**I Proposed to My Childhood Friend After Regression**
**Chapter 5**
Beatrice stared wide-eyed at Clyde, whose face was glowing as if he had put an immense amount of effort into his appearance.
‘Right! Just close your eyes and go for it.’
It was a mountain that had to be crossed eventually. Think about it.
Today was not just any day; it was their wedding. If they showed even a hint of their usual weariness, people would start whispering, “What is this? Are they really in love? Are you two faking it?”
‘I’ve already laid on the floor in front of my family and called the enemy who killed me “the best sister ever,” so I can’t let myself get caught over something like this.’
If Clyde had heard her, he would have scoffed and called it a useless worry, but regardless, the motivation was solid.
Steeling her nerves, Beatrice gripped her veil with one hand and cast a final, sidelong glance.
Where she looked, she saw her family, completely oblivious to her inner turmoil, looking happy and harmonious.
‘…Ha! Look at them, grinning from ear to ear! And to think they were the ones jumping up and down saying a shotgun wedding like this wouldn’t do!’
Phew, fine.
‘I’m making a huge sacrifice for my family.’
Even if it made her stomach churn, seeing them smile was better than seeing them die a senseless death.
Naturally, she placed her hand on Clyde’s shoulder and slowly closed her eyes.
Perhaps because her vision was blocked, the sound of Clyde approaching felt exceptionally loud. As they leaned in to kiss, just as they had discussed, he lowered his voice and whispered.
“…What is this? This wasn’t in the plan. Why are you suddenly closing your eyes? It’s creepy.”
“I don’t want to see your face up close, that’s why.”
“Why? I’m one of the most handsome men in the Empire. It’s a benefit to see me up close.”
The fact that he knew that made it even more annoying.
Instead of answering his remark, Beatrice tightened her grip and pressed down on his shoulder, as if he weren’t even worth a response.
Just as their lips were about to touch, stopping at the razor-thin distance they had agreed upon—
—*Bang!*
Along with the sound of a chair being kicked over, a sharp voice erupted from the crowd.
“Ha. I tried to wait like a refined lady, but have you thrown all protocol to the dogs? You’re going to bless the union of these two and announce it to the world without even asking if there’s anyone who objects? Who gave you the right!”
The woman who had jumped to her feet had her face hidden by a wide-brimmed hat and a dense lace veil, but it wasn’t hard for Beatrice to recognize who she was.
No, it wasn’t just Beatrice; everyone present must have known her identity.
After all…
“Ha! I wondered who was playing games to get on my nerves again. I didn’t think this ridiculous situation would actually be real.”
The person who ripped off her hat as if it were a nuisance and threw it aside was none other than Valois Edvain Crawford, famous for all the wrong reasons!
As the only daughter of Grand Duke Alec, the Emperor’s brother, she was a notorious troublemaker and a delinquent.
She was a menace who would throw a tantrum regardless of who she was dealing with if her mood was soured, and there were dozens of petitions sent to the Emperor by nobles complaining about her.
The problem was that for about a year, she had been loudly setting her sights on Clyde Dalton.
‘She sent marriage proposals to the Duke’s family every other day, and at the New Year’s ball, she arbitrarily declared that Clyde was hers and warned the other young ladies away.’
Naturally, Beatrice, who was close to Clyde, had received her fair share of bitter warnings.
“You there. The blonde from the Hartwell family. I’m sure I made myself clear. If you don’t know your place and try to covet what’s mine, I’ll crush you like a brick turned to dust, so keep your distance.”
“…”
That was true. She had stopped by the Imperial Palace after her mother’s sharp command to go get the documents her brother had left behind if she was just going to loaf around at home, and she had ended up in that mess.
At the time, Valois had cornered her against a wall as if she had been waiting for that very moment, crushing a brick to powder right before her eyes.
‘I thought she was a total lunatic back then, too!’
Beatrice was silently horrified by Valois’s golden eyes, which seemed even more unhinged than she remembered, and she nudged Clyde.
“…What is this? Why is she here! Did you invite her?”
“…”
“Oh, don’t tell me. You didn’t, right?”
Beatrice’s question was valid. She was at the very top of their wedding blacklist!
Clyde wouldn’t have invited Valois unless he had lost his mind.
‘But why is he not answering? It’s making me anxious.’
Driven by suspicion, Beatrice whipped her head toward Clyde. The moment she saw his face, her eyes widened slightly.
“Valois Edvain Crawford.”
It wasn’t the expression she was used to seeing. A significant amount of hostility emanated from him as he muttered the opponent’s name in a low voice.
‘…What is this? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’
He hadn’t even been like this when dealing with Princess Elodie.
Flustered by this side of Clyde she had never seen before, Beatrice reflexively grabbed his hand. Unlike usual, Clyde’s hand was somewhat cold.
Of course, it wasn’t a good choice. Seeing the two of them holding hands, Valois began to fly into a rage.
“Take your hands off her right now!”
“Lady Crawford! What kind of tyranny is this at someone else’s wedding…!”
“Tyranny? I’m trying to take back what’s mine, so how is that tyranny? You said Clyde Dalton would be mine!”
Unable to contain her fury, she trampled the hat she had thrown aside and began to stride toward where the two of them stood.
Just as the two families were about to step in, fearing the situation would spiral into catastrophe—
“Valois, stop it now!”
Princess Elodie, who had been clinging to Caelen’s side as if she were already a member of the Duke’s family, stepped in front of her.
She walked out to the aisle as if to protect the two of them, her expression firm.
“I granted your request to attend the wedding because I wanted to give you a chance to move on. But if you act like this, what does that make of my reputation?”
Crazy! So it was the Princess who let Valois into the wedding hall!
Beatrice’s gaze landed on Princess Elodie, who looked quite heroic.
“Sister, move. Do you think I won’t hit you just because you’re my sister?”
“I won’t move. For the sake of those two, for you, and for my uncle—no, for the Grand Duke.”
“Ha! You’re really going to stand in my way?”
“Yes. I’d rather you blame me. After all, I’m the one who helped the two of them reach this fruition of love!”
Well, look at that.
‘If someone didn’t know better, they’d think the Princess was the one who brought our two families together.’
She probably calculated and uttered those words hoping people would take it that way.
It was hateful, but it was a truly clever way of speaking. And that attitude and expression, filled with such determination…
‘Isn’t she using Valois to build up her own angelic image on the side?’
If she used the hot-tempered Valois, the contrast would be even more striking.
She wouldn’t have known before, but now that she knew everything, the Princess’s ulterior motives were clear as day.
Noticing the favor in the eyes of the guests and her family, Beatrice squeezed the hand she was holding. She did it because she felt like a hollow laugh would escape her if she didn’t consciously exert some force.
‘My, what exceptional skill. Is this how she manages to wipe out entire families?’
She had intentionally offered up prey to achieve her own goals, but to think she would milk it this thoroughly.
‘But it’s a relief that the Princess in front of me is exactly the person I know.’
She had briefly, truly for a split second, wondered if it was humanly right to hold the current Princess accountable for the sins of the past, but there was no need for that anymore.
If the Princess had truly cared for the two of them, she wouldn’t have orchestrated a scene where she would be the center of attention at a wedding where they were supposed to be the protagonists.
It seemed Clyde also found this play, visible only to those who knew the truth, to be ridiculous.
“…How amusing.”
He muttered it so quietly that only Beatrice, who was standing right next to him, could hear, and he gave her hand a slight squeeze before letting go.
“Stay here for a moment.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
Instead of answering Beatrice, Clyde walked over to the Princess’s side. Then, he spoke firmly, as if the situation were intolerable.
“No. There is no need for Your Highness to carry such a heavy burden.”
“Clyde?”
“You merely indulged our childish whims once and kindly allowed Lady Crawford to join us, so we cannot allow you to be inconvenienced like this.”
He naturally insulted her while pretending to defend her, then turned his gaze to Valois and continued.
“And Lady Crawford. I have told you every time you refused, but I am not yours. I am a person, not an object or prey, so how could I ever be someone’s possession?”
“Fine. And I’ve told you every time, too. That kind of defiance is very cute. I don’t need your permission. If I say you’re mine, then you’re mine.”
“In that case, you will have to take it up with His Majesty directly. Because under His Majesty’s approval, we have become an official ‘married couple’.”
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