My Mistress Became My Wife (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
A red flame flickered at the tip of the cigar. Harold sat astride the windowsill, staring at the stack of papers piled on the sofa table. They were all marriage proposals sent by noble families eager to form an alliance through marriage with House Maximilian.
He’d felt uneasy ever since the Duchess mentioned accompanying the Duke to his study, and just as he’d feared, the topic of marriage came up.
Most high-ranking nobles arranged betrothals during childhood, and unless something unexpected happened, they married immediately after coming of age. Even if someone lacked a fiancé due to unavoidable circumstances, it was typical to marry within a year of reaching adulthood.
Harold had once had a fiancée, but she passed away less than a year after their engagement, victim to a tragic accident.
After that, the Duke and Duchess Maximilian tried to find a new fiancée for their youngest son, but Harold continually delayed the engagement with every excuse imaginable.
Thus, after reaching adulthood and even being granted a knighthood, Harold left the capital to join the border garrison stationed in Cardin, despite his father’s suggestion that he accept the position of deputy commander of the Imperial Knights.
No matter how favorable Harold’s background was, few parents wanted to marry their daughters to someone stationed in the perilous border region of Cardin, where death could come at any moment.
Still, some brazen individuals did send proposals—hoping that even if Harold died, bearing his child would secure them the benefits of House Maximilian.
Since marrying such people would be worse than having no alliance at all, Harold had managed to avoid marriage talk for the past four years.
“I’d like you to hold your wedding before the year ends, Harold.”
He’d expected marriage pressure upon returning to the capital, but he hadn’t anticipated it coming this swiftly.
Why were there so many marriage proposals? None of them appealed to him in the slightest, and Harold clicked his tongue irritably.
“Should I just tell them I have no intention of marrying?”
Speaking his mind wasn’t difficult, but the problem was that his parents were extremely unlikely to accept his opinion—they were nobles through and through, and terribly old-fashioned in these matters.
So how could he escape this marriage pressure?
No matter how he thought about it, there was only one solution: return to Cardin.
To do that, he needed Crown Prince Austin’s help—but to gain his assistance, Harold first had to uncover why the Second Prince was investigating Viscount Benjamin’s mansion.
“What a headache.”
Harold ran a hand through his tousled hair and gazed out the window. Looking at the lush green trees, he recalled Lily’s fresh, green eyes.
“Her eyes were certainly beautiful.”
They perfectly complemented the crisp scent of green apples that always seemed to surround her, making her even more alluring—and leaving a particularly vivid impression. Whenever he thought of Liliana Benjamin, those green eyes were the first thing that came to mind.
Knock knock—
At the sound of knocking, Harold stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray and opened the window. A cool breeze blew in, dispelling the acrid smell of tobacco.
“Come in.”
The person who entered was Dillon. Harold’s expression, previously knotted with irritation and annoyance, relaxed slightly.
“Did you get her home safely?”
Knowing full well that Lily, with no money to her name, couldn’t possibly return alone, Harold had asked Dillon before leaving the hotel to escort her to her destination—using a method that wouldn’t wound her pride yet which she couldn’t refuse.
“Yes. I safely delivered her all the way to Viscount Benjamin’s mansion. I even watched her enter the estate myself, so you can rest assured.”
“Any sign of surveillance?”
“There was none while I escorted her to the mansion.”
“Really?”
He’d assumed she was under watch whenever she left the estate, but apparently not.
“But what are these papers?”
After seeing the thick stack of documents on the table, Dillon’s jaw dropped.
“Seriously, how can there be so many marriage proposals? Did every noble house with a daughter send one?”
Harold chuckled softly and pushed himself off the windowsill.
“Of course not. These are only the ones my parents selected—families they deemed acceptable regardless of whom I might choose.”
“…So you’re saying that if they hadn’t filtered them, this room might have been overflowing?”
“Well, possibly.”
Feeling stifled by the sight of so many proposals, Harold took out a fresh cigar and placed it between his lips.
Just as he was about to light it, Dillon strode forward and plucked the cigar from his mouth.
“Please cut back on cigars, Captain. Haven’t you noticed you’ve been smoking far more often since returning to the capital?”
“Have I?”
“You certainly have. If you smoke this much right in front of me, I can’t imagine how much you’re smoking when I’m not around. At this rate, you’ll ruin your health—you’ll be unable to wield a sword, let alone marry. No bride would welcome a groom who’s bedridden due to poor health.”
Harold snatched the cigar back from Dillon and replied,
“I wouldn’t mind being unable to marry—but I absolutely refuse to lose the ability to wield my sword.”
“So you really don’t want to get married, then.”
“It’s not that I dislike it—it’s just that I don’t particularly want to. Marriage means shouldering countless obligations and responsibilities.”
And those responsibilities were all rigid, dull, and utterly unappealing. That was precisely why he’d fled to the border region of Cardin in the first place—he certainly wasn’t eager to marry now.
There was no woman he loved enough to give up everything for marriage.
“I fully understand your desire, Captain, to enjoy your freedom—but you should marry before it’s too late. Frankly, you’re already past the usual age.”
At twenty-six, Harold was indeed somewhat older than most nobles, who typically married before the age of twenty-two.
When Dillon pointed this out, Harold gave him an incredulous look.
“Aren’t you even older than me? You’re a year my senior.”
“Oh, come on—how can you compare yourself to a commoner like me? Besides, it’s not that I haven’t married; it’s that I couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
Genuinely curious, Harold asked—and Dillon merely shrugged.
“Well, what noblewoman would want to marry a commoner stationed in that dangerous border region? If I died, she’d become a widow.”
“Doesn’t that apply to me as well?”
Dillon waved his hand dismissively.
“Not at all, Captain. You’re the second son of Duke Maximilian himself, and now that you’ve received your title, you’ll be settling in the capital.”
“What are you talking about? As soon as I receive my title, I’m heading straight back to Cardin.”
“…What?”
Dillon’s eyes widened in surprise, and Harold tilted his head quizzically.
“Why are you so shocked? Did you really think I’d stay in the capital?”
Still flustered, Dillon scratched his cheek and stammered,
“I didn’t just think it—I was certain of it. You’ve received your title, and there’s no longer any reason for you to return to that perilous border region….”
“Then you think I had a reason to go to Cardin four years ago?”
“…”
Since that wasn’t the case, Dillon fell silent, unable to reply.
Harold feigned a serious expression and asked,
“Could it be that everyone hopes I won’t return to Cardin?”
“Of course not! Absolutely not!”
Worried Harold might misunderstand, Dillon explained fervently, nearly spitting as he spoke.
“On the contrary, everyone desperately hopes you’ll return to Cardin—but since we care about your safety, we’ve resigned ourselves to your not coming back. The capital is far safer than a border region where danger could strike at any moment. Staying here would allow you to marry and start a family….”
“Pfft.”
Harold suddenly burst out laughing, causing Dillon to stop mid-sentence and stare. Harold had his hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking slightly as he looked down—a clear sign something was amiss.
“You… weren’t serious just now, were you?”
Instead of answering, Harold simply looked at Dillon with an amused smile—confirmation enough.
Realizing at last that Harold had never been genuinely confused, Dillon sighed in relief before grumbling,
“How could you joke about something like that? Do you have any idea how shocked I was? I was worried your misunderstanding would damage your relationship with the rest of the squad!”
“Ah, sorry. I only acted that way because I wanted to know your true feelings—but I suppose I overdid it. My apologies.”
Dillon narrowed his eyes at Harold for a moment, then sighed and shook his head.
“I always say this, but Captain—you’re far more playful than you appear.”
“Do you dislike it?”
“You should, but… strangely, I don’t mind when you joke around.”
His expression brightening instantly, as if he’d never frowned at all, Dillon added,
“So please, Captain—do come back to Cardin. Myself, the other squad members, and all the villagers there are desperately hoping for your return.”
[This is the timeline separator]Meeting Countess Valiman had been unpleasant and unsettling—but it wasn’t entirely without its upsides.
Thanks to Countess Valiman thoroughly wounding Samantha’s pride and leaving her bedridden from shock, Lily avoided punishment despite having stayed out overnight.
Moreover, she’d discovered that knowing Garta Ear could be surprisingly profitable. Until now, unaware of this opportunity, she’d only translated novels—but now that she had useful information, she planned to seek out more lucrative work. Ideally, something that would also build her experience.
That way, she could support herself without relying on Frederick’s help. Of course, it would be wonderful if she could even cover her mother’s hospital expenses herself—but expecting that much would be asking too much.
Besides, her mother’s medical bills were the agreed-upon price for making Frederick the Viscount Benjamin, so she shouldn’t worry about them.
…Or should she?
“Young Lady, a letter has arrived.”
“…”
Roused from her private thoughts by the maid’s voice, Lily checked the addressee on the letter the maid handed her—and immediately frowned.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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