The Maid's Contract Marriage - Chapter 13

“You’re not one to easily give your company to people. I heard Taylor Lorenson was an exception.”

Reina flinched at the voice of the Marchioness.

Although Reina had been avoiding interactions with anyone to keep the Marquis family’s secrets, Taylor Lorenson was the only exception.

That was because he was a doctor.

Because he was someone she could ask about her sick grandmother, even if just a little.

“Ma, Madam.”

Reina reflexively tried to make excuses, fearing she might be suspected of not keeping secrets and running her mouth.

But the Marchioness raised her hand to stop Reina’s words.

“I’m not blaming you. You’re a child who doesn’t cross the line, so I’m sure you handled it wisely. I just thought it might be okay to allow up to Taylor Lorenson from now on. We’ve gotten to know Dr. Lorenson to some extent as well.”

Reina held her breath.

The Marchioness continued.

“I wonder how anxious you must have been to do that. I’ll let you meet Taylor often and talk from now on.”

The Marchioness smiled.

“I mean I’ll give formal permission.”

Reina clutched her hands on her skirt, her heart trembling.

A doctor.

It was a measure too desperately needed but impossible for Reina’s circumstances.

A doctor to take care of her grandmother by her side every day?

If that were possible, even her grandmother’s complete recovery might not be just a dream.

“You must have a lot to say? It seemed like you’ve been holding in a lot of words, just suffering silently.”

As the Marchioness said, Reina had indeed been suffering silently, unable to speak to anyone including Taylor, but since the fire 5 years ago, Reina’s grandmother had not fully recovered her health.

The caregiver sent by the Marquis family was constantly taking care of her grandmother, but…

The frequency with which her grandmother failed to recognize Reina was increasing.

Not only that, but the wound on her back would occasionally become inflamed, causing her grandmother to suffer from fever.

But the story of her grandmother’s illness, and the fact that the Julius Marquis family was taking care of her grandmother, were stories she couldn’t tell anyone because they were related to the secret shared between the Marquis family and Reina.

But now they’re formally allowing a doctor.

And not just any doctor, but the Marquis family’s doctor…

It was a condition Reina could never have obtained anywhere with her abilities.

Except for Dr. Lorenson, Taylor was the only person among those Reina could approach closely who she could ask about her grandmother’s condition.

But since it wasn’t information permitted to him either, Reina’s questions to him were limited to just briefly asking about burns, inflammation, fever, and memory disorders, as if talking about someone else’s story.

That was the limit of what Reina could attempt while being mindful of the Marquis family.

“…”

It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to ask the Marchioness for Dr. Lorenson.

But the Marchioness…

“… Is she gravely ill?”

“She’s not critically ill or suffering severely at the moment, so the Marquis family’s personal physician?”

“If I keep showing such excessive kindness only to you, it might look suspicious to Dr. Lorenson and others, which would be troublesome.”

“I think I’m already taking sufficient care of your grandmother. Don’t you think so?”

Reina had no choice but to back down.

The truth was that even the caregiver provided by the Marquis family was already a luxury that Reina’s circumstances could hardly afford, so it was difficult to ask more of the Marquis family.

Reina also knew that her grandmother’s illness wouldn’t end with just a day or two of medical treatment.

The best choice Reina could make was to save up as much money as possible while the Marquis family took care of her grandmother, so that Reina herself could become independent and directly care for her grandmother.

But now they’re saying a doctor will be stationed by her grandmother’s side, that they’ll formally take care of her grandmother.

For Reina, it was an offer that made her consider giving up on independence and dedicating her life to the Marquis family.

If it was Taylor, Reina could trust him with her grandmother.

Not just as a doctor, but as a friend.

“…”

The Marchioness wore a faint smile on her lips, as if she knew exactly what Reina was feeling.

“It seems you like my offer.”

“…”

As the Marchioness had already anticipated, Reina could never refuse this offer.

Reina eventually bit her lip and bowed her head.

The seemingly resigned acceptance was familiar and never took long.

“What… should I do?”

The Marchioness smiled.

“I’m glad we’re moving quickly.”

That’s why we keep you alive.

Satisfaction lingered on the Marchioness’s lips.

The lady elegantly adjusted her shawl as she stood up and looked down at Reina.

“Stay by Arthur’s side and observe him.”

The relaxed voice gently commanded Reina.

“And find something that could be Arthur’s weakness and bring it to me.”

Reina quietly listened to the order with her head bowed.

A thick, bitter, dark red liquid lingered in her mouth.

The sweetness from the candy couldn’t cover the bitterness and floated on the surface.

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Arthur chuckled.

‘I see. My weakness, huh.’

Sitting in the chair and leaning back, Arthur withdrew the aura he had spread out.

As his keenly sharpened senses subsided,

The noisy world became quiet.

“…”

Reina.

Arthur rolled her real name, which he had heard for the first time, in his mouth.

Reina.

“…”

Arthur rested his chin on his hand and quietly lowered his gaze.

Taylor Lorenson… is it.

The son of the personal physician, huh.

Arthur quietly stared at the cigarette fire hanging at the end of his cigar.

“…”

It was strange that he hadn’t thought there could be a man.

There could have been a fiancé, or a lover.

‘That’ was a marriage only for me.

For her, it wasn’t a marriage.

It might have been a memory she wanted to erase.

She probably didn’t expect to be dragged out like this either.

To only realize this now.

“…”

He recalled how she seemed flustered and didn’t know what to do when he embraced her and took her to bed, then burst into tears.

How she kept avoiding his eyes.

“…”

The cigarette smoke spread into the air.

The cigarette fire had almost burned through the cigar.

“Tristan.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The aide who had returned after reuniting with his family in the territory after five years stood before him again.

Arthur smiled slightly.

“Did you have a good reunion with your family?”

“Yes.”

How blunt.

“Longer, again.”

At Arthur’s request, Tristan hesitated briefly before reluctantly opening his mouth.

“…My wife who was in her 20s is now in her 30s, and the kid is now 5 years old. They’re all healthy. They seem excited and hopeful inside about me receiving a baron title this time. It doesn’t seem like she’s had an affair.”

Tristan tried to hide his embarrassed face by deliberately making a sullen face, and Arthur laughed.

That’s good.

He wasn’t unaware of the feeling that summarized the fondness for a family reunited after five years in such a way.

It must be uncomfortable to tell purely happy stories in front of Arthur, who had complicated family matters.

Being used by a father who had denied his existence all along.

In return for saving his half-brother’s life, he was now receiving death threats from his stepmother.

Even being deceived into a fake marriage.

It must be weighing on his mind.

Tristan cleared his throat briefly.

“…You don’t need to be considerate about my family, so feel free to say whatever you want.”

Whether out of embarrassment, Tristan said so.

Arthur accepted it gratefully and smiled.

“Alright, I’ll talk freely about happy things too.”

“…I’m sorry for being the only happy one.”

“I’m happy too, you know?”

“…You have a good stomach too.”

Arthur smiled as he adjusted his posture and put out his cigarette.

“I’ll keep the lady by my side for a while. You show her the utmost respect too.”

Although it showed slightly in his eyebrows that Arthur’s conclusion about the ‘lady’ wasn’t quite pleasant, Tristan accepted the order without objection and confirmed.

“Yes. ‘Utmost’ respect.”

“Yes. Befitting the status of ‘Christina Julius’.”

“Understood.”

Arthur, turning his gaze from the ashtray, added briefly.

“And look into the name ‘Reina’.”

Although he didn’t ask in detail, Tristan easily guessed whose name it was.

It must be the real name of the fake bride.

Arthur continued.

“And also about ‘Taylor Lorenson’.”

…What name is that?

Well, it would come up when he looked into it.

Tristan responded with a “Yes.” and accepted the order.

Arthur threw his gaze towards the window.

Inside the room, trapped cigarette smoke flowed, and outside the window, dry autumn leaves were falling with a crisp sound.

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Around that time, Rembrandt, who had also learned her name, was giving the same order to his attendant Francis.

“Please look into ‘Reina Astarin’. I’d like you to handle it as your personal curiosity without revealing that I’m the one inquiring. If you just pretend to be interested because she’s beautiful, no one will find it suspicious.”

Surprisingly, Francis’s response came immediately.

“The blonde maid, sir?”

Surprised by the attendant’s reaction as if he already knew her, Rembrandt asked with a bit of surprise.

“You know her?”

Attendant Francis shrugged.

“Of course. We’ve been talking a lot among ourselves about how surprising it is that ‘Lady Christina’ is the only famous blonde beauty in this mansion.”

He added jokingly with a light laugh.

“Among us, the prevailing theory is that Julius must have quite strictly silenced the servants to prevent rumors about that girl, fearing Lady Christina’s value might decrease.”

Rembrandt let out an amused laugh.

“Were you really interested because she’s beautiful?”

Francis raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“No comment. I’ll proceed with the investigation pretending to be interested because she’s beautiful, as you said.”

“I hope I’m not unwittingly playing matchmaker.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll buy you a drink.”

Rembrandt burst into laughter.

Regardless of the imperial family’s opinion, he found this situation amusing.

[This is the timeline separator]

And at the same time, there was one more person who wanted to know about Reina Astarin.

Taylor Lorenson, who had returned to the Marquis mansion and finished his duties as a doctor assigned to him, was also slowly starting to look for her again.

‘Where did Father go?’

He organized the medicinal ingredients he had brought as instructed by his father and got up from his seat.

‘Reina isn’t here today either.’

Taylor was moving along Reina’s usual work route when he spotted the maid who had given him information about her whereabouts last time, and he happily called out to her.

“Marina!”

She turned her head to look at Taylor.

As Taylor waved his hand and lightly ran towards her, Marina’s face stiffened slightly and flushed.

“…Taylor.”

With a bright smile, Taylor asked.

“Is Reina still serving as the young lady’s maid?”

“…”

Marina’s face crumpled at the obliviously cheerful man’s question.

“Huh?”

Soon, the expected thunderbolt fell.

“Hey!”

Taylor flinched and shrank back at Marina’s shout, looking at her.

Marina glared at Taylor, fuming.

Young lady’s maid, my foot!

That girl you like has been with another man since last night, wearing a sparkly dress!

And with the hottest man in the empire right now!

She’s snatched the young lady’s position and is sharing the same bed with him!

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.

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