A Fake Marriage? Sure! …Wait, Is It Actually Fake? Something’s Not Right Here! - Chapter 32

About twenty days had passed since then.

The third prince of the Lavria Kingdom arrived at the royal castle.

Originally, his arrival was scheduled to be a bit earlier, but due to the tides and wind, preparations for departure were delayed, resulting in a significantly postponed visit.

That day.

Lidoria was in the castle’s botanical garden, receiving decorative flowers from the gardener.

They were for the evening banquet venue, and Lidoria was scheduled to decorate the place with the maids starting now.

“Is this enough?”

The familiar bearded old man asked, looking at the flowers Lidoria had placed in her basket.

“Probably. They might ask for a bit more red. Can I come again if that happens?”

As Lidoria spoke while considering the color scheme, the old man laughed, his sun-tanned face beaming. “Of course.”

“Today’s the day the princess’s suitor is coming, right? We want him to think this country is splendid not just for its princess, but for its flowers too.”

Lidoria nodded with a smile.

Indeed.

The purpose of the visit was likely “to confirm a marriage partner,” but it would be ideal if he also appreciated the country’s merits.

Their party had entered the castle a few hours ago and were currently meeting with Their Majesties, the Crown Prince and his wife, and the princess.

According to the schedule, they would then move to a tea party, followed by a break and change of attire before the evening banquet began.

As a maid to the Crown Princess, Lidoria should probably be waiting in a corner of the venue.

However, there was the matter of Princess Melissa’s planned kidnapping and confinement incident.

Even though Melissa had been confined and Sena sent to a convent at the eastern edge of the kingdom, there was still a risk of incidents arising from misplaced resentment.

Therefore, at the suggestion of the Crown Prince and his wife, Lidoria had been assigned to the venue decoration team.

“By the way, I heard you got married.”

Just as Lidoria was lightly imagining combining this flower with that one in her mind, the bearded old man brought it up.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Congratulations on that.”

The bearded old man took off his straw hat and bowed his head.

Lidoria shifted the basket handle to her right hand and smiled warmly.

When the fake marriage first began, nobles offered their congratulations one after another, and she had shuddered, thinking, “As expected of Alex, the marquis’s son.” But lately, she was often approached like this by the castle staff.

They seemed to genuinely rejoice for her, so Lidoria responded sincerely.

“Thank you. I’m still getting used to married life.”

“Please continue your work at a comfortable pace. I’m sure the Crown Princess would be pleased.”

“That’s the plan.”

“But you know. Getting married really changes a person, doesn’t it?”

The bearded old man laughed, leaving Lidoria puzzled.

“Does it?”

“Yep. You were always kind to us commoners, even for a noble. But now you seem even softer somehow.”

“Did I gain weight?”

Her heart skipped a beat. That hearty soup.

Lately, she’d been hooked on chicken milk soup, and she and Alex kept eating it together, going “Yummy, yummy!” Maybe that was the problem. And it went so well with that salty bread. Soup, bread, soup, bread—it was an endless cycle.

“No, no. That’s not it. Your aura just feels rounder now.”

The bearded old man laughed cheerfully and put his straw hat back on.

“You just look so happy from the outside.”

If that was the case, there was only one cause.

That.

It must be that, sleeping while holding hands every night.

She was glad they kept it up. No one suspected it was fake.

Lidoria felt convinced. She had to tell Alex about this tonight and suggest they make it a habit.

“Well then, I’ll come again if needed.”

“Understood.”

Lidoria lifted her basket and strode confidently toward the corridor.

Come to think of it, she remembered Sena saying the other day, “Ugh, I can’t stand it. Newlyweds look so happy.” Back then, hadn’t she replied, “I can finally take baths alone”?

She had told Sena that because the splint was removed, so she no longer needed bathing assistance.

“Now I can finally have time to bathe alone. We were always together until now.”

Clearly, Sena had misunderstood, but it seemed their newlywed life was convincing enough to cause such misunderstandings.

It hadn’t been exposed as fake.

Feeling refreshed by that thought, Lidoria walked along the corridor toward the east wing when she spotted an unfamiliar knight in a military uniform ahead.

She stopped in her tracks because his hair was brown and his skin was sun-tanned and dark.

(Is he an officer from the Lavria Kingdom?)

The foreign knight looked around restlessly before sitting down on the corridor railing as if he had nothing to do.

Perhaps he noticed Lidoria’s gaze.

The foreign knight turned his face toward her.

Ah, she was sure now—he was indeed from the Lavria Kingdom.

His eyes were golden, a color not found in this country.

(Huh?)

She felt somewhat confused.

Because this foreign knight was staring intently at her.

Her first thought was, “Does he need to ask something?”

He must be lost in the castle and not know where his superior or the prince was.

“Are you lost or something?”

Lidoria approached and called out to him.

Instantly, the foreign knight smiled brightly.

He was oddly friendly, like a big dog.

In fact, he was quite tall, probably about the same height as Alex.

He was more muscular, and the chest of his white naval uniform was taut.

The foreign knight, still smiling, started speaking rapidly in his native language.

(Ah, right! The Lavria Kingdom language!)

He must not understand this country’s language.

That’s why he got lost and couldn’t find his way back.

“Wai… wait. Slow. Speak. You.”

Lidoria had studied the Lavria Kingdom language as part of her education, but she was far from fluent like a native speaker.

“You can speak it?”

The foreign knight said in an excited voice.

He had well-defined features, but perhaps because his eyes drooped slightly or due to his friendliness, he looked younger than his mid-twenties.

“A little. You. Troubled. Troubled…? Help. Need. Me.”

She desperately tried stringing words together, but hearing the words she spoke and interpreting them in her mind, it sounded like she was saying, “I’m troubled. I need help.”

Blushing deeply, Lidoria struggled on.

“Where go? I. Together. Go.”

She even added gestures, and the foreign knight laughed happily.

(Good, he understood.)

But her relief was short-lived as the foreign knight said,

“You’re a good kid, aren’t you? Something about this desperation of yours is nice. Really nice.”

He spoke fluently in this country’s language, leaving her standing there dumbfounded.

“Well, you see, I was kept waiting forever, so… I came out, from the room. Then the castle people started talking to me, but when I said, ‘I don’t understand this country’s language’ in my native tongue, they all turned away and left.”

The foreign knight shrugged.

“I thought they were cold, but then I figured, ‘Hehe, now I’ll be left alone.’ Sorry about that.”

“No, I’m the one who should apologize.”

Suddenly, that clumsy string of words felt unbearably embarrassing, and she wanted to die.

“Um… Please enjoy your time in this royal castle.”

She tried to leave after saying that, but he grabbed her wrist tightly, startling her.

“Wait, wait. Keep me company a bit longer.”

He smiled brightly as he said it.

Though flustered, Lidoria gently freed her hand from his.

“But I have work to do.”

Thinking about it, shouldn’t this knight also have duties?

The question crossed her mind, but the foreign knight kept smiling and asked,

“You’re a commoner serving in the royal castle?”

“No, my parents are earls. I’m currently the wife of a royal guard knight.”

“Wife! Eh, for real?!”

The foreign knight’s eyes widened.

“But you’re not wearing a ring!”

Pointed out, Lidoria hurriedly pulled out the gold chain from her chest, showing the ring hanging from it.

“I do have it, but it doesn’t fit.”

“Huh? What kind of husband is that? Didn’t he know your size?”

“No. We both received the rings from those we serve. We haven’t had them resized yet. My husband wears his like this too, hanging from his neck.”

She gave a wry smile, but the foreign knight pouted, seemingly displeased.

“But still, are you okay with that? If I were your husband, I wouldn’t let my wife stay like that forever? I’d get it resized right away. Until then, I’d prepare another ring.”

“We’re both busy.”

“But still, your wife isn’t wearing a ring during that time, right? If I thought other guys might hit on her, I’d be anxious.”

Anxious… would he? No, they probably weren’t anxious, since they were both in this state, Lidoria analyzed calmly.

“I see… so you’re married, huh.”

Meanwhile, the foreign knight hung his head dejectedly on his own.

“Um… Sir Knight, shouldn’t you return to your post soon? I’m going to decorate the evening banquet venue with flowers, but if you’d like, I can show you around the castle on the way?”

“Ehh… well, yeah. What should I do? I probably should head back soon.”

What a slacker knight. Seeing his expression, Lidoria couldn’t help but chuckle.

Noticing her expression, the knight beamed another friendly smile.

“If you were unmarried, I’d propose to you right now.”

“What a shame. If only you were a few months earlier.”

She ended up saying it seriously.

The knight laughed again at her attitude.

“For real?! Aww, shucks… I’m unlucky, huh. Hey, then why don’t you divorce him? And come cross the sea with me?”

“Well… crossing the sea is a bit.”

“So, divorce is okay then?”

The knight burst out laughing. Lidoria gave a wry smile.

“I have a younger brother who’s still a minor. I can’t go far away until he becomes independent properly. If that were the case, even if we had met when I was single, I probably wouldn’t have accepted your proposal, Sir Knight.”

“Then how about we make a lover contract?”

“A lover?!”

Lidoria’s eyes widened, but the knight nodded enthusiastically.