RHRD Ch 6

Ines couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes, so she subtly turned her gaze away.

Could the rumors be false?

If that were the case, she could understand why he felt wronged. Even if she was only his wife in name, he was still being mistaken for a man who had been unfaithful to his wife.

But why was he looking at her with so much resentment? Why not simply explain the truth?

“……So you really don’t have even the slightest feelings left for me.”

Watching Ines’s bewildered expression, Jekard gave a bitter smile. For a fleeting moment, his face was shadowed by misery and pain as he murmured those words.

However, the expression vanished so quickly that Ines failed to notice it.

Soon, Jekard had gathered his scattered thoughts and completely composed his expression.

“Very well. I understand what you’re trying to say, Ines. It seems I bear some responsibility for this situation as well.”

Jekard smiled pleasantly and spoke with such elegance that it was hard to believe he had been angry just moments ago.

Thank goodness. I guess he understands now.

However, it didn’t take long for Ines to realize that something had gone terribly wrong.

“I’m sorry for leaving my wife lonely for so long. It’s time I fulfilled my duties as a husband.”

“……Your duties?”

Jekard smiled crookedly.

“First, shouldn’t we make up for the wedding night we’ve postponed? I’m perfectly willing to do so right now.”

Ines was so shocked that she couldn’t help staring at him in disbelief.

“What exactly do you mean by that……?”

Jekard explained as calmly as ever.

“As you know, under imperial law, a marriage isn’t considered fully recognized until the couple has consummated it. In that respect, our marriage could still be considered incomplete.”

That was precisely why Ines had been so eager to get a divorce.

Until now, they had managed to gloss over the matter on the grounds that her husband had gone off to war. But now that he had returned, they had to reach some kind of conclusion.

Either consummate the marriage or get divorced.

Ines had never even considered the former option, of course, so she couldn’t understand what was going on.

What on earth is this man talking about?

“I admit my mistakes. Although the war was a legitimate reason, I was undeniably an inattentive and inadequate husband to you. If you’ve been considering divorce, then it must be because I haven’t been good enough.”

Jekard put on a suitably melancholy expression, as though he were genuinely heartbroken.

Then he fixed his persistent gaze on Ines.

“Now, as your husband, I’d like to make amends for my mistakes. Would you give me just one chance?”

Was it just her imagination, or was he placing particular emphasis on the word husband?

Feeling as though the ground were slipping out from under her feet, Ines hurriedly replied.

“Y-You really don’t have to do that.”

Jekard raised one eyebrow.

“I don’t have to?”

His expression openly conveyed his displeasure.

But when Ines flinched, he immediately softened his expression as though nothing had happened.

“……It seems you’re very angry with me. And understandably so. This, too, is my fault.”

“No, that’s not what I meant……”

In all honesty, not a single one of the thousands of scenarios Ines had imagined in her head had gone anything like this.

“I am hurt that you’ve misunderstood the situation and believe I have another woman, but everything is the result of my own shortcomings. I’ll gladly accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

Faced with his deeply earnest gaze, Ines was struck speechless.

What in the world is going on……?

Ines took another look at her husband.

His handsome face undoubtedly belonged to the same man she had married five years ago, but his personality felt so unfamiliar that he might as well have been a complete stranger.

Could he have been struck by some wicked spell on the battlefield and had his soul switched with someone else’s?

She had reached the point where even such an absurd thought seemed plausible.

Although she hadn’t spoken to him very much five years ago, she distinctly remembered that he hadn’t been like this. He had been more taciturn and sharp-edged, if she recalled correctly……

Just then, Jekard let out a quiet chuckle.

“I’m sorry. I seem to have gone too far. I suppose I was simply happy to see you again after such a long time.”

At his words, which sounded as though he were finally backing off, Ines unconsciously released the breath she had been holding.

“I understand your position perfectly well, but I don’t think it’s time for us to discuss divorce just yet.”

“……Why not?”

At that moment, a strange light flickered in Jekard’s eyes.

“Because I still need you, my wife.”

Need me?

Seeing Ines’s puzzled expression, Jekard began to explain.

“You understand why I proposed a contractual marriage five years ago, don’t you?”

Of course she did. How could she ever forget?

She might remember that day for the rest of her life. Even though theirs had been a transaction, Jekard had been her salvation at that moment.

“As you said, we married out of necessity. At the time, I needed a wife to secure my succession to the title. However, the matter has not actually been settled yet.”

Jekard continued slowly.

“As you may already know, there is one final step in the succession process that requires the temple’s approval. The temple evaluates whether the person inheriting the title is a ‘moral leader who has established a proper family.’”

Ines was familiar with this requirement, too, having been educated at the temple as a candidate for Saint when she was young.

It was precisely that phrase, established a proper family, that had prompted Jekard to rush into marriage back then.

But why was he bringing this up now?

“Don’t tell me……”

“That’s right.”

Jekard nodded without hesitation.

“My succession to the title has not yet been fully finalized.”

That can’t be.

Ines was utterly shocked by a problem she had never even considered.

“I only learned about it recently myself. After looking into the matter, it seems the temple had been using my departure for the war as an excuse to postpone its final approval for five years.”

It wasn’t difficult to guess why the temple had done such a thing.

They want to keep him in check.

The ruling powers of the Holy Empire of Ethila were divided into three major factions:

The temple.

The imperial family.

The Four Great Sacred Houses.

Of these, the temple effectively stood above the others, while the remaining powers maintained a balance among themselves.

In this Holy Empire, even the imperial family was little more than a puppet of the temple.

Recently, however, a slight crack had appeared in that balance.

Jekard Evernhart has accomplished far too much. Even the temple can’t afford to ignore him anymore.

At present, Jekard and the Evernhart Knights enjoyed immense prestige throughout the empire.

According to what Ines had heard, Jekard hadn’t merely stopped the monster wave. He had also destroyed the very core of the rift from which the monsters poured forth.

It was an unprecedented achievement.

“That’s…… certainly a difficult situation.”

Only then did Ines fully understand why he couldn’t get divorced.

Jekard desperately needed a wife right now. Without one, he would have to find some complete stranger and marry her instead.

Moreover, Ines herself had close ties to the temple.

Even though she had failed to become a Saint, that didn’t change the fact that she was a member of the Chartier family, one of the Four Great Sacred Houses.

If Jekard divorced Ines under these circumstances, the temple could find any number of excuses to use against him. They would undoubtedly portray him as a shameless man who had abandoned the wife who stood by him through difficult times.

“Just one year.”

Jekard’s low voice resonated through the room.

“Please stay by my side for just one year.”

Looking into his eyes, where an inexplicable emotion swirled with unsettling intensity, Ines couldn’t bring herself to answer carelessly.

Only after a long silence did she finally manage to speak.

“……I understand your circumstances.”

Ines carefully chose her words.

“But I think I need more time to consider this matter. Please give me some time to think.”

If she considered Jekard alone, she wanted to agree. He had saved her five years ago, and now it was her turn to help him.

However, when she thought back over the past five years, she couldn’t bring herself to nod so readily.

She didn’t resent Jekard for having gone off to war, but that didn’t mean she could simply forget all the painful years she had endured. As long as Selena and the servants remained unchanged, staying here would require a great deal of courage.

“Very well.”

Fortunately, Jekard agreed readily.

His response was somewhat unexpected. Their contractual agreement had been based on Jekard’s succession to the title. He could have invoked their contract and forced Ines to comply if he wanted to……

“Ines.”

Just as their conversation was ending and Ines was about to leave, Jekard called out to her.

He gazed at her silently for a moment. Then, slowly, he bent down and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

“Whatever you choose, I will protect you.”

It was undoubtedly just a formality.

And yet, for some reason, the look in his eyes remained etched in Ines’s heart.