Chapter 88

How to Tame My Beastly Husband — Chapter 88. Interruption (1)

Why would Annette kidnap her if there was nothing to be gained? And why would she be so foolish as to have her personal coachman do it? It made no sense. If Celestine had been in Annette’s position, she would have hired mercenaries to do it instead, so nothing would link her to the crime.

It didn’t add up.

At first, when Annette had slipped into the temple to see her, Celestine had refused to believe her. It was too much, to have this woman stalking her. But once she had cooled off, she thought about what Annette had said. It made sense.

Later, Celestine had realized she was halfway persuaded.

Maybe Annette really wasn’t to blame.

In that moment, it was as if she had glimpsed the shadow of some giant, holding both herself and Annette in the palm of his hand. It wasn’t clear what this person would gain from the incident, but they had ruined the lives of two women in the process.

And Celestine was a proud woman, who couldn’t endure the thought that her life and her future were being manipulated by someone else. Though she had become the Crown Princess when she knew even in her next life she should have had no hope, it only happened because Annette was falsely accused.

In a competition, one must first closely observe the opponent. Celestine understood her own position well. She was already at a disadvantage when the Crown Prince was already devoted to Annette. Her own chances were nonexistent.

So Celestine had given up any thoughts of becoming Crown Princess herself. She had been satisfied to take advantage of the attention her nomination brought, which would win her a good husband in the future. It was a realistic goal when she knew she had no chance of surpassing Annette.

I can’t believe Annette is now Marquise Carnesis.

It made Celestine uncomfortable. To become a Marquise was a high status for any woman, but for Annette, the daughter of Duke Bavaria, it could not be considered a good match. Especially given the rumors about the Raphael, the King’s bastard.

Celestine had taken comfort in the thought that Annette had brought about her own downfall, but knowing that she too might have been a victim made her feel as if the world had turned upside down. She was in the position Annette was meant to occupy. It was as if they had called in someone off the street to stand in for a lady.

“Lady Annette, how…do you feel about it now?” She couldn’t help asking, surprising herself with the question. “Are you happy?”

“What?”

“Umm…I mean, is your husband treating you well?”

Annette’s eyes widened at the sudden question.

“Yes,” she said belatedly, with a soft smile. “He’s a good man, even if he is a little rough. He treats me well.”

She’s lying.

Annette was avoiding her gaze. She was a good liar, as might be expected from a member of the Bavaria family, and it was not a harmful lie, but a kindly one, to cover up her husband’s shortcomings. But not Celestine thought she understood Annette’s true feelings.

Celestine’s shoulders slumped with a sudden release of tension. She had had to be so cautious since she had been made the presumptive Crown Princess. But having talked to Annette, she could finally relax.

“That luminous power you showed that day,” Celestine said, touching the engagement ring on her finger. “Was it real? Tell me the truth.”

“No, I’m sorry. It was a trick,” Annette confessed sheepishly. “I did it so I could talk to you.”

Celestine should have been angry at the lie, but she was quite relieved. God was just. It would not have been right for an agnostic like Annette to have such power. Satisfied to have this mystery solved, she returned to her main point.

“Then if it wasn’t either of us who did it, who is to blame?”