Chapter 5
“I heard my daughter caused you quite a bit of trouble.”
Aaron couldn’t hide the bitterness on his face as he looked at Emilia, who had fallen asleep with her head resting on Rosetta’s legs. Rosetta, who had been shading Emilia’s face with her hand so the red sunset wouldn’t disturb her sleep, lifted her head.
“Not really… I’m the one at fault for not keeping my promise.”
It was hard to believe this calm exchange was between Rosetta Eble and Aaron Biern.
Aaron tilted his head slightly.
Up until now, there were only two versions of Rosetta he had known.
Crying—or screaming in rage.
Both were nothing more than the ugly frustration of unreturned, one-sided love. And Aaron found that obsessive affection deeply unsettling.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
He murmured as he watched Rosetta look down at Emilia. This was nothing like the Rosetta who used to charge at him like a wild buffalo whenever she saw him.
“Haven’t you heard the rumors?”
Rosetta quickly adjusted her expression under Aaron’s probing gaze. In her mind, she saw a vision of the heroine’s furious father charging after her with a sword for abusing his daughter.
“That’s a grape you can’t eat. A poisonous mushroom!”
Though Aaron’s striking looks and the solid body she had already confirmed flashed through her mind, Rosetta steeled herself.
“So… you’ve been deliberately meeting other men to avoid marrying Aaron Biern?”
“W-What?”
Rosetta stared at him in shock, her green eyes looking ready to pop out. They even looked a little cute.
“Betty! What kind of rumors are you spreading?!”
As the garden lights flickered on one by one, replacing the fading sun, Aaron cleared his throat and turned his gaze away.
“There was also a rumor that you drink yourself senseless every night out of fear that I might propose.”
The unlit reception room was dark. The only light illuminating them came from outside.
“…”
“Do you still not remember?”
“Remember what?”
Rosetta pretended not to notice her racing heart and looked up at him. Emilia continued sleeping peacefully.
“That you were the one who proposed first.”
“That was the most insane thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Rosetta shook her head as she brushed her hair back. In the darkness, Aaron’s blue eyes glinted.
“That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
“What’s with that ominous look?”
Emilia shifted in her sleep and wrapped her arms around Rosetta’s waist. Trapped by the small but powerful restraint named Emilia, Rosetta had no choice but to face Aaron as he approached. She couldn’t even move.
“Why is such a tiny thing so strong?”
“This is the contract you proposed to me. You said you’d do anything if you could stay by my side.”
“…A contract?”
Rosetta’s face drained of color. The chains she had fastened herself fluttered between Aaron’s fingers.
***
A place where you run yourself ragged chasing discounts, convinced that buying more means saving more.
The airport duty-free shop.
A newlywed friend once said that was the happiest part of her honeymoon.
She had complained that once she woke up from the spell of being called “the bride,” she suddenly found herself labeled a married woman.
It hadn’t even been that long ago when Rosetta had proudly declared she would never marry.
“At least other people get to visit a duty-free shop.”
Rosetta muttered as she sipped her pre-meal tea. The mild flavor sliding down her throat had already become a familiar morning routine.
She had skipped right past “bride” and “married woman” and was now being called—
“Emilia’s mom.”
“Why? Emilia’s dad.”
In their contract marriage, there was no man or woman.
Only Emilia’s mom and Emilia’s dad.
As Rosetta recalled the contract he had proposed, Aaron Biern, impeccably dressed, approached her holding a tie.
“Looks like you had a good first night.”
“Thanks to you.”
It was the first morning at the Biern estate after their whirlwind wedding, conducted at breakneck speed.
Rosetta accepted the tie and glanced at the clock on the wall. Just as Aaron had said, Emilia would soon enter the reception room holding her nanny’s hand.
“What are you doing?”
Aaron urged her on, holding out the tie, watching her carefully. If she collapsed now and refused, it would be troublesome for him.
“Emilia couldn’t fall asleep until late last night. I was worried…”
Rosetta frowned as she stared at the silent door. In the Biern estate, the only person who welcomed her without ulterior motives was Emilia.
She had lost count of how many times she’d said “good night” the night before.
“If you’re that worried, why don’t you go up instead of just standing here?”
Aaron smirked at her. There was no love in their marriage. The decision had been made the moment Emilia fell asleep clutching Rosetta’s skirt.
Even now, Aaron didn’t trust Rosetta.
He didn’t believe the rumors that had rocked the capital either. At his taunt, Rosetta smiled slyly.
“I already did.”
“Of course. If it weren’t for this pointless thing you proposed, I’d be up there picking out clothes with Emilia right now.”
She took the tie from him as she spoke.
“I asked you to be Emilia’s mother, not her nanny. I want you to focus on showing her a happy image of her parents together.”
“And that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Rosetta tugged the tie wrapped around Aaron’s neck.
“Ugh.”
Aaron let out a short groan. Rosetta grinned as she met his glare.
“Not satisfied with my effort?”
To an outsider, it almost looked like she had grabbed him by the collar—an unthinkable sight in the Empire.
“So this is your effort.”
“Yes. So could you lower your head a bit?”
Aaron narrowed his eyes and looked down at her. With her arms looped around his neck and her heels lifted, Rosetta looked precarious.
“Not bad.”
Despite her trembling body, Rosetta lifted the corners of her mouth. Aaron let out a low sound of admiration.
“Like this?”
His face suddenly moved closer. Rosetta blinked.
“What is this angle?”
At her request, Aaron tilted his head. Their breaths tangled. They were close enough that their lips might touch if either moved wrong.
“Mom! Dad! Hello—oh! Please continue kissing!”
The reception room door slammed shut as loudly as it had opened. Startled back to reality, Rosetta pushed Aaron’s head away with her finger.
“Properly.”
“My heart almost stopped!”
Suppressing her pounding heart, Rosetta worked quickly. Aaron watched her carefully.
“That’s a relief.”
“What is?”
“That Emilia is misunderstanding the situation between us.”
“So that was on purpose?”
Realizing that his near-kiss had been deliberate, Rosetta’s hands trembled. Aaron, meanwhile, was completely at ease.
Even if it was a misunderstanding, all that mattered to him was that his daughter liked seeing her parents together.
“You’re doing better than I expected.”
“I’m glad you’re satisfied, Duke. I hope you recognize how hard I’m trying.”
Outwardly, they looked like a loving couple. Their conversation, however, was anything but gentle.
****
“I don’t need a wife, but my daughter needs a mother.”
“I don’t love you.”
“That’s the best marriage condition I’ve ever heard.”
In the darkness, Aaron smiled down at Rosetta. She was trapped beneath Emilia’s sleeping form as he leaned closer.
“You were the one who crawled into my bedroom first, Rosetta Eble.”
“That night was a mistake.”
“Then take responsibility for that mistake. As Emilia’s mother.”
From there, the wedding proceeded at lightning speed.
The people happiest about Rosetta’s marriage were the Count and Countess Eble, whose daughter’s reputation had sunk beyond rock bottom.
Afraid Aaron might change his mind, they rushed everything.
In the end, Rosetta’s desperate efforts to avoid marrying Aaron Biern became the very thing that trapped her.
No matter how hard she tried, the fate assigned to Rosetta Eble by the author did not change.
“I’m insane.”
“My thoughts exactly. So what are you going to do about me?”
Lost in thought as she tied his tie half-heartedly, Rosetta froze at his voice.
“Wow! Dad, you look like a present!”
Emilia peeked through the open door, her eyes sparkling.
Knowing Emilia’s tastes better than anyone, Rosetta felt a flicker of unease and looked at Aaron.
“Pfft!”
She clapped a hand over her mouth, but Aaron, standing so close, heard her laugh.
“So today Dad is the present?”
Emilia was right.
The only ties Rosetta had ever handled were the clip-on kind from school uniforms. Real ties were far beyond her skill level.
Betty had shown her a few times, but that didn’t mean she’d mastered it overnight.
“Mom is preparing a gift to send to His Majesty the Emperor. I hope he likes it. What do you think, Emilia?”
Giggling, Rosetta reached out to Emilia. The small body that hugged her back was warm.
“I think he’ll love it! Dad is handsome, tall, and has a great body.”
Emilia nodded enthusiastically, completely satisfied.
“Who did this child inherit such high standards from?”
Smiling, Rosetta gently patted Emilia’s head.
