Strategic Marriage with the Mad Villain - Chapter 11

“Don’t make any mistakes. Understand? And that ball…”

“Mother. I’ll explain it well to the lady so she doesn’t misunderstand. Of course, to the Grand Duke as well.”

“…Don’t think about breaking off the engagement for now. Don’t you think Marquis Ersian, knowing Casien, would have expected something like this to happen at least once?”

Well, I’ll be.

I never thought the day would come when Feria would take my side even after I caused such a huge incident.

“Stay as close as you can. I think you understand what I mean.”

“Yes, of course. Don’t worry. Well then, Mother, I’ll be going now.”

I suppose she meant I should try to get closer and create connections between our families. Of course, I had no intention of making such efforts, but I smiled and answered like an obedient child.

I bowed to Feria and walked towards where the carriage was waiting.

‘The original story has certainly gone off track.’

Should I be relieved that it hasn’t deviated as much as I thought? But still, experiencing events that weren’t in the original plot didn’t feel particularly good. I just felt strangely uneasy.

‘Maybe it’s because unexpected things keep happening lately…’

Lost in these pointless thoughts, I approached the carriage that a knight had guided me to and immediately climbed the steps. However, in less than a second, I removed my foot from the carriage steps.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were here, Grand Duke…”

I came this far at Shanette’s request, but he was definitely not someone I would ride in a carriage with.

I looked around for the carriage I was supposed to take before receiving a contemptuous look from Reus.

‘What? There’s only a luggage cart…?’

There had been no special instructions, and since the Grand Duke’s knight had guided me here, I naturally thought a carriage would be prepared.

But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

After a moment of embarrassment, I was about to turn around to return to the Count’s residence. But Reus stopped me.

“Lady Ivelr.”

“I, I’ll have them bring out a carriage right away…”

“Get in.”

I thought I had misheard, but Reus not only told me to get in but even extended his hand to me. It looked exactly as if he was telling me to take his hand and climb in.

Did he notice my hesitation?

Reus spoke again.

“You weren’t misdirected, so you can get in.”

‘…Even though he knows it’ll be uncomfortable.’

I concluded that refusing would be the more considerate action, so I shook my head slightly.

“No, Grand Duke. A carriage will be brought out soon, just a moment… Ah-”

I couldn’t finish my sentence as Reus suddenly pulled me up into the carriage. But it wasn’t just that action that left me standing there like a fool.

‘Did he just… smile?’

It was just for a moment, but I thought I saw Reus smile. That’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.

* * *

‘And here he was trying not to even make eye contact with me before.’

Why are we riding in the carriage together again?

The ridiculous thing was that unlike me, who was sitting on pins and needles, Reus was very leisurely reading a newspaper.

‘…But is his body alright?’

Looking at him now, and seeing him moving around fine all day, it seems he’s recovered to some extent, but…

Still, it wasn’t easy to erase my worry.

The wounds on my hands and limbs are only now starting to heal, so there’s no way Reus, who suffered even worse injuries, could be as fine as he looks on the outside.

‘Why did he have to get hurt right in front of my eyes…’

With mixed feelings, I let out a very small sigh. Perhaps hearing that sound, Reus looked up at me.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Huh? Ah… no…”

“I thought you were staring because you had something to say.”

“If I’ve bothered you, I’m sorry, Grand Duke.”

I thought he might pick at me more, but Reus turned his attention back to the newspaper more easily than I expected. Just when I thought he had completely withdrawn his attention from me, Reus asked, still keeping his eyes fixed on the newspaper:

“Or is there something else worrying you?”

For a moment, I froze, feeling a sense of dissonance.

Reus wouldn’t know that I was worrying about him, but wasn’t this strange timing?

“No… How could there be?”

There was no particular response from Reus.

I quickly turned my head to look out the window. Then I inwardly resolved to stay as quiet as possible from now on.

But that resolve was quickly shattered.

Not even a second after making that resolution, I stupidly made a loud sound.

“Huh?”

And for good reason, as the carriage was now heading in the opposite direction of Ravian Marquis’s territory.

As I stared out the window endlessly trying to grasp the situation, Reus spoke casually.

“My aunt is currently at the Grand Duke’s castle.”

“Ah… I see.”

Would it have hurt to let me know in advance…?

Complaints were boiling up inside me, but what could I do? Reus was never one to act kindly towards me, so I had no choice but to endure it.

‘Still, if it’s the Grand Duke’s castle, it won’t take that long.’

The Grand Duke’s territory of Rocheter bordered the Ivelr County. Therefore, reaching the Grand Duke’s territory itself shouldn’t take too long.

We would probably arrive at the Grand Duke’s castle sometime in the late afternoon or early evening.

‘Anyway, it’s much better than having to stay overnight to reach Ravian Marquis’s territory.’

At this moment, I was a bit too carefree. Not knowing what awaited me at the Grand Duke’s castle we were about to arrive at.

* * *

“Mmm…”

My eyes opened naturally due to the overwhelming silence around me.

As I blinked, my blurry vision gradually cleared, and I saw someone’s legs.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes…”

I thought those legs were quite long. Little did I know they belonged to Reus!

‘Oh no…!’

When I realized they were Reus’s legs, my body automatically sat up. But at that moment, something fell from my body with a soft thud.

It was a cream-colored blanket.

Looking at the blanket sprawled on the floor, I seriously pondered why it had been on top of me. It wasn’t such an important matter in the current situation, but my mind wasn’t fully awake yet, making it difficult to judge things properly.

What snapped me out of my daze was Reus’s voice.

“May I help you?”

Help with what…?

Reus seemed to wait for my response for a moment before coming closer. Soon, I felt something touch my cheek.

It was… the tip of Reus’s fingers.

They say that if you’re too shocked, you can’t even scream. I froze in place, my eyes wide open, though they were still having trouble staying open from sleep.

Even though he must have known my state, Reus said nothing and simply continued to arrange the hair that was stuck to my cheek.

And with such a careful touch, too.

An incredibly unrealistic scene was unfolding before my eyes. It even made me wonder for a moment if I was still dreaming.

But the clear sensation of his hand fully cupping my cheek made it impossible to continue such petty evasions.

‘Why has he been acting like this since earlier…!’

While I was inwardly flustered, unable to show it openly, suddenly a warm energy spread around the area.

At the same time, the pain that had been throbbing in my cheek completely disappeared.

‘Huh? Is this… magic?’

Magic? But Reus is… a knight.

Both in the novel I read and in the current life I’m living after reincarnation, Reus was a knight and a hero of the empire.

So, not a mage, but a knight who wields a sword!

But what just happened was clearly magic… No, it was definitely magic.

My swollen cheek had healed completely, as if washed clean.

‘Did Reus originally know how to use magic?’

While I was still confused, Reus picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor, folded it once, twice, and continued speaking.

“Do you need help fixing your appearance?”

“Pardon…?”

I dropped my gaze from looking straight ahead.

‘Oh no, what’s this?’

The first thing I noticed was my completely wrinkled clothes. That alone was very embarrassing, but not only were they wrinkled, they were also twisted all over my body in an ill-fitting manner.

And what about my hair? One of my shoes was rolling on the floor instead of being on my foot.

I hurriedly put on my shoe and tried to fix my disheveled hair. While doing so, I secretly wiped around my mouth, wondering if I had drooled while sleeping. Meanwhile, Reus had already gotten out of the carriage.

As I was about to quickly follow him out, Reus stood in front of the carriage, looking at me.

“You can get out slowly when your fever goes down.”

“…”

Reus lightly tapped his own cheek once.

I had tried my best to act nonchalant, but it seemed my face had turned as red as a tomato.

Left alone in the carriage, I banged my head against the wall and silently blamed the innocent Reus for a long time.

* * *

As soon as I got out of the carriage, I saw Shanette talking with Reus. I approached to greet her as well.

But somehow, Shanette’s expression seemed odd.

“Lady Ivelr?”

Yes, that was exactly the expression. As if asking, ‘What brings you here without any notice?’

Unable to read anything else from that expression, I greeted Shanette with a similar look on my face.

“It’s been a while, my lady…”

“I’m so glad to see you. How long has it been? But what brings you here… No, did you two come together?”

…What’s going on?

‘Didn’t Reus say he came to pick me up at Shanette’s request…?’

I tried to recall the conversation I had with Reus today.

He had suddenly shown up and asked why I wasn’t inquiring about his visit, then immediately handed me Shanette’s invitation. And then, somewhat abruptly, told me to prepare to leave.

‘That’s right, wasn’t it? That was all.’

Meanwhile, Reus had come to stand beside me. I looked up at him, wondering if I could get an answer, but Reus ignored my gaze and calmly spoke to Shanette.

“She is my guest. And yes, we came together.”

He said this with a completely shameless face.

Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she

really disliked him

Short intro:

What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.

Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.

Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!

She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.

*

At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.

This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!

***

Synopsis:

Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…

A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead

vs.

An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead

_____

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