A Marriage of Convenience /The Marriage Business

Ch 110

Ironically, however, the first queen died of puerperal fever shortly after giving birth to Princess Odelli.

The king mourned the first queen for three years, but he couldn't leave the queen's throne empty forever. And the position of queen eventually went to the second queen.

The divorce procedure was simple because the viscount, who was the second queen's husband, had already fallen in love with the second queen. So Jacob and the second queen were able to enter Lahoz.

The king didn't neglect Jacob. Perhaps because he worried that he hadn't seen his face even once since he was born, he felt sorry for him. But that wasn't the case with the second queen.

The king avoided the second queen, and it was even difficult for him to make eye contact with her. The only time the couple stood side by side was in public.

The second queen achieved what she hoped for, but she was not loved by the king. Longing for the king's love, she became insane and even neglected her own son, Jacob. Unable to overcome it, she finally committed suicide.

So Jacob was born as an illegitimate child but eventually became a prince and grew up being treated like a prince. But there was a clear line between him and the offspring of the first queen. The original sin imposed from birth weighed heavily on Jacob, and it was natural for him to resist such discrimination as he grew up as a prince.

"It is said that Prince Jacob fought countless times with Prince Gautier since childhood. As they are brothers with a small age difference, it is natural for them to grow up fighting, but... Well, being an intelligent person, he must have known the situation he was in. It wouldn't be strange if there was some injustice. Still, the king tried to provide fair treatment without discrimination, even if he was on Gautier's side in his heart.

It was when Odelli and Jacob fought that the king's true intentions were clearly exposed. From childhood, Odelli and Jacob were bitter enemies. Gautier tried to act like an older brother, but Jacob resisted, and the hostility between Jacob and Odelli was mutual.

"But when Prince Jacob and Princess Odelli fought... He didn't even try to pretend there was no favoritism. People around him say they had never seen the king so angry as at that time.

She was the king's sore spot. It was because he saw her as proof of the first queen's acceptance despite his infidelity. She even resembled the first queen, so his favoritism reached its peak.

It was absurd for Odelli to argue with Jacob, who was nothing more than a reminder of the king's infidelity. If he had any involvement with Odelli, the king would reprimand Jacob, and it didn't take long for Jacob to start avoiding any involvement with Odelli to the extreme.

Yvonne and Bianca have been confined to the Arno estate until now, but only Bianca didn't know what Yvonne knew so well... Bianca once again felt how little she had cared about her surroundings. This shouldn't be the case in the future.

Frustrated, Bianca bit her lower lip.

"But why are you making that expression?"

"Expression...?"

It was then that Bianca realized what kind of expression she was making. It was an expression that was perfect to misinterpret as anxiety. Bianca laughed awkwardly and excused herself.

"It's nothing. I just don't like having to worry about him in this way."

"... It's because I'm not good enough."

"No. How could that be?"

As soon as Zachary blamed himself, Bianca quickly waved her hand.

"It's enough that you care. But with Princess Odelli, I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry."