Chapter 13

Klen gently wrinkled his nose and just swallowed his wine.

“Request……”

Though Klen might have been formal, Lavian, whose mind was quite complicated, took it quite seriously.

Lavian took a deep breath to respond to him.

‘Is it now.’

It seemed like the right time to do what her mother had instructed.

She gulped down some wine to steel her resolve.

It was barely a sip, but she was trying to borrow some courage from the alcohol.

Klen chuckled at her glass that had hardly diminished.

‘She can be quite adorable too.’

Klen stared at Lavian’s moving lips with a disinterested expression devoid of emotion. The wine left traces on her fidgeting lips, making them appear even redder. He stared blankly at her crimson lips, raised his eyebrows slightly, then looked away.

“I have something to tell you.”

Lavian, not even noticing his gaze, only gripped her wine glass tighter. Klen immediately noticed her sudden tension and watched her with cold, gleaming eyes.

He was even looking forward to what words would come from those refined lips.

Lavian tried hard to appear bold, deliberately raising her head and pretending to be confident. Toward her, who had instantly armed herself with solemnity, Klen gestured with his chin as if to say, go ahead and try.

“Though I’ll be diligent as your wife, I won’t be able to satisfy you in bed because I lack experience.”

“That’s a fact I already know.”

Though it was a statement Lavian had struggled to make, Klen’s response was indifferent. It was as if he had expected something grand but got something trivial instead.

But his response crushed her heart.

She had guessed he wouldn’t be unaware, but judging from his reaction, she was horrified to imagine how harshly her father must have discussed her while negotiating the deal.

With that thought, Lavian no longer felt particularly embarrassed about what she was about to say. She thought perhaps she didn’t need to pretend to be confident after all.

“Then it will be easier to tell you. If you want someone skilled in these matters, you may have one.”

“These matters?”

“Bed matters.”

Klen had asked just in case, but the answer was as expected. He let out an incredulous laugh, emptied the crimson wine completely, and refilled his glass.

“But since I’m not like my mother, I cannot tolerate a mistress who maintains a continuous relationship with illegitimate children.”

Lavian slightly raised her chin, met his blue eyes, and flashed quite a determined gaze.

It was completely different from the look in her eyes when she was expressing gratitude.

Her gaze even carried emotions close to contempt.

“Do you know what you’re saying?”

“Of course.”

“Are you telling me to have affairs or not to? Could you at least make your words consistent?”

“I mean I understand simple physical needs. Just be careful with mistresses and children.”

“Hey.”

Though her clenched hand trembled slightly, Lavian’s expression was so calm it was almost cold. Staring at her face, he shook his head as if she was hopeless and continued.

“Is that how it is in your noble world?”

“What……”

“Telling your husband to sleep with other women. Oh, is it customary to keep lovers separately? Why? So you can meet other men too?”

Klen frowned fiercely as if finding it absurd, then twisted his lips as his face hardened coldly.

Lavian, completely unprepared for his reaction, just swallowed hard and tried to compose her trembling insides while hiding her confusion.

‘I heard he has several partners…… why is he reacting like this?’

Lavian felt slightly confused. Then she reasoned that despite him saying not to misunderstand, perhaps he still intended to be faithful in their marriage.

‘Ah, he did say he doesn’t want rumors. But once he gets what he wants and life becomes stable……’

But what kind of world had she lived in?

Lavian recalled the two mistresses of her father living in the annex of the residence. Two women much younger and more beautiful than her father.

The one who brought them in was Countess Elder. To keep them completely under her control.

Lavian soon exhaled a long sigh of resignation, lowered her gaze, and replied.

“It’s not easy for me to say this. In fact, I don’t really want to. But my father brought in two mistresses.”

“To have a son.”

“Yes, though he failed. So perhaps there might be a few more mistresses. It’s a common occurrence around us.”

Lavian felt that she was revealing many of her flaws to Klen. But what could she do? It wasn’t a pretty beginning like a flower garden from the start.

“Moreover, I won’t be skilled in that area. And you told me that’s what a deal is. I thought I should concede one thing.”

The person who most clearly reminded her that this marriage was a deal was Klen, and the person who taught her that deals involve give and take was also Klen.

She was just trying to do as she had learned, but something seemed wrong. Lavian’s legs under her robe trembled finely, just like that day.

She had to tense her entire body to avoid showing it.

“Quite the model student. So you’ll concede one thing to gain another?”

Regardless of how she felt inside, Klen lowered his head and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips at her calm response. His expression couldn’t be fully read because of his lowered head and large hand.

Lavian moistened her increasingly dry mouth with wine and calmly said.

“It’s because of my incompetence. I’ve heard that’s an important issue in marital relationships. If you happen to have a regular lover……”

“Are you planning to kill them or something?”

Clear sarcasm leaked from him.

“I wouldn’t…… do such a thing.”

Lavian immediately denied it without pointing out his attitude.

What kind of person was she? Unless her pride was touched, she would rather empty her emotions completely than fill them to overflowing.

Such a person wouldn’t threaten to kill her husband’s mistress. She would probably choose to destroy herself rather than become vulgar.

“Please make sure to use protection with your partner. I really don’t want illegitimate children. And please don’t let others discover your mistress.”

Klen smiled with interest, raising just one corner of his mouth. He wondered what was happening in that small head of hers.

“But you know what? What does it matter to you whether I keep a mistress or create a harem?”

“……”

Lavian was struck speechless by his prickly question.

“Just be faithful to our roles…… Wait. Don’t tell me you’re serious about this marriage?”

His incredulous gaze shifted to Lavian’s fair cheek.

Under his piercing gaze, it became too difficult for her to pretend to be calm. It sounded like even though they were bound by ‘marriage,’ they could never become a true ‘couple.’

Lavian finally realized.

‘Ah, so that’s what he meant by not misunderstanding. That we are a married couple but can never truly be one, that I shouldn’t attach any feelings.’

Having gained this bitter realization, Lavian took a small deep breath and spoke bluntly, almost cruelly.

“I’m saying this because the prejudice people have against you will be unavoidable.”

“Prejudice?”

Klen’s expression instantly turned grim as he repeated that single word. But in just a moment, he quickly returned to normal, so fast that one wouldn’t know his face had contorted with hostility.

“In this world, it’s such a common thing that people would overlook a man doing that, but for you…… ‘origins can’t be helped,’ they’ll quickly spread rumors that you’re a womanizer.”

Klen seemed to have confirmed how she viewed him.

Along with the fact that Lavian was a predictable, boring aristocrat who didn’t deviate from expectations at all.

Wasn’t it their specialty to mock others while maintaining appearances, upholding dignity, and pretending to be formal and courteous?

‘As expected, she’s no different.’

He downed the wine he had poured in one go.

Roughly putting down the empty glass, he watched Lavian like a hungry predator.

His cold, sharp eyes flashed.

“Ah, I will absolutely never take anyone other than you. As for children…… I’ll try my best. So please listen to my request, or rather, my plea.”

Lavian felt she had said everything she needed to say, and now she just needed to get a definite answer. She relaxed her shoulders that had been tense all along and raised her gaze.

Meeting her gaze, Klen couldn’t help but laugh.

‘I want to remain noble forever, so you go ahead and play around promiscuously. I don’t want to be involved, is that it? Perfect until the end, truly.’

Even drawing a line that they were different kinds of people was truly aristocratic, wasn’t it?

He even felt as if the filth of this deal called marriage had only stained him. But Klen completely concealed these feelings, instantly hiding his fierce demeanor, and replied.

Not wanting to see any more of her pretentious behavior, he intended to give a hasty, perfunctory answer and dismiss the topic.

“Since it’s also for my benefit, alright. I promise.”

Klen responded quite readily, or rather, very perfunctorily, shrugging his shoulders.

Though Lavian felt relieved that she had completed her task, one part of her heart felt uncomfortable. She gently rubbed her chest with her hand. Her chest felt heavy, as if a stone had been placed on it.

Lavian sighed softly, trying somehow to release this feeling.

“And about the child.”

“Yes.”

“When did I ever say I wanted a child? It shouldn’t be in the contract, right?”

“Ah……”

Her fair face went blank. Then her cheeks quickly turned red.

“Well, if you want to have one, I’ll consider it.”

Klen said as if being generous. Lavian felt the heat growing even more.

“The… child can wait. Anyway, thank you for listening.”

Lavian, wanting to quickly wrap up this topic, glossed over it and gave a light bow.

“No need to thank me. Let’s deceive the world well from now on.”

“I may be lacking, but I’ll try.”

Lavian had worried about what if Klen persistently questioned the child issue, but fortunately, he let it pass. She readily agreed with him and displayed a humble yet awkward smile.

Though something felt off, at least he had accepted it, so it was fine.

“Then, let’s start with what we need to do tonight.”

Klen approached her with a meaningful smile.