Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 68
***
The capital was abuzz with new rumors for the first time in a while.
The first was about the new monster that had appeared in the north.
“They say a new mage perfectly dealt with the white snake.”
“His name is Kendrick, right?”
Master of the Magic Tower, Sebastian, was intent on spreading Kendrick’s accomplishments as widely as possible.
Realizing that the Magic Tower Master had started to take an interest in him, Kendrick accepted this as a stepping stone to becoming the next Magic Tower Master.
As word spread about Kendrick’s appearance and his ability to eliminate the white snake, people began to take notice of him.
Of course, Kendrick wasn’t the only one who became famous.
“Did you hear? My goodness, the Grand Duke of Bayarden got married.”
“They say it’s to House Pendragon’s daughter.”
At last, House Bayarden was returning to the capital.
The Grand Duke, who hadn’t even had his debut in high society, was returning as a married man.
It was the Grand Duchess, not the Grand Duke, who would be introduced first.
People’s interest in Maya Pendragon was immense.
However, the only known members of House Pendragon were the gambling-addicted Maguire and his wife.
No one actually knew anything about Maya.
Naturally, curiosity about who Maya really was grew.
“I heard she’ll attend the upcoming banquet.”
People looked for opportunities to see Maya.
Rumor had it that Maya would attend the banquet hosted by the emperor.
Since it was a party hosted by the emperor, no one would miss it.
With everyone’s attention focused there, rumors about Maya grew even more.
***
Even on the way back to the capital, small monsters appeared. Still, they were creatures that mercenaries or knights could handle without much trouble.
Maya played with the monsters alongside White Dragon. Most of the monsters became food for the wyvern they had brought along.
Although the wyvern didn’t usually show it, its appetite was enormous.
It was a beneficial hunt, even if only to feed the wyvern.
“These aren’t the kinds of creatures I want!”
White Dragon lamented.
Later, at the lodging where they stayed, Tristan and Maya got separate rooms.
‘Maybe it’s obvious that I’ve been feeling awkward since that conversation.’
It was easy to ask Tristan questions, but the questions Tristan posed to her were always difficult to answer.
Especially when he talked about things Maya had never experienced.
‘Just because I’ve lived once before doesn’t mean I can be perfect in this life.’
Maya lamented inwardly, wishing she had experienced more before returning.
But she also felt that if she had experienced and lived another life, she might not have wanted to return at all.
Maya always lived focusing on the present.
“There seems to be something unusual between you two.”
White Dragon spoke to Maya as she came out of her bath.
“Between Tristan and me?”
“Yeah. You two seem really close.”
“Well, we are in a contract marriage, so we can’t look distant.”
Maya was happy to hear they seemed close.
Pleased, she replied to White Dragon, who then asked,
“But don’t you need to increase your contact time to break the curse?”
“I think so too. But… it’s hard to bring it up when the other person doesn’t.”
Tristan, who seemed willing to endure any contact to break the curse, was approaching her cautiously, as if watching her reactions.
“You can just tell him it’s okay.”
“Yes, I could tell him… but….”
Somehow, after the last conversation, it felt awkward to voice her opinions to Tristan.
‘I didn’t realize he would be hurt.’
She hadn’t known that asking him to give her a heads-up about someone he might like would wound him.
“It makes me cautious.”
Tristan was an exception even for Maya.
“That makes sense.”
White Dragon nodded, not overly concerned.
“By the way, I’ve been feeling restless lately.”
“Are the monsters not satisfying for you?”
“Other than the white snake, not really.”
Maya pondered and then asked,
“You mentioned the white snake was a servant of the demon king, right?”
Not much was known about the demon king’s servants.
Pendragon and Bayarden were, after all, in service to the emperor.
If their exploits were too great, it could shake the imperial power, so the imperial family kept their achievements under wraps.
