The Substitute Bride Is Adored by the Clumsy Margrave

Chapter 20

‘This woman is so stupid, it’s beyond redemption…’

 How can a marriage contract between two families be swapped at the sole discretion of the parties involved? 

Furthermore, Jean’s and Clarisse’s engagement and marriage were arranged under the king’s authority. He was sure the Viscount had already told her that the king had already given his blessing to their marriage. 

Did she think she could be forgiven after disobeying the king’s order? 

 From what Clarisse had told him, he had already known that Matilda seemed to have no trouble saying and doing things like this without thinking twice, but he had never imagined that she would actually do something like this in front of guests… 

Did she seriously think that Jean would be grateful and happy if she appeared wearing her sister’s engagement ring? She is entirely out of her mind. She was a woman who lacked common sense, intelligence and interpreted everything in a way that only suits her.

Jean wanted to show the Viscount’s family, who had not cared for Clarisse since she was a child, that he needed her, so he wanted her to wear the engagement ring when they came to visit.

 However, according to what Mary had told him privately, Matilda was extremely displeased with Clarisse dressing up and being beautiful, so if Clarisse were to wear an engagement ring, he thought she would definitely take action and try to get it somehow.

 So after much thought, he decided to use an artificial stone for the ring. If it was a real jewel and Matilda had taken it, Jean would have not minded retrieving it by force, but he thought that Clarisse wouldn’t like that, so at least there was this alternative plan.

When he mentioned his plan softly to Clarisse, she agreed that Matilda would want the ring and accepted to wear the artificial ring. For the record, the gemstone in the necklace he gave Clarisse this morning was a real violet sapphire; unlike the ring, if she wanted to take the necklace, she would need to use significant force to pull it off, so he thought it would be okay.

However, even though he had expected it, seeing the woman actually wearing the ring he had put on Clarisse this morning as if it were a matter of course, made Jean furious. This must be the same way she took everything from Clarisse. 

If it weren’t for the fact that she was still Clarisse’s sister, he would have taken the ring right away, without any hesitation. This woman does not deserve even an artificial jewel.

“Wh- What are you saying! You’re going to marry Lord Gregory! Didn’t you agree to get engaged to him in the first place because it was a better arrangement than the Margrave?!”

‘And there he slips with his tongue…Let it be the daughter or father. Both parent and child are stupid.’

Jean looked at Viscount Farenheit and his daughter with a cold gaze; however, even the Viscount seemed to be stunned by his eldest daughter’s behavior; meanwhile, the Viscountess remained motionless and silent.

“Lord Gregory is not as tall as Lord Siegfried, nor does he have silver hair or golden eyes. In that household, I don’t think I could spend money so freely.”

Matilda muttered as she admired the violet ring.

She didn’t like the fact that it was the same color as Clarisse’s eyes, but she’ll soon make him buy her a blue ring, the same color as her own, then this ring will be useless, and she can simply throw it away.

Matilda had the illusion that she was the one to make the choice. If she wished for it, there was no doubt in her mind that the Margrave would choose her instead of Clarisse.

But her father, who was listening to everything she had to say, shook his head.

“Matilda, this is impossible. I’ve already made preparations for the engagement, and we can’t just ignore our promise to the other party. Let alone the fact that they come from a Marquis family.”

She made a face as if to say, ‘What are you talking about?’ and proceeded to give her father a solution.

“So why don’t you offer him Clarisse? He may not be satisfied with Clarisse as my replacement, but if he doesn’t like it, you can break off the engagement to Lord Gregory.”

As she said that, she turned around and looked at Jean with a flirtatious look in her eyes.

“Lord Siegfried, you’ll take me back instead of Clarisse, won’t you? Didn’t you want the Farenheit Jewel, Lord Siegfried? Did you not know? Perhaps Clarisse lied to you about it, but I am the one who is called the Jewel of Farenheit.”

Jean looked at the girl in front of her with a blank expression.

Clarisse asked Jean in the morning, “I don’t care what you say to my family, Jean-sama, but please don’t hurt them if you can.” Surprised, he asked her if she was sure she wanted that. 

“I’m not trying to act like a maiden, but I’m happy being with you, and I don’t want my family to be hurt or unhappy because of me.” It was a typical answer from Clarisse, who had been mistreated by her family for a long time.

It’s hard to believe that Clarisse, who is thoughtful, kind, and strong-minded, was the sister of Matilda, who was self-centered, short-tempered, and just plain greedy. And, quite unbelievably, it was this wasteland called Farenheit that gave birth to the magnificent flower that is Clarisse.

But Jean is Jean.

He had no intention of being as gentle with this family as he is with Clarisse. If Clarisse were here right now, she would need to hit Jean to bring him back to his senses, but even that wouldn’t stop him, especially if they mistreated his precious Clarisse like this.

The scene he had seen a year ago flashed through his mind.

When Jean’s brow wrinkled in annoyance, the temperature around him dropped quickly.

“My fiancée is Clarisse.”

Suddenly, a blank expression appeared on Matilda’s face.

“No matter how much money is offered, if it is anyone other than Clarisse, I will decline. However, if you are in such dire straits that you have been promised financial support from the Marquis of McCain in return for his engagement to Miss Farenheit, I’ll let you know that you won’t receive a fraction of that from me.”

Jean stared at the Viscount with his piercing golden eyes; the Viscount sat behind Matilda, his mouth agape. On the other hand, Matilda was so angry at the rejection that she didn’t seem to exactly understand what Jean was saying, but she shouted in disbelief.

“Wh-..!! You’re nothing but a little good-looking, man-eating Margrave…! I’m the Jewel of Farenheit, the most famous lady in the royal capital! Everyone knows me…”

“Isn’t it improper for you to call yourself the ‘Jewel of Farenheit’ when your father is not even the Viscount of Farenheit?”

Jean threw the bomb quietly, and the room became tense as though it were hanging by a thread.

Matilda’s face instantly turned pale, and she looked back at the Viscount, who had also turned pale. Whether Matilda knew the secret of her birth or not, it did not matter.

“I’m not sure if Miss Farenheit is qualified to call herself the daughter of this family. But I definitely won’t be returning Clarisse. Well, I think it’s time for me to take the Gutenberg Jewel back home with me. You have no objection, right?”

The Viscount, who had suddenly aged ten years, nodded as he weakly slumped down.

It was time to get out of this unpleasant house. Jean stood up from the sofa and held out his hand in front of Matilda, who was sitting on the floor in a daze.

“Miss Farenheit, you have no right to even touch that ring. I will have it returned to my fiancée.”