CHAPTER 09
She could swear—these emotions weren’t hers.
‘…Are these Clea Rino’s feelings?’
She truly loved him.
Clea realized this painfully in that very moment.
Unable to bear it, she pressed her chest hard.
What was this tingling pain as if her heart were being struck?
Feeling something well up from deep inside, Clea discreetly pinched her thigh to keep it from showing.
“Can I ask you again?”
“Ask what?”
“What exactly are you thinking? The contract’s already signed, so I’d appreciate an honest answer.”
Isaac asked with his arms crossed, and Clea shut her mouth.
Surprisingly, he was persistent.
She began sorting through her thoughts to find a suitable excuse.
She just wanted to give a reasonable explanation so he wouldn’t dig further.
“I’m planning to go on a trip.”
“A trip?”
“Yes. I’m alone in the count’s house now, and it’s lonely, so I thought I’d take a trip and start fresh.”
Clea said in a calm voice.
She thought it was a reasonable excuse. In truth, the Count’s residence was more than just quiet—it was suffocating.
Despite the servants managing the house daily, she had never once heard a proper conversation.
‘That just shows how oppressive it is.’
The silent mansion was so uncomfortable that she didn’t want to leave her room.
Since she didn’t even know how to put on a dress properly, she needed the maids’ help to go out anyway.
“…How about thinking your lies through before you speak them?”
Isaac looked at her seriously as he said this.
Clea frowned, a bit offended that what she thought was a proper answer was dismissed as a lie.
“It’s not a lie.”
“Then it must be something physically impossible.”
“If something’s bothering you, could you say it clearly?”
The roundabout way he spoke annoyed her a little.
Clea snapped, lifting her chin defiantly.
Then he met her gaze with one that seemed to ask if she really didn’t understand, and finally opened his mouth.
“You said yourself—you can’t walk more than four hundred steps.”
“…What?”
She blurted out a dumb-sounding reply.
“You told me, didn’t you? That if you walk more than four hundred steps, your heart gives out.”
“…I did.”
Clea responded begrudgingly to his doubtful tone.
“So are you planning to travel while walking no more than four hundred steps a day?”
“…”
He was right on the mark.
Clea realized her excuse was flawed from the very premise.
‘This body really is trash…’
Trash among trash.
Yes, this body was like a microscope slide—preparat.
The kind that shatters instantly if mishandled while adjusting focus under a microscope.
Her eyes became deadly serious.
“Well…”
She pulled a random word from her rapidly spinning thoughts.
She looked blankly at Isaac and then smiled.
Isaac looked back at her, puzzled.
“I don’t have to walk to travel, do I?”
She said confidently, her voice firm.
The Rino family was rich.
Thanks to the mine, their income was substantial, and people lined up to do business with them.
The only problem was her lack of knowledge.
Since she didn’t know this world well, she barely managed to maintain the business by digging through records and gathering bits of information.
Still, it wouldn’t last beyond a month.
Before then, she planned to dump all related duties onto Isaac.
Frankly, that was one of the reasons she had rushed the marriage.
Isaac’s expression turned strange upon hearing her answer—as if she’d spoken something incomprehensible.
“And how exactly do you travel without walking?”
“Money.”
“Money?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes sparkled as she clenched her fist.
“With money, nothing is impossible in this world. And since I have plenty, I can travel in comfort—sitting in a carriage.”
“…And that’s what you call a trip?”
Isaac looked disturbed, like he’d just heard something ridiculous.
To Isaac, traveling meant running or walking all day, pushing forward.
Sometimes it involved hunting animals to eat or beating up bandits.
“There are all kinds of trips.”
“…I see.”
He nodded, accepting her words.
But his expression said he still didn’t quite get it, so Clea turned her gaze to hide her guilt.
“Anyway, that’s not really the important thing.”
“It’s not?”
“No. What’s important is that as of today, we’re married.”
“…So what exactly does a happy marriage mean to you?”
“Hmm.”
She glanced at Isaac, trying to read his thoughts.
She didn’t know either, and it seemed he didn’t either.
The slight hope Clea had been holding onto fizzled out in an instant.
“The usual stuff. Going on dates, eating together, skinship… things like that.”
“Does that include… a physical relationship between man and woman?”
“Yes, of course.”
Clea nodded without hesitation to Isaac’s question.
They needed to set boundaries, and Clea truly intended to live like a real married couple.
She needed to deliver an outcome that even the real Clea Rino would be satisfied with.
“…Are you really okay with that?”
“Yes. So please give it your best. I want these six months with you to be unforgettable.”
Isaac stood from his seat.
Clea looked up at him quietly as he rose from the sofa across from her.
Then suddenly, he knelt on one knee and gently took her right hand.
“I promise to be faithful to you during the time we spend together.”
He kissed the back of her hand.
It was a knight’s vow.
Normally, knights offered such vows to women they pledged themselves to.
Unfortunately, Clea didn’t know much about such customs in this world.
She looked down at Isaac, a bit flustered, then smiled faintly.
“I didn’t have time to prepare properly…”
Still kneeling, Isaac pulled something from the inner pocket of his jacket.
And gently slid it onto the ring finger of her right hand.
“I’ll get you a proper ring soon, but please use this in the meantime.”
“No, this is fine.”
The silver ring that fit snugly on her finger was quite plain.
It lacked any gem decoration, but it had intricate patterns engraved into it.
Honestly, it suited her preference for simplicity.
‘Though I don’t know what Clea Rino’s preferences are.’
Receiving a wedding ring on one knee… that was something she could never have dreamed of in her previous life.
Feeling a strange mix of emotions, she stared quietly at the ring now on her finger.
“Well, it’s temporary, but I’ll prepare your room—”
“No.”
Clea interrupted him.
How could they develop intimacy or move toward consummation if they stayed in separate rooms?
She didn’t have the luxury of time.
No one knew that better than her.
“I’ll just use your room, Isaac.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Yes. If you give me a room, I’ll just use it to store my luggage.”
“I respect your wishes.”
Isaac replied.
He was incredibly handsome and had attracted plenty of women’s attention and even confessions.
But this was the first time he’d ever truly formed a relationship with someone.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly a normal relationship—there was a contract between them.
So naturally, he wasn’t very skilled at dealing with women.
“If you need anything, let Denver know. For now, why don’t you rest?”
“Rest?”
It would be evening soon, but she wasn’t quite ready to rest yet.
But without listening to her answer, Isaac stood up from his seat.
And then suddenly scooped her into his arms.
“…Isaac?”
“You really shouldn’t walk if you can help it.”
“I can walk to the room, you know.”
Clea insisted.
As they stood before the arched staircase, Isaac looked down at her.
Their eyes met midair and then parted.
“There are stairs, though.”
Isaac said.
You can’t climb these stairs—or if you try, you’ll collapse.
That was the certainty in his eyes.
Clea was rendered speechless.
