~Chapter 85~
“Eh? What do you mean by that?”
I asked right away.
If we don’t set a time limit, then when will we break off the engagement?
Since this isn’t a real engagement, there has to be an end.
“I mean it just like I said. The engagement period isn’t set. It will stay valid until we both agree to end it.”
“Is there a reason you don’t want to set a time?”
“I’m planning to send Wudian Montorre back to his own country, but if he hears you broke off the engagement, he might come back.”
“Ugh. I really hate that idea.”
Just imagining Wudian Montorre coming after me again made my face twist up.
That smug smile of his was so annoying—even just thinking about it made me lose my appetite.
“And if we break off the engagement, my mother will start pressuring me again. That’s why it’s better to keep the contract until neither of us needs a fake fiancé anymore.”
“Hmmm.”
Not needing a fake fiancé would mean finding a real one.
So that would be when Richard and Lysa truly get together.
By then, it’d be a happy ending for me too, so that timing sounded good.
“Okay, let’s do it like that.”
Since I’m not planning to get married here, I didn’t have to worry about blocking my own chances.
I had nothing to lose from this plan, so I agreed easily.
Right then, Richard’s stiff face relaxed, and he smiled softly.
“You must have had a tough time with Her Majesty the Empress too.”
He laughed so quickly that I realized he really hated hearing her nag.
Even in real life, the worst thing to hear during holidays is people asking about your job or marriage.
For a prince, it must be even worse.
“Yeah, I got nagged a lot. So don’t just throw me away when your problem is solved.”
“I’m the type who always pays back kindness. Just trust me.”
Keeping my spot as his fiancée was easy for me.
Other noble ladies might be jealous, but… I had my list of problem icons and likability points!
If I played matchmaker and helped them get with other guys, the problem would be solved.
“Right. We’re in the same boat, so I have to trust you.”
Maybe my strong attitude was funny, because Richard let out a little laugh.
“So, we’re done talking about the engagement period. Now we just need to say what we want from each other.”
“Requests?”
“Yeah. Things we really want the other to do. Like me needing to live in the Imperial Palace starting today—that’s one of my requests.”
“It sounds like you already have some ideas. You go first.”
As expected from the main character, he was too sharp.
Even though I brought up the palace on purpose, it was impossible to fool his instincts.
“Ahem. If I have to go first… I want to keep running my counseling shop.”
I talked about my counseling shop, which I’d been thinking about for a while.
As a prince’s fiancée, working at a shop probably wouldn’t look good.
The royal family or the high nobles might seriously oppose it.
But I couldn’t close my counseling shop, since it’s how I gained experience by helping couples.
And I definitely couldn’t ask clients to come to the palace.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Huh? Really?”
I had asked carefully, but he agreed so easily.
“Our engagement won’t stop you from doing what you want. I wouldn’t let it.”
“Wow… That was kind of cool.”
To be honest, I wanted to smile as wide as the Joker, but I held it in.
This is what a male lead is like. What a dangerous person.
My heart started beating fast again.
“What did you think of me? Did you really think I’d lock you up in the palace?”
“It’s not that… It’s just, some old nobles might not like a prince’s fiancée running a business.”
“Who would dare?”
Richard smirked with just one side of his mouth.
His short, strong answer made me feel safe.
“Yeah. No one would dare if you’re around. I’ll stop worrying about that.”
“Instead, I’ll have some knights escort you. They’ll be less noticeable and safer than your old guards.”
“Better than my current guards?”
My current guards hardly show up unless I call them—what kind of super-skilled people was he sending?
Maybe the prince’s shadow knights?
Suddenly, I thought of Sir Logan, since he did similar work.
“Is Sir Logan included in that group?”
“…Sometimes.”
“That’s good. It’s easier if I know someone.”
If I got to meet Sir Logan, I could ask him how his crush was going.
He seemed to get some answers from the last advice, so I was curious about the results.
“Anything else you want?”
Richard leaned back and asked.
“Hmm… Not right now.”
“If you don’t have any, then it’s my turn.”
What? He acted like he had no requests, but now he’s ready to claim his share.
Still, as a contract partner, it was only fair, so I had to listen.
“Okay, go ahead.”
“I want you to act well.”
“Act? What kind of acting?”
“We have to act like we’re so in love that we got engaged right away. That’s what everyone expects from us.”
“When did that happen?!”
I had never heard this before.
It did make sense for people to think that, since our engagement was so sudden.
But since we’d denied being a couple before, I had no idea what to tell people now.
“If we pretend that’s the case, people won’t get suspicious.”
“That’s true… But there was a news article before. Won’t it be a problem that we denied being in love?”
“We can just say we weren’t in love back then. I’ll say I realized my feelings for you later and started chasing after you.”
“You chasing me? Isn’t that too unrealistic?”
If I had chased him, maybe.
But Richard chasing me was hard to imagine.
Honestly, the one who’d done all the crazy things for love was Amelie Garnet.
“What’s wrong with that?”
Richard made his signature face—the one that made him look as grumpy as possible.
“No, I just think it’s more believable if I was the one chasing after you. It’s not even a lie.”
“That doesn’t matter now. If rumors spread that way, you’ll hear all sorts of things you shouldn’t.”
Even if the prince chases after a baron’s daughter, I’m not sure if that’s a good rumor, either.
Richard was being way too kind even in this situation.
If there were punishments for making people’s hearts flutter, he’d get the death penalty.
But I didn’t want Richard to sacrifice himself for me.
“No matter what, I don’t want you to be the only one to suffer. You have your own reputation and position, too.”
“It’s okay for me. Whatever happens, people will make up their own stories.”
Richard smiled a little bitterly as he said that.
If it were me, I’d be totally fine, but the male lead’s sense of duty was on another level.
“You just have to accept my feelings. The reason the engagement happened so fast was because I pushed for it.”
Richard made it sound so dramatic, with a shadow over his face.
“Aren’t you making me sound like a shameless person?”
“Just say it’s because I’m too responsible for my own good. After all, I’m the one who planned this.”
It sounded like an excuse, but I couldn’t argue.
The way Richard said it, even making fun of himself, made me feel a little sad, too.
