The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 21

The mere thought made Giselle shudder. At that moment, Lucas’s voice rang out again.

“Well, if you want to quit, do as you wish. But…”

He stared at her without even blinking, as if trying to see through her thoughts.

“If you’re quitting just because others might find it uncomfortable, there’s no need.”

“Uh, b… but.”

“So that’s what it was.”

Lucas chuckled as he watched Giselle, who was hesitating and mumbling. He looked at her as if she were a naive child.

“That’s not it!”

Giselle retorted quickly, taken aback. But Lucas shrugged and leaned back in his chair, responding to her words.

“Of course it is. You like working, Giselle.”

He spoke with certainty. How could she refute the words of the current employer who had watched her since they were at the academy?

She frowned, searching for a rebuttal, then opened her mouth again after a slight delay.

“That’s your opinion, senior. Don’t evaluate others based on your standards. Who in the world likes working? If I didn’t have to worry about making a living, I would have just played around.”

“Hmm, I doubt it. Giselle Anticia wouldn’t be able to endure such a life. You’re someone who fills your life more fiercely than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Giselle momentarily opened her mouth in surprise, then quickly closed it. Lucas’s unexpected words filled her heart with emotion.

She felt truly acknowledged for the efforts she had made so far.

Even her parents had never acknowledged her…

She rubbed her tingling nose with her hand and changed the subject.

“Still, I have to quit. Not only do people feel uncomfortable because of me, but I also feel uncomfortable.”

She couldn’t accept being belittled just because she was a woman, nor could she accept being praised for everything she did just because she was Lucas’s wife.

‘But… that’s what will happen in the end.’

She thought of her colleagues who had already been watching her since the announcement. It would only get worse after the marriage. That wasn’t what she wanted at all.

Of course, it was disappointing. It felt empty, like giving up the most important part of herself that she had built up until now.

“Well, you do have to quit.”

As Giselle swallowed a sigh of regret, Lucas, who had been mulling over her words, nodded in agreement.

“Right. Quitting is the right…”

“To manage the family finances, it’s better to wrap up your current job.”

“What?”

Giselle looked up, confused by his words. Lucas shrugged as if there was no problem.

“What’s wrong?”

“Did you just… tell me to manage the finances? No, I must have misheard.”

Surely, he wasn’t asking her to manage the Taylor family’s finances.

“If you heard that I want you to manage our family’s finances, you heard correctly.”

“Crazy…”

He’s crazy. The man she’s going to marry is crazy.

He looked normal on the outside, but he was actually insane.

‘So that’s why he offered marriage while lending me money.’

Giselle stared blankly at Lucas, then nodded as if everything made sense now.

Lucas tilted his head at her reaction.

“What’s with that look? It feels like you’re looking at me strangely, and it’s making me uncomfortable.”

Even if he’s crazy, his judgment is still accurate!

She swallowed the words that almost slipped out and opened her mouth.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

“You’re not joking?”

“I don’t make empty promises or jokes with my money on the line.”

Lucas replied with a resolute expression. It was a very him-like answer.

“Well, that’s true. You wouldn’t… say something so absurd with your money on the line.”

Giselle mumbled to herself, then held her head in her hands and looked at him again.

“That makes it even harder to understand! Why would you entrust such a huge responsibility to me? Did your financial manager run off with your money? Even so, you can’t just give up like this. You need to protect the remaining assets…”

She rambled on, overwhelmed by the incomprehensible, no, the daunting situation.

The Taylor family was said to possess more wealth than the royal family. Asking her to manage those finances was a heart-pounding task for someone who had been just an ordinary employee.

“Then are you planning to do nothing?”

“…What?”

“After marrying me, were you planning to just eat and play?”

He looked at her with a horrified expression. Suddenly labeled as someone who just wanted to freeload, Giselle frantically shook her head in denial.

“That’s not it! Of course, I need to earn my keep!”

“You said you’re quitting your current job.”

“Th-That’s right.”

“Then how will you earn your keep?”

He questioned her like an interviewer.

Was this really a conversation between a soon-to-be-married couple?

Giselle blinked, then sheepishly avoided his gaze and mumbled.

“Uh… I’ll find another job somehow.”

“Do you think other places won’t know you’re my wife?”

Lucas chuckled at his own question, and Giselle couldn’t respond.

“So just do as I say.”

“But…”

Giselle tried to speak again, but he waved his hand dismissively, indicating he wouldn’t discuss it further.

‘I’ll just blow it all away. Make him regret trusting me.’

She pouted, silently venting her frustration at Lucas for ending the conversation on his terms. Then, she suddenly remembered something and called out to him again.

“Excuse me, senior.”

“No.”

Lucas cut her off without even listening.

“No, that’s not it…”

She tried to speak to him again, but Lucas frowned and spoke.

“Whatever it is, it won’t change anything, Giselle. So just…”

“I have something to say!”

When he repeatedly tried to interrupt Giselle, she snapped and shouted. Then, this time, she continued speaking without giving Lucas a chance to respond.

“When someone is trying to talk, you should listen! Don’t just cut them off. Besides, I wasn’t even going to repeat what I said earlier.”

“…Ah.”

Lucas, embarrassed by Giselle’s words, let out a small sound and fell silent. Watching him, she sighed deeply and began to speak again in a softer tone.

“It’s about a cat. I was going to talk about a cat.”

“…A cat?”

Lucas, uncharacteristically blushing, furrowed his brows at the sudden change of topic. Seeing Giselle’s curious eyes on him, he nodded and asked.

“Can we keep a cat at home after we get married?”

“Keep a cat? What kind of cat… Don’t tell me.”

His eyes narrowed instantly.

“Are you talking about the stray cat near the office? The one you’ve been feeding?”

“Yes.”

Giselle nodded quickly at Lucas’s question. While she looked at him with a bright face, his expression was anything but pleased.

“So… You mean the vicious cat that once shredded your arm?”

“Shredded? It just scratched me lightly with its claws.”

“Shredded or scratched, it’s the same thing.”

“How can that be the same? …Anyway, that’s not the point right now.”

Giselle, about to retort again, sighed and changed the subject to what she originally intended to say.

“Well… the thing is.”

However, she found it difficult to speak. She remembered that Lucas didn’t particularly like that cat.

Given his meticulous and neat personality, it was understandable that he wouldn’t like a dirty stray cat wandering around his building.

‘But still…’

Since the topic had come up, she had to resolve it somehow.

After taking a deep breath, Giselle carefully began to speak.

“If I quit my job, there will be no one to feed it.”

“So you want to bring the cat home?”

“I want to, but… Is that not possible?”

Despite Lucas’s indifferent reaction, she forced herself to continue persuading him.

“It’s a cat that used to rummage through trash. If I stop feeding it, who knows what will happen… It’s grown dependent on people, so I don’t think it can survive on its own on the streets.”

“…”

“In a way, I’m responsible for making it that way. So… I want to take responsibility until the end. Please, senior.”

Giselle’s expression became more earnest. She clasped her hands together as she continued.

“It won’t cause you any trouble. I’ll take care of feeding and bathing it myself. I won’t burden the employees with it. If you could just allow a small corner of the house for the cat…”

Despite her plea, Lucas remained silent. Seeing his lack of response, Giselle’s eyes gradually lowered.

“If it’s really not possible, I’ll look for someone else to take care of it…”

Just as she was about to continue with a sullen expression, Lucas sighed reluctantly and spoke.

“This weekend.”

“…What?”

“Since we’ve brought it up, let’s not delay and bring it home this weekend.”

“Oh, oh?”

Hearing Lucas’s words, Giselle’s eyes widened, and she gaped at him.

Bring it home.

‘Bring it… home?’

As she processed his words, she looked at him with even wider eyes and asked.

“Together?”

“Since we’re bringing it to my house, we should catch it together. That cat has a nasty temper, and I don’t think you can handle it alone.”

“Uh, um… It’s not nasty. It’s just a bit aloof but kind.”

Even with a bewildered expression, Giselle didn’t forget to defend the cat. He chuckled at her and spoke again.

“Anyway, we’ll go get it this weekend. I’ll bring a cage to put the cat in.”

“Uh, um…”

Giselle, rolling her eyes as if she had more to say, caught Lucas’s attention.

“Why? Is there something else you need?”

“No. It’s just… I thought you’d be harder to convince, senior. I didn’t expect it to be this easy.”

“What?”

Lucas let out a disbelieving laugh at her response.

“You… You’re saying that I’m…”

“Oh! I should get back to the office! Thanks for the tea.”

Before he could finish, she quickly left the office as if escaping.

Clack.

“…Hoo. Why am I suddenly feeling so hot?”

She fanned herself with her hand, took a deep breath, and looked back at the office she had just exited.

She imagined the man behind the door, possibly looking bewildered by her sudden departure.

“Anyway, his decisiveness is impressive. Even though he doesn’t like cats.”

Giselle muttered to herself, her face blushing. Unconsciously, the corners of her mouth kept twitching.