Sister, I'm the Queen This Life (330 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 391

Raphael de Valdesar smiled faintly and stepped forward one pace.

“Before assuming that declaration of intent was coercion, have you ever considered the possibility that it was a non-serious declaration of intent on Bijin’s part?”

“Bi… Bijin’s what?”

“Bijin’s declaration of intent—meaning, he did sign saying ‘I will marry you,’ but he never actually intended to marry you. In matters concerning personal status, a non-serious declaration of intent is invalid.”

Seeing Grand Duchess Larisa unable to comprehend his meaning, Raphael kindly explained further.

“When someone carelessly makes a statement without any intention of being taken seriously, yet the other party treats it earnestly—that is called a ‘non-serious declaration of intent.’ Normally, the speaker would bear some responsibility and honor the other party’s misunderstanding, but in cases like marriage, it’s simply impossible to do so. After all, you can’t divorce your spouse and marry some village child who, twenty years later, shows up believing your childhood promise of ‘I’ll marry you when I grow up’ was absolutely binding.”

Cardinal de Mare had sensed from the moment ‘non-serious declaration of intent’ was mentioned what that clever young fox was getting at, but Pope Ludovico, long retired from practical affairs and having forgotten such minor details, only now let out a short “Ah!” of realization.

Grand Duchess Larisa remained utterly confused, still unable to grasp the situation. Kind-hearted Raphael offered a one-sentence summary.

“That marriage pledge is nothing but a worthless scrap of paper.”

At those words, Grand Duchess Larisa froze like a statue and glared at Raphael like a gargoyle. She muttered to herself as if mad.

“He said he’d marry me… but had no intention to? So I’m being equated to some village child?!”

However, Raphael did not grant Grand Duchess Larisa the luxury of muttering to herself. He responded firmly and clearly.

“Yes. To calm you down when you were agitated. To somehow cross the border and escape.”

Raphael spoke bluntly, his tone as casual as stating that the sun would rise tomorrow or that winter would be cold, driving home a truth no one around Grand Duchess Larisa had dared utter aloud.

“You knew it honestly all along—Prince Alfonso already had a lover and never saw you as a woman. It was a relationship that could never possibly work between man and woman.”

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