TSMMT Ch 71

A Conversation Where No One Won

[Adel] "This marriage makes no sense."

Guiscard looked at Adelheit standing before him. Though his frame was smaller than Guiscard's sword-wielding physique, the Grand Duke possessed a body firmer than most grown men, proving he had not neglected his physical training.

Adelheit had stubbornly insisted on requesting an audience with him the following day. Had Revius not desperately restrained the King, he would have severed the man's neck right then and there.

In stark contrast to Guiscard's eyes, which flashed with a grim, sharp light like a blood-soaked, rusted sword, Adelheit's face shone with brilliant clarity, resembling a clear, transparent jewel or a perfectly forged blade.

Yes, a clear light. Just like that prince of Panborough……

The lingering thought irritated Guiscard, causing him to grind his teeth.

[Guiscard] "Did I ever grant the Grand Duke the authority to decide my marriage?"

Despite his blatant sarcasm, Adelheit spoke with flashing eyes.

[Adel] "She is my employee. No, from the moment she arrived there, she became a citizen of my territory."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Adel] "Your Majesty trespassed upon my territory without permission and stole my person at your own whim."

[Guiscard] "Your person?"

Adelheit directed his gaze toward the King.

When Guiscard raised the corner of his mouth in a menacing smile, his presence intensified. He looked like an entity stepping out from absolute darkness. Raven-black hair covered his head. His purple eyes flashed with the stark hue of death.

Guiscard Lodbrog possessed exceptionally elegant features that no one could replicate, yet his expression bore an intense, terrifying ferocity. Locking eyes with him inflicted a suffocating pressure, as if a blade point pressed directly against one's throat.

[Guiscard] "How many times must I repeat myself? I issued a warrant for that woman long before the war with Panborough erupted, and you concealed her deliberately. Surely you are not claiming you failed to recognize her disguise?"

[Adel] "Yes, Your Majesty. I am well aware. However, the warrant for her arrest was issued only after I granted her shelter."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Adel] "Hunting down a criminal would certainly present a valid reason."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Adel] "Was the citizen of my territory a criminal?"

The question stabbed straight to the point. Guiscard remained silent, staring intently at Adelheit. Declaring Dianna a criminal in this place meant the King would officially brand his own bride an outlaw.

[Adel] "If you wished to take someone away, you only needed to speak to me, the master of the land."

[Guiscard] "Had I done so, you would have hidden her away."

Staring fixedly at Adelheit, he spoke in a low voice.

[Guiscard] "You ask if she is a criminal?"

[Adel] "……."

[Guiscard] "Yes. That woman is a criminal."

Adelheit narrowed his eyes.

Does he really intend to brand his own bride a criminal?

[Guiscard] "Her father used vulgar schemes to force me into slavery, making me crawl upon the dirt. He treated me as less than human."

[Adel] "……."

[Guiscard] "My mother, who was the favored consort of the late king, traveled to that place only to burn to death. All because of that man."

His low, sinking tone sounded empty and detached at a glance. Yet both Guiscard and Adelheit knew the truth. He still harbored intense rage, and he had never forgotten that humiliation.

[Guiscard] "Do you dare to claim that his daughter bears no guilt as well?"

[Adel] "……."

[Guiscard] "Are you suggesting you have the right to judge whether she should face the sins of her bloodline?"

This man also carried his own living hell.

Adelheit closed his eyes slowly, then opened them.

[Adel] "Has Your Majesty chosen to take the daughter of a criminal as your bride?"

Guiscard raised his chin, looking down at the Grand Duke. The King offered no reply. Whether Dianna was a criminal or not mattered absolutely nothing to him.

[Adel] "What will you do if I exercise the right to disobey the crown?"

Convening the high noble houses to force them to oppose Guiscard's marriage—Grand Duke Blake possessed the power to achieve exactly that.

The House of Levian, his former ally, wanted Guiscard to marry their own daughter instead. Meanwhile, many noble houses still refused to follow the King, and countless aristocrats would fiercely oppose a marriage to a branded criminal.

Yet Guiscard's expression remained perfectly unchanged despite the Grand Duke's subtle threat. In fact, his demeanor suggested he had fully anticipated this move.

[Guiscard] "Go ahead and try."

He rose from his seat and faced the Grand Duke, who glared back at him. For a split second, an arrogant dignity overflowed from features that resembled a wolf poised to tear a throat out.

[Guiscard] "But you will fail to execute it."

[Adel] "……."

[Guiscard] "If you wish to test me, proceed. I shall execute a test of my own."

[Adel] "……."

[Guiscard] "Can you bring yourself to turn my wife into a criminal? Just by raising the topic in a public setting, what kind of horrific treatment do you think my wife will endure?"

The King saw through everything. In this moment, a wave of intense shame enveloped Adelheit. The sensation felt far more humiliating than when the King had invaded the academy to take Dianna away. It stemmed entirely from a profound sense of helplessness.

[Guiscard] "You claim she is your cherished citizen, yet can you defame my wife's honor merely to break my resolve?"

He pierced through Adelheit's inner thoughts.

Anyone could easily notice that Adelheit Blake harbored deep feelings for the woman. Holding Dianna in his heart to such an extent, could he really bear to keep her by his side if it meant ruining her as a criminal?

[Guiscard] "No one is ignorant of Dianna Brienne's identity. Every prominent noble is well aware that she is the daughter of that detestable Duke Brienne."

[Adel] "……."

Adelheit understood the reality without requiring further explanation. Although the King had not publicly branded her an outlaw, Dianna stood as the daughter of a criminal. A vague protest claiming opposition to a Panborough woman becoming queen would carry no weight.

If Adelheit defined Dianna as a criminal here, it might halt the marriage. Yet what would happen to her afterward? What if the collective consensus of the ministers demanded the punishment of the outlaw?

Adelheit knew the fate of the House of Brienne perfectly well. Her father had his neck brutally severed, and her brother was stripped of his ability to produce heirs. What, then, would become of the daughter?

Returning the pressure directly upon Adelheit, Guiscard stared at the Grand Duke, demanding to see his next move.

Even more astonishingly, Guiscard's determination stood so unyielding that he would likely proceed with the marriage even if it meant taking a branded criminal as his bride.

[Adel] "Your Majesty speaks the truth."

Adelheit stared at Guiscard with a completely rigid expression. While he had grieved his own father's demise, Guiscard had slain Fafnir, the poison dragon of the Abyss Forest. He couldn't fathom the devastation within Guiscard's soul or the desperate agony the King endured. Yet……

[Adel] "Why choose marriage instead of execution?"

[Guiscard] "……."

[Adel] "Why do you insist on forcing a marriage with that specific criminal?"

That question struck the core of the entire matter.

[Adel] "Your Majesty's revenge is justified. You have effectively destroyed the noble house that insulted and trampled you."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Adel] "I know the character of Lady Dianna well. She would never behave like the rest of her family."

[Guiscard] "In my presence, you dare……"

A low growl vibrated through the air, yet Adelheit paid no attention.

[Adel] "Yet the fact remains that Your Majesty trampled Lady Dianna's flesh and blood."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Adel] "Why do you threaten her, forcing a bond under the guise of marriage?"

[Guiscard] "……."

[Adel] "Why do you turn a marriage to you into a penalty?"

An instant later, Adelheit prepared for a lethal blow as Guiscard rose from his seat and approached him. The King's purple eyes flashed with murderous intent. Suppressing an instinctive urge to flee, Adelheit spoke.

[Adel] "If you simply part ways, countless peaceful conclusions could unfold for both of you."

[Guiscard] "You should thank that woman, Grand Duke."

He refused to offer an explanation to the gaze that demanded his meaning.

[Guiscard] "Leave."

Adelheit rose at the command. Breath escaped him rapidly from the unprecedented insult, his racing pulse causing a sharp ache.

[Adel] "We shall meet again."

He spoke, then turned away and departed without a backward glance.

Witnessing his departure, Guiscard seized a nearby gold candlestick and hurled it to the ground. A thunderous crash echoed as a deep fracture split across the marble floor.

He panted heavily. He found the righteous gaze of that face utterly disgusting. He repeatedly suppressed the urge to drive a dagger straight into those eyes.

[Guiscard] "Curse it……"

Why does that woman always, always find herself drawn to men like that? Why?

He stared down at the fractured floor, covering his face with both hands. It was a conversation where no one won.

---

Dianna had to try on the bridal gown multiple times for tailoring adjustments.

[Mable] "You have lost a significant amount of weight, My Lady."

Dianna nodded at Mable's comment. The cuisine of the Lodbrog Kingdom differed dramatically from Panborough dishes, heavily overloaded with spices. Consequently, she barely consumed any food. The intense scents of saffron and black pepper triggered a sharp headache.

The meat dishes presented the same issue. While Panborough chefs prepared only select cuts, the people here served whole animals on plates. The blank stare of a whole fish destroyed whatever appetite she possessed.

In her past life, when a roasted suckling pig arrived whole at the table, Dianna had ultimately shrieked in front of Guiscard. The kitchen staff soon served Panborough-style dishes instead. Yet the servants used the change to mock her behind her back—A mere slave acting like a demanding queen, putting on aristocratic airs while longing for the culture of a fallen kingdom.

Will I face similar insults again? Come to think of it, where is Guiscard? We used to share meals occasionally……

[Mable] "Does the food fail to suit your taste?"

[Dianna] "I have absolutely no appetite."

She merely wished to minimize the criticism she would inevitably face anyway.

Mable let out a soft sigh, but Dianna paid no attention.

The gown draped over her emaciated frame, creating a thoroughly unflattering fit. Yet it mattered nothing to her, for Dianna harbored absolutely no romantic fantasies regarding this marriage.

She looked down at her skirt. The fabric, excessively ballooned by a crinoline underneath, made her thin frame appear even more fragile.

[Mable] "Does the gown please you, My Lady?"

[Dianna] "It is fine. Don't concern yourself."

Right then, a voice resonated from behind.

[Guiscard] "Liar."

A burning breath brushed against the back of her neck. Dianna lifted her gaze as the purple-eyed man stood directly behind her.

---

Requested by one of our lovely readers, I hope you enjoy it. If you do, please consider supporting the author on Naver Series and KakaoPage.