Chapter 3 …
“Indeed, you truly are Sir Oscar, known as the gentleman among gentlemen. However, there is one more thing I must confess.”
Rea felt her mouth go completely dry as she blurted out whatever came to mind.
“I actually have a very bad drinking habit.”
“Drinking habit…?”
“I mean what happens when someone gets drunk. When I’m intoxicated, I grab anyone and cry loudly—”
“That sounds like a rather cute kind of drinking habit.”
“Crying is only the beginning.”
Now words that hadn’t passed through her brain were spilling out on their own.
“After that, I do handstands. I lean against a wall, count to thirty, and then clap with my feet…”
“Wait a moment.”
Thanks to Oscar’s quick perception, Rea no longer needed to continue her embarrassment performance.
“So Miss Rea is trying to make me cancel the engagement, it seems. However, I cannot do that. Our marriage is a serious promise between two families.”
As expected—he was not an easy opponent.
Rea ultimately chose the direct approach.
“I don’t want this marriage.”
Oscar’s eyes widened.
“Miss Rea—”
“You said it yourself before. That Sir Oscar wanted to approach me purely as business, give-and-take. That’s exactly why I accepted this engagement in the first place.”
Oscar’s stern eyes wavered for a moment.
“…Then why—”
“Because I’ve changed my mind. And if it’s truly business, then unless I’ve received a deposit, I should be able to withdraw anytime, right?”
“Please wait, Miss Rea.”
Rea had no intention of relinquishing the momentum she had finally gained.
“I’m sorry for changing an important decision. I’ll take my leave now.”
Just as she turned away from Oscar’s stunned face and began silently casting a teleportation spell—
“Rea, you little brat! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Rea casually responded to her troublesome brother’s voice.
“Shut up, Raymond!”
And with that, she disappeared into the brightly shining magic circle.
Raymond stared blankly at her fading figure.
＊ ＊ ＊
A slight dizziness, blurred vision, and mild nausea.
All side effects of sudden teleportation magic.
“Ugh, my head…”
As Rea looked around while regaining her senses, a familiar scene came into view.
A vast garden stretching beyond sight, and a mansion as grand as a royal palace.
‘This is…’
The home of Kevin Tilman—the heir of the wealthiest family in the kingdom, holder of dozens of magical engineering patents, and known as the “Patent King.”
And her childhood friend of ten years.
“Are you Miss Rea?”
The gatekeeper spotted her and immediately let her in. Rea was escorted to a VIP reception room and treated with utmost hospitality while waiting for Kevin.
‘He said he just returned from a long business trip to the Nwita Kingdom.’
The moment Rea finished her tea and stood up to walk toward the window—
“Rea!”
The door burst open, and Kevin rushed in, pulling her into a tight hug.
A firm chest pressed against her face. A sweet scent tickled her nose.
Rea naturally relaxed into his embrace. If it had been any other man, she would have immediately punched him in the jaw.
‘Kevin is different from other men.’
He was a true best friend—someone who did not see her as a woman, and had absolutely no ulterior motives.
Only after a moment did Kevin release her.
“You could’ve sent word before coming. I just got back from my trip, so I look like a mess.”
“A mess…?”
Rea looked up at him.
A tall man nearly 190 cm, broad-shouldered and powerfully built—yet with a refined, almost delicate pretty face.
Despite his slightly wrinkled shirt and trousers, he looked like he could still claim the title of “the most handsome man in the kingdom.”
Kevin’s eyes curved into crescents.
“If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve dressed up a bit.”
“Well, you don’t really need to—”
“Of course I don’t. I know I still look handsome to you anyway.”
Thanks to that ridiculous comment, Rea couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“You’re smiling now.”
“Huh?”
“No, your face was just too dark earlier.”
Kevin gently seated Rea in a chair near the table.
“Did something bad happen?”
At that, Rea told him everything.
Her brother’s loan sharks. The debt collectors. The threat of being sold into slavery if the mansion were seized. The sudden engagement proposal. Oscar Donon’s appearance.
“And after that…”
Even with a close friend, it was hard to say, “I died and came back one year into the past.”
She left that part out and finished her story.
“So you didn’t reject the engagement as decisively as usual?”
Kevin understood quickly.
The Maclin Kingdom’s financial law was infamous for ruthlessly collecting debts—even from family members.
But on the flip side, if a “husband” or direct family member stepped in, debts could be forgiven.
‘But now I can’t even accept Oscar’s proposal.’
Marriage meant salvation. No marriage meant slavery. Either way, she was cornered.
“Yeah… I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Kevin, who had been quietly thinking, suddenly smiled.
“Then just marry me.”
Rea almost spat out her tea.
“…What?”
“Marry me. Why are you so surprised?”
“Kevin, don’t joke around. This is serious.”
“I am serious too.”
The smile vanished instantly from Kevin’s face. His gaze turned sharp and calm.
“What…?”
“If you don’t pay the debt, you become a slave, right? But you can’t borrow more, and neither I nor those idiot mages can pay it off.”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s only one option.”
Kevin pointed at himself.
“If I marry you, I become your direct family. That clears everything at once. Simple happy ending.”
“…Well, in theory that’s not wrong.”
“It’s not wrong in practice either.”
Seeing Rea remain silent, Kevin narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t tell me you were seriously considering that Oscar Donon or Donut guy’s engagement?”
“Huh?”
Kevin’s expression turned cold—colder than ice.
Rea felt a chill run down her spine.
‘Considering it? I even lived a year married to him.’
The reaction Kevin had when he learned she had accepted Oscar’s proposal in her past life was unforgettable.
Shock at first. Then burning rage. Finally, despair.
After her marriage to Oscar, Kevin and she had become distant strangers.
Thinking of that, Rea shook her head.
“No, it’s not that. But… Kevin, I’ve already received too much of your kindness.”
The playful tone vanished from Kevin’s face.
“Do you always treat marriage proposals as just ‘kindness’?”
“If it’s not kindness, what is it? You’re just trying to help me because my situation is miserable. But marriage is too much. It’s not something to decide for a reason like this—”
“Contract marriage.”
Tap. Kevin’s long, strong fingers tapped the table lightly.
“If a normal marriage feels too much, how about a contract marriage?”
Rea widened her eyes.
As if explaining, Kevin snapped his fingers.
Bang!
A sheet of paper appeared in the air and floated down onto the table.
[Marriage Contract]
“A contract?”
“It’s trending in the capital these days.”
Kevin nodded.
“It’s a simplified version, but still a legally binding contract with everything necessary.”
“So this wouldn’t feel too excessive, right?”
“True.”
“A three-year contract. Sounds fine, right?”
“Mm.”
It wasn’t just “fine”—it was perfect. It solved everything, and Kevin was a trusted friend. Living together would likely cause no problems.
And besides, wasn’t he known for his “unique tendencies”? That made him completely safe…
‘But I’ve never actually heard it from his own mouth.’
While she hesitated, Rea slowly spoke.
“But if you… see me as a woman—”
“Ah, I get what you’re worried about.”
Kevin chuckled at her embarrassed expression.
“Don’t worry, Rea.”
“Hmm?”
“To you, I might be the safest man in the world.”
“…Really?”
“Of course. A safe and harmless man. You don’t need to worry about that.”
At those words, Rea visibly brightened.
‘So the rumors were true.’
Kevin Tilman, the kingdom’s most eligible bachelor, had consistently rejected countless marriage proposals and advances.
In noble circles, rumors had spread.
“Sir Kevin must be either impotent or a homosexual. That must be the reason.”
Kevin gazed out the window and spoke casually.
“I actually do need someone to marry.”
“Oh?”
“My parents, Sir Herbert and Lady Constance—obviously—but now even the head butler Theodore and the old gardener are pressuring me to get married.”
Rea had heard about his parents’ pressure before.
Even Kevin, with his ironclad personality, couldn’t remain unmarried forever given his status.
‘So he wants a fake marriage with me.’
Rea was already more than half convinced.
“If you’re really uncomfortable—”
Kevin smiled and handed her a pen, pointing at the “special clauses” section of the contract.
“Add a condition favorable to me as repayment for your debt.”
And with that, Rea was completely won over.
