The Perfect Bride - Chapter 46

‘That’s what people would call a proper couple. It’s what everyone wants.’

Watching the man and woman glide across the floor, Natalie admitted they truly were a perfect match.

The princess, both shy and dignified with a bright smile, was clearly a lovely woman, and the prince, leading the dance with a graceful smile, looked exactly like a prince out of a fairy tale.

A perfect man. A perfect prince. A perfect groom.

But that flawless prince, who was supposed to become king, would soon be left with a permanent stain.

The daughter of Baron Warfield—herself.

The fact that her very existence was nothing but a flaw wherever she went suddenly felt wretched.

She envied those two flawless people. Whether it was Ian or Sophia she envied, she wasn’t quite sure.

‘Why am I so upset?’

Stupid Natalie. Why are you feeling so miserable? Natalie asked herself.

Why else? Just thinking about the man who kept her around for her flaws made her blush in the face.

Her sense of humiliation only deepened.

‘Pathetic. There’s probably no fool more foolish than me.’

“Miss Daus, you need to get a hold of yourself.”

It was then that a sweet voice pierced sharply into her ear.

Apart from formal greetings, it was almost the first time Catherine had ever spoken to her. Natalie even wondered if she had misheard her and turned to look.

“Lady Horace, did you just say something to me?”

“You shouldn’t make that face. You’ll give yourself away.”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

Her lips curved into a gentle arc, but something about it looked twisted. Natalie had a bad feeling.

Catherine opened her fan wide and held it to her lips, then leaned in close to whisper in Natalie’s ear once more.

“What happens when a fake starts to feel real?”

That’s what Catherine’s lips said, hidden behind the fan.

In that moment, Natalie froze. She slowly turned her head and looked into Catherine’s eyes. The pale blue-gray eyes she once found mysterious were now dry, like they were looking at something pitiful.

Natalie’s heart began pounding violently.

‘Feelings that are real? Me?’

She admitted her heart beat for the prince. But this wasn’t like that… She wanted to deny it, but the shock rendered her speechless.

“Don’t worry. I’m a lot sharper than most people. The others won’t notice.”

Yet. Watching Natalie’s trembling dark brown eyes, Catherine whispered in her usual playful tone.

“You must know that such feelings will never be returned. Why act so foolishly?”

Of course, even without Catherine’s words, Natalie already knew.

“Don’t forget, Natalie. You’re only a one-year arrangement.”

How unfair. But Natalie had never once forgotten.

“If you forget your place, only you will end up miserable. Consider this advice for your own good.”

With that, Catherine lowered her fan, wearing a smile as if pretending to be friendly.

Natalie thought, This might be the most malicious advice I’ve ever received.

And then she realized. Catherine wasn’t indifferent to her—she’d been quietly watching all along.

‘Could she have told the prince, “The foolish baron’s daughter is harboring feelings for you”…?’

But she soon remembered that when the contract was first signed, the baron’s daughter’s feelings weren’t even a point of discussion.

There was no such childish clause like ‘Do not fall in love’ in the contract she signed.

In other words, the baron’s daughter’s feelings didn’t matter one bit in this whole scheme.

Whether she liked the prince or not wouldn’t change a thing. Natalie Daus’s feelings were so insignificant, they weren’t even worth mentioning.

And yet, images of Catherine openly showing interest in Ian came to mind—how she never hid her affection for him.

In this moment, Natalie found herself so envious of that boldness it was beyond words.

“…Yes. Thank you for the advice, Lady Horace.”

Right. I can’t. I need to know my place.

Natalie replied to Catherine, who was clearly just being spiteful. She focused carefully to keep her voice from shaking.

“I’ll take it to heart. But you know…”

She accepted her place, yes—but in her opinion, Catherine’s warning was simply territorial behavior.

Sure, the prince was amazing. But it wasn’t like she was expecting love. Couldn’t she at least feel a bit of excitement?

Was liking someone really that wrong?

So petty.

“Do my feelings even matter?”

Natalie began speaking quickly and softly—just loud enough for Catherine to hear.

“It doesn’t matter. Whether I love the prince or hate him, like you said, I’m just a one-year contract bride. My feelings won’t change my role.”

“……”

“Even if the fake grows real feelings—what does it matter?”

Even without being told by a perfect lady like Catherine, Natalie was painfully aware of just how insignificant she was today.

“I’ve never once forgotten my role, nor have I ever dared to hope for anything more, Lady Horace.”

In the end, Natalie’s voice shook. Her face twisted before she could stop it, the last of her pride crumbling.

Natalie added in a trembling voice, “That was rude. Please apologize.”

“I was rude just now, Miss Daus. I apologize.”

Catherine, who had only been blinking her large eyes, bowed her head without hesitation and apologized.

“My carelessness embarrasses me. Please forgive me.”

Her polite apology made Natalie feel even more wretched. And now a duchess bowing her head to a baron’s daughter caused a noticeable stir around them.

“…I’ll go find Mrs. Bate and rest in the lounge for a bit. Excuse me.”

Natalie felt a hint of regret, as if she’d asserted pride in vain. She made up an excuse and chose to leave.

As she walked away from the bustling ballroom, a few people seemed to try to approach her. A baron’s daughter without a duchess or the prince’s aide was easy prey.

But Natalie didn’t have the energy to pay attention to them.

‘I tried to stay calm. I tried to act like I was fine. Did I pull it off?’

With someone as sharp as Catherine, no matter how much she pretended to be composed, she’d likely seen right through her.

All the shame and confusion.

‘Ugh, I’m going to cry.’

What now? If anyone saw her crying, how many new rumors would that spark?

Forget the lounge—Natalie lowered her head and hurried off toward a place without people. Suddenly, she realized she’d been running away quite often lately.

She kept to the corridors without lamps and eventually came to a small side entrance.

“Ah…”

Natalie let out a short sigh as she stopped.

“…When did it start raining?”

Whoosh. It was strange she hadn’t noticed sooner—a torrential rain was pouring.

She carefully stepped toward the doorway and peeked outside. The crowd that had surrounded Itman Station had disappeared, likely driven off by the sudden downpour.

The rain fell as if it would never stop.

Standing beneath the arched awning of red brick, Natalie stared blankly at the soaked world beyond.

Cool wind blew raindrops onto her face. The whole world was hazy, and the faint yellow glow of the gas lamps lighting the street looked like bursts of fireworks.

Then she realized it wasn’t just the rain blurring her vision. She was crying.

Benjamin apologizing to her.

Catherine being cruel to her.

The two who looked so undeniably perfect together.

Everything just made her feel miserable.

Princess Sophia hadn’t done anything cruel, so she’d be spared for now—but everyone else deserved a smack on the forehead. Ian, for reasons she couldn’t explain, deserved two.

No, three.

“Natalie?”

She was tallying her frustrations like a scorecard when, shockingly, the prince’s voice called out to her.

Natalie shut her eyes tight, feeling something like despair.

Of all moments, why now? Three hits aren’t enough. You deserve ten.

‘Why are you so desperate to make my life miserable?’

Face still twisted, Natalie slowly turned around. Standing at the end of the corridor, silhouetted against the light, was Ian. The figure behind him was likely Marcus.

‘Ah, my face must be a mess.’

Only then did she remember she’d been bawling. Natalie took one, two steps back.

“What are you doing out here, Natalie? Come here.”

The prince took a step, then another, as he spoke. Natalie shook her head fiercely and held her palms up to him.

“J-just a moment! Stop! Don’t—don’t move from there!”

The last thing she wanted was for him to see her crying.

“What are you saying?”

But the prince kept striding forward through the dark corridor.

‘Oh God. That lunatic’s really coming!’

Just before their faces could come into clear view, Natalie let out a silent scream and spun around, bolting straight into the rain. “Miss Daus!” Marcus shouted behind her, but she didn’t care.

As soon as the awning disappeared above her, the cold rain drenched her head and washed over her tear-streaked face.

Having safely hidden her crying face, Natalie’s lashes trembled. She wouldn’t be able to return to the ballroom like this.

In the end, she couldn’t even fulfill her one role.

Ah, today was truly a wretched day.

As she slowly turned around, she saw, through the blur, the prince standing frozen in place, looking startled.

“Don’t come! You’ll get soaked!” Natalie shouted at him. Her voice was muffled by the roar of the rain.

Even if the baron’s daughter didn’t matter, the prince needed to go back to that shining world. Today was a very important day for the Duke of Valderma.

But the prince had a streak of madness she hadn’t accounted for. Though he paused for a moment, he suddenly resumed walking with long strides. Marcus had no time to stop him.

Just like Natalie, Ian plunged into the rain without hesitation and stopped in front of her.

Natalie looked up at him in astonishment.