The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

70 – Future Hopes

Linia Cattadel.

The former Marquise, Linia Chandler, was now exercising her power as the Duchess. Her influence had surpassed that of noblewomen, thanks to her husband, Rayner, who had died young due to illness.

No one was surprised.

The second prince, Raynerus, who had abandoned the throne, was so weak that even walking was a burden. He was expected to die young, either from illness or from a fall that would crack his skull, in any way.

So, Rinea, the mistress of the ducal family, held all the real power, practically making her the Duchess of Katadel.

At least, until she handed over the ducal throne to her son, Helio Katadel, whom she had obtained in her later years.

“Ugh…”

This year, seven-year-old Helio had a nosebleed while reading a book. It was the result of his weakened immune system and accumulated fatigue.

Flip!

Despite that, the sound of turning pages was steady. The book Helio was reading was “Understanding and Contemplating Moral Philosophy.” It wasn’t a book suitable for a seven-year-old, unless he was a prodigy like the third prince, Ascalion.

Moreover, Helio’s hands were covered in scars. He often received corporal punishment from his etiquette teacher. His mother, Rinea Katadel, condoned the strict education. She even encouraged it.

Helio wondered why his mother did so.

“I must become Elpisia Ruminel…”

If life was a race, Helio’s finish line was Elpisia Ruminel.

From a young age, he had received lavish praise, graduated from the academy with ease, and captivated people with his exceptional looks. Therefore, he had to act in a way that would make the Katadel ducal family surpass the Ruminel ducal family.

“Elpisia Ruminel isn’t difficult… Elpisia Ruminel can be achieved with just one try.”

If he lacked something, he would fill the gap. If he pushed himself, he could become Elpisia Ruminel. Helio firmly believed so. Otherwise, the race called life would never end.

“I am Elpisia Ruminel…”

Helio sat in his chair from 6 am to 6 pm, glued to his seat.

There were only two conditions under which he could get up.

One was a physiological phenomenon, and the other was attending the emperor’s birthday banquet at the imperial palace today.

The current time was 4 pm.

The door opened.

The maidservants apologized and seated Helio in front of the mirror. Numerous clothes hung on the rack behind him, waiting to be worn.

The ceremony was about to begin.

◇

Today, Hart didn’t head to the Ruminel ducal mansion. Elpisia had to attend the emperor’s birthday banquet, and Hart was going to spend his time leisurely at the temple.

Until Eivia showed her intention to attend the banquet.

“Hart, let’s go to the banquet together.”

“Okay.”

“What… what…”

Hart accepted without asking any questions.

In reality, if Eivia went anywhere, Hart had to follow. But Eivia expected Hart to ask why she was doing so.

With little time to think and prepare, there was no hindrance to their departure. Moreover, the distance between the temple and the imperial palace was short, so they arrived quickly.

The imperial guard who saw them stuttered.

“What…”

It wasn’t uncommon for the temple to formally invite people. But it was rare for them to attend a non-grand event like this.

“Her Excellency Saint Eivia and Grand Knight Commander Hart have arrived!”

As the door opened, the smell of liquor and perfume filled the air. The atmosphere was unfamiliar and stifling. Hart realized he wasn’t accustomed to this kind of tense air.

And on the other side, Elpisia’s astonished eyes were visible. Even though they had deliberately avoided each other, it was awkward to meet like this.

However, this was only from Hart’s perspective.

Elpisia’s inner thoughts were different.

‘Why are you… why are you here?’

Elpisia had no choice but to keep Hart in her sights. It was awkward for him to attend the party while being aware of her presence.

It was a scene where all sorts of conversations were taking place. Even if she just turned her attention away for a moment, whispers would spread. In this kind of place, it was obvious what kind of gossip Hart would spread about her.

‘Did the Saint announce her attendance? Or is Hart… could it be that he wants to see me…?’

Tsk!

Elpisia’s thoughts had progressed to that point, and she slammed down her drink on the table. The loud noise made the people around her take notice of her.

‘What a foolish speculation! That idiot thinks I’d want to see him…’

Moreover, the partner Hart had brought with him was the Saint. Her extraordinary beauty was as youthful as ever, unaffected by time. Elpisia had seen her before, and she was indeed a woman who seemed ageless.

Perhaps Hart wasn’t showing any interest in her because he had been with many beautiful women throughout his life. It was natural that he wouldn’t be impressed by her.

Elpisia clenched her fists as she watched the men gathered around the Saint, their eyes filled with lust.

“Saint, may I have a word with you for a moment?”

“Would you like to have a drink?”

“You’re still as beautiful as ever.”

The men spoke with eyes filled with lust, but Elpisia was not used to such gazes and couldn’t read them. Hart was the same. So, he immediately followed Elpisia’s orders.

“Hart, since we’re here, let’s enjoy ourselves a bit. I’ll have a conversation, and you can do as you please until then.”

“Thank you, Elpisia.”

“Uh, uh…”

Elpisia was taken aback by the unexpected gratitude. Normally, Hart would only acknowledge her orders with a curt response…

Anyway, Elpisia began to educate the men who were ogling her. As the conversation progressed, their lustful gazes turned into devotion. The mysterious Elpisia was the Saint.

Meanwhile, Hart walked straight towards Elpisia. As he did, his slightly stiff expression relaxed into a warm smile, just like she had always seen.

This meant that he had finally separated his work and personal life. It was a truly admirable growth.

“Nice to see you again? We meet again today, Duke.”

“Why are you here?”

“I’m not sure, but I think Elpisia has some business to attend to.”

“Elpisia?”

“Yes.”

He was calling her by her name, not her title as the Saint. Although they were childhood friends, it seemed like their relationship was quite close. This realization sparked a twisted sense of competition in Elpisia’s heart.

“… You’re really close. You call each other by name.”

“Well, we’ve been together since we were kids.”

“How long?”

“Hmm… to be honest, my childhood memories are a bit fuzzy. I just remember being abandoned in front of the temple as a baby, so I guess we’ve been together since then.”

“… You were an orphan.”

“Yes, I was an orphan.”

Elpisia felt like she had said something wrong. Seeing Hart acknowledge his past without hesitation made her feel like she had insulted his family background.

“Hmph! Anyway… her social status must be impressive, but she still speaks informally.”

“Haha… that’s just how it is.”

“If that’s the case, there’s no reason for her not to speak informally to me either.”

Elpisia had only made a casual remark, but Hart reacted as if he had been struck by lightning.

“What in the world? How could I dare do that? You’re a noble, whereas I’m just…”

“That’s the same for the Saint, isn’t it?”

“Evria is Evria, after all…?”

“Then Elpisia is Elpisia too!”

“…”

“…”

Elpisia and Harute simultaneously pressed their lips together.

Elpisia felt embarrassed, referring to herself in the third person, which was too childish. It was as if she was throwing a tantrum like a kid, and this sudden regression made her feel ashamed.

On the other hand, Harute thought Elpisia was cute, which was far from her usual demeanor. Her words, spoken with a childish tone, were a far cry from Elpisia’s usual behavior, making her seem even more awkward.

“Uh… so… I mean…”

Harute continued, her tone hesitant.

“Do you want to be called by your name, Your Highness…?”

“…”

Elpisia averted her gaze.

She didn’t want to acknowledge it, nor did she want to lie. It was ridiculous that someone as clumsy as Harute would call her by her name, anyway.

But… she just wanted to be called by her name. The unclear desire swirled in Elpisia’s heart, making her feel uneasy.

“I, I…!”

Elpisia, cornered, was about to let out a loud cry.

Bang!

A loud crash echoed as something fell from a high place and hit the ground.

People gasped in shock, and someone let out a cry of dismay. The truth of the incident soon became clear.

“Oh no, the child…!”

A young noblewoman who had witnessed the whole scene from the quiet terrace screamed.

“A boy… fell from the upper floor…!!!”

From noble mtl dot com