Felix drew out his words while looking at her shoulder. As the thinking time grew quite long, she felt anxious without knowing what kind of story he would tell. Whatever he says here, she would definitely push it toward business!

Seeing her eyes burning with fighting spirit, Felix let out a chuckle.

“I wasn’t planning to scold you for using my bed. Sorry for being unnecessarily spiteful. I should have first said thank you for calming the sun power.”

Huh, what is this? He’s apologizing and saying thank you first? Her momentum was broken by his gentlemanly attitude that she hadn’t expected at all.

“Uh…… well. Though it’s a verbal contract, we’re still in a relationship where we agreed to make a contract anyway.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Felix smiled. Since he was handsome and even smiled, her heart sank. Uh oh, this isn’t right……

For a business partner, his charm was definitely not to be underestimated. She kept chewing her increasingly dry lips and moved her body to get a little away from him.

‘Of all things, to end up lying on the bed! At this rate, I’m in danger. It’s dangerous……’

Clutching her fluttering heart, she tried to change the subject.

“Since we’re talking about it, shall we check the contract first?”

“Yeah. If that’s good, we should talk about this first.”

He reached his hand toward the nightstand beside the bed, having prepared it at some point. Then he handed her the contract and quill pen that were placed on it.

“The contract conditions are the same as what I proposed at the mansion last time. The period is six months.”

“During that period, I have to stay by your side whenever you want…… That is, to calm your power, right?”

“Right.”

“In return, you’ll give me mining investment information and business funds, correct?”

“Of course. It’s written that I’ll also provide maintenance costs for the dignity of Baron Enchester’s house, so check it.”

Six months was enough time. Though the original work didn’t reveal the exact time from when major events occurred until Marina was finally burned at the stake, it was certainly about six months. She managed to remember the description that the seasons had changed once or twice.

‘Six months, and I’ve confirmed all the contents of the contract. Now the most important thing is……’

She who had been skimming through the contract took a breath to bring up the words she had prepared. The reason she had obediently followed his aide to the palace to find him was all to say these words.

“Do you remember when I said there was a condition?”

“Right, there was. What is it? What’s that condition?”

She looked up at him with clear eyes.

“Please definitely protect me during the contract period.”

“……You’re saying something obvious. Would I ever neglect my important contractor? I intend to treat you with sincerity.”

“No. That’s not enough. Whatever happens, you must trust me and take responsibility for guaranteeing my life.”

“……”

He was silent for a moment at her words. Though she pretended to be calm, anxious about that silence, she kept rubbing her fingers together. At the end of the silence, he tilted his head.

“Strange. You’re talking as if there’s someone threatening your life?”

“……It’s just in case.”

He looked at her with eyes that seemed to see through everything. At his sharp gaze, she felt the urge to run away from her seat immediately. But if she ran away here, she couldn’t get what she wanted.

“Fine. I’ll take responsibility and guarantee your safety.”

At his consent, she quickly nodded her head. Felix took the quill pen she was holding, dipped it in ink, and added a clause at the bottom of the contract.

Must trust the other party and take responsibility for guaranteeing their life.

Admiring his elegant handwriting, she let out a sigh of relief.

‘Good, now the remaining problem is that we have to act like we’re having a romantic relationship for those six months.’

She swallowed her saliva and then blurted out a question that suddenly occurred to her.

“Why do you insist on a romantic relationship?”

“If we need to stay by each other’s side continuously for long periods in a short time, it’s better to disguise ourselves as if we’re in an intimate relationship. Moreover, if we’re an intimate man and woman close enough to have skin contact, wouldn’t it be more elegant to just say we fell in love?”

“What about after the contracted six months pass? Can we spread rumors that we broke up? Did you think about my reputation?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll spread widely that I clung to you because I liked you. Moreover, I’ll definitely do the groundwork so you don’t need to worry about your reputation.”

Felix’s appearance as he spoke with one corner of his mouth raised looked too attractive. She chewed her dry lips again and thought carefully.

Should she really trust him? Though she hesitated briefly, since she had asked him to trust her, it made sense for her to trust him too.

‘Business! Business!’

She who had been muttering earnestly to herself signed at the bottom of the contract without further hesitation.

“Good. Then the contract is established. Please take care of me.”

“Yes. Please take care of me too.”

He who had been looking satisfactorily at the signature written neatly on the contract smiled like a picture. She also returned a smile to him and asked.

“Then shall we continue the story we were having earlier? About this mark on my shoulder…… It would be troublesome if such things happen anymore in the future.”

“Hm? Why?”

Felix tilted his head while clutching the contract tightly in his hand. The ink hadn’t even dried yet! His expression had shamelessly changed.

“Why?! I’m only pretending to be your lover, not trying to do th, those kinds of things together!”

“Those kinds of things. What’s that?”

No, what did this person just do?!

At Felix’s absurd question as he opened his eyes wide, she had no choice but to gape her mouth open.

Did I…… write the contract properly?!

She reflexively reached her hand toward the contract. However, Felix quickly got up and escaped from the bed.

“Ah, wait a moment!! Let me check the contract!!”

“You checked the contents earlier. Please fulfill it according to the contract from now on.”

She looked at Felix with a bewildered expression but…… the contract she had already written had left her hands and flown far, far away.

⁕⁕⁕

“I’m ruined…… I’m ruined.”

“You’ve worked hard, Lady Marina. It took quite a long time.”

As she came out of Felix’s bedroom, Kale who had been guarding the door greeted her. She didn’t even have the strength to respond to his words.

However, Felix followed behind her. She shrank her body while being wary of him.

“What is it, why are you sticking so close? What are you trying to do to me?”

“What are you talking about. I’m just trying to smoothly fulfill the contract.”

“Yes? What on earth does that mean?”

“You haven’t already forgotten the contract, have you? Once we pass this corridor, servants in charge of the separate palace are scattered everywhere. We have to appear as lovers to them.”

“Is that true?”

What? We have to act as lovers even inside the separate palace?

She was about to turn her head to ask Kale, another person who knew about their contract, about the truth of those words.

Before she could open her mouth, Felix grabbed her hand and turned her around. His face came close in an instant.

Her heart seemed to sink with a thud. It was because that manly handsome face suddenly entered her vision. She quickly turned her gaze elsewhere and tried not to look at him properly.

“Marina. Look at me.”

“No, do we absolutely have to face each other and have a conversation like this?”

“Don’t play with words.”

She slowly rolled her eyes and made eye contact with Felix. Ugh, it’s definitely harmful to the heart.

However, Felix opened his mouth with an indifferent expression as if it didn’t matter that she was right in front of him.

“The people who know the contract are you and me. And now including Kale, only three people. Even if others find out, it will only be a very few people I trust.”

“Uh…… I, I see.”

“There are many watching eyes in the palace. Be careful even when you two are alone in the room. Daytime words are heard by birds and nighttime words are heard by mice.”

Kale who was standing beside them also joined the conversation. Her shoulders drooped at those words.

‘So even in this corridor where the three of us are gathered…… you’re saying we should act as lovers.’

She looked up at Felix with a slightly troubled expression. Before she knew it, Felix was reaching out his hand to carefully arrange her disheveled hair. His touch was so affectionate that it felt like they were really lovers.

‘Is this business relationship…… really possible?’

Sigh…… now I really don’t know either.