Chapter 23
Honestly, after looking up for so long, my neck was starting to hurt a little.
Anyway, it definitely wasn’t Aden. I was confident that even if a thousand people like Aden rushed me, I wouldn’t fall for it.
“Your tastes seem quite firm, my wife.”
“Of course. Who do you think I’m married to?”
I nodded as if it were obvious.
I wasn’t joking.
By the time this contract ends in a year, my standards will probably have risen to the sky.
Even if we’re just a fake couple… seeing a face like this every day… my sense of beauty is bound to get warped.
This contract really feels like I’m the one at a loss.
As I let out a small sigh, I heard Ian chuckle softly.
“It seems you’ve grown quite used to me already.”
“Pardon?”
“At first, you couldn’t even meet my eyes. You were trembling.”
Ian spoke with a rather wicked-looking smile.
That… was true.
It was frustrating, but it was a fact. To be honest, I was still nervous even now.
But why bring that up all of a sudden? Was he trying to hint at something?
Hmm. Did I get too comfortable?
I cautiously studied Ian’s expression.
It was true that over the past few days, I had relaxed a little compared to our first meeting. If I’d lived every second in that same level of fear, I would’ve lost my mind already.
Is he really going to nitpick about that…?
Even if he was, I had no choice. I was the weaker one here.
Swallowing my frustration, I spoke.
“If it bothers you, shall I go back to how I was at the beginning? Less eye contact and all that.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Ian cut me off immediately.
“If we’re to act as a married couple, we’ll need to appear even closer than we are now.”
“…That’s true.”
Acting like a married couple.
I thought about that for a moment.
Right now, Ian and I were only engaged.
But after the wedding, things would be different. We’d need to act more convincingly than now.
For example…
Speaking more intimately. Calling each other by affectionate names.
Falling asleep in the same bedroom every night, and waking up in the same bed every morning.
With this man.
“……”
I moistened my dry lips with my tongue.
Could I really do it?
I knew I had to.
But even so, my confidence quietly began to fade.
The more I met his piercing blue gaze, the worse it got.
“…To be honest, I have another matter to discuss.”
Ian broke the silence that felt like it had stretched on forever.
I snapped back to reality.
“The main point, you mean.”
I forced my voice to sound businesslike to hide what I’d been thinking.
So there was a real reason.
It did seem unlikely that Ian would come all this way just to question me over a brief conversation with another man.
“Bishop Kennen’s return date has been confirmed.”
My eyes widened.
The bishop who oversees the Saintess verification was returning. Which meant—
“Your Saintess appointment ceremony will take place exactly eleven days from now.”
“An appointment ceremony?”
My eyes grew round.
“Did you say appointment, not verification?”
“You are already accepted as the Saintess by everyone. With my tacit approval.”
“…Right.”
“The verification will merely be a formality. Naturally, the appointment ceremony will be held on the same day.”
“I see.”
I tried to keep my expression calm as I replied.
Rizello… I’m counting on you.
The legendary problem-solver known as Rizello Romulus—the money-obsessed genius who had never failed a request.
I silently prayed to my one and only hope.
“Do you have any other questions?”
“Ah, yes.”
I raised my hand like an obedient student.
“Our wedding… are we really holding it on that date?”
On the day of our engagement, the bishop had conducted a ritual.
A ritual to determine the wedding date.
It was pretty fascinating.
The bishop had dropped holy water onto an ancient stone calendar marked with all 365 days.
Then the droplet wriggled across the surface, as if alive.
Where it stopped would be the blessed day chosen by the god Elun.
And so, our wedding date was set: April 1st.
Less than a month away.
“That is correct. It is the day chosen by Elun.”
“I know it’s tradition, but… isn’t it too rushed?”
Even in my original world, weddings required complicated preparations.
For someone like Ian, it would undoubtedly be extravagant. That meant even more to prepare.
Ian smirked.
“You need not worry. I will handle all preparations.”
“I see…”
“However, prepare yourself mentally.”
“Mentally?”
“On that day, you will become the most dazzling bride in the empire.”
Ian smiled that same wicked smile again.
“It will be exhausting.”
…Just how extravagant is he planning to make this wedding?
If he was warning me like this, there had to be a reason.
I tried to shake off the creeping anxiety.
“And one more thing.”
What now?
I looked at my talkative fake husband with a polite smile.
“What is it?”
“Has your divine power manifested again since then?”
My heart dropped slightly at the sudden question.
The so-called power of foresight—that was one of the biggest lies I had told Ian.
“Since the day I first met you, nothing yet.”
I gave an ambiguous smile.
Fortunately, even Saintesses couldn’t freely use their powers right after awakening.
Even the original heroine had struggled for a while before being able to use her ability again.
“If anything comes to mind, I’ll be sure to tell you first, Ian.”
“I look forward to it.”
Ian smiled coldly.
“With your first prophecy, you took hold of my reins. I wonder what you’ll make me do with the second.”
“Haha…”
I broke into a cold sweat.
What reins? If I really had control over you, would I be this terrified?
Screaming internally, I maintained a polite smile.
Just as Ian seemed ready to leave, he turned back to me.
“Ah. I almost forgot to mention.”
His gaze slowly swept over me.
W-what now?
I subtly looked away.
Whenever he stared like this, my legs went weak and cold sweat formed.
I wasn’t used to this feeling—I had lived a relatively honest life.
Did he figure something out?
My heart pounded faster.
“Your hair.”
“…Yes?”
“…Perhaps.”
Ian trailed off.
What was with the pause?
The longer he stayed silent, the more terrified I became.
Finally, he spoke again.
“Perhaps…”
“Yes, please just say it.”
“…May I touch it?”
“…What?”
Did I hear that right?
I blinked in disbelief.
Ian frowned.
“Never mind.”
His already cold expression hardened further.
Panicking, I asked again.
“You said you wanted to touch my hair, right?”
“I did. But it’s fine now.”
Fine?! What do you mean fine?!
I stared up at my future husband in disbelief.
Why does he suddenly want to touch my hair?
That was terrifying enough—but asking and then backing off made it even more suspicious.
Ah. Come to think of it, this is the first time he’s seeing me without the transformation powder.
So my pink hair was new to him.
Is he suspecting this is fake too?
That would be unfair.
After checking multiple times, this was definitely my original appearance.
But considering my past deception, his suspicion made sense.
I looked up at Ian with determination.
“Draw your sword.”
“…What?”
Ian frowned.
“I said, give me your sword. Ah—never mind, there’s one here.”
I spotted a paper knife on the table.
I walked over, grabbed it, and brought it to my hair.
“What are you—”
Ian’s startled voice rang out, but I didn’t stop.
Snip.
A chunk of my hair fell.
When I turned back, Ian was already close, staring down at me in disbelief.
“Are you insane?”
“I cut it to show you. Look—it doesn’t change color, right?”
I held out the cut strands.
To eliminate all doubt, I had cut a whole handful.
“…That’s quite a violent way to prove it.”
“I didn’t want to leave you confused.”
Ian clicked his tongue and examined the hair.
At my request, he held out his hand, and I placed the strands on his palm.
He gently brushed them.
“…Feels like a snack.”
“…What?”
“Nothing.”
His gaze sharpened as he stared at the hair.
He looked like a detective examining evidence.
“You’re convinced now, right?”
“If anything, the color makes it look more fake.”
“What are you talking about? If it were fake, the color would’ve changed when I cut it.”
Still doubting me—what a stubborn man.
As I protested, Ian turned his gaze to me.
“And you still have no intention of telling me why you hid your true appearance?”
“I told you before, Ian. We’re not in a relationship where we share everything.”
I lowered my voice.
“If we know too much about each other, it’ll only make things harder when we part ways in a year.”
Ian raised one eyebrow.
He looked like he was assessing me, but he didn’t argue.
“…Very well.”
A cold smile spread across his lips.
“There’s no need to share unnecessary information.”
“I knew you’d agree.”
“I truly want to trust you.”
With a crooked smile, he added,
“I hope nothing happens to crack that trust.”
“…Same here.”
Only then did Ian leave the room.
I collapsed onto the sofa.
Every single day felt like it was shaving years off my nerves.
