Duke Ashillean’s Contractual Marriage

Chapter 9

Her family was in a frenzy as they called for a physician to examine her condition, and bought all kinds of tonics that were good for her body. The three older brothers attended different social gatherings as if their feet had wings, to announce to the world that Anishia was pregnant. The Countess had already called for tailors in the palace to make children’s clothes. Count Graham went to the Imperial Palace to tell the child’s father this good news, but the King refused to see him.

Waking up again after half a day passed, Anishia hugged her slender belly and cried, and just jumped out of the window. Unfortunately or fortunately, a gardener that was pruning stood under the window. He hugged Anishia in a cold hug, so she didn’t die. The gardener was then killed for defiling the precious body carrying the King’s child with his dirty hands.

Whenever she had the chance, Anishia would try to kill herself after that. Her family tied her arms and legs to the bed after her numerous suicide attempts. Months passed and Anishia gave birth to the child in that state.

The tyrant was very furious that Anishia met another man than him at a gathering of all the nobles, and even gave birth to a child. He was planning to kill Anishia who betrayed him, then throw her away, so he could bring down Count Graham and take away all of his fortune.

The tyrant wasn’t always that very cruel towards his former mistresses and illegitimate children. It was not without a case that a pregnant mistress married a suitable aristocrat and made his illegitimate child a legitimate child. But more often than not, he would throw them away without mercy. Anishia unfortunately belongs to the latter.

Anishia and Count Graham’s people were on the verge of being executed because of the child. But they also escaped dying because of the child. Count Graham wrapped the newborn baby in a cloth, who was barely opening its eyes, and ran to the Imperial Palace, unfolding the cloth wrapping the baby in front of all the nobles.

The child had silver hair and black eyes. The nobles could clearly see from the newborn child’s wrinkled face the face of the tyrant. No one – not even the tyrant – could deny that the child wasn’t his. Even the tyrant couldn’t deny and kill a child in front of all the nobles, because it was his own bloodline. The fact that he was an illegitimate child soared.

He was also wary of the eldest son he had with the Queen and was waiting for an opportunity to kill him. His face was more important than his own bloodline. For the sake of his face, he didn’t kill Anishia and the infant.

He generously gave the child a name when Count Graham donated half of his family’s fortune to the Imperial Family. He had an ancient document on his hand at that time, so he picked out three catchy words and gave him names – Fen, Lux, Amel. All of them were written in ancient language, meaning sun.

Louismond was the name of the craftsman engraved on the glass the King was holding in his left hand – Louismond Fen Lux Amel. The surname added was of course ‘von Graham’ and not ‘Il Ainus.”

The child born after the King’s affection and bearing the King’s face. Count Graham planned to invest in him in the future without killing the child for that reason alone. The Queen and the First Prince felt a sense of crisis, so Louismond was threatened even before he could blabber any word. It was the same with Anishia.

Count Graham did his best to protect both Anishia and Louismond, but he couldn’t stop Anishia from drinking a poisoned wine when the child was only two years old. No one was curious why Anishia proceeded to drink the poisoned wine even though she clearly smelled the strange aroma from the glass. Louismond had to become a stupid, stinker, and a playboy in order to survive even before he grew up. A fool who wasn’t interested in the throne. He was so promiscuous that it wouldn’t be strange if he fell down and died suddenly because of syphilis.

(T/N: Syphilis is a bacterial infection spread by s*xual contact.)

Count Graham told him that he should only ‘pretend’ to avoid the Queen’s and the First Prince’s eyes. They were watching Louismond with raised eyes to see if he was only ‘pretending’. Louismond began to walk the tightrope precariously under the sharp eyes of both sides. The flower of the social world – a hefty man whom you will fall in love with just an eye contact – a stupid but pretty flower.

He indulged in s*x, alcohol, gambling, and a prodigal. Louismond became a socialite celebrity even before his coming-of-age ceremony. His silver hair and black eyes proved that he was of noble descent from the Imperial Family of Ainus. His gentle eyes just like his mother, a tall nose resembling his father, and a cold mouth, created a beautiful harmony that has never been seen in the world before.

Men and women turned their heads at him and fell in love whenever he passed by. It didn’t matter that he was an illegitimate child and couldn’t set foot in the church. Women still clashed and chased after him.

Louismond was willing to roll around promiscuously, changing women every day. All he knew was how to please a woman in bed. He didn’t even learn letters on purpose, and didn’t know any etiquette. When he was about 20, he didn’t know if he was really that kind of person, or if he was just pretending to be like that.

The only time he didn’t laugh was when he was sitting alone in front of his mother’s tombstone. He did not forget his pretentious smile even when he slept. Attempts to poison him from the Queen and the First Prince became infrequent that time. His hands occasionally felt itchy when they don’t send poison or assassin.

Count Graham, who was very determined and hoping he would become the next King, finally gave up. The decrepit Count Graham said that the money he poured wasn’t worth it when he looked at Louismond. His three sons blatantly treated him like trash. The Countess was terrified to be even in the same room as Louismond.

‘Am I just barely living enough to survive?’

When he was at peace, a revolt broke out in the South. It was the rebellion of the young Count Luxen, Callena.

The tyrant, Imperial Family, and the nobles of the capital treated that rebellion lightly. Was it only Callena who raised the flag of rebellion against the tyranny of the tyrant? Before her, a rebellion broke out across the kingdom at the same time as her. Most of the rebels were suppressed in vain, and the flames didn’t even reach the capital.

The tyrant sent hundreds of cavalry down the south and soon forgot Callena’s name. He never dreamed that the cavalry he sent would turn to her side without fighting even once, because none of the hundred cavalry knights sent a call to the capital that they had betrayed them.

Callena was different from the other traitors. She didn’t rush to the capital rashly. After she had obtained the southern, eastern, and western parts of the kingdom, only then did she advance to the capital. The capital collapsed in vain. Dressed up as a servant, the tyrant tried to flee but he was caught and was brutally killed.

The Queen and the First Prince were dragged along like dogs. All members of the Imperial Family and the tyrant’s illegitimate son, were pushed into the largest hall of the Imperial Palace. So did Louismond, who was drunk and crawled under a Viscount’s skirt.

Callena, the leader of the rebellion, inclined on the throne on the podium. Next to her was a knight with hair burning like flames standing as her escort. Under the pedestal was Cadric, Marquis Feltharg, and Rudante, the best knight of the kingdom. Those who had even a little drop of the Ainnus Imperial blood in their bodies were terrified and begged for their lives.

Louismond fell behind and couldn’t even scream for his life. His throat was choked and he couldn’t make any sound. It was hard to even breathe. He just trembled there and looked towards the podium. The two men standing under the podium swung their swords. Blood and screams echoed with each swing.

Aaaack!

Save me – urgh!

I-I hate you!

Louismond was only guilty of sitting at the back and could only die after watching everyone die.

“Uuh, you filthy bastard.”

Rudante frowned and swung the sword in front of him.

‘What am I?’

As soon as he thought, ‘Was it filthy for me to struggle to survive?’ his throat felt empty – no, something popped his throat.

“Keok.”

Louismond grabbed his neck and collapsed. Thud, his blood-stained eyes trembled.

Rudante turned around after wiping the blood off his sword, looking down at him through his blurred vision. Tsk, he saw Cadric click his tongue. Finally, the woman with red hair on the podium looked down at him with expressionless eyes. She was the only one who didn’t frown upon Louismond from the time he was brought here until he was cut by the sword.

‘… I don’t want to die. Like this… To die in vain like this, I, I….’

Louismond reached out towards her.

And,

Silence.

Louismond died. No, he should have died. But when he opened his eyes, why was he back to when he was 15 years old? Even more so, before his coming-of-age ceremony, in Count Graham’s garden.

He saw himself being invited to the tea party and being suddenly dragged away to the bushes to be undressed by Countess Illencia.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

His clothes were taken off at every passing moment. Countess Illencia caressed his cheek and whispered love in a soft voice.

“W-wait a minute, Madam.”

At once, Louismond ran away from Countess Illencia. He himself didn’t know what he had said that she quietly retreated – because he just said whatever came to his mind.

Half-naked, Louismond ran through the large garden, continuously touching his neck. There were no wounds from a sword nor blood gushing out like a fountain.

“Ahh.”

He couldn’t look at the road properly because he was touching his neck and he tripped over a rock and fell. He rolled over and fell to a nearby pond. Rubbing his sore knee, he stood up and accidentally saw his own reflection on the surface of the water.

There was the young Louismond. Not a young man obsessed with alcohol and pleasure, but a terrified teenage boy who barely escaped from a situation of nearly being raped.

‘Why?’

He thought about it, squeezing his stupid head that didn’t know how to write. He pondered and pondered, but of course, he couldn’t find an answer.

It was only after a considerable amount of time had passed that he was finally able to come to his senses.

‘Anyway, I am alright. I’m not dead yet. I was young, and I think I may have returned to the past.’

How much time did it take for him to come to such a conclusion?

‘What’s the point of thinking why I didn’t die and came back to the past? It already happened. Let’s just think of how we should live in the future and how to avoid being killed like that.’

Louismond thought that anyone who has returned to live a second life would do.

‘Let’s live quietly this time. Don’t be noticed by anyone. Quiet, quiet. And run away when appropriate – before the revolt broke out!’