A Change of Husband - Chapter 107

“I heard you were looking for me. Have you been waiting long?”

 

Cordelia met Count Mirk only after quite some time had passed since she had asked to see him.

 

She was very angry because she had to wait so long in a bad mood, but Cordelia forced a smile and held back her anger.

 

“It’s fine. I expected there would be many people looking for you. It’s only natural for the leader of a faction.”

 

“I wouldn’t say I lead them exactly.”

 

“You’re too modest.”

 

Even that modest act disgusted her today, but Cordelia still smiled and praised Count Mirk.

 

Realizing she wanted to get straight to the point, Count Mirk didn’t waste time and asked right away.

 

“So, what did you want to talk about? If people find out we met, the king won’t be pleased.”

 

In truth, he had no reason to spend much time with Cordelia either.

 

Though they had once shared a bed, there had never been any feelings between them beyond mutual interest. Not even once.

 

Maybe that’s why his voice made it clear he wasn’t happy about this meeting.

 

But Cordelia didn’t care about how he felt. Since they had made a deal, she no longer needed to bow to Count Mirk.

 

After all, she was about to become the queen of this country, Astel.

 

“You must have heard about the ridiculous thing that happened at today’s banquet.”

 

“I’m not quite sure what you mean.”

 

“You haven’t heard anything?”

 

“Of course, I’ve heard many things, but I don’t know what specific ‘ridiculous thing’ you’re referring to.”

 

Of course, Count Mirk knew exactly what had upset Cordelia, and Cordelia believed he had already guessed.

 

He was just asking again to force her to explain that humiliating event herself.

 

Her pride was badly hurt, but Count Mirk was the only one who could help her in this situation.

 

“You must have heard who the king asked to dance with him at the banquet today.”

 

“Hmm, yes, I heard… but is that really why you came to see me?”

 

“Why do you say it like it’s nothing? The king and I are practically confirmed to remarry, and yet he asked his ex-wife to dance instead of me. That’s an insult to me!”

 

“That topic has come up among the nobles, yes. But most believe the king used the divorcee to attract the neutral faction and send a warning to the conservatives.”

 

“Even so, given my position as the king’s almost-certain future wife, it’s a matter of my honor!”

 

“I’m sure it was upsetting for Your Highness.”

 

Cordelia was momentarily speechless at Count Mirk’s cold reply.

 

She had known he wouldn’t act unless it benefited him directly, but she hadn’t expected him to be this cold.

 

“…However.”

 

Then, as if offering a favor, Count Mirk continued.

 

“If it displeased you, I’ll take care of it.”

 

In truth, Count Mirk had also been bothered by the look Esperad gave Asilie.

 

It was likely a political move, but he wanted to be prepared for all situations, even the small details.

 

Besides—

 

“You’re not someone who would get upset over nothing, Your Highness. If it’s bothering you that much, it’s not hard to handle. At least, not for me.”

 

He had known Cordelia for a long time, and she was still young and impatient.

 

Rather than leave her to act rashly, it was better to control her by making her owe him.

 

“Of course, it’s not something I have to do, especially since it’s risky.”

 

Cordelia understood right away—he meant she should be thankful.

 

Count Mirk always wanted her to be in a weaker position, and every time she felt that, her mood worsened.

 

“If you hadn’t gotten rid of that woman, I couldn’t fully trust you either. So thank you, Count, for making the right choice for our relationship.”

 

It was a small provocation. She had been under too much pressure lately, so it was time to let her breathe a little.

 

Even while thinking that, Count Mirk mocked her again with a smirk.

 

“You’ll be the new queen who leads Astel. What wouldn’t be worth giving you?”

 

Her body trembled with shame, but Cordelia clenched her fists and tried to ignore him.

 

If she could become queen—if she could stand tall beside King Esperad, not just a puppet—then this kind of humiliation was something she could endure.

 

Besides, there was always the chance she could switch from Mirk to Esperad when the time was right.

 

“…I’m always grateful to you, Count. Then, until next time.”

 

Cordelia gave a fake thank-you and left the lounge without hesitation.

 

The smile on Count Mirk’s face disappeared as soon as she was gone, turning cold.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

A knight came in just after Cordelia left and bowed his head.

 

“We need to bring another woman into the palace. Find someone suitable.”

 

“Understood.”

 

 

In the past, kings never met with commoners directly, citing safety and dignity.

 

It was only natural. A king was chosen by the heavens, and commoners were foolish people to be ruled by the great.

 

That belief was common throughout Astel, so when Esperad decided to personally meet with weapon merchants before starting trade with Austin, many nobles expressed concern.

 

Even so, Esperad firmly pushed forward with his decision.

 

“His Majesty the King!”

 

The weapon merchants, who didn’t know proper etiquette, tried to awkwardly perform the greeting they had just learned from the attendants before entering the hall.

 

Some nobles frowned at their clumsy behavior, but Esperad calmly accepted their greetings.

 

“Come in. You may raise your heads.”

 

At his words, the merchants finally looked up to see Esperad.

 

It was their first time seeing the new king, who had not been on the throne long, but his face looked truly like a leader’s.

 

“Before coming here, I’m sure you heard why I personally called you to meet with me.”

 

No one dared answer.

 

Esperad didn’t expect a response anyway and continued speaking.

 

“As you may know, starting in the second half of this year or the first half of next year, we will begin exporting weapons to Austin. Through this deal, Astel will gain a strong ally and also revive its frozen market economy every winter.”

 

“………”

 

“You are all involved in commerce, so you must know better than anyone how difficult this winter has been. As citizens of Astel, I hope you will support this matter—not only for your own benefit but also for the nation’s interest and to help our less fortunate neighbors.”

 

There was still no response, but Esperad quickly noticed that their expressions were not very positive.

 

One merchant, unable to meet Esperad’s eyes and staring at his feet with a stiff face, stepped forward and bowed deeply.

 

“I apologize for speaking out of turn, but may I say just one thing?”

 

His manner lacked proper etiquette, but before the other nobles could scold him in anger, Esperad nodded first.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“I don’t want to export the weapons I make to Austin.”

 

“…Why not?”

 

“Because I don’t trust them. If we focus only on the immediate profit, I’m afraid they’ll copy our technology and start making the same weapons. If that happens, we’ll end up losing more—much more.”

 

Esperad understood their fear, but he already knew how the future would unfold.

 

Even if something starts out as a new invention, over time, someone will always figure out how to imitate it.

 

Anything created by human thought can eventually be copied by others. In the past, they not only banned exports but also kept weapons under state control—yet other countries still managed to develop guns of their own.

 

“…Your decision could revive Astel’s economy, and a strong economy would lead to a stable life for everyone.”

 

“But that future isn’t certain. It’s too risky to bet everything on something uncertain. Our livelihood depends on this. We can’t take that risk.”

 

“What if Austin paid you enough to cover the potential loss from any leaks?”

 

“Even then, it would be difficult.”

 

Seeing that they didn’t even consider asking how much money they’d get, Esperad realized they had no intention of listening to him from the start.

 

The weapon merchants were not friendly to begin with. They didn’t seem to be truly listening to his words and made no effort to hide their hostile expressions.

 

He had hoped supporting Jonathan would be enough, but the real reason he called the merchants was to confirm whether or not they were cooperating with the conservatives. And his suspicion was exactly right.

 

“Very well. I understand your position.”

 

“You mean…”

 

“I can’t force you to do something you clearly don’t want to.”

 

At Esperad’s response, a few young conservative nobles quietly chuckled.

 

The new king failed to persuade a group of commoners! And right in front of all the nobles!

 

This incident would be talked about again and again, becoming a source of mockery.

 

A king with no authority, who lost face by inviting commoners and failing to keep his dignity!

 

Esperad noticed their reaction but showed no change in his expression as he gave the order.

 

“You may leave.”

 

The weapon merchants walked out of the hall with relieved steps, but Esperad no longer paid them any attention.

 

What mattered now was the upcoming meeting. The other nobles also understood that the next topic would be the passage of a law necessary to arrange the marriage between Cordelia and Esperad, and their expressions turned serious.

 

Tension filled the room, and the meeting began.

 

 

Along with the news that the revised law allowing the former queen to marry the king had passed unanimously, Joseph also received a report that day—the result of a separate investigation he had secretly ordered.

 

“Those bastards…”

 

He had felt something was off but convinced himself it was nothing.

 

Or maybe, in truth, he had simply been too careless.

 

He hadn’t thought much of it—no more than unwanted baggage. That girl who dared to act like she was doing him a favor by giving bold advice.

 

“Young master, you’re now doing the work that the heir himself should be doing. What do you think that means?”

 

“What do you mean? That’s just…”

 

“While helping with the family business, I’ve learned that you’re handling most of the duties that were originally the heir’s responsibility. Some of them are even tasks only the successor should have access to. I don’t think that’s something we can ignore.”

 

Monica had never criticized Asilie for being unfit to be his wife, even when she bullied her.

 

But ever since Asilie became pregnant, Monica started saying she wasn’t suitable to be the future lady of the Bonaparte house and pushed Joseph to get rid of her. Then she even introduced him to Lady Bourbon.

 

At the time, Joseph had been fed up with the shabby Asilie and quickly fell for the elegant and proud Lady Bourbon.

 

So he failed to see what Monica—and Geoffrey—had really been aiming for: the child who would solidify Asilie’s position as heir-bearer.

 

While hiding his eyes from the truth and gaining what he wanted, Geoffrey had waited for the perfect moment to strike—when Joseph was least able to defend himself—and then sank his fangs into his throat.

 

It was a single, deadly blow that could have ended everything at once.

 

“I heard you found him, young master.”

 

It was just an ordinary “summon,” but the family doctor was already pale with fear.

 

Perhaps he had predicted what was coming the moment Joseph, who never called on him personally, gave the order.

 

Normally, Joseph would’ve assumed the doctor was just scared of his usual coldness.

 

But not this time. Now he knew exactly why the doctor was so afraid.

 

“You know why I called you, don’t you?”

 

“I-I don’t…”

 

But the doctor couldn’t finish his sentence.

 

Joseph raised his hand and grabbed the man tightly by the neck.

 

“Haha, you don’t know?”

 

“M-My lord…! Please…!”

 

The doctor’s breath became short, and his vision blurred.

 

Just as he thought he was about to die, the grip on his neck suddenly loosened.

 

“Gah, gah!”

 

Coughing violently, the doctor collapsed to the floor.

 

His tears blurred his vision, but sensing he needed to kneel right away, he quickly adjusted his position and looked up at Joseph.

 

“M-My lord! Why are you…?”

 

“This was Geoffrey’s doing, wasn’t it?”

 

That one question ended everything.

 

Knowing there was no point in denying it, the doctor began pouring out excuses.

 

“Ugh, I-I’m sorry, my lord. I told him I couldn’t do it, but he said he’d kill my whole family…”

 

With the truth now confirmed, Joseph ground his teeth in fury.

 

“So it was true!”

 

He had suspected Geoffrey might want the heir’s position—but never imagined his own brother would go this far.

 

If trusting him had been a mistake, it was a grave one.

 

“That bastard…”

 

But he couldn’t just take this lying down.

 

He couldn’t lose everything and be left with nothing.

 

I won’t forgive them.

 

Even Monica, who had tricked him all this time with her sweet face, would be included in his revenge.

 

Never.

 

The doctor trembled all over as he saw the deadly fire burning in Joseph’s eyes.