“…Lady, are you all right?”
Stella asked, her voice filled with concern.
Noel’s face had been pale for a while now, which prompted the question.
Even during their time on the battlefield together, she had never shown this much distress. However, ever since the Crown Prince took Aiden away, Noel had remained in this state.
“If you’re feeling unwell, why don’t you take a brief rest? I can cover for you here.”
With that, Noel forced a smile and stood up with difficulty.
She stepped outside of the hall for a moment. Outside the bustling, dazzling venue, the cool night breeze gently ruffled her hair.
Noel’s face hardened as she looked in the direction from which the wind blew.
With her heightened senses, she could clearly see what lay beyond the dim night.
Aiden… and the Crown Prince.
They were sitting across from each other at a table, engaged in conversation.
She took a deep breath.
‘I have no right…’
No right to interfere.
No matter what she said, she had no authority to stop the Crown Prince.
Considering their tangled ‘past,’ it was only natural that she’d let Aiden go.
She turned her body, attempting to distance herself from the two. With her sharp hearing, she could still catch their conversation even from this distance.
“Break off the engagement with Lionheart.”
If only she hadn’t heard those words.
“In return, I will grant you anything you wish for, Aiden.”
Noel’s steps came to an abrupt halt.
Without realizing it, she turned her gaze to Aiden.
She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to check his reaction as soon as she heard those words, but somehow, she just did.
He was sitting there, expressionless, staring blankly at the Crown Prince. His thoughts were unreadable.
“May I ask why you’re making such a request?”
Aiden’s voice was rough as he questioned the prince. The Crown Prince interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them.
“The time of revelation is near, Aiden. Soon, many interesting things will happen within the capital.”
That cryptic smile remained subtly on the Crown Prince’s face.
“I don’t want to see a kind person like you dragged into it, standing next to someone so malicious.”
“Did you just call Lady Noel malicious?”
“Ah, of course. Without a doubt.”
His next words slithered out like a serpent’s tongue.
“It’s a long story, but to put it simply…”
The Crown Prince’s voice seemed to echo in Noel’s ears.
“She ruined my future.”
In an instant.
“The woman known as the Lionheart. She’s a coward, a traitor, a failure, a murderer, and a fugitive. Even she wouldn’t deny it.”
Noel’s breath caught in her throat.
“Isn’t that reason enough to call her malicious?”
“Separating you from such a woman is something you should be grateful for.”
“And, Aiden Kellermain, I know who you are. I know what you want.”
The Crown Prince smiled as he spoke.
“When you get involved in matters beyond your capacity, it leads to disaster. Isn’t that what you’re doing now?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means I wish to offer you peace.”
Aiden’s body froze.
Even Noel, who hadn’t spent much time with him, could tell that his face had been struck by something unexpected.
In contrast, the Crown Prince continued to look at him with that same calm smile.
“You’re being told to rest at home. Leave the difficult tasks to the great people and stay away from life-threatening dangers.”
The words, filled with certainty, flowed out one after another.
As if it was only natural that Aiden would agree.
Delivered calmly, as though stating an undeniable fact.
As if reminding him that these burdens, which never suited him in the first place, had been ‘forcibly’ placed upon him by someone else.
“And more than anything else.”
The Crown Prince paused, as if signaling that he wasn’t finished.
As if he was about to offer Aiden exactly what he ‘truly’ wanted.
“No matter what happens from now on, I will protect your family. No matter what, even if it costs my life.”
“……”
“I swear on the honor of the royal family. And if that’s not enough for you, I’ll even make a covenant with the god Karva. I always keep my word.”
“……”
“You can hand over that… ‘woman who burdened you with such a cruel fate’ to me and return to your original life.”
Noel clenched her hands tightly until blood began to flow.
He wasn’t wrong.
Everything that Aiden Kellermain was going through now began the moment he met her.
These weren’t things he chose to do; they all started ‘because of’ her.
She lowered her head, breathing heavily.
After hearing all that, it was clear what Aiden’s response would be.
And then, a ‘rejection’ was building up inside her.
‘Why?’
She herself couldn’t understand why she was reacting like this.
Their relationship was based on a contract.
There was no emotional foundation between them to sustain one another.
If Aiden accepted the Crown Prince’s offer, she’d simply find another way to fulfill the agreement. They hadn’t placed any more value on each other beyond that.
Yet,
‘I don’t want to hear it.’
She didn’t want to hear him utter a word of rejection.
For reasons she couldn’t comprehend, that thought crossed her mind.
She wanted to leave immediately, but her legs wouldn’t move, as though they were rooted to the ground.
And when Aiden finally spoke, Noel tightly shut her eyes.
“Your Highness.”
—But then.
“You certainly don’t hold back when it comes to my fiancée.”
The words that followed were entirely different from what she had expected.
Noel’s eyes widened in shock.
A chilling atmosphere settled over the table.
After all, such tension was to be expected after speaking rudely to a direct member of the royal family.
“…It seems you don’t quite understand yet.”
Despite those words, the Crown Prince, who had been silent for a moment, spoke without any change in demeanor.
“That person may have a good public reputation. After all, that’s how the royal family and the military have ‘crafted’ her image. But—”
“There’s probably some propaganda mixed in. During the war, there must have been horrific events, and I never expected Noel to be pure as snow.”
“….”
“As Your Highness says, Noel may be different from how she’s portrayed. I won’t deny that.”
Aiden responded calmly.
“But even so.”
His tone remained calm, yet resolute.
He speaks firmly.
“I have no intention of breaking off the engagement.”
Indeed, everything the Crown Prince has said so far is quite surprising.
There must have been something in the past, some unpleasant connection with Noel, which explains the clear hostility he harbors.
But.
No matter how dark or significant those events were.
Aiden has a reason why he can never give up on this marriage.
-Quest Info-
[The events listed under this category impose severe penalties if failed!]
<Sham Marriage>
-You have been chosen as Noel’s spouse.
Maintain the contract with your partner until the end!
The reason he absolutely cannot give up on this is outlined here, loud and clear.
‘Does this guy have a death wish or something? No matter what happens, I can’t give up on Noel…! The only option is to push through with a do-or-die attitude!’
“You will face things far beyond your capacity.”
As the Crown Prince spoke with a heavy tone, Aiden clenched his teeth internally.
Yeah, I get what you’re saying… but…
‘If I break off the engagement, I’ll die immediately…!?’
He transformed his desperate feeling into a composed smile, somehow responding.
“I’m prepared.”
The swift reply left the Crown Prince silent for a moment, seemingly unsure of what Aiden was thinking.
“You’d better think carefully.”
The Crown Prince’s voice turned cold.
It was a warning, suggesting that their relationship might turn hostile.
‘So what…!! Better that than dying, idiot…!’
“It doesn’t matter.”
When Aiden responded without hesitation, the Crown Prince looked at him, speechless.
“What’s your reason for going this far? You’re only bound to Noel by contract.”
‘What reason? I’m doing it because I have to…’
But there was no point in explaining that. Anything he said would only make the Crown Prince cling to it further.
So, Aiden needed to think.
While he didn’t know exactly why the Crown Prince was insisting on the engagement being broken, he had to at least prevent him from continuing to interfere with their relationship. It was annoying and troublesome.
The best excuse to stop him outright would be…
‘Ah.’
There was one.
It might not solve everything, but it would at least block any further attempts by the Crown Prince to intervene.
‘Got it.’
Aiden smiled widely, as if his next words were nothing but the absolute truth.
“I’m in love with her.”
He lied without missing a beat.
It was a display of confidence, befitting a man whose profession was deception.
For the first time, the smile vanished from the Crown Prince’s face.
He hadn’t anticipated such an answer at all.
“What? You’re telling me you like her? You’re willing to oppose the Crown Prince, the future ruler of the empire, for that reason alone?”
“Yes.”
Silence fell.
It was much heavier and more oppressive than before.
And after a long pause,
“Ha.”
With a short exhale,
“Hahaha!”
The Crown Prince burst into laughter.
-System Message-
▶ You have encountered ‘The Usurper,’ Arden Brimstone Lionel.
The [Malevolence] level has increased by 1!
A new feature of ‘The Weaver of Fate’ has been unlocked.
▶ You have copied a ‘mutated skill’ from the target!
“Huh?”
Aiden frowned as the system message appeared.
It was a window he had never seen before. Up until now, he had copied skills as his favorability rose, but what was this about Malevolence and mutated skills?
Before he could even finish contemplating his confusion, another message popped up.
-System Message-
▶ The favorability of ‘Noel Astria Simus’ has increased.
▶ The increase in favorability is significant! The bond level has skyrocketed from 3 to 5.
▶ You have gained 2 additional skill copy attempts!
Your bond is strong enough for ‘The Weaver of Fate’ to change its application method soon!
New content will be added to the main quest!
A new section has been added to the quest ‘Sham Marriage!’
‘Why is this happening again…?’
Cliche Novel 
“You have gained 2 additional skill copy attempts!”
Attempts or slots? Attempts imply that there is a possibility of failure, which never came up until now. Or am I wrong?
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