Married Couple’s Qualifications

“Dirty man.”

Cheshire ruffled his hair wildly.  (*Cheshire is Riv’s brother)

He didn’t have to listen anymore. The thin walls of the cheap inn carried the sounds of the room next door without having to try to listen.

Something less than animals was mixing their bodies. (Bate and Margaret are making love next door)

Cheshire couldn’t stand the moans of the two in his ears and drew his sword.

From the moment they betrayed Rivianna, they had been nothing more than beasts.

They could not be allowed to breathe the same air in a land like Rivianna.

They were to be torn apart, ripped to shreds, and left without a trace so that no one could find them.

However, Cheshire’s angry steps came to a halt.

As a merchant’s son, who had never held a sword properly, had soft hands. It wasn’t even his job to kill them if he wanted to.

If it weren’t for the face that came to his mind.

Cheshire stabbed his sword nervously into the floor.

He was angry, but he couldn’t bear to do it when he thought of the faces of the mother and daughter Rivianna and Mariel) who looked so much alike.

Eventually, Cheshire rummaged through his pockets.

In a small tin case that didn’t match his large hands, there was a clumsy drawing of a flower that could have been mistaken for graffiti.

Cheshire opened the case and took out one of the candies, popped it in his mouth and sucked it. It was so sweet that his tongue tingled, but he felt that if he didn’t, he would have to start smoking again, which he had finally quit doing.

Of course, even if he stopped smoking, he couldn’t get rid of his habit of wandering the back alleys and remembering all the dirty swear words he couldn’t even bring himself to say on the way.

Cheshire took his sword and shoved it into the sword case.

His tongue tingled as he chewed on the sweet candy, but his mouth felt oddly bitter.

***

“I see.”

“….”

“It’s okay. I was already prepared for this.”

Half of it was serious, and the other half was a lie.

Rivianna had expected to be in this situation, but that didn’t mean that her heart didn’t hurt.

Nevertheless, she smiled casually.

“…I’ll handle it.”

“How are you going to handle it?”

“Well…..”

Cheshire couldn’t say any more and his mouth clenched.

Rivianna looked at Cheshire’s blood-streaked fists and opened the teapot.

Her heart was hurting, but now it was clearer than ever.

“Leave it be, please.”

“Leave it be?”

“It can’t be helped. As of now, there’s nothing we can do.”

“…Are you really going to just let it happen?”

She put in the last of the tea leaves and made the tea, even though Cheshire was looking at her without hiding his impatience. 

Through the clear teapot, the tea water slowly turning red was beautiful, and she slowly closed and opened her eyes again to the bittersweet aroma that was slowly spreading.

She personally doesn’t like the heavy bodied taste in her mouth, and she doesn’t really look for tea leaves from other countries, but sometimes she missed this taste. It was her late father’s favorite tea leaves. 

It was also the tea she would look for whenever she had to make a decision. She stared at the steaming tea and finally picked up the cup. 

The awful bitterness that filled her mouth was still not to her liking, but it was good when she was ready. Rivianna gulped down the tea and then looked at Cheshire again. 

“I’m sorry, but can you send me a letter on the way back?”

***

“It’s really surprising that the Marchioness of Clayton would contact me first.”

“I have something to tell Your Majesty.”

“I wouldn’t hate it if you say it was love at first sight.”

The emperor smirked and took his seat.

Rivianna held her hands tightly to hide her nervousness.

“I’m sure it’s not me you’re interested in, Your Majesty.”

“Did I get caught?”

“I have eyes and ears too.l

She inhaled slowly.

She vowed never to go to the front again, but it ended up like this.

But no matter how much she thought about it, it was for the best.

There was a memorandum that Bake had written in his own handwriting, but it wasn’t enough.

It might be proof that Bake had admitted his mistake himself, but it had no further effect.

After breaking his promise in just one week, there was no way that Bake would honestly follow through with the terms of the memorandum.

As per the memorandum, in order for Mariel to become Clayton’s owner, Rivianna would have to fight a long battle, and she was willing to stand trial if necessary.

However, that would make this issue public and draw everyone’s attention.

In the end, Mariel would get affected.

Rivianna did not want that to happen.

Mariel had to live a different life than she did.

Mariel’s life had to be more brilliant than anyone else’s.

That’s why Rivianna decided to cover everything.

“I know what you want from me, Your Majesty.”

“What is it you think I want from the Marchioness?”

“I’m sure you don’t want me exactly, but you want Clayton.”

Her father’s father and also her father. Clayton, who had amassed enormous wealth from the various businesses that had been going on for generations, has grown even bigger since Bake became the owner.

Following in the footsteps of his father, who was a merchant, Bake had been engaged in commerce from an early age and was a skilled businessman, and most importantly, he was the son of the empire’s biggest merchant Lord.

It was not without reason that there was a joke that the money of the Empire must have passed through Clayton more than once.

Currently, Clayton was the richest family in the empire.

“There are many people besides me who want Clayton.” (Emperor)

“I suppose that’s the problem.” (Riv)

The emperor’s eyes widened a little, but quickly drew a gentle arc.

Rivianna stared at the emperor. He was feigning composure, but from what she heard, the emperor was not in a very good position.

He had a tag that always followed him around.

The Blessed One. The illegitimate son.

The emperor, born by a young empress who was later named by the old emperor, was the only legitimate son of the previous emperor, but his father was already asleep in the grave when he saw the world.

So the emperor was born and grew up in the midst of people’s doubts.

It was questionable how the old emperor had children, but most importantly, he was very healthy, even though he was a b*stard born without all the support.

However, it was only a rumor and no one could talk about it in front of him.

He was conceived when the previous emperor had fallen ill, which would ultimately cast doubt on the emperor’s lineage.

Rivianna took a deep breath and untied her hands.

It was a good thing that she came with gloves on.

Or he would have seen the nail marks intact on the back of her hands.

“I don’t care about the rumors that are going around. I’m even less interested in making a fuss about him.”

“So what’s the matter?”

“If you will do me a favor, from now on Clayton will do nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes, nothing at all.”

“‘Hmmm… I hadn’t thought of that at all.”

The emperor nodded with his chin on his hand.

“I don’t think it’s a bad suggestion.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I’m sure there’s a reason why His Majesty dares to push back against the grandeurs.”

Even though he was smiling, Rivianna didn’t think he was really smiling.

She knew how he had managed to sit where he was.

He wasn’t a man driven by pure curiosity alone.

The more vulgar the rumor, the faster it spread, but still, it was too fast.

It was hard to imagine that the rumors surrounding her and Duke Pierre hadn’t been spread under some pressure.

“I don’t know who it is that my husband is helping.”

“Are you pretending you don’t know?”

“Have I not told you that I am not interested in rumors?”

The rumors about the emperor didn’t end there.

The son of the previous emperor was not just one.

The Empress had one son, Luzen, but the concubine had 5 children.

Three daughters were married off to suitable families, but the two sons were in a different position.

They decided that dealing with their half-brother, Luzen, whose lineage was unknown, was a battle worth trying, and in the end, the bloodstorm blew.

“I knew it wasn’t normal, but it’s more than I imagined.”

Emperor Luzen shook his head, laughing out loud.

The hair on his well-toned forehead was red, like the blood the man had shed, and would shed, to be called Emperor.

The Emperor triumphed, but he still lived in rumors.

It was said that the emperor had let one of his two brothers escape, and that the one who escaped had the true will of the previous emperor.

But it didn’t matter if the rumors were true or not.

From the beginning Rivianna didn’t care who became emperor.

There was only one thing she wanted.

“All right, then. Marchioness Clayton. You’ve succeeded in catching my interest.”

“I’m honored that you tolerated me.” (Riv)

“I will decide whether I really like it or not after hearing your idea. So, what does the Marchioness want from me?” (Emperor)

“I want you to help me get mine back.” (Riv)

The stigma of the traitor stamped by her father continued to her.

After marrying Bake, Rivianna had to let go of everything in the house and could not have anything but the name Clayton.

But that was the promise to the previous emperor.

He was dead and a new emperor was in front of her.

She had to put new wine in a new bottle accordingly.

“Then you’re going to get a divorce?” (Emperor)

“….”

“You don’t like the man who lives with another woman, so why not take only what you want and throw everything else away?” (Emperor)

‘How much did the emperor really know about me?’

Rivianna closed her eyes, pretending not to know the man who was whispering to her as if he knew everything. 

“I’m not getting a divorce.” (Riv)

“I’m disappointed in your answer. Actually, I was kind of hoping for it too. The lovers of the century* can start again.” (Emperor)

(*Duke Pierre and Rivianna were called the lovers of the century)

The emperor raised one hand to his chest, a wistful expression on his face, but he couldn’t genuinely expect a reunion. 

His purpose was only to put the Clayton under his wing through marriage with his close aide (Duke Pierre). Marriage was a perfect union, and at the same time, it was a great business.

How could a man at the top of his game not know a story that all the nobles knew? 

“Of course, apart from that, I’m curious. What is the symbol of wanting to hold on to a husband who will lose all his limbs and all his nutritional values?” (Emperor)

“It doesn’t mean anything.” (Riv)

“If there is no will, then if you don’t divorce him, why don’t you just execute his woman?” (Emperor)

 The emperor’s words were correct. 

As of now, dealing with Margaret was the easiest and simplest thing to do.

But seeing Bake break his promise to her, his wife, as if nothing had happened, she wondered. 

She slowly swallowed my breath.

“Would that be the end of it?” (Riv)

“….”

Would it really be the end after getting rid of Margaret? No, it wouldn’t. Bake could always have another woman, and this would happen all over again. 

Then there may be a moment when Mariel, who was growing up, found out. Rivianna thought of her daughter’s face and took a slow, deep breath. 

She lost her husband, but she had to protect the father her child loved. 

And to do that, she had to take everything from Bake.

 She had already learned something through long experience. 

In order to make her opponent choose the option she wanted, she had to take everything away and then give him only one option.