Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 88
Something felt off.
Why?
“This… This is…”
Serene’s face turned pale at the sight of the wyvern.
She must have thought it was another monster.
Maya considered it for a moment and then quickly agreed.
‘Well, it is a monster…’
The only difference was that this one was tamed.
“Mmph—”
Maya covered Serene’s mouth before she could scream and hastily explained the situation.
“It’s a creature I’ve tamed, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Tamed…?”
The more Serene learned about Maya Pendragon, the more she wondered who this person really was.
‘How on earth did she stay in the shadows?’
Using a tamed monster as a companion was something far beyond the realm of ordinary people.
‘…But.’
Serene found herself liking Maya even more because of it.
People are often drawn to those who are different from themselves, or so they say.
‘It’s only natural to admire someone who can do what you can’t.’
Watching Maya, who stood on the opposite side of her, Serene’s fear of the situation gradually subsided.
“I know it’s ridiculous to say this in such a situation, but…”
There wasn’t enough time to explain everything.
“Can you trust me?”
…To suddenly ask for trust, just like that.
But there was an undeniable power in Maya’s voice that made it hard to refuse.
Because it was sincere.
Serene had encountered countless people in high society.
Even when they used flowery noble speech or tried to conceal their true intentions, certain traits of a person’s character inevitably came through.
Many people approached Serene, but none truly tried to understand who she was.
When asked why they liked her, most would mindlessly mention her appearance.
They had no idea how much effort Serene had put into reaching her current position, clinging only to what she was born with, which disgusted her.
She had spent a tiresome life under a father who emphasized his ideals in the name of love.
But she didn’t know how to express anger.
Having lived in conformity for so long, Serene found herself becoming accustomed to her anger, even now.
All the other ladies around her lived similar lives, yet none of them openly expressed their anxieties.
‘Am I the one who’s wrong?’
Wasn’t there a saying that one can’t abandon familial ties? But Maya had broken them.
Before Serene, a new world was opening up.
“I’ll trust you.”
Serene spoke clearly, making direct eye contact.
“What do I need to do?”
A resolute determination appeared in Serene’s eyes.
***
Maya was inwardly surprised as she watched Serene, who now seemed to trust her completely.
Honestly, even as she spoke, Maya had expected that someone like Serene Baker wouldn’t easily accept her words.
‘…What’s this?’
The strength Serene now displayed was hard to believe, considering she had been trembling in fear earlier when the monster appeared.
“Please keep everything you see during the battle with the monster a secret.”
“It’s widely known that whoever spends time with Serene Baker keeps her company. I swear on my name.”
Maya was taken aback by Serene’s words. She knew how much it meant to swear on one’s name.
Having spent a long time in high society, Serene was often referred to simply as “Serene” rather than “Lady Baker,” emphasizing how much pride she had in her name. And now she was swearing on it.
‘…I’m not sure why this is going so smoothly.’
But there was no reason for Maya to turn down such a good opportunity.
More than anything…
She didn’t want to doubt someone who said they believed in her.
No, more importantly…
‘I need to trust myself.’
She wanted to believe in herself, in her own judgment that Serene Baker was being sincere.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Maya smiled brightly.
“Now then…”
The wolf was rampaging through the garden.
“We need to lure that monster to a place with fewer people…”
The wyvern had flown up close to the clouds, out of the wolf’s sight.
The altitude made it cold, but the only one shivering was Serene.
“You might want to cover yourself with this.”
Maya handed Serene the dress shawl that Doshen had given her when they stepped outside and shrugged her shoulders.
She seemed to have gotten used to the cold after spending quite a bit of time in the north.
Of course, Tristan didn’t find it cold at all.
As Tristan watched the wolf, he looked up at Maya and slightly frowned.
“When did you injure your face?”
