Chapter 174

Chapter 174

“Fredhi.”

She called his name, but there was no use. He had become odd between his tough time and Panimer’s sword, which changed the entire situation. He seemed full of arrogance and vanity but also natural occasionally.

He climbed out of his thought and looked at Deatrice with clear eyes.

“Well, Deatrice. I’ll tell you my plan now. I’m going to use the fact that our engagement wasn’t broken and make it so that your marriage with that man becomes nullified. Then you’ll marry me and become the Queen of Galaba. Everything will be how it should be.”

His certainty felt like her life had a chosen path. She could feel that her opinion was only to support him in his mind. Deatrice was pondering how she was going to let him down quickly.

“Fredhi, I’m also happy that you came back alive and finally achieved what you were hoping for. I can’t say that I know what you went through well, but I could guess. The fact that you came back so heroically. I know it wasn’t just because of that sword but also because of your determination and effort. That you couldn’t let yourself disappear like that. I’m proud of your success. But there is something you’re misunderstanding. I never married out of force. I love Lucius. I’m happy with him. Like I’ve never been happier. So if you still have the gratitude you mentioned in your letter for me, then please let me go.”

Fredhi seemed a bit flustered by her speech. To be precise, it was more of a disappointment. Like a teacher who witnessed a child, he thought was brilliant but couldn’t do simple math.

“You saw the letter?”

He asked. Deatrice tried to answer calmly.

“Yes. I got the letter at my father’s wedding.”

“And that was the only thing you felt after getting that letter? Love?”

He looked absurd. She also knew that someone like Fredhi wouldn’t understand this emotion. But for her, love was the most important.

“I can’t leave Lucius. Lucius is the most important thing in my life right now. But you don’t need me.”

“Then it seemed like you didn’t read the letter properly. I told you. I realized something that night. And that was something I couldn’t realize without you.”

Fredhi crossed his legs. His arrogant smile looked like he was more bargaining for an item he couldn’t get quickly rather than needing her.

Deatrice was glad that he came back alive, but at the same time, she was even more glad that they didn’t marry each other.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I saved you then, and that was memorable for you. But it’s only a memory. You don’t have to choose me because of that.”

“What if I told you I’m not backing down?”

Fredhi asked while smiling.

“What will you do when I tell you I will ignore you and do as my plan?”

“Then I have no choice but to mention how I saved your life.” Deatrice threatened him.

Fredhi flinched at her casual remark and then laughed.

“Poor Deatrice, you don’t know.”

As she frowned at his demeaning tone, Fredhi pretended to stop smiling. But his mouth still showed scoffing, and his eyes were still arrogant.

“How many times do you think I was in danger of dying? You only saved me once, then. Of course, I’m thankful and treat you the best when I take you to my kingdom. But that isn’t the reason why I’m requesting you.”

“Then?”

“Do I have to explain everything? I want to show that I can break a marriage, even one ordered by an emperor. Galaba will get the Panimer’s sword they lost in the fight against the Empire, and I’ll get you back. The important thing is that I didn’t lose anything to the Empire. It’s not like you didn’t know that.”

She did know.

She didn’t even believe Fredhi wanted her back because he loved her. That wasn’t because her love for Lucius blinded her, but it was something she realized after the end of a two-year-three-months of engagement with Fredhi. She was trying very hard to ignore it.

I was being taken, being returned.

She felt more meaningless than Panimer’s sword, like an object without its own will. Of course, she couldn’t point the blame entirely to Fredhi.

Because for a while, Deatrice also went against her principles after discovering that Lucius was a bastard.