The Maid's Contract Marriage (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 11
Reina fumbled.
“Arthur… Sir Arthur. Um…”
Arthur gently lifted Reina and carried her toward the bed.
Reina was panicking.
What should I do? What do I do?
She knew this was all part of the grand deception—but still. Even so.
It wasn’t time yet.
She wasn’t mentally prepared.
It wasn’t her first time, but…
Still.
Being ordered to do it
was completely different from willingly tempting him into being alone together like this.
Miss Christina would never let her off easily.
Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes.
She was scared.
She’d honestly tried her best to follow every instruction as closely as possible.
Now it would look like she’d coveted Sir Arthur and stolen her mistress’s man.
She’d only briefly stepped into Miss Christina’s bridal chamber by accident, and nothing had happened then.
She’d felt reassured this morning, thinking she could still explain it away like that.
“…”
All at once, overwhelmed by sorrow, she started crying.
“Just calm down for a bit,” she’d told herself.
“Just smooth things over,” she’d promised.
Sir Arthur must have realized it too.
Why wasn’t anyone coming to get her?
“Hey.”
Arthur’s startled voice cut through the air as his steps halted abruptly.
Hic. Hic.
Reina tried desperately to hold back her tears, but she couldn’t hide the violent tremors in her chest as she struggled to swallow her sobs.
“…Are you crying?”
She hadn’t even cried on her actual wedding night.
And now, of all times, she was weeping.
Afraid her earlier lie about wanting to be alone together seemed painfully obvious, Reina tried hard to suppress her tears—but ultimately covered her face, ashamed of how pitifully it twisted.
“…”
Arthur awkwardly sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding Reina.
Then, as if to soothe her, he patted her back.
“Why are you crying?”
He knew it wasn’t genuine…
…but he hadn’t expected her to actually cry.
Arthur’s hand patted Reina awkwardly.
“Don’t cry.”
I won’t do anything.
[This is the timeline separator]【 The Couple of the Century, Reunited! 】
【 The Night of the Triumphal Return ― The Julius Marquisate Hosts Its Most Lavish Street Festival in History 】
【 Was Their Marriage Kept Secret as a Betrothal Out of Sir Arthur’s Consideration for His Reputation? 】
【 The House of Julius Remains Silent 】
“Back then, did he really keep his marriage to our young lady a secret because of his own reputation?”
“Look at this—some say it was because he might’ve died in the war, so they kept it hidden… Ugh, it’s so frustrating. He’s far too good for our young lady…”
“People used to say the Julius family got the short end of the stick in this match. There was so much gossip about him being the Emperor’s illegitimate child or not—since the Imperial family never acknowledged him, Sir Arthur’s reputation was at rock bottom…”
“Either way, the Imperial family really treated him unfairly. They owe him big time.”
【 The First-Ever Nighttime Triumphal Return! The Stunning Night View of the Julius Marquisate 】
【 Sir Arthur and Lady Christina Waving to the Crowd During the Triumphal Procession 】
【 Sir Arthur & Lady Christina Couple, Returning Home with the Princess in Arms! Newlyweds Flaunting Their Affection! 】
【 Sir Arthur Personally Cradles Lady Christina, Returning to the Mansion Amid Cheers ― Illustrated Eyewitness Account Included! 】
【 Sir Arthur and Lady Christina: A Political Marriage or True Romance!? 】
【 Special Feature: ‘Julius & Arthur’ — Who Truly Benefited from This Union? 】
“Ah, but our Lady Christina isn’t second to anyone. She’s widely considered the most beautiful debutante in high society, and her family is the wealthiest in the Empire.”
“Since when did you start saying ‘our young lady’? Weren’t you the one complaining how impossible Lady Christina is to please?”
【 The House of Julius Secures Exclusive Moonstone Supply Contract with the Imperial Research Institute! 】
【 The House of Julius Dramatically Resolves Stalled Negotiations Over Fishing Rights in the Saran Strait! 】
【 The House of Julius Wins Exclusive Mining Rights Dispute Over Magic Crystals! 】
“Heh heh. Of course affection would grow—it’s only natural! Ever since Sir Arthur’s victory and the Marquis of Julius became Archduke, every business in this territory is booming. Anyone operating here now probably wants to kiss the Marquis’s feet!”
“Really?”
“Don’t even get me started. Julius is snatching every competitive bid and supply contract away from other territories! Everyone’s scrambling to secure deals with Julius—they’ve all noticed the Imperial family started giving them unprecedented preferential treatment. The sharpest players have already aggressively expanded their operations.”
【 The House of Julius: Economic Gains from the ‘Arthur Effect’ Are Incalculable 】
【 The House of Julius: Experiencing Unprecedented Prosperity! 】
【 Special Feature ― Analysis of Sir Arthur & Lady Christina’s Triumphal Attire 】
【 Lady Christina’s Pearl Earrings Spark Conversation! 】
【 Lady Christina’s Dress: Orders Overwhelming! Reservations Available at La Trillia Boutique! 】
[This is the timeline separator]“Don’t cut in line! Oh, honestly!”
Even in the square, one could feel the newspaper industry booming.
All kinds of pamphlets and newspapers were selling like hotcakes, and people queued in front of newsstands to buy issues featuring stories about Arthur.
In particular, pamphlets detailing Sir Arthur and Lady Christina’s “Princess-in-Arms Homecoming” had sold out instantly, with notices posted asking readers to wait for the afternoon reprint.
Even the pamphlets issued by the temple weren’t exempt from this scarcity.
Though print runs had tripled, the first batch sold out by mid-morning,
and people now queued in front of distribution points, making donations to purchase freshly hand-copied afternoon editions released just in time for vespers.
The temple, flush with donations many times higher than usual, was enjoying a golden era.
The wrists of the copying monks were worthy of public mourning.
“What? The afternoon edition’s already sold out?”
A young lady, who had queued just to buy a pamphlet, grimaced in disappointment as the last copy vanished right before her eyes.
The man who’d just snatched the final copy wiped sweat from his brow and sighed in relief.
Tucked under his arm were stacks of today’s most popular pamphlets, each distinct issue neatly bundled.
He carefully tucked them into his bag.
Disheartened, the young lady stared blankly at his collection—until her eyes suddenly widened as she spotted, through a gap in his open bag, a rare pamphlet featuring Lady Settledown’s illustration.
Pamphlets with illustrations always commanded higher prices, but those illustrated by Lady Settledown were especially hard to find—printed in limited runs, often fetching several times their face value.
Most importantly, this was a limited edition with no reprints planned.
“Excuse me! Those pamphlets…!”
The young lady was quite pretty, yet the man didn’t even blink—he politely smiled and declined.
“I’m sorry, but no. I’m selling these to a ‘true collector’.”
Hearing the word “selling,” the young lady’s eyes lit up.
If he’s selling them—not keeping them for himself—then she still had a chance!
“How much? I have money! I’ll pay double!”
But before she could even dig into her purse, the man had already hurried off into the distance.
“Wait! Where are you going? I said double—I’ll even pay triple!”
The man—Taylor Lorenson, son of the Julius family’s personal physician Alvin Lorenson—didn’t even glance back as he dashed away.
“Who said I’d sell for money? I only sell to true collectors.”
Taylor snorted derisively, as if the idea were absurd.
Then, thinking of the customer who would receive these pamphlets, he smiled faintly in a different way.
“…”
Reina Astalin—his customer.
She was a true collector.
Not the type swept up in fleeting trends, collecting pamphlets for a while only to forget where she’d stashed them or discard her collection later—she collected with genuine devotion.
It had already been over three years.
In Taylor’s view, precious collectibles truly belonged only to those who cherished them for a lifetime.
Wouldn’t it be unfair if trend-chasers drove up competition and prevented genuine collectors from obtaining what they truly valued?
But thanks to friends like him, that wouldn’t happen.
Taylor grinned.
She’d absolutely love these pamphlets, wouldn’t she?
He knew well how carefully Reina treated her scrapbook.
Though she never showed anyone its contents—so he’d never actually seen them—he could guess roughly what filled its pages.
Every time he handed her a pamphlet, she’d quickly flip through it, and her gaze always lingered on the same spots.
She must’ve been thrilled reading recent issues.
He could already picture her delighted, flustered face as she pored over the news.
She’d never just accept things like this without fuss—she’d surely flounder awkwardly and ask, “How much do I owe you for all this?”
He needed to quote a price that wouldn’t burden her—neither financially nor emotionally. Just the right amount.
Humming a tune, Taylor quickened his steps toward the Julius Mansion.
Reina was beautiful even when still, but her truest beauty emerged only when she received the pamphlets she wanted—those rare, fleeting expressions nearly invisible to others.
For the sheer joy of seeing that happy face, he’d willingly run all over town—and still couldn’t stop himself from playing the fool, pretending he’d “just happened” to find them.
“…”
Taylor’s expression darkened as his eyes fell on the illustration of “Christina Julius” printed in the pamphlet he held.
He recalled the rumors he’d heard from the maids about Reina.
The night before Sir Arthur’s return, Reina had been summoned before dawn to serve as Lady Christina’s personal attendant.
He’d only learned this yesterday from another maid while searching for Reina, who hadn’t been seen for two whole days.
…I’m worried.
Was she suffering under that demanding young lady’s whims?
If she was assigned as the personal attendant, even slipping away for a moment would be difficult.
He wondered if she’d been able to eat properly.
“…”
Tch.
Taylor glared at the infuriating young lady in the pamphlet, nestled comfortably in Sir Arthur’s arms.
When would Reina finally be free?
[This is the timeline separator]Reina sat on the bed, sniffling, her nose reddened from holding back tears.
Arthur sat beside her, expressionless.
He simply waited quietly, as if giving her time to calm down.
After a long while,
Reina, staring down at her fingertips resting on her lap, began worrying about what expression Arthur might be wearing.
“…”
He was probably angry—or at the very least, thought her pathetic or absurd.
She didn’t have the courage to look at his face.
Reina stayed silent, weighed down by gloom.
Arthur finally spoke.
“The consummation was a duty—but nothing beyond that.”
“…”
“So if you don’t wish it, I won’t do it.”
“…”
That wasn’t the problem.
Because she wasn’t his real wife.
Didn’t he know that?
“…”
He was so courteous it made her want to mistake his kindness for something else.
Sometimes she even wondered if he momentarily thought she was the “real Lady Christina.”
Reina subtly rolled her eyes to peek at Arthur.
“You’re finally looking at me.”
Arthur leaned back against the headboard and smiled.
Just speaking plainly, looking straight ahead.
…He didn’t meet her gaze directly.
So Reina could steal a few more lingering glances at him.
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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Chapter Comments (37)
Inline Comments (172)
I wanted the time we spent together to remain good memories.
Not possible brother… you two can’t be on equal standing. Reina has a bigger threat looming over her and she can’t even be her self around you
"Say it again, but longer."
This is the second time he has said this lol 😆 , blunt isn’t he
After long hesitation…
Ohh that’s a whole other can of worms waiting to be opened
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Omgosh I forgot how much I dislike the misunderstanding trope
Oh my gosh my heart aches for reina… everyone is just tossing her around
Oh gosh reina 🥺… even in this day and age taking contraceptives mess you up … I can’t even imagine how it was back then. ( yes I’m aware it’s fiction but sympathy is free)