Chapter 5

“Then, an escort…”

“Not necessary.”

Seth coldly cut off the words and began walking. Evelyn, who had been watching him cautiously, whispered to him.

“What about my younger brother?”

“He’s already been rescued and moved to another location.”

“He’s not hurt, is he? He’s safe?”

Seth’s eyebrows twitched, as if something about her question annoyed him, and he replied.

“Unlike you, he seems to have been eating and living well.”

“That’s a relief.”

Evelyn sighed in relief but then frowned as she noticed his gaze fixed on her.

“Um, could you not look at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Poking to see how I react, observing me, and then deciding ‘Oh, so this is how she is.’ It’s unsettling. If you’re curious about something, just ask.”

Seth blinked in surprise, as though the thought had never even occurred to him. His innocent expression made it look like she was falsely accusing him.

“You were observing my reaction when you said my brother was doing well, weren’t you? Yes, I like my brother. I hated the rest of my family, but he’s the one thing I wanted to protect. My brother is my weakness, and that’s true.”

“…”

Seth’s silence caused the atmosphere to grow heavy. Evelyn began to worry that she had gone too far. After all, this was the man who had saved her—did she really need to be so confrontational?

“I see. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

His low voice reached her, soothing her concerns. When Evelyn glanced at him, she saw Seth looking at her with gentle eyes. Embarrassed, she fidgeted with her hands.

“Sorry for speaking so rudely.”

“It wasn’t rude, so don’t worry. But I do have one question.”

“Yes?”

“Why do you keep calling me ‘you’?”

The sudden change in topic was one she had been dreading. Evelyn mumbled timidly.

“It seemed like you didn’t like being called ‘Lord Elmaier.’”

“Between the two, I dislike ‘you’ even more.”

“Then… ‘my lord’?”

“You’re not my knight.”

Flustered, Evelyn rolled her eyes. Her mind raced, but all she could think of were titles like “boss” or “teacher.”

“What should I call you, then?”

When she asked weakly, Seth replied playfully.

“Like earlier—‘darling,’ perhaps?”

“Ahh!”

Evelyn screamed reflexively. Calling her boss “darling” on her first day? She was sure to go down in history as a legendary rookie.

“T-that was a desperate situation…”

“It was quite an impressive title.”

“Can’t you just forget about it?”

She was tempted to knock him over the head to erase his memory.

As Evelyn flailed helplessly, Seth stared at her intently before speaking.

“Then how about calling me ‘husband’?”

“…What?”

“Evelyn Gran. I’d like to hire you to be my wife.”

Evelyn’s eyes widened as she stared at Seth. The man who had just dropped a bombshell on her was smiling as if he found her reaction amusing.

***

The large carriage moved through the streets without a single jolt. It felt as if it had been enchanted, like a mask that could change one’s hair color. But Evelyn was too dazed to appreciate it.

She couldn’t even remember how she’d made it to the carriage. She recalled disembarking from the ship, a carriage appearing out of nowhere, and Seth helping her into it. That was all.

Sitting across from her, Seth had removed his mask, revealing his original appearance: neatly combed silver hair, a cold yet elegant face, and a perfectly tailored, dignified outfit. He was flawless, without a single imperfection.

And yet, with that impeccable appearance, he had said something as ridiculous as ‘I’d like to hire you to be my wife.’ Evelyn felt betrayed somehow. Seth, noticing her sulky expression, spoke.

“There’s no need to be so scared. I’m not going to eat you.”

“This isn’t fear—it’s me wondering if you’ve lost your mind.”

She wanted to ask if he was insane, but since she was technically his employee, she held her tongue. Seth’s eyes curved into a smile at her response. His bright expression dampened her fighting spirit slightly.

“Was my proposal that strange?”

“Most people don’t ask someone to be their wife the first time they meet them.”

“Maybe it was love at first sight.”

If that were the case, he should at least have hearts in his eyes. Wasn’t this too halfhearted?

Evelyn glared at him, and Seth finally raised his hands in surrender.

“Fine, I’ll explain from the beginning.”

At last, Evelyn was able to hear the full story.

Seth, unusually for someone of his status, was a bachelor without even a fiancée. In noble society, where most people married in their late teens, this was highly unusual.

Still, he hadn’t faced much interference from his family, so it hadn’t been an issue. But suddenly, he found himself in a situation where he absolutely had to be a married man.

Seth’s superior had ordered him to either get married immediately or bring someone to act as his wife. And so, he was now looking for someone to play the role of his wife.

Evelyn was curious about why he suddenly needed to be married, but she doubted he would answer even if she asked. Instead, she focused on the practical aspects.

“So, you need someone to act as your wife? Not a real wife?”

“Exactly.”

His earlier words were not a proposal but an offer to hire her for the role of “wife.” Evelyn looked at him with a skeptical expression.

“You should thank your parents.”

“Why?”

“With a face like yours, you’d probably get slapped a lot if you weren’t so handsome.”

“….”

He should have just said he needed someone to play the role of his wife from the start. His earlier words were practically begging for a misunderstanding.

When Evelyn glared at him sulkily, Seth apologized sincerely.

“Sorry. I might have gone too far.”

“Since you probably just wanted to see my surprised face, I’ll forgive you.”

“….”

His lack of denial confirmed her suspicion. 

Wow, what a terrible personality he had.

“Why are you looking for a stand-in wife, anyway? Wouldn’t it be easier to just get married?”

With his wealth and good looks, finding a partner should be easy. Why go through the trouble of hiring someone? Seth shrugged at her question.

“I’m a lifelong bachelor.”

“Wait, what?”

“I used to walk the path of the priesthood. After my older brother, the heir, died, I left the order and returned to secular life, but I still don’t feel capable of living a normal family life.”

Evelyn, who had been reacting indifferently, was caught off guard by this revelation. Losing a family member and having to change his life path must have been incredibly difficult for him. She felt guilty for her earlier flippant response.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For reacting rudely. I thought it was just a typical playboy excuse.”

Seth looked genuinely surprised by her apology.

“Do I come across as a playboy?”

“Um, a little?”

In truth, he seemed like the ultimate playboy.

The way he smiled as if to charm people, the way he slipped past people’s defenses—if she weren’t in her current situation, she might have fallen for him.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

Even his self-deprecating smile was ridiculously alluring. Evelyn looked at him suspiciously.

“Were you really a priest?”

With a face like his, wearing priestly robes would surely tempt countless female believers. 

Didn’t anyone try to stop him?

Seth tilted his head slightly at her question and replied.

“Technically, I was a Holy Knight trainee.”

A Holy Knight. That certainly suited him better than holding a bible. With his strength, he could probably convert people physically.

“Ah, I see. ‘One hit to the Lord’s side,’ or something like that?”

At her words, Seth suddenly lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. Watching him laugh so hard at such a silly comment, Evelyn wondered if he didn’t have many friends. She observed him curiously until he finally stopped laughing and asked.

“So, will you accept my proposal?”

“…I’m honestly worried, but do you really think I’d be a good fit for the role of your wife?”

“I think you’d fit perfectly.”

Seth answered without hesitation. Evelyn stared at him skeptically.

“I’m not exactly a model noble young lady. Won’t people be suspicious?”

“They’ll just think my taste doesn’t align with the typical noble young lady.”

Was that really convincing? 

Somehow, Evelyn found herself persuaded and fell silent.

Seth added gently.

“If you don’t want to, you can refuse.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just unexpected.”

She had assumed she’d be doing something related to her abilities, like spying. The proposal to play the role of a wife had caught her completely off guard. She had never imagined herself in such a role.

“But are you sure about this? If I play the role of your wife, I’ll have to be by your side all the time.”

Seth looked as if he didn’t see any problem with that. Finally, Evelyn voiced the thought that had been weighing on her.

“Don’t I make you uncomfortable?”

For some reason, asking the question felt like stepping off a cliff.

Evelyn anxiously awaited his response.

Seth, who had been watching her quietly, suddenly took off his gloves.

“Give me your hand.”

“What?”

“There’s a more certain way to answer that question.”

Evelyn stared at him blankly. 

Was he asking me to read his thoughts?

“Oh, right. You’ll need fabric.”

Seth untied the cravat around his neck. The gesture revealed his masculine neck and collarbone, making him look unexpectedly dangerous despite his normally composed demeanor.

“Eve?”

His questioning gaze startled Evelyn, and she quickly took the cravat. The silvery fabric was so luxurious that she felt guilty about using it for such a purpose. Clutching the soft cloth tightly, she felt an inexplicable flutter in her chest.

“Go ahead.”

Seth extended his hand, urging her. After a moment’s hesitation, Evelyn finally reached out. It felt like she was doing something wrong. Her trembling hand rested on his, and a smile of approval spread across his face.

And then… nothing happened.