Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 4
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Maya did not believe that an afterlife existed.
Her life had been tiring enough.
She didn’t want to repeat living.
But why could she still think?
‘Is this hell?’
If she was dead but still conscious, she could only assume so.
Heaven was out of the question, so it must be hell.
But unlike the typical dark, fiery hell, hers was cozy.
The soft bedding was surprisingly pleasant, and the sunlight she felt on her eyelids…
‘Wait, sunlight?’
Sunlight? Maya gasped and opened her eyes. Squinting in the bright light, she gradually surveyed her surroundings.
The first thing she saw was a familiar ceiling.
It was absurd.
‘What, am I dreaming?’
It seemed impossible that she had survived.
Then, was she currently unconscious?
‘Quite possible.’
If this was her last moment, she thought it quite unfortunate.
If she was going to dream, she wished it was the moment she was appointed knight captain by the Emperor.
‘Then I’d just have to slice off the damn Emperor’s neck….’
But reality is harsh.
This place was unmistakably the small room in the house she lived in before she became a knight.
‘I’m sick of this place.’
Maya had never returned home after becoming the captain of the knights.
The house was just as dreadful as the imperial palace.
Irritably exhaling, Maya narrowed her eyes.
‘Let’s see.’
Anyway, there must be a reason her unconscious was wandering in this moment.
Maya surveyed her room.
It was a humble room frequented only by a single maid.
As she moved, the dust settled on the furniture fluttered up. Her room in the lavish palace where she spent her time as a knight captain was certainly different.
Was this some kind of penance?
‘My body feels lighter than I expected.’
An inexplicable anxiety welled up.
She wanted to check her appearance quickly.
However, the small mirror in the room was tarnished and dirty.
Maya blew off the dust and carelessly wiped it with her sleeve.
Finally, she could see herself.
‘What’s this.’
Maya sighed as she looked in the mirror.
‘What?’
In the mirror, she still looked like a teenager, not yet an adult.
Even her irises were a dull brown.
‘This is before the awakening.’
Descendants of the Pendragon family, who carry the blood, awaken as full-fledged adults at the age of twenty.
Those who have awakened have eyes as red as burning flames, a sign of their lineage along with the White Dragon emblem.
This was perfect proof of a Pendragon awakener.
Maya checked her wrist.
‘The White Dragon emblem is gone too.’
Definitely before the awakening.
Maya sighed.
‘It’s a shame.’
While Maya’s skills were undoubtedly excellent, her swordsmanship reached a level beyond human after the awakening.
‘I can’t even use White Dragon.’
The sword she named White Dragon, which could be summoned directly from the emblem, was her own sword.
It was the principal reason she had been able to rise to the position of captain of the knights, overcoming her young age and gender.
Even if the Emperor had personally chosen her, there was an uproar when a young girl suddenly became the captain of the imperial guard.
She had no particularly good memories before turning twenty.
She silently endured the hurts from her family and stood firm with her sword.
‘Well, it was nothing compared to what I had done while I was the Emperor’s dog.’
Maya paused as she recollected.
‘The proposal came around this time.’
Because of her shabby home, she couldn’t even have a proper debut.
Not to mention a household with nothing but a name for honor wouldn’t have received a proper proposal.
That is until the Grand Duke Tristan proposed.
‘…’
Thinking of his face, Maya shook her head.
While his face was indeed to her taste, she had no intention of accepting his proposal.
Grumble.
She was hungry.
Even unconsciously, Maya’s stomach clock worked diligently.
‘Eating is important.’
It was her only joy when she was the captain of the knights.
Before that, books were her refuge.
‘If you’re hungry, you eat.’
Primary needs had to be satisfied first.
Needs that were unaffected by others.
How long had it been since she felt such a pure emotion?
Maya headed toward the dining room she was always barred from.
Her steps carried no hesitance.