Chapter 9 …
“What?”
At those words, Lea jolted upright and sat straight. Kevin looked at her like, you didn’t even realize that?
“And that too, in front of everyone.”
“……”
“And in front of our parents and Raymond.”
“S-stop.”
“No, that’s not all. All those idiot mages will come too. Ursula, Ronald, Connie, Steven.”
“Aaagh!”
“And of course, your coworkers from the Magic Tower will be there as well.”
Lea’s face turned pale, and she shut her mouth completely. Kevin shook his head as if amazed.
“As expected, you hadn’t thought about it at all.”
After staring blankly for a moment, Lea muttered to herself,
“Ah, seriously… maybe I should at least practice.”
“…Should we?”
“Huh?”
She turned her head sharply. Kevin was looking at her with a subtle smile.
And suddenly, the memory of their sharp, first kiss came back to her.
“N-no, I mean… I was just talking to myself. Don’t mind it.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to try it once?”
“W-w-w-what?”
“Well, we’re already sitting this close…”
Then slowly, Kevin leaned in.
In that fleeting moment, time seemed to stretch dozens of times longer.
On her lips, she felt a cool touch, perhaps from the cold indoor air. It was her second kiss with Kevin.
Hup.
The moment Lea’s thoughts froze and she squeezed her eyes shut—
Kevin’s lips quickly pulled away. Unlike last time, it was barely more than a light touch before separating.
“Huh?”
Lea opened her eyes wide and turned to him. Kevin looked as if nothing had happened.
“What?”
“…Didn’t we just kiss?”
Without realizing it, Lea touched her lips, even though no warmth remained.
“Rather than a kiss, we just practiced one of the essential steps of the wedding.”
“Ah… right.”
Her heart, which had been racing just moments ago, suddenly calmed down. Still touching her lips, Lea fell into thought.
It wasn’t like this last time.
Back then, there had been some faint, indescribable feeling. But now…
It felt like she had accidentally bumped her lips against a tree in the garden. There was nothing.
I guess that feeling back then was just my imagination.
More importantly, Kevin wasn’t even attracted to women. There was no way she would feel anything from a kiss with someone like that.
Once she reached that conclusion, a sudden sense of peace and stability filled her heart.
“Why that expression?”
At Kevin’s question, Lea slung her arm over his shoulder and replied,
“I just solved a question. With our arms like this, we really look like best friends, don’t we?”
“……”
“Kevin?”
Kevin suddenly fell silent. He avoided her gaze and looked elsewhere, muttering,
“If you sit like that, everything’s showing.”
“Showing? What?”
Without looking, Kevin pointed toward her chest.
“Huh?”
Because she had suddenly raised her arm, two hooks had come undone. Despite her cute and youthful appearance, the subtle curves of her mature figure were faintly visible.
“Ahh!”
Lea sprang to her feet. She quickly turned around and tried to fasten the hooks again, but her fingers wouldn’t cooperate in her fluster.
This is so embarrassing.
Even if Kevin wasn’t interested in this sort of thing, he was still not a female friend. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.
Then Kevin spoke calmly,
“Looks like the hook got loose.”
“Ah, y-yeah. I guess… it’s an old outfit.”
“Should I call a maid to fix it?”
As expected of thoughtful Kevin. Lea simply nodded, and Kevin stood up with a small groan.
“Then wait here. You don’t have to worry about things like that when you’re with me, but it could be a problem elsewhere.”
“Thanks.”
“No need.”
Kevin replied lightly and left, closing the door behind him. Only then did Lea let out a sigh of relief.
“At least it was Kevin.”
He hadn’t even blushed seeing her figure, and instead casually offered to call a maid.
Watching his reaction, no different from a same-gender friend, Lea became certain once again.
No matter how she looked at it, he was the safest and most harmless man for her.
Right. If I’m going to have a contract marriage anyway, I really chose well with Kevin.
At that very moment, Kevin stood by the window, calming himself as he looked outside—his ears bright red, something Lea would never have imagined.
The day of the wedding.
According to Maclin customs, bride Lea and groom Kevin entered together, holding hands. At that moment, the lights around them went out.
“What’s this?”
As the guests murmured in confusion at the sudden darkness, the circular ceiling slowly opened.
Revealed above was a black canvas glittering with an entire constellation. The night sky, filled with countless stars, drew gasps from the crowd.
Seeing Kevin’s ambitious creation, Lea also lit up like a child.
“Kevin, this is really amazing.”
Kevin was very satisfied with her reaction, though in reality, she was thinking:
This is incredible. I should analyze the cost efficiency. If it’s good enough, it might be worth commercializing for other clients.
Fortunately, her frighteningly practical thoughts didn’t show on her face.
In any case, the wedding, a culmination of magical engineering, was perfect. A brief ceremony speech, a quick ring exchange, and outstanding food—Lea thought that might actually be the most important part.
After finishing the wedding in a flash, another hurdle awaited them.
The first night…
A wooden door decorated with a wreath of red flowers stood before them. Beyond it would be a bridal room filled with a dangerously romantic atmosphere.
Feeling uneasy, Lea let out a deep sigh.
“Why aren’t you going in?”
Startled, she turned around. Kevin stood there in a nightgown, already changed. Unlike her, he looked oddly relaxed.
“I was waiting for you. It feels a bit awkward.”
“You must be tired. You should’ve gone in first.”
As always, his tone was kind and considerate. Lea stared at him, freshly showered and glowing.
“You look even brighter without makeup.”
Then, dragging her tired body, she opened the door—
Completely unaware of how Kevin would act inside.
＊ ＊ ＊
A short while later.
The two lay on a wide bed, caught in a conversation full of misunderstandings—Lea trapped between Kevin’s arms.
“…Weren’t you into Pedro?”
“What are you talking about? Who’s Pedro?”
Lea licked her dry lips nervously.
“You don’t remember Pedro?”
“I said, who is that?”
“My ex-fiancé! You said you liked my man! That’s why my engagement fell apart!”
Kevin frowned, thinking hard before replying,
“What are you talking about? I hated that guy.”
That can’t be true. Back then—
As Lea’s mind swirled between past and present, Kevin’s lips, red like blooming petals, filled her vision.
“I want to kiss you.”
His voice was sweet. His breath was warm.
Under the moonlight streaming through the window, his half-exposed upper body glowed pale. The smooth lines of his figure and lean muscles were strikingly attractive.
But more than that—
Was Kevin always like this?
He looked like a predator that had finally caught its prey after a long wait.
This was completely different from the Kevin Tillman she knew.
The familiar friend was gone, replaced by a dangerous stranger above her. Unable to look away, Lea swallowed hard.
Just as her heart dropped and chaos threatened to take over—
Even if you’re caught by a lion, you survive if you keep your wits.
An old Maclin saying snapped her back to reality.
“Wait, Kevin… you’re…”
“Hmm?”
“You actually…”
Without thinking, Lea pushed his shoulders away.
“You like men!”
At that, Kevin removed his hands and stepped back.
I didn’t want to say that out loud…
Kevin had always had a mesmerizing charm, captivating anyone with just a glance.
A suitor who used to send Lea bouquets daily fell for Kevin’s smile and began following him instead.
Another suitor waiting for her after work lost himself in Kevin’s gaze and changed his target.
Even her ex-fiancé Pedro was no exception.
But what Lea couldn’t understand was—
Kevin rejected all those men coldly and always came back to her.
Why?
Was it because of friendship?
Thinking back, Lea spoke hesitantly,
“You can be honest, Kevin. I’m not a man, I’m a woman. I’m not your type. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean we have to… you know… spend the night together.”
Repeat chapter