Rejecting The Perfect Marriage - Chapter 5

The House of Viscount Lévane was a distant branch of the House of Teze.

So distant that trying to trace the bloodline would be futile—it was practically meaningless. Still, in a ducal house where bloodlines were scarce, even that tenuous connection was enough to be considered family. They had been treated as such even before Evangeline joined the family, so she couldn’t be the one to break tradition.

“I’m terribly sorry, Viscountess, but I have urgent matters to attend to today. I’ll have to take my leave.”

But kindness toward others was only possible when you were safe yourself.
Evangeline had never once ignored the Teze family’s distant relatives before—surely they could excuse her, just this once.

“Then please, take your time looking around.”

“B-but, my lady! If you leave like this…”

The viscountess had clearly not expected such a response. Her face turned pale, and she glanced nervously at her companions, whose eyes were full of subtle mockery. Her face flushed even more.

“The truth is… there were some things I wanted to speak with you about, in private…”

“Later.”

Evangeline was too drained to entertain anyone. Whatever the viscountess wanted to say, it was likely just another excuse to browse new jewelry collections and walk off with them as if they were gifts.

‘I spoiled her from the start.’

Ever since Evangeline’s engagement to the Duke was announced two years ago, her father had lavished generosity on everyone connected to House Teze. Not only the viscountess, but anyone even remotely related to the Teze family never paid a coin when they visited the Ohara Trading Company.

When Evangeline once raised concerns about it, Count Ohara had merely smiled and dismissed them:

“The closest ones always stab you deepest when they turn their backs. So it’s better to know and play along.”

“But—”

“The relationships money can fix are the easiest and most convenient, my princess.”

And he’d been right.

Now that her family had lost everything, those money-patched relationships felt strangely comforting. Her chest tightened, and needing air, she turned to leave the building.

Of all days, why did the sky have to be so blue?

Her family had just gone bankrupt, and yet the world outside looked the same as ever—as if nothing had changed. It felt like a dream.

“Lady Ohara, please, just a moment of your time—”

“Viscountess, please!”

Just leave me alone.

Evangeline finally snapped at the viscountess, who had followed her all the way outside, clinging to her like a shadow. She’d always been taught not to show emotion—but how much longer was she supposed to endure?

Even Philip, who had followed her out with a troubled look on his face, now hovered awkwardly nearby. It was enough to make her sick to her stomach.

“My lady, you must leave. You can’t be here.”

“Why is everyone acting like—”

For the first time, Evangeline was about to let her emotions show. But once again, she didn’t get the chance.

Before she could say anything, her head was yanked sharply backward.

“Ah…”

“Kyaaahhh!”

Several women, including the viscountess, let out sharp, piercing screams.

But Evangeline—her hair pulled so violently—couldn’t even cry out.

…What now?

She hadn’t even processed what was happening before yet another thing was thrown at her.

The one who had dragged her out of the surreal calm of this deceptively normal world was as crude and furious as the grip on her hair.

“You greedy little demon! Bring him back! BRING MY SON BACK TO LIFE!”

◇ ◆ ◇

Evangeline had never once experienced violence—or anything close to it.

Even the mild discipline common in childhood had never touched her. Count Ohara, ever the devoted father, had never allowed anyone, including himself, to hurt her in body or spirit. She’d never even received a light flick on the forehead. So the midday attack left her in such shock that even hours later, she still hadn’t recovered.

“My lady! We need to treat your face first!”

“…”

“Please, look here. We need to apply ice right away to reduce the swelling…”

Across from her in the carriage, Philip’s panicked voice blurred into the background.
Evangeline, her eyes blank and unfocused, gently brushed her cheek with her fingers.
A thin smear of blood—probably from the woman’s nails scratching her as she’d grabbed her hair.

Yet it didn’t hurt. Not in the slightest. Perhaps because her mind had gone numb. When Philip handed her an ice pack, she used it to pull herself out of the daze and replayed the memory.

◇ ◆ ◇

“While you were living in luxury, my son became fish food on the open sea! If someone had to die, it should’ve been your wretched father, not my innocent boy! My only son!”

The woman had to be a family member of one of the sailors lost at sea. The words she screamed—bits and pieces she could recall—scraped at Evangeline’s heart like sharpened nails.

She must have been watching and waiting nearby for days. Foaming at the mouth, the woman had screamed and shaken Evangeline by the collar, as if trying to break her apart.

“Haa…”

It was suffocating—this thing she never imagined could happen to her. But what shocked her even more was the way the knights of House Teze appeared instantly, as if they’d been watching all along, pulling the woman away from her.

“Did the Duke… order all this?”

“M-my lady…”

“I thought so.”

She wasn’t even surprised anymore. With a bitter smile, Evangeline set the ice pack down.

It explained everything—why the office appeared to be operating as usual, why the luxury storefront was still open— It had all been arranged by him.

Only Decarno von Teze was capable of fabricating such a flawless illusion.

So when she arrived at the annex of the ducal estate and found Mikael, the Duke’s secretary, waiting for her, it didn’t shock her either. Even when Mikael said the Duke wanted to see her, she remained indifferent. She did wonder briefly how the man who hadn’t contacted her in days just happened to be back now—but when she saw Decarno in the study, she understood at once.

He knew. He knew everything.

“I told you not to leave the house.”

“…”

His gaze, turning from the window, was indifferent yet edged with displeasure. More than the incident itself, he seemed angrier that she had disobeyed his orders.

Evangeline exhaled slowly, exasperated.

“And what, was I supposed to sit around locked up with no word or explanation? You didn’t even send a message.”

“So you went out anyway and saw exactly what you wanted to see?”

“…”

His sharp question cut deep. Her cheek began to sting belatedly, and she turned her face, hiding the scratch.

“You may not care about any of this, since you’re always so busy, but I do. My father is my only family.”

“Your only family?”

“Unless you know someone I don’t?”

His tone had turned oddly sharp. She glanced up at him, uneasy, but when she met his calm, glass-like eyes, she reassured herself she’d imagined it.

What was she even thinking? With a faint, bitter smile, she rubbed her forehead.

“My mother—divorced—left before I could even remember her. I have no siblings. If that’s not being alone, what is?”

“…”

If the late Dowager Duchess had still been alive, things might have been different.
Though no one could call the woman warm or kind, Evangeline had liked her. Noble to the bone—proud and aloof, much like her son—but she had still opened her heart, even just a little, to those she considered her own.

But she was gone now. And now, Evangeline had no one left.

At least not in this house.

“Either way, I can’t just sit still like this.”

“Did I look like I was doing nothing? If you hadn’t stormed off on your own, things would’ve gone much more smoothly.”

“Until when? Until my father’s body is found?”

“No. Until our wedding.”

“…Ha.”

Marriage. In this situation?

It sounded so absurd, she let out a laugh. But she was the only one laughing. Meeting Decarno’s utterly serious eyes, she turned away.

She had to leave—if she stayed any longer, she might truly lose her mind. But before she could touch the door handle, his arm came down first.

Clang. The cold sound of metal locking into place echoed through the room.

“What happened to your face?”

“Haa…”

“Tell me.”

His voice whispered low against her ear, cold and unnerving. He was picking a fight now that things hadn’t gone his way—not surprising. She sighed without a sound and turned back to face him.

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t noticed. But even if he had, it changed nothing.

“It’s nothing. All that matters to me is finding my father. Everything else is irrelevant.”

“So you’re not going to tell me, no matter what?”