Salvation Through Delusion C97

Chapter 97

A bomb had gone off.

To Rick, there was no other way to describe the situation.

The problem was this: the one who threw the bomb was Adeye Rue—

but the one who detonated it was none other than the Grand Duke he served.

The White Branch Assembly ended quickly, but its aftermath would surely remain gossip for eternity.

Even now, the mocking laughter of those who had attended spilled through every corridor.

“That Adeye Rue—who knows nothing except rolling around with men—daring to claim he’s the Savior? Ha! Hahaha!”

Outside the conference hall, Rick crouched in a corner, forced to listen to every word as passersby snorted in disbelief.

Originally, today’s greatest headline should have been the appearance of the Savior.

The fact that it was Ma Hoiga should have been enough to shock the entire realm.

But Adeye Rue’s outrageous declaration had completely eclipsed Hoiga’s identity to the point that no one even cared anymore.

“It’s strange enough that Adeye Rue is crazy as always—but what possessed the Duke of Koon? Why acknowledge him as the Savior, let alone accept a proposal?”

Hearing the stranger’s bewildered complaint, Rick almost leapt out to join the conversation.

Right?! My thoughts exactly!!

Fine, even if Rue’s ability made it possible to suspect he might be the Savior—

why accept a marriage proposal?!

At this rate, the entire nation of Tuvine would start saying the Grand Duke had gone mad.

“Haaah…”

“Hyung, stop.”

Rick turned to glare at his annoyingly calm younger cousin. Haas had come along with him today, and although he, too, had been shocked, his reaction was now more resigned acceptance.

Which only made Rick more irritated.

“How can you tell me to stop?! The Grand Duke just made a completely insane decision! Unless he’s under some black magic spell—wait. Is it black magic?!”

“No.”

Haas dismissed it instantly, but Rick, clutching his head, refused to let go of the idea.

“Is there a type of black magic that bewitches people?”

“No.”

“Hey—what do YOU know about magic? Maybe there is if we look hard enough!”

Rick snapped back at the genius mage beloved by the entire kingdom. Annoyance flickered in Haas’s eyes.

“Get a grip, hyung. The Grand Duke is one of the wisest people alive. He must have a reason for accepting Adeye Rue.”

“What reason?! That he actually believes Rue is the Savior?”

“Well, maybe. Didn’t I tell you? Adeye Rue has that insane, overpowered club.”

“You’ve said that a hundred times.”

“I mean it! Even if it was after he broke the first black stone—he used that club and smashed through all the black-magic shields! It was amazing!”

There he went again—his endless praise for that stupid club.

Rick’s face twisted.

Yes, he knew Haas had a habit of obsessing over one thing, but he never imagined his cousin would fall for Rue because of one ridiculous weapon.

But that wasn’t the point anymore.

Because now… Adeye Rue was going to become the Duchess.

Rick let out another groaning sigh.

“Ughhh… When people hear the Grand Duke is getting married, every citizen of Tuvine is going to cry.”

Truly—no one in the nation would be happy about this news.

“Wahahahaha—! Ahahaha—!”

Inside a noble estate with elaborately carved wooden doors, the servants of the Adeye family—including the chief butler and numerous healers—stood restlessly outside one particular room.

The sounds coming from within were impossible to believe.

The lady of the house, Adeye Lantua, was famous throughout Tuvine for two things:

first, her wealth; second, her bizarre palate known for its “eccentric dishes.”

But those who served closest to her knew there was a third notable trait—

she had never once laughed loudly in her entire life.

The chief butler, who had served her for years, always found this distressing.

Why does she never laugh?

Oh, she smiled. But those were not expressions of joy.

They were polite, formulaic gestures used for communication.

It was as if she did not understand what “happiness” was.

Her days consisted solely of making money, building influence, and reviewing merchant documents whenever she was conscious—even while barely able to sit upright.

As though it were an assignment she had no choice but to complete.

The more time passed, the more the butler’s heart ached for her.

What burden was this young lady carrying?

No matter how much wealth she amassed, no matter how many achievements she stacked—she never showed the slightest joy.

People believed the richest woman in Tuvine must be the happiest.

But the butler thought the opposite.

Sometimes he even wondered whether she was intentionally rejecting happiness itself.

Her life contained not a shred of delight.

There was only one thing she showed the slightest interest in:

food that matched her famously “abnormal” taste.

Thus, the butler spent years searching for dishes that suited her.

But now—

now, the woman who never showed joy was laughing like a madwoman.

What on earth was happening?

“Hahahahaha! That brat Rue—he did it!!! Hahahahaha!”

“Didn’t they say Lord Rue would be attending the White Branch Assembly today? He must have received good news.”

A servant whispered cautiously, but the chief butler’s face was grave.

“That is not our concern right now. If the Lady keeps laughing this hard, her body might—”

“Hahaha—! Plan X succeeded—! Kup!”

The butler’s fears were realized.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling!

The emergency bell rang.

Everyone rushed in without hesitation.

“Lady Lantua!”

“Bring the respirator—quickly!”

“Gasp! She’s still laughing even as she faints!”

“Milady, please—please stop laughing!”

Even as she lost consciousness, Adeye Lantua could not stop smiling.

Later, with tears in his eyes, the chief butler would recall:

“It was the first time in ten years I’d seen her truly happy.”

When I was a child, I once caused a huge incident during summer break.

Looking back now, it wasn’t a big deal—I simply skipped cram school and wandered around.

But I got home late—after midnight, after catching the last bus—and thought:

I’m going to die if I go home.

Not just get scolded—thrown out of the house levels of trouble.

So I made an even worse decision.

I didn’t go home.

I stayed overnight at a park, then hid at a friend’s house the next day until my grandmother found me.

I thought I was in for the scolding of my life, but instead she just took me to a fast-food restaurant.

Even while eating, I was trembling, wondering when the yelling would start.

After finishing, she finally spoke:

“Go wash up. Put your laundry in the basket. Do your homework. And don’t just play games.”

Her usual tone—nothing more.

When I stood there confused, she waved me along.

“Next time, tell me and get permission first.”

That was all she said about my wrongdoing.

I went home, washed up, and did my homework diligently.

But then I got sick.

Maybe the burger didn’t sit well—

I spent the night clutching my stomach, groaning, vomiting, feeling utterly miserable.

That day I learned something:

Even if no one scolded me, I couldn’t endure the guilt.

Now I was an adult, and circumstances were different, but…

my stomach felt exactly the same—unsettled, tight, aching.

Of course it did.

I had caused a massive incident, and my rationality had returned far too late.

All I wanted to do was run.

Because the carriage I was riding was not headed to my home.

The esteemed Grand Duke, after the conference, had given me a simple order when he caught me trying to flee:

“Follow me.”

And so—

here I was, on the road to the Koon Grand Ducal Estate in the capital.

Clatter, clatter.

Inside the carriage, horror dawned on me. I wanted to tear my hair out.

Damn it.

Am I really supposed to get married now?

And I’m the “wife” side?!

While I was suffocating under the weight of this, Solongo—in front of me—was bursting with excitement.

“For the dowry list, we should definitely include the Onalli Plains. Yes, they’d like that. They seemed reluctant to send back the return gift before—there must be something they want from there.”

She snorted lightly as she scribbled onto a paper, then frowned again in thought.

“But the thing they’d want most is the Acorn Forest… The problem is, if they find out it belongs to the Adeye family, it won’t just cause an uproar—they might even try to start a war over it…”

Yes, she was drafting the marriage dowry list.

For my marriage.

To the Grand Duke.

And I wanted to scream.