IHTMP 08

I’ll Change My Husband First with an Abduction Marriage – Chapter : 8

The reason I deliberately spouted nonsense, acted, and provoked Ludwig was for this timing.
‘Because I knew the Emperor would come!’
My marriage to Ludwig was arranged directly by the Emperor.

An Emperor who couldn’t trust his son wanted to build power for his nephew, Ludwig.

And I was chosen as the means.

That was why the wedding ring on my hand right now was an imperial treasure.

At the engagement ceremony, the Emperor called Ludwig and me together, gave us his blessings, and handed this ring over as the betrothal gift.

Because of that, the Emperor planned to pay a surprise visit this morning, on the wedding day itself, to bless us.
‘Of course I remembered that timing clearly!’
If my calculation was right, the Emperor would have heard our quarrel.

Then it would be easy for him to misunderstand Ludwig as a womanizer who abandoned the bride in trouble on the eve of the wedding and went off to play.

No, it wasn’t a misunderstanding.

It was the truth.

And in the middle of that, he even heard my scream, so it wasn’t unreasonable for the Emperor to misunderstand.

The Emperor strode forward and pulled my wrist from Ludwig’s hand.

Then he rolled up my sleeve and clicked his tongue.
“What happened to cause this bruise?”
‘That was your son’s doing.’
I couldn’t say that.

So I only trailed off.
“It’s nothing.”
As I lowered my sleeve again to hide the bruise, in the Emperor’s eyes it would look like this:
‘He’ll only think I’m taking my fiancé’s side.’
Sure enough, the Emperor lashed out at Ludwig like fire.
“I’m very disappointed in you, Ludwig.”
“No, Your Majesty!

I didn’t do anything!”
But it seemed Ludwig’s excuses sounded miserable to the Emperor.

He didn’t look like he believed him at all.

In a low, heavy voice, the Emperor warned his nephew.
“You should know better than anyone that it was I who pushed forward today’s marriage.

And what that means as well.”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“If you disappoint me one more time, I will have no choice but to consider other alternatives.”
Ludwig’s face turned pale blue.

Unlike when he was alone with me, in front of the Emperor he couldn’t press me further or blame me.
‘Cowardly bastard.’
Suppressing his dissatisfaction, Ludwig carefully placed the veil over me.

And even then, petty as he was, he didn’t forget to threaten me by lowering his voice so only I could hear.
“Just you wait tonight.”
Inside the veil, I curled my lips up and raised my middle finger inside the bouquet.
‘If I ever make it so I’m alone with you again, I’ll eat my own hand.’
With Ludwig and I dreaming different dreams, the fourth wedding procession began.

Outside the window, the familiar sights and crowds of the imperial capital passed by.

By now, it made me sick.

Clop-clop, the sound of hooves on the cobblestones.

And with the sound of carriage wheels turning, my heartbeat grew louder and louder.

Before long, the bridal carriage began passing in front of the Imperial Palace.

The very place Arpad and I had agreed upon.
* * *
People who knew nothing cheered for today’s bride.

To me, their blessings sounded like a curse.
“Waaah!

Congratulations!”
“Your Highness the Grand Duchess!”
“You’ll make such a perfect pair!”
“May the god’s blessing be with you both!”
I didn’t want to hear it, but the reason I had the carriage window wide open was simple.

I had to search with eyes blazing.
‘Where is the Crown Prince?

Is he there?

Here?

There?’
The agreed place, the agreed time: just before noon.

But no matter where I looked around the plaza, I couldn’t see even a single strand of the Crown Prince’s blond hair.

Suddenly, anxiety surged.
‘No, no… he’s not not coming, right?’
The Crown Prince would certainly have realized that the Agrippina’s Tear I gave him had no effect on his madness.

Naturally, the credibility of my words would have risen even more.

He can’t ignore the fact that I know a way for him to become Emperor without going mad.
‘But what if he still doesn’t believe me?’
My heart thudded ominously.
‘If so, then…….’
It has a higher chance of failure, but I’d have to carry out the method I thought of separately…….

At that moment.

A sudden, unexpected jolt nearly made me pitch forward.
“W-What is it?”
It seems the carriage stopped short.

I heard the crowd outside stirring.

When I finally regained my senses and leaned out the window, full of anxiety and expectation……

I saw it.

A man sitting proudly atop a dazzling white horse, blocking the bridal procession all alone.
‘Arpad!’
Receiving the noon sunlight directly, Arpad’s hair shone even more brightly than the Emperor’s crown.
* * *
“W-What is it?”
“What in the world is going on?”
People were bewildered.

The wedding of Ludwig, the Emperor’s nephew, and Hylia, the sole heir of House Delphine.

It was the grandest event after the imperial wedding itself.

Naturally, an enormous crowd had gathered, and all of them became witnesses to an incident they could not believe.

Someone had blocked the bridal carriage procession on its way to the Grand Temple, alone.

Of course, the knights should have shouted and subdued him, driving him away.

If only the one blocking the procession weren’t ‘this man.’
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
The captain of the knights escorting the bride cried out to him in shock.
“Your Highness.

For what reason have you come here…….”
With an awkward expression, he signaled his attendant.
‘Hurry and go tell the Grand Duke!’
He was Ludwig’s knight.

It was only natural to move in order to inform Ludwig of this situation.

Just as the quick attendant was about to rush ahead toward the Grand Temple.

The Crown Prince raised his crossbow like lightning and shot the attendant in the leg.
“Aaagh!”
The attendant rolled on the ground clutching his leg.

The knights’ faces turned white.
“Why are you suddenly doing this, Your Highness the Crown Prince?!”
Arpad flashed his red eyes and grinned.

His murderous gaze overflowed, chilling those who saw it.
“What do you mean, what am I doing.

I merely caught a rat that dared to rush at me without permission.”
“Your words are too harsh!”
Unable to endure the insult, Ludwig’s knight brought his hand to the sword at his waist.

But he couldn’t bring himself to draw it.
‘Too many eyes watching.’
For a knight of Ludwig to draw a sword before the Crown Prince was treason.

Not only the knight, but even Ludwig could be implicated.

And Ludwig would never allow that.

At that moment.

While the knight hesitated, someone else moved first.

Surprisingly, not the Crown Prince, but another.

Someone no one could have expected to step forward here.

Rustle—the white veil fell beneath the noon sunlight.
“Miss!”
“Your Highness the Grand Duchess!”
Among those crying out in shock, alone calm, today’s bride Hylia stepped forward.

In a composed voice, she greeted him.
“The daughter of Delphine greets Your Highness.

For what reason has Your Highness the Crown Prince honored us with his presence?”
Seeing the bride step forward, the knight rather felt relief.
‘Even a mad Crown Prince can’t possibly cause more trouble in front of his cousin’s bride.’
The knight tried his best to ignore the fact that he’d placed a fragile noble young lady in front and hidden behind her.

Then, at first glance, strange greetings were being exchanged in an oddly warm atmosphere.
“So you are the young lady of Delphine.

This is the first time I’ve met you.

A pleasure.”
“It is because I have scarcely participated in high society.

I apologize.”
And then a situation even harder to understand followed.

The Crown Prince, who had blocked the procession and even fired a crossbow in madness, dismounted.
His white cloak fluttered elegantly.

Only then did the knight realize.

The Crown Prince was dressed in perfect ceremonial attire, like what one would wear at a New Year festival or a grand banquet.

And though the knight couldn’t possibly think that far, it was customary to wear similar clothing even at the Crown Prince’s own wedding.

Lady Delphine—meaning, today’s bride Hylia—requested in a calm voice.
“At this rate, we will be late for the ceremony.

Please move aside.”
Hope rose on the escort knights’ faces.

A noble and pitiful lady had made the request herself.

No one with honor could possibly refuse.

But everyone had forgotten one fact for a moment.

That there is nothing less fitting with a mad Crown Prince than the word honor.

Striding right up to the bride, the Crown Prince committed an outrage, and their hope shattered to pieces.

Whip—he reached out and tore off the bride’s veil.

For a man other than the groom to remove the bride’s veil was a profound humiliation.

An outrageous act so improper that even if someone accepted a duel challenge, no one could blame them.
“Y-Your Highness!”
“You mustn’t!”
“Wh-What is this……!”
Amid the cries, people were less flustered than they were stunned by the bride’s beauty, their eyes stolen away.

The white veil that had been draped was lifted, revealing the young lady’s small, pale face before all.

Her luxuriant pink cloud-like hair was adorned with a laurel made of diamonds and silver.

Her cheeks, flushed pink, were endlessly lovely.

Each time the lids holding her large violet eyes fluttered, countless mysterious hues between blue and red sparkled.
‘S-She’s like a fairy…….’
Even the attendant who’d been hit by the crossbow briefly forgot his pain and thought blankly like that.