A Fake Marriage? Sure! …Wait, Is It Actually Fake? Something’s Not Right Here! - Chapter 25

That evening.

“Trouble, Lady Lidoria!”

The moment the sound of the front door opening was heard, Alex came speeding to the dining table.

“Welcome back, Sir Alex.”

She happened to be cutting into an apple pie that had been delivered by her younger brother, Finley.

Since Alex had said he would “buy” dinner, she had decorated the table with the championship bouquet she received yesterday and only prepared soup bowls, serving plates, and cutlery.

“Ah. Thank you for dinner.”

She reached for the cocotte pot Alex was holding with both hands.

“No, that’s not important. Ah, that’s right, my lady, how is your arm?”

Alex placed the cocotte pot on a trivet and set down the paper bag he had been carrying by its handles on the table. This one seemed to be a baguette. It smelled fragrant.

“It seems moving it was better after all. See, compared to this morning.”

“It’s still about to burst, isn’t it?”

“Eh? I can see the joint now?”

“Hmm? What happened with that apple pie?”

Alex said as he removed his leather gloves and threaded them through his belt. It was the one Lidoria had been about to cut.

“Finley came by. Well, though he came, he left right away.”

“He left? Why?”

Alex’s gaze sharpened. Wondering what was going on, Lidoria answered.

“It seemed he came to check on me and about the wedding gifts that arrived at the mansion. But when he saw me in my nightgown, he somehow got the wrong idea on his own.”

“The wrong idea?! Don’t tell me he noticed the disguise!”

“The opposite, the opposite. He thought that you and I got along too well last night. So, he seemed to think I was too tired to change clothes.”

She shrugged with a wry smile.

Perhaps it was the first time Finley had seen Lidoria in her nightgown during the day.

“‘Even if she had a high fever, even if her leg was broken, my sister who was always dressed when I woke up…!'”

After saying that, his face turned bright red and his eyes darted around.

“‘Th…that is, it’s wonderful that you’re getting along so well as a couple.'”

Saying that, he flusteredly reported who had come with wedding gifts and what the items were, then practically shoved the apple pie at her and left.

“Th…thank goodness. He misunderstood in a convenient way…”

Alex plopped into a chair and let out a huge sigh.

“As you suggested, Sir Alex, I had the ambassador’s maid help clean the bedroom and the house, so I don’t think the disguise was exposed here.”

Seeing Alex slumping, Lidoria furrowed her brow.

“Did something happen on your end?”

After stammering “Ugh,” Alex let out another huge sigh.

“…It seems all the close royal guards I’m friendly with want to celebrate the marriage. They told me today they’re setting up an occasion and want us to attend without fail.”

“That’s wonderful, isn’t it? Have a good time.”

“Speaking as if it’s someone else’s problem, but you’re attending too, my lady.”

“Why did you accept that?”

Instantly, Lidoria made a displeased face.

“Anyway, the Crown Prince and Princess are planning a wedding reception for us, so wouldn’t that be enough?”

“I said the same thing! But they won’t listen!”

“Which side has higher authority?”

“Theirs… The Knight Commander is the organizer.”

“Then, there’s no helping it.”

Lidoria also sighed and sat down in a chair.

“It’s troublesome, but they’re doing it out of goodwill, right? I’ll attend with you? If that’s the case, what should I wear?”

“Wear whatever you want! The problem is what to call each other!”

Alex abruptly lifted his head and turned a serious face toward Lidoria.

“Call each other?”

“I hear lovers in society call each other by pet names. Apparently, it shows the depth of their affection.”

“Is that so? Well, my parents just called each other ‘hey’ and ‘you,’ though.”

She tilted her head quizzically, but then went “Ah!” and raised her voice.

“The Crown Prince and Princess!”

“That’s right! Those two are different.”

Alex groaned with a despairing expression.

Of course, they don’t call each other by pet names in public, but it’s said that in private, they use pet names and speak lovingly to each other.

“And apparently it’s the same at the Knight Commander’s residence too.”

“What is that? What part of our lord are they imitating?”

“I don’t know! So, at the celebration party being held soon, we must call each other by pet names!”

“Eh?! What is that?!”

Alex and Lidoria both covered their faces with their hands and slumped.

While the Crown Princess’s side doesn’t have such customs, what exactly is trending on the Crown Prince’s side?

“What should I call you, my lady?”

“I don’t know. Well, I was called ‘Lidoria’ by my parents too, you know.”

“Please make it something within my ability to say! I hear the Knight Commander calls his wife ‘Sweetheart,’ and his wife calls the Knight Commander ‘my little puppy.'”

“…Isn’t it different for everyone? It’s fine, right? I’ll call you something like ‘my little wolf cub’ too?”

“Stop! I can’t do that!”

“Ah. Now that you mention it, my grandmother used to call me ‘Liddy.'”

But that was probably only until Lidoria was about five years old. Her grandmother had passed away, and now surely no one, including her brother, remembered that Lidoria used to be called ‘Liddy.’

“Then from now on, I shall call you Liddy.”

He said it in an extremely grave voice. Lidoria nodded.

“And. What should I call you, Sir Alex? Is it fine if I don’t change it?”

“Of course not! Why should I be the only one humiliated?!”

“Humiliated… Then, what would you like to be called, Sir Alex? A childhood name or something?”

“In my family, my eldest brother calls me Alex, so wouldn’t that be fine?”

“Alex, is it? Understood.”

Lidoria blinked. That was quite ordinary.

“But could we add a little twist? How about Allecky, or My Sweet Alex? What about Sugar Alex?”

“No need! Don’t do anything unnecessary! More importantly, from now on, we’ll thoroughly practice this name-calling so we don’t slip up. Understand? In undercover operations, it’s crucial to repeatedly rehearse the cover story!”

And so.

From then on, Lidoria and Alex would repeatedly use pet names for no reason.

Regardless of Lidoria, Alex couldn’t manage it.

If Lidoria asked, “Alex, would you like seconds?” he would reply, “No more. ………L………” unable to finish the word.

Days followed where she would retort, “Hah?” and he would yell, “Shut up! I’m practicing right now!”