Chapter 9
I pretended I was fine, but honestly… Something kept bothering me.
“Anna, do you think the Duke finds me uncomfortable? Like… maybe he wants to avoid me?”
“No way! Who would try to avoid their own wife, even if things are still a bit awkward?”
That made sense. Her words comforted me, and I laughed a little.
“Right? When I went to propose our marriage deal, he didn’t seem weird about it, so I’m probably overthinking.”
“Exactly! It was his idea to sign a contract marriage, after all.”
He even matched his steps with mine when we danced at the ball, and today’s just the first day of us living together—maybe he was just a little tense.
Yes. That must be it.
“He’s probably waiting. I should finish unpacking and head out soon.”
“I’ll take care of it, my lady. You should go.”
“Thanks, Anna.”
Chatting with Anna helped calm my nerves.
I changed into a fresh dress to lift my mood and headed to the drawing room alone.
Across the long table, Ezequiel was already seated and quietly waiting. He looked at me when I walked in.
“Your outfit has changed.”
“I didn’t want to start fresh while still wearing something that held the past.”
He glanced briefly at my dress, then frowned.
“It’s too revealing.”
“…Oh. Isn’t it okay for a duchess to wear something like this?”
I asked carefully, unsure. He stayed silent for a while before finally replying.
“…You’ll catch a cold.”
“But it’s almost April. The weather’s warmer now.”
“April can still be chilly.”
“Alright, alright.”
In the end, I hurried back to my room and threw on a shawl.
Only then did he seem satisfied.
I was about to sit down when I paused again.
“Why is this table so long?”
If I sat here and Ezequiel sat at the far end, we’d be about two meters apart.
You could probably race a carriage across the table.
‘I don’t remember it being this long last time…’
I cupped my hands around my mouth and raised my voice.
“Excuse me? Can you hear me from over there?”
“I hear you just fine. This much distance helps keep things from feeling too uncomfortable.”
“I feel uncomfortable. If we talk from this far, our voices will echo through the whole room.”
“This room echoes well. You don’t have to speak loudly.”
Tap tap. I tested it.
He was right—my voice echoed.
I had no comeback.
“You’re so cold.”
“No one else is watching. There’s no need to act friendly.
And you don’t have to try so hard to be warm with me either.”
…What?
His words were even colder than I expected, and I was stunned.
Then Ezequiel calmly called for his aide.
“Ollie. Bring the contract.”
Ollie—the same aide who had guided me through the mansion on my first day—walked in with papers on a silver tray.
A red rose sat on top of the contract, a reminder that this meeting was private and confidential.
“There are two copies of the contract.
Once you both sign and seal them, each of you will keep one.”
Since it followed the temple’s official format, the contract would be blessed and take effect immediately.
Each blank sheet was worth as much as a fine horse.
In other words, it was serious—this wasn’t something to sign lightly.
“Since it’s blank, let’s start discussing the terms from the beginning.”
Ezequiel began listing his terms:
“The contract period is one year from today.
You’ll attend all events and gatherings as my spouse.
You’ll also agree to any public displays of affection required in those situations.”
I tucked my pen behind my ear and carefully looked over the paper.
Forget feelings for now.
The contract had to come first.
“However, in emergencies or unexpected situations, consent may be skipped if necessary.”
Just like someone reading over a job contract,
I looked at the paper with a neutral face and asked:
“What’s the limit on that?
By the way, the most I’ll do without permission is a kiss.”
Ezequiel stared at me like he was surprised.
“You’re okay with kissing a man without asking?”
“You’re not just some man.”
“You do know we won’t be married forever.”
“Wow, you’re already talking about when we split.
Anyway, I’m totally fine with kissing.”
It wasn’t like I’d never done it before in my previous life.
Okay, maybe not in this body, but still.
Ezequiel lowered his head and started writing something.
His ears looked a little red.
“Then, the physical contact allowed will be light kisses only.
Anything beyond that requires mutual consent, no matter the situation.”
Next came the topic of compensation.
Ezequiel gestured for me to speak first.
“Is there anything you’d like as a gift after our divorce?
I may not have much heart, but I do have a conscience.
I’ll make sure you’re fairly compensated, considering your reputation in noble society.”
He brought up divorce again.
Sure, the contract says we’ll divorce after a year.
But I had no actual plan to do that.
My real goal was to twist the story and stay here for good.
Still, just in case things didn’t go as planned, it was better to prepare.
So, I decided to aim big.
“30 ork.”
That’s 3 billion in my past life’s currency.
“30 ork in clean, taxed, ready-to-use cash. That’s what I want.”
It was more than enough to live on for the rest of my life.
But what shocked me more was his reaction.
“Only 30 ork for giving up the title of duchess?
That’s far too modest.”
Just how rich was this man?
I might be a noble, but I’d lived like I had nothing.
To me, 30 ork felt like a huge deal.
Was it really such a small amount to the rest of the noble class?
“Then… 35 ork?”
“Let’s make it 100.”
…Maybe divorcing right away wasn’t such a bad idea.
No. I shook the greedy thought out of my head.
‘I have to last a full year to get that money. No more daydreaming.’
Besides, in the long run, having the title Duchess of Vetra would be more valuable.
It could help with starting a business later in noble society.
But more than anything, not divorcing was still the best option.
“If I last one year, I get 100 ork.”
Even just the idea of it felt like a dream.
This negotiation was going surprisingly well.
We each pressed our personal seals onto the contract.
The enchanted ink soaked into the paper smoothly.
“The contract is now official.”
Ezequiel said clearly, raising his long, elegant fingers to his lips.
“Everything that happened here today stays secret until we die.”
“Got it. In front of others, we’ll act like the perfect couple.”
He looked like he had something else to say.
“There’s still one more important thing married couples must do.”
His eyes were gleaming with a strange look.
Something about it felt suspicious.
“What is it?”
“What are you thinking? Why are you covering your chest?
I meant the wedding.”
Oh. Embarrassed, I dropped my hand that had been covering my front.
Was I the only one who took that the wrong way?
“Ah, right. The wedding. I was totally thinking the same thing.”
I joked, but Ezequiel didn’t laugh.
“The ceremony will be as grand as possible.”
He tapped his fingers on the table, as if excited just thinking about it.
“After the ceremony, we’ll go greet His Majesty the Emperor.
That means the wedding has to be big enough to catch everyone’s attention.”
This was the most passionate Ezequiel had looked all day.
“The whole world must know that I’ve taken a wife.”
To him, making my presence official was a crucial step.
This was Phase One of his plan to stop the empire from absorbing the duchy.
“Right after the ceremony, you’ll be officially announced as my wife,
my successor’s stand-in, and the heir presumptive.”
“Sounds like a heavy responsibility.”
He gave a small smile as I nervously swallowed.
“Again, you’ll just be the named heir.
You won’t have to go through training or manage the duchy.”
So, he had no plans to let me rule the duchy at all.
Probably because he already had a nephew lined up to inherit.
I accepted that easily.
After all, my main goal was just to escape the Viscount’s house.
I didn’t care about becoming the heir.
“Alright. So, what should I do starting today?”
Ezequiel leaned on the table and replied from across the room:
“Prepare for the wedding.”
Those words came through loud and clear.
His tone was serious and heavy.
“Let’s put our heart and soul into this, my wife.”
And just like that, our short-term mission was set.
It was the start of a slightly rocky married life.
