~Chapter 12~
“…A lover?”
I couldn’t hide the shock in my voice.
Where had he even heard such nonsense?
The young marquis seemed relieved at my reaction and gave a small, satisfied smile.
“So, you don’t have one, then.”
“No. I don’t.”
I wasn’t planning on going for a marriage ending, not yet. And even if I did have a lover, what business would the young marquis have to care?
“Then… has your family already arranged a fiancé for you?”
“No.”
“And within the past year, are there any plans for marriage or engagement?”
“Also none.”
A bad feeling settled in my chest.
Why is he prying so much?
To stop him, I added quickly:
“I am the head of my family right now… and I have a younger sibling to care for. Until things stabilize, I have no intention of thinking about romance.”
“I see.”
Silence fell.
Feeling the awkwardness, I sipped my tea, and then the young marquis finally spoke.
“Sonnet… I’d like a little help.”
“Yes… what is it?”
Finally, the main topic? I wanted to finish quickly and go home.
Then, suddenly,
“I want you to become my lover.”
“…Excuse me?”
What the hell is he saying now?
Clang—!
The teacup slipped from my hands and shattered on the carpet.
“I’m sorry! I’ll clean it up right away.”
“No, don’t worry. I’ll have a servant handle it later.”
I bowed my head in embarrassment, and he waved his hand dismissively.
“Forget that for now. About what I just said… are you interested?”
“Me? Your… lover?”
“Yes.”
Had he lost his mind?
I felt my temper rise, but I held back. This was my superior… my superior, I reminded myself.
“…I am not someone fit to be your partner.”
“Do you know the legend of the Edenrosa family?”
“The one where they saved the country for the sake of a loved one?”
“Yes. Love doesn’t follow conditions.”
His words made me look at him quietly.
The way he looked down at me, observing, was cold and unyielding.
“And what would you do if I fell for you?”
This didn’t look like someone in love.
I knew the young marquis who truly loved someone—nervous, anxious about their reaction, always wanting to give them everything.
“….”
No, there was no way he was in love with me.
This must be a test.
“I believe I have already given my answer.”
“You already have?”
“Yes. I am here solely as a knight, that is all.”
Whether he doubted my loyalty or suspected ulterior motives, I didn’t know—but I couldn’t give him any reason to.
“If I were to marry you, I would gain more…”
“And my honor as a knight would be destroyed,” I countered firmly.
I made it clear—I was here as a knight, and nothing more.
“Love is important, yes, but above all, honor matters most.”
“I became a knight to live as a knight. That is why I joined the order.”
And with that, I drew my line clearly.
“I may be swayed by love, but I will not abandon my life as a knight.”
“For honor?”
“Yes. For my own honor and for the honor of the House of Edenrosa. That is my way of life.”
So, enough already.
At that, the young marquis smiled, satisfied.
“You would experience love, yet never dare cross the line.”
“…Yes. Well…”
A bad feeling lingered.
“Then all the more, I cannot let you go.”
“Excuse me?”
He clasped his hands together and leaned back into the sofa, radiating confidence and ease.
“You do realize that I’m currently receiving a flood of marriage proposals, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“In fact, I called you here to solve that problem.”
“Can that really be solved?”
“Of course. If I have a lover… then it’s handled. That’s why I’m asking.”
Now I understood what he was thinking.
This bastard wanted to use me as a shield.
Was he really treating people so harshly?
“Then… become my fake lover. I promise the rewards will be more than fair.”
“You won’t try to find someone else?”
To be the young marquis’s lover…
In the original “Lady-Maker” game, the title ‘Duke’s Lover’ boosted reputation by a full 100 points, didn’t it? Would being the marquis’s lover give half that?
“There isn’t a suitable candidate. I need someone with the right noble rank, unmarried, and above all, someone who won’t cling to me but can help with my affairs.”
He grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
“Well, I’m just that impressive.”
Yes… very impressive, I thought, struggling to hide my scowl.
“I wonder if I can even help…”
“You will. The conditions are right, and most importantly, you don’t seem like someone who would cross the line. That’s enough.”
I didn’t intend to cross any lines; in fact, I wanted as much distance as possible.
I considered the benefits—the game interface indicated that the lover title’s reputation points would likely apply.
But this was a contract relationship.
We might break up at any time, and there was no guarantee that the title would persist.
“Still…”
The uncertainty was too great.
I had decided to refuse, but then he added,
“Ten times your current salary. While you act as my lover, that’s your pay. Additionally, when we part ways, I’ll give a dowry enough to cover any inconvenience you suffered. Enough for you?”
“I… understand.”
I clamped my mouth shut, ready to refuse, but… the sum was too large.
-Are you insane?
“I’m not yet, so don’t worry.”
-But… you accepted that?
“…They’re paying a lot…”
Through the communicator, I felt Mephisto’s exasperated gaze.
No. Money is important. Do you know how much raising a child costs?
Especially since Mabel is on the cultured noble route. The more money, the better.
“Besides, I’m not planning on dating anyone for the time being, so it’s fine.”
-That’s not the point… Hah, fine. I won’t add more.
Mephisto shifted the topic, resigned.
-Thanks to your suggestion, recruiting dwarves went smoothly.
“It seems investments have been increasing lately. If I start a new project, I can use that as a pretext for capital injection.”
-That’s good. But…
He paused thoughtfully.
-“Why? Is there a problem?”
-…The new project is a bit delayed.
“Why?”
-There were mages involved. They disguised it as a conflict of personal interests, but after gathering intel, it seems connected to the Second Prince’s faction.
-A black mage?
-Yes. Posing as a mage from the Tower.
“Hm… the project was… monster raising, wasn’t it?”
-Yes. They disrupted monster supply under the pretext of safety issues.
A convincing excuse.
Although secretly, they plan to use monsters to attack the prince.
They seem concerned about potential interference with their plans.
-“Is the operation itself okay?”
-Yes. It’s just inconvenient.
“Then ignore them. No need to poke at the black mages unnecessarily. Let it appear as a normal business conflict.”
The black mages had long prepared plans to overthrow the kingdom without drawing attention.
Unless absolutely necessary, it’s too risky to intervene prematurely.
-“Still, we should investigate the black mages further. Can you handle that?”
-If they’re civilians or commoners, it should be fine.
“I’ll handle the nobles myself. Take care of it.”
-Understood.
Soon after, the communicator went silent.
Black mages… burdensome, indeed.
“I’ll have to deal with them eventually…”
They were entangled with the princess and Mabel, and defeating them would bring great prestige.
For the ultimate knight route, taking part in the black mage hunt was mandatory.
But as a rookie knight, now was not the time.
“The first clue will likely emerge during the monster attack at the hunting tournament, right?”
That would be next year.
In the knight route, that event lets Mabel swing her sword for the first time and impress the knight commander.
“Soon, I’ll be facing nobles for the young marquis’s sake. I might as well prepare.”
Perhaps I could prevent things in advance, gain reputation, and receive rewards. Not a bad deal.
“From tomorrow… I’ll be the young marquis’s lover… I really hate this.”
Seeing the flood of letters and marriage proposals these past three weeks, I feared what might happen.
I silently prayed that nothing went wrong.
“I want you to play the villain.”
“…Excuse me?”
God is dead.
Otherwise, my prayers couldn’t have failed so completely.
Damn it.
