IHMEB - Chapter 256 < Between Cousins >


“Marry me, Brother.”

When Valquiterre froze with his eyebrows raised, Bianque laughed out loud as if it was quite funny.

“What are you so surprised about?”

“You. What the hell are you talking about?”

“I got a letter.”

Bianque recalled the day when an unknown intruder came into her room.

Considering the ironclad security of the palace, it was difficult for an unauthorized guest to enter. Furthermore, even if they planned something inside the palace, it was difficult to escape through the gate, which only had one exit.

All assassins who entered the royal family in the past committed suicide after committing the crime, regardless of success or failure.

In any case, there was no way out, and even if they were caught, they would have suffered a lot and all those who were connected to them like family would be in danger.

Someone who came into her room without asking permission and left behind an envelope, piqued Bianque’s curiosity appropriately, regardless of who it was.

After reading the contents of the envelope, it became clear beyond doubt who had sent it.

Kaian.

Bianque was a Princess of misfortune who was so young that she worried about where she would be sold off to. Kaian had once been the marriage partner that she had chosen, but the content he had sent was truly absurd.

“There is a secret about your birth. You are not the child of my deceased mother, but the child of Aunt Elise who secretly adopted you into the royal family.”

Bianque’s eyes were seething with heightened emotion.

“Do you know what I thought when I saw that?”

“...I’m not curious.”

“No. You have to listen to it.”

She spoke clearly, chewing on each word.

“Ah, that’s why. I understood right away.”

She had known since she was young that Valquiterre didn’t like her very much.

She had vaguely guessed that it was because the Queen favored her. On the other hand, Valquiterre felt wronged.

‘Is that favoritism?’

She couldn’t help but know that her mother favored her more than her brother. Originally, many things that were not permitted were possible by Queen Sylvia’s order.

However, she thought that the reason her mother was strict with Valquiterre was because he was the successor who would shoulder the kingdom.

There was no reason for Queen Sylvia to divide her children and favor them.

“You said that you hate me. It wasn’t that long ago, so you remember?”

It was something she remembered clearly.

It was the day when she went to the Hanging Garden to look for Valquiterre and heard the Duke of Vermont asking him to make Irena the Duchess of Temnes who would become vacant once Claudel became Queen.

‘You shouldn’t do this to me. You deceived me?’

At that time, Bianque was truly miserable.

‘...Why? Why do you hate me?’

She couldn’t just ignore it anymore, so she asked, and the answer she heard was amazing.

Yes. I hate you.’

She knew from childhood that a close relationship between siblings was not essential, seeing Valquiterre who was closer to Kaian than her, so it didn’t matter.

'You look just like your mother, Bianque.'

She never thought she would hear such a perfect answer.

And the answer itself was completely unconvincing.

'What's wrong with my mother?'

The Queen was dignified, noble, and beautiful.

Their mother was a wonderful woman who embraced them for ten months.

Bianque felt an unbearable sense of rejection at the negative feeling of 'dislike' toward her deceased mother.

And her resentment toward Valquiterre, who treated her so lightly. Everything royal was heavy.

She wanted to send her mother off to the sky and feel relieved, but she couldn't tell anyone because it might become a scandal, and her worries piled up like rocks that couldn't get out of the water.

"If only my brother had been a little more affectionate to me."

If they had grown up like blood siblings, would she have been able to think like this?

'How could I think of marrying my brother?'

Bianque might have jumped up in surprise, thinking it was ridiculous.

However, that level of bond was not even a limit.

Memories... It was bitter because there was nothing to say.

No matter how much she thought about Valquiterre, there was nothing she could do between brother and sister.

He used to draw a line so that Bianque couldn’t even come close to him.

So even saying that he hated her didn’t hurt Bianque. It was not that she didn’t know.

“What did Kaian say to you?”

“That my brother and I are not biological siblings.”

Bianque reached out and brushed his messy hair away from his forehead while he was being dragged away and tied up.

It was an unfamiliar distance between brother and sister that could not be considered a contact.

“And he said something sweet.”

Bianque slyly met Valquiterre’s eyes as he stood frozen.

“If I take his side, I’ll have a husband I like.”

“...What?”

“That’s right. You’ll be removed from the royal register.”

Bianque said as if it was obvious.

“If I can marry Kaian, I can marry you too.”

Only then did Valquiterre understand what Bianque was trying to say.

Marriage between cousins ​​was allowed in the Kingdom of Oberon.

Just as Bianque had been so desperate to marry Kaian.

So if Valquiterre was Kaian’s real brother, then Bianque and Valquiterre were also cousins.

When Valquiterre realized this, goosebumps appeared on his arms and the back of his neck.

'Kaian told Bianque that story?'

The ground beneath his feet felt like it was cracking and breaking apart.

He trusted Kaian. Kaian had faith that Valquiterre would be on his side even if the world collapsed. The one who destroyed it was Valquiterre, who had thought he could destroy and ruin Kaian's life like a toy he had once coveted. He couldn't let it go even if he tried to harm his wife and children.

Nevertheless, Valquiterre had a shred of confidence that Kaian would not do the same to himself after committing such cruel acts against Kaian.

Kaian was that kind of guy. He was surprisingly soft.

He had said he would go to war with Vermont, but he had forced himself on the daughter of his enemy, and he wanted to feed her because she was his wife.

Kaian couldn't do that to him.

"Don't lie."

He couldn't tolerate Kaian's betrayal, even though he had tried to use his ridiculous trust that he could hurt Kaian, but Kaian couldn't do that to him.

Valquiterre twisted his chained arm against the wall and shouted.

“Where did you dare threaten the King of Oberon!”

With a few clanking sounds, a red scratch appeared around his wrist, and blood quickly formed. However, Valquiterre continued to run wild, seemingly unconcerned if his hand were to be blown off.

“King of Oberon. Didn’t you want to do that?”

Bianque asked innocently.

“No matter what happens to the country. You want to steal Kaian’s wife, you don’t want Kaian to do well, you want to ruin Kaian.”

“Call the Count of the Palace Makie.”

This couldn’t be happening.

Valquiterre couldn’t accept his situation.

“The nobles all support me. It wouldn’t look good on those who risk their lives for honor, since you’re destroying the reputation Temnes has built up over the past few decades.”

Bianque sighed deeply.

“It feels good to be Queen.”

She took out a golden key and playfully threw it low and caught it repeatedly.

“Even if I was born, my mother would not have wanted to make me a Queen.”

A King is a position of service for life.

Instead of sitting on top of everyone, she has to take care of their food, clothing, and shelter.

If she does this carelessly, the country will cry out.

Queen Sylvia truly loved Bianque.

So she probably didn’t want her daughter to be tied down to that position and live the same life as her.

Before she died, Queen Sylvia had even proposed marriage to the Duke of Temnes.

[...I like how you live a blessed life under the sunlight of Rowen, Elise. I hope Bianca lives like you.]

It was a coincidence that Bianque saw the letter written differently, not officially.

There was something her mother had written separately before sending the letter when Bianque took out personal belongings from the Queen’s bedroom. It was a word that showed her mother's affection for her.

‘This is what my mother wished for before she passed away.’

She pretended to be childish and begged Kaian to marry her.

For some reason, she had a feeling that if she told Valquiterre that this was what Queen Sylvia wanted, he would never allow the marriage.

“If you want to rule or hold a position as a state secretary after you get married, do as you wish.”

“You and I grew up as siblings. But how...”

“Have you ever treated me like a real sister?”

Bianque asked coldly.

“Not even for a moment.”

“Do you think you’ll be happy after getting married like this?”

“Hehe. Happy?”

She looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

“I can’t even dream of marrying someone I love anyway.”

Bianque’s eyes narrowed as if she was admiring Valquiterre.

“Well, even though your personality is bad, your appearance is amazing.”

Her eyes scolded him.

“Then why didn’t you send me to Kaien?”

The many times he made fun of her and teased her, it came back to Valquiterre like a boomerang.

Bianque, who was looking at him at eye level, had a color that brought misfortune.

Blonde hair and blue eyes just like Valquiterre himself.

A symbol like a curse that dragged him into a life of misfortune because he was not black and red.

Instead of a crown, Bianque, who was wearing a headdress decorated with diamonds that Queen Sylvia used when she was alive, looked like the ghost of Queen Sylvia who had returned from the grave.

“Well, we failed as siblings, but let’s get along well as a couple.”

She said refreshingly.

“We can start making memories from now on.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Valquiterre glared at her.

“You’d better kill me.”


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