Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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"......How will you prove it?"
At my question, the woman brazenly looked up at me.
"Anything. Anything that can prove you spent the night with Duke Argenta."
At those words, I tilted my head slightly, pretending to ponder.
"Proof?"
Do people usually leave proof on their wedding night?
I frowned, looking perplexed.
This was a crisis.
If we had actually spent the night together, there would have been some trace left, but we literally just held hands and slept.
This was a crisis... it would have been a crisis.
If I hadn't asked Dielo in advance to prepare.
"Ah."
I held out my hand, as if I had just remembered.
I recalled Dielo's flustered face from last night.
His slightly flushed face and troubled expression.
And that strange feeling too.
—Click.
I unbuttoned the top button of my dress.
The feeling from last night seemed to come back to life, and my face flushed slightly.
This would probably appear to the observer as the shyness of a new bride thinking about her wedding night.
—Click, click.
After unbuttoning a couple more buttons, I lifted the collar of my dress slightly.
The observer would probably see it.
A clear mark of passion embedded on my collarbone.
"Is this enough?"
I spoke confidently, but didn't forget to pretend to be flustered.
This position was clearly one where I couldn't leave a mark on myself.
The observer stared intently at the area I revealed, then nodded.
"I have clearly confirmed it."
Then, she turned sharply and used the artifact again. She transformed into a child and ran out into the clearing.
"Yay! I found the way!"
She was chillingly childlike.
Before I could tidy my clothes and chase after her, the child ran to the Alloze maid and hugged her.
"Oh my!"
The Alloze maid widened her eyes and picked up the observer.
Then, she bowed apologetically to me and left the area.
"I thought they would come to check."
But I didn't expect it to be like this.
I watched them, dusting off my dress.
In the original story, there was no scene where they checked how the wedding night was spent.
In the first place, the original Krua was focused on deceiving Dielo into spending the night with her, so I didn't even remember how the rest of the story glossed over.
'I have a favor to ask.'
I turned around, thinking about last night.
I thought it wouldn't be bad to prepare, since Duke Alloze was thorough.
'I'd like you to leave a mark... around here?'
Dielo seemed genuinely surprised at my words as I pointed to my collarbone.
'Are you really sure?'
'Of course.'
You're doing it because I asked you to, right?
Of course, it wasn't like I didn't feel strange.
But after all, a mark of passion is just a wound, when you think about it.
It will heal and disappear over time.
That's why I gently hugged the back of his head and pulled him towards me.
'We have to be sure.'
Firmly, as if pressing down on me.
I repeatedly whispered to him as he hesitated.
'It's either do or do not, right?'
Besides, don't we need practice anyway?
He ended his hesitation at my words and finally let out a short sigh.
'Ah,'
He took me over in an instant, his warm breath pouring over me.
I tensed up a little as his breath touched the exposed collarbone area, since I was only wearing a gown.
He must have felt me flinch, because he intertwined his fingers with mine.
And he gazed at me with gentle eyes.
'Then, Krua.'
I'm sorry.
He whispered so softly, then leaned towards me.
And after lightly kissing the tip of my nose, he hugged me and delved deeper into me.
The breath that touched the end of my ear, the lips that gently pressed against my neck, and the fingertips that softly slid down still felt vivid.
The way my shoulders, exposed by the gown, were soon dyed with heat.
Soon, his body was so close that there was no room for cold air to enter.
"Seriously..."
I fanned myself, recalling that moment.
The fact that my face was flushed this time was definitely not intentional.
Just thinking about last night made the heat on my cheeks not go away, even with fanning.
"......Seriously."
The words I couldn't bring myself to ask yesterday swirled in my head.
'Why is this person so good at it?'
* * *
"The Argenta's fence is sturdy."
Dielo muttered lowly, resting his chin on his hand as he stood by the window.
He looked down through a very slightly opened gap in the curtains.
His view contained the figure of Krua Alroze returning to the garden.
—Tap, tap, tap.
His fingertips, which had been tapping the windowsill at a steady rhythm, stopped.
Yes, the Argenta's fence was sturdy.
It was an unforgivingly high and solid wall to those outside the fence, and a reliable shield and support to those inside.
"Krua Alroze..."
She was a person of Alloze.
She had been receiving orders from Duke Alloze, and she became the Duchess Argenta according to Duke Alloze's plan.
Of course, she revealed that she was a fake Pero and suggested a contract marriage until the real Pero came.
"......"
Dielo narrowed his eyes.
Last night, her eyes, which she said were like the sea, were coolly submerged.
He still didn't completely trust Krua.
Even though they were married.
Because it was foolish to completely trust someone.
Even if Krua Alroze seemed to have completely revealed her cards, there was no knowing what other thoughts she might have.
There were countless people in the history of the three families who smiled and stabbed others in the back with daggers.
And Krua Alroze was also one of those three families, a person of Alloze.
Moreover, she had the blood of Alloze, who were skilled in scheming.
Those who would not hesitate to use the appearance of a child to make their opponents lower their guard.
"......"
Dielo Argenta therefore released her further inside the fence.
Within the sturdy fence that moved only for Argenta, it would naturally be noticeable if she did anything out of place.
If so, he could just weed her out.
There were those who were starting to waver, especially since the current head of the family was weak and they had heard the news that the Alloze family's Pero had been brought in.
Such lightweights were not needed in the future of Argenta.
Those people would be dealt with according to Argenta's rules when the real Pero came.
"Either do or do not."
—Tap, tap, tap.
He tapped the windowsill again with his fingertips.
Krua Alroze would have to make her position clear.
If she was a person of Alloze who had brought a certain operation, she would have to deceive this side for sure,
If she had truly come to join hands with Argenta, she would have to become Argenta for sure.
'I have a favor to ask.'
Dielo tilted his head, thinking about Krua Alroze, who had said that yesterday.
Krua Alroze, who had boldly asked him to leave a 'mark' on her, said it was 'in preparation for a possible situation'.
'Duke Alloze might suspect something.'
And today. Just like she had said last night, a monitor really came.
Dielo was secretly impressed by Krua's appearance, which seemed flustered but naturally repelled the monitor.
He loathed Duke Alloze for trying to confirm the wedding night in such a direct way, but he was intrigued by Krua, who had seen through it early on.
"I hope you really meant it when you proposed a contract marriage to me."
I hope it will be a clean deal without betrayal.
He was going to watch Krua Alroze a little more.
Very closely, in the guise of a shy husband.
