My Contract Marriage Got Interrupted (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
When Odette last checked, Louis was said to be staying at the Clovis family’s townhouse due to health issues.
Ellie, who had visited Louis again on the day Odette returned from the tea party, had clearly shaken her head—and that memory remained vivid even now.
“He simply can’t receive anyone. They say he’s refusing all visitors—even if His Highness himself went, I doubt they’d open the door. Apparently, Count Clovis issued strict orders not to let anyone in.”
Yes, Ellie had definitely said those exact words.
And that was only a short while ago.
Yet now, he was supposedly at the academy?
“…Could that man possibly be someone who’s come before?”
“No? I’ve never seen him before.”
Anne Sophie had been a notorious bookworm since her school days.
If anything, that trait had only intensified after she entered the laboratory—it certainly hadn’t diminished.
Given that, if Anne Sophie said Louis’s visit to the academy was his first, then it truly was his first.
“Then do you know why he came?”
“He mentioned he had something to discuss—but I’m not sure of the details. He looked quite unwell, though. Clearly ill at a glance.”
“A handsome invalid, how rare,” Anne Sophie remarked, adjusting her glasses.
“Was he really that bad?”
“Yes. Who knows—maybe he’s been cursed due to some misconduct? We often get people coming to the professor, worried they’ve picked up a curse just from wandering somewhere they shouldn’t.”
According to Anne Sophie, whether it was because of his looks or because he’d made enemies, getting involved with Louis would bring no good.
That remark, of course, left Odette—who had been considering getting involved with Louis—considerably unsettled.
“A curse…?”
That at least explained why he’d suddenly fallen ill.
It wasn’t an illness at all.
Simply something even more troublesome than an illness.
“Do you know him, Your Highness? Honestly, I don’t know much about nobles.”
“Of course I do. Count Clovis is an alumnus here, after all.”
And that was precisely why Odette had come to Belvoir Academy.
After all, the only connection between Walter and Louis was that they’d both attended Belvoir Academy together.
‘If there’s definitely a link, it must lie here.’
And as she looked into it, she discovered that Louis and Walter had even overlapped briefly with Odette during their time as students.
Attending a private academy was an implicit rule among the upper class before entering high society—not only to build connections but also as proof of possessing a certain level of refinement.
‘After all, if someone couldn’t even get into a private academy—somewhere attainable merely with money—it meant they were too foolish to pass the entrance exam.’
Like it or not, one had to study there for at least one or two years to be considered eligible to enter high society.
And among such institutions, Belvoir Academy stood at the very top—a place high-ranking nobles competed fiercely to enter.
Thus, there were only two kinds of students who attended.
Either those of high status, like Odette or Louis.
Or prodigies of humble birth, like Anne Sophie.
Of course, Odette, as an imperial princess, had been automatically enrolled at Belvoir Academy for the sake of the royal family’s dignity—whether she liked it or not.
‘Fortunately, I managed to attend without drawing attention.’
Partly because information about her was scarcely known at the time.
And partly because, living on a modest allowance meant only for basic decorum, no one ever imagined that unassuming, plainly dressed girl could possibly be the Fourth Princess.
Well, that wasn’t to say she’d gone entirely unnoticed…
“Oh? His Highness the First Prince… and Odette…? Why are the two of you…?”
“…Say hello, Anne. This is my elder brother, Cedric. Brother, this is… Anne Sophie. She takes classes with me.”
…It wasn’t exactly a complete secret.
But since the one who’d discovered her had been Anne Sophie—who cared nothing for social circles—Odette managed to get through her two years at the academy without incident.
In the end, it worked out well—she’d gained a good friend.
And, unexpectedly, even reaped some unintended benefits.
‘Whether Count Clovis is truly cursed or not…’
If she had the chance to meet him, she had to take it.
“Anne, you said the professor is meeting with Count Clovis, right?”
“Yes. He left the lab, so he probably went to Epona Hall.”
Epona Hall was a lounge not far from here.
A place where the library and tea rooms gathered, commonly used for meeting outsiders.
“Thanks for letting me know. I enjoyed the tea.”
“Your Highness? Are you going there now?”
“Yes. I have something urgent to tell him.”
Saying she’d be visiting the academy frequently for the time being as she needed to investigate something, Odette hurriedly left.
She truly seemed in a hurry—uncharacteristically so.
After Odette had gone,
“…Hmm. I wonder if it’ll be all right.”
Anne Sophie scratched her head doubtfully a few times, then ambled back toward her workstation.
She’d entered Belvoir Academy and later become a researcher due to her exceptional talent in magic.
Her specialty, in particular, was “future divination.”
Especially for strong, imminent futures—she often received fragmented hints.
‘Ah, so that hint about preparing tea was because Her Highness Odette was coming.’
That much made sense.
The problem was the second hint.
Hmm.
With her arms crossed and chin resting on her hand, Anne Sophie slowly murmured,
“What could ‘beware the past’ possibly mean…?”
Caught up in preparations for the upcoming academic festival, Anne Sophie had no idea whatsoever about the rumors currently swirling in high society centered around Odette.
Thus, she couldn’t imagine at all
what was about to unfold around Odette.
[This is the timeline separator]At that moment, in Epona Hall.
“Unfortunately, even I find it difficult to guess the cause of what ails the Count.”
“…I see.”
“Yes. I’ve seen many cases where a curse causes past traumas to resurface as nightmares—but for someone completely unrelated to appear? There’s simply no precedent.”
Zantipe, professor of Magical Studies at Belvoir Academy, shook his head.
Opposite him, the platinum-haired man—Louis Clovis—let out a cold, faint laugh.
“But if this isn’t a curse, then what else could it possibly be? One moment he was perfectly fine, and the next, he collapsed—suffering hallucinations for days on end.”
“Of course, I also believe what afflicts the Count is likely a curse. Otherwise, there’d be no explanation at all.”
“Then why can’t you lift it?”
“Because to lift a curse, we must first understand its cause—and right now, I can’t even begin to guess the origin of the curse afflicting the Count.”
When the cause of a curse couldn’t be identified, one typically weakened it by alleviating the corrupting magical energy within the afflicted.
“But right now, I sense no trace of corrupting magical energy in the Count’s body. Without that, there’s simply nothing I can do.”
“…”
The brief flicker of amusement vanished from Louis’s face, and Zantipe let out a light sigh.
“Alternatively, could you perhaps share more details about the hallucinations? Hallucinations caused by curses are usually based on the sufferer’s deepest fears. Perhaps something will become clear as you speak.”
Zantipe’s voice carried genuine concern.
‘What a tragedy for someone so young. Tsk tsk.’
The young man before him—Louis—had once been his student.
Granted, he’d only briefly taught him theoretical magic as part of general education.
Still, he remembered well what kind of student Louis had been.
Striking platinum hair and blue eyes, a gentle yet handsome appearance.
And the charisma to effortlessly draw people to him.
Louis had always stood out wherever he went.
“I regret that I lack talent in magic. Opportunities to make a name for myself without relying on the Clovis name aren’t exactly common.”
But above all, it was Louis’s surprisingly ambitious nature—hidden beneath his pleasant demeanor—that had caught Zantipe’s attention.
On the surface, Louis appeared sociable at best, or dissolute at worst.
He seemed wholly absorbed in attending parties with noble friends or pursuing women.
Yet when Louis spoke of regretting his lack of magical talent, his blue eyes held uncommon gravity.
‘Perhaps… there’s more to him than meets the eye.’
So much so that Zantipe had once thought Louis might have a promising future.
And now, to see that young man so visibly worn down by an inexplicable curse…
Though his essential beauty remained untouched, it was impossible not to feel sympathy.
“If you could share what the Count sees in his hallucinations, I could look into it further. Of course, with the academic festival so close, I can’t promise anything immediately—”
Zantipe’s concern was sincere—and Louis could sense it.
Yet in the end, he could only shake his head.
“…No. Thank you for your time.”
“Count. Are you certain?”
“Of course. Don’t you think I might be misinterpreting my hallucinations? That what appeared before me—my own remembered fears—was actually something else entirely.”
“…Please don’t take offense. Such cases have happened quite often.”
Struck to the core, Zantipe’s expression turned awkward. Watching him, Louis gave a faint smile.
“Offended? Not at all.”
He simply wasn’t mistaken, nor was he afraid of the hallucinations.
Even now, Louis could clearly recount the visions that plagued him.
The reason he couldn’t was simple.
What he’d seen was truly something that couldn’t be spoken of lightly.
“Louis, why didn’t you come to the banquet that day? You promised you’d go with me. It wasn’t just any event—it was the Dowager Countess’s birthday.”
“I had something come up. I sent word.”
“I never received it. Your message arrived only after I’d already left…”
“I sent the fastest messenger I could find. You know I couldn’t control whether it arrived late or not. I did my best.”
“Then you should’ve just kept your promise. Just attended the banquet once… when I asked you so…”
In the hallucination, Louis was married.
Given that he’d been under pressure to find a suitable match, that in itself wasn’t surprising.
What was astonishing was who he was speaking to.
“Odette! Why are you like this? I couldn’t help it—business came up!”
Odette Benua Celestine.
In the hallucination, she had appeared as Louis’s wife.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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But wouldn’t it be the perfect time to speak with Xavier in a safe manner? There are plenty of people around and she needs information from him.
He isn’t suspicious of Duke Ertman? Considering the rumors the Duke amplified, he has motive to drive a wedge between Louis and Odette. Yet Louie doesn’t question Walter’s words? I’d think he’d be suspicious of Walter casting the curse. Walter’s motive for doing so might be unknown but his words, seemingly knowledgeable about the curse itself and blaming it upon Odette, whom the Duke has insinuated a relationship with while Odette says otherwise, gives plenty to be wary about.
Is this woman serious saying ‘I lied to them, why won’t they believe me?’ Wow she seems a bit delusional.