Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 23
After subduing Alec, Maya began her meal in high spirits.
The duel had lasted longer than expected – including the time spent hitting him, it had gone over five minutes – but moving her body vigorously improved both her mood and appetite.
The food was delicious, which made her even happier.
‘I couldn’t remember the taste of the food from my previous life.’
It was different from the times when she was gradually losing herself, unable to find any joy in life.
“Is the meal to your liking?”
“Yes, it’s really delicious, Grand Duke.”
Tristan, noticing the expression on her face, asked her intently.
Maya nodded with all her might before popping another tender piece of salmon into her mouth.
Hmm, the thickly sliced salmon was perfectly cooked, not too dry, and the salt sprinkled on it added just the right amount of seasoning.
The sauce drizzled over it nicely cut through the potential greasiness of the fish.
‘It’s a different taste from steak.’
The vegetables that came with it were so fresh, they seemed just picked.
It was a testament to the abundant supplies available here.
“It seems you’ve resolved things well with Alec.”
“Yes, he turned out to be nicer than I thought.”
“I will strictly punish him for his disrespectful words. So, please don’t take it to heart too much.”
“Ah, it’s fine. I’m not one to hold grudges. I’m used to it, anyway.”
She didn’t bother to correct the fact that it was indeed rude.
“Used to it, you say…”
As Tristan murmured to himself, Maya decided to focus on what was truly important.
Primarily, it was about sorting out the formality of address.
“Your Highness, there’s no need to keep using formal language with me.”
Even if she was his fiancée and contract wife, it was proper for someone in his position as the Grand Duke to speak to her more informally.
“It’s actually more appropriate that way.”
Even between spouses.
Especially since Maya wasn’t accustomed to formal speech.
Tristan was a kind person. Even if he was a grand duke, speaking down to people wasn’t a problem for him.
So, she expected him to quickly nod in agreement to her words…
“That would be inappropriate. I don’t do this with everyone.”
…But it seems she was mistaken. He was more stubborn than she thought.
“I believe that even in a contractual relationship, the person who will be my wife deserves that level of respect.”
He made an exception for Maya, unlike with others.
‘Even though it’s a relationship formed through a contract.’
Her heart fluttered at the thought that he considered her important.
Tristan was indeed a different human being to the core, unlike that pig.
She became determined.
‘I really need to awaken sooner.’
The more she realized Tristan was nothing like the Emperor, the more she wanted to help him.
‘There are things I can only do if I awaken.’
The relationship between the Imperial Knights and the Northern Knights was terribly bad when killing monsters on the northern border.
The members of the Imperial Knights mostly consisted of nobles’ children who had received knight training or teachings from a master since childhood, making them quite arrogant.
In contrast, the Northern Knights were made up of renowned individuals from the North, scouted from various classes, all gathered together.
The knight commander was someone who had made a name for himself with his exceptional skills in monster extermination.
Maya had encountered him a few times in her past life.
‘But the knight commander I met in my previous life was a man named Dmitri.’
He was one of the knights who had been watching when Alec picked a fight with her earlier.
That face brimming with vitality…
‘Those who don’t even know what real combat is have such high pride.’
It was different from the usual appearance of dead, pitch-black eyes she faced. The scar crossing his left eye was not visible now.
‘There must have been a reason for the change in the knight commander.’
The period when Dmitri became the commander of the knights overlapped with when powerful monsters in the North were rampant.
‘It can’t be a coincidence.’
Something definitely happened.
An event that forced Alec to step down from his position as commander, and turned Dmitri’s bright eyes into those resembling an old, ailing man on the brink of death.
‘…If it was about dealing with the aftermath of rejecting my proposal without even finding me properly, then Grand Duke Tristan must have had to step in.’
No matter how she thought about it, it was because of the monster.
‘Was it the snake?’
The monster they were called to fight at that time was a snake as large as the mountain range itself.
A single movement from it would devastate the area, killing hundreds of people with its tremendous power.
Maya remembered the fear she felt upon seeing its eyes glowing blood-red.
But to survive, Maya moved and, after a hard-fought battle, succeeded in killing the snake.
“Is the dessert not to your liking?”
“No! How could that be?”
How delicious the sweets were. Maya quickly picked up her spoon.
The sherbet served as dessert was beautifully presented in a glass bowl.
As soon as she put it in her mouth, the cool, crunchy texture and the juice were delightful.
“It’s delicious…”
She didn’t forget to compliment.
After putting the last bit of sherbet into her mouth, Maya felt so utterly content.
