What’s Wrong With My Marriage? I Was Bought as a Wife, Yet My Husband Is Madly in Love With Me! - Chapter 40

The carriage carrying Klaus and Luce arrived in a commercial city a short distance from the Royal Capital. According to Klaus’s explanation, this place was home to many jewelry and ornament workshops.

“It’s safe to say that almost all the ornaments sold in the capital are made here. That reminds me, Luce—shall we buy some wedding rings?”

“Klaus, I already have wedding rings.”

“There’s no harm in having as many rings as it takes to prove the fact that I am married to you, is there?”

(Even though I already have ten sets of engagement rings?)

The number of rings she owned was already starting to exceed the number of fingers on both of Luce’s hands. Knowing he likely wouldn’t listen even if she tried to stop him, Luce thought it over and came up with a compromise.

“Klaus, since these are rings you are so kindly buying for me, I want to be able to wear them properly. How about we buy a new one just once a year, as a special occasion?”

With this, she hoped the purchase of wedding rings would remain within a reasonable range. Probably.

Luce worried that her suggestion might offend him, but Klaus looked deeply moved.

“In that case, I’ll work my hardest so that I can gift you a hundred sets of wedding rings!”

“…A hundred?”

(Are you planning for us to be married for over a century? Do you intend to live past a hundred years old?)

Luce had many thoughts on the matter, but she decided to simply nod with a smile.

“Since we aren’t buying rings today, let’s buy necklaces, earrings, and hairpins instead. I could just buy the shops, but trends change in this business. …I wonder if it would be better to buy several different shops.”

“Let’s not buy the shops, Klaus.”

If anything, the variety of ornaments was increasing even faster than the rings. To prevent him from buying out the stores, Luce took Klaus’s hand and began walking toward the nearby market.

“Looking at ornaments in a store is nice, but I’d rather walk through the city with you and look at all sorts of things.”

“Of course, Luce.”

A market was being held in the city, and the stalls were selling a vast array of goods: food, clothing, pottery, accessories, old books even flowers and plant seedlings. Just looking around was fun, and Luce realized she might actually prefer this to shopping at the high-end boutiques in the capital.

(This sort of thing is probably not very ‘noble-like’ of me.)

But if Klaus knew that side of her and said he loved it anyway…

(I feel like I can believe that it’s okay to be this way.)

An old woman at a clothing stall called out to Luce.

“Young lady, young lady. How about this cloth? You could use it as a wimple. If you’re heading toward the sea, the sun is quite strong there. You’ll feel much better if you keep your neck covered.”

It was a fabric thicker than a veil, adorned with vivid embroidery. However, it might not quite match her current dress.

“I have some breezy clothes back here, too. Care to take a look?”

“Yes, I think I will.”

Since they were here, she wanted to try shopping in a place like this. Since they were on a trip, it might be nice to spend time in something other than her usual formal dresses.

Just as she was about to step into the back of the stall, a clerk walked by carrying a large bundle of fabric. The old woman started snapping at the clerk for using her shop as a shortcut. Luce leaned against a shelf lined with garments to watch the commotion. Klaus, however, was blocked at the entrance by the clerk and the bulky luggage, forced to wait.

While Luce was wondering what to do, the shelf behind her back suddenly vanished.

(…Eh?)

The moment she turned around, the shelf was gone, and the aisle of the neighboring shop was visible. The market wasn’t divided by solid walls; it was just a collection of simple, portable shelves. It seemed they could be moved easily if someone wished to do so.

Luce tried to call out to Klaus.

“…! …!!”

Her mouth was covered, and she was dragged backward into the depths of the stall. Right before her eyes, the shelves were slid back into place, and Klaus vanished from sight.

(Help me… Klaus!)

In an instant, she was hoisted up and carried out of the neighboring shop as well.

“Let go… let me go!”

No matter how much she screamed in what appeared to be the back alleys of the market, no one paid her any mind. Perhaps it was because the area had the atmosphere of a slum. The residents of such places made it a rule never to get involved in trouble. Luce knew that all too well.

(I can’t let it end like this. I have to get away, somehow…!)

She struggled, but the man holding her was sturdy and didn’t budge an inch. Before she knew it, she was carried inside a building.

“…I’ve brought her.”

Inside were several men with sinister looks. Luce felt a chill of terror; she instinctively knew her chances of returning safely were slim. She was taken to a back room and forced into a chair. For the moment, they didn’t seem intent on being overly violent, but escape seemed impossible.

The men stood surrounding her—at the door, against the walls. It was clear she would be caught before she could even make a run for it.

“Sorry, lady. We’ve got no grudge against you, so just stay quiet.”

“We’re being paid a hefty sum to do this, see.”

They told her with vulgar smirks that they wouldn’t harm her, but she didn’t trust them for a second.

“I-if it’s money you need, if you tell my husband, he’ll pay you as much as you want.”

(…Probably.)

“Hahaha! That’s a grand offer! I don’t know whose wife you are, but if you’ve got a husband who pays that well, I wonder how you managed to earn someone’s grudge.”

“A grudge? Who was it that asked you to bring me here?”

“Well now, why don’t you check for yourself when they come to pick you up? We just move for the coin. …We could try demanding money from your husband, but why don’t you tell us his name first, just as a test?”

“…It’s Klaus Bart.”

Luce didn’t know how much weight Klaus’s name would carry with these men. But she called out the name of the husband she desperately wished would come to her rescue right now.