The Woman He Claimed

"As I have said, Your Majesty, I already have a woman I've promised to marry. She is no ordinary noblewoman, which is likely why you have not heard of her."

"No ordinary noblewoman, Grand Duke? Surely you don't mean to suggest she is a commoner?"

A smug smile lingered on the King's lips. The Grand Duke raised a single eyebrow.

"Why do you ask? You sound as if you are practically praying she is a commoner, Your Majesty."

"Hahaha!"

The King burst into a boisterous laugh. Of course, he didn't actually find it amusing. Slapping his knee, he spoke in a booming, jovial voice, playing the part of a benevolent ruler.

"Of course not. I merely asked because I wondered if you had forgotten the laws of Ivanes, Grand Duke. Surely you haven't forgotten that a morganatic marriage in our kingdom leads to the forfeiture of one's title?"

Morganatic marriage. The Grand Duke replied in a nonchalant tone.

"I was under the impression that law had long since become obsolete."

"Yet it remains in the legal code. And royal marriages are bound by strict laws."

The King maintained his hostile stance, but his voice dripped with false warmth, as if he were the most generous soul alive.

"Of course, even so, if the woman you love is a commoner, I shall respect your choice. No matter who she is, I will personally ensure you have a grand wedding."

Of course, no one in the room was foolish enough to take his words at face value. By now, even Chloe, a mere semi-noble, could clearly see the King's true motive behind this sudden matchmaking.

He wants to strip Grand Duke Berk of his succession rights.

As the King's younger half-brother, Grand Duke Berk had chosen a sensible path early on. He publicly declared he had no interest in the throne and joined the military.

Unfortunately for the King, the Grand Duke possessed a natural genius for warfare—much like the legendary kings of Ivanes' past whom the populace adored.

The current King, on the other hand, was far from a conqueror. He was a man who had never gotten a speck of dust on his feet, let alone worn combat boots. His son and first in line to the throne, Crown Prince Frederick, was popular for his amiable nature, but he was hardly the type to distinguish himself on a battlefield either.

Naturally, the public's adoration gravitated toward Grand Duke Berk, the celebrated war hero. His tragic, turbulent childhood only added to his mystique. A handsome man with a tragic past—people couldn't help but love a good story.

Naturally, the King was green with envy. Rumor had it that every time the Grand Duke was hailed as a hero, the palace servants would suffer the wrath of flying teacups and broken plates. Under these circumstances, the King weaponizing the morganatic marriage law was entirely predictable.

In ancient Ivanes, morganatic marriage was treated with absolute severity. If a member of the ruling class married a commoner, they were stripped of their title. In modern times, however, it was considered an archaic relic and had practically been phased out.

Oh boy. He's going to have to go through with this matchmaking today...

Chloe quickly calculated the situation. Although the Grand Duke claimed he had a woman to marry, the Royal Guard's overtime logs proved that was a blatant lie. Besides, with the King pushing this hard, a vague excuse like, "Oh, there's someone out there," wasn't going to cut it anymore.

I don't know who she is, but to the poor woman ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who ends up marrying that man... stay strong.

It was then.

"Did you hear that, Warrant Officer Amboise?"

Chloe flinched and looked up. Her beautiful yet deeply irritating superior was smiling down at her. Why, of all times, did a certain piece of Royal Guard folklore suddenly flash through her mind?

And right now, Brigadier General Berk was smiling directly at her. A cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. What is this? Why do I feel like I'm suddenly screwed? Chloe clenched her sweaty hands and asked cautiously.

"I... beg your pardon, Your Grace?"

It was her polite way of asking, Is there any earthly reason why I, a mere background extra, should suddenly be screwed right now? But Chloe had forgotten one crucial detail: her superior, Brigadier General Berk, was a man who could screw someone over without needing a reason at all.

Curtis smiled warmly. Reaching out, he tenderly stroked her cheek. Chloe's eyes widened to the size of saucers at this sudden, unprovoked physical contact from her superior. Ignoring her shock, Curtis addressed the King.

"Chloe Amboise. She is my lover, with whom I recently began a relationship. To be precise, we have been together for three months."

What on earth is he talking about? Chloe blurted out before she could stop herself.

"...Me?"

Without so much as a glance in her direction, the man added:

"Her charm is that she is a bit slow on the uptake."

Even in her sheer bewilderment, a single thought flashed through Chloe's mind: Should I kill him?

Of course, Chloe wasn't the only one left utterly speechless.

"What?" The King stared with wide eyes, his expression a mask of pure disbelief. "What on earth are you saying? She is..."

"If you did not understand what I just said, Your Majesty, I shall repeat it."

Under normal circumstances, an ordinary person would never be able to empathize with a monarch. But at this very moment, Chloe understood the King's stuttering perfectly. She, too, was so utterly flabbergasted that her soul felt like it was escaping her body.

Of course, the reverse did not apply. The King would never understand Chloe's plight. He was, after all, the supreme ruler of the kingdom. He had never had to deal with a superior officer he desperately wanted to murder.

Nor would the King ever experience the sheer horror of having a boss he wanted to throttle suddenly declare to the world that she was his future wife.

Well, since the King doesn't have a boss... No, that's not the point!

Regardless of her internal crisis, the Grand Duke continued to lie through his teeth with absolute composure.

"I, too, was vaguely aware of the marriage proposal from Glintland. That is why I brought her with me today. I have already asked my aide, Chloe Amboise, to become the master of my soul."

For context, "master of my soul" was an archaic idiom used by the men of Ivanes to refer to their wives.

"...Brigadier General," Chloe said, her voice trembling. Is this some new, twisted form of military discipline? She desperately hoped her eyes conveyed the sheer menace behind her words.

Curtis glanced down at her. Unlike her panic-stricken state, his cold purple eyes were as calm and unreadable as ever.

"Warrant Officer Amboise. My apologies. I didn't intend to reveal our relationship so suddenly in front of such a large crowd."

"What on earth..."

What do you mean, 'didn't intend to'?! Unless you've somehow confused the words 'aide' and 'wife', you better explain this right now! Don't you dare ruin my future marriage prospects! She was ready to grab him by the collar and scream.

But just as she was about to open her mouth, Chloe froze. Looking directly into Curtis Shan Berk's purple eyes, she saw a flicker of turbulence—something she had never witnessed once in the three months she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had served under him.

To an outsider, his expression might have seemed perfectly indifferent. But Chloe was his aide. Three months might sound brief, but she had spent nearly every waking hour of those three months right by his side. She couldn't help but notice the subtle shift.

Thanks to that realization, the panic clouding her mind quickly cleared. So, right now... Just as she was beginning to piece the puzzle together, she heard it.

"I'll explain everything later. Just play along for now."

It was a barely audible whisper—the low, lip-locked ventriloquism unique to battle-hardened soldiers.

Chloe flinched, her mouth parting slightly. But there was a problem: she was from the navy and had never seen actual combat, so she had no idea how to throw her voice. And she couldn't exactly whisper back normally when the King was staring at them with hawk-like intensity.

Left with no other choice, Chloe spoke slowly and clearly.

"...I am extremely flustered right now, Your Grace. Marriage?"

Her voice was loud enough for the King and the surrounding nobles to hear. The subtext, however, was loud and clear: Why the hell should I? Even as she spoke, she warily watched his face, wondering if he would catch her drift.

Surprisingly, Curtis Shan Berk understood her perfectly.

"It is only natural you feel that way, Chloe." He gently took her clammy hand in his.

Chloe screamed internally. Did he just hold my hand?!

Anyone who had ever wanted to throttle their boss would understand the sheer horror Chloe was experiencing. That man is holding my hand! Ahhh! And I only just realized, but he called me by my first name! Not my surname! My first name!

Resisting the urge to cite "murdering my superior" as her reason for discharge, Chloe forced herself to calm down and assess the room. The only reason she had survived three months as Curtis Shan Berk's aide—aside from the slave contract that promised a 400% incentive bonus—was her exceptional ability to read the room.

She understood with absolute clarity that her boss had dragged her into this to escape the King's relentless matchmaking. However, whether she would actually play along was a completely different story. What do you mean, marriage? Chloe glared at him, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits as he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠held her hand.

Curtis narrowed his eyes. He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand, whispering under his breath once more. "I will give you whatever you want."

Chloe's fingertips twitched. Naturally, the young war hero didn't miss that split-second reaction. He quickly added in a low murmur, "A promotion, a bonus, a transfer."

"Brigadier General Berk, Your Gra—"

But Curtis didn't wait for her to finish. He turned back to the King and spoke in a clear, ringing voice. "Please forgive my fiancée's confusion, Your Majesty. She is a timid, delicate woman."

You could at least try to make your lies sound believable... Chloe thought, utterly exasperated.

Ignoring her, Curtis continued in a loud voice, clearly intending for Chloe to hear every word. "Even when I first confessed my love, she agonized for days over the difference in our social standing. This sudden public exposure must be incredibly overwhelming for her."

Ah. So that's the narrative we're going with...

Of course, the King was no fool. Though he had been caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, his eyes narrowed sharply as he immediately fired back. "Do not play me for a fool, Grand Duke. It is painfully obvious you are using your aide simply because she happens to be a woman to wriggle out of this."

Indeed, anyone with half a brain could see right through it. Yet Curtis shamelessly looked the King dead in the eye.

"Whatever would make you think that, Your Majesty?"