IBGM 10

chapter 10

Who Is the Winner (1)

Lebellina swallowed her breath. It took her a moment to understand what Tartenon had just said.

Did he just mention rebellion?

She had a bold personality, but not to the extent of Tartenon. For a moment, she felt she understood why the imperial family feared him, even though he was a Grand Duke.

When he revealed his raw, unfiltered thoughts, he was like an untamed silver wolf. Anyone who faced the emotions surging in his shining blue eyes would feel it.

She tried not to show her confusion. After all, she no longer cared about the imperial family.

Ten years of betrayal had left her heart cold. Somehow, she wanted to repay that feeling.

“But the wedding date must be approved by my father.”

As nothing more than a marquis’s daughter, she could do nothing without Marquis Asilius’s permission. The same went for her marriage to Tartenon. Even though he had casually said he would obtain her father’s approval, she couldn’t help but worry.

Because Father cherishes me too much.

Marquis Asilius adored her so much that at times it felt excessive. Lebellina had lost her mother at a young age, and the marquis had done everything he could so she wouldn’t feel that absence. If what she wanted wasn’t unreasonable, he always tried to grant it.

Knowing her father’s efforts, Lebellina also tried not to hurt him. She worked hard to learn etiquette and read many books so no one would say she lacked a mother. She had wanted to learn swordsmanship as well, but was unable to due to concerns for her safety.

“I told you there’s no need to worry.”

“My father will come as soon as he hears the news, so you can speak with him then.”

At her refusal to step forward herself, Tartenon let out a faint laugh. The blade-like gaze that had been pressing her moments ago softened, and the atmosphere changed.

“That sounds like you’re telling me to meet him immediately.”

“The sooner things are resolved, the better.”

“It sounds like a lover urging me to get my parents’ approval quickly so we can marry.”

“…Pardon?”

Lebellina’s face flushed red in an instant. Unable to properly respond to Tartenon’s casual mention of being lovers, she could only ask back. But the tips of her ears, now red, clearly revealed her embarrassment.

Tartenon noticed her ears but said nothing, only curling his lips into a smile. When that handsome smile spread across his face, Lebellina blushed even more. As that gentle smile was directed at her, she felt as if she had become someone special.

“Lebellina!”

I knew it.

Sure enough, the door to the drawing room burst open, and Marquis Asilius appeared, brushing past the servants trying to stop him. Tartenon calmly lifted the teacup before him and took a sip.

After watching him for a moment, Lebellina stood up.

“Father, you’ve come.”

“Yes, your father is here! What in the world is going on? And why is His Highness the Grand Duke here?!”

He asked her only briefly before sitting down in the chair the butler offered and directing his question at Tartenon.

However, Tartenon simply swallowed the tea in his mouth and did not answer. Lebellina watched the silent clash between them with growing anxiety.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…Pardon?”

“I asked why you’re looking at me with such anxious eyes.”

“Ahem! Your Highness, do not toy with my daughter.”

The marquis was blunt. It was clear where Lebellina had inherited her personality from.

Even as the Prime Minister, he hadn’t changed his temperament. If something or someone didn’t meet his standards, he would unleash harsh criticism and pressure them until the matter was resolved.

Tartenon knew his personality well. He also knew that if the marquis reduced the budget sent to the North, its people would suffer. But he had one strong card to play.

“Lebellina.”

At his sweet voice, she turned her head. Though she tried to stay composed in front of her father, Tartenon knew the power of his appearance.

“I have something to discuss with your father alone. Would you step out for a moment?”

“Yes, my daughter. I, too, have something to discuss with His Highness alone.”

After glancing between the two men, Lebellina let out a small sigh and left the drawing room. Since neither of them told her to wait, she seemed to expect a long confrontation.

Even after she left, neither Tartenon nor the marquis spoke. With Lebellina gone, there was no need to hold back, and a fierce tension filled the room.

The butler, who had brewed tea for the marquis, calmly placed the teacup on the table despite the sharp atmosphere. With a soft clinking sound, the fragrance of tea spread throughout the room. As the sweet scent melted into the cold air, the marquis finally spoke.

“I didn’t expect Your Highness to act this way.”

“I also didn’t expect your words to prove untrue. Didn’t you say your daughter already had a match, so I shouldn’t interfere?”

“Your Highness.”

“Shall I also explain how laughable it was when I found out that ‘match’ was merely the Second Prince?”

The marquis shut his eyes tightly before opening them again. As Lebellina had said, choosing Inferno as her fiancé had been a mistake. He was petty and incompetent.

The man had lived his whole life relying on Lebellina and the Asilius family—never once did the marquis imagine he would abandon his daughter. No, he couldn’t have imagined it.

When he saw the devastated expression on his daughter’s face, he immediately knew something had gone wrong. The truth that emerged was absurd and hollow.

He hurt my daughter over a mere baron’s daughter?

He couldn’t understand it. No matter how foolish a member of the imperial family might be, they should at least have the sense for such calculations.

At first, the marquis thought he had misheard. But what he heard from the emperor at the palace today was even more shocking.

How dare they suggest my daughter become the Crown Prince’s mistress?

It was unthinkable. Was this truly the reward for all his devotion to the Prinante Empire?

He had given everything, and what he received in return was betrayal.

He still couldn’t forget what the emperor had said that morning. Since Inferno had someone he desired, Lebellina should become the Crown Prince’s concubine instead.

The Crown Prince already had a princess, but the emperor’s words revealed his greed—he couldn’t give up the wealth of the Asilius family.

Unable to answer immediately, the marquis hesitated. The emperor laughed and told him to take his time before leaving. The marquis could only withdraw, fists clenched.

“I can guess what you heard at the imperial palace.”

Noticing his dark expression, Tartenon lifted his teacup again and spoke. At those words, the marquis’s hand holding the cup trembled slightly.

“Well? It would be better to accept my proposal.”

“You mean the proposal you made before the banquet?”

The marquis recalled what Tartenon had said at the banquet—that perhaps their families should strengthen their bond through marriage. He also remembered scoffing at the idea.

Though his expression hardened, Tartenon continued calmly.

“Yes. The North has soldiers, but lacks the funds to maintain them. But the Asilius family is different.”

“If my daughter’s heart does not move, I cannot force her.”

“You need not worry about that.”

At the sight of Tartenon’s eyes curving into a smile, the marquis widened his eyes in surprise. It was the first time he had ever seen the cold Grand Duke of the North smile like that.

He was known for never smiling, whether in council meetings or at banquets. Though his face was handsome, it was expressionless and cold, and the noble ladies who approached him were only interested in his title.

As his thoughts reached that point, the marquis remembered Bellarus of the cursed Jeraon baron family. She had once been Tartenon’s fiancée. Even he hadn’t expected her to throw that title away and seduce Inferno.

Did she really prefer being with royalty, even if only in name, over standing beside a man like him?

A shadow of worry fell over the marquis’s face. In the end, wasn’t Lebellina stepping into the place that girl had rejected?

He couldn’t answer easily. Speaking as a father, he addressed Tartenon.

“I hope my daughter will not be hurt over something as trivial as a baron’s daughter.”

“You need not worry about that either. I have no desire to see the woman who stands beside me saddened over such a person.”

“….”

Tartenon’s calm response only deepened his concerns. But the marquis had no other choice. If he did nothing, his daughter would be forced to become the Crown Prince’s concubine.

Choosing the lesser evil over the worst weighed on his heart, but after hearing such words from the emperor, there was no turning back.