The Maid's Contract Marriage - Chapter 11

Reina stammered.

“Arthur… Sir Arthur. Um……”

Arthur lightly lifted Reina into his arms and walked towards the bed.

Reina fell into panic.

What should I do? What should I do?

I know that’s part of the role. But. But.

It’s not time yet.

I’m not mentally prepared.

It’s not my first time.

Even so.

Being ordered to do it and

Being alone like this, as if I seduced him, and things turning out this way are different.

The young lady really won’t leave me alone.

Suddenly I felt like I was going to burst into tears.

I’m scared.

I tried my best to do as I was told.

This makes it seem like I coveted Sir Arthur and stole the young lady’s man.

I did briefly step into the young lady’s bridal chamber somehow, but nothing happened.

I was relieved this morning that I could say that.

“……”

Suddenly I felt miserable and tears came.

I thought I just needed to calm down for a moment.

I thought I just needed to defuse that situation.

I thought Sir Arthur had noticed too.

Why isn’t anyone coming to get me?

“…Hey.”

As his steps stopped, Arthur’s bewildered voice was heard.

Hic. Hic.

Reina tried hard to hold back her tears, but she couldn’t hide her chest heaving violently with each breath as she swallowed her sobs.

“…Are you crying?”

I didn’t even cry on the real first night.

To cry now.

Reina tried to hold back her tears, thinking her lie about wanting to be alone with him would seem too obvious, but in the end she covered her face as it pathetically contorted.

“……”

Arthur awkwardly sat on the bed while still holding Reina.

And he gently patted her back as if to comfort her.

“Why are you crying.”

I knew it wasn’t sincere, but…

I didn’t know it would make me cry.

Arthur’s hand awkwardly patted Reina.

“Don’t cry.”

I won’t do anything.

[This is the timeline separator]

【 The Couple of the Century, Reunited! 】

【 The Night of the Victory Parade – The Largest Street Festival in History Takes Place in Julius Marquis Territory 】

【 The Reason Their Marriage Was Only Known as an Engagement, Was it Sir Arthur’s Consideration for His Past Reputation? 】

【 House Julius Remains Silent 】

“Did he keep his marriage to the young lady a secret because of his old reputation?”

“Oh my, look here. There’s also talk that it was kept secret because he could have died in the war… Ah, I’m so upset. He’s too good for our young lady……”

“There used to be a lot of talk that this marriage was disadvantageous for Julius. There were rumors about him being the emperor’s illegitimate child or not. His reputation was terrible since the imperial family didn’t acknowledge him and ignored him……”

“Anyway, the imperial family was too much. They should really treat Sir Arthur well.”

【 The First Ever Midnight Victory Parade! The Beautiful Night View of Julius Marquis Territory 】

【 Sir Arthur and Lady Christina Waving at the Victory Parade 】

【 The Arthur & Christina Couple, Returning Home in a Princess Carry! Newlyweds Showing Their Passion! 】

【 Sir Arthur Returning to the Mansion Carrying Lady Christina in His Arms Amidst Cheers – Eyewitness Illustration Included! 】

【 Sir Arthur and Lady Christina, A Political Marriage or True Romance!? 】

【 Special Feature, ‘Julius & Arthur’ – Who Benefited from This Marriage? 】

“Ah, but our Christina isn’t inferior to Sir Arthur. Our young lady is considered the most beautiful in high society. And her family is the wealthiest in the empire.”

“Since when did she become ‘our young lady’? Didn’t you used to complain about how difficult Lady Christina was?”

【 Julius Signs Exclusive Supply Contract for Moonstone with Imperial Research Institute! 】

【 Julius Dramatically Concludes Deadlocked Saran Strait Fishing Rights Negotiations! 】

【 Julius Wins Lawsuit over Exclusive Magic Stone Mining Rights! 】

“Hehe. It’s only natural for affection to grow where there was none, right? With news of Sir Arthur’s victory and Marquis Julius becoming an archduke, all businesses in this territory are booming. Everyone doing business here probably wants to kiss the Marquis’s feet!”

“Is it that serious?”

“You have no idea. I hear Julius is winning all the competitive bids for projects and supplies against other territories? Everyone’s scrambling to secure deals with Julius. They’ve all noticed that the imperial family has started giving Julius special treatment. The sharp ones have already started aggressively expanding their businesses.”

【 Julius’s Economic Gains from the ‘Arthur Effect’ Cannot Be Simply Calculated 】

【 Julius Experiencing a Great Boom! 】

【 Special Feature – Analysis of Arthur & Christina’s Victory Parade Attire 】

【 Lady Christina’s Pearl Earrings Cause a Sensation! 】

【 Lady Christina’s Dress, Flooded with Orders! Reservations at Latria Shop! 】

[This is the timeline separator]

“Don’t cut in line! Goodness!”

The economic boom was palpable even in the square, affecting even the newspaper industry.

All sorts of newsletters and newspapers were selling like hotcakes, and people were lining up at newsletter stands to buy ones featuring stories about Arthur.

Especially newsletters detailing Sir Arthur and Lady Christina’s ‘princess carry return home’ had long since sold out, with notices saying additional prints would be available in the afternoon.

The shortage wasn’t limited to secular publications. Even newsletters from the temple were affected.

Despite tripling their print run, the first edition had already sold out by morning,

And people were lining up at the distribution point to make donations and buy additional handwritten copies timed for the afternoon mass.

The temple was also enjoying a golden age with donations several times the usual amount.

The wrists of the transcribing monks were to be mourned.

“What! The additional prints are already sold out?”

A young lady who had been willing to wait in line to buy a newsletter looked crestfallen when stock ran out right in front of her.

The man who had grabbed the last remaining newsletter in front of her wiped sweat from his brow and let out a sigh of relief.

The man’s side was full of today’s popular newsletters of various types.

He carefully put the newsletter away in his bag.

The young lady stared blankly at the newsletters he was holding, looking regretful, when she suddenly spotted a rare newsletter with an illustration by the popular artist Lady Settledown peeking out of his open bag and her eyes widened.

Newsletters with illustrations were already sold at higher prices, but among those, ones with Lady Settledown’s drawings were produced in limited quantities and hard to get even at several times the price.

Above all, it was a limited edition newsletter that wouldn’t be reprinted.

“Excuse me! Those newsletters…!”

Despite the young lady being quite pretty, the man declined with a polite smile without batting an eye.

“I’m sorry, but no. These are for sale to a ‘true collector’.”

At the word ‘sale’, the young lady’s eyes lit up even more.

If it’s not for personal collection but for sale, doesn’t that mean she has a chance!

“How much do you want! I have a lot of money! I’ll pay double!”

But by the time she was rummaging through her pockets, the man was already walking away.

“…Ah! Where are you going! I said I’ll pay double! I can even pay triple!”

The man, Taylor, son of Julius family’s physician Alvin Lorenson, ran off without looking back.

‘Who said anything about money? I said I’m only selling to true collectors.’

Taylor snorted dismissively.

Then he smiled a bit differently, thinking of the customer who would receive these newsletters.

“……”

Reina Astarine. His customer.

She is a ‘true collector’.

Not someone who collects newsletters briefly caught up in a passing trend only to forget where they put them or throw away what they collected, but a true collector.

She collected newsletters sincerely.

It must have been over three years now.

Taylor’s thinking was that precious collectibles should go to someone who would cherish them for a long time.

Wouldn’t it be unfair if people swept up in trends made competition so fierce that those who truly cherished collecting newsletters couldn’t get what they wanted?

But with a friend like me around, that won’t happen.

Taylor grinned.

She’ll be so happy to receive these newsletters, won’t she?

He knew well how much Reina treasured that scrapbook.

He had never seen its contents since she never showed what she collected to others, but he could guess what was in it.

When he handed over newsletters, she would always flip through them right there, and her gaze would always linger in certain places.

She must have been quite excited looking at recent newsletters.

He could clearly imagine her face, not knowing what to do with herself as she happily looked at the newsletters.

Since she never just accepted things like this, she would probably ask, looking very flustered and troubled, how much all this cost.

How much should I say to make her take them without burden?

Without financial burden, without emotional burden. I need to name an appropriate amount.

Taylor hummed a tune as he hurried his steps towards the Julius Marquis mansion.

Reina was beautiful even when still, but when she got the newsletter she wanted, when that expression that was almost invisible to others appeared, that was when she was truly pretty.

For the joy of seeing that happy face, he kept up the foolish act of pretending to have ‘just picked these up on the way’ despite going to great lengths.

“……”

Suddenly Taylor’s expression darkened as he looked at the illustration of ‘Christina Julius’ in the newsletter he was holding.

He naturally recalled the story about Reina he had heard by asking around the maids.

The story of Reina being called as Lady Christina’s dedicated maid the night before Sir Arthur’s return.

It was what he had heard from another maid while looking for Reina, who hadn’t been seen for two days straight.

…I’m worried.

What if she’s having a hard time with that picky young lady?

As the young lady’s dedicated maid, it must be difficult to even get away for a moment.

I wonder if she’s even eating properly.

“……”

…Tch.

Taylor glared at the annoying young lady in the newsletter, being carried so fortunately by Sir Arthur.

I wonder when Reina will be able to come out?

[This is the timeline separator]

Reina sat on the bed, sniffling with her nose red from the remaining tears.

Arthur sat next to her with no particular expression.

As if quietly waiting for Reina to calm down.

After quite some time had passed.

Reina looked down at her fingertips resting on her knees and started to worry about what kind of face Arthur might be making.

“……”

He must be angry, or if not, thinking it’s pathetic or bewildering.

I don’t have the courage to look at his face.

Reina remained silent dejectedly.

Arthur opened his mouth.

“The wedding night was a duty, but nothing else is.”

“……”

“So if you don’t want to, we won’t.”

“……”

That’s not the problem.

I’m not your real wife.

Don’t you know that?

“……”

He seems to have a side that makes you misunderstand because he’s too polite.

Sometimes I wonder if he’s mistakenly thinking I’m the ‘real Lady Christina’.

Reina secretly rolled her eyes to peek at Arthur.

“Now you look at me.”

Arthur leaned against the headboard and smiled.

Just calmly looking straight ahead.

…He didn’t look back at her.

So Reina could steal glances at Arthur a little longer.

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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