Chapter 3

Kiaros, who insisted he couldn’t reveal he was a duck beastman to anyone else, whether out of stubbornness or childishness.

Even knowing his circumstances, Letina knew she had no obligation to accommodate him.

But….

Even if she understood in her head, her heart ached.

After all, he must hate her so much, but now that his secret as a duck beastman had been exposed, he was asking her to take responsibility, as if he had no choice.

‘If I don’t accept him, he said he can’t get married anymore.’

“Uuuuum…….”

Letina grabbed her head. She wasn’t strong-hearted enough to ignore the uncomfortable guilt rising within her.

‘Honestly, I feel sorry for him.’

As a noble, she’d always thought she’d get married someday.

Her family had been considerate, telling her to marry whoever she wanted, but Letina had never met anyone she particularly wanted to marry.

So she’d planned to marry someone with suitable conditions anyway.

The Gatiel Marquis family? Compared to the Feymun Earldom, their conditions were more than good enough. The union between families would bring many business advantages.

Her relationship with Kiaros Gatiel was rough, but if you set aside feelings, he was a decent marriage partner.

If he really insisted on marrying her….

‘Maybe I’ll just do it, to ease my guilt and save him.’

Wouldn’t Kiaros be less prickly if she was grateful to him?

‘And… Liri.’

Even though they were the same being, she still couldn’t quite grasp it.

Anyway, she kept wanting to see Liri. If this marriage didn’t happen, she might never see the beloved Liri again.

Letina made up her mind.

The next day.

Letina went to the Gatiel Marquis family. She told Kiaros her decision.

“Let’s get married.”

“…….”

“What’s wrong?”

“No…. Are you serious?”

Kiaros looked stunned, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

“You’re the one who insisted we had to.”

“That’s true…. But I didn’t think you’d agree….”

“There’s a condition.”

Kiaros looked at her as if, ‘Of course.’

‘What is it?’

Letina felt a sudden surge of emotion for some reason.

“You have to go for a walk with me in Liri form at least once a day. That’s the condition.”

“Alright.”

That was easy enough to grant. Kiaros nodded right away.

“Anything else?”

“That’s all.”

‘That’s it?’

‘Just going for a walk in duck form is enough to marry Letina?’

Kiaros’s heart almost leapt out of his chest at this miraculous situation he’d never even imagined.

“When should we hold the ceremony? Should we take a whole year to prepare?”

He was worried Letina might suddenly change her mind, so he was anxious, but a year?

What was that supposed to mean.

“Let’s do it tomorrow.”

At Kiaros’s reply, Letina raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

“What…. Are you out of your mind? How can we do it tomorrow?”

“Then a week.”

“Really. How about half a year?”

“…One month.”

That was the fastest realistic date. Kiaros didn’t back down any further.

“Aren’t you rushing too much?”

Kiaros wanted to honestly say, ‘What if you change your mind in the meantime?’ but stopped at the last moment. Letina might misunderstand, thinking he didn’t trust her at all, and that would upset him and make her withdraw her agreement.

“A month is enough.”

Kiaros said only that.

Just then, the drawing room door burst open.

“Our family welcomes you, Lady Letina!”

Suddenly, people flooded into the drawing room. All of them were beaming, as if ready to throw a festival.

“Thank you for accepting this one’s feelings.”

“W-who….”

Letina blinked.

“Couldn’t you come in calmly and greet her instead of this?”

Kiaros was dying of anxiety, but his family’s unpredictable actions drove him crazy.

“The sooner the better, what’s the problem?”

“Don’t worry about the wedding. Just tell us what you want, Lady Letina, and we’ll take care of everything.”

Kiaros’s family, who had been listening outside, ignored him and chattered away.

“Kiaros, congratulations!”

“Please, just be quiet…!”

Kiaros gritted his teeth, watching Letina’s reaction.

“Can’t you see she’s surprised?”

“Oh dear. Sorry, sorry!”

Once things calmed down, he introduced Letina to his family.

Marquis Gatiel, the Marquis’s wife, Kiaros’s older brother Lindit and younger sister Mielle.

They all looked at Letina with broad smiles.

“Ah, hello.”

Letina greeted them, then approached Kiaros with a reluctant expression and whispered.

“Does your family not know I’m marrying you because I found out you’re a duck beastman?”

“…Yeah.”

“They don’t know you hate me either? That’s why they’re so happy.”

She then looked at Kiaros with pity.

As Letina looked at him like that, Kiaros thought blankly.

‘She’s pretty.’

Letina, who had come close, smelled nice. Except when he was Liri, they’d never gotten close before. Ever since he’d suddenly become human from a duck yesterday, wonderful things kept happening.

“Oh.”

“Hehehe….”

“She’s cute.”

Letina tilted her head, looking at the Gatiel family members making strange noises.

‘What are they saying?’

They looked back and forth between her and Kiaros with playful, teasing eyes. It seemed like laughter was leaking out from behind their hands covering their mouths.

“Then we’ll leave now.”

“We’ll talk about the wedding in detail next time!”

Once again, the people hurried out of the drawing room.

“W-what a whirlwind.”

“…You haven’t changed your mind, right?”

“Hm? Oh, the wedding? Not at all. Why suddenly?”

“…Then it’s fine.”

‘What, that was anticlimactic.’

Letina shrugged her shoulders.

***

After Letina and Kiaros decided to marry.

Everything was prepared at lightning speed. The arrangements were truly unstoppable.

When Letina picked out her wedding dress, Kiaros’s younger sister Mielle Gatiel joined her.

But as she listened to their conversation, Letina realized Mielle seemed to be under the impression that Kiaros had liked Letina for a long time. A few days later, after dining at the Gatiel mansion, suspicion turned into certainty.

All of Kiaros’s family believed he’d recently confessed and Letina had accepted!

“Why didn’t you correct them?”

Letina demanded of Kiaros.

“That’s my business.”

Kiaros gave a baffling answer.

She was dumbfounded.

But she couldn’t bring herself to reveal the truth to his family first.

If they found out their son or brother was marrying someone he disliked just because his identity as a duck beastman had been exposed… wouldn’t they be hurt?

So Letina deliberately didn’t clear up the misunderstanding.