I Ended Up in a Shotgun Marriage with the Male Lead

Chapter 5

“The money I’ve spent on you all these years. Give it back.”

“Hah!”

Cedric let out a disbelieving laugh.

“So you’re really that materialistic?”

He looked at her with undisguised contempt.

“Materialistic?”

For a moment, Emilia was speechless at the ridiculous accusation.

“That’s right. I am materialistic.”

“So give me my money back.”

She stubbornly held out her hand.

“Since it seems you never even considered me your fiancée, I think I deserve to be paid for all the work I did for your family.”

Of course, she had never done those things expecting compensation.

But now that everything had come to this…

She felt she might as well recover what she could.

“W-What are you talking about?!”

Cedric fumed when she refused to back down.

But Emilia had no intention of arguing with him any longer.

“If you’re not going to hand it over yourself, then move.”

She picked up her suitcase and walked straight inside.

“Hey!”

Cedric, who had been leaning against the doorway, stumbled backward after being bumped by the suitcase and nearly fell.

Inside stood a startled Raina.

Emilia glanced at her briefly before walking deeper into the house.

She threw open the doors of an expensive display cabinet and laid her suitcase open on the floor.

Crash.

Without the slightest hesitation, Emilia swept everything valuable from the cabinet into the suitcase.

Several ornaments fell onto the floor with loud crashes.

Just then, Cedric stormed into the room.

“Hey!”

“I’m busy. Don’t talk to me.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Cedric grabbed Emilia’s arm roughly and yanked her to her feet.

Crash!

Something else fell to the floor, and the sound of shattering glass filled the room.

“What? What’s your problem?”

“You wouldn’t give me what you owed me, so I’m taking it myself.”

Emilia shook off his grip.

When she looked back into the cabinet…

A wave of sadness washed over her.

There had always been quite a few valuable possessions in this house.

Even after the family had gone bankrupt, they had guarded them like treasured heirlooms instead of selling them.

Why?

Because it was easier to keep spending her money instead.

“Have you completely lost your mind?! You’re nothing but a thief!”

Smack!

Unable to contain his anger, Cedric struck Emilia hard across the face.

“Ah!”

Her head snapped to the side, and she collapsed onto the floor.

Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Romans rushed out of her room.

“What is all this noise?!”

She gasped at the disastrous state of the house before hurrying to the display cabinet.

“Oh no! These precious things!”

She stared helplessly at the shattered ornaments scattered across the floor.

“Raina.”

“Y-Yes?”

Raina, who had been frozen in shock, flinched when Emilia called her name.

“Do you really think you’ll be happy?”

Emilia quietly looked at her.

“With a man who hits women whenever he gets angry…”

“And a mother-in-law who doesn’t care whether her son beats women or not.”

“W-Well…”

“You’ll regret it.”

At those words, uncertainty flickered across Raina’s face.

But Emilia soon looked away.

As she pushed herself to her feet, the cheek he’d struck throbbed painfully.

He really hit me hard…

Despite everything she’d said…

She had never imagined Cedric would actually hit her.

They’d argued before.

But he’d never once laid a hand on her.

I’ve certainly learned a lot about him these past few days.

A bitter feeling settled inside her.

Just then, Mrs. Romans spun around.

Crunch.

The shattered ornaments cracked beneath her feet.

“Emilia! What did you just say?!”

Apparently she’d only reacted because Emilia had insulted her and her precious son.

Emilia ignored her completely.

Instead, she closed the now-full suitcase and locked it.

Click.

“Are you ignoring me?!”

“No.”

Emilia turned to face her.

“I heard you perfectly well.”

“But since you also seemed to hear what I said…”

“I don’t see any reason to repeat myself.”

“W-Why, you…!”

Breathing heavily with rage, Mrs. Romans stormed toward Emilia.

But she stepped on the broken fragments and slipped.

“Oh!”

“Mother!”

“Mrs. Romans! Are you all right?”

Cedric and Raina hurried over and helped her up.

Watching the scene indifferently, Emilia spoke to Raina.

“It must be exhausting…”

“Taking care of this family while you’re pregnant.”

…And thank you.

For making sure I never became part of this family.

“W-What?!”

Mrs. Romans was too stunned by Emilia’s audacity to respond.

Meanwhile…

Emilia walked out of the house without the slightest hesitation.

The wheels of her suitcase rattled loudly as they bumped over the doorstep.

“That little—! What nonsense is she talking about?!”

Mrs. Romans screamed as she grabbed whatever objects were within reach and hurled them after Emilia.

None of them even came close.

* * *

After Emilia left—

“Hah! Honestly!”

Mrs. Romans spun around in exasperation.

Seeing the wrecked house only made her angrier.

“Cedric! Did you hear the way she talked? How can someone be so arrogant?!”

“Exactly.”

Cedric scoffed.

“She acted like she was better than everyone else right until the very end.”

“I must’ve been out of my mind to think about making a girl like that my daughter-in-law.”

The truth was…

It had been Mrs. Romans who pushed Emilia toward Cedric in the first place.

Once Cedric reached marriageable age, she’d become increasingly worried.

No noble lady wanted to marry into a ruined family.

So she had chosen Emilia—

The prettiest and smartest girl in the village—

And paired her with Cedric.

Of course…

She had never truly been satisfied.

Naturally.

No matter how pretty or clever Emilia was…

She was still nothing more than a common girl with no parents.

What was I thinking?

If she’d known Cedric would bring home such a perfect bride on his own…

She never would’ve rushed into arranging that engagement.

Still, it’s for the best that she left on her own.

Although…

The way she’d turned both their home and their lives upside down before leaving still infuriated her.

Mrs. Romans looked at Raina with satisfaction.

Just as expected of a count’s daughter.

She carried herself with effortless grace.

Simply standing there made her seem refined.

She was fundamentally different from someone like Emilia.

She’s exactly the kind of woman my son deserves.

Softening the harsh expression on her face, Mrs. Romans smiled warmly.

“I’m so grateful a girl like you came into Cedric’s life.”

“We almost ended up bringing that vicious woman into this family.”

“Ah… Yes…”

“And to think you’ve even blessed us with a child.”

But Mrs. Romans failed to notice that Raina’s expression was no longer the same as before.

“You’ll regret it.”

Raina’s hand trembled as she tightly clutched her clothes.

The image of Emilia’s back as she walked away without looking back lingered in her mind.

Along with those words…

Words spoken with such certainty…

They no longer sounded like a curse at all.