Marquis Hermil was a kind and sensitive person who was confident enough to be an uncle. He never said anything that crossed the line and exuded dignity in his actions. Olentia was used to seeing aristocrats like Marquis Hermil.

“You seem to really like tea? It seems you empty your cup quite quickly.”

Hearing Marquis Hermil’s gentle voice, Olentia was momentarily startled. The feeling of her stomach being full meant that she had indeed drunk a lot of tea.

‘Why? He’s clearly a good person, but it’s so boring. I’ve only been drinking tea this whole time.’

Olentia usually enjoyed savoring tea slowly. But to think she had gulped it down like water. Perhaps being with Marquis Hermil made her feel stuffy.

‘No! I should look at the good side!’

She smiled with her eyes and looked at Hermil’s handsome face.

“The tea tastes especially good today.”

As Olentia said that, she spotted Dimidius walking across the garden. He seemed to be heading towards the carriage house.

Going out again? Where to this time?

Without realizing it, she gripped her teacup tightly and spoke in a loud voice.

“It must be because I’m with you, Marquis Hermil! Haha!”

Did Dimidius hear that?

Whether he heard it or not, what does it matter!

Olentia wanted to hide in a mouse hole because of her childish behavior. Her hand holding the teacup was trembling. She couldn’t understand why she couldn’t calm down whenever it involved Dimidius.

As Olentia’s hand shook, Marquis Hermil placed his hand on top and gently said,

“Is something the matter?”

He didn’t seem like a man who would initiate physical contact first, but he stepped up when needed.

‘Uncle is right, he really is a good man.’

However, Olentia’s face was filled with dark clouds. Even though Marquis Hermil was a good man, she wasn’t very attracted to him. Since her uncle had introduced him, it would have to be a real marriage, not a contract marriage, and not being attracted to him as a man was a fatal blow.

Olentia got up from her seat, feeling suffocated, and took a stroll in the garden. Marquis Hermil firmly stayed by her side.

“Do you feel a bit better after walking?”

“Yes. That’s right. The garden is pretty too.”

“I’m very curious about you, my lady. What are you usually interested in? I like chess, but I’m not very good at it.”

Olentia halfheartedly listened and thought to herself,

‘What I’m most interested in right now is divine power… But I can’t say that.’

Moreover, she wanted to bluntly ask Marquis Hermil if he could stand up to Marquis Luxus, but she couldn’t because the other person only engaged in superficial conversation. She felt that Marquis Hermil was closer to a dreamer than a realistic person.

After circling the garden a few times, Olentia returned to her room. It was easy to withdraw by saying that her body hadn’t fully recovered yet.

As she returned to her room, Bobby greeted her.

“Eek! My lady! What do you think of the Marquis? Do you like him?”

She spoke as if Olentia had to like him.

Olentia shook her head weakly.

“No, I don’t know. He seems like a good person, but that’s about it.”

“Oh come on! It just feels vague because it’s your first meeting, but it’ll be different after you get married.”

“Get married? To Marquis Hermil?”

As Olentia raised her voice, Bobby looked flustered.

“Isn’t that why you’re meeting each other?”

“No, I’m not!”

She couldn’t think of a rebuttal. As Bobby said, it was practically a meeting to explore each other with the intention of getting married. That’s why it felt even more suffocating and painful. What she wanted was a contract marriage, so how did things end up like this?

Olentia buried her face in the pillow with complicated feelings. It didn’t matter if her beautifully made-up face got ruined now.

‘Isn’t there any other way?’

She wanted to find another way out of this situation.

It was a deep night with the sound of insects chirping.

Olentia couldn’t sleep and paced in front of the window. Since the curtains weren’t drawn, elegant moonlight seeped in through the window.

The night was beautiful, but sleep wouldn’t come, which was quite a problem.

At that moment, she spotted Dimidius in the middle of the garden. He was showing off his well-built physique, and her heart suddenly pounded. She couldn’t understand why it felt like a fateful moment again. Despite disliking the saying that repeated coincidences become fate, it was truly strange.

Olentia threw on a robe over her negligee and quickly went down to the garden.

She intended to try persuading him just once.

‘Just once! I won’t do it twice!’

With that thought, she went down the stairs and arrived at the garden, but Dimidius was nowhere to be seen. Thinking he might be playing hide-and-seek, she looked around in confusion, and then she heard his voice nearby.

“Are you looking for me?”

Startled, Olentia grabbed her chest and screamed.

“Ah! You surprised me. What are you doing here at this hour?”

Dimidius was wearing a clean suit without a single wrinkle. It was puzzling what he was doing in the garden with a completely unruffled appearance.

“I could ask you the same, my lady. You came out in a hurry?”

Olentia unknowingly laughed at Dimidius’s joke.

“When did I ever do that? Don’t make things up as you please.”

“I was enjoying the garden alone for the last time. I’m leaving Odor County tomorrow morning.”

At the mention of him leaving, Olentia’s expression turned gloomy. The corners of her mouth naturally drooped, and a sigh built up in her mouth. Dimidius really seemed to have no intention of a contract marriage. So he could firmly say he was leaving, right?

Olentia fiddled with her long sleeves and then turned her body towards the entrance.

“Then enjoy this large and pretty garden all to yourself for the last time and have a safe trip.”

That was all she had to say to him, who was leaving Odor Territory. She felt drained and had complicated feelings, but she intended to return to her bedroom now.

But then Dimidius grabbed Olentia’s shoulder with one hand. She was so startled that her body stiffened.

‘What, what is it?’

Dimidius turned Olentia’s body around and said,

“Actually, that was a lie.”

“What was?”

“About enjoying the garden alone for the last time. I was deliberately wandering around a spot where the lady on the third floor could see me clearly. Wasn’t I unusually visible?”

Olentia thought about Dimidius, who was unusually visible from the window, and clapped her hands. All of this was a play orchestrated by Dimidius!

But why?

Why did he do that?

Olentia looked up at him with eyes full of curiosity. Under the moonlight, he seemed to glow exceptionally white. As if he possessed a mysterious power like a fantastical herb.

After a moment, his low voice was heard.

“Let’s have a contract marriage, you and I.”

Olentia was surprised and widened her eyes. If she didn’t mishear, this was a one-of-a-kind opportunity.

She exclaimed joyfully.

“Wow! Really! Did you suddenly change your mind? You mean a contract marriage, right?”

Dimidius still seemed to have a lot on his mind, but Olentia was simply happy. She had come down with the intention of persuading him, so she was grateful that he brought it up first.

Without realizing it, Olentia grabbed his arm and jumped up and down.

“I’m so happy! This is really fortunate!”

Then Dimidius smiled and said,

“You’re that happy? Anyone who sees this might think I proposed.”

“To me, it’s as good as a proposal. The situation was really difficult. Marquis Hermil is a good person, but I’m not sure about marriage.”

“I thought the conversation with Marquis Hermil was going well.”

“And yet you’re asking me for a contract marriage?”

Dimidius was silent for a moment at Olentia’s question. He paused and then said as he strolled through the garden,

“But it didn’t seem like you had given up on the contract marriage, my lady. Love, romance, and marriage. Are you interested in those things?”

It was natural for young people to stake their lives on love, romance, and marriage. Olentia wasn’t uninterested either.

After thinking for a moment, Olentia shrugged.

“Well, I just want to marry someone I love. My parents had a love marriage and got along really well. Growing up seeing that, I think I’ve come to avoid political marriages.”

It had been a while since she talked to someone about her parents. Even Olentia was surprised as she spoke.

Dimidius stopped walking for a moment and turned to look at Olentia, who had been following him.

“We’re different. I don’t believe in love or marriage. I only believe in myself.”

His voice was clear and distinct. The words that he didn’t believe in love or marriage sounded like a tremendous appeal. It seemed like he had no intention of getting close to her even if they had a contract marriage.

Olentia was surprised but tried her best not to show it.

“I’ll be faithful to the contract relationship. I promise I’ll never love you, Your Highness.”

If he said he didn’t believe in love or marriage, it would be troublesome if feelings ridiculously developed in a contract marriage.

Seeing Olentia’s eyes sparkle with sincerity, Dimidius nodded.

“Your resolve is impressive. Alright. How long will you set the period for?”

“I say 5 months maximum. I think anything longer would be difficult.”

After getting married and finding the inheritance, it seemed she would spend time planning how to spend that large sum of money. In the meantime, she would also have to give divine power to Dimidius.

Dimidius resumed strolling through the garden and said,

“Then I’ll have to find someone else to give me divine power within 5 months.”

“That’s right. Can you handle Marquis Luxus?”

“How do you see me, my lady? You don’t need to worry about that part. I’ll take care of it myself.”

Olentia liked Dimidius’s confident answer. She couldn’t even bring it up to Marquis Hermil and was only anxious.

Olentia quickened her pace to stand in front of him and held out her hand.

“A handshake. We’re about to make a very important contract, so we should at least shake hands.”

Then Dimidius stopped walking and firmly grasped her hand.

“I’m fine with that. It means I can store divine power in my body.”

“You’re already like this?”

“Isn’t it good to be faithful to the contract?”

Unable to retort, Olentia simply shook his hand up and down to complete the contract.