I Proposed to My Childhood Friend After the Regression
Chapter 6
“Recognized as a married couple… How dare you? In front of me, you dare to entwine yourself with a woman who isn’t me?”
Biting her lower lip as if disgusted, she growled and glared at the Princess.
“Is that true?”
“…It is. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance, Valois. Since this concerns not just any house, but the Hartwell Count family and the Dalton Duke family, I had to pay my respects to my father first and receive his approval.”
Sorry, my foot. For the record, it was the Princess who suggested getting the Emperor’s approval before the wedding.
‘I thought she was just excited back then…’
Now that I see it, it must have been to prepare for this moment.
If you want to use the unruly Valois while ensuring the marriage doesn’t fall apart, you need a shield as formidable as the Emperor.
“Ha, haha! Hahahaha!”
Sure enough, it seemed that even the reckless Valois couldn’t ignore the Emperor.
“So you’re telling me to back off? To just stand by and let two people who shamelessly hooked up right in front of me go, without even laying a finger on them? Ha!”
Perhaps because her anger had reached its peak, she rampaged in her seat until, unable to contain her fury, she shattered a vase to pieces.
Leaving behind the shock of the guests and the sound of the guards’ footsteps, Valois spoke with annoyance.
“It seems you’re intent on making me the villain, but fine. Today, I’ll return quietly as you wish. Hunting isn’t successful just because you drive your prey into a corner, is it?”
“…”
“But just you wait. I will never give up on what I want. If I can’t have it, I’ll break it, tear it, and ruin it until I get my hands on it at least once. Even if I get bored and throw it away the moment I possess it!”
As if to imprint her current foul mood, she scanned her surroundings slowly before turning on her heel with a sharp, cold demeanor.
Naturally, no one dared to stop her.
***
The storm-like wedding, which would be remembered in high society for ages, had come to an end. After seeing off the last remaining guest, the two of them, who had been the hosts, were now the ones being sent off.
Family and friends offered their final farewells to the pair standing before the carriage.
“Congratulations on your marriage again, Bea! Have a safe trip.”
“Mhm, I’ll buy you something delicious when I get back. Thanks for seeing us off until the end, Miriel.”
“Congratulations on your marriage, Senior! You two look so good together.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. Thank you for attending, Lady Susanna.”
“Oh, and don’t worry too much about Lady Crawford. She’s always been… well, like that. Everyone in high society will be on your side anyway, right?”
“Exactly! You’re already legally married under Imperial law, so what else can she do? Just treat it like it never happened!”
It was a memory far too intense to just treat as if it never happened, but… well, does the truth matter? It’s the hearts of the friends who care for her that matter.
Beatrice nodded vigorously, hugged her friend Susanna tightly, and grinned.
“Did anyone even come? I don’t remember anyone but you guys.”
“Oh, come on!”
“Brother, please take good care of my friends after we leave!”
“Don’t worry about us, just go safely. And try not to fight and tear each other apart on your honeymoon.”
Like a true younger sister, Beatrice ignored her brother’s words and climbed into the carriage.
Clyde, who had boarded the carriage a step ahead of her, bowed his head while tending to Beatrice.
“We will pay our respects when we return.”
“Yes.”
The two, who had been waving through the window while affectionately embracing each other, sat as far apart as possible the moment the figures of their relatives faded from view.
It was a precise, synchronized timing, as if they had made a pact.
“Ugh, I thought I was going to die from the sheer cringe.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Just as Beatrice was about to retort to his comment while loosening her cravat, he raised his eyebrows as if something had occurred to him and flashed a grin.
It was that ominous smile he often wore when he was teasing Beatrice.
“But what are you going to do? You’ll have to get used to this kind of ‘cringe’ from now on, won’t you?”
“Bullsh—no, wait, you’re right. Damn it… Even that short time during the wedding was exhausting, but you’re saying we have to keep acting like lovebirds from now on? Even changing our forms of address to, uh, uh… whatever that title is?”
“Honey.”
“I didn’t forget the word.”
“If that’s too uncomfortable, there’s ‘darling,’ ‘sweetheart,’ or ‘my love.’ Oh, and ‘honey’ too.”
As Clyde reeled off the pet names lovers use, Beatrice’s expression grew increasingly cold. Rolling her eyes as if she didn’t like a single one of them, she cut him off in a chilly voice.
“I hate them even more.”
“Really? They roll off my tongue better than I thought.”
“What? Liar!”
The moment she stared at Clyde with eyes full of distrust, Beatrice realized she had made a mistake.
It was because Clyde, as if he had been waiting for her to say that, smiled with eyes as deep and gentle as an angel’s.
Very, very suspiciously.
Sensing the foul play, Beatrice reached out to cover his mouth, but he was a step faster.
Clyde caught Beatrice’s hand lightly, interlaced his fingers with hers, and opened his mouth with a smile.
“A liar, darling? Can’t you trust your one and only honey, who has now become your other half?”
“Ugh.”
“For my love to distrust me so much, Clyde is so heartbroken. I think my darling needs to kiss it better?”
“Ack! Aack! I get it… I get it! I acknowledge it! Are you happy now? Huh?”
Clyde leaned in slightly closer toward Beatrice, who had been so flustered she’d even bitten her tongue.
“Hm? Acknowledge what? Oh, come on, why are you struggling so much? Are you shy, darling? But if you thrash about in the carriage, you might get hurt, my dear.”
“I know you’ve got a silver tongue, so stop it, you madman!”
Beatrice swung the backrest cushion at the madman who had wrapped his other arm around her waist to prevent her from escaping.
Clyde, who had effortlessly caught the cushion she threw with his free hand, shrugged his shoulders like a winner and added.
“If you don’t want to be teased by me every day, you’d better get used to it quickly. You’ll have to live with it until you’re sick of it from now on.”
“Ha! You’re exaggerating. It wasn’t even this bad during the wedding. Why would we need to be this glued to each other?”
“That is because…”
At his uncharacteristic hesitation, Beatrice’s eyes narrowed again. She was trying to gauge what kind of nonsense he was about to spout.
Despite Beatrice’s guarded attitude, he remained silent for a moment as if contemplating something, then suddenly threw out an unexpected question.
“Since it’s just us, I’ll ask honestly. Bea, how did you feel when the Princess supported our marriage and helped us hold the ceremony so quickly?”
“How did I feel, you ask…”
While she was about to scold him for asking such a question, Beatrice fell into deep thought. It was because Clyde’s expression looked more serious than she had expected.
Resting her chin on one hand and blinking a few times, she slowly parted her lips.
“Hmm, first of all, it felt satisfying, right? As someone who knew the outcome, I was a bit expectant, too. And…”
“And?”
Lowering her gaze for a moment, she bit her lip lightly.
‘And it felt… a bit unpleasant.’
She wasn’t sure exactly what the emotion was, but she felt a churning in her stomach.
It was contradictory, but it meant she felt positive emotions like triumph and relief, while simultaneously feeling a stifling, annoying, negative emotion.
‘How should I put it? It felt like I won, but also lost.’
“Then what about when Valois Edvain Crawford came and caused a scene?”
“Huh?”
Well…
‘Wait, why am I agonizing over the answer?’
Wasn’t it him who asked why she needed to get used to the pet names! Just as Beatrice was about to open her mouth to ask why he was changing the subject, he spoke.
“I felt frustrated.”
At the calm remark coming from beside her, Beatrice’s eyes widened slightly. When she turned her head to face him, he was no longer smiling playfully.
“It’s true that we moved cleverly. And it’s a fact that, as a result, we won. We used the Princess as a shield, and we managed Valois’s tantrum well.”
“…”
“But putting all that aside, I’m just frustrated that this was the best I could do right now.”
If only he had the power and influence to resolve the situation without borrowing strength.
‘Of course, even in such a situation, if I could use it, I would have done the same…’
There was a big difference between choosing from a position of total control and not. Beatrice was the person who knew that fact better than anyone.
‘Because I’ve experienced it.’
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