Not just crumpled. He also had an expression of disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

“What?”

“Oh my, are your ears failing you?”

I tried to suppress the rhythm of living as a villainess, but it didn’t go as I intended.

“If it’s difficult to say, shall I ask Duke Hertus?”

‘Ah, I really did well to die and come back.’

It was the first time I’d thought that since coming back to life. It was a thrill on a different dimension from the one-dimensional villainess I’d been until now, tormenting others with violence and verbal ab*se.

‘Duke Hertus would definitely have prepared something like that.’

This was also information from <Secret>. Usually when he was angry enough to recall that ‘nightmarish’ wedding, he often mentioned things like the furniture he’d put in the honeymoon suite back then.

Something like ‘as useless as the furniture I newly put in that honeymoon suite.’

Whether Iophe was disgusted or not, it was clear Duke Hertus would have filled the honeymoon suite quite lavishly.

‘So, what will you do now?’

But Iophe wasn’t easy either. This was a fact I knew well from my first round experience. Iophe showed a smile after arranging his briefly disheveled expression. It was a sneer close to ridicule.

“I never dreamed you’d want something like that, but well, it’s not bad.”

“So. Do you feel like properly writing a marriage contract now?”

We still hadn’t written a marriage contract. On the day Iophe visited, he said he’d send documents soon, but whether he forgot or didn’t feel the need upon reflection, nothing came.

‘As long as I have things to do after entering that house, I absolutely need it.’

“I see. Since it came up, I’ll propose first.”

He quietly raised a finger and said.

“Don’t do anything foolish until you sign the consent form.”

“That’s nothing.”

I pushed away the finger he’d raised and said, now it’s my turn, right?

“The honeymoon suite is mine, so no entry.”

“That’s not something you can decide on your own.”

He laughed with an incredulous face and spoke again.

“Are you really planning to come in?”

“If you’re Hertus, you’d care about others’ eyes.”

So it’s not bad for you either, I meant. After I caused a scene at the wedding and left in the first round, all sorts of gossip rags clamored that the Hertus family’s honor had fallen to the ground. The business commenced as scheduled, but it probably took them a long time to silence the harsh gazes around them.

Iophe raised one eyebrow as if hearing all sorts of nonsense.

“That’s not something you’d say. Whatever you’re thinking, if we’re going to act like a harmonious couple, that clause is unreasonable.”

When I looked at him as if asking why, Iophe tilted his head and whispered quietly.

“We have many spies in our house.”

The moment our pose became strange, someone clapped. It was Edith Viblide, Iophe’s aunt and thus Duke Hertus’s younger sister.

“Don’t they make such a well-matched pair?”

“……”

Since Duke Hertus was looking our way without saying anything, I smiled brightly.

“Father.”

I felt Iophe standing beside me recoil at that form of address. But my life was on the line here. An embarrassing form of address was nothing.

He raised one eyebrow like Iophe earlier at the address ‘Father,’ then said.

“Let’s wrap up the reception at this point.”

❀ ❀ ❀

‘I’m so tired.’

Having accompanied them in the carriage heading to the Hertus estate, I sprawled out spread-eagle as soon as I arrived at the room I was shown to.

“You really…… sleep anywhere.”

How much time had passed? At the voice heard from above my head, I opened my eyes. Iophe was looking down at me with his arms crossed. Without getting up, I turned my head to look up at him.

“It’s the perfect constitution for traveling. Are you jealous?”

He pressed his forehead with his hand as if he couldn’t believe this situation.

“Let’s just finish writing the contract.”

“Fine.”

I sat up and said.

“First, we must attend official events together without fail.”

Iophe frowned with eyes that couldn’t understand.

“You keep saying more and more incomprehensible things.”

“Anyway, that is my first clause.”

In the original work, there’s a scene where Iophe stops by his territory for the medicinal herb Rosie requested.

‘It was definitely inside the castle of Hertus territory.’

I didn’t know the exact location, but it was clear it was inside Hertus Castle.

‘If I can just get inside the castle, I’ll definitely be able to find it.’

That clause was, so to speak, my Plan B. When I couldn’t get Duke Hertus’s permission to visit the territory, if Iophe went on a territorial inspection, I intended to follow along.

I pretended to be nonchalant and put on an expression.

“It’s not bad, right? Resolve any matters that need the Idebald name within this period.”

If there was something I learned from Seian, it was that when you have no cards to play like this, if you look weak, even doable things won’t work out.

Seian had overflowing money and thanks to that I also spent an affluent childhood, but she had no great enthusiasm for education.

One day, seeing me buried in homework assigned by my tutor, Seian said this.

“Why bother learning all that?”

Of course, that tutor was someone the Idebald family butler had arranged on his own.

It would have been different if I’d said I wanted to learn, but like all kids that age, I was just a child who hated studying.

Instead, I started following Seian around.

From elegant concerts to gambling dens full of profanity. Most were similar to the latter and rough places for a child to frequent, but there were also many fun things in their own way.

‘But I couldn’t do that anymore after being kidnapped and having all my hair cut off.’

Still, strange people always swarmed around Seian. I grew up watching that. So even if I can’t be a con artist, I can at least imitate one.

I maintained an attitude that didn’t lose confidence and started speaking to Iophe as if I had something.

“This won’t be the only time you need the Idebald name. On the premise that your business succeeds, there will be more occasions requiring my name in the future.”

Honestly, even without this seasoning, Iophe had no choice but to accept my proposal. Because he was someone who hated failing more than death.

If I said it outright, Iophe’s pretty eyes would crumple satisfyingly, which was tempting, but I decided to hold back. Instead, I spoke with my eyes.

‘You hate failing more than death, right?’

Iophe still had a face that found me suspicious, but soon spoke in a stiff voice.

“Second, cooperate with business without hindrance.”

“That’s obvious, yet you’re throwing away the card you finally held.”

“What I said is all businesses.”

Hmm. Of course. I pressed the tip of my lips with a regretful feeling.

“That’s too comprehensive. Narrow the scope a bit.”

“Instead of changing it, I’ll add a rider that I’ll give you a certain portion of business profits.”

Money. Honestly, it wasn’t a tempting proposal, but having too much was better than not having enough. I nodded.

“Fine. Let’s do that.”

I continued with the essential condition I’d thought of.

“Third, maintain boundaries.”

“Boundaries?”

“There are various boundaries. For example, the one bed in this room.”

Our honeymoon suite was large, like several ordinary rooms combined, but regrettably there was only one bed.

There was also the example of using separate rooms, but I needed to make at least minimal effort to appear befitting Duke Hertus’s rigid values. If he left this room saying he’d use separate rooms, at least I’d have an excuse.

‘But since I’ve come out like this, Iophe won’t say he’ll use separate rooms.’

What do I mean?

Combining my first round life and the contents of <Secret>, Iophe was that kind of person. To be honest, this was closer to Iophe’s behavior I experienced in the first round rather than what I read in the original work. For some reason, it was a part not well revealed in the original work.

‘I thought he was equally rude to everyone.’

One of the surprising points after realizing this world was a book was precisely that part. Whether something happened after divorcing me, or whether I was someone who invited trouble.

‘No, if we’re talking about rudeness, he was equally rude to everyone, but…… with me it was a bit……’

In my past life, we rarely met, but when we happened to encounter each other by beating those extreme odds, we unconditionally fought. Should I say they were short but so intense fights that I couldn’t help but remember them? Anyway, that’s why I reached a point where I could somewhat predict the next action.

‘It’s strange. We fought with such fire in our eyes over nothing. Plus, I can’t even remember well what we fought about.’

But those were also fleeting moments that happened before he went down to the territory for business. Having stayed in the capital the whole time, I had no occasion to meet Iophe after that, and I even forgot I was married until before the divorce.

‘How nostalgic.’

After finishing the brief reminiscence and drawing a conclusion, this was the kind of person Iophe was.

If I’d said I’d use separate rooms first, he wouldn’t have cared either way, but since I said I’d use this room, he was obviously someone who wouldn’t back down.

‘He won’t give up until I surrender.’

So maintaining boundaries was quite important to me. I didn’t want this contract to fall apart messily. Even more so after learning the future of this world through the book .

Besides, I had experience not maintaining boundaries in my past life. This was also a resolution to myself.

‘Let’s not fall for that face.’

Iophe laughed as if hearing something ridiculous, then spoke with a crooked smile.

“That will be easy to keep.”

“Right?”

I smiled brightly at his face. Iophe didn’t state the next clause to write down, and our contract marriage began like that.