Chapter 01
A small city near the imperial capital.
The hotel lounge, filled with elegant classical music, was crowded with well-dressed young men and women.
“Haha, so the total size of the land owned by our family is…”
“My hobbies? Watching opera and reading. Ah! I can’t leave out embroidery either. It’s one of a lady’s virtues, after all.”
Gentlemen with neatly combed hair and refined women in elegant dresses chatted politely.
This hotel had recently become famous as a place with a high success rate for the paid matchmaking meetings that were trending across the Empire.
“Look over there. I wonder which noble family that lady belongs to. I heard reserving that table is nearly impossible unless your family is extremely wealthy.”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen her face in high society before. But these days there are many merchant families who became suddenly rich through trade. Maybe she’s from one of those.”
The whispering crowd turned their gazes toward a beautiful woman with platinum-blonde hair flowing down her back.
She had delicate, graceful features that radiated purity, and her movements carried the natural elegance of a noblewoman.
More than anything, the clothes and jewelry she wore suggested wealth far beyond ordinary levels.
Eyes full of envy and admiration moved toward the person sitting across from her.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The man in a suit—presumably her matchmaking partner—slammed his fist on the table.
“You dare reject me? This is unacceptable!”
“…I’m sorry, but you’re not my type. Please leave now.”
“What? Just because you’re a little pretty you think that’s enough? You’re a divorced woman with a kid! You should be grateful a man of my status is willing to meet you!”
Sigh.
Another trash pick, huh?
She sighed quietly while recalling the countless matchmaking meetings she had gone through so far.
It’s my fault for trusting that madam. This time I really need to switch matchmaking agencies.
She had already stayed in this city for two weeks.
For someone who needed to reach the capital as soon as possible, arguing with the trash in front of her was nothing but a waste of time.
“Sir, please stop this behavior. You’re disturbing the other guests. I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
“What? Let go! Does this hotel have no respect for its customers?!”
“You’re not the one who paid for this table. The lady over there did. If you continue, we will call security.”
Whether the shouting man was dragged away or not, she calmly sipped her tea.
Maybe I should just leave for the next city. They’ll have matchmaking agencies there too.
In truth, even ten years ago, commercializing matchmaking in the Empire would have been unimaginable.
But recently, as free-love culture spread from the capital, a new social trend began among young people.
It was somewhat similar to blind dates since it allowed personal interaction rather than rigid meetings between families. However, because it was still a class-based society, people preferred partners of similar status, which led to the rise of professional matchmaking agencies.
It’s basically like modern marriage agencies… like those companies you see advertised in subway stations.
Who would’ve thought I’d actually end up using one myself?
She let out a small sigh and, as usual, placed a large tip on the table before standing up.
Just then—
A man suddenly appeared and sat in the empty chair across from her.
As if the seat had always been his.
“Who are you? I thought all my scheduled meetings for today were finished.”
“No. I’m the last one.”
The man replied shamelessly and called a waiter to bring him a glass of water.
For someone who had appeared out of nowhere, his behavior was unbelievably natural.
…Did I forget I had one more meeting?
Because her schedule was so tight, she often had more than five meetings a day.
After repeating this routine for half a month, she sometimes forgot the order.
This guy is probably no different from the others. I’ll deal with him quickly and go back.
Exhausted from dealing with strange men, she didn’t even bother to properly look at him and simply sighed.
“I heard you’re looking for a man to remarry. Is that right?”
“That’s right. Not some meaningless romance—someone willing to marry me.”
“A man who listens well and is devoted to family. That’s the basic condition, I heard.”
Exactly.
A man should obediently listen to his woman and stay away from wandering outside.
Ah, of course, there was another important condition.
“Handsome, with a solid build. The madam said that was actually the most important part.”
Naturally.
I’m about to get married even though I’ve never dated before—at least my eyes should enjoy the view.
Besides, this is a contract marriage.
She was currently looking for a man to pretend to be her husband for certain reasons.
It didn’t need to last long.
Six months… maybe a year.
Once she achieved her goal, she would give the man a suitable sum of money and escape overseas as a free woman.
A luxurious villa with a private beach in Malibu or the Maldives would be perfect for living alone.
Ah… just imagining it was thrilling.
“Considering that, you don’t seem very interested in my looks. Am I not good enough?”
“Of course not. I can tell just by looking— Hii!”
Oh my.
What did I just see?
She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
Dear heavens.
She wondered if the LASIK surgery she had in her previous life was suddenly causing side effects.
The man sitting across from her with one leg crossed was unbelievably handsome.
A striking face, a muscular build, and impressive height.
It wasn’t strange at all that the ladies around them were secretly stealing glances at him while blushing.
“I’ve never seen someone that handsome before. Where is he from?”
“If you’re curious, why not go talk to him? They say love is something you have to seize!”
“But the woman he’s meeting is so pretty… and she looks rich. Someone like me wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Hearing sighs from around the room, she examined the man again.
His sharp nose, delicate features, captivating gaze, and perfectly full lips.
And the chest that looked like it might burst through his shirt, along with his broad shoulders and sturdy arms were particularly impressive…
“You’re staring a little too intensely. At this rate, you might bore a hole through my face.”
Ah.
I almost exposed my entire taste in men on our first meeting.
She cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away.
Get a grip, Renia. That’s not why you came here.
What she was looking for wasn’t simply a remarriage partner.
It was a business partner.
No matter how handsome he was, she needed to stay sharp and properly assess this man.
“Let’s leave small talk here and get to the point. Are you really interested in marrying me?”
“I heard roughly about your situation from the madam. You’re looking for a man to go to the capital with you and your child while acting as your guardian.”
“That’s half right and half wrong. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself. But I do need someone who can at least take care of himself. It would be even better if he can use a sword.”
In truth, Renia had sword skills strong enough to handle three men by herself.
However, the journey to the capital was long, and there was a high chance they might encounter monsters or bandits.
If her husband turned out to be weak and sickly, protecting the group alone would be difficult—especially with a child traveling with them.
Since she had no intention of hiring mercenaries, she wanted a husband who could ride horses and had at least some skill in swordsmanship or martial arts.
Because of that, the conditions Renia gave to the matchmaking agency were quite strict.
Renia narrowed her eyes at him.
The man smirked and leaned slightly forward over the table before speaking confidently.
“Choose me and you’ll never regret it.”
“I’m good at everything.”
