How the Male Lead Cures the Time-Limited Young Lady - Chapter 2.5

“Is my part done for now?”

“Yes. I think we can stop here for today.”

Yvette nodded.

She felt much better than before, suggesting that the physical contact with him had an effect.

“Well then, I suppose it’s time for me to state my wish.”

Noel leaned back in his chair with a relaxed expression.

In contrast, Yvette tensed up as soon as she heard the word ‘wish’.

Although she had agreed to grant anything, she was actually a bit anxious.

Realistically speaking, there wasn’t much that Noel could want from her.

‘Still, he’s the male lead. He wouldn’t ask for anything unreasonable, right?’

As Yvette waited with a nervous heart, Noel finally spoke.

“I’ve been thinking, and there seems to be only one wish that would benefit me.”

“…What is it?”

Yvette asked, swallowing hard. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of wish would come out of his mouth.

Noel observed Yvette’s expression, then smiled slightly.

“For the time being, I want you to be my fiancée.”

“…Pardon?”

Suddenly asking her to become his fiancée.

Yvette faced Noel with a blank expression.

Unlike her, who was in a daze, Noel’s expression was full of composure.

“I don’t think it’s a difficult condition. Don’t you agree?”

At his question, Yvette slowly shook her head. Then she asked straightforwardly.

“Are you, by any chance, crazy?”

At her blunt expression, Noel narrowed his eyes.

“…Why do you think that?”

“If not for that, there’s no way you’d suddenly talk about getting engaged like this.”

As Yvette muttered with a serious expression, Noel answered earnestly.

“I’m sorry, but my mind is perfectly sound.”

“Then you’re really asking me to be your fiancée?”

If he had said he was crazy, she would have understood.

But to think that this was said in his right mind.

Yvette seriously wondered if she might be dreaming.

‘…Surely, he didn’t fall in love with me at first sight or something?’

She thought it was suspicious from the moment he immediately jumped at the suggestion of skinship.

Yvette looked at Noel with eyes full of suspicion.

As if reading her thoughts, Noel continued speaking.

“I hope you don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean I actually want to get engaged to you.”

As he drew a firm line, Yvette, feeling embarrassed, slightly averted her gaze.

She felt a little ashamed for getting excited on her own, even if just for a moment.

“You should have said that from the beginning. I was shocked thinking you were proposing to me.”

“I said ‘for the time being’ from the start. Isn’t it you who misunderstood on your own?”

Noel shamelessly raised both hands as if it wasn’t his fault.

Soon, his expression turned mischievous.

“Or perhaps, did you hope it was real?”

“No way. There’s no way I would hope for something like that.”

Yvette, feeling caught out, cut off his words sharply.

“Anyway, please explain properly. What exactly do you want me to do?”

“It’s nothing difficult. Just pretend to be my fiancée in official settings.”

“…Why do you suddenly need a fiancée?”

“Recently, there have been many people bothering me about marriage issues.”

Noel spoke while slowly crossing his legs.

His relaxed posture in the chair felt just like a languid predator.

Yvette pretended not to notice but observed his appearance from the corner of her eye.

Is it because he’s the male lead?

Somehow, each of his actions seemed to captivate one’s gaze.

Just looking at that appearance, she could understand why people were bothering him.

“…So, I just need to act as Noel’s fiancée in front of other people, right?”

“That’s right.”

Yvette pondered for a moment.

In any case, she was in a position where she had to meet Noel regularly because of the curse.

With the excuse of being fiancées, it would be much easier to meet him.

‘Since I have no intention of getting married anyway, I don’t need to worry about rumors.’

Objectively thinking, it was a condition where she had nothing to lose.

Finally making up her mind, Yvette opened her mouth.

“I’ll do it, that engagement.”

“Then, the contract is established.”

Noel nodded with a grin.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?”

“The duration, how long are you thinking? We can’t pretend to be engaged forever, right?”

“For now, about a year. After that, it would be best to decide based on the situation.”

A year.

Yvette clenched her fist under the blanket.

‘Within that year, I need to find a way to break the curse somehow.’

You never know when Noel might change his mind and turn away.

So she had to escape from this curse as quickly as possible.

“Since it’s come to this, how about we draw up a contract? I think that would be cleaner for both of us.”

Yvette suggested casually while observing Noel’s expression.

As the saying goes, one should always be thoroughly prepared.

With just a verbal agreement like this, she couldn’t feel at ease.

“That sounds good.”

Noel nodded.

“Let’s adjust the details when we meet next time.”

“Why not do it now?”

To Yvette’s question, Noel answered nonchalantly.

“I came out in the middle of work, so I need to go back.”

“Did I disturb you?”

“No. I was about to take a break anyway.”

Saying that Noel slowly rose from his seat.

“I’ve told the servants, so feel free to rest comfortably before you leave.”

“…Thank you.”

Yvette murmured, bowing her head deeply.

She felt sorry for causing him trouble in various ways.

“Well then, see you later.”

With those final words, Noel left the bedroom.

Yvette, with her tension released, finally buried her head in the pillow as if collapsing.

At this point, she didn’t know.

That this contract she had carelessly entered into would flow in a very different direction from her intentions.