Translator: Nox

Looking for the Villainess’s Contract Husband

Chapter 30

‘Oh.’

The call felt somehow unfamiliar, causing me to hesitate for a moment.

Come to think of it, this is the first time Lucian has called me by my proper name.

[Lucian……!]

‘I was the one who called him by his name first, though…….’

In any case, this was already the second time Lucian had helped me in a critical situation.

The terms of my contract with the Duke were clearly for me to protect Lucian.

‘At this rate, I won’t have the face to ask him to look after Mom.’

After a brief moment of internal reflection, I met Lucian’s eyes. Then, I spoke with all my heart.

“Thank you for helping me.”

Whether it was a coincidence this time as well, I didn’t know. But the fact that I had received help from Lucian was undeniable.

“It was nothing.”

Lucian offered a smile, as if it were no big deal, just as he always did.

However, I didn’t want our relationship to be solidified like this in the future.

“Still, next time, I will definitely protect you.”

Because that was what I ought to do in exchange for him looking after Mom.

I wasn’t sure how effective it would be, seeing as I had just woken up from an illness, but I offered a bright smile, hoping to look as reliable as possible.

Whether he was surprised by my words, or whether my forced, upturned lips looked ridiculous to him—

“……Haha.”

Lucian, who had frozen for a moment with his eyes wide, burst into laughter.

Though he covered his mouth with his long, straight fingers, it was quite striking as the atmosphere was distinctly different from any smile of his I had seen until now.

He replied, his face still tracing the remnants of laughter.

“Yes, I shall look forward to it.”

“You have a look on your face that says you don’t believe me at all…….”

“Is that so?”

Look, look at him…… he’s not even denying it.

If you look closely, he’s not just blindly kind.

“Laviella.”

“Yes, yes?”

……Did he catch what I was thinking?

Startled, I fumbled at my face, wondering if I had just made a grumpy expression, but that wasn’t what Lucian intended to say.

“I assume the Master told you about my mysophobia.”

Having composed his expression, Lucian suddenly brought up the topic of his mysophobia. Though I was puzzled, I nodded for now.

“Yes. But seeing as you held me and moved me to the infirmary earlier, it doesn’t seem that severe, does it?”

He had even removed a petal stuck in my hair when we first met.

When I answered with that thought in mind, Lucian lowered his eyebrows as if troubled.

“No. In truth, it is more severe than what the Master described.”

“Pardon? Then earlier was…….”

“I find that a mystery myself.”

Lucian spoke as he stared intently into my eyes through his glasses, to the point of making me feel a bit embarrassed.

“I don’t know the reason, but when I touch you, I don't feel the same sense of struggle I do with other people.”

“……!”

“So, I would like to ask a favor.”

“What is it?”

Against the backdrop of the infirmary dyed in the purple sunset streaming through the window, Lucian tilted his head slightly and smiled plaintively.

“Could you occasionally make time to have contact with me?”

“Ah.”

“To succeed the Duke and lead the family…… I must eventually become accustomed to contact with others.”

At those words, a sound similar to a sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.

‘That’s true. I only need to worry about the time until Lucian inherits the Dukedom, but Lucian…… has to look toward a much further future.’

The future.

My mood sank momentarily at that word, but I soon shook my head to clear it.

Let’s not be shaken by such trivial emotions.

Let’s be grateful for the fact that I can be of help, even in what little remains of my life.

“Alright.”

Because I have someone I absolutely want to protect.

*

*

*

The day the priests were to visit the orphanage where Laviella stayed.

In a boutique located on the most bustling street of the Capital, discussions and fittings for Jack and Gretel’s wedding attire were in full swing.

[We could call someone to us, but……. It will be more effective to go out in person and show how well we get along.]

A family of the Esperanza Dukedom’s stature would usually call the boutique staff to their home, but because the situation was unique, Jack made this suggestion and Gretel agreed.

And so, they arrived at the boutique.

The owner of the boutique let out an involuntary exclamation of admiration while clearing away the catalogs scattered messily on the table.

“Your Grace, you are truly well-versed in women’s clothing as well.”

At those words, Jack, who was leaning back on the sofa with his legs crossed while flipping through the last catalog, gave a short laugh.

He set the catalog down on the table and tapped it with his index finger.

“Rather, I’ve become well-versed. Because I wanted to be of some help to someone.”

“Oh my…….”

At that remark, not only the boutique owner but also the employees gathered to help the two choose their attire blushed without exception.

‘That means, well.’

‘It means he researched diligently because he wanted to be of help to the daughter of Marquis Diarmuid, right?’

The employees thought so as they glanced behind the partition where Gretel was changing clothes.

Gretel, who had overheard the conversation between Jack and the staff, spoke up.

“……You didn’t need to go this far.”

Her words sounded like an expression of embarrassment at first glance, but Jack noticed the slight reproach contained within and swallowed a laugh.

What Jack said to the staff was true to an extent.

Gretel had lived a life of barely clinging to survival, confined within a narrow tower ever since her husband’s death, so there was no way she could know the current fashion trends of the Capital.

Thus, to emphasize the good relationship between the two to the public, Jack had even taken charge of Gretel’s wedding dress.

[This one, and this one. And…….]

However, Gretel thought Jack was being excessively enthusiastic.

He picked out dresses for Gretel to try on as if he were a man planning to hold a dozen weddings.

The absurd part was that the dresses Jack picked while scanning the catalogs without any explanation were all the boutique’s proud masterpieces.

As a result, Gretel was surrounded by excited staff members praising their discerning guests, and she was already on her fifth dress change.

Her remark that ‘he didn’t need to go this far’ contained her dissatisfaction with this situation.

But Jack went even further.

He tilted his head and spoke while looking toward the partition with a melting expression.

“For my bride, this much is nothing. If I had my way, I’d want to hold a new wedding every year.”

“Ugh…….”

“My Lady, are you alright? Did I perhaps tighten the waist too much?”

“N-no. I just suddenly felt a bit nauseous……”

Gretel, who wasn’t as shameless as Jack, immediately let out a sound of disgust.

Jack barely held back his laughter upon hearing it, while only the employee helping her change turned pale.

‘They are alike in this regard, mother and daughter.’

Jack leaned deep into the sofa back with a light smile.

In his mind, the image of Laviella, who would jump and show disgust whenever he teased her a little, came to him.

Gretel and Laviella had appearances that made it difficult to think they were biological mother and daughter overall, but when watching them closely, one could frequently see parts where they were alike.

Jack was experiencing a small joy for reasons he couldn’t name every time he discovered such traits.

“Truly, your shyness is……”

The moment Jack opened his mouth to tease Gretel again, Gretel, dressed in a gown, stepped out from behind the partition.

He stopped speaking involuntarily.

“Oh my……”

While Jack was silent, small gasps of admiration escaped the boutique staff.

It was only natural, as Gretel in her pure white dress was beautiful enough to take one’s breath away.

When the neat wedding dress was added to her naturally sharp atmosphere, it created a very exquisite feeling.

“It looks fine to my eyes. What about you, Duke?”

Gretel, having checked her reflection in the mirror, turned to look at Jack.

With only the corners of her mouth raised, she glared at him intensely, as if to say, ‘So stop with those greasy words.’

However, instead of meeting Gretel’s gaze playfully as usual, Jack stared at her blankly with a very strange expression.

Just as Gretel began to find that gaze puzzling, Jack let out a calm voice.

“You’re right.”

“The……”

“You are incredibly beautiful. I mean it.”

The playful smile Jack always wore was gone from his face.

Instead, his face was as quiet and serene as the deep sea.

When a person who was usually lighthearted offered such words with a serious and simple face, Gretel felt her face heating up for no reason.

To manage her agitation, Gretel reflexively turned her head away to avoid Jack’s gaze.

Her gaze headed toward the mirror where she had just seen herself.

“…….”

Immediately after, Gretel’s expression sank slightly.

Jack, who keenly noticed that sign, stood up from the sofa and took long strides toward her.

Jack, who instantly moved behind Gretel and wrapped his arm around her waist, looked at the staff and said:

“Could you give us the room? I wish to be alone with the Lady for a moment.”