The sudden words were unexpected, but Penrel prepared the carriage as instructed. It was the best that could be hastily procured in Reden.
However, when told that it would not compare to anything belonging to the royal family and that they should inform the Mevasa royal family, the king responded like this.
“It’s the one the Reden prince used, isn’t it?”
There was a hint of contempt in the king’s expression as he said those words. Through that, Penrel could tell that the king did not think highly of the bride’s older brother.
Perhaps paying the bride price in advance was also done to quickly sever ties with the Mevasa royal family. The atmosphere in the palace had been strange as well.
Although they had only arrived two days ago, Penrel was clearly aware of that fact.
When his thoughts reached that point, Penrel became curious about what had happened between his king and the bride’s family, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. It was because the Reden king’s attendant had come to find them at an opportune moment.
The attendant said that their king had invited his king to a luncheon. The king accepted the invitation and asked.
“Will the princess also be attending the luncheon?”
At that time, Penrel thought it was a perfunctory question. He regarded it as the personal curiosity of a man who would soon be married.
Of course, he did not know that the king would bring out the bride immediately after the luncheon ended.
The moment the king walked out holding the hand of the Reden princess, whom he had only seen a few times in portraits, Penrel couldn’t believe his eyes. It was natural, as no one would bring out the bride in such a manner.
As expected, even from a distance, the bride’s expression did not look good, but the king nonchalantly put her in the carriage. Seeing that, Penrel thought he wanted to lose consciousness for a moment.
The king was treating his new bride as if they had been married for several years and were a couple who had been arguing loudly until the day before.
At this rate, even if they wanted to build a good relationship, they wouldn’t be able to.
When the carriage door closed and the king approached him, Penrel hurriedly lowered his voice and asked.
“Did you bring the princess out as soon as the luncheon ended?”
Idren asked the knight, who was looking at him with a face that had not yet fully hidden his shock.
“Didn’t I say I would take the princess?”
He seemed to remember clearly saying that, but he was confused because there had been so much going on yesterday.
Fortunately, his memory did not seem to be wrong. Penrel affirmed it.
“Yes, you did say that, but……”
And the knight hesitated for a moment. It was rare for him to add a remark like this, so Idren waited.
After seemingly choosing his words carefully, Penrel spoke.
“Was the princess also willing to be in this situation?”
“If it’s about that, don’t worry. She won’t mind.”
No. Anyone could see that she had a troubled expression…
Penrel was silently shocked at the sight of his master speaking indifferently, as if he didn’t recognize what the problem was at all. Usually, if one had deep feelings, they would do well even in their first relationship, but at this rate, it seemed like the marriage would fall apart even before the ceremony.
He carefully added.
“Well, from what I saw, the princess’s expression did not look very good.”
Idren said to the knight who was worrying about something trivial in his eyes.
“It’s not just you who sees it that way, so it’s fine.”
Ophelia’s expression had not been good since the luncheon. Idren knew the reason well – it was none other than himself.
Rather, it was much better now. When she was greeting the Reden king and prince, didn’t she have a face that looked like she would brandish something?
Ophelia had a sufficient personality to do that. The room she had left in a mess was proof of that.
She could smash the room as much as she wanted, but until they crossed the canal, he didn’t want any disturbances, so Idren had whispered to Ophelia.
“Relax your face a bit. You’ll kill someone like that.”
Then she replied like this.
“If you don’t want to be that someone, be quiet.”
So what more could he say?
Thus, Idren let her glare at the others. It wasn’t difficult to go along with his wife’s murder, but being killed by her hands was a separate issue.
Idren, who finished his short reminiscence, swiftly mounted his horse. The knight, who had been fidgeting by his side until then, said.
“Well, I don’t know much, but I don’t think you should treat the lady who will be your wife like that.”
Those words piqued a strange interest. Idren tilted his head towards the knight looking up at him.
“How am I treating her?”
In his previous life, Penrel had never taken Ophelia’s side.
His knight always pitied him, but never said anything about Ophelia. It was because of his belief that it was better to keep his mouth shut than to say bad things.
It was refreshing to hear someone who had been like that say he was wrong.
Penrel hesitated and answered in a small voice.
“Rather than a new bride, it’s as if…… you are treating her like an old spouse with whom you had a fight the day before.”
“…Have you also returned?”
“Pardon?”
“No, no. More importantly, we are running very late. Let’s mount our horses before it gets any later.”
Penrel did as he was told without a word. However, Idren could tell that the knight, who was glancing at him from time to time, was feeling anxious.
He said to the knight who couldn’t let go of his concern about his marriage every time.
“Ophelia won’t take issue with anything, so you don’t have to worry.”
It was a statement with grounds, as that alone would never be able to capture her attention no matter what, but the knight didn’t seem to believe his words.
Idren let his loyal knight remain mistaken. He too had realized after two failures that being a villain was better than being a good person, so he could fully understand that much.
[This is the timeline separator]Blue waves could be seen beyond the window. Ophelia recognized at first glance that it was the canal between Reden and Aglante. It was the first time she saw it in this life.
In her previous life, she had brought Reden’s assets through that waterway.
At that time, it was a wealth she didn’t really need as she was already facing death, but she had all of it brought to Sigrasal Castle. It was a kind of compensation given to a man who had lost his wife in just three years…
Thinking up to that point, Ophelia felt a bit of irritation.
Come to think of it, she had clearly compensated Idren. Although Reden was a declining kingdom, the former wealth of the royal family was not a small amount.
In addition, the personal fortune she had earned through several investments would have also been left to Idren. The Mevasa royal family was already ruined at that time, and with only the two of them without children, he would have naturally been the sole heir.
That much should have more than compensated for the bride price he had paid to bring her to Aglante.
But Idren acted as if he had not received any of that, as if he was the complete victim. He intervened in her life as if she had inflicted a tremendous wound on him.
Until now, she had been overwhelmed by him due to the urgency of the situation, but now that things had settled to some extent, she had no intention of continuing to do so.
Just as she was about to think that she should address this when she had some spare time, there was a sound of knocking on the carriage door.
“May I come in?”
Only then did Ophelia realize that the carriage had stopped, and she answered gruffly. Do as you wish.
Idren opened the carriage door and entered, regardless of whether she acted that way or not. It was the nonchalance befitting someone who had received all that money and wiped his mouth clean.
In her past life, she had not realized that he was such a brazen person, but indeed, one had to experience someone to know them. Ophelia thought.
It was then that he, sitting across from her, abruptly spoke.
“Is there a clown passing by outside the window? Look at a person’s eyes when you talk to them.”
So Ophelia glared at him with bright yellow eyes, just as he wanted. The insatiable man complained again.
“Don’t look with such eyes. Didn’t I tell you to speak up if you have any complaints?”
“Do you not remember the answer I gave you then?”
“If you express your dissatisfaction, won’t the situation change?”
And Idren secretly observed the woman’s reaction.
He had told Penrel that Ophelia would be fine, but after thinking about it throughout the journey to the canal, he thought that might not necessarily be the case.
In her previous life, Ophelia had always lived enjoying only good things. He didn’t know how her life in the Reden palace had been, but at least when she was with him, it was always like that.
So it seemed that she might be dissatisfied with leaving so hastily without a proper procession. The only ones accompanying her now were a few maids.
Of course, the Reden palace had said they would soon arrange the rest of the procession and send it to Aglante, and Ophelia had said she didn’t particularly have anyone she wanted to accompany her or anything she wanted to take… But since she had been arguing with him constantly, she might have been conscious of not speaking as she wished.
He casually brought up what had been on his mind all along.
“I apologize for not being able to have the royal wedding procession.”
“I really don’t care about that. Didn’t I say so earlier in the garden?”
“Then what is it that you’re not satisfied with?”
Then Ophelia stared at him intently and frowned abruptly. The bridal makeup that had been gently applied was thoroughly tainted with irritation.
“I’ve been thinking, and it seems you have no conscience at all.”
At the sudden remark, Idren narrowed his brows.
“What do you mean?”
“The inheritance I left should have been more than enough to compensate for the bride price, so what on earth is your reason for wanting to marry me in this life as well?”
And before he could say anything, Ophelia added.
“Of course, I know you like my appearance.”
“Wh-what?”
The man stammered in disbelief, but Ophelia was not fooled by it.
Since he couldn’t possibly like her personality, the only thing left was her looks, wasn’t it?
She drove the point home before he could make excuses.
“But if you really have a preference for this appearance, you should look for someone else. Why cling to something that won’t work?”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
