The Maid's Contract Marriage (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
The triumphal procession continued until dawn.
Though the formal triumphal ceremony would take place later in the capital before the Emperor, and only after that would the army be officially disbanded so soldiers could return to their families,
the Emperor had permitted an informal celebration to allow returning troops to savor joy upon reaching their hometowns.
With no strict formalities and a freer atmosphere compared to the capital’s ceremony, soldiers sometimes spotted their tearful families within the crowds and rushed out to embrace them in emotional reunions.
Though it was the middle of the night, not a single house seemed asleep.
“Julius really pulled out all the stops.”
Even journalists were genuinely amazed—Julius spared no expense.
“If His Majesty the Emperor wishes to outshine this triumphal procession, He’ll need to step up.”
Those who had initially thought it absurd to hold a triumphal procession in the dead of night changed their minds when fireworks exploded and beautiful lights adorned the night sky, realizing Julius had played his trump card: showcasing the town’s night scenery to craft a celebration both extraordinary and respectful of imperial dignity.
It was the most lavish and splendid triumphal procession in history.
The past five years’ controversies over inadequate military supplies now seemed utterly unbelievable.
[This is the timeline separator]The sky’s color was shifting as dawn approached.
Reina’s mind was bleaching along with it.
‘What am I even doing here…?’
Reina had been standing beside Arthur on the golden ceremonial chariot, dressed in her gown, waving to the local residents for eight straight hours.
At this point, she couldn’t even tell whether she was still waving or her hand was just spasming uncontrollably.
Was a triumphal procession always this exhausting?
“…….”
Her feet hurt in these heels.
Her heels stung more than her newly pierced ears from last night.
Perhaps because her corset was laced too tightly, she even felt a throbbing pain somewhere near her sternum.
It’s hard to breathe. Surely I haven’t broken a bone?
Food aromas wafted from every direction as people celebrated, but Reina hadn’t been able to eat a thing—she’d been too busy maintaining a dignified smile and waving to the cheering crowds.
She was hungry, yet had no appetite. She was just too exhausted.
Her feet ached, her arms ached, and her sternum hurt.
She was cold, and the earrings felt so heavy they made her dizzy.
She might just collapse and die right here before ever reaching the gallows.
“Young Lady, you mustn’t lose your smile. The journalists are watching.”
Two maids beside her whispered gently as they steadied Reina and adjusted her attire.
As they neatly fixed her stray hairs, touched up her makeup, and replaced wilted flowers with fresh ones, Reina blankly stared at their faces.
Their eyes briefly met—she recognized them, though she didn’t know their names.
They undoubtedly knew she wasn’t “Miss Christina,” yet showed no sign of dismay.
They called her “Young Lady” with such natural ease that for a moment Reina wondered if, in their eyes, she truly appeared to be the real Young Lady.
They must have been instructed to treat her as such—otherwise, it’d seem odd if the Young Lady had no attendants.
The Marquis’s household surely wouldn’t want anyone to know she was here in this role.
Perhaps they’d been promised double pay if they kept their mouths shut?
“…….”
Thump.
Suddenly, a warm weight settled on her shoulders, and Reina blinked.
Whistles and playful cheers rose from the surrounding crowd, as if egging someone on.
She turned to see Arthur draping his coat over her shoulders before quickly withdrawing his hand.
Without a word—as if nothing had happened—he looked away.
“…….”
Could her memory be distorted?
She’d once said he was “quite handsome,” but now that felt like a lie.
He possessed an almost excessive level of striking looks.
Even his idle expressions and casual posture seemed indelibly etched in others’ minds as profoundly meaningful scenes.
“…….”
Why did he have to be so unfairly handsome? His face wouldn’t have mattered on the battlefield.
Despite knowing her fate might end at the gallows because of him, his presence momentarily dulled her fear—he was just that captivating.
Beneath the dim pre-dawn light, wearing only a loose white shirt and gazing absently elsewhere, he looked impossibly refined—like something out of a dream.
How could someone like him exist in this world?
She stood frozen, even breathing feeling unnatural; her face and arms now seemed on the verge of cramping.
Hadn’t he been standing right beside her all night, waving just like her?
Then why did he look as relaxed and free as someone who’d just stepped out to greet the morning breeze?
Surely,
“……Is it because he’s a warrior? His stamina must be…”
Huh.
Reina clamped her mouth shut. That wasn’t supposed to slip out.
Maybe the corset squeezed her torso so tightly that thoughts she’d meant to keep locked in her chest escaped unwittingly through her lips.
She covered her mouth.
“…….”
I spoke far too casually. Did he hear?
Hoping he hadn’t, she stole a sideways glance at him.
He was still leaning against the front railing, staring ahead—but now he was smiling.
“Are you very tired?”
…So he did hear.
Reina bit her lip and looked down at her hands.
What would a proper Young Lady say in this situation?
“……I understand this triumphal procession is necessary.”
Arthur chuckled.
“So you’re not claiming it’s not tiring, then.”
Of course—because that would be a lie.
Yet she couldn’t openly admit how exhausting it was either.
She couldn’t be so shameless as to complain to someone who’d endured five years on the battlefield and had just returned—things like “My arms are going numb from waving too much.”
After hesitating, Reina finally replied.
“……Thank you for the coat.”
A strange unease suddenly filled her.
Life as a maid in the Marquis’s household hadn’t been easy, but it was peaceful—she never worried about starving or being stabbed in the middle of the night.
She could even save bit by bit to buy little luxuries for herself.
Amid all the hardship, she’d still dared to dream of someday seeing the sea.
“…….”
All the peace I’ve enjoyed must have been guarded at the cost of his life and labor.
Yet here I am, wearing his coat and complaining about the triumphal procession.
Reina awkwardly fiddled with the coat he’d draped over her.
“…….”
「Don’t make a fuss.」
「Sir Arthur is just momentarily angry.」
「Your only role is to calm this commotion—nothing more, nothing less.」
“…….”
She knew. Perhaps this closeness would last only today.
As long as she avoided being dragged to the gallows for insulting the Imperial Family, this moment would remain a once-in-a-lifetime honor in her memory.
For a brief while, she’d stood near a prince from another world.
She might never get another chance to speak with him like this.
Perhaps she’d only ever see him again in newspapers for the rest of her life—
And later regret not saying something more meaningful when she had the chance.
…Should I say something? This might become a lifelong memory.
“…….”
Reina blinked blankly.
What conversation?
She must be losing her mind.
Better to stay quiet and just wait safely for the gallows to drift further away.
She’d rather not be the shrimp crushed between battling whales.
She’d hold her breath, stay as quiet as possible, survive this moment, and seize any chance to escape—
As far into the ocean as she could, before the whale fight even begins…
“…….”
Reina shifted her gaze outward.
The gathered crowd was watching them.
She forced another doll-like smile and extended her arm from beneath Arthur’s coat, preparing to wave again.
“Care for a drink?”
To her surprise, he spoke first this time.
Reina flinched and looked at the cup he held out to her.
“…….”
Again came those playful, teasing cheers.
Just before dawn broke—
Though the crowd wasn’t as dense as during the night, plenty of people still remained around them.
They cheered encouragingly, clearly hoping she’d accept the cup.
“…….”
Reina took it.
Clutching the coat’s edge to her chest with one hand, she reached out with the other.
“…….”
She stared briefly at the cup in her hand.
He’d offered her warmed wine.
I don’t drink at all, but…
She’d accepted a drink from him.
How could she possibly refuse this cup?
It might become a memory for life…
“…….”
Even Miss Christina wouldn’t have refused in this atmosphere.
After all, the Young Lady drinks well…
「Be utterly Christina in his presence.」
The autumn dawn was chilly.
Pale steam rose from the surface of the wine trembling inside the cup.
It looked warm.
“…….”
Reina brought the cup straight to her lips and drank deeply.
“Haa…”
A breath laden with warm wine aroma drifted into the dawn air.
It was nice.
Sweet and warm.
The crowd erupted in cheers once more.
·
·
·
“For the Emperor.”
Arthur raised his sword and shouted briefly; the soldiers echoed in unison, saluting.
“For the Emperor!”
The informal triumphal ceremony ended.
[This is the timeline separator]
…The Young Lady has fallen gravely ill with a severe fever. But as you all know, today is the crucial triumphal procession.
She insisted she must attend, yet her fever is so high she can barely stand.
The Marquis judged it inappropriate to present the Young Lady in such a weakened state before the public.
Yet it would be equally wrong to ask Sir Arthur to wait outside the castle for days until she recovers, simply because she’s unwell.
After all, the victorious general and his troops have endured so much to return.
If the Young Lady fails to appear merely due to illness,
it might seem as though we’re slighting them.
Not just Sir Arthur, but soldiers returning home after five long years are waiting for their chance to reunite with their families.
Thus, tonight only, Reina will stand in for the Young Lady at the triumphal ceremony.
Therefore, you must assist Reina so she makes no mistakes.
You surely understand—without needing to be told—that utmost caution is required to avoid any unnecessary scandal on such an important day.
·
·
·
“…….”
The two maids who’d assisted Reina blinked in bewilderment.
So that was why… the Young Lady wasn’t actually the Young Lady right now…
“Open it.”
“…….”
Could it be… Sir Arthur didn’t know?
Why… why would Sir Arthur carry her into the bridal chamber?
The second-largest bedroom in Julius Mansion—originally designated for Arthur and the Young Lady.
Had the household had a son, this room would have belonged to him.
Now they stood before its closed door—the bridal chamber meticulously prepared over a month by the maids and Marchioness Julius.
Sir Arthur, holding Reina who’d either collapsed or fallen unconscious after the long procession, spoke again.
“Don’t you hear me?”
The maids’ pupils began darting wildly.
Wait, wait—this can’t be happening!
Wasn’t Reina just standing in for the ill Young Lady during the procession?
Why are they entering the bedroom together? That’s their bridal chamber!
Should we stop this immediately?
Or should we just keep quiet in front of Sir Arthur?
What’s going on? What do we do?
Madam? Miss Christina? Mrs. Hurst?
Where is everyone?!
Sir Arthur—how far are you planning to go?!
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
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Chapter Comments (37)
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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)