Chapter 15
“This is a marriage in name only, more like a contract, right? So I thought it’d be good to lay everything out clearly.”
“Do we really need to be so rigid about it? I think just discussing things should be enough.”
“Anything important should be in writing. That way, we can avoid awkward situations later on.”
“Do you not trust me? I may not look it, but I’m practically built on trust.”
“Oh my, what a textbook playboy line.”
Despite the expression of surprise, Chloe replied with a face as flat as ever.
“You really are full of distrust when it comes to me, Chloe.”
“It’s not just you.”
“Then you don’t trust anyone in this world?”
“I just don’t trust the world itself.”
Shrugging, Chloe handed a piece of paper to Kaiden. In the short time they had been talking, she had managed to fill nearly half the page.
“I’ve just outlined the basics for now.”
“Let’s take a look then.”
Kaiden quickly read through the contract Chloe had given him.
The contents weren’t surprising—he was already aware of most of it.
Chloe will diligently work to find a new magic stone for Kaiden.
Kaiden will act like a loving husband for Chloe’s sake—especially in front of Melvin and Dyur.
The two will try their best to appear as a harmonious couple in public and cooperate whenever needed.
They will be cautious to avoid any scandals.
The terms of this contract must not be revealed to outsiders.
And then…
“To protect Chloe from pressure exerted by the in-laws, namely the Verder family?”
“That’s right. Once we’re married, I’ll be living at the duke’s estate. Naturally, that means I’ll have to deal with the Verder family.”
Just earlier, she had run into Rosetta—proof enough of what she was talking about.
“My last in-laws were a nightmare. That’s when I learned how tough things get when the husband fails to act as a proper shield.”
While the main reason for her divorce had been Dyur’s affair with Melvin, that wasn’t the only factor.
A father-in-law who wanted her to quit her job in the name of ‘supporting her husband,’ a mother-in-law who made veiled comments about a count with two wives, and an incompetent husband who just nodded along.
“I’m not saying I’ll just sit around doing nothing. I’ll do my part, so all I’m asking is for you to make sure I’m not left in an impossible situation.”
“That seems like something that should be a given… Doesn’t that fall under the ‘acting like a harmonious couple’ clause?”
“You’d think so, but some people really don’t get it unless it’s spelled out.”
Of course, Dyur didn’t get it even when it was spelled out.
“Don’t worry. You won’t find yourself in any difficult situations, Chloe.”
“Really? Then I assume you’ll say something when they start bringing up grandchildren?”
“G-Grandchildren?”
Kaiden nearly dropped his teacup.
“Oh, I almost forgot! This is actually the main reason I brought up writing a contract.”
Unlike the stunned Kaiden, Chloe remained calm despite the bomb she’d just dropped.
“They’re bound to bring up children sooner or later. You’re the legitimate heir of the Verder family—your elders won’t be able to avoid the topic of succession.”
“Y-Yes, that’s true.”
“But earlier, we agreed that we wouldn’t be having kids.”
Kaiden placed his hand on his thigh instead of picking up the teacup again. It was safer to keep his hands free in case she said something else shocking.
“Protecting me from pressure means shielding me from expectations about heirs, too.”
“I understand. You really don’t need to worry about that.”
“But we won’t be able to avoid sharing a bed. A couple who’s supposedly so affectionate wouldn’t sleep in separate rooms—that wouldn’t make sense.”
Kaiden was really glad now that he wasn’t holding anything. He would’ve spilled the tea for sure.
“That—uh—you don’t have to worry about that either. You’ll be given your own room.”
Even among affectionate noble couples, having separate rooms was standard. And in a mansion as large as the Verder estate, spare rooms were hardly an issue.
“But we can’t sleep apart all the time. I think we should at least pretend to share a bed once a week.”
“O-Once a week?”
“Yes. We’ll take turns visiting each other’s rooms. As long as we spend a reasonable amount of time inside, no one will suspect anything.”
“…”
“Or maybe once a week isn’t enough for a couple in their prime? Should we just make it look like we’re coming and going frequently?”
“…”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Chloe looked up from the contract to find Kaiden wiping his now-bright-red ears with one hand.
“Wait… You weren’t seriously planning to do it, were you?”
“No!”
“Then why are you yelling?”
“Because you say things like that so casually…”
Chloe looked at Kaiden with an expression of mild confusion. He had grabbed her leg earlier without hesitation, and yet now he was blushing over this?
“You’re really a hard person to figure out, Kaiden.”
“That’s what I was going to say to you.”
“You should try getting married sometime.”
“Unfortunately, I’m still single.”
Kaiden gave a dry cough and adjusted his posture.
“Regarding the bedroom situation, just do whatever you’re comfortable with, Chloe.”
“Alright.”
In exchange for frequently pretending to share a bed, Chloe added a clause: no unwanted physical contact would occur.
“Hm, looking at this, the contract seems very one-sided in my favor. Don’t you want anything from me, Kaiden?”
“Not really.”
“Think it over anyway. Don’t complain about it later.”
“You’re very thorough. As long as you act the part of a loving wife and help me become the head of the family, I have nothing more to ask.”
“Alright, let’s move on from roles and get to the next item…”
“There’s more?”
Kaiden looked at her like he was already exhausted.
“This is the final one. And the most important.”
“What is it now?”
“The expiration date of our marriage.”
Expiration date. In other words, the end.
“Once you become the head of the family, our contract ends. That means our marriage ends too.”
“Yes.”
“Are you planning to continue this fake marriage even after your goal is achieved?”
“Yes.”
Kaiden nodded without hesitation.
“If I become the head, that means Chloe helped me more than anyone else. I’d never cast aside the person who supported me the most.”
“But marriage isn’t just about gratitude.”
Chloe shrugged. Her face looked a bit weary as she stared down at her worn-out pen tip.
“Keeping up a marriage is harder than people think.”
“So you plan to divorce me once all this is over?”
“That would be the logical thing to do. But I don’t want to be a woman who’s been divorced twice.”
“Then just don’t get divorced.”
Kaiden said it like it was the easiest thing in the world. But to Chloe, it wasn’t.
“You may not be interested in women now, but that could change. Someday, you might meet someone you really fall for—someone you’d want to give everything to, from your fortune to the title of duchess. When that happens, I’ll just be in the way.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit pessimistic?”
Chloe shook her head.
“That’s just reality. People change. I might fall in love with someone new too. And when that happens, I might be the one who wants to leave.”
“This is difficult.”
Kaiden stared down at the empty space on the contract. It was hard to think about the end of a marriage that hadn’t even started yet.
“We’ll discuss that part later.”
In the end, he chose to delay the decision.
“Later?”
“Yes. We can’t decide now. Let’s wait until everything is settled and talk about it then.”
“Fair enough.”
Chloe neatly filled in the blank, then copied the contract onto a second sheet. Now, two identical premarital contracts were ready for their contract marriage.
“Alright, sign it. No going back on your word later.”
“Didn’t think we’d go this far with a contract.”
Despite his grumbling, Kaiden signed without hesitation. Each took a copy of the signed contract.
“The contract is officially in effect as of today.”
“Looking forward to working with you, Chloe—no, my wife.”
Chloe let out a dry laugh at the overly familiar title, but took his outstretched hand.
“Alright. Let’s do this properly.”
It was no longer time to hesitate or be afraid. She had to move forward too.
“That proactive attitude—I like it.”
Kaiden placed the jewel box from the center of the table into Chloe’s hand.
“This will serve as proof of our agreement.”
With a sly smile tugging at one corner of his mouth, he added,
“Let’s start by fulfilling Chloe’s requests first.”
There was something strangely devilish about that grin.
