Chapter 08
On the morning of the fifth day of traveling by carriage, the two finally arrived at the beautiful port city.
How long has it been since I last saw the sea… I might actually cry.
Before being transmigrated, Lenia had spent her school years in Busan.
Although she had no choice but to move to Seoul for work, the scenery of the seaside had always remained in her heart like a hometown.
She was gazing at the horizon beyond the carriage window, reminiscing about the past.
Then suddenly—
An enormous wave of purple spread out before them.
It was the famous attraction of Polymers that she had only heard about: the lavender fields.
“Wow! This is incredible! It’s like purple waves rolling across the land!”
“Lakan, don’t lean out of the window. It’s dangerous. What if you get hurt?”
“But it’s so amazing! You should look too, noona!”
The refreshing scent of flowers mixed perfectly with the cool sea breeze and tickled their noses.
Lenia took a deep breath of the fresh air pouring in through the wide-open window.
It felt as if the exhaustion from the long carriage journey was being washed away.
“I’m so glad I followed you, Lenia… I never imagined I’d see something this beautiful.”
Lakan muttered shyly, lowering his head in embarrassment.
In just a few days, the child had become slightly chubbier, and his round cheeks looked unbelievably adorable.
Lenia smiled warmly, thinking that the green scenery around them suited Lakan far better than the bleak underworld streets he used to live in.
Two hours later, Lenia arrived in Polymers.
After securing a luxurious house where the two of them could stay, she headed alone toward the central district.
Now the real game begins.
She had somehow solved the “son problem,” but the real issue was the “husband problem.”
To deceive someone as powerful as a duke, she needed to find a husband who looked convincing enough.
Someone from a fallen noble family, or a reasonably well-educated bourgeois man should be perfect. But if his family background is too good, that would be troublesome… it might cause problems later.
Whether he was older or younger didn’t matter.
In fact, if some fool approached her for money, she would welcome it.
It was much cleaner to settle things with money rather than deal with someone clinging to her with talk of love and romance.
“For a lightning-fast marriage, blind dates are the best. If the conditions match, we could even register the marriage quickly.”
The identity Lenia had chosen was a wealthy young widow.
According to the story she created, her husband had died early and left his entire fortune to her, and she was now raising their child alone.
According to imperial law, if a noblewoman’s husband dies, she must remarry within ten years to keep her title.
Therefore, it wasn’t strange for her to be looking for a new spouse.
Usually, widowed noblewomen remarried other nobles whose interests aligned with theirs.
But occasionally, some even entered contract marriages with commoners.
If a man married a widowed noblewoman, he would receive a quasi-noble title himself.
For the man, it was like winning the lottery in his sleep, and for the woman, it meant she could live a more independent life.
In other words, it was a win-win arrangement.
“So this is the most famous matchmaking agency in Polymers.”
Duet Marriage Agency.
It was renowned for its 100% successful marriage rate, thanks to strict confidentiality, unlimited matchmaking opportunities, and meticulous after-service support.
Lenia sighed quietly as she looked at the flashy banner fluttering next to the signboard.
<For first marriages and remarriages alike—choose Duet★>
I never thought I’d end up using the kind of service I used to see advertised in subway stations during my commute.
This is giving me serious reality shock.
A wave of self-deprecating feelings suddenly rose in her chest.
But she reminded herself that this was simply part of her mission and pushed open the door confidently.
After passing the reception desk, she began a consultation with the agency’s owner—a madam.
By this point, she was no longer Lenia.
She was perfectly acting the role of a widowed noblewoman.
“Oh my, you lost your husband… and you even have a child.”
“Yes. It happened eight years ago. My husband died in a carriage accident shortly after I became pregnant.”
Lenia stared into the distance with a sorrowful expression, as if recalling painful memories.
Her face looked so heartbreaking that the madam across from her pretended to wipe tears with a handkerchief.
“Don’t worry, madam. I will do everything I can to find you a suitable gentleman. However, with conditions like these, there will be some additional fees… would that be acceptable? Our advance payments are quite significant.”
“Fortunately, the inheritance left in my name is rather large. My late husband wanted my son and me to live comfortably even after his death. Would this amount be enough?”
“Oh my!”
When Lenia placed a heavy pouch of gold coins and jewels on the table, the madam’s face brightened instantly.
Glancing greedily at the items on the table, the madam quickly replied.
“With this level of wealth, men will line up just to meet you. Even if it’s a remarriage, you’re still in your late twenties, after all. The perfect age.”
In reality, Lenia was twenty-one.
But since Lakan was seven years old, she decided to pretend she was in her late twenties.
As a master of disguise, it was easy for her to create a mature impression through makeup and clothing.
After finishing the basic paperwork for matchmaking, the madam confidently declared:
“You said you want to find a husband within one month, correct? Don’t worry at all. I’ll pair you with the perfect man within two weeks.”
“That’s reassuring to hear. I’ll trust you, Madam.”
“How should we notify you when a blind date is arranged? Oh! Of course, confidentiality is guaranteed. The documents given to your matched partner are enchanted with magic—they disappear after a certain time. Our clients’ privacy is precious.”
“I’ll write down the address where I’m currently staying. Send someone there once a match is arranged.”
The address she gave was a seaside townhouse, where some of the richest people in the empire spent their vacations.
Just how wealthy was she, for a young mother with a child to live in a place like that?
The madam watched Lenia’s departing figure with envious eyes.
“Whew… this is no time to relax. I absolutely must succeed with this matchmaking case.”
After Lenia left, the madam pulled out a large stack of documents containing portraits of young men and began flipping through them while recalling Lenia’s conditions.
Even if he has little wealth, he must be tall and handsome.
He must have reddish-colored eyes.
And above all, he must be a gentle, family-oriented man who listens obediently to his wife.
Judging by how specific the requirements were, she must have plenty of experience with blind dates.
Well, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I get a huge brokerage fee in the middle.
Polymers, being a resort city, was overflowing with gossip and scandals.
Perhaps that client from earlier was also just looking for a man to enjoy her vacation with under the excuse of matchmaking.
After all, it wasn’t unusual in the empire for a woman with wealth and power to enjoy her life however she wanted.
Let’s see… this should be enough candidates for the blind date list.
Just as the madam smiled with satisfaction after quickly selecting several files—
Creak.
The office door opened, and a man wearing a hood stepped inside.
“So this is the most successful matchmaking agency in Polymers… Duet, huh? Quite a flashy name.”
