficult."
"Your Highness, you can do it."
"Why do you think that?"
"Well, Your Highness has been pretending to be an idiot prince for 16 years and deceiving everyone."
"It was like that. I was caught by you in vain."
"Thanks to you, we're on the same side. I guess God created this place on purpose to connect us."
I deliberately spoke playfully to lighten the mood, which had become somewhat subdued due to the serious and complex story. Perhaps this worked, Perdes' frozen face completely relaxed.
"I've thought about it before, but you speak really well."
"I will take it as a compliment."
"It's a compliment."
Perdes thought for a moment and then asked me.
"You said you would receive approval for your marriage from the Emperor within a week, right? What should I do then?"
***
He expected it would take a long time as they had a lot to say to each other, but he never expected they would stay up all night.
As Perdes followed Aldor back to the stablekeeper's quarters, he looked back on the conversations he had with Adele. As we talked for a long time, there was a lot to reflect on.
It was a little surprising that the target of Adele's revenge was the Emperor.
Perdes was curious as to why she, who had grown up in Leopold's Duchy, far from the capital, could have had any ill feelings toward the Emperor, but he did not ask.
He doesn't think she will tell him if he asks, and he doesn't want to get too involved. The relationship was just this good right now.
That way, when everything is over, he can shake off the dust and leave. The only thing that bothered him was that what Adele wanted from him was so much bigger and more important than he thought, so it felt like a burden.
However, he didn't regret holding Adele's hand. He's just a little worried about whether she can do as well as he expects.
'You absolutely have to do well.'
Only then could Perdes obtain the freedom he had longed for.
While Perdes was trying to calm my anxious mind, he arrived at the stablekeeper's quarters.
Aldor, who was walking ahead while looking around, bowed to Perdes.
Please enter carefully, Your Highness."
His attitude seemed the same as when he came to pick him up, but it was subtly different. He was a little more rude than before, and there was a hint of dissatisfaction.
It was a very slight difference that an ordinary person would not have noticed at all, but Perdes, who had lived without notice for a long time, recognized it right away.
"If you have any complaints, tell me."
Aldor answered right away.
"It's not."
Not really. No matter how he looks at it, Aldor is full of dissatisfaction. Is it because Adele forced him out earlier? If that's the case, it's right that he should be angry at Adele, not Perdes.
So he doesn't think so... No way?
"Are you sure you don't want me to marry that woman?"
Aldor's expression probably became a little more stern. Aldor stiffened his lips and was silent for a moment before speaking.
"... Duke Leopold's seat is not for just anyone."
In short, Perdes is 'anyone'.
In addition, it was a way of expressing that Perdes was not suitable as a partner for Adele. Perdes also acknowledged that part. If it weren't for Adele's revenge, she wouldn't have chosen him to marry her.
So Perdes tried to go into the dorm without saying anything, but he still thought he should say something. Just before Perdes entered, he turned his head and looked at Aldor.
"You also know that you are not a man worthy of the position of Duke Leopold, right?"
***
Now that I had threaded the first bead on the long thread called Revenge, it was time to add the next bead.
So, I only devoted my time to Chernosor and not to Ian. Since disappointment is as great as expectations, this was a step aimed at causing the greatest disappointment to the Emperor.
Because the Emperor wanted me to marry Chernosor.
Rumors spread throughout the imperial palace that I would soon marry Chernosor. When Ian heard the rumor, he was shocked and asked me to meet him countless times, but I completely ignored him.
A week later, I blurted out in Sophia's earshot that I had finally made up my mind. The words I spilled immediately reached the Emperor's ears, and the Emperor, who had been waiting for this moment, summoned the nobles to the throne room.
Then he told me to announce in front of everyone which Prince I had chosen as my husband. Maybe it was his intention to drive a nail in so that I wouldn't change my mind.
Really...It's so good like this.
While I was getting ready to go to the throne room, I had to poke my thigh to keep from bursting out laughing.
“Hehe.”
When I faced the nobles gathered in the throne room at the Emperor's call, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
But no one thought it was strange. I actually smiled brightly at everyone and congratulated them. Even after hearing my decision, would I be able to smile and say congratulations like that?
I can assure you that it will not happen. Not any noble here.
After a while, the Prince and Princess also arrived.
"Huh."
"Hey, look over there!"
The nobles, who had been watching the royal family casually, were all surprised when the 4th Prince, Perdes, came in.
"Isn't that boy the 4th Prince?"
"I think that's right. His eyes are gold."
"His Majesty asked all members of the royal family to attend, but I didn't know that the 4th Prince would also come."
"Even if it's half a penny, the Prince is still the Prince...."
The reason why there were sneers mixed in even while people were whispering in surprise was because Perdes' behavior was ugly.
Of course, it was better than usual, but it was literally better and I couldn't say it was good.
Perdes is the 4th Prince, so according to his rank, he should have stood between the 3rd and 5th princes, but he couldn't.
He stood next to the 7th prince, who was much younger than him. The nobles who saw this openly laughed at him.
"Lady Leopold."
When Chernosor spoke to me, the attention that had been directed towards Perdes was momentarily focused on me and him.
Chernosor spoke to me with a dark expression on his face, as if he had forgotten everything about the past.
"You're always beautiful, but you're even more beautiful today. It's like a bunch of roses."
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