LFMS l CH 15

chapter 15

“That’s a strange question for the situation. Do you really need a reason to save someone?”

His answer was short, as if he didn’t want to talk about it any further.

But I still wanted to ask. After all, in the game, Eden was never someone who got involved in other people’s problems.

On top of that, he knew that Gilbert had died, and that his money had gone into gambling.

It wouldn’t be strange if he thought I was an accomplice — and yet, he proposed to me. I wanted to know what he was thinking.

When I didn’t back down and kept looking at him, Eden let out a soft sigh. Then, in a slightly annoyed voice, he said,

“…It’s a bit surprising when someone asks such a serious question about something so obvious. Do I look like someone cold-blooded enough to just ignore a person in danger?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then there you go.”

“…It’s just that, in this world, most people put themselves first.”

Not that I blamed them. Even I hated getting involved in troublesome situations.

“And as a father, teaching his child is expected. I didn’t think you’d feel the need to step in.”

In fact, many people around us were just whispering and watching — no one stepped in to stop it.

Because it was a familiar scene. In this world, many forms of abuse were overlooked in the name of family.

And I was the one who used that “family” excuse to control Echo. Some people might’ve even laughed and said I deserved it when I was caught by Louis.

Well, they’re not entirely wrong.

I gave a bitter smile and looked down, not ready to face how he might be looking at me.

Then it happened.

“Just because someone gave birth to you doesn’t mean they’re truly a parent.”

At that low, unexpected voice, I looked up.

When I stared at him with wide eyes, surprised, he gave a small, amused smile and said,

“What’s wrong? Didn’t think I’d say something like that?”

“It’s not that… It’s just… You think the same way I do.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. If we share similar values, we won’t clash too much.”

“…Although I’m not sure if this really counts as a ‘value’…”

“Then I guess we can say we’re on the same page. I like that better — sounds a bit more personal.”

He smiled gently, the corners of his lips lifting softly.

His light, joking tone eased the heavy mood that had settled between us. I even smiled a little — but something about his words left me feeling oddly unsettled.

Like I’d just heard something more important than I realized.

Then, he lowered the arm he’d been holding and instead took my hand. The bandage, which had been sloppily wrapped before, was now neatly done.

“Ah, thank y—”

I started to thank him and tried to pull my hand away, but he didn’t let go.

“The commotion might have messed up the order of things, but there’s still something we need to do.”

“…Sorry?”

“It just doesn’t sit right with me, how used you seem to getting hurt.”

He muttered in a slightly annoyed tone. I didn’t even have time to ask what he meant — Eden picked up a roll of white bandage from nearby.

Then he gently wrapped it around my left ring finger, where there wasn’t even a scratch.

He looked pleased with himself, then met my eyes and smiled.

“Let’s get married.”

I froze at his soft, calm words.

“M-married? You were serious about that?”

“Do I look like the kind of man who proposes to just anyone?”

Eden gave a small, incredulous laugh, then smiled again.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Whatever you believed before, your actions today told a different story.”

“…Actions?”

I blinked, confused. Eden smiled kindly.

“To be honest, I was surprised. I didn’t expect you to accept my proposal in front of so many people.”

He tilted his head slightly, as if a little shy. Proposal? I was so shocked I could only gape at him before finally stammering:

“That— That wasn’t an acceptance! The situation just happened that way!”

“Even so, it still happened. And it’s pretty much impossible to erase the memories of all those witnesses.”

He replied without so much as blinking.

…This wasn’t good. I tried to pull off the bandage on my ring finger. But somehow, in such a short time, he had managed to secure it so well that it wouldn’t come off.

“If you keep that up, you’ll end up hurting yourself where there isn’t even a wound.”

He watched my struggle with amusement, then laced his fingers through mine. His hand was much bigger, and it fit snugly around mine.

“Not to brag, but objectively, I’m a pretty great husband-to-be. It’s not a bad offer.”

“Well… that’s true, but…”

“Or is there something bothering you?”

There is. All the awful endings I’ve seen in the past were flashing through my mind, all warning me not to go through with this.

And the fact that out of all the women in the world, he chose me — that bothered me too.

Why would someone who seems to have everything, someone so perfect, propose to me?

As if he read my mind, Eden continued,

“Would it help if we set conditions?”

“Conditions?”

“Didn’t your father say so himself? Since this is a union between two noble families, there are proper matters to sort out before marriage.”

He quoted Louis almost reverently, like recalling the words of someone he respected.

“I agree with that idea. Rather than some vague notion of love, a mutually agreed contract keeps things clean and clear.”

He spoke of love with a completely expressionless face. His indifferent tone made it obvious how little he believed in love.

So he was lying when he said he loved me. There must be another reason — something important — that he has to marry me. And I need to find out what that reason is.

“…When making a mutual contract, it’s important to be honest about each other’s goals.”

I pushed back, my voice firm but calm. I was asking him to give me a proper explanation.

“You really are quite suspicious, my fiancée.”

He let out a soft sigh and straightened his posture again. Unlike when he was speaking about the contract, his face now looked tired, even irritated.

“To keep it short — since long explanations are a bother for both of us — the key point is this: my dear father left a will. If I don’t get married within a month, all my wealth and titles will be returned to the royal family.”

“…What? Is that even allowed?”

“I had the same question. I almost considered opening his coffin again to ask, but the dead don’t talk, do they?”

Eden gave a bitter laugh.

“So I needed someone to marry. Someone who could help me fulfill the will and deal with the issue of an heir in one go.”

His tone was cold and detached, completely different from when he mentioned marriage earlier with a smile. To him, marriage really was nothing more than a task to check off a list.

Strangely, hearing that made me feel calmer.

If what he said about the will and not believing in love was true, then my suspicion that he might be approaching me to get to Echo was probably wrong.

…Still, that doesn’t mean I can trust him.

Even so, just like he said — objectively, he was an excellent match. Actually, he was far beyond what I could even hope for.

And more than anything, if Eden became my husband, no one would dare to mess with Echo again.

If something like today ever happened again, his name alone would be enough to protect both me and Echo.

I took a slow breath, then answered.

“…Alright. I accept your proposal, Duke.”

“A wise choice.”

He smiled gently, the annoyed expression from earlier completely gone, replaced with his usual soft smile.

“You’ll be facing financial trouble soon, after all. I’d say it’s a smart decision.”

“…Financial trouble?”

“I’ll take care of that part, so you don’t need to worry. The contract will double as a loan agreement, and I’ll also handle the proxy collection of your pension and child support payments. Also…”

“Wait, wait a second.”

I quickly cut him off. When I looked at him, confused, Eden raised an eyebrow as if surprised I didn’t already know what he was talking about.

“If the money given to a Hero is used for anything illegal, the entire amount must be paid back, isn’t that right?”

“……”

“You… didn’t know?”

I couldn’t answer. I truly had no idea. I knew the pension could be cut off, but not that there was a punishment like that. Even in the game, that detail was never mentioned.

Just how much money are we talking about? I nearly ended up buried in debt before the story even started. I let out a breath of relief — then suddenly snapped my head up.

Wait, does that mean…?

“Don’t tell me… you looked into my finances just in case I refused your proposal?”

It was a question I asked half in disbelief. Eden smiled — it was a smile so beautiful, he almost looked like an angel.

“There’s no better bargaining chip than knowing your opponent’s weakness.”

“…Wow.”

“But thankfully, my fiancée is a reasonable woman, so we didn’t have to make things messy.”

He smiled lightly, completely unbothered, even though my face must’ve clearly shown my annoyance. Then he stood up and adjusted his cufflinks.

“The rest of the contract will be handled by my lawyer and sent over. I’ll also assign someone to you, so if you need anything or have questions, use them.”

“Wait, hold on.”

I quickly stopped him. Everything else was fine, but the most important part hadn’t been addressed yet. I looked up at him as he tilted his head slightly, asking what I wanted.

“All other conditions are fine, as long as nothing crosses any moral boundaries. But there’s one thing that matters more than anything else.”

“And what is that?”

“…Please register Echo into your family as well.”

The smile slowly faded from his lips. But I didn’t stop.

“Just registering him isn’t enough. I want you to make sure he has everything he needs, and that he’s taken care of properly — without lacking anything.”

“…Anything else?”

“Yes. I want you to at least treat him with the basic respect a family member deserves.”

“……”

“I’m not asking you to love him like your own. I just… don’t want him to grow up not knowing what warmth is.”

“……”

“…That’s my first condition.”

I finished speaking slowly.

Most people would probably think I should be grateful just to have Echo legally registered. Asking for things like respect and kindness might seem like too much — even laughable.

…But what good is a family if it’s just for show?

I know that better than anyone. I grew up being passed around from one relative to another. They were all kind, good people — but I was never really part of their family. Even when I smiled with them, it never felt real. That loneliness ate away at me little by little.

I didn’t want Echo to feel that same emptiness. That was all I wished for.

Silence filled the room.

Eden looked at me intently. At some point, every trace of a smile had vanished from his face.

Is he going to say no?
After all that talk about marriage, is he going to refuse now?

My heart dropped.

Then, he slowly opened his mouth.