Chapter: 13
“Yeah. Pretending to be a family.”
Seriously, what an insensitive guy.
Did he really have to go that far and make the kid cry?
“Rakan, don’t cry. You don’t need to be shaken by what that man said. I told you I’d protect you to the very end.”
Sniff… “I know… I do. But…”
It seemed the shock was bigger than expected. Rakan clutched his pants tightly, holding back his tears.
‘He really has zero social awareness.’
Annoyed, Renia poked the man in the side and said,
“Hey, did you forget what you promised before we came here? You said you wouldn’t let Rakan get hurt.”
“When did I hurt him? I just gave advice that boys his age need. Men are idiots—you have to say things directly, or they won’t understand.”
“Haah… forget it. I’d rather die than deal with this.”
Renia didn’t know what kind of life Kalious had lived, but she could already draw one conclusion—his personality had serious issues.
‘One grown man who’s basically a child, and one actual kid… How am I supposed to deal with these men from now on?’
Letting out a quiet sigh, Renia barely managed to calm Rakan down, and they had dinner together.
Thanks to the plentiful meal, Rakan’s mood improved significantly afterward, and he returned to his room. Relieved, Renia headed up to the second floor with Kalious.
“The room you’ll be using is over there. If you need anything, ask the servant waiting in the room at the end of each floor. Don’t worry about the cost.”
“Wait a second.”
Kalious grabbed Renia, who was about to turn away, and gently pulled her toward him.
Caught off guard, she lost her balance for a moment—and then found herself staring into his breathtaking crimson eyes.
“Why aren’t we using the same bedroom? I heard that imperial nobles usually share a bed even before marriage.”
“…What?”
Renia swallowed dryly without realizing it.
Why did simply meeting his gaze feel like her whole body was bound in chains?
“…Like you said, we’re only pretending to be married. There’s no need to go that far already.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to use the same room until we reach the capital? Think of it as practice.”
Does this man have some ulterior motive?
…It didn’t seem like it.
There wasn’t even a trace of hidden intent in Kalious’s composed gaze.
If anything felt odd, it was how his expression stiffened slightly—like earlier at the hotel when they linked arms.
“I’ll tell you when the time comes, so don’t worry. We still have a long way to go, so there’s no need to share a room yet.”
“…I see.”
Kalious let go, looking slightly disappointed. Trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, Renia quickly changed the subject.
“Just so you know, don’t expect any kind of wedding ceremony. It’s just a waste of time.”
“The duke will definitely try to verify whether the marriage is real. Do you have a plan?”
“I’m thinking of stopping by a temple before we leave and getting a marriage certificate. No matter how skilled someone is, forging a temple’s seal is difficult. As for the contents, those can be changed with money anyway.”
“That’s a good idea. My wife is indeed wise.”
Still… I’d like to at least prepare a proper ring.
Muttering to himself, Kalious looked at Renia and said,
“Do as you wish. I’ll follow without complaint.”
“That’s a pleasant thing to hear.”
“In exchange for following your lead, could you grant me one small favor? It’s nothing big—just something trivial.”
At his careful tone, Renia nodded—and in the next instant, something shocking happened.
Without warning, his lips touched her cheek.
“W-What are you doing right now?! Are you crazy?!”
“Sharing a bed might be too much, but I thought it’d be good to practice a goodnight kiss in advance. That’s all I wanted.”
After saying that, Kalious looked completely satisfied. Flustered, Renia avoided his gaze and muttered,
“…I should get going now.”
“You must be tired, so I won’t stop you. Sleep well, my lovely wife.”
Click.
Through the slightly open door, the man waved casually, wearing a smile so beautiful it could steal one’s soul.
Touching her still-burning cheek, she muttered softly,
“…I’m really in trouble from now on.”
* * *
The next morning.
Renia, who had completely failed to get a good night’s sleep, opened her eyes in bed.
‘It was just a cheek kiss… why couldn’t I sleep? My title as a professional con artist is crying right now.’
It wasn’t like she had zero romantic experience—she hadn’t lived her life without ever kissing someone.
In fact, a kiss was one of the best ways to catch someone off guard, so she had occasionally kissed strangers as part of completing missions.
It was purely for work, so she never felt anything from it.
So why was last night’s kiss bothering her so much?
‘Come to think of it, maybe it’s not that strange. Kalious’s face isn’t exactly ordinary.’
Remembering how his lips slowly approached her last night, Renia kicked the blanket in frustration.
Fine. Let’s admit it.
Kalious had the kind of appearance that matched her ideal type.
Sure, his personality was terrible—but what did it matter?
It’s not like she was going to have a real relationship with him anyway.
‘I can’t let myself lose ground like this. Starting today, I’ll act dignified as the leader.’
However, Renia’s ambitious plan collapsed in less than half a day.
When they visited a temple to obtain a marriage certificate, the priest suddenly demanded a kiss—something not even part of the official procedure.
“Excuse me, Priest. Isn’t marriage registration supposed to be done just by signing documents? I’ve never heard of a kiss being required.”
“Oh, it seems you’re not from this region, sister. In Polymerus, exchanging a kiss during vows is common practice. Since it’s a port city, its culture differs slightly from inland areas.”
Damn it.
This wasn’t part of the plan at all.
“What’s wrong, my wife? You don’t look well.”
“…I think it’d be better to register the marriage in another city. There’s no need to do it here.”
“I like it here. Making vows by the sea—it’ll be a wonderful memory. It’s also the city where we first met.”
“Oh my, what a romantic newlywed couple. Surely the Goddess will bless you both.”
With his eyes gently curved and holding her hand, Kalious looked every bit like a man overflowing with affection.
But in contrast, Renia felt like running away immediately.
She had already lost a whole night’s sleep over a simple cheek kiss—and now it was a real kiss?!
At this rate, she wouldn’t be sleeping tonight either.
“Seems like it was a good thing we practiced in advance yesterday. Don’t you think?”
