Chapter 27
====
He wasn't just throwing words around.
Those were the eyes of someone who, if driven by impulse, could actually put those words into action.
And without any guilt.
Odelia felt a chill run down her spine.
She knew in her head that Ludville, who had lost his memories, was different from the man she knew so well…
But sometimes, like this.
Whenever he showed a side so different from the one she knew, she felt a sense of unease, as if facing a stranger.
The diligent chef, who had worked faithfully in the Ducal Palace for so long, could be dismissed simply because of his mood.
“…I didn’t want to mention it because it’s a personal matter.”
“Oh?”
As Odelia began to speak, he tilted his chin slightly.
It was a silent signal to continue.
“In the past… there was someone who looked very much like Your Highness. He also liked this kind of food, so I often made it for him.”
“Resembled me, you say?”
“Yes.”
“In what way?”
“The overall feeling… quite a lot.”
More than resembling, it was just him, but.
Ludville narrowed his eyes for a moment, as if pondering the words, then leaned back languidly on the sofa, as if he had lost interest.
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press further, as if he would just let it pass.
What could she do if he didn’t let it pass?
After all, he was living without knowing that he had been her husband thousands of times, and that he had died to save her at the end of that time.
“So, you proposed to me because of that?”
“…Pardon?”
“Because of that person who resembles me?”
“What kind of leap is that all of a sudden?”
Odelia couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
Ludville paused for a moment, seeing her flustered reaction, then stared at her with deep, violet eyes like the sea.
It was the look of a predator about to pounce on a weakness.
“It seems you can’t meet him again. That’s the face you’re making.”
My face?
Odelia reflexively turned her head, trying to compose her expression.
That’s when he grabbed her chin without hesitation and lifted it.
A familiar yet somehow unfamiliar face came close enough for their breaths to mingle.
In that moment, his scent washed over her.
The heavy smell of leather, the lingering scent of musk, and the deep, warm woody aroma…
That scent evoked the countless nights she had spent with him, imprinted in her memory.
“……”
Memories flooded in helplessly.
In a strange form, never experienced directly but remaining in her memory.
It was too close. The scent, the breath, the distance.
He saw her stiff expression, chuckled, and willingly released her, stepping back.
“…You touch me without permission. I would appreciate it if you refrained from doing so.”
“My apologies. You looked like you were about to run away.”
“……”
To keep me from running away?
What was he, a beast of prey waiting for its quarry to show its vitals?
‘He never used to be like this.’
The more Odelia pondered his current state, the more she could only sigh.
“Hmm, Princess Cardel could form a ‘marital bond’ with a member of the Imperial Family. To choose me, a madman from the gutters. It’s not a normal decision, is it?”
He twisted his lips, not taking his eyes off her.
“Or did you lose your judgment because of that man?”
Ludville seemed already convinced.
He had concluded that Odelia harbored affection for someone and proposed to him because he resembled that person.
“It may not be the only reason, but it seems to have played a decisive role.”
“……”
“Interesting.”
He chuckled softly.
“I’m seeing a vision of a Blue-Eyed Woman, and you, well… you seem to be seeing a vision of a blonde.”
It seemed he had unintentionally piqued his interest.
Odelia thought it would be futile to deny it, so she simply gave up trying to persuade him.
In fact, she couldn’t refute it because it wasn’t exactly wrong, except for the fact that the man was Ludville himself.
‘Did the memories accumulated over thousands of lifetimes turn into a beastly instinct, instead of the memories of regression?’
He seemed interested now, so she wouldn’t bother explaining.
She realized that she had to be careful with every word and action in front of him from now on.
Odelia naturally changed the subject.
“So, you came all the way here to persistently harp on such trivial matters…”
When he paused, Odelia immediately hit the nail on the head.
“It seems you enjoyed the meal.”
“……”
The beginning of a counterattack.
“…Yes. I won’t deny it.”
After a moment of silence, Ludville leaned back deeper into the sofa, crossing his arms.
“Tell me what you want. You provided a rather palatable meal, so I will give you a reward.”
“Anything?”
“Money, jewels, status… whatever you desire.”
He casually listed the conditions, as he always had, as if proposing to the Blue-Eyed Woman…
Then he suddenly stopped and looked at her.
“…Or do you expect something like ‘love’ as a substitute for that man who resembles me?”
Ludville uttered words he had never spoken to anyone, nor had he ever intended to.
“No.”
“……”
He hadn’t expected her to respond like that.
He paused for a moment at the sharp denial.
But the smile on his lips deepened.
She wanted power, but she didn’t want money or status.
She wanted marriage, but she didn’t want love.
She was acting like a puzzle full of contradictions.
‘There must be an answer.’
She wasn’t just acting impulsively.
Odelia was clearly being consistent.
That’s why Ludville wanted to solve that answer.
The desire to dissect her and look at her inside out was subtly present in his eyes.
“Then?”
What was she going to say this time?
A typical line about not needing material compensation?
A performance to show unexpectedness by pretending to be humble?
Ludville quietly tilted his head.
Facing an opponent he couldn’t see through, he asked like a child pressing a toy.
In response, Odelia replied with composure.
“There is something I would like you to grant.”
“Speak.”
“When you agreed to the contract marriage, I would like to write the contract we will exchange in advance now.”
“You want to set the terms of the contract?”
“Yes. I would be in trouble if you didn’t accept my conditions later.”
Odelia met his eyes for a moment, then added as if to confirm again.
“You clearly said you would grant me anything, right?”
It was unexpected.
She, who had been acting suspiciously all along, was now expressing her direct intention to reveal her ambition for the first time.
“Then, let’s write it down here and now.”
Feeling intrigued, Ludville reached inside his coat and took out a fountain pen.
He watched Odelia diligently writing something on the paper.
He intended to wait and see how explicit and interesting the conditions she would write down would be.
But…
[Article 1. We must have one meal together a day.]
The content was completely off his expectations.
