My Contract Husband Resembles the Male Protagonist - Chapter 14
Dale was already at home.
“Who did you learn cooking from, Dale? You’re so good at it.”
I admired Dale’s cooking skills.
Every evening, he prepared a luxurious dinner when he returned home from work.
Today’s dinner was centered around steak.
The meat oozed juiciness with every bite.
It was a skill not inferior to that of a Duke’s chef.
Even if he had worked as a chef instead of a mercenary, he could have made a living.
Noodle dishes, meat dishes, seafood dishes, dishes using vegetables, and even plating!
‘It’s really delicious. The best! Who did you learn this from? Tell me.’
‘I honed my lacking skills alone when I was young, so I haven’t learned anything special.’
‘Really? But how can you be this good?’
‘Thank you.’
He gave me a faint smile and looked at me. It seemed embarrassing.
Dale was an incredibly giving person. Always doing things for others, even if they didn’t need it.
I felt like I barely knew him.
‘He probably learned to cook because there was no one to cook for young Dale.’
It wasn’t common to have to cook alone from a young age.
‘Can I do it too? It seems like I’m just receiving from Dale.’
‘I enjoy cooking.’
He smiled and cut the carrot cake he made for dessert.
How did he know what I liked?
It might be a coincidence, but Dale’s menu choices were always excellent.
He cut a piece in front of me, unable to take his eyes off the cake.
“I am a husband worth 10,000 crobats, and I will be faithful to you every day, Miss Enya.”
“Then, can I keep enjoying it?”
“As much as you want.”
I took a bite of the carrot cake and was impressed.
“I think I made a good choice in this marriage.”
At that moment, Dale’s cutting halted.
His pupils wavered, and silence lingered.
Dale looked at me with a flushed face.
“Even though you said you disliked it, is it different now?”
“Huh? Me? … When?”
“Ah….”
For a moment, Dale’s face turned pale.
He covered his mouth, stood up, and headed for the kitchen counter.
“I’m sorry. Miss Enya, you didn’t say such a thing.”
“It’s, it’s okay. You might be confused. Don’t be surprised; just sit down.”
It was a strange attitude, as if committing a grave sin, for a simple misunderstanding.
Oh, Dale… No way?
Did he mistake me for someone else?
It seemed he confused a conversation with some other woman from his memory.
‘Did you confuse me with someone else? It’s okay; just sit down.’
‘No, I didn’t. I just… ‘
A bewildered Dale brought a dry towel and skillfully unfolded it.
The corners of the towel seemed like blades.
‘I thought it might not be to Miss Enya’s liking.’
He bowed his head and organized the household items with a reddened face.
‘We have a contractual marriage. Preferences don’t matter.’
Dale’s face darkened abruptly.
He neatly laid out the organized laundry and looked at me with a disheartened expression.
‘Oh! That’s not about Dale’s preferences or anything like that. Dale likes everything, right? It’s just that, I meant you could marry any man just to avoid the emperor.’
Clunk!
“….”
A breaking sound was heard just now. What was it?
I looked around, but there was nothing unusual.
“I proposed a contractual marriage to Dale because he was perfect for it.”
“…!”
“A mercenary with a place to live, and the house is settled.”
“…..”
“If anything, I should apologize, right? I didn’t mention in advance that I was being chased by the Emperor. Shouldn’t Dale dislike me for that?”
As I looked at Dale, he wiped the plate with a thoughtful expression.
“It’s okay.”
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.
“I have a secret I haven’t told Miss Enya.”
“Really? But if you have such a secret, can you even tell me? It’s supposed to be a secret, right?”
Dale seemed a bit hesitant.
But I was prepared not to be surprised.
“Because the second-floor dressing room is a bit strange.”
On the second floor that Dale had given me as my exclusive space, there were three rooms: one bedroom, one dressing room, and one study.
When I first saw the dressing room, I was truly surprised.
“Dale! The room is full of clothes!”
In the second-floor dressing room, dresses of all kinds were hung by season and purpose.
It wasn’t just dresses; there were riding outfits, farm clothes, and more.
There were shoes and accessories, too.
“It was originally the house I lived in with my younger sister, so the necessary items are prepared. However, since my sister left, they are now ownerless items, so feel free to use them.”
Thanks to this, I gained something! But it made me raise an eyebrow.
There were no signs of the clothes being worn.
Everything seemed brand new. And every size fits me perfectly.
“Is my younger sister’s body similar to mine?”
However, the room, despite being left unused, was impeccably well-maintained.
And when Dale introduced it as his younger sister’s room, his expression was a bit…
Wasn’t it sweet?
That wistful, nostalgic expression probably meant that it was
“The room of a parted lover?'”
