Duke Mireille received a stern command from Philip IV to definitely arrange this engagement and came to Etruscan.

He was dispatched with a secret order that he could even allow the composition of gunpowder if necessary, doing his best to bide time and hold on without arousing suspicion. If Lariessa fails to get engaged to Prince Alfonso and returns to Galicia, he too will not be safe.

‘But what if the marriage falls apart due to an undeniable, clear mistake on the part of the Valois Grand Duchy?’

For instance, a critical error on the part of Grand Duchess Lariessa towards the Carlo royal family.

‘If I manage to grasp a weakness of Lariessa de Valois, it could serve as a card to win a concession from Grand Duke Ward later on.’

Duke Mireille was quite pleased with Grand Duchess Lariessa’s tantrum. He felt so grateful that he almost wanted to kiss her feet. With that gratitude, he proposed to the last noble daughter of Grand Duke Ward, who was ridiculously naive.

“Who’s life does the Grand Duchess wish for?”

Lariessa’s face instantly flushed. With a seething gaze, she spat out the name she despised.

“Ariadne de Mare!”

“Grand Duchess! That’s not possible!”

The count of Levian’s shrieking scream filled the room.

“It could turn into a serious diplomatic issue, Grand Duchess! This will make not only the Kingdom of Etruscan but also the Holy See our enemy!”

Duke Mireille laughed uproariously.

“Being killed for stealing a man. From my point of view, the punishment seems a little too harsh for the crime committed.”

Anger flashed in Lariessa’s eyes. Everyone is the same! There’s no one she can talk to!

But Duke Mireille did not stand here today to guide Lariessa on the right path.

“Why don’t you instead make the man leave the woman of his own accord?”

Lariessa burst out in anger.

“Do you think that’s easy?”

“Why not. When does a man leave a woman?”

“…When a woman is ugly?”

Lariessa answered with her own complex in mind. It wasn’t exactly what Duke Mireille had thought, but it was fine. He applauded and laughed loudly.

“Our Grand Duchess is indeed very clever. Yes, a man leaves a woman when her value as a woman has decreased.”

Lariessa’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes, that’s a good idea. Leave a scar on that wench’s face! Ugly as a mercenary who’s been rolling around in Yeshak for ten years! A long scar that crosses her whole face!”

She spun around the room that had become a mess like a madwoman.

“I’ll see how far Prince Alfonso’s precious love goes with an ugly woman! You said you didn’t like me because I’m not pretty? Let’s see how far your love goes with a woman uglier than me!”

Alfonso had never once commented on Lariessa’s appearance. But Lariessa took it for granted.

The Duke of Mireille displayed a broad smile at the excited Princess Lariessa.

“Well, princess.”

From the desk in the chaotic room of Princess Lariessa, he picked up a piece of parchment and a quill. He dipped the quill in ink and scribbled something on the parchment.

“Take a look at this.”

He handed the completed paper to Princess Lariessa. Lariessa read the parchment, her brows furrowed.

“What is this?”

The Duke of Mireille’s smile deepened.

“What, it’s a contract that allows you to treat Mireille as your footman.”

Leviang, with an unusual expression, rushed over. He almost snatched the parchment from Princess Lariessa’s hand and read the contents.

“Please kill Ariadne de Mare, the illegitimate child of Cardinal de Mare of the Etruscan Kingdom and the Diocese of San Carlo, or harm her equivalently.

March 18, 1123,

Lariessa de Balboa.”

It was too concise for a contract. In other words, there were many ways for the Duke of Mireille to escape from fulfilling this obligation.

Moreover, there was no name of the Duke of Mireille in the signature line below, and there was only space for Princess Lariessa’s signature.

“What the!”

Count Leviang read the inner thoughts of the Duke of Mireille and shouted in anger.

“Duke! What are you doing! What is this contract! Absolutely, absolutely unacceptable!”

“Ahem, how does a subordinate dare to interfere in his lord’s affairs. Is the discipline of the House of Balboa this sloppy?”

Count Leviang began to appeal to Princess Lariessa.

“Princess, Duke Mireille is now trying to take advantage of the weakness of your father, Duke Oede! You absolutely must not hand over written evidence that you were involved in this!”

“‘This kind of thing’.”

Duke Mireille laughed cunningly and looked at Count Leviang.

“Do you think Mireille will back out halfway? I’m a man who knows honor. How do you see people!”

While looking at Princess Lariessa, he persuaded her.

“I will personally execute the conditions of this contract, without using my subordinate, I, Mireille, will execute it with my own hands.”

Lariessa, who didn’t understand what it meant, looked at the Duke of Mireille with wide eyes. Mireille explained kindly to Lariessa, clicking his tongue inwardly.

“I’m saying I’ll be an accomplice, Princess Balboa. If we commit a crime together, those accomplices become friends. It’s impossible to betray.”

Lariessa was about to ask Mireille, ‘So what do you gain from this?’ The Duke of Mireille beat her to the punch.

“Because she’s like my daughter.”

“Sorry?”

“A fiancé who betrayed you, a useless subordinate who couldn’t help despite the desperate pain, a father who doesn’t care.”

Duke Mireille poked at Princess Lariessa’s sore spot.

“What kind of father leaves his child, especially a grown daughter, in a foreign country for so long?”

Princess Lariessa hid her red face in shame by lowering her head. No, she tried to hide. But Duke Mireille didn’t let go of her weakness that he had captured.

“I can’t do that to my daughter. If I had left my daughter in a foreign country, I would have done anything, even give away everything, to make sure the marriage contract was completed. Even if my cousin was in the same situation.”

Lariessa bit her lip and gave no answer.

“And did our respected Duke Oede put such pressure on the great Philip IV? He’s giving up, isn’t he?”

The fact that Duke Oede was giving up was not true. The reason why Philip IV sent the Duke of Mireille, not Duke Oede, as the chief of the marriage alliance delegation was there.

Philip IV had excluded the Duke of Oud from the list of responsible candidates, fearing that if he were appointed, he might, in his blindness for his daughter’s safety, sign a disadvantageous agreement with the Kingdom of Galicia. However, the Duchess of Lariessa had no need to know this fact.

“Would the Duke of Oud, Philip IV, have behaved like this if it was the Duchess of Suzanne who was here?”

A fresh blue anger appeared on Lariessa’s face. The Duke of Mireille chuckled and added.

“If your father and cousin do not take care of you, the Duchess will have no choice but to help herself. Even if this fact is known in Galicia, no one will blame the Duchess. She was abandoned first.”

The Duke of Mireille once again offered the contract to the Duchess Lariessa.

“Now, hurry.”

As if entranced, the Duchess of Lariessa picked up the quill.