CHAPTER 09…………………………………….
Do you know this?
When a person suddenly has to make up a story, they usually base it on some fragment of truth and embellish it.
“Actually, I asked my husband for a divorce, but he absolutely refuses to let me go. I even left the house, but I’m scared he might come looking for me.”
Now that I say it, it doesn’t feel like much of a lie at all.
“……I see.”
Family matters are usually not something people probe into deeply.
Yet Terence didn’t give up so easily.
“Judging by your attire, you seem to be a noble. For such a request, wouldn’t it be better to hire a private knight?”
“I’m afraid my circumstances aren’t that flexible.”
Naturally, hiring mercenaries costs less than a fully knighted officer.
“……”
“……”
After a brief awkward silence, Terence finally relented.
“I apologize. I didn’t realize you were in such a situation.”
“No, it’s my fault for suddenly appearing while you were training and disturbing you.”
I had to escape quickly before he started asking more questions.
“Oh my! Toppling such a large tree—your skill is remarkable. Well, then, I’ll be going.”
I tried to leave, making sure he would never imagine this was the scene of a murder.
“Yes. Though it feels odd to say it myself, my swordsmanship is quite good.”
“Ah, I see! How impressive.”
“If you hire me, you will have no regrets.”
“……I’m not sure I understand…”
The man’s smile was captivating.
“Then let it be me. Your personal guard.”
What… is he saying?
I could feel a twitch forming at the corner of my mouth.
“You… you want to be my guard…?”
The smile bloomed fully, as if it gave off the scent of roses.
“Yes. I’m also a wandering mercenary and happened to be looking for someone to hire me.”
No way! He’s a marquis!
But I couldn’t reveal that I knew his identity.
“I can’t offer much, though…”
“Just the base pay is enough.”
“How can you say that? With your skills…”
“As you can see, there’s nothing going on, so even that is more than enough.”
“I… I just feel more comfortable with a woman…”
“It’s not like we’ll be sharing a room. Many noblewomen actually hire male guards.”
“Of course, that’s true.”
While desperately thinking of an excuse, an idea flashed in my mind.
‘Wait, isn’t this an opportunity?’
The reason Terence was acting like this was because he hadn’t completely dismissed his suspicions of me.
If I refused now, his doubts would only grow.
But if I accepted his offer?
By acting together, I could gradually ease his suspicion, and our relationship could get close enough to negotiate over that “information”!
‘This is it!’
As long as I’m careful, I can manage the suspicion. All the excuses I hastily made were actually true.
“In that case… I hope you won’t mind…”
I pretended to hesitate briefly and bowed my head slightly.
“Please take care of me.”
“And likewise.”
And so, unintentionally, I ended up with the ultimate villain as my bodyguard.
I hope that was a good decision…?
We exchanged brief introductions and left the Wanderer’s Forest.
“My name is Idelle. My husband has a different last name, but we’re getting divorced soon, so you can just call me Idelle Wallace.”
Better to avoid saying “Cassius” right away; it would raise suspicion.
He had lived a life distant from society until recently, so he wouldn’t know my married name.
“My name is Tei. I have no surname due to my lowly status.”
He lies skillfully too. Well, whatever.
‘He’s incredibly handsome!’
Feeling at ease, I took the time to properly observe Terence’s face.
Delicate yet masculine features.
Long eyelashes. A jawline that looked stubborn. Nobility evident even in simple clothing.
And the body—no need to describe. I felt it myself when he accidentally caught me in his arms.
I almost wanted to scold my past self for avoiding him entirely near the villain, fearing entanglement.
‘No, author! You never said he was this handsome!’
From Rienna’s perspective, the novel mostly described the male leads and Cassius’s appearance. Terence was mostly depicted through his dangerous aura.
Honestly, I prefer this. Before his dark turn, he doesn’t seem truly cruel.
‘Just a hint of thrilling tension?’
If there were illustrations, I would have liked Terence more than Leandro.
“Is something on my face?”
“No! Nothing at all!”
Terence and I discussed various things, both holding truths we hadn’t revealed to each other.
“You said you’re separated. Where are you staying?”
“Currently at a hotel. I’ll try to find a place to live soon.”
“In that case, I’ll stay nearby as well. Is the next room empty?”
“Yes. Probably.”
I calculated I could easily provide that. My secret emergency fund was recently withdrawn from the bank.
“I can even cover room service once a week! As a welfare measure!”
“No, I’ll handle lodging fees myself…”
“Do you have that kind of money?”
Seeing me stare at him as if to ask “then why be my guard?” Terence cleared his throat.
“……I accept your request.”
The poor mercenary act mustn’t be forgotten, Marquis.
Not bad—making the villain indebted to me.
Terence can’t bear to owe anyone, whether positively or negatively.
Later, I can even charge interest!
Terence placed his luggage in the unfamiliar room.
When training, he often spent nights in the forest, so he brought only the essentials.
He glanced again at the paper with rounded handwriting—the contract we drafted over dinner near the hotel.
Naturally, he thought of the worried expression of the woman holding the pen.
“…A strange woman.”
Idelle Wallace.
The woman who had flown into his arms while he was dumping a body off a cliff.
Her faint, animal-like movements kept catching his attention. He had tried to move quietly, suspecting something, but she didn’t seem to have witnessed the murder.
She wasn’t the type to be brave enough to have a murderer as her bodyguard.
“Well, it doesn’t matter.”
Even if she had seen something, it wouldn’t matter much. Not a normal person, and he had already dealt with the assassin.
But why…
Why did he voluntarily take on the troublesome role of guarding her?
…I’m not sure.
Seeing a girl about to run away, he somehow felt compelled to hold her.
Maybe he wanted to see her troubled expression, or perhaps hoped she’d be slightly more flustered.
He enjoyed teasing others, but did he really go this far?
Terence pushed aside the cluttered thoughts and leaned against a makeshift desk in the room.
“Have I ever acted with a reason?”
He was naturally curious and capricious.
He did things simply for the novelty of amusement.
He had endured his otherwise dull life this way.
This was just another small entertainment.
“I should send a notice.”
He picked up a note in the room and began writing.
A letter to be sent to his unoccupied home.
With no estate to oversee, leaving the house was not a problem.
The title he held was merely granted by the emperor to uphold his status.
His hand, which had moved gracefully, stopped abruptly.
He hesitated briefly over how long he would be gone, then resumed.
Finally, one word was written thickly:
‘Indefinite.’
Terence stared at the pale-gray wall.
On the other side of the thin wall was the woman.
Had she fallen asleep? Her previously active presence had gone quiet.
“Since I’ve taken on this task, I’ll do it properly.”
Humming as if it were an amusing game, he handed the note to a courier.
Within five minutes, he returned and checked the wall—nothing unusual.
That night, he didn’t lie on the hard mattress but sat against the wall in a chair and slept.
A peaceful night.
“You seem to be in good spirits.”
At that, I paused slicing meat and looked across at him.
Terence watched me with a relaxed smile.
Perhaps because it was morning, the atmosphere felt lighter. A relaxed handsome man—nice.
“I slept well yesterday.”
“That’s fortunate.”
I had worried that having the villain in the next room might keep me awake, but it was unnecessary.
I slept even better than the previous night.
Just being free from Cassius made me feel lively, despite no actual problems being resolved.
‘Leandro and that household really weighed me down.’
Terence asked me:
“Are you troubled by something?”
I must have looked gloomy, recalling the past.
“Um, about the divorce.”
“You’ll need to submit documents to the court if you want a trial.”
“I’ve already submitted them.”
Yesterday, before buying a self-defense amulet at the magic shop, I stopped by the court first.
“You may have to wait. There are fewer judges than needed, so cases are slow—an endemic problem of the empire.”
“Haha, that figures…”
If it’s just slow, that’s fine.
The problem is whether my documents would even be accepted.
Cassius’s influence reaches almost everywhere in the Asterot Empire.
Knowing Leandro, he’d do everything to prevent the divorce documents from being filed.
He hates any blemish on Cassius’s name. Bribing a court clerk? Child’s play.
‘Corrupt, seriously!’
I chewed my meat thoughtfully.
A man so picture-perfect even as he ate lettuce.
Power meets power.
For the divorce, I must have Terence on my side.
“Shall we eat and then head out a bit further?”
He answered lightly, eyes glinting.
“As you wish, employer.”
A little later…
“Is this the place you intended?”
In front of a shop with mingled, indescribable smells, Terence asked.
“Yes! Come on in!”
I nudged him forward and stepped through the open door.
