Arkle was silent for a while when I suggested that there was no need to hold a wedding ceremony and that we only needed to sign a contract.

“You hate troublesome things, don’t you? This way will be much easier.”

“…….”

He mumbled, “I never said it was troublesome,” while looking down, but I ignored it and extended my hand to him.

“Let’s do well.”

“…Okay.”

Arkle gently clasped my hand.

“From now on, speak casually to me.”

He spoke softly while holding my hand.

“In Cayenne, husbands and wives are equals. It’s a contract, but we are hus… hus—”

For some reason, Arkle kept stumbling over his words as he spoke calmly.

“Because we’re husband and wife?”

“……!”

When I finished the sentence for him, Arkle bit his lip.

“Yeah. …That’s it.”

‘Why is he finding it so hard to say?’

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Then I’ll draft a formal contract soon. …I mean, I will.”

“…….”

Ugh, this is so awkward.

I suddenly understood how Arkle felt.

“By the way, I’m supposed to have a meal with Naran. Would you like to join us? Or, would you like to…?”

Seeing my awkwardness, Arkle let out a small laugh.

His laughter made me feel even more embarrassed.

“This won’t do. It’s too awkward, so I’ll just do it the way I used to for now.”

“But in the Cayenne family, husbands and wives are equals….”

“Then how about we both use formal language? You can use honorifics with me until we get comfortable.”

Arkle, who had been looking at me for a moment, replied with a soft smile.

“That sounds good, wife.”

His unrealistically handsome face made me feel dizzy for a moment, and I swallowed dryly.

Arkle Cayenne, who usually acts indifferent, sometimes unknowingly does such cheeky things.

“So, will you join us for a meal?”

“…….”

“Nothing will improve if you keep avoiding Naran.”

“But I wonder if Naran… wants to see me.”

I grabbed Arkle’s face, which was looking down.

“It’s okay! If I say I brought you, Naran won’t say much.”

When I spoke with a grin, Arkle looked at me silently.

“Let’s go together. My taste may be a bit bleak, but I think it’ll be cute to see you and your brother getting along.”

“Wha– What–! Cute, you say—”

“Besides, you have news to share with Naran, don’t you? That we’ve become a contract couple.”

“…That’s true. Even though it’s a contract, it’s quite significant news, and I’m not sure how to convey it.”

“Leave it to me.”

I spoke confidently and winked with one eye.

After a moment of silence, Arkle smiled softly again.

“I’ll do as you wish, wife.”

❖ ❖ ❖

In the dining room where Arkle and I went, several employees, including Naran and Sylvia, were gathered.

Naran’s gaze wavered slightly when he saw Arkle standing next to me.

“Naran. I thought it would be nice if Arkle joined us for the meal, so I invited him.”

“…….”

“Don’t you like it? I want you two to get along.”

The employees, aware of the strained relationship between the two, looked nervously between Naran, me, and Arkle.

Those familiar with Naran’s temper seemed to brace themselves for another big fight.

“…Okay.”

But Naran nodded quietly with a smile.

“I’ll do anything if Lize likes it.”

A few employees covered their mouths in shock. Some muttered, “Oh my… The third young master said something like that.”

It seemed like it was their first time seeing Naran like this.

Arkle was quietly looking at Naran.

Naran, who met his gaze, slowly spoke,

“It’s all for Lize.”

“…….”

The atmosphere tensed again, slightly sharp.

“…It’s tiring to keep avoiding each other in the same house.”

“Naran….”

“How long are you going to stand there? Lize is hungry, so sit down quickly.”

At Naran’s words, a faint smile appeared on Arkle’s lips.

“Alright.”

The employees’ eyes grew even larger than before, unable to believe what they were witnessing.

‘Well, it’s understandable.’

An angelic and obedient Naran and a smiling Arkle… It was an unimaginable sight just a short while ago.

I sat down leisurely amid the stunned people and placed a napkin on my lap.

There were many more dishes on the table than there were at the previous breakfast.

The aroma made my mouth water.

“Eat a lot, Lize.”

“Lize, please enjoy your meal today too!”

“This time, I tried harder than last time.”

“If there’s any dish you find lacking, let me know. I’ll bring more, Lize.”

As Naran and the employees spoke in turn, Arkle, who had been sitting quietly, couldn’t resist and spoke.

“…Enjoy your meal, wife.”

With that one sentence, the room fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it.

Arkle himself, however, was calmly cutting the steak on his plate with a knife.

“Are you— Are you crazy?”

Naran growled, glaring at Arkle as if his eyes would pop out.

“What did you just call Lize—”

“I called her wife.”

Arkle stopped cutting and spoke calmly.

“Have you finally lost it…?”

Naran, trembling all over, muttered with a voice full of contempt.

I couldn’t say a word as I was chewing my food.

‘Well, I was going to say it first.’

Naran, with bloodshot eyes, stood up abruptly.

“Don’t worry, Lize, I’ll take care of this guy right away—”

“It’s true.”

I quickly drank some water and said, and Naran looked at me with a blank expression.

“What?”

“Since everyone is gathered here, I’ll say it now. Arkle and I got married.”

Clang—

Naran dropped the fork he was holding.

All the employees were standing with their mouths wide open.

Only Arkle was calmly eating his meal.

One of the employees, dazed, opened and closed their mouth.

“How… M-Miss Lize, were you perhaps threatened?!”

“If you’re being threatened, shake the parsley, Miss Lize!”

‘…Is it okay to say that in front of your master?’

I shook my head with a gentle smile and delivered the line I had prepared to convince them.

“—That’s how it happened.”

This is the best way to persuade them.

The employees still looked shocked, but no one seemed to be in a position to argue since it already happened.

Except for one person.

“Arkle Cayenne, I still hate you—!”

Naran, who had been dazed and trembling, suddenly shouted. Then he turned and ran off somewhere.

Arkle glanced at me. He seemed to be asking if he should follow.

“It’s okay. I’ll explain it to him later.”

“Understood, wife.”

Just as I was about to continue eating peacefully….

“Damn it—!”

This time, Sylvia turned and ran off.

‘Why you too….’

I chewed my steak and blankly watched the two heads disappear into the distance.

❖ ❖ ❖

Although my plan to reconcile the brothers failed, I barely managed to calm Naran down.

When I mentioned the contract marriage, Naran glared and repeatedly declared that if Arkle broke the contract, he would personally deal with him.

Sylvia, who was nodding madly beside him, was a bonus.

“But at least this means I can stay here, right?”

“…….”

The frown on Naran’s face slowly relaxed.

“If that guy does anything to you, Lize, let me know. I’ll kill him.”

In reality, I was the one who had done most of the things, but I replied with a gentle smile, “Sure, sure.”

“Now that you’re the lady of the house, I suppose we should address you more formally, madam.”

Sylvia said, looking at me.

I could tolerate being called wife, but the title ‘madam’ felt too awkward to bear.

It made me feel suddenly much older.

“Just call me Lize like before. Tell the others to do the same. Even if it’s a marriage or whatever, I’m still just Lize.”

People don’t change easily.

Just because I’ve (officially) become a married woman doesn’t mean I’ll suddenly develop a taste for modesty.

“Okay, Lize.”

“Miss Lize.”

Naran and Sylvia nodded, seemingly moved.

While it would be nice to relax in this warm atmosphere, I still had things to do.

“Come to think of it, the head of the family will be returning soon, right?”

Welcoming the original story’s heroine.

Martha Cayenne, Arkle’s sister who had gone to the capital, would soon return.

‘According to the original story, Jean Allenheim infiltrates the Cayenne family shortly after Martha returns.’

But the original story has long since been twisted.

Lize Allenheim, who should have died long ago, not only survived but also became Arkle’s wife.

It’s uncertain whether Jean Allenheim will disguise himself as a vassal and infiltrate the Cayenne family as in the original story.

‘But there’s one thing for sure.’

The moment I fall out of Martha Cayenne’s favor, my plan is over.

Could she have imagined that a girl brought as a hostage would marry her brother while she was away from the mansion?

She won’t hate having a reason to keep me here, but she might be suspicious of the fact that I volunteered to stay.

Martha is the most ambitious and meticulous of the Cayenne siblings.

‘I need to show her that I’m sincere.’

I hummed and rubbed my chin.

What could be a way to earn Martha’s trust?

Fortunately, being the heroine, she knows more information than Arkle or Naran.

‘The best way to earn Martha Cayenne’s trust is….’

There was no need to think deeply.

I knew one piece of information that Martha Cayenne would go crazy for.