# 20 -
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Crown Prince Henderson's words were a very unwelcome suggestion. Seret made an effort not to let her smile fade.
To receive the personal letter and medal from the Emperor would be the honor of a lifetime. On the condition that she marries Yuan.
For someone intent on breaking off the engagement, a personal letter and an imperial medal were merely strings. If the couple who obtained it broke up, it would tarnish the emperor's reputation.
The Freaktwister family might not care, but the Enwhatir family didn't. The Imperial Family might find this an excuse and strip the Enwhatir family of their noble status.
Despite being a Freaktoister family, after the engagement was broken, Seret did not expect Yuan to protect them.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, thank you. This will be an eternal honor for the Enwhatir family.”
Sereret said, smiling at Prince Henderson.
She felt Yuan's intense gaze on her. Seralette ignored that look and continued speaking.
“But since it is the thirtieth anniversary of His Majesty the Emperor’s accession to the throne, why not use it for something more meaningful? If this honor is given to the poor, the thirtieth anniversary of His Majesty the Emperor will shine even more.”
“Ms. Enwhatir, your heart is truly warm and wise. Unlike some.”
Crown Princess Christine smiled sweetly at Seret's words. Serret realized that the “some” Christine meant was Lydia.
However, she couldn't just nod and say she understood. In the end, Seret protected herself with an innocent expression, pretending that she didn't know anything.
“My fiancée’s words are also valid, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
For some reason, Yuan supported Seret's proposal.
As Seret looked at Yuan with a “what’s going on?” expression, Henderson’s puzzled voice gushed out.
“Hmm? You were the one who asked it first… No, are you really thinking like that?”
“But since it is the thirtieth anniversary of his accession to the throne, it is also necessary for the Fricktweitzer family to show everyone its loyalty to the imperial family.”
“That's true. Absolutely.”
Henderson seemed to covet the Frecktwister family's loyalty even more.
“So, how about we give it specifically to a couple on their thirtieth anniversary? As my fiancée suggested, if you give this honor to the poor as well, His Majesty the Emperor will have achieved both.”
"That's a good idea. It would be nice to give it to a couple especially for their 30th anniversary."
Henderson's face was very satisfied. He seemed to have liked Yuan's suggestion very much.
This is not what should happen. Seret, who was about to receive the personal letter and the Imperial Medal, felt desperate.
Thinking it would be best to deal with the situation before it got worse, Seret opened her mouth.
“In fact, we're thinking about breaking off our engagement.”
The atmosphere in the garden immediately turned completely silent at Siret's words.
Henderson and Christine exchanged glances between Seret and Yuan with surprised expressions. But Yuan seemed calm despite their looks.
“For this reason, we are not eligible to receive the personal letter and medal from His Majesty the Emperor.”
Seret continued.
“Why? A sudden breakup? Why, what happened...”
Christine stopped talking, blinking her eyes.
“Actually, there was a small quarrel this morning. It seems that Ms. Enwhatir’s anger has not subsided yet.”
Yuan opened his mouth as if it was nothing.
Seret was angry that Yuan had crushed her opinion so quickly again. Seret tried to suppress her anger and said.
“No, I mean it…”
She was about to say that her intention was firm. But Yuan held Seret's hand and looked at her.
“I'm sorry. Please stop being so angry.”
Yuan, who apologized, kissed Seret's cheek.
Seret flinched at Yuan's action, but the Crown Prince and Crown Princess laughed as they watched the two.
“I didn't know it was so much fun watching lovers quarrel, Henderson.”
Christine said, looking at Henderson.
“I feel tickled too. Miss Enwhatir, be a little soft on him.”
"Huh? Haha."
Seret laughed with an embarrassed expression at Henderson's words.
“It seems that even Duke Frecktwitzer can't help but act like this in front of his fiancée.”
“Of course, Christine. This is the first time I've seen this side of Duke Freaktwister.”
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were enjoying the situation immensely. In this context, Seret found it very difficult to insist on breaking off the engagement, so she ultimately remained silent.
***
“I categorically object.”
As soon as the carriage door was closed, Seret spoke in a firm voice.
It was the way back to the palace after tea time. Seret started saying what she wanted to say.
How upset she felt for not being able to speak properly in front of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
“I cannot accept the personal letter and medal from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“It would be the honor of a lifetime, wouldn't it?”
Unlike Seret, Yuan spoke in a leisurely tone.
Seret was astonished that someone who did not care about the personal letter and medal awarded by the Emperor was talking about honor.
“Anyway, I have made clear my intention to break off the engagement to the Duke.”
“I also made it very clear that I would not accept that.”
“Please don’t ignore my opinion.”
“I always respect him.”
Yuan shrugged.
Contrary to his words, his expression was not respectful at all, and Seralette bit her lip, trying to calm her anger.
“You have a very strange way of showing respect.”
“Since His Majesty the Emperor also blesses us, let us hurry to get married.”
Yuan laughed lightly at Seret's sarcastic words and opened his mouth.
“Do as you please, Duke, if a wedding without a bride is acceptable.”
“I have a beautiful bride, so I don't have to worry about that.”
Yuan gently extended his hand towards Seret.
Seret stared at his outstretched hand as if asking for a dance, and opened her mouth.
“It looks like you're planning to put a collar around my neck and drag me inside.”
“How could I dare do something like this to my beloved fiancée.”
Yuan leaned his back against the armrest, smiling captivatingly. The way he scanned Seret with his eyes was somehow unsettling.
“But you would make fun of your beloved fiancée like that?”
Seret gritted her teeth.
Lovely? Does he think she's stupid? Siret again wanted to break Yuan's head with a vase.
Yuan couldn't stop laughing even as he saw Seret's face, which was trembling with anger.
Laughing as if amused, Siret had an idea.
She wondered if the proposal to give the personal letter and medal to them was part of Yuan's scheming.
Because after obtaining the personal letter and the imperial medal, she would have no choice but to get married. It was like putting a collar around the neck of cattle to prevent it from escaping before it gives birth to the baby.
“Do you love me madly?”
As soon as this thought crossed Siret's mind, she asked aggressively.
At these words, Yuan laughed loudly.
It was a look she could never get used to. Whenever Yuan acted like this, Seret felt like she was with someone else.
“Apparently I am.”
Yuan, who had stopped laughing, replied with a serious face. Seret was shocked by the response and did not open her mouth after that.
The carriage stopped in front of Freaktwister's palace. The door opened, and Yuan got out of the cart first.
Yuan extended his hand to Seret.
Seret grabbed Yuan's hand and went down, but she quickly let go of his hand coldly. Seret walked with long strides towards the palace foyer.
“You'd better not think about escaping.”
Siret heard Yuan's voice from behind her. Then she clenched her fist and suddenly turned around to face Yuan.
Why do you think I'm running away? I run away to live. To live. Even the animal runs away with all its might if it feels danger.
Seret approached Yuan and opened her mouth.
“You think I don't know? Do you really think I don't know what you're thinking, Yuan Freaktwister?”
Seret said, her face filled with hatred.
The words were so terrifying that I suppressed them inside me. She swallowed and swallowed, fearing what Yuan might do if his plan was revealed.
But if he was going to act this way, there was no choice. She had to tell him that she knew everything that was on his mind.
“What do you know, miss?”
“Your plan.”
Seret said, looking directly into Yuan's eyes.
"truly?"
Even though she said she knew everything, Yuan was slow. Seret was short of breath at his expression, which said: “What would you do if you knew?” He was a man who had a talent for making her angry just by looking at his face.
"All you want from me is a child. A child to carry on the Freaktwister family name. Am I wrong?"
“This is nothing so grand as to be called a plan. If we get married, it will be Miss Enwhatir’s duty to give birth to a child naturally. My child.”
“That's true for an ordinary couple. But I'm not a wife to you, Yuan Freaktwister, I'm a cattle.”
Seret approached Yuan and spoke in a low voice.
Seret's eyes, burning with anger, roamed over Yuan's face.
"cattle?"
Yuan frowned. His eyebrows were drawn together, as if he was upset.
“Is this expression because I hit the target perfectly, Duke?”
“I find Miss Inuhateer's words increasingly incomprehensible.”
“I will explain in an easy-to-understand way. You are planning to brutally kill me after I give birth to the child. So that you can live with the woman you love.”
Seret spoke the words she was afraid to say out loud.
She was afraid of how Yuan would act, but she couldn't allow herself to be dragged according to his will like this.
“This made me even more confused...”
Yuan stared at Seret blankly, his expression asking what the hell she was talking about.
Seret wrinkled her nose at Yuan's expression.
He was calm even though she revealed his plan. He merely made an expression of incomprehension, neither surprised nor backed down.
“You plan to kill me after I have the baby. Because you have someone else to love… for me… I know you chose me because the one you love can’t have children.”
“You want to kill me, and live happily with the child I gave birth to and that woman. It is a plan I hatched to prevent any disgrace from happening to the Freaktwister Noble Family.”
Seret spoke quickly without taking a breath.
In her past life, she was ignorantly and senselessly destroyed because she knew nothing. Her eyes were blinded by love and she couldn't see Yuan Freaktwister clearly.
Now, she knew exactly what kind of person Yuan Freaktwister was.
So, don't even think about cheating me.
Seret's fierce gaze reached Yuan.
Yuan, who had been silently staring into Seret's eyes, opened his mouth in a sleepy voice.
“You have been exposed.”
If anyone reads the novel, comment on their expectations or anything3 > because I don’t feel like I’m being translated into thin air :(