The Maid's Contract Marriage (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 13
“You’re not the type to easily get close to people. I heard Taylor Lorenson is an exception.”
Reina flinched at the Marchioness’s voice.
Reina had avoided interacting with anyone to keep the secrets related to the Marquis’s household, but Taylor Lorenson had been the sole exception.
That was because he was a doctor.
He was the only person from whom she could ask even a little about her ailing grandmother.
“Ma—Madam…”
Reina reflexively tried to offer an excuse, fearing she might be suspected of carelessly revealing secrets.
But the Marchioness raised her hand, stopping Reina’s words.
“I’m not blaming you. You’re a sensible girl who knows her boundaries, so I trust you handled it wisely. I was merely thinking it might be fine to formally allow Taylor Lorenson now. After all, Doctor Lorenson is already somewhat aware of the situation.”
Reina held her breath.
The Marchioness continued.
“I suppose you must have been truly desperate to have done what you did. From now on, I’ll let you meet Taylor frequently and talk freely.”
The Marchioness smiled.
“It means I’m giving you official permission.”
Reina’s heart trembled, and she clenched her hands atop her skirt.
A doctor.
It was something she desperately wished for, yet utterly impossible given her circumstances.
A doctor staying by her grandmother’s side every day?
If that could truly happen, her grandmother’s full recovery might no longer be just a dream.
“You must have so much you want to say. It seemed you’d been suffering in silence all this time, unable to speak your mind.”
Indeed, just as the Marchioness said, Reina had endured silently without confiding in anyone—not even Taylor—since the fire five years ago, after which her grandmother had never fully regained her health.
Though the caregiver sent by the Marquis’s household had continued tending to her grandmother…
Her grandmother increasingly failed to recognize Reina.
Moreover, the scars on her back occasionally became inflamed, leaving her grandmother feverish and in pain.
Yet, neither her grandmother’s illness nor the fact that the Marquis’s household was caring for her could be spoken of to anyone—it was tied to the secret shared between Reina and the Marquis’s family.
But now, she was being granted formal permission to involve a doctor.
Moreover, the Marquis’s own physician…
It was an offer Reina could never have obtained through her own means.
Aside from Doctor Lorenson, Taylor was the only person Reina could approach closely enough to ask even minimally about her grandmother’s condition.
Yet even then, the information he was permitted to share was limited, so Reina could only casually inquire—as if speaking of someone else—about burns, inflammation, fevers, or memory loss, bit by bit.
That was the limit of what Reina could attempt while staying mindful of the Marquis’s household.
“…”
She hadn’t failed to request Doctor Lorenson’s help from the Marchioness.
But the Marchioness had…
‘…Is she seriously unwell?’
‘She’s neither critically ill nor suffering acutely—why would we involve the Marquis’s personal physician?’
‘If I keep showing you such excessive kindness, it might look suspicious to Doctor Lorenson or others, and that would cause complications.’
‘I believe I’m already providing more than enough care for your grandmother. Don’t you agree?’
Reina had no choice but to withdraw her request.
After all, even the caregiver provided by the Marquis’s household was already a luxury beyond what Reina could afford—asking for more was unreasonable.
Reina knew her grandmother’s illness wasn’t something that could be resolved in a day or two.
Her best option had been to save enough money while her grandmother remained under the Marquis’s care, so she could eventually become independent and care for her grandmother herself.
But now, a doctor would reside permanently by her grandmother’s side—officially taking charge of her care.
It was an offer compelling enough to make Reina reconsider abandoning her independence and spending her life within the Marquis’s household.
If it were Taylor, Reina could trust him completely with her grandmother.
Not just as a doctor, but also as a friend.
“…”
The Marchioness smiled faintly at the corner of her lips, as if fully understanding Reina’s thoughts.
“You seem pleased with my proposal.”
“…”
Just as the Marchioness anticipated, Reina absolutely could not refuse this offer.
She bit her lip and bowed her head.
Her resigned acceptance came easily, as always, and never took long.
“What… should I do?”
The Marchioness smiled.
“I’m glad you’re quick to understand.”
That’s precisely why we’re keeping you alive.
Satisfaction flickered across the Marchioness’s lips.
She gracefully adjusted her shawl, rose from her seat, and looked down at Reina.
“Stay close to Arthur and observe him.”
Her calm voice gave Reina a gentle yet firm order.
“And bring me anything that could become his weakness.”
Reina remained silent, head bowed, listening to the command.
A thick, bitter taste of dark red liquid lingered stubbornly in her mouth.
The sweetness from the candy merely floated on the surface, unable to mask the bitterness beneath.
[This is the timeline separator]Arthur let out a soft chuckle.
‘I see. My weakness, huh.’
Seated in his chair, Arthur leaned back and withdrew his spread-out aura.
His sharpened senses gradually subsided,
and the noisy world fell silent.
“…”
Reina.
For the first time, he rolled her real name around in his mouth.
Reina.
“…”
Resting his chin in his hand, Arthur quietly lowered his gaze.
Taylor Lorenson… so that’s his name.
The physician’s son.
Arthur quietly watched the ember glowing at the tip of his cigar.
“…”
It was strange—he hadn’t even considered the possibility that she might have someone.
She could’ve had a fiancé or a lover.
‘Only I thought it was marriage.’
To her, it hadn’t been marriage at all.
It might even be a memory she wished to erase.
She probably never expected to be dragged back into this.
Only now did he recall it.
“…”
He remembered carrying her to the bed, how she’d been flustered and at a loss, then suddenly burst into tears.
And how she’d kept avoiding his eyes.
“…”
Cigarette smoke drifted into the air.
The ember had nearly burned through the cigar.
“Tristan.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
His aide, who had just returned after reuniting with his family in the territory after five years, stood before him again.
Arthur grinned.
“Did you have a good reunion with your family?”
“Yes.”
So blunt.
“Try again, but longer this time.”
After a brief hesitation, Tristan reluctantly opened his mouth at Arthur’s insistence.
“…My wife, who was in her twenties, is now in her thirties, and our child is five years old. They’re all healthy. They seemed secretly thrilled about me receiving a barony this time. And no, she doesn’t seem to have strayed.”
Tristan deliberately put on a stoic expression to hide his embarrassment, and Arthur laughed.
That’s good to hear.
He understood the sentiment behind summarizing such heartfelt feelings after reuniting with family after five years.
It must’ve been awkward for Tristan to share purely happy stories in front of Arthur, whose own family situation was complicated.
Arthur had been used by the father who’d always denied his existence,
and after saving his half-brother’s life, he’d received death threats from his stepmother.
Not to mention the sham marriage he’d endured.
Tristan cleared his throat awkwardly.
“…There’s nothing special about my family that requires your consideration, so please feel free to speak openly about anything.”
Probably embarrassed, Tristan added.
Arthur accepted his words gratefully and smiled.
“Alright, then I’ll freely share my own happy story too.”
“…Sorry for being the only one happy.”
“Aren’t I happy too?”
“…You’re awfully optimistic.”
Arthur laughed, adjusted his posture, and extinguished his cigarette.
“I’ll be keeping my wife close for a while. Please treat her with the utmost respect.”
Though a slight frown betrayed Arthur’s less-than-pleasant feelings toward the term ‘wife,’ Tristan accepted the order without question.
“Yes. ‘Utmost respect.’”
“Exactly. Treat her befitting the status of ‘Christina Julius.’”
“Understood.”
Arthur turned his gaze away from the ashtray and added briefly.
“And look into the name ‘Reina.’”
Though Arthur didn’t elaborate, Tristan quickly deduced whose name it was.
So that’s the fake bride’s real name.
Arthur continued.
“And also look into ‘Taylor Lorenson.’”
…What kind of name is that?
Well, he’d find out soon enough.
Tristan simply replied, “Yes,” and accepted the order.
Arthur turned his gaze toward the window.
The room was filled with trapped cigarette smoke, while outside, crisp autumn leaves fell.
[This is the timeline separator]Around the same time, Rembrandt, who had just learned her name, also gave the same order to his attendant Francis.
“Please look into ‘Reina Astalin.’ Don’t let it seem like I’m investigating—handle it as your personal curiosity. If you pretend you’re just interested because she’s supposedly beautiful, no one will find it suspicious.”
Surprisingly, Francis replied immediately.
“The blonde maid, you mean?”
Rembrandt asked with mild surprise at his attendant’s apparent familiarity with her.
“You know her?”
Francis shrugged.
“Of course. We’ve often joked among ourselves how it’s surprising the only famous blonde beauty in this mansion is ‘Lady Christina.’”
He added with a light laugh, as if making a joke.
“Among us, it’s common knowledge that Julius must’ve strictly silenced the servants to keep that girl’s reputation from tarnishing Lady Christina’s status.”
Rembrandt let out an amused laugh.
“Were you really interested because she’s beautiful?”
Francis raised an eyebrow and grinned.
“I’ll reserve comment. As you instructed, I’ll proceed under the pretense of being intrigued by her beauty.”
“I hope I’m not accidentally playing matchmaker.”
“If that happens, I’ll buy you a drink.”
Rembrandt burst out laughing.
Regardless of the royal court’s stance, he found this situation entertaining.
[This is the timeline separator]And at that very moment, another person wished to learn more about Reina Astalin.
Having returned to the Marquis’s mansion and finished his duties as a physician, Taylor Lorenson began quietly searching for her again.
‘Where did Father go?’
He stood up after organizing the medicinal herbs his father had instructed him to bring.
‘Reina’s not around again today.’
Taylor followed Reina’s usual work route and spotted the maid who’d previously given him information about her whereabouts. He called out to her cheerfully.
“Marina!”
She turned and looked at Taylor.
As Taylor waved and lightly jogged toward her, Marina’s face stiffened slightly and flushed.
“…Taylor.”
Beaming, Taylor asked,
“Is Reina still serving as the young lady’s personal maid?”
“…”
Marina’s face crumpled at the cheerfully oblivious man’s question.
“Huh?”
Soon came the expected thunderclap.
“Hey!”
Startled by Marina’s shout, Taylor flinched and looked up at her.
Marina glared at him, huffing in frustration.
Saying she’s a mere personal maid!
The girl you like has been wearing a sparkling dress and spending the whole night—and now the whole day—with another man!
And not just any man—the most sought-after man in the Empire right now!
She’s already claimed the young lady’s position and is shamelessly sharing his bed!
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Chapter Comments (36)
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
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
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)
Aww I hope there is a way for him to get his sight back🥺.