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Chapter 48

"Emilia?"

Ivan looked up at her with tearful eyes.

"Th-then, Ivan, wait a moment."

Emilia immediately dashed out of the room.

She headed straight to the library and stood before the shelves containing the legal codes.

She found the most recently published edition.

Emilia pulled out the thick volume with effort.

She knelt down and began flipping through it rapidly.

The page should be around here.

Her eyes moved swiftly as the pages turned.

Then her hand stopped.

"Ow."

Frowning, Emilia looked at her index finger.

It had been cut by the paper and was bleeding.

But she roughly wiped the blood on her clothes and continued turning the pages.

Flip, flip.

"Marriage law..."

Fresh bloodstains seeped into the paper, but she had no time to care.

After a moment, Emilia's eyes went wide.

"I found it!"

It was the exact clause she'd vaguely remembered.

Clutching the legal code to her chest, Emilia hurried to Kayden's study.

---

Knock, knock, knock.

Emilia knocked on the study door and waited anxiously for a reply.

"Who is it?"

Soon, the butler's voice came from inside.

"It's Emilia. I have something urgent to tell His Grace."

"Come in."

This time it was Kayden.

At his permission, Emilia opened the door and entered.

Kayden was standing at his desk, a map spread out before him.

He turned to look at her.

They must have been discussing where to hide Ivan.

"What is it?"

His voice was sharper than usual.

Emilia quickly approached him.

"Your Grace, may I have a word?"

"A word?"

"Yes. There's a way to prevent Ivan from being taken by the Empress right now."

At her words, Kayden's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"What is it?"

But the moment their eyes met, Emilia hesitated.

She felt that what she was about to say was absurd.

"Well, that is..."

But thinking of Ivan, who was crying in his room, she pressed on.

"Would you consider getting married?"

"Suddenly—"

As expected, astonishment flickered across his face.

"Did you just say marriage?"

Kayden repeated, as if to confirm what he'd heard. His voice was incredulous.

Emilia squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and nodded.

"Yes."

Since she'd anticipated this reaction, she quickly continued.

"And immediately name Ivan as your official heir."

"Official heir? Surely you don't mean..."

Kayden's brow furrowed as he trailed off, realizing something.

Seeing that he'd caught on, Emilia nodded.

The reason the Empress wanted to acknowledge Ivan as a prince was to become his legal guardian and control his fate.

Then the only way to prevent Ivan from being taken is to—

Create a situation that takes precedence over that.

For example, making Ivan the heir to the House of Valen.

If Ivan became the official heir of the ducal house, the Empress could not touch him.

Even if Ivan's status as the Emperor's illegitimate child were revealed.

While a title's succession required imperial approval, the designation of an official heir could be decided by the house itself.

There were even established legal provisions to prevent confusion in succession matters.

"Of course, Your Grace can't name Ivan as your official heir right now."

Because there was one condition that had to be met when designating a legally valid heir.

That an official heir could only be named in a complete state.

And in the Empire, being unmarried was considered incomplete.

Yes—Kayden was currently unmarried.

"So, if you just get married... you can protect Ivan safely."

But Kayden gave no answer.

That was only natural. No matter how much it was for Ivan's protection, such a significant decision as marriage couldn't be made on the spot.

So Emilia quickly placed the legal code she'd brought on the desk.

She opened it to the page she'd checked earlier.

"Do you see this clause?"

She pointed to a passage written in small print.

Unlike the rest, it was written in gray, smaller letters.

It was a clause related to "marriage annulment" within the marriage law.

In noble society, marriage had long been treated as a form of business.

But sometimes things didn't go according to parental wishes.

For instance, when children defied their parents and secretly filed for marriage with someone far below their standards.

To prevent this, the nobles had jointly created the "Marriage Suspension Clause."

If a noble married someone not officially registered into a noble house, a six-month suspension period was applied.

There were indeed cases where marriages had been annulled due to this.

"Of course, finding a suitable partner might be difficult—but if you made a deal with an illegitimate noble lady..."

Emilia anxiously studied his expression.

But Kayden only silently stared at the text she'd pointed to.

Was this too much to ask after all?

She'd thought this clause might help ease the burden a little.

In fact, this clause had come to mind because of Reina.

In the original story, Kayden had entered a contract engagement with her—so perhaps marriage could be used as a tool.

But maybe a marriage, as opposed to an engagement, was different.

She could sense his hesitation.

Just then, Kayden, who had been looking down, spoke.

"...So you're telling me to enter a sham marriage? With another woman."

"Yes, that's right!"

Emilia's expression brightened slightly as she nodded quickly.

Hearing him say "sham marriage" meant he fully understood her intention.

She felt a flicker of hope.

But then Kayden asked an unexpected question.

"Does it have to be an illegitimate noble lady?"

"Huh?"

Emilia looked up at him, bewildered.

At the same time, she met his deep, dark eyes.

Flustered for a moment, she blinked, then lowered her gaze and spoke.

"Ah, well, if you're considering annulling the marriage, an illegitimate status would be advantageous... I mean, of course, if there's someone you love, you could just marry her, b-but..."

Emilia found herself rambling a little, but quickly answered his question.

Just then, Kayden's low voice came.

"If not, then you."

The moment Emilia looked up and met his eyes again—

"Will you be my marriage partner?"

"...Pardon?"

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