Contract Marriage with the Devil Duke (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
Orentia was so startled that she nearly stumbled inside the carriage before barely managing to sit down across from the man and catch her breath.
“Haa… I’m sorry. You must have been startled, right?”
“Yes. Startled indeed. I thought a wild buffalo had charged in.”
His manner of speaking was still as unpleasant as ever.
‘Just a moment ago, you clearly said rabbit!’
Orentia briefly frowned but forced the corners of her mouth upward. She had to at least offer a polite smile—after all, he’d just helped her.
And unlike the first time she’d seen him, he now seemed to radiate a rather gentle aura.
“Phew! I ran into some street ruffians just ahead. I charged like a buffalo. Anyway, thank you so much for helping me.”
She curved her eyes into crescent moons and waved both arms, mimicking how she’d leapt inside. To him, she was just another forgettable face—no different from a buffalo darting into the street—so it hardly mattered. At the very least, she was relieved she wouldn’t have to face those ruffians again right now.
But she couldn’t keep riding in this carriage. She didn’t even know where he was headed.
Though they hadn’t gotten far from the ruffians, Orentia spoke up first.
“I’ll get off here.”
Orentia looked at the man with wide eyes, but he ignored her completely, arms still folded.
“Excuse me?”
She tried to keep her tone as polite as possible—she didn’t want to be rude to someone who’d just helped her.
Then the man unfolded his arms, drew the curtain aside, and glanced out the window before speaking.
“Why don’t you have a knight guarding you?”
‘Why ask that now of all times?’
“I have my reasons.”
“A lady so ignorant of the world should have a guard even more.”
He’d touched on a very sensitive topic, and she instantly felt a surge of emotion.
“Why do you have to talk like that? What’s it to you?”
“Do you even know who those people are—the ones in satin suits running around together?”
“I don’t!”
“They pretend to recruit actors for theater troupes but are actually human traffickers. They look perfectly normal on the outside and often speak sweetly, but inside, they’re utterly repulsive.”
Human traffickers? She’d sensed something was off, but they were far more dangerous than she’d imagined.
‘I almost got into serious trouble.’
Orentia bit her lower lip and exhaled sharply. She wanted to calm down, but couldn’t stop her body from trembling.
Seeing Orentia trying so hard to act unaffected, the man drew the curtain shut again.
“So don’t even think about wandering around Shine Street alone. I’d rather not see your body laid out in a coffin because of me.”
“Must you always speak so harshly!”
She couldn’t understand why he spoke so roughly. Someone who rode in such a massive four-horse carriage must be of high status—surely he wasn’t the type to lack basic noble etiquette.
Come to think of it, had there ever been a noble in the capital of Geranium so noticeably large and bold as to travel with a carriage of this size?
Curious, Orentia stared intently at the man as he turned his head, revealing his strong jawline and ear.
Now that she thought about it, her husband from the dream also had a firm, rather than slender, jaw—and she’d liked that. Especially his strikingly beautiful red eyes.
Orentia gulped and strained to see his eyes through the eyeholes of his mask.
She hadn’t paid much attention until now, but the man before her seemed to have red eyes too. Could such a coincidence really exist? People with red eyes weren’t exactly common.
Orentia felt increasingly bewildered.
It was just a dream—but it felt as though she’d had a prophetic vision.
She also recalled hearing long ago that the Armenuaka family had been born generation after generation with divine power. In the dream, seeing herself wield that power had even felt impressive.
At that moment—
“You’ll end up poking a hole through your mask, milady.”
Teasing her, the man made Orentia cough awkwardly out of embarrassment before she quickly changed the subject.
“Where are you headed? Aren’t we far enough from them by now?”
“What’s your destination?”
“You’re not seriously offering to take me there, are you?”
There was really no need. Her legs worked perfectly fine—she could easily find her way to Karunda’s lawyer office.
But then he crossed a line.
“Well… I might consider it if milady properly reflects on today’s recklessness.”
“No!”
Clang!
At that instant, the carriage jolted violently.
Orentia lurched forward, and the man instinctively reached out to steady her shoulder. His movement was surprisingly agile.
“Oh, thank you.”
His hand on her shoulder was large and firm.
When the carriage jolted again, Orentia, without even realizing it, grabbed his hand. It was big, plump, and warm.
The man held her hand for quite a while—and very tightly, too. She could feel every detail of his skin against hers.
Realizing this, Orentia jerked her hand away in alarm.
“Don’t… don’t joke around like that.”
He’d seemed cold at first, but after helping her multiple times, he didn’t seem truly cold-hearted.
Orentia glanced at him sideways and added in a low voice,
“If you won’t let me off, then take me to my destination. It’s right in front of Karunda’s lawyer office.”
Of course, she thought he was being far too intrusive with his talk of reflection, but it didn’t feel right to say that to someone who’d just helped her.
[This is the timeline separator]Before stepping out of the carriage, Orentia desperately wanted to know the man’s name. After all, an encounter like this was rare, and there was a strong chance they’d meet again in high society.
Orentia looked at him with curious eyes. Her dream-husband had been strikingly handsome—what about this man?
Were his eyebrows thick? Was his nose low or towering like a mountain? And his lips… were they soft and plump, like a layered pastry?
She swallowed hard and spoke to him.
“If it’s not too rude, may I ask who you are? I really want to remember your name.”
In that instant, the man’s demeanor—previously unmoved by anything—suddenly shifted completely.
‘Wh-what’s this?’
After a brief pause, he leaned forward with a slightly mischievous air and spoke coldly.
“So it really was true—you had no idea who I was. Then again, if you had known, you’d have avoided me instead of those street ruffians.”
Orentia couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Flustered, her eyes darted wildly—until his next words left her mouth agape.
“If you’re so curious, I’ll tell you. Dimidius Belial. That’s my name.”
Dimidius Belial.
At those words, her body froze and her heart dropped like a stone. Even her fingertips felt icy.
Grand Duke Belial was the only person in the Bonus Empire with demon blood. He was a descendant of Lilith, the queen of Mongma. His late father, the previous Grand Duke Belial, had succumbed to Lilith’s temptation and sired a single child—Dimidius Belial.
‘The demon! The demon has appeared! Terrible misfortune is coming! Volcanoes will erupt, lava will flow, ash will fly, and the earth will split open! We must drive out the Demon Duke!’
Because of this, fearless members of the church occasionally held street protests to expel the half-demon Dimidius.
She’d heard he rarely left his duchy unless it was for something important—yet here he was, right before her eyes. It sent chills down her spine.
She’d only heard rumors until now; in all her life, she’d never actually met Grand Duke Dimidius Belial.
She’d assumed all the talk of him being a monster was just baseless gossip…
‘You fool! Why didn’t it even cross your mind? Everyone says the Demon Duke wears a full-face Bauta mask because his face is so hideous—it must be true!’
Orentia trembled so hard her lips quivered. She’d been treating him nonchalantly just moments ago—but now, she couldn’t possibly do that again.
Seeing Orentia utterly frozen, Dimidius sneered.
“From the start, your odd behavior made me think you weren’t afraid of a Demon Duke, milady.”
His voice was unmistakably icy—but was it her imagination, or did it carry a hint of disappointment?
Orentia remained silent, only worrying her lips. Honestly, as someone who believed in the gods, she couldn’t help but fear a man with demon blood. Demons were usually vicious by nature.
‘What do I do? I thought he was just some idle noble loafing around during the day! I never imagined he’d be the infamous Demon Duke! Who expects to bump into a Grand Duke on the street, anyway!’
She wished she could undo every word and action she’d directed at him so far.
‘They say the Demon Duke inherited his mother’s ability to control others’ minds. Isn’t that terrifying?’
‘He can invade your dreams and shatter your sanity—he’s not human, just a demon!’
‘And isn’t that exactly why he’s worn a mask for fifteen years? Because his face is so horrifying?’
The gossip she’d overheard from noblewomen at social parties echoed in her mind.
As Orentia shook her head in confusion, the carriage came to a stop. They’d apparently arrived at Karunda’s lawyer office.
Dimidius opened the carriage door first, stepped out, and turned to Orentia.
“We’ve arrived. Please step out, milady.”
His voice sounded far more tense and sharp than before—and oddly, perhaps even more polite.
Only then did Orentia finally lift her gaze and look outside the carriage.
The street outside seemed calm, with a reasonable number of people around. All she had to do was step down—but her heart pounded so wildly she feared Dimidius might hear it.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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