KDYG l CH 24

Chapter 24 

“If you say things like that, people will gossip that you seduced me and forced me to marry you.”

Ah.

So that’s what Curtis meant—he was worried that rumors would spread about Chloe, a woman from a low-status family, joining the army just to get close to the famous war hero and trap him into marriage by acting inappropriately.

Chloe tilted her head slightly and replied,

“…People already say that.”

“I know. But it’s different when I say it out loud versus people whispering behind our backs. Do you want to ruin your marriage path?”

“I think that ship has already sailed.”

Chloe casually raised her thumb with a “thumbs up” gesture.

Curtis squinted his eyes at her.

“Was that an insult?”

“No. If I wanted to insult you, I have plenty of better reasons.”

“Like what?”

“Like the prayer I have to recite in the chapel later because of you?”

With that, Chloe said cheerfully, “I’m off to pray now!” and quickly ran away.

Curtis’s lips twitched.

He didn’t know if he wanted to laugh… or sigh in disbelief.

“I hope my troublesome uncle finally found someone he truly loves, someone even he can’t resist,” Frederic had said.

But really, Frederic…

You saw what happened to a love like that.

You should know better than anyone that something like that is impossible for me.

Curtis touched his lips and calmed down quickly, returning to his usual composed self.

***

Meanwhile, in the capital…

Curtis Shan Berg, the war hero, was getting married today.

To his aide, whom he had only known for three months.

And she came from a low-class family that some even called disgraceful.

They were even banned from the royal palace, yet the wedding would still take place at the royal temple just a week after the engagement.

Everyone was dying to witness the event.

“Isn’t this the biggest gossip of the century? The proud and arrogant Duke Berg marrying like this?”

“Exactly. He even went against the king to make it happen! She must be unbelievably beautiful.”

“Well, actually…”

“Ugh! That’s so scandalous! But then again, maybe it’s not even true. My nephew in the royal guard says she’s not that pretty.”

“You’ll know if her belly’s showing at the wedding.”

Yes, this was the kind of talk going around.

Everyone already knew who Chloe was. Most of them were dying to see her face—or more accurately, her body.

But Duke Berg had only invited a carefully chosen group of people to the wedding. He claimed it was to keep it small since it was arranged in a hurry.

Everyone desperately wanted an invitation.

Some gossip tabloids even put out secret bounties for Duke Berg’s wedding invitations. They planned to send sketch artists to draw the bride for their papers.

Some lucky nobodies managed to get invitations, but most were caught by the royal guards and kicked out.

“Marquis Bern? Since when did you grow a mustache?”

“Ahem. Three months ago. May I go in?”

“You brat. Marquis Bern is my cousin—he just turned eighteen. Get lost!”

This was how things went.

Because the guards were also nobles, they didn’t even need to check guest lists—they knew each name by heart.

Thanks to this, the mood among the actual guests was strange.

Everyone was both proud to be invited and nervous at the same time.

They sat in the temple’s royal section and whispered like scared mice.

“Wow, a lot of people showed up, huh?”

“Well, it’s Duke Berg’s wedding. Of course it’s packed.”

“Aren’t they worried about upsetting the king?”

“And if they don’t come, they’ll upset the Duke!”

“I heard the Marquis of Flandre just sent a representative instead.”

People looked around, trying to figure out who had been invited. Most guests made sense, but one person surprised everyone.

“Oh my… Isn’t that the infamous Duchess Glintland?”

“She actually came?”

This wedding was pretty much an insult to her country. The royal family had formally invited her, but no one expected her to attend.

But Isabelle La Glintland showed up. And she looked stunning.

The sun lit up her soft brown hair, making it glow pink. She smiled gracefully.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Isabelle La Glintland. What a lovely occasion.”

She was also very friendly. After all, it was their king who had proposed the marriage to her. She had every right to be here.

She wasn’t the one who messed things up.

People quickly stopped judging her and started falling for her charm—especially the young noblemen.

They lined up to talk to her. Isabelle greeted them all with a soft smile.

One young man, full of energy and a bit of a fool, said:

“Duchess, how are you finding our country? I hope this situation hasn’t left a bad impression of Ibanes.”

But Isabelle responded with ease and elegance.

“Not at all. In fact, I think I helped unite two people who love each other. I even sent them a gift—an emerald vase. Honestly, it’s practically a national treasure in Glintland.”

“You’re so kind and beautiful, Duchess.”

“Oh no. Today’s bride and groom are the truly beautiful ones.”

Meanwhile, older noblewomen watched from a distance and whispered.

“She just appeared out of nowhere. I heard she’s not even a direct heir.”

“That title of ‘Duchess’ was probably made up just to marry her off to Duke Berg. But she’s smart, I’ll give her that.”

“Smart or not, she still lost.”

“But look at her. No wonder she came here. She really is stunning.”

Everyone agreed on that point.

“If she stood next to the Duke, they’d look amazing together.”

“Yeah… I guess.”

At that moment, everyone started looking toward the bride’s side of the seating.

“Where’s the Amboise family?”

“Oh, they’re here. Over there.”

“Where? I only see kids!”

Then came the mocking smiles.

“Even her parents didn’t show up.”

“Wow. That’s bad. It’s their daughter’s wedding!”

People pretended to whisper, but they were speaking loudly on purpose. Everyone blamed Chloe’s so-called trashy family for this rushed wedding.

“Parents who raise their daughter like that—of course they don’t care about proper events.”

The real reason was that Duke Berg went against the king. But just like Chloe guessed, people blamed her family instead and kept talking nonsense.

“They just won’t stop running their mouths…”

Eric Amboise, Chloe’s younger brother, was sitting stiffly in the temple, clenching his jaw.

He was her second sibling, about to graduate from the military academy. He had dark hair with a blue sheen and rare pink eyes—just like Chloe. No one could deny they were siblings.

“Please calm down, Eric.”

His sister Lea gently held his hand, worried.

Eric rubbed his tense forehead and whispered,

“I’ll stay calm. If I lose it here, it’ll just make things worse for Chloe.”

“Wow. That’s surprisingly mature. I guess the academy made you human.”

“Wanna die?”

Eric first heard about his sister’s wedding at school.

“Ahem. Mr. Amboise, is your sister’s name… Chloe Amboise?”

“Yes, sir?”

The professor who always looked down on him suddenly shook his hand and congratulated him.

“Congratulations. I look forward to working with you.”

What?

Right after that, one of his classmates shoved a newspaper in his face asking, “Is this real?”

Even after reading several articles, Eric was still in shock. He wanted to drop out immediately and said something must be wrong. But the Royal Military Academy wasn’t easy to escape.

To miss class for a family wedding, you had to submit the invitation a month in advance.

“I understand your situation, but rules are rules,” said his class president Maxim, pushing up his glasses.

Eric would forever owe Duke Berg for sending a special request to excuse him.

Without that letter, Eric would’ve punched Maxim in the face right then and there.

“Can’t believe I’m thankful to Maxim for once…”

“Why?”

“He annoyed me so much, he built up my patience. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve exploded already.”

“Thank you, Maxim.”

“That wasn’t real gratitude, okay?”

Eric growled in a low voice, then asked:

“Have you seen Chloe yet?”