A Fake Marriage? Sure! …Wait, Is It Actually Fake? Something’s Not Right Here! - Chapter 12

Two days later.

Lidoria had been summoned by Alex and was now in a room inside the royal palace.

“Is this exclusively for the Royal Guard?”

Guided inside, she looked around the room with curiosity.

It was a room in the building primarily used by His Majesty and the Crown Prince.

It was immediately clear that this wasn’t a room for receptions or audiences, it was sparsely decorated.

The sofas and tables were arranged functionally. Though there were windows with curtains, they were discreetly positioned to avoid outside gazes.

The shelves held no decorations, and the bookcase was empty. One might mistake it for a storage room, but there was no dust or sense of disuse.

(Perhaps it’s a room used among colleagues.)

Naturally, the palace was vast.

But Lidoria didn’t have access to every room or building.

She mainly worked in the building housing the Crown Princess’s office and the audience chamber, and she needed a valid reason to visit other departments.

So, when she received a letter left in the ladies-in-waiting waiting room summoning her to Alex, she had been nervous, thinking, “What if I’m reprimanded and punished?” But her worries proved unfounded.

Of course, Alex had already notified the guards in advance.

“It’s not exclusive, but we often use it for meetings with squad leaders.”

Alex replied curtly as ever, gesturing with his chin toward one of the sofas.

Lidoria nodded and sat opposite him.

There was no tea, let alone sweets, on the table. Not even water.

Surprisingly, Lidoria felt at ease. She only needed to finish the necessary conversation and leave.

“I apologize for imposing a schedule on you,” Alex said flatly, sitting across from her with his fingers interlaced on his lap. “But it seems there’s no day that works. Sorry, but as I mentioned earlier, could you come to cheer at the Royal Tournament? We’ll count that as the date.”

“I don’t mind. I’ll be waiting in the Crown Princess’s tent anyway, and my brother is participating too.”

“Your brother?”

Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly in curiosity. Lidoria puffed out her chest proudly.

“He’ll be officially joining the Crown Princess’s Royal Guard starting next year. Since he’s still a student, he’s currently a trainee, but he’s participating in the selection as a provisional guard member.”

Yesterday, as soon as he returned from school, her brother Finley had excitedly reported to Lidoria:

‘I’m going to compete in the Royal Tournament!’

It was a great honor.

Lidoria had tried to hug him, but it seemed her 15-year-old brother was more embarrassed than anything. He had refused, saying, “Stop it,” which made her a little sad.

“It was officially decided just yesterday. Nothing could make me happier! This morning, the Crown Princess even told me, ‘Let’s cheer for him together.'”

“I see. If he’s your brother, he must have good potential.”

Hearing that, Lidoria blinked in surprise. “You know my brother?”

“Not at all. I saw your joint lock once.”

Spoken in his monotone voice, she stared at him blankly for a moment, not understanding. He shrugged.

“That commotion you caused in the palace. You know, with Lady Sena.”

“Ah!”

Her eyes widened.

That’s right. It was when Princess Melissa and the others were bullying the Crown Princess, and Lidoria had spoken up in protest.

Sena had lunged at her, so she had grabbed her arm and twisted it.

At that time, guards and knights had gathered, mistaking it for a “brawl.”

Alex must have been among them.

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have approached you at the café.”

Oh, right.

That made sense. He wouldn’t have recognized her otherwise.

“I was impressed by how cleanly you executed that joint lock.”

“Thank you.”

She bowed her head slightly.

“After all, I must raise my brother to be a proper count. I’ve guided him with everything I have.”

“Did you never consider asking someone else to teach him?”

“Huh? Well, I considered hiring a tutor, but I thought he needed stimulation from his peers, so I sent him to school.”

“Not that. I meant martial arts.”

Alex looked at her with slight interest.

“You didn’t have to teach him yourself, being a woman and all.”

“There was no one more skilled in martial arts than me to instruct him.”

At Lidoria’s reply, Alex showed a rare expression of surprise.

And then,

Even more unusually, he burst out laughing.

“I see. Indeed, your footwork and precise technique were impressive. You’re more suitable as an instructor than some strange man you’d have to pay to teach him.”

Controlling his laughter, Alex returned to his usual expressionless state.

Stunned, Lidoria watched him laugh before finally snapping back to reality.

“Yes. And, you know, martial arts and swordsmanship instructors sometimes use ‘instruction’ as an excuse for violence, right? I couldn’t stand that. So, I decided to teach my precious brother myself.”

“A wise decision.”

After saying that, Alex stood up.

“That’s all. Let’s meet at the Royal Tournament.”

“Understood.”

Lidoria stood up as well.

She felt relieved by the lack of wasted time.

No small talk, no need to entertain with tea or sweets, no need to read his expressions or adjust her words to match his mood.

To an outsider, their relationship might seem far from that of lovers, but to Lidoria, Alex was an easy man to interact with.

“Oh, and, um…”

Lidoria clapped her hands together lightly.

“What is it?”

Alex stopped as he was heading toward the door.

“At the Royal Tournament, could you meet my brother?”