Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 30
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Exiting the room, Maya encountered Kendrick, whom she had not wanted—no, actually, had wanted—to see.
As soon as they sat down, Kendrick immediately grasped Maya’s shoulder.
“Is this the Maya I know?”
“Yes, Kendrick. Don’t talk nonsense.”
Responding nonchalantly to Kendrick’s question, Maya sighed deeply.
After scrutinizing Maya’s reaction, Kendrick finally relaxed and settled down. There was still much to discuss.
“What on earth is all this talk about marriage?”
“…Well.”
Maya roughly explained the situation, framing it around the Grand Duke’s ill health and how she was contracted to act on his behalf publicly.
“…He seemed fine earlier, though?”
Of course, Kendrick wouldn’t let it slide.
‘He might be physically weak, but he’s sharp-witted.’
Indeed, the robust Kendrick hardly fit the description of ‘weak’, but Maya, accustomed to the pretenses he would always show her, was an exception.
“Ah, I did see him leaning on you just before. He might look fine on the outside, but perhaps he’s incredibly frail.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Anyway, is there even something you can gain from this marriage?”
“To gain?”
“Since it’s a contract, there must be an exchange. Land, documents, a noble title, something of that sort.”
“Oh, right.”
“Maya? There’s something like that in the contract, right?”
Kendrick’s momentum was intimidating. At this rate, it looked like he was going to scrutinize every item in the contract.
“There is.”
However, Kendrick was still not convinced. Ultimately, Maya played her trump card.
“I’m not someone who would take such matters lightly. Trust me.”
She put herself forward as a guarantee.
“Alright, but you owe me an explanation for why you cried.”
Sure enough, Kendrick waved the white flag. If Maya didn’t want to, Kendrick couldn’t force her.
“It really was because I was happy to see you.”
Kendrick gazed into Maya’s eyes, but her gaze was steady.
Knowing it was genuinely because she was happy to see him made him feel better. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips.
Maya might be a bit imperceptive, but this seemed like a sign of hope.
‘I rushed here because I was shocked to hear about her marriage.’
If it’s a contract marriage, well, it might be a good opportunity for Maya, who had no place to go after leaving her family.
‘Since I can’t bring someone from the Mage Tower.’
If it’s a contract, there will be obligations on both sides… Honestly, from what Kendrick saw of their interaction earlier, it was hard to guess what kind of relationship they had.
And even if it’s a contract, after it ends, Maya could reconsider marriage.
Hope was in sight.
“Maya, your birthday is coming up, so I brought you a gift.”
“…You remembered my birthday too.”
“How could I forget your birthday? But what do you mean ‘too’?”
“The Grand Duke— I mean, Tristan remembered it as well.”
“Tr…istan?”
When did referring to the Grand Duke become so intimate?
‘Just because they’re bound by a contract, they’d remember each other’s birthdays?’
Caught off guard by Kendrick, Maya was drowning in emotion.
‘That’s right, Kendrick always celebrated my birthday.’
The birthday that no one else thought of.
“Happy Birthday, Maya.”
Kendrick handed over a gift box. It was surprisingly large, not something that seemed like it could have come from the bag he was carrying now.
“Ah, this is a product from the Mage Tower. Do you like it?”
“It’s fascinating.”
“I’ll make one for you later.”
“No, products from the Mage Tower are astronomically expensive.”
“…Really?”
Maya laughed awkwardly at Kendrick’s words. If she hadn’t experienced it in her previous life, she wouldn’t have known.
She remembered being shocked by the price, which couldn’t easily be afforded even on the salary of the commander of the Imperial Guard.
As she untied the ribbon and opened the box, a beautiful black cloak emerged.
“The North is cold.”
The luxurious satin cloak was beautifully adorned with gold leaf against a white background.
The neck was encircled with thick fur, making it look really warm.
“Oh…”
“And though it’s hard to compare with this, it has a pocket inside that can hold almost anything.”
Indeed, there was a pocket on the inside of the cloak. When she put her hand inside, it was much deeper than it appeared on the outside.
“Is this magic?”
“Yeah, I made it myself.”
“It’s so pretty.”
Maya’s eyes sparkled. Standing up, she immediately draped the cloak around her.
“I’ll have to wear this when I go out next time.”
“Where are you going?”
“Oh, to the Sirac Mountain Range.”
Kendrick’s expression turned grave.