A Fake Marriage? Sure! …Wait, Is It Actually Fake? Something’s Not Right Here! - Chapter 24

The next morning.

When she woke up, Alex was there.

(Well… obviously he’d be here since we slept in the same bed.)

Lying on her right side, Lidoria took another look at Alex sleeping right beside her.

He was handsome.

His eyelashes lining his closed eyelids were long, and his nose bridge was straight. His skin was sun-tanned but fine-textured, almost like porcelain. His neck was thick, completely different from Lidoria or Finley’s.

Glimpsed at his neck was a silver chain. Though it was hidden inside his sleepwear and couldn’t be seen, Lidoria knew it held the ring given to him by the Crown Prince.

Alex’s thin lips were slightly parted, and when she listened carefully, she could hear his soft breathing. She couldn’t help but think to herself, “He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?”

Why hadn’t he married anyone until now with looks like that?

There was only one answer.

Because dating women was a hassle.

That single reason had made many women cry. What a sinful man.

“Mmm.”

Suddenly, Alex made a sound.

He seemed to have reacted to the six o’clock bell ringing outside the window.

“Good morning.”

Alex opened his eyes with a blink and spoke.

Lidoria, who had been staring at him intently and without restraint, flusteredly replied, “Good morning.”

With remarkably good waking reflexes or rather, with movements so smooth it was hard to believe he’d been asleep just seconds ago. Alex sat up and quickly slipped out of bed.

“How’s your injury?”

After tilting his neck left and right with a series of pops, Alex asked.

“Ah, right.”

Only when he mentioned it did she remember.

That’s right! Yesterday, she’d been pinned under a tent pole and bruised all over.

When she tried to sit up using her right hand on the bed, she winced.

“Still hurts?”

“No, it’s not so much pain… It’s hard to move. Whoa!”

Lidoria tried to check her right arm by rolling up her sleeve and let out a cry.

Alex, who had leaned in to look, also made an unintelligible sound. “Whoa.”

It was swollen tight.

From the back of her hand to her elbow, it was swollen to the point of nearly bursting, and had turned a dark brown.

It looked as if she were wearing flesh-colored gauntlets.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

Asked suspiciously by Alex, Lidoria nodded hesitantly.

Despite its terrifying appearance, there was no pain.

“Only, I can’t bend it at the joint.”

“Well, with it that swollen, of course.”

Alex crossed his arms, oddly impressed.

Next, Lidoria touched her temple with her left hand, but that one was fine now. Planning to remove the bandage and check the wound when she had a chance, she got out of bed.

Suddenly.

They faced each other, both in sleepwear.

“Come to think of it, last night was our first night.”

Alex said it matter-of-factly. She was startled, but well, that might be expected.

His neck showed the silver chain. It held the ring given by the Crown Prince. Lidoria had the same—a gold chain holding the ring given by the Crown Princess, hanging from her neck.

Their wedding rings didn’t fit their fingers.

“I slept soundly.”

“Me too. That maid from the embassy is something else. Even the bed-making was perfect.”

“Will that maid come to clean today too?”

“Probably, I’d think so.”

“Not good. Let’s mess up the sheets a bit. If the maid gets suspicious and says something to the Crown Princess, we’ll be in trouble.”

With that, Alex approached the bed, roughly pulled at the sheets, then pretended to tidy up and threw the comforter over it.

“This should do.”

“I hadn’t thought that far.”

She was a bit taken aback.

“We do undercover investigations too. It was definitely the right call not to sleep on the sofa.”

She nodded, “Mhm, mhm.”

“Ah. But if you’re concerned, should we ask the maid not to visit? I’ll be home for a few days anyway. I’ll handle the housework.”

“That approach won’t work.”

Alex glanced at her.

“Like a bucket plan?”

“I have plenty of time, and I can manage with one hand. Besides, I think moving a little might help reduce the swelling.”

“Is that swelling? Not just bruising?”

“Well, I’ll give it a try.”

When Lidoria smiled, Alex let out a small sigh and eventually nodded.

“Fine. Don’t push yourself. Also, let the maid help with just the bedroom. And make sure she knows we spent our first night together.”

“Understood. And, Sir Alex…”

“What?”

“I’d like to change clothes.”

“Stay in your sleepwear.”

She’d casually suggested it, thinking he might have forgotten yesterday’s events, but she was shot down instantly.

Ever since losing her parents, no matter how unwell she felt, Lidoria had strictly followed the rule of “change clothes after waking up” for Finley’s education.

“But I want to do housework later, and in sleepwear.”

“Wear a robe over it and move. Actually, since you’re injured, take it easy with the housework too.”

“But I have work tomorrow. It’ll double as rehab.”

“With your arm like that, you won’t be able to work for a few days. I’ll inform Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

“Ugh… Not being able to see Her Highness for days. Please convey my regards properly.”

“Mhm. Well, I’ll change in the next room. After that, I plan to have breakfast, so make sure you’re ready and come to the dining table.”

“Understood.”

And so, the first day of their newlywed life began