Chapter 25
For a Perfect Contract Marriage
“I’m not bringing this up because Ember’s behavior bothered me, nor because I’m disappointed in you, Eyzar.”
“Then… what’s the reason?”
“I wanted to ask your permission before involving myself in your private matters. The reason I refused Ember’s request is that anyone trying to meddle in your feelings would be disrespecting you.”
Ah. Even after receiving such a request, my wife had thought of his feelings first. Eyzar felt a warmth spreading through his body at that thought.
“Ember gave me a letter.”
It must have been one of the letters Bertisha sent him.
“I haven’t opened it yet, but I saw who sent it. She is… your old love, isn’t she?”
“Yes. That’s right…”
Julietta continued, as if understanding.
“I thought about it. Our marriage rules do say we should share certain parts of our private lives. But maybe you wouldn’t want to share something like this. Besides, you weren’t the one who brought it up first.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you’d be bothered by even such things.”
“On the contrary. If I had wanted to share something like this, I might have worried you’d dislike it. So… I want to ask. Eyzar, may I involve myself in your private matters?”
She seemed more mature than usual, carefully observing his reaction as she asked, waiting for his answer. He felt pathetic. He had wanted to be someone she could lean on, but right now, he was the one leaning on her.
“That’s fine. With you, Julietta, it’s perfectly fine to be involved in anything.”
He thought that if someday she shared everything with him, that would be wonderful. He could become someone she could lean on in the future.
“Then, Eyzar, I want to ask you something. How do you feel about her continuing to send letters like this?”
“It’s… painful. And sometimes, frustrating. That’s why I purposely didn’t reply.”
Hearing that, Julietta jumped up cheerfully and grabbed his hand.
“Perfect! Then, Eyzar, shall we go burn these letters in the fireplace together?”
Caught off guard, Eyzar let out a deflated sound.
“Eh?”
Julietta, on the other hand, was excited, dragging him along.
“What are you doing? You said it’s frustrating and sometimes annoying, right? I also don’t like seeing you gloomy or sad. And someone who keeps sending letters to make you suffer…! There’s absolutely no need to deal with them!”
A smile escaped his lips. Ah, right. This was his wife. Limitlessly bright, fearless, someone whose presence left no space for anyone else.
“Yes, Madam. I’ll follow your lead.”
With such a sunlight-like person by his side… how could he feel pain?
‘Phew. I thought I’d be overstepping, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.’
I glanced at Eyzar’s profile. The gloomy look he’d worn when I first mentioned Ember had disappeared. He was now eagerly adding the letters to the blazing fireplace, even adding more logs to ensure they burned well.
How ridiculous it had been to worry about how to bring this up with him.
“They burn well, don’t they? Must be because they’re letters.”
“Yes… By the way, did you enjoy tea time?”
He brought up a neutral topic—something I hadn’t been able to discuss in the carriage, being too distracted by the bouquet of roses.
“It was very enjoyable. We’ve promised to meet again—I’m already looking forward to it.”
“I see. No wonder your expression in the carriage looked so cheerful.”
Sure, it was thanks to the pleasant tea time, but also…
“Well, the tea time was enjoyable, but more importantly, Eyzar personally came to get me and gave me such a memorable gift. I’m very grateful.”
“I see…”
“Yes, I really am.”
I smiled, and his face softened into a gentle grin. Feeling at ease, I casually asked:
“By the way, Eyzar, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“What should one consider when buying men’s gloves?”
He responded awkwardly, creaking slightly as he answered.
“Men’s gloves? Are you… planning to give them to someone?”
He hadn’t realized I was asking about a gift for him. Trying to gauge his preferences, I asked subtly.
A small mischievous thought struck me.
“Yes, for a very stylish gentleman.”
I said shyly, and he was flustered.
“…Who might that be?”
“Well… who could it be?”
I answered enigmatically, and he paused, staring blankly at the flickering flames. His gaze grew serious, perhaps imagining that I had a lover and that the contract marriage might be jeopardized.
So I tossed the letters into the fireplace, replying:
“Of course, it’s for my little brother. I recently got a letter from him. He grumbled that he hadn’t heard from me, and with his birthday approaching, asked for a pair of gloves.”
Half true, half false. His brother’s birthday was in winter, so it wasn’t quite the right time. But it was true that he often wrote letters asking after me, half greetings and half mundane chatter.
He was eager to marry his beloved fiancée, but her family delayed things slightly, though they seemed to get along peacefully.
Their father or older brother sometimes wrote letters with mixed concerns, saying they might visit soon. Who knew if they could visit before this contract marriage ended? They were always busy.
“Hm. I see. Usually, practicality is key. Soon summer will come, so gloves with fur are unnecessary. Light, breathable leather is ideal.”
“And color?”
“Dark colors are common. I personally prefer leather with a bluish tint.”
I memorized his words carefully. Knowing his preference, I could pick a store and make a purchase accordingly.
‘Good. I’ll request them soon. Since Eyzar uses them, they must be high quality. Once made, I’ll wrap them beautifully and give them.’
Just as I planned step by step, his next words startled me.
“They should also be suitable for your brother-in-law.”
“Eh? Brother-in-law?”
“Yes. Since he’s your brother, it’s the proper term.”
Ah, right. I was married. Why had I been so surprised?
“Oh… yes. Sorry. Why does that feel so awkward? I’ll get used to it soon.”
“No, I also feel awkward, even though I mentioned it first.”
To the outside world, they were a passionate newlywed couple. But stumbling over titles like this reminded them both that this contract marriage still felt fragile.
Being alone together allowed them to feel awkward without concern, but at a formal event, that would have been problematic. I recalled tea time and said to Eyzar:
“Eyzar, I realized something during tea time.”
“Yes? What is it?”
As he patiently waited, I remembered a question the Marchioness Steman had asked:
“Who takes the initiative first, Madam or the disciplined Duke?”
“…The Duke.”
Oh, how could I forget this?
“No! Before that, I need to apologize!”
“Did you make some mistake?”
“Yes… I’m sorry! I turned you into a legendary beast!”
My words had tumbled out in a rush. Looking back, it sounded obscene. Eyzar stammered in surprise.
“Le-legendary beast?”
“Well… um… it’s… complicated.”
I fumbled, and Eyzar cleared his throat, saying:
“Then… why don’t we burn the rest of the letters and talk it through?”
“Oh… yes, that’s a good idea.”
I quickly burned the remaining letters, eager to explain properly and make him understand my absurd confession.
“So that’s how it happened… A notorious heartthrob, huh? I never imagined such rumors would spread among the young ladies…”
Just imagining it made his expression sour. I understood his feelings thoroughly and nodded.
“Yes. For your honor, I… made you into a hot husband. I’m sorry. I couldn’t think of another way.”
“No. I understand. Still, you must have felt awkward. You explained it well.”
“No… well.”
I felt slightly embarrassed receiving praise for doing nothing remarkable.
“After hearing it, I think there are definitely things we need to adjust.”
“Yes. A contract marriage isn’t easy. I thought just sharing our daily lives during free time would suffice, but now, talking at length, it’s obvious we haven’t spent enough time together.”
There are many things to adjust to make it feel like more than a contract marriage. How did other romance novel heroines manage this?
“You mentioned no plans for children yet, but if we keep using excuses, people will start talking.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
In this era, heirs were essential. Considering a two-year contract, the timing of rumors and divorce might coincide, but…
In this time, pressure to have children was far more intense than in my previous life. At gatherings, all the ladies would be questioning:
‘Are you still newlyweds? Perhaps it’s time for a child.’
‘An heir is essential. Don’t be so leisurely, Duke of Ferhaem.’
‘Exactly. Have one quickly, boy or girl.’
Just imagining it drained me already. After a pause, Eyzar asked:
“How about this: I’ll remain busy overseeing the duchy and knights, and we plan to have a child around the end of next year?”
