Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 16
Her heart acted faster than her reason.
“Of course, it’s possible. Even more than that.”
Maya blurted out, impulsively grabbing Tristan’s hand.
‘I’m weaker to faces than I thought…’
Self-reflection was a bonus.
A faint smile appeared on Tristan’s face.
“I’m glad. I will always ask for your consent first.”
…That’s a bit…
‘A bit?’
Maya felt confused and disappointed at her reaction.
Having rarely faced worldly desires, she clearly had awoken to new temptations.
‘There’s such a devil inside me. I didn’t know.’
Pull yourself together, Maya Pendragon.
The man before you is Tristan Bayarden.
‘To have such personal desires towards the future emperor is unacceptable.’
Tristan was destined for a perfect life with someone else, not her. Someone who was virtuous, beautiful, and perfect.
‘With that face, it’s certainly possible.’
Thus, she must be extremely careful not to cross any lines during their contractual marriage. She never knows when her inner devil might awaken again.
Tristan, opening a drawer under his desk, handed her a crisp document. The contract, written in elegant handwriting, was densely packed with words.
“Once our contractual marriage ends, I will cleanly divorce you, allowing you to live the life you desire.”
Maya examined the contract Tristan offered. The clauses seemed overly perfect, almost disadvantageous for the Grand Duke.
But becoming Tristan’s social representative in his absence from society after marriage was another thing that concerned her.
Maya asked seriously.
“You’ve seen my way with words, haven’t you?”
Surprisingly, Tristan didn’t mind.
“That’s fine. I’m not particularly fond of noble pretenses myself.”
It was an unexpected common ground.
‘What a relief.’
It seemed that revealing her true self from the start had actually worked in her favor.
‘I did well in just being myself.’
With a sense of pride, Maya pointed out another concern.
“And about this part.”
“Do you realize what kind of rumors will spread with a clause like this?”
Once the marriage becomes public, it will surely attract widespread attention.
Maya, acting as the Grand Duke’s representative, will be under close scrutiny.
An abrupt divorce, especially one solely blamed on the Grand Duke, would definitely become the subject of gossip and speculation.
‘Rumors spread so fast.’
People love to talk about others, especially if it’s a scandal.
With everyone’s eyes on the Grand Duke’s marriage, a divorce blamed solely on Tristan would inevitably lead to all sorts of conjecture.
Tristan was unconcerned.
“There’s no need to worry. There’s a reason why people talk behind others’ backs.”
Maya’s concern, however, was different.
“Are you really okay with them gossiping about your s*x life, Grand Duke?”
She was genuinely worried.
In the chivalric order, the men, disregarding her as a fellow knight due to her gender, often ignored her.
They boasted about their own prowess while mocking Maya.
Thus, Maya subconsciously learned to see men in a certain light.
Even if he was the Grand Duke, he was still a man. He might possess the same mentality as the palace knights. She didn’t want him to suffer a loss in their contract.
‘Because he trusts me.’
Because he’s a different person than the Emperor.
She hoped he wouldn’t be hurt or have his pride wounded by such matters.
Tristan’s expression turned peculiar at her unexpected words. After pondering for a moment, he asked,
“Even if I won’t be having any s****l relations with you, why you think that there’s something wrong with me as a man?”
“What? No, but I was just worried in case…”
“I am perfectly fine.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly offended.
“That’s… um, good.”
It seemed her concern was unnecessary.
‘How do I explain this?’
She had always resorted to fists rather than words when dealing with misunderstandings.
‘Oh, dear Lord in heaven …’
Maya agonized.
But the only response she could muster was an expedient one.
“I see.”
A prompt agreement was all she could offer.
“And so what if people talk about my supposed condition?”
Tristan mumbled indifferently.
“As long as my spouse knows, that’s enough.”
