Chapter 85

Following the incident, Prince Leonard gathered a mountain of evidence and moved to arrest the perpetrators.

Soon after, the dissolution of House Eventail for their complicity in the crimes was officially announced. Because of this, Paul’s departure for the neighboring country was moved up earlier than planned.

We gathered as a group to see him off.

“Well then, I’m heading out.”

Paul prepared to head for the border, escorted by Lady Latrice’s subordinates.

Lord Bertrand and Lady Latrice had already departed Sutrena due to other business, but several of their men had remained behind to assist.

“Sister…”

Paul looked at me with a touch of awkwardness, his words coming out in a soft mumble.

“Um… I’m sorry for everything. And thank you for giving me shelter at the manor.”

I never expected an apology from my prideful brother, so I could only blink in surprise.

“Paul… you take care of yourself too. Have a safe trip!”

With a nod, Paul mounted the pegasus alongside the soldiers. He looked far more dependable now than he ever had back at the Eventail estate.

The pegasus spread its wings with a loud rustle and soared into the bright, open sky. I watched that small shadow heading south until it finally disappeared from view.

Once Paul was gone, a sudden thought struck me.

“Wait… if House Eventail is dissolved, doesn’t that mean I’m no longer fit to be Lord Nazel’s wife?”

Our marriage was already a mismatched one to begin with, and now my status—my final defense—had crumbled completely.

“Oh, what am I going to do!”

As I paced restlessly around the garden in a panic, Lord Nazel came chasing after me.

“Agnes, are you okay? You’re wandering the garden at a terrifying speed…”

“Lord Nazel, I am no longer worthy of being your wife!”

“Eh? Where is this coming from!? Are you worried about the dissolution of House Eventail?”

“Of course! The daughter of a dissolved house is nothing but a stain on your honor! If it’s come to this, then we… we must d-divorce…”

“Hold it right there!”

Looking genuinely rattled, Lord Nazel caught me and forced me to face him. A serious expression settled over his beautiful features as he spoke.

“Your family has nothing to do with this. I want you, and only you, to be my wife…”

“But I’ve become the daughter of criminals.”

“Agnes, you were on the side that captured them. Besides, knowing how I feel about you, how can you say something so cruel?”

“But I don’t want to be a burden to you, Lord Nazel—”

“If you keep talking like that, I’ll have to silence you.”

No sooner were the words out than my mouth was physically silenced by Lord Nazel’s lips.

I tried to scramble backward in a fluster, but of course, a massive, overgrown fruit tree was right behind me, cutting off my retreat.

“Heh… there’s no escape now, is there?”

Lord Nazel chuckled softly, pulling his lips away for only a brief second before immediately resuming the kiss.

His relentless, persistent pursuit left me breathless, my legs giving way until I slid down against the tree trunk.

He scooped me up with a light “Heave-ho,” his amber eyes narrowing with a seductive glint. The refreshing scent of his cologne drifted over me…

“I was planning to be patient until you got used to me, Agnes, but if you’re going to be this stubborn, I might just have to establish a ‘fait accompli’ right now.”

Realizing the implication behind Lord Nazel’s sweet words, I let out a yelp and froze in place.

Thinking about it logically, it was only natural.

Regardless of how it started, I was Lord Nazel’s wife. But—but still…!

“I-It’s embarrassing!”

“Yes, I suppose it is. But it’s only to wash away all those worries of yours.”

“W-Wait…”

“I won’t wait. You’ve gotten quite used to me by now, haven’t you?”

“Hee…!”

In Lord Nazel’s amber eyes, which were usually so gentle, I could sense a certain predatory, alluring aura.

Warning bells rang in the back of my mind, but faced with my husband’s beautiful smile, I was powerless to do anything.

And so… that night, I climbed one more step toward adulthood.

One day, roughly seven months after Princess Mia’s engagement annulment scandal, the shocking news of a “Prince’s Birth” swept across the Kingdom of Desnim.

Both mother and child were reportedly in good health, and the Princess and Queen were overjoyed at the birth of the grandson.

Meanwhile, Robin’s face twisted more than it ever had in his entire life.

“Curse you, Nazelbert!”

Of course, the birth of his own child, which solidified his status, was something to be celebrated.

However, his rage toward Nazelbert—who had effortlessly cut off the Potato Lady’s family and ruined Robin’s plan—far outweighed any joy.

If things had gone well, he had intended to make a scene about how Nazelbert shielded his wife’s kidnapping-complicit family, stripping them of their noble status along with the Eventails. It was a massive miscalculation.

Furthermore, the Second Prince had rounded up all the kidnappers in one fell swoop.

Fortunately, the investigation hadn’t reached Robin yet, but his convenient source of income had been severed.

“What am I supposed to do now? I still have mistresses I need to cut ties with. And Mia is making my life a living hell ever since she found out about the cheating.”

Moreover, unpleasant rumors about the royal couple had recently begun to spread.

The King and Queen, concerned about their reputation, were starting to hesitate, even considering bringing Nazelbert back as the official husband. If that happened, Robin would be demoted to nothing more than a lover.

Worse yet, he might be abandoned entirely, with every inconvenient scandal pinned on him.

For the first time, anxiety gripped Robin’s heart.