The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 37

“I mean our married life. Although I’ve already incurred a debt.”

She had paid off her father’s debt with the money he had lent. But that was the condition of the deal regarding their marriage, so there was no need to mention it again here.

The problem was that she didn’t want to incur any more debt beyond that.

“My family.”

“……”

“You know, don’t you? They’re indulging in all sorts of luxuries using your name.”

Giselle’s green eyes looked straight at him.

If even the dress shop employees knew about it, surely it must have been reported to him already.

Nevertheless, seeing her family casually calling jewelers to their home and doing various things, it could be said that Lucas knew about all of this and was turning a blind eye.

…She didn’t like that.

The fact that he was being used by her family because of her.

As she bit her lip hard and was about to say something again, Lucas sighed and frowned.

“I can do that much because they’re your family.”

“They’re people who don’t know their limits.”

She knew that saying such things about her parents and brother was no different from spitting in her own face.

But that didn’t mean she felt like defending them.

They would try to live as parasites for the rest of their lives. That’s why it shouldn’t have been allowed from the beginning.

“I can tolerate it as long as they don’t cross the line.”

“But Senior.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

Lucas interrupted Giselle’s words and asked, looking at her. In front of his cold and indifferent gaze, Giselle couldn’t say anything in response.

“Do I look so pathetic that I could be used like that? If so, that would be the real problem.”

He chuckled as he scratched the bridge of his nose. At the same time, the atmosphere that had momentarily frozen thawed.

Giselle also exhaled the breath she had been holding unconsciously due to tension, and then shook her head.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I know well that you’re not the type of person who would be easily used by others.”

“Then why are you worrying unnecessarily?”

“That’s…”

Yes, why indeed? She smiled bitterly as she pushed down the words lingering in her mouth.

Lucas, who had been quietly observing her, casually spoke again.

“Looks like you had an argument about this issue and left.”

“……”

Giselle neither confirmed nor denied it, but eventually sighed and nodded.

‘What unnecessary worries is she having with that small head of hers.’

Lucas looked at her and clicked his tongue inwardly.

The issues related to Giselle’s family were already settled. As he had decided to marry her willingly accepting these circumstances, he had no intention of going back on his decision in the future.

She too had accepted his decision, so he hadn’t thought this aspect would become such an issue.

Thwack.

“Ouch! Senior, why did you hit me?”

Giselle glared at him while rubbing her forehead. Lucas, having flicked her forehead with his finger, leaned back deeply into the sofa with a nonchalant expression as if nothing had happened.

“Senior!”

“You deserved it.”

“Am I a child? Besides, I didn’t do anything wrong…”

She pouted while rubbing her forehead again. Lucas chuckled and held up a finger.

“First, constantly bringing up a matter that’s already settled.”

“That’s…”

“From now on, it won’t end with just a flick to the forehead, so keep that in mind.”

“W-What did you say?”

Giselle puffed up her cheeks, upset by Lucas’s words. Seeing this, the corners of Lucas’s mouth slightly turned up.

“And second.”

“……?”

Wondering what else she had done wrong, Giselle tilted her head with a sulky expression.

“Fearlessly visiting a man’s house at such a late hour.”

“…Yes?”

Her expression turned puzzled, wondering what he meant by that. Then, not long after, Giselle’s face turned red.

“T-That! No, we’re getting married, so what’s wrong with visiting?”

“Ah. So it’s okay because we’re getting married?”

“That’s right!”

She tried to act nonchalant despite feeling the heat rise to her face. But Giselle’s heart was pounding as if it might burst at any moment.

A man’s house.

At a late hour.

When she had come here impulsively out of anger, she hadn’t thought about that aspect.

But now that her excitement had somewhat subsided and after hearing Lucas’s words, she became newly conscious of it.

She tightly gripped the hem of her skirt and glanced out the window. The sky was pitch black, as if heavy clouds were blocking even the moonlight.

It was the time when the day was ending.

This time when darkness had fallen, and night had come.

And at night…

At night, well…

“What were you thinking that made your face turn red?”

“W-What do you mean, what was I thinking! I wasn’t thinking anything! I’m not that kind of loose woman…”

Giselle, startled out of her indecent thoughts, raised her voice in alarm.

But perhaps because she was too flustered.

She ended up revealing something he hadn’t even asked about.

Of course, she didn’t specifically say what kind of imagination she had, but the word ‘loose’ alone was enough to give a rough idea.

“Pfft!”

As expected, Lucas burst into laughter. Giselle, with not only her face but also her ears and neck turning bright red, fanned herself with her hand and then abruptly stood up.

“I, I should be going now.”

“Stay seated. I’ll have them prepare the car.”

He gestured after suppressing another laugh that was about to escape. But Giselle, unable to look at him directly due to embarrassment, opened her mouth again.

“I can take a carriage.”

“I think the time for public carriages has already passed, though?”

“…I can call a rental carriage.”

She hesitated for a moment, then answered after estimating how much money was left in her coat pocket.

Usually, she didn’t use rental carriages because they were about twice as expensive as public ones, but today it seemed she had no choice but to take one.

“Take the car.”

Lucas, disregarding her words, picked up the bell on the table to call the butler.

“Senior, it’s fine! Don’t call!”

Just before he could ring the bell, Giselle hurriedly reached out and grabbed his hand.

And their gazes met.

“Ah…”

Her green eyes wavered in surprise, then slowly lowered.

To her hand holding Lucas’s hand.

No, to his hand obediently held in hers.

“……!”

As Giselle let go of his hand in shock, Lucas simultaneously dropped the bell he was holding.

As a result, the bell fell, and its clear sound echoed throughout the reception room.

* * *

Knock knock.

“Did you call, Master Lucas?”

Having heard the sound from outside, Bushin knocked and entered, bowing politely. However, both Lucas and Giselle were unable to say anything.

“…Master Lucas?”

Finding the silence strange, Bushin cautiously called out to him. Lucas finally ran a hand over his face and spoke, as per his original intention.

“Have the car prepared.”

“Senior, I really am fine. Besides, are you going to make someone who’s probably tired because of me drive again? Even if you’re the employer, that’s not right.”

Giselle interjected before Bushin could respond to his order. Lucas turned to her and replied in a nonchalant tone.

“Who said anything about having the driver drive? I’ll take you myself.”

“Whaaat?”

Giselle’s eyes widened at Lucas’s unexpected words. But he calmly gave orders to Bushin again.

“Just have the car ready. We’ll be going out soon.”

“Understood, Master Lucas.”

Bushin looked at them, smiled contentedly, then bowed his head. Giselle quietly watched as the butler left the reception room to relay his orders, then muttered to herself.

“You could just call a carriage…”

“To send the woman who’s to be my wife alone in a carriage in the middle of the night?”

Lucas chuckled as if he had heard something absurd, then stood up. Giselle, unable to insist any further, was about to stand up when she heard a small tapping sound from the window.

Pitter-patter.

“Huh?”

It seemed like raindrops were starting to fall one by one, and then it began to rain heavily.

Giselle approached the window and looked outside with wide eyes. The rain was pouring down as if someone was emptying buckets, making it almost impossible to see outside.

“What should we do? Senior, is it okay to drive? It’s raining so much.”

“Hmm… That’s true. It’s raining so much that visibility will be poor.”

Lucas, who had come to her side, stroked his chin and nodded as if agreeing. Hearing this, Giselle’s face turned into a worried expression.

Seeing the man who was always confident in everything agree with her words and show a moment of weakness made her even more concerned.

“T-Then should we call a rental carriage even now…”

Giselle spoke again with a worried expression. Lucas, who had been looking out the window, turned to her and gave a hollow laugh.