Translation provided by - Shy heaux Translations
"Did you find out anything about the duke's condition?"
"It's no different than usual, but he seems to be having a hard time dealing with the madness, seeing as he wielded a sword in front of his fiancée."
"That is possible."
'All your efforts to look good will be in vain the moment you're unable to endure it.'
"How did his fiancée react?"
"She stood there looking terrified, choosing to close her eyes and cover her ears.
"She must have been sold for money or threatened."
Otherwise, she would have run away instead of staying there.
"Get more information on the duke's condition."
"Yes, Your Highness. What about his fiancée?"
"There is no need to investigate her further."
As of now, there is no indication that she is a Jueri.
'I'm a little suspicious, but that can be settled by meeting her in person. I see no need to rush.'
Kassan bowed his head at Genoa's command and disappeared immediately.
'How can I get the duke to bring his fiancée to the palace?'
The duke doesn't visit the palace or attend any major events.
It was already difficult enough to convince him to come alone, and it wouldn't be any easier to get him to bring his fiancée along.
Genoa rubbed his chin and pondered.
"The Crown Prince must know by now, right? About how beautiful my bride is."
Edwin laughed as he leaned back on the sofa in his office.
"I allowed one Raven to escape with the ability to speak, so he must have given a report," Beryl responded while kneeling in front of Edwin.
The day Edwin went to buy cotton candy, the conversation the two had was concerning the Ravens.
Beryl had reported the discovery of Ravens following from the rear and only one of them was spared as ordered.
"Good work."
"How did you know the Ravens would change their tactics?"
"I didn't."
"What? Then how..."
Beryl's black eyes widened in bewilderment.
"Only one person needed to survive, and it had to look like they barely escaped with their life. Thus, we encircled their groups with several layers of blockades to trap them."
Beryl was taken aback at Edwin's casual explanation.
"What about the Ravens' movements?"
"The number of spies has decreased. Attempts to forcefully infiltrate the duke's residence has also significantly decreased."
"I think I have dispelled any suspicions about my bride."
"They must have been curious since our master suddenly announced his engagement," Seth, who had been quietly listening to Edwin and Beryl's conversation, said with an expressionless face.
"That's not why I decided to show her publicly."
When the engagement was announced, of course, he expected it would draw the interest of the imperial family.
He planned an outing and as expected, the Ravens moved accordingly.
Angelina would only be safe if he put an end to their suspicions as soon as possible.
"I won't keep my bride locked up because of the Ravens."
This is the bride of Edwin, who is the Lord of the West and viewed as a top predator everywhere.
No one other than himself should intimidate or frighten his bride.
It should always be other people, not his own bride, who bow down in fear.
'My bride should be able to do whatever she wants.'
He had the ability to make it happen, and that was the pride of Edwin Crawford.
Therefore, it was unacceptable for his bride to be afraid and restricted from her activities because of the imperial bastards.
"You're right. It's not the Crawfords who should run away and hide," Seth said as he nodded, his face resembling that of his master.
Beryl also agreed and nodded his head.
As Seth said, the Crawfords do not run away nor hide.
Even if it hurts, the Crawfords faced danger head-on and eliminated it.
He knew Angelina was scared, but that's why he pushed her hard.
To let her know that she doesn't have to be afraid as long as they're together.
Otherwise, she will live in fear for the rest of her life.
Fortunately, Angelina sat up straight and faced the Raven even while trembling.
'I am so proud of her.'
If he didn't have to deal with the Ravens, he would have grabbed her right then and stroked her hair.
"It will be quiet for a while since Your Highness doesn't think she is a Jueri."
"Well, the Crown Prince is a cautious man, so this wouldn't have removed his suspicions completely."
"I will keep an eye on Raven's movements," Beryl responded quickly. Edwin nodded in response.
"Seth, look into what the Crown Prince is doing these days. I'm not going to sit still. He's likely thinking there is something wrong with me."
That's probably the only conclusion that stupid brain of his could come up with.
'Well, I did help him arrive at that conclusion by purposely acting like a madman.'
"I'll let Huey know."
"Did you find out any information concerning Angelina's origins?"
"No matter how much I searched, there was no indication of a child appearing around the Mujas Desert 15 years ago."
"Hmm."
Edwin crossed his legs and leaned against his backrest.
'Where the hell has my bride been these past 15 years?'
If a shark couldn't find anything, the same would be for the Ravens.
Then, there's nothing to worry about for now, but it's better to be sure.
"Just keep looking. Perhaps we should start investigating foreign countries."
"I understand."
"Well, I have to see my bride now. I wonder what she is up to."
Edwin left the office humming, his footsteps light.
"What are you doing?"
Edwin burst through my door open as usual, walked in briskly, and sat down next to me.
"I was reading a book."
"Hmm... 'Types and Characteristics of Gemstones', 'The World of Witchcraft', 'How to Meditate'."
Edwin took one look at each of the books scattered on the table and burst into laughter.
"Is it because of gems?"
I looked into his eyes and nodded slowly.
I have tried various methods with gems, but none were unsuccessful.
Therefore, I began looking through books, thinking it would be more efficient than my previous methods.
"Any progress?"
"...No, but I'm working hard, so I'm sure I will figure it out," I added quickly in fear there would be a firestorm because I hadn't been able to achieve anything thus far.
"Of course, you have to work hard."
His touch was gentle as he stroked my head, but his tone was strong.
It felt like a reprimand for my lack of results and my shoulders shrank in response.
His hand did not stop there but moved down slowly until it reached the nape of my neck.
Startled by the terrifying feeling, I stopped breathing.
It seemed like any movement would result in me being strangled.
'Are you angry that I haven't made any progress? But I haven't had any time to study.'
I wanted to make an excuse, but I kept my mouth shut out of fear.
In a bid to save my life, I gave Edwin a look of desperation, while crying on the inside.
"A hard-working student needs encouragement, right?"
However, instead of being angry, he seemed rather pleased.
At some point, his hand, which had been lingering around my neck, fell away.
There was a brief moment of relief, but then I was startled by a cold sensation around my neck.
I lowered my head slightly, and an unfamiliar necklace caught my eye, but I didn't have the courage to touch it.
"What do you think? Do you like it? Since it's difficult to carry these gems around all the time, I had them fitted into a necklace."
Edwin smiled as he pointed to the jewelry boxes and gave me an expectant look.
"Are you giving these to me?"
"Yes, because of your hard work on gems."
'I guess you wasn't angry.'
My pulse dropped and I leaned on the sofa.
"Are you impressed? If I knew you would like it this much, I would have given it to you earlier."
'Do I look impressed?'
Dumbfounded, I gave up on trying to understand him anymore.
Instead, I examined the necklace he gave me.
It was a platinum chain necklace with black jewels that were the size of a thumbnail.
The black gem had a mysterious feel to it, sparkling an array of assorted colors based on the angle it received light.
"I have never owned jewelry like this."
As I glanced at the arrangement of jewelry boxes on the table, Edwin gently took the necklace I was holding.
"This gem is called opal. Black opal is the most valuable."
For a split second, an unexpected emotion flashed in his eyes as he gazed at the black opal.
His eyes held a deep and dark emotion, something quite different from his usual cold and ferocious atmosphere, which was concerning.
I didn't have the courage to ask about it, so I pretended not to notice.
"The necklace I bought at the jewelry store last time is too heavy to wear every day. This one will be more practical to carry around and easier to practice with."
In the end, it was his way of pressuring me to work more quickly.
It was a heavy burden, but I had to think positively because this was something I had to do for myself anyway.
"I will try my best."
Edwin grinned as he held the necklace.
Knock, knock.
There was a knock on the door and Seth entered with Edwin's permission.
"I have received your ring from Charlotte."
When Edwin nodded, Seth approached while holding a silver plate.
He carefully set down the silver plate, which held a jewel box with Charlotte's logo.
"It's already finished?"
"I requested it to be completed as soon as possible because I couldn't wait to wear a matching engagement ring with my bride."
'It wasn't a request; it was a threat.'
I sent my heartfelt condolences to the artisans who must have worked day and night to complete it so quickly.
"Bring me my bride's ring."
Jenny quickly ran to the dressing room and returned with my ring.
"Now, let's see how well they crafted it."
To be honest, Edwin's reaction was more concerning than his curiosity about the ring.
If he didn't like it, someone could end up dead.
As I anxiously watched him open the ring box a brilliant orange diamond appeared.
It was a men's ring, so it had a simpler design than mine, but the delicate workmanship stood out.
"Everyone will be able to tell that these are couple rings, right?"
Edwin compared the two rings side by side, his eyes sparkling like a child.
'This is my fault. I made a mistake with the flower crown. I only have myself to blame for this.'
"What do you think? Do you like it, too?"
I sighed inwardly and nodded.
"Now everyone will know that you're my bride."
Elated, Edwin gently held my left hand and slid the ring onto my ring finger.
Then he lowered his head and pressed his lips against the ring.
The way he kissed it with his eyes closed was a show of reverence.
"It's a little late, but congratulations on your engagement."
He met my gaze; his smile was brighter than the diamonds.
His expression was beautiful and filled with devotion, causing my throat to tighten in response.
I looked down at the ring sparkling on my finger.
It was such an exquisite and breath-taking ring that I fell in love with it at first sight, but now it felt like a shackle of perfect submission.
"Put mine on too."
Edwin gave me his ring and then held out his hand to me.
Unlike me, whose mind was filled with complicated emotions, Edwin was full of expectations like an innocent boy.
I stared at Edwin's ring.
'This ring means nothing, it's just a thing.'
Nevertheless, I still felt strangely repulsed.
'You're not going to let me go now, are you?'
If I could go back in time to the moment, I first met Edwin, would I have made a different choice?
The answer came quickly.
Even if I could return to the past, I know I would have no choice but to sign another engagement certificate.
'Escape? Where would I even go in the first place?'
From the moment I fell into Edwin's arms, my destiny had been decided.
Knowing this, I decided to stay with Edwin, but I spent the entire time trying to avoid my fate.
If there was a way to escape, I would have taken the first opportunity to do so.
If there had been a different way to survive, I would have switched tactics immediately.
'I won't avoid it any longer. Now is the time to be proactive in order to survive.'
I pulled myself together and emptied my heart of all my foolish hopes.
And with that newfound determination, I put the ring on Edwin's finger.