Chapter 46

The sound of papers being turned was as leisurely as the monotonous voice that accompanied it.

In the Kentri Empire, there is a period during summer when the weather suddenly cools down, known as the Festival of Water. 

Only a month remained until the festival.

The sudden topic made her blink involuntarily.

“A wedding, you say… Whose wedding…?”

Her throat tightened, preventing her from finishing her sentence.

But what was the point of asking? Of course, the Emperor was talking about her marriage to Eched.

She had just heard about the wedding rumors from Sir Taltos over the weekend. So, she quickly grasped the situation.

The Emperor brought up various reasons for wanting them to marry—about public perception, the influence on unmarried nobles, and so forth.

In conclusion, it meant that if she moved out of Duke Astrea’s residence, she wouldn’t have to marry.

‘I promised to stay by his side until we caught the dark mage.’

The investigation into the dark mage had made no progress. Orgon’s informant was probably galloping across the Blue Plains by now.

“I’ll… think about it.”

The Emperor gave her a look that said there was nothing to think about but refrained from saying anything further.

“Very well. It’s your wedding, so let me know once you’ve made up your mind. I’ll give you a grand ceremony that no one can rival.”

It was an offer she wanted to reject outright.

With a sullen expression, she bowed and left the office.

Marriage… marriage…

The reasons to refuse were clear, the methods to refuse were obvious, and there were easy ways to quell the rumors.

‘So why don’t I feel like rejecting it?’

It wasn’t just because of that promise under the moonlight. The face that had been lingering in her mind since earlier was stirring her emotions in subtle ways.

‘I think… I’ve become someone who can’t live without you.’

How could he say such embarrassing things so calmly, without changing his expression?

‘Goodnight.’

And every night, he would whisper those words to her before bed. The sound of his voice tickled her ears, making her shrink her neck.

Most of all, the thing she’d miss the most if she left the Duke’s residence was Eched’s bedroom.

It was her favorite place in the residence, as it felt like lying in a sunny meadow.

The sense of reassurance that came with having someone by her side wasn’t entirely unwelcome either.

“Ah… Seriously…”

She sighed, exasperated at herself for coming up with all sorts of reasons to stay at the Duke’s residence.

It was all Eched’s fault for stirring her emotions unnecessarily.

And yet, he wasn’t entirely unlikable. She was clearly falling for him, little by little.

At that moment, she spotted Eched and glared at him with disapproval. He seemed to have just returned from the training grounds.

“Shaterian?”

Noticing her gaze, his neat eyebrows furrowed in question. She tilted her head toward him.

“Shall we take a walk?”

“Alright.”

They walked side by side toward the garden. The summer garden was well-kept and quite a sight to behold.

Her thoughts didn’t take long to settle; she had already made up her mind. There was no point in delaying further.

A marriage of convenience.

After a brief pause, she spoke.

“Eched, I’m thinking of marrying you.”

It was a sudden and abrupt proposal, devoid of any atmosphere or romance.

Eched stopped in his tracks. She also stopped, looking back at him from a short distance.

“But there’s a condition. You must agree to divorce immediately when I ask for it. Or, if we catch the dark mage and the curse is lifted, we’ll divorce then. It’s a temporary marriage. Once it’s served its purpose, we’ll part ways.”

Once everything was over, the marriage would become unnecessary—a contract that would only bind them.

If Eched refused, there was no choice but to share her divine power with him in a more inconvenient way.

But that would mean constantly visiting the Knight Commander’s office, sparking rumors, making things complicated…

And what about the night of the full moon?

As she pondered, Eched, surprisingly, smiled warmly.

“Alright.”

She had expected him not to refuse. After all, this was Eched, who had once declared that he would make her want to marry him.

“But I have a condition too.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t leave without telling me.”

“Huh?”

It was an odd condition. She had half-expected him to say, ‘No divorce under any circumstances,’ and her worries felt baseless.

“To be honest, marriage between humans doesn’t hold much meaning for me. It’s simply an excuse for me to stay by your side. So, if there ever comes a time when you leave, you must tell me.”

‘Ah… I’ve been caught.’

A cold sweat trickled down her back. He had already seen through her future plans and effortlessly trapped her.

There was no way out, and she had no choice but to agree reluctantly.

This sense of responsibility—what was it worth? Perhaps I should have just turned a blind eye.

But the opportunity had already passed.

They moved to another spot to draft a detailed contract for a more harmonious arrangement.

Both of them laid out their desired conditions, and when they finally exchanged papers, Eched’s contract contained only the condition he had mentioned earlier.

It was starkly different from hers, which listed over ten conditions.

“What’s this? Why didn’t you write more?”

“I’m willing to accept anything you want.”

“…”

Annoyed by his charm, she shoved her paper at him, telling him to focus on her conditions. She deliberately acted curt to hide her slightly flushed face.

Her conditions were basic yet brutally pragmatic.

From the timing of the divorce to bans on physical contact beyond holding hands, prohibitions on interfering in each other’s personal lives, and even restrictions on acting overly familiar in public.

It was essentially a document outlining a cohabitation arrangement where they lived as strangers.

Eched silently reviewed her paper, then added a new clause to his own contract.

2. Under no circumstances will separate bedrooms be allowed.

“If I’m agreeing to everything else, this much should be fine.”

“Well… alright.”

Since they were already sharing a bed, she figured it wouldn’t make much difference and shrugged in agreement.

‘I never imagined I’d end up marrying Eched.’

Even if it was a loveless, contractual marriage.

“And let’s add one more thing: everything in this contract is subject to change depending on the situation. Nothing is absolute.”

“Fine.”

Thinking that life was full of surprises, they signed the papers and collected them.

“His Majesty suggested holding the wedding during the Festival of Water.”

“Let’s do that.”

“Let’s keep it as simple as possible. I don’t like big crowds.”

“Alright.”

“And the honeymoon… Hah…”

She suddenly burst into laughter. The absurdity of planning a wedding so casually made her laugh.

Eched looked at her curiously, and she shook her head.

“We’re so… pragmatic.”

Everything was moving smoothly, without any obstacles. Mostly thanks to Eched’s “whatever you say” attitude.

“We should definitely go on a honeymoon. It’s a legitimate vacation; it’d be a waste not to.”

“Alright.”

“Then let’s do our best.”

“Alright.”

She grabbed his large hand.

They were more compatible than she had thought. This might turn out to be a good relationship.

***

Duke Astrea and Lady Shaterian’s Wedding Announcement! The Ceremony to Take Place During the Festival of Water!

The front page of this morning’s tabloid was dedicated to the news of the Duke’s wedding.

While some people were indifferent to the long-anticipated announcement, others were excitedly making a fuss, exclaiming that it was finally happening. Of course, there were also those who thought the reaction was overly dramatic.

Pell, who had brought the tabloid to work, crumpled it up and tossed it aside while Ser Arturito discussed matters with a contractor he had brought along.

“The building is cheap, but… isn’t it too secluded?”

Though it was inexpensive, it would take all her savings to purchase the property.

“That doesn’t matter. This will be more about takeout products than dining in. So, half of the first floor should be for product displays and sales counters, while the other half can be a simple space for tea and desserts. As for the second floor, I want it entirely private and elegantly arranged.”

“Then, for the wallpaper, this color… and for the flooring, something like this…”

The contractor, who had a good sense of style, immediately understood her vision.

Ser Arturito, contrary to her initial concerns, was surprisingly efficient and precise in his work. He also kept meticulous records of the necessary expenses.

Numbers never lied, after all.

“Um… My Lady.”

The contractor, eager to procure materials, left the table first, saying he would return soon.

Ser, who had said he’d just finish his tea before leaving, began fiddling with his now lukewarm teacup and quietly called out to her.

Hmm, she knew this atmosphere. Sipping her tea, she looked at Ser, who seemed hesitant to speak.

“Are you really going to marry the Duke?”

“Hmm… Ser Arturito, let me ask you something. Do you, by any chance, harbor feelings for me?”

He flinched, startled. His eyes wavered intensely.

“You’d better think carefully before answering. Otherwise, you’ll be fired.”

Having been burned once before, she knew it was best to nip any unwelcome feelings in the bud for her own peace of mind.

After a long pause, Ser slowly shook his head.

“…That’s not the case.”

“Hmm? Then?”

“I deeply respect you, My Lady.”