The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

76 – The Snare

Even if one has a noble status and abundant wealth to carve out a diamond-like reputation, there exists an impossible realm.

Regardless of whether one is a national leader or a wise person who establishes a civilization, there is one thing that cannot be changed.

That is the past.

Every moment, people let go of the past. And the time that has passed cannot be regained, nor is there an opportunity to turn back the clock. Moreover, the time given to humans is limited, so an individual’s choice of life direction is crucial.

Therefore, the karma of the past is always a subject of caution.

Karma is like a snare that binds one’s ankles, holding onto past regrets, and robbing those who repeat wrong choices of the power to leap into the future.

Those who lose their driving force for the future are no better than a skeleton buried in the ground.

So, if one’s feet are caught in the snare, they can only humbly accept it. Fate will punish the guilty.

However, if one could escape the karma and turn back the past…

Then, it would be a miracle worthy of praise.

◇

It was September, when the summer heat was subsiding.

If Elpisia’s summer could be summarized in one word, it would be “stagnant.”

During the day, she attended to her duties, and at night, she spent romantic time with Harute. Of course, unlike Harute, who was a superhuman, Elpisia was an ordinary human, so the time she spent with Harute was limited, excluding sleep.

The political aspect was also similar.

Although Glen’s report was unsettling, Elpisia soon erased it from her mind. No matter what tricks Ascalion pulled, Elpisia was confident in her ability to counter them, having already secured a significant advantage over them.

One critical weakness was the location and identity of Tina’s mother.

In the past, Elpisia had obtained information that Tina was a half-dragon, and she immediately headed to the secret library of the noble family.

Originally, the existence of half-dragons was biologically impossible. Interspecies breeding was an area where the laws of biology did not apply.

However, Elpisia’s brain sparked with one possibility when faced with the impossible.

She found that possibility in one of the royal palace books seized by Cardi Ruminel when he arrested the King of Baskhill – the Baskhill family tree.

The vast book, which recorded the history of the royal bloodline, contained records of their mysterious abilities.

A family of fertility and prosperity.

They were the only humans capable of interspecies breeding. And as Elpisia researched their family tree, she found the answer.

It turned out that they had a distant relative who had settled in the empire as a commoner, far removed from the royal family.

Further investigation led Elpisia to conclude that Tina’s biological mother was related to the Baskhill family tree.

In other words, Tina and Glen were almost like siblings.

However, Elpisia had not suspected this until now.

Glen was undoubtedly a member of the Baskhill royal family, so there was no need to investigate further.

Moreover, they were a flawless and pure-blooded race.

She had no idea whose bloodline he was descended from.

“Shall we depart?”

Glen asked Elpisia, who had just finished her preparations.

“Just a moment.”

Elpisia carefully placed her well-polished ruby necklace on the dresser and put on a simple glass decoration necklace instead.

“Let’s go now.”

Today was a busy day, filled with a charity party schedule.

In the past, Elpisia would not have participated in such an event, as other people’s comfort did not directly relate to her family’s interests.

So, the host who sent the invitation did so only out of courtesy, without expecting Elpisia’s attendance.

Yet, Elpisia accepted the invitation. She thought it would be nice to tell Harute about it and see his charming smile. That was all.

“You’re attending a social gathering after a long time, aren’t you?”

“Are you teasing me?”

“… No, I’m not.”

Elpisia had a simple reason for avoiding official gatherings.

She was busy with work during the day and meetings with Harute at night, so she didn’t have time for social events, most of which took place in the evening.

It was natural to assume that she had neglected social gatherings because she was too caught up in her love life, but that was just an excuse.

“It’s a joke.”

“Yes… sir.”

Glen’s personality wouldn’t allow him to tease, but Elpisia felt a pang of guilt.

If it weren’t for Harute’s influence, she wouldn’t have attended the charity party in the first place.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

With a light heart, Elpisia stepped out.

A charity party was just a place to enjoy some wine and snacks, receive some gifts, and then leave.

From noble mtl dot com

There shouldn’t be any problems.

It’s not a charity gala, nor a grand ceremony, but just a mediocre event where people show off their generosity…

◇

The charity party was held at a certain theater in the capital.

This theater was commonly known as the “Grand Theater,” due to its record of being the largest and most magnificent in the empire.

The host, Count Rinel, was busy greeting guests, but his inner thoughts were elsewhere. Despite his reservations, many nobles attended the event, which was a good cause. The unexpected success of the party put a delighted smile on Count Rinel’s face.

However, his smile was short-lived.

“What’s going on? The atmosphere outside seems…?”

Count Rinel, who was engaged in conversation in the middle of the hall, couldn’t see the entrance. The crowd of people blocked his view, so he instinctively furrowed his brow.

But that was only for a moment.

Tap, tap.

The sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor echoed through the hall. Strangely, the sound of her footsteps seemed to make the people around her shrink back.

Her confident and arrogant stride clearly revealed her character. It was rare to see a woman with such a strong presence. Count Rinel even wondered if the Empress herself had arrived.

But soon, the identity of the person who caught his attention was revealed to be an unexpected woman.

“Ruel, Ruminel Duke…?”

“Count? What’s… Ah!”

The man who was talking to Count Rinel was shocked.

The owner of the dignified stride, Elpisia Ruminel, was walking towards them with an easygoing smile.

Count Rinel’s expression froze, forgetting to even pretend to be polite.

“It’s been a while, Count Rinel.”

“Greetings, Duke Ruminel. But what brings you to this place…?”

“I received an invitation, so I came. Is there a problem?”

“No, of course not. It’s just that we didn’t expect you to come…”

Charity was a word that was farthest from Elpisia.

It was questionable what this evil woman, who was like a starving beast, had come to this place for.

As the host, Count Rinel couldn’t help but feel tense. If things went wrong, this woman alone could ruin the entire charity event.

“I don’t care what you think. It’s a fact that I’ve been neglecting social gatherings.”

“Ha ha… Then please, enjoy yourself.”

“Please, don’t bother.”

Elpisia didn’t force Count Rinel to stay. Sitting next to someone who was clearly uncomfortable would only create an unpleasant atmosphere.

“What’s it to me? I’m used to being alone anyway.”

If I said this out loud, Harlte would probably get angry. Or maybe he would sympathize with me, saying that being used to being alone is sad.

Either way, it was a reaction I wanted to see.

Just imagining it made me smile wryly.

Right then, the people around Elpisia, who were staring at her, started whispering in shock.

“Wow, the Ruminel Duke is smiling!”

“Is this some kind of strategy?”

“Still, it’s impossible to read her mind…”

Elpisia didn’t quite catch their conversation, but she understood the gist of it. It seemed like the shadows of her past were following her again.

Now, it was too late to regret it.

At the age of thirty, I never thought I’d question the direction of my life. And I never thought that the cause of my doubts would be the personality of a man who was on my mind.

Somewhat, very slightly…

I wanted to live like a saint, a childhood friend of Hart’s.

I had plenty of opportunities to do so, but I used to think that kind of life was truly futile.

If life ends when you die, I thought it was right to live according to your impulses.

I was well aware that living according to your impulses makes you a beast, but in the end, I chose to be a servant.

“Ah…”

As a servant, I vowed to take full responsibility for my actions. However, when the consequences of my actions, known as “karma,” became clear, I felt a sense of despair wash over me.

Yes, karma.

If I had known that the karma that binds and destroys me would attend a charity event and approach me…

I would have thought about it for at least a few more minutes.

“… Elpisia Luminel.”

“What?”

Elpisia instinctively turned her head towards the direction her name was called. The man in a servant’s uniform, carrying food, was staring at her with gloomy eyes.

“Did you call me? Me?”

She couldn’t believe it, so she confirmed it.

It wasn’t anger that rose up, but rather bewilderment. Even the emperor of the empire couldn’t call Elpisia by her full name. At least, it was impossible for anyone except her lover, Hart.

But strangely, the servant also seemed bewildered, taking a deep breath.

“Do you… not remember me?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m too busy to remember a single employee.”

“… Ha, haha… ahahaha!”

The servant suddenly burst out laughing. Elpisia shot him a disgusted look and muttered a single phrase.

“Are you crazy?”

The bizarre scene drew the attention of everyone around them. It was embarrassing, but Elpisia didn’t show it on her face.

“Elpisia Luminel…”

He repeated Elpisia’s name, and about 5 seconds later…

A sudden shout echoed through the grand theater, and a murder occurred at the charity event.