Married Couple’s Qualifications

Chapter 12

*Riv’s pov*

***

Mariel. Mariel. Mariel. Mariel. Mariel. Mariel. Mariel. Mariel. Mariel.

I don’t remember what I was thinking the whole time I was running.

I just called my daughter’s name over and over again like a malfunctioning machine.

I couldn’t hide my anxiety until I saw with my own eyes that my daughter was safe.

But it was not easy to run in a bulky dress and high heels. Even if I ran with all my heart, I would only fall down after a while.

“Ugh!”

I tried to get up again, but a sharp pain went through my ankle, and I seemed to have fallen and failed. But instead of pain, all I felt was impatience to get up as quickly as possible.

I gritted my teeth and got up.

My sprained ankle made it difficult to balance, and I staggered the entire time I walked, but it was no problem. I could see my shoes on the floor and my dirty dress, but I knew it was no big deal.

Mariel, my young daughter laughed a lot, but she also cried a lot.

She would cry when she got scared and would search for her mother incessantly, so I had to be there for her.

“Sister, please calm down. I’m sure Mariel is fine. I’ll look into it.”

“I have to go.”

Cheshire, who had followed me a step behind, stood in front of me.

He was pale and I could see a hint of bemusement in his face, but I didn’t have the strength to say anything comforting right now.

I was scared. I might lose it again this time in vain.

Just like my father and my brother did.

I stammered and touched my neck. Strangely enough, my father’s and brother’s faces were gradually fading, but the sensation of the tightening of my neck was still as clear as if it were yesterday.

“Lend me your horse.”

“Sister.”

“It’s too late if I take the carriage.”

It was more of an order than a request.

I pushed aside Cheshire’s hand and walked again. I couldn’t go faster if I walked with a limp, but I still had to go.

But this time I couldn’t take more than a few steps and had to stop.

Duke Pierre was blocking my way as Cheshire did earlier.

“I don’t think you can ride a horse in that condition.”

“It’s none of your business, Duke.”

“Let’s ride my horse.”

“….”

“I’ll take you there. It’s too much for you to go to the academy alone in that state anyway.”

Apparently, the man in front of me was under the illusion that I had forgotten all about the past because I continued to hold back.

I still have many sleepless nights with nightmares of that day.

I looked into his dark eyes and scoffed briefly.

Then, staring at him, I opened my mouth.

“Cheshire.”

“Yes, sister.”

“Come with me.”

His downcast eyes reflected me like a mirror.

I look at the red-faced man and hold out my hand to Cheshire.

***

“You ran like a colt with its tail on fire, and came back like a puppy in the rain, Calix*.” (*Calix is Duke Pierre)

“…..”

“Why did run so fast because of another man’s bloodline? And it’s the child of the woman who betrayed you.”

“….”

“As expected, is it love?”

Perfectly, with a sound, the stem of the rose was cut off, and the full bloom recoiled to meet it, spitting out petals in a wavering motion.

The red petals looked like blood.

Emperor Luzen’s eyes curved, smelling the scent of the cut roses. Calix stared at Luzen, closed his eyes slowly, and opened them.

Calix just couldn’t get over the look on the woman’s face as she looked up at him.

“Really, the Marchioness of Clayton is all unexpected. I didn’t know she would be a crazy cat because she looked calm. As expected, you don’t know people just by looking at them.”

“…..”

“Oh, you might not know since you’ve been away from the capital for a long time. Cheshire Clayton, the mercenary son who has been causing a stir in the capital for the past two years.”

“I know.”

“What? Really? How do you know? Did the crazy man’s fame spread to the frontier?”

Instead of answering, Calix just remained silent. He didn’t seem to want to make a fuss over the fact that he had seen Cheshire and Rivianna before.

The ten years that Calix had left the capital had been enough time for the boy to grow up.

It was also a time when he wasn’t sure that the boy, who couldn’t easily handle a flower and hold it, would have grown up in the same shape as then only after the flower withered.

It was as if Calix himself also had become a completely different person than he was then.

“That’s quite possible with that lunatic…..No. Never mind. Let’s stop talking about him. That’s not what’s important.”

Luzen chuckled and raised his hand. Between his index and middle fingers was an open letter.

“Additional news has come from the Academy. The fire has been brought under control and they are currently tallying the damage…….”

Luzen deliberately stretched his words and observed Calix with narrowed eyes.

The indifferent man had little expression as usual, but Luzen wasn’t fooled anymore. Because a normal Calix would have already turned around and left.

It was too obvious from the fact that he (Calix) was quietly waiting for him (Luzen) to speak. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that stood out. Luzen leaned back against the couch with his long legs crossed.

“Just be honest. You can’t forget it.” (Luzen)

“….”

“It wasn’t enough to sell her lover to live, but on the day the lover was dragged like a dog, the woman married another man.” (Luzen)

“The Young Lady….” (Calix)

“See, even now you call that woman Young Lady, not Marchioness.” (Luzen)

“….”

“It’s like you still don’t want to admit she’s someone else’s wife.” (Luzen)

‘So what if you save your words as much as possible and don’t show your expression? In the end, it’s obvious in small things.’ (Luzen thought about Calix)

Luzen waved the letter gently and giggled.

Calix’s gaze being glued to the letter was comical.

“What kind of feeling is it to even try to hold her daughter’s child in the guise of your own, knowing that you will be stigmatized in a way that really bothers you?”

“….”

“Is it a passionate love worthy of the lover of the century? Is it a longing for what you could not achieve? If not, is it a desire for revenge, to end it directly at your hands?”

Well, either way, it has nothing to do with him*. (*Luzhen)

Luzen tore the letter while staring into Calix’s eyes.

Calix’s eyes were straight while the torn pieces of paper were scattered in the air, just barely, just barely.

It only seemed that way, however.

Luzen knew how Calix had been fighting with his inner emotions.

That was why he was curious to see what Calix would look like when he peeled back one layer of Calix’s indifferent face.

“I hope it’s love, anyway, because I had just gotten the good news.” (Luzen)

“….”

“A body has been found.” (Luzen)

Mariel Clayton’s body.

A dark smile spread across Luzen’s lips.

***

“What’s the meaning of this? Isn’t the Marquis’s young daughter only eight years old? It’s very unfortunate that the child has already left the world.”

“It was an accident, it can’t be helped. Still, it’s true that it was no good. Honestly, who would have expected such a thing to happen at the Academy?”

“Especially the little lady entered the school late. From what the Marchioness of Clayton said before, it seems like they were planning to send her years later.”

“Which makes it all the more disappointing. If she hadn’t sent her daughter to the Academy…..”

“Shh! Be careful what you say. What are you going to do if Clayton hates you for talking like that?”

Viscountess Sabba hastily looked around.

The area near the temple where the funeral was to take place was filled with people dressed in black waiting, but no one seemed to be sad in the slightest.

Everyone was trying to give Marquis Clayton and his wife a word of comfort and stamp their faces.

It was not an uncommon sight to hear rumors about the main person of the funeral.

“But it’s true, isn’t it? If it had been delayed for another month, the little Lady would not have been involved in the accident.”

“If it was a real accident, then yes.”

Baroness Cetyl lowered her voice, which caused the assembled wives to close the distance between them. There was a hint of concern in the eyes of the noblewomen as they looked around, but their ears perked up in anticipation.

“What do you mean? Is it really an accident?”

“Actually, that’s what I’m talking about. It’s that this time it wasn’t a simple accident, but that Duke Pierre deliberately harmed the Marchioness of Clayton.”

“No way.”

“But isn’t it also true that it would be awkward to just let it go? If they were to remarry, wouldn’t the biggest obstacle be the little daughter?”

Mariel Clayton. The only child of the Marquis and Marchioness of Clayton. Born with everything, but at the same time standing in an ambiguous position, the child was mentioned in social circles as early as she could be considered a young age.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Clayton had never adopted a child before, and Mariel Clayton was a girl. In order to continue the family line, Clayton had to get a son-in-law this time as well.

It was for this reason that everyone waited for Mariel to reach adulthood as soon as possible, hoping that whoever would be her future husband would be named the Marquis of Clayton.

However, it was more for other reasons than such expectations that her name had been taken up so much recently.

“Then doesn’t the little lady look like the Marquis of Clayton? If there was something between Duke Pierre and the Marchioness of Clayton, or the two of them….”

“Then, isn’t the Marquis of Clayton more suspicious than Duke Pierre?”

“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch? Doesn’t everyone know that the Marquis and Marchioness of Clayton are very affectionate?”

“Who knows they’re pretending to be like that? Don’t you remember? What Count Piran’s wife did.”

“That’s right, if they’re determined and pretend to be close, no one will know.”

“By the way, the Marchioness of Clayton is really unlucky. After her father and brother died, now her daughter…. If I were here, I would have died a long time ago.”

Ding. Ding.

The chattering voices of the noble ladies were silenced by the instantaneous ringing of the bell.

The ringing of the bell meant for the departed and at the same time that the one they had been waiting for was coming.

“Um, the Marquis and Marchioness of Clayton are coming.”

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to one spot, even though no one was making them do it.

They were all dressed in all black as they walked along the black carpet on the floor, but the small coffin in the center of the room, which was completely white.

“Look at the coffin. It’s the finest product. It’s no wonder it’s the Clayton’s name.”

“What a shame that the girl they cared so much is dead.”

“The Marchioness of Clayton seems rather nonchalant about it.”

Baroness Cetyl’s comment drew everyone’s attention to Rivianna. Her makeup-free face was paler than usual, but that was all.

Unlike the disorganized Marquis of Clayton, his wife was still neat.

If she hadn’t been wearing a black veil, she wouldn’t look like

a woman conducting her daughter’s funeral.

In the end, Baron Cetyl spoke the words that everyone had been thinking about when she saw Rivianna down to the coffin.

“She’s really strong. Very strong.”

***

One flower, one flower, and then another.

Pure white chrysanthemum flowers fluttered into the coffin.

Rivianna stared blankly at the coffin covered with flowers.

The corpse, wrapped in white cloth, looked like a silkworm cocoon.

Even looking at it, she couldn’t make the slightest analogy as to what was inside.

So she didn’t understand at all.

‘What inside is Mariel?’

‘My daughter’s funeral is being held right now?’

No, it couldn’t be.

Mariel didn’t die.

She had never seen the body.

Mariel was only eight years old, and she still had a much longer life left in her.

There was no way such a child could have been confined to that small coffin.

“Now, once the Marquis and Marchioness of Clayton raised the flowers for the deceased, we will close the coffin and say our final prayers.”

“….”

Bake stepped forward at the priest’s hand gesture.

Then a single flower was tossed into the coffin, and everyone’s eyes turned to Rivianna.

“Rivianna.”

“…”

“Marchioness Clayton?”

“…..”

Rivianna dropped head like a broken machine.

She also had a single chrysanthemum in her hand.

It was a flower offering.

It was for the dead Mariel.

“Oh….”

She came back to her senses for a moment.

She looked at the coffin full of white chrysanthemum flowers. Then she looked at the people around.

Everyone was dressed in black. And so was she.

For a moment, she collapsed, startled by the soft texture of the black veil against the back of her hand.

“Rivianna!”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah.”

Even though she couldn’t walk because her legs were too weak, she moved forward with both arms. She brushed aside the stares staring at her and pushed past Bake’s hand grabbing her. Now her ankle hurt, or maybe it was something else.

“Mariel, Mari…..”

“Marchioness Clayton, please stop.”

“Rivianna, please calm down! Calm down and look at me!”

“First, let’s move Marchioness Clayton to a place where she can rest.”

Her ears hurt from the overflowing voices.

But no words could reach her ears.

All she could see was one thing.

She gritted her teeth and stood up, holding onto the coffin.

With trembling, weak hands, she finally peeled off the white cloth.

“What…..?”

Between the cloth torn by her hands, she saw something pitch black.

She looked at the black lump of charcoal and collapsed again.