One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 56

“With today, it’s now official, I’m your new fiancée, and soon, the world will know that I’m carrying your child.”

Judith’s fingers trailed up to Carlisle’s shoulder, a peculiar smile playing on her lips.

“My father didn’t attend today, which means… it’s just the two of us. All the more reason for people to focus on us.”

Her hand moved slowly, brushing lightly over his shoulder as if dusting off an invisible speck.

“I’d ask you to stay by my side until late so we can leave together, but the preliminaries are tomorrow. You’ll need to win with overwhelming skill if I’m to hold my head high.”

Carlisle lowered his gaze slightly. His neck remained upright, but only his dark indigo eyes shifted toward Judith.

There wasn’t a trace of emotion in them—not even the faint residue of feeling. Seeing that, Judith clenched her other hand tightly out of view.

“Then I suppose it’s time for me to take my leave.”

In the blink of an eye, the space between them widened. The hand that had touched his shoulder was now grasping at empty air.

“The Emperor hasn’t even arrived yet. Where do you think you’re going? The time I meant wasn’t now.”

“For someone competing tomorrow, now is exactly the time to leave.”

Carlisle gestured subtly toward her still-outstretched hand. Slowly, Judith lowered it, bringing it up to brush against the tip of her nose—as if she were a sorrowful lover seeing him off.

“If you don’t win convincingly, I won’t let it slide.”

A quiet but sharp threat slipped from behind her pale, slender hand, hidden just beneath beautifully curved eyes.

“To the world, you’re the father of my child. I want my husband to be better than any other man. I don’t want my child to feel ashamed of him.”

Their eyes met mid-air, clashing with icy tension.

“Carlisle Avergue is already wrapped in enough scandal. There’s no need to add more, is there?”

Judith lowered her hand and gave a radiant smile.

“So win. Win by such a margin that no one dares look down on you. Grow stronger and stronger, so that the name Judith Hessiden remains untarnished. Even if we’re bound by contract, we’re a married couple in the public eye. I’ll do everything I can to make sure your reputation stays clean.”

We’re a married couple.

As though casting a spell, Judith whispered it again—softly, but with purpose.

Carlisle simply looked at her, his expression fixed on that cruel face that had once left a gaping wound in his chest like the jab of an ice-cold awl.

Words that would’ve mattered—if they had come from Aileen. But from anyone else, they meant nothing. And perhaps, that was a relief.

Unaware of how wildly her heart pounded beneath his lingering stare, Judith waited. But Carlisle only replied in a dry, emotionless voice.

“I don’t remember that clause being in our contract.”

“…”

“I’ll be going first.”

Without waiting for another word, Carlisle turned his back to her. Even though he’d lost weight, his broad and angular shoulders remained imposing as he walked away.

Wherever he went, people moved aside instinctively. He walked as if parting the crowd, while others stole glances, pretending not to look.

Admiration. Longing. Envy. Greed. Jealousy.

A thousand human emotions clung to him as he passed.

And Judith—left behind—took in the entire scene. She hadn’t even realized that her clenched fists, hidden beneath her dress, were trembling.

She tried to suppress the boiling mixture of hatred toward Carlisle and jealous rage toward Aileen.

But even in that moment, Carlisle never once looked back. Not even with their engagement ceremony just around the corner had she managed to make him hers.

When she agreed to the contract, she had thought it wouldn’t be this hard. He was cursed. He was trying to give up on Aileen. And she believed she would naturally fill the space Aileen had left behind.

But things didn’t go as planned. His heart—something she could never possess, not even in death—continued to cling to Aileen.

Carlisle doesn’t know what you know. The curse was placed by the northern tribeswoman, the shaman Gibita. So he probably assumes only the northerners and himself are aware of it.

Carlisle is cursed, Father?

Yes. He might have a year left, at best. But Judith—if you manage to win his heart, and wish to save him, then I will lift the curse.

I can do it.

But if he stays the same—if he continues to act as if he doesn’t know his place—then he’ll die just as he is.

Yes, Father.

She remembered how confidently she had smiled then—and now, her mood plunged even deeper. Judith naturally lowered her head, concealing her cold expression beneath her lashes.

Carlisle had less than ten months left to live.

Frustrated, she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek.

What was it about him—who treated her as no more than a pebble on the side of the road—that made her want him so badly? Even she was starting to wonder if this was obsession.

The way he had swung his sword at the Academy, the way he had ignored the mocking whispers about his lineage, the way he always stood tall and faced the path ahead—she wanted all of it to belong to her.

Maybe this was just her repeating the same childhood mistake—trying to keep Carlisle beside her, even through lies.

Judith let out a laugh.

Carlisle left the banquet quickly. Just before stepping out, he allowed himself one last look at Aileen.

She was still surrounded by fellow knights. The group had grown since earlier, and the circle was now crowded. And in the middle of it all, Aileen looked at ease—happy.

Standing among those men, she shone all the brighter, like a jewel in the rough. Carlisle felt an unbearable urge to walk over, take her wrist, and pull her out of that crowd.

To cup her face in his hands. To make her look only at him. To press his forehead to hers. To kiss her.

To trap her dazzling amethyst eyes so they reflected him and only him.

A base, selfish desire. One he couldn’t shake.

Carlisle clenched his fists so tightly that blood began to well beneath his nails. The pain of torn skin was nothing—nothing compared to the agony that the curse had brought upon him.

No… not even that compared to this.

Nothing could match the weight of this moment—when Aileen turned away from him without hesitation.

Even so, scattered reason returned. He forced himself to stay in control, and with that fragile composure, moved quickly toward his destination.

Then—

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

The moment permission was given, Carlisle opened the door and stepped in with long, deliberate strides. Just about to leave, the Emperor stood near the door adjusting his formal attire. Upon seeing Carlisle, he returned to his seat at the head of the room.

“Aren’t we still in the middle of the banquet? What brings you here so early?”

“I was just getting ready to attend, actually.”

Carlisle took a seat to Edys’s right and replied calmly.

“The Marquess of Hessiden won’t be attending tonight.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Edys’s eyes, which had held nothing but disinterest until then, sparkled with sudden curiosity. He leaned forward, no longer resting back in his chair.

“So, you’ve sensed something. Even if he doesn’t have a child participating in the tournament, it’s strange not to make an appearance at all. Something does smell fishy.”

“I plan to dispatch a tracking unit immediately.”

“Good. Let’s hope they turn up something useful.”

“If they do, I’ll be occupied as well.”

“That means…”

Edys trailed off, narrowing his eyes sharply.

“Don’t tell me you’re here to ask me to pull you out of the preliminaries?”

Carlisle said nothing, only met his gaze steadily—and in that silence, confirmed it.

“I was debating it anyway. Isn’t it a bit cruel to pit the Empire’s top knight against hopefuls in the very first round? Those young men likely entered the tournament with bright dreams in their hearts.”

Edys made a show of speaking dramatically, but his agreement came quickly.

“If you step in from the beginning, it won’t be much fun for anyone. And with all the other knight commanders already out, it would be unfair if only the Sel Order’s captain competed and swept the preliminaries clean. Wouldn’t be much of a spectacle, either.”

“…”

“So, go take care of your duties. I’ll handle this from my end.”

He clicked his tongue, sounding vaguely sympathetic.

“Too bad they decided to start the preliminaries tomorrow. My aides are going to have a rough time.”

Waving one hand lazily, Edys dismissed him. Carlisle responded with a brief bow, then stood and left the room without hesitation.

As he passed by the banquet hall once more, his eyes found Aileen again.

She was still surrounded by knights. Laughing, talking, completely at ease.

Carlisle clenched and released his fists slowly before stepping out of the palace.

He knew Aileen didn’t return Jeron’s feelings. But it wouldn’t stop men like him from appearing.

Men who already knew how lovely, how captivating she was—and more who would soon discover it. One by one, they would approach her and speak of love.

Until now, none had dared. He had stood in their way like an immovable wall. But now that he was stepping back, those who had once watched quietly would begin to emerge.

That thought alone made it impossible to accept the end of his life with any peace. To think—his Aileen could become someone else’s woman.

Whenever he felt himself spiraling, he reminded himself of Judith.

His sin. His choice. His responsibility.

And just like that, the chaos inside him would still—as though a storm had passed and the sea lay calm once more.

He would carry all the darkness with him. So that Aileen might be free to live in paradise, forever happy.

Carlisle, who had never believed in gods, prayed.

The banquet’s night was sweet.

Aileen had grown closer to knights she’d barely spoken to before. They’d talked about swordsmanship, about the duties of their Orders—and for the first time in a while, she’d truly enjoyed herself.

It was a good night. She’d introduced Tanil to Ashite, brought them together. She’d even grown closer to a few of the Lille knights Setar had introduced, making the evening feel all the more meaningful.

Had she been this happy recently? Reflecting on it, she realized once again—being a knight truly suited her.

“My lady, today’s your first match, right? I won’t be able to watch, but I’ll be cheering with all my heart from the mansion!”

“Thank you, Sera. If I win today, it’ll all be thanks to you.”

“Oh, my lady…”

Blushing shyly, Sera gave Aileen’s hair one last careful adjustment before leaving the room—murmuring to herself that stray hairs shouldn’t fall into her eyes during the match.

“Sera, really…”

Smiling to herself, Aileen grabbed her sword and headed downstairs.

As expected, her family was already waiting for her.

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