Violet Zerotta’s Hasty Marriage - Chapter 86

At Violet’s sudden words, Aldrick’s mind went blank.

What on earth was she talking about? Why had the topic suddenly turned that way?

Of course, he was glad to hear the word “marriage” come out of her mouth first, and he could more or less understand why she had come to such a conclusion, but why was it someone other than him? That part was impossible to accept.

Violet becoming another man’s wife… Just the thought of it made his blood boil. He hadn’t spent the past ten years at her side just to witness that.

No. Aldrick decided to change his way of thinking. Maybe… this was a golden opportunity.

Violet had probably come up with the idea of marriage as a way to escape from Baron Zerotta. And the man standing right in front of her at this very moment was none other than Aldrick. If he proposed to her now, she would have no choice but to accept. Whether she liked it or not.

He couldn’t deny it felt a bit cowardly, but the very notion that she might depend on another man had filled him with such displeasure that Aldrick found himself speaking before he knew it.

“Violet, if that’s what you’re thinking, then why not just marry me instead?”

It was a proposal with none of the flair or romance he had dreamed of.

Despite the awkwardness, it was an incredibly nerve-wracking moment. Aldrick tried to steady the feeling that his heart might leap from his chest as he waited for Violet’s reply.

“What did you say?”

Violet frowned in confusion at the unexpected words.

“I mean… What about me, as your suitable match?”

“What do you mean… you’re just…”

She looked up at him again. For some reason, those dark green eyes staring at her so earnestly made her heart feel restless.

That face—bringing it up like this was cheating.

His still-boyish, soft features looked like something out of a myth. A beautiful youth. But of course, she couldn’t say something like that. That kind of thought was far too inappropriate.

“You’re just… you’re Aldrick.”

Wiping his hands on a damp cloth, Aldrick let out a small sigh and sat down across from her. He looked like he was about to say something serious.

“Violet… the truth is, the reason I pushed myself to come back to Wölze was because I had something I needed to tell you.”

“Something to tell me?”

“Yeah. Something I had to say to you… So, uh… I want to marry you. It’s true that I need to get married in order to go to war, but that’s not the only reason…”

Seeing Violet silently listening to him made Aldrick even more nervous.

Stammering through this clumsy, unpolished confession, he felt like an idiot. And as she watched him hesitate and struggle to explain, Violet seemed to misunderstand something.

“Oh, so… you’re asking me to marry you so you can go to war?”

Pleased at her own sharp insight, Violet smiled and asked back.

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

He quickly tried to correct the misunderstanding, but in the moment that he hesitated, it was already too late. Aldrick had slipped out of her focus.

Violet was simply thrilled that there was actually something she could do to help him. She had already been feeling bad about showing weakness to someone as young as Aldrick, and now that she could be useful in some way, she was genuinely relieved.

Even if it was just a sham marriage, this union would give Violet a few years to become independent, and Aldrick would be able to go to the war he so desperately wished for.

Though she still didn’t like the idea of him heading into such a dangerous battlefield…

“If I can be of help to you, I’d be really happy. I guess if I go to the capital with you, I should start looking for some decent work. But… you’re still set on going to war? You wouldn’t be able to go without marrying me anyway, right…?”

“No, the captain said I could even buy a bride if I had to, as long as I came back with a marriage certificate. One way or another, I’m going.”

Though he answered her question directly, Aldrick felt a tightness in his chest, realizing that she had misunderstood his proposal as one made purely out of necessity.

“Violet, that’s not what matters. I like you. A lot. The reason I wanted to marry you was because I lov—”

“I know. I really like you too, Aldrick.”

Her casual response made Aldrick’s heart drop.

“Of course I like you! After all, I’m the one who raised you!”