In a Political Marriage, Isn’t It Normal to Treat Your Fiancée Well? - Chapter 16

On the day of the wedding.

Lord Ravil and I held our wedding ceremony at the Grand Cathedral in the royal capital.

It was unprecedented for anyone other than royalty to hold a wedding in this cathedral.

It was permitted as an exception because Lord Ravil’s father, the Duke of Regenburg, is descended from royal blood.

Apparently, the previous Duchess was a former princess. However, since she was an illegitimate princess, my brother laughed and said there was no need to feel pressured. Is that really how it works? I thought that even if illegitimate, royalty is still royalty, but it seems illegitimate children have no right to succession and are not formally recognized as royalty.

A wedding at the Grand Cathedral.

Moreover, becoming related to a ducal family made my parents and all our relatives overjoyed. They looked at me with beaming smiles, seeming utterly delighted.

In contrast, the members of the ducal family cast cold glances toward my parents.

Why is that?

I felt as if they were directing those same glances at me too.

No, it must be my imagination. After all, this isn’t a marriage I wanted.

After the ceremony, in the bedroom at the ducal mansion in the royal capital.

The thought of facing my first night now fills me with nothing but anxiety.

We’ve never had any meaningful interaction until now, and suddenly the first night. Is this really going to be alright?

Before that, I know nothing about Lord Ravil.

During the two-year engagement period.

He never once sent me a letter, nor did he ever come to visit me.

We’re not complete strangers. That’s all.

We’re merely acquaintances who exchanged greetings when we first met.

We’re not even familiar with each other.

“Lady Sophia, here.”

“What is this?”

“It’s good for calming your nerves. Fruit wine.”

“Thank you.”

The fruit wine in a glass.

After handing it to me, Lord Ravil picked up his own glass.

“Let’s make a toast.”

“Yes…”

A clear clink echoed through the room.

After we finished our drinks, Lord Ravil said, “Shall we talk a little?”

Other than answering “Yes,” I had no other choice.

“Lady Sophia, do you know my status?”

“You are the son of a ducal family.”

“That’s right. However, I’m not the legitimate heir. I’m illegitimate. Normally, I wouldn’t be able to become the successor. I’m not even kept alive as a backup for my legitimate younger brothers.”

Lord Ravil’s expression remained cold as he spoke matter-of-factly.

His icy gaze was directed at me.

Why do I feel as if I’m being blamed?

“Originally, I lived at my mother’s family home. I led a life completely separate from the ducal family. Of course, His Grace the Duke provided child support as a father. But that was all. He just sent money to my mother’s family, and I never interacted with my father. According to my mother, we had some interaction when I was very young, but by the time I became aware of my surroundings, there was none at all. So, I’m suspicious whether that’s even true. Well, by that time, my father’s legal wife had given birth to my younger brothers, the heirs. Perhaps it really is true.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

He spoke so dispassionately that I couldn’t tell if Lord Ravil was sad or simply stating facts.

“His Grace never officially cut ties with my mother, but their meetings seemed to happen exclusively at hotels. To my knowledge, His Grace never visited my mother’s family home. My mother became the Duke’s mistress while unmarried. Moreover, she gave birth to me before the Duke married his fiancée. My existence was considered impossible among the nobility. Even so, I was acknowledged by His Grace. Well, I suppose that was inevitable since I closely resemble my father in appearance.”

What should I do? I feel like I’ve heard something I shouldn’t have.

“A viscount’s daughter who had a child out of wedlock and became the Duke’s mistress would never find a marriage partner. Thanks to that, my mother remains single to this day. Still as an unmarried mistress. Ridiculous, isn’t it? My mother made the wrong choice. After giving birth to me, she should have appealed directly to the ducal family to arrange a marriage for her. Then she might have been able to marry a noble affiliated with the ducal family. Or perhaps they could have introduced her to a noble from the Duke’s faction. Whoever it was, she could have secured her position as a noble wife and lived a proper life as an aristocrat. But she didn’t do that. My mother clung to my father. She probably thought that if she just had a child, my father would choose her. Or perhaps she believed that once the legal wife had children, he would divorce her and she could take her place. How foolish.”

Lord Ravil spoke as if spitting out the words.

His chilling, cold gaze was directed straight at me.

“Lord Ravil…?”

“Even if I were to inherit the ducal family, my father would never marry my mother. She didn’t understand that. My father’s wife is incomparably more beautiful and cultured than my mother. On top of that, she even gained the favor of a person of high nobility. Her status became higher than my father’s. It’s laughable. Because of that, my mother’s family fell into decline. All my child support went toward my uncle’s family’s living expenses and debt repayment. Even so, I managed to graduate at the top of my class from the Royal University. And then suddenly, I’m told to come to the ducal family and marry someone chosen by the royal family. It’s no joke at all.”

His voice was devoid of emotion.

Yet, his eyes held what could be interpreted as hatred or perhaps disgust.

Transfixed by those eyes. I couldn’t move.