C9
Did you know?
The fact that if a person suddenly wants to invent words, they must process them properly from real facts.
—In fact, I asked my husband for a divorce, but he won't let me go. I'm afraid even after leaving the house. I wonder if he'll come to visit me.
Now that I think about it, I don't think it's really a lie, is it?
—... I see.
It's difficult to ask questions about this kind of family life.
But Terence didn't give up easily.
—Looking at your attire, you seem like a noble. If it's a request like that, would you prefer to ask a private body of knights?
—It's embarrassing, but my circumstances are not that relaxed.
Naturally, mercenaries cost less than ordered knights.
—......
—......
After an awkward moment passed, Terence eventually stepped back.
—I'm sorry. I didn't know such a thing existed.
—No. I was the one who suddenly appeared during your training and distracted you.
I need to flee quickly before he has more questions.
—Well, you must have amazing skills to bring down such a large tree. Then I'll be going.
Until the end, I was about to leave, thinking that I couldn't even imagine that this was the scene of a murder.
—That's right. I may not say it myself, but I'm quite good with a sword.
—Really? Oh, that's great.
—If you hire me, you won't regret it in the least.
—What do you mean?
The man's smile was seductive.
—You can do it with me. I'll be your escort.
What did I just hear?
I clearly felt the corner of my mouth trembling.
—Take you as my escort...?
If there were a scent, a smile that looks like a rose would be in full bloom.
—Yes. I'm a wandering mercenary, and I was looking for someone to hire me.
Don't be ridiculous! You're a Marquess!
But I couldn't reveal that I knew his identity.
—I can't offer you much...
—Just give me the basic salary.
—I'm so sorry. You have such good skills.
—As you can see, I'm free, so it's enough.
—Well, I suppose I'd feel more comfortable with a woman...
—What if we don't stay in the same room? In fact, there are many noble ladies who have male escorts.
—That's true.
As I desperately looked for another excuse, a thought crossed my mind.
"Wait a moment, isn't this an opportunity?"
The reason Terence is doing this is that he hasn't completely set aside his suspicions about me.
This means that leaving him here will only deepen his suspicion.
On the other hand, what if I accept the offer to make him my escort?
By acting together, we can naturally dispel his doubts, and our relationship will become close enough to conduct transactions based on that "information"!
"That's it!"
As for the doubts, I just need to be careful. All the hastily given excuses are true.
—Then, it's embarrassing, but...
I pretended to hesitate for a moment and then slightly lowered my head.
—Please take care of me in the future.
—You too.
So, unintentionally, I hired the villain as my escort.
Was it a good decision, I wonder...?
----------------------------
We left the Wandering Forest, exchanging simple introductions.
—My name is Ethel. My husband's last name is different, but since we will be divorced soon, I think you can just call me Ethel Wallace.
If I suddenly use the Cassius last name and he becomes cautious, it will be difficult.
The man lived a very secluded life before he seriously began to emerge in the world. It would be difficult for him to know my maiden name.
—I'm Tay. I don't have a last name because of my humble background.
You're very good at lying.
"Still, he's incredibly handsome!"
Thanks to my composure, I took the time to peacefully enjoy Terence's face.
Facial features that exude a delicate yet masculine charm.
Abundant eyelashes. A jaw that looks somewhat stubborn. A tenderness that can't be hidden even in simple clothing.
What about his body? I felt it myself when he accidentally held me in his arms.
He was a beauty that made me want to reflect on my past self who didn't want to get involved even if it was possible.
"No, author. You didn't say he was this handsome!"
Perhaps because the novel is from Liena's point of view, the appearance of the male protagonist and the Cassius family members was consistently described.
In the case of Terence, the description mainly referred to the dangerous atmosphere rather than external beauty.
But to be honest, I like this one more. Maybe because it was before he turned dark, his personality doesn't seem so bad.
"Is it enough to add a little tension?"
If there were only illustrations in the novel, I would have liked Terence more than Leandro.
—Is there something on my face?
—No, not at all!
Terence and I discussed this and that with a truth that we didn't reveal to each other.
—You said you left home. Where are you going to stay?
—I'm in an inn now. I plan to find a house as soon as possible.
—Until then, I guess I'll have to stay there too. Is the room next door empty?
—Yes. Maybe.
After calculating, I think I can afford that amount.
I also found the emergency fund I had secretly stored in the bank some time ago.
—Even if I can afford room service once a week! From a well-being perspective!
—No, I'll take care of the accommodation expenses...
—Do you have that much money?
Terence cleared his throat as he looked at her with questioning eyes, "So, why are you protecting me?"
—... Enough.
It would be troublesome if I forgot the scenario of a poor mercenary, Marquess.
Well, not bad. A debt from the villain.
Terence is the kind of person who can't live with debts, for better or for worse.
If possible, I should pay him back with interest later!
-------------------------
Terence left his luggage in an unfamiliar room.
Once he started training, he often spent the night in the forest, so he left with only the minimal necessary baggage for daily life.
He glanced again at the paper with the round letters written on it.
A contract signed while having dinner at the restaurant next to the inn.
Naturally, he thought of the contemplative face of the woman while holding a pen.
"... She's a strange woman."
Ethel Wallace.
A woman who flew into his arms as she fell from a cliff.
He muffled the sound of his footsteps because he still sensed a faint presence that seemed to belong to a small animal.
It seemed like she was hiding something, but it didn't seem like she had witnessed the murder.
I don't think she's bold enough to have an assassin as an escort.
"Well, I guess it's alright."
Even if she saw something, it doesn't really matter.
Since she wasn't an ordinary person and was dealing with an assassin trying to kill him, it would be a bit bothersome if it were revealed.
But why?
Why did she insist on serving as an escort?
"... I don't know."
The moment he saw the woman trying to escape, he somehow wanted to catch her.
He wanted to see more of her perplexed expression, and he also wanted her to be a little more perplexed.
He has a hobby of teasing others, but was it worth the trouble?
Terence immediately put aside his busy thoughts and leaned against the simple desk in a corner of the room.
"When did I ever do something for a reason?"
By nature, he was a self-centered person.
He simply does things because he believes it will be something different and fun. No more reason is needed.
That's how he endured the boring life he was given.
This is also just a little entertainment.
"I suppose I'll have to send a message."
The man took a notebook from the room and wrote something in it.
A letter sent to a home that has been abandoned for some time.
Since he had no assets to take care of, there was no major issue with his absence.
First of all, the title was nothing more than a gift from the emperor to enhance his reputation.
At that moment, the hand that was moving smoothly suddenly stopped.
He was about to write about how long it would take. The hand, which hesitated for a moment, resumed its movement.
Finally, a word was written in unusually bold letters.
"Indefinitely."
Terence stared at the grayish-white wall.
There she is, on the other side of a poorly insulated wall.
Had she fallen asleep already? The person who had been noisy for a while had quieted down.
"It's my job, so I should make sure."
He hummed as if he had some entertaining business ahead and went out to deliver the note to the messenger.
And after returning to the room in less than five minutes, he looked beyond the wall. There was nothing wrong.
That night, instead of lying on the hard mattress, he fell asleep sitting in a chair right against the wall.
It was an uneventful night.
-----------------------
"You seem to be in a good mood."
At those words, I stopped the knife I was using to cut meat and looked at the person sitting across from me.
Terence was looking at me with a relaxed smile.
Perhaps because it was morning, the atmosphere became more relaxed. It's nice to have a handsome and relaxed man.
"I slept well last night."
"That's a relief."
In fact, I was worried about what I would do if I were nervous and couldn't sleep because of the villain in the next room, but it turned out to be unfounded.
I was able to sleep well at night, similar to or even better than the night before last.
The simple fact of being away from Cassius made me feel more energized every day, even though none of the real problems had been resolved.
"Leandro and that house have been pressing me a lot."
Then, Terrence asked, "What's troubling you?"
I guess my expression clouded as I remembered the past.
"Well, it's about the divorce."
"As he wants a trial, you'll have to submit documents to the court."
"In fact, I've already sent them."
Yesterday, before going to the magic shop to buy a personal defense amulet, I first went to the court.
"You'll have to wait for a while. It's a chronic problem in the empire that the processing speed is always slow due to the insufficient number of judges compared to the number of trials."
"Haha, that's true..."
As long as it's slow, I'm glad.
The problem is that it's unclear whether the documents I submitted will be received correctly or not.
There's hardly a place in the Asteroth Empire where Cassius's influence doesn't reach.
The Leandro I know would do whatever it takes to prevent the divorce papers from being filed.
He's a man who absolutely hates tarnishing the Cassius name. He might bribe one or two judicial administrators.
"Anyway, it's corruption!"
I chewed on the meat and looked ahead.
There was a man who looked like a work of art eating lettuce.
Power for power.
To divorce, I need Terence on my side.
"Shall we go out after we eat?"
The man rolled his eyes gently and replied playfully, "As you wish, my lady."
Before long.
"Is this your destination?"
Terence asked in front of a store filled with a mixture of unknown scents.
"Yes! Let's go!"
I pushed his back and entered the open door.