TFL 01

Chapter: 1

A small city near the imperial capital.

The hotel lounge, filled with elegant classical music, was crowded with young men and women dressed to impress.

“Haha, so, the scale of the land my family owns is….”

“My hobbies? Opera and reading. Ah! I can’t forget embroidery either. It’s one of the virtues of a lady, after all.”

Gentlemen neatly combing back their hair and women in graceful dresses.

This hotel had recently become famous in the empire as a place where paid matchmaking sessions had a high success rate.

“Look over there. I wonder which noble family’s daughter that is? I heard that table is so expensive that only very wealthy families can even reserve it.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen her in the social circles. These days, there are many merchants who suddenly became rich through trade, so she could be one of them.”

Where the crowd’s gaze had turned, a beautiful woman with platinum-blonde hair sat.

Her delicate, refined features exuded an air of innocence, and her movements carried the grace of nobility as if innate.

Most tellingly, her clothing and jewelry hinted that her wealth was far from ordinary.

Just as the admiring and envious eyes shifted toward the person opposite her, the man in a suit—presumably her matchmaking partner—slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang.

“How dare you reject me? This is impossible!”

“…Sorry, but you’re not my type. Please leave now.”

“Is it just about looks? You’re a divorced woman with a child. Someone like me is giving you the honor of meeting, and you should be grateful!”

Sigh.

Another piece of trash, huh.

She exhaled softly and recalled the countless matchmaking sessions she had endured so far.

‘It’s my fault for trusting the madam. This time, I should really switch to a different matchmaking agency.’

She had already been in this city for two weeks.

With her urgent need to get back to the capital, arguing with the trash in front of her was simply a waste of time.

“Sir, you can’t behave like this here. Please leave; you’re disturbing the other guests.”

“What? Let go! Does this hotel have no manners toward its customers?!”

“The person who paid for this table isn’t you—it’s the lady over there. If you continue like this, we’ll have to call security.”

Whether the shouting, rampaging man was thrown out or not, she calmly sipped her tea.

‘Maybe I should just move on to the next city. There will be matchmaking agencies there as well.’

Until about a decade ago, the idea of commercialized matchmaking in the empire was unimaginable.

However, recently, free love had become popular around the capital, giving rise to a new cultural phenomenon among young people.

Though similar to modern dating in that it involved personal interaction rather than stiff family meetings, the class-based society meant people wanted partners of similar standing, so permanent matchmaking agencies thrived.

‘You could say it’s like a modern “Duo0” marriage agency.’

She never thought she’d actually be using something she had only seen advertised on subway posters during her commute.

With a small sigh, she placed a large tip on the table as usual and was about to leave when a man suddenly appeared and sat in the empty chair across from her.

As if it had always been his seat.

“Who are you? I thought all the scheduled matchmaking sessions for today were over.”

“No, I’m the last one.”

The man responded brazenly and called a waiter over to bring him a glass of water.

His behavior and manner of speaking were so natural for someone appearing out of nowhere that it was almost absurd.

‘…Did I forget that I had one more matchmaking appointment?’

Her schedule was so tight that some days she had over five matchmaking meetings.

After repeating this routine for two weeks, it wasn’t surprising that she occasionally forgot the order.

‘This guy is probably no different from the others. I just need to get it over with and go back.’

Tired of dealing with strange men, she barely gave the man across from her a proper look and sighed softly.

“I heard you’re looking for a man to remarry. Is that right?”

“Yes. I want someone to marry me, not just for casual romance.”

“A good man who listens to his wife and is family-oriented—that’s a basic requirement, isn’t it?”

Of course.

A man should, first and foremost, respect his wife’s words and not wander around outside.

Ah, and there was another important condition.

“He must be handsome and well-built. Madam said this is the most important.”

Naturally.

I’m being forced into a marriage I don’t want; at least my eyes deserve some pleasure.

‘Besides, this is a contractual marriage.’

For some reason, she was currently looking for a man to pretend to be her husband.

It didn’t need to last long.

Six months to a year would do.

Once her goal was achieved, she could hand him some money, be free, and escape to a distant overseas location.

A luxury villa with a private beach in Malibu or the Maldives would be perfect to live alone.

Just imagining it made her thrill.

“Yet you don’t seem very interested in my appearance. Is this not enough?”

“Of course it isn’t. Just by looking… eh?”

Ah, a shock.

What did I just see?

She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

Heavens.

She wondered if her LASIK surgery from a previous life was suddenly causing side effects.

The man sitting across from her, legs crossed at a slant, staring at her, was incredibly handsome—enough to captivate anyone.

A strikingly handsome face, a solid muscular build, and tall height.

It was no wonder the young women nearby were stealing glances and blushing.

“I’ve never seen someone so handsome. Where on earth is he from?”

“If you’re curious, go talk to him. Love is about taking the initiative!”

“But the matchmaking lady is so beautiful. She looks wealthy… I don’t think someone like me has a chance.”

As whispers spread, she glanced at the man once more.

A straight nose, delicate features, captivating eyes, and lips that were perfectly full.

Not to mention broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a chest that looked ready to burst out of his shirt—truly impressive.

“I hope I’m not staring too much. My face might get pierced if I’m not careful.”

Oops.

From the very first meeting, my taste might have been completely obvious.

Muttering to herself, she cleared her throat and averted her gaze.

‘Focus, Lenia. You didn’t come here to fall for a handsome man.’

In truth, she wasn’t looking for just any remarriage partner, but a business partner.

No matter how handsome he was, she needed to stay alert and assess him properly.

“Enough small talk. Let’s get to the point. Are you willing to marry me?”

“I’ve roughly heard your situation from the madam. You need a guardian and someone to take your child to the capital, right?”

“Half right, half wrong. I can protect myself. But I need someone who can at least take care of his own body. Ideally, he should know a bit of swordsmanship too.”

Lenia was skilled enough in swordsmanship to handle three men on her own.

But the capital was far, and the journey had a high chance of encountering monsters or bandits.

If her husband was weak, she couldn’t protect the group alone, especially with a child in tow.

Not wanting to hire mercenaries, she needed a man capable of horseback riding and reasonably proficient in swordsmanship and combat.

Given this, the conditions Lenia set for the matchmaking agency were quite strict.

Narrowing his eyes at her, the man across the table grinned and leaned forward confidently, declaring:

“If you choose me, you won’t regret it. I’m good at everything.”