Chapter: 12
“Wasn’t your goal to become the heiress of the Duke family? Why would my reasons matter?”
“Why are you acting like a rookie? How can we share a boat without even sharing our goals? I don’t work that way.”
Lenia spoke firmly, and a flicker of hesitation crossed the man’s face.
But soon, his usual expression returned, and in a calm voice, he said,
“My goal is to get in touch with the Duke. I have a personal reason to meet him.”
“You’re not planning revenge or anything, are you? It’d be a problem if you killed the man who’s supposed to become my father.”
“I… have a place I must reach through him. I don’t want to reveal my past, so that’s all I’ll say for now.”
Did he have some wound he couldn’t speak of?
She stared quietly at the man’s pained expression and let out a soft sigh.
“Then what’s your name? We’ll be living together for a while, so you should at least have a name I can call you by.”
“…You can call me Callius.”
“Callius? That’s a unique name. Sounds almost ancient.”
“It’s relatively common near the capital. That area still retains remnants of the old language.”
The Old Language had been used extensively when magic held sway over the continent.
After the Solan Empire succeeded in uniting two-thirds of the continent and established the Goddess Faith as the state religion, magic began to be viewed as impure. But going back a few generations, the Old Language had been as commonly used as the Empire’s official tongue.
“Alright, Callius. We’re now in this together. Since it’s come to this, let’s get along as best we can. Let’s try not to stab each other in the back.”
“That sounds like you’re always ready to stab me in the back.”
“Well, a little tension is necessary, isn’t it? We’re not really a married couple, after all.”
Callius snorted, and she lightly offered her hand for a handshake.
Thus began the imperfect, temporary alliance between the two.
After finalizing the contract, the two rode a carriage to the town house by the beach.
More time had passed than expected; the red sunset was sinking below the horizon.
As the sun fully disappeared, Lenia anxiously bit her nails.
‘This is bad. Rakan must be expecting a big dinner.’
Before leaving, she had told the cook to prepare food in advance, but there was no way Rakan would have eaten alone without her.
“Rakan! I’m back! Where are you?”
As soon as she reached the mansion, Lenia ran hurriedly inside and saw Rakan slumped, looking defeated.
She ran to him, and the child puffed out his cheeks like he was sulking.
“You’re so late, Lenia. The sun’s already down. I’ve been waiting forever.”
“Sorry, sorry. You must be hungry. I tried to come quickly, but work took longer than expected.”
“Tch. Lenia’s always busy. I was supposed to be your mom. Shouldn’t you spend more time with me?”
“I’m really sorry for breaking my promise. Let’s ask the kitchen to get the food ready quickly. Shall we have strawberry cake for dessert? With lots of cream on top?”
The moment she mentioned cake, Rakan’s cheeks flushed bright red.
But he soon regained his composure and pouted again.
“…Hmph! You think that’ll fix my mood? Not a chance.”
“Then how about adding pudding too? You like caramel pudding, don’t you?”
“P… pudding too?”
Cake and pudding must be magical words for kids.
Rakan’s expression, which had been full of sulks just a moment ago, gradually softened.
“Alright, I’ll forgive you just this once. If you break your promise again, I’ll really sulk next time.”
“I won’t miss meal times anymore. After all, I finally found someone to be your dad.”
“…Dad?”
“Yeah. Look, he’s coming. Shall we go greet him?”
Whoooosh.
A sea breeze blew through the half-open front door, giving a strangely chilly feeling.
Callius’s dark shadow stretched long, and Rakan, terrified, darted behind Lenia.
“I heard you didn’t know each other until recently… but you two look like a real family. Oh, is this part of your act?”
Perhaps because dark clouds were gathering outside, Callius’s voice felt unusually threatening.
“Mind your own business. This is the first time you’ve seen me, so just greet the child.”
“…Hello, sir.”
“Not exactly hello. I just discovered that my fiancée values another man more than me. Should I challenge him to a duel?”
What nonsense is this?
You’re seriously planning to fight over me with this little kid?
“Lenia really likes this type… not much of a taste, huh.”
“Huh? What did you say, Rakan?”
“I said I’d be better than that guy. When I’m about ten years older, I can become Lenia’s husband too, right?”
“If it’s a challenge, I’ll gladly accept. I never back down, no matter who the opponent is.”
Crackle.
For a moment, sparks seemed to fly between the two men.
Lenia, caught in the middle of the conflict between a boy not yet ten and a fake husband she’d known for less than half a day, let out a small groan.
“Uh… here’s the thing. When Rakan turns seventeen, I’ll be in my early thirties. Won’t that be too big an age gap? By then, Rakan will probably have a pretty girlfriend too.”
“I like Lenia. I don’t want anyone else!”
“Sorry, kid. Under imperial law, you can’t register a marriage before turning eighteen. So even ten years from now, you still can’t marry Lenia.”
“Wha…?”
Ugh. How could someone drop such a cruel fact bomb!
In the end, Lenia decided to step in and mediate for the shocked Rakan.
“Alright, both of you, that’s enough. Especially you, Callius. Acting like an adult and behaving like this? How childish.”
“I’m just stating the facts. What’s the problem?”
“Lenia, I don’t like this man. Can’t we find someone else?”
Sigh.
The problem was escalating.
Lenia gave Callius a silent warning to stay quiet, then kneeled to meet Rakan’s gaze.
“That might be difficult timing-wise, Rakan. How about giving him a chance? You might find some unexpected good points if you live together for a while.”
“Lenia said she likes handsome people. This guy’s ugly. His eyes are uneven, and his nose is all collapsed.”
Ugly? Where exactly?
Blinking several times, Lenia looked at the man with dissatisfaction.
He had masculine charm, delicate features, and proportions that would make any sculptor weep.
Where in that appearance was anything lacking?
“Hey, kid. Stop whining. You’re making Lenia uncomfortable.”
“I-I’m not whining! I’m just being honest!”
“I’m not saying you have to like me. Just accept reality like a man. After all, both of us are just pretending to be a family with her for a short while. Do we really need to win each other’s hearts?”
“P-pretending to be a family….”
