Who gets married for that reason? - Chapter 5
I’d locked up the shop before getting into the carriage, but I couldn’t stop wondering if I’d made the right decision.
‘Is this really all right? Am I doing the right thing?’
Because, I was still wondering whether all of this had to be done through marriage.
Even though I had to do it because my family’s heirloom was being held hostage.
I couldn’t help but feel that I might be being pushed too far by the overly confident and determined Marquis Esteban.
I was in a state of deep worry as I was having these regrets and was contemplating whether I should make a definite decision about marriage.
“You’re overthinking things.”
“Huh?”
Lydia sat across from him with a serious look, staring intently at her hands resting on her knees. I could clearly see what was going through her mind without even having to ask.
“I told you before, Don’t overthink it. This is just a simple deal. I want something from you, and you can expect something in return.”
“…What if I can’t completely break the curse?” she hesitated.
This was Lydia’s real concern. What if her skills weren’t enough?
She didn’t want to cling to Ilian with false confidence when he might need to find another solution.
Ilian’s response was relaxed throughout.
“Is your main worry about not getting the ring?”
“That’s not exactly what I’m asking.”
Lydia shook her head silently. His matter-of-fact tone completely missed the point of what she was saying.
The Marquis of Esteban finally looked at her directly, his voice still indifferent.
“Well, either way, you’re my last hope.”
“It might not be true,I don’t know how far your grace has investigated, but there could be someone out there who’s better suited to solve this curse.”
The half-smile Ilian Esteban usually wore to hide his boredom when dealing with others had vanished from his face.
For some reason, meeting her clear gaze now felt difficult.
Memories of a time long ago when he’d looked at her with those same eyes unexpectedly surfaced.
“Can I become as cool as my older brother?”
“Of course. You’ll do even better than me.”
Ilian was more than willing to step aside as successor and instead, The one who had thought Ilian was bound to be a great marquis was no longer there.
Only Ilian remained, weighed down by the oppressive title of marquis.
He tried to sit up straight but stopped and instead ran his fingers through his hair nervously.
“Didn’t you say it yourself? If we take our time, you can definitely lift the curse. Why are you so uncertain?”
Ilan’s words were meant to reassure, but inside, he felt the opposite. ‘Why are you so worried about someone whom you just met?’ The question almost slipped out, but he swallowed it down. It was an unnecessary remark filled with irrelevant emotions.
Lydia stared at him with her deep purple eyes.
“I think I might be able to release the curse, but I’m not sure. Even though I’m not a real mage yet, I still believe that Mages casting a spell is responsible for it. That’s all.
Unlike Lydia, Her grandmother had witnessed actual magic as a child and taught her this lesson.
“Magic is like a double-edged sword. A mage’s virtue lies in being able to handle the consequences of their own spells.”
That’s why, after inheriting the antique shop from her grandmother, Lydia made it her mission to erase the traces of magic left in the world.
She felt a sense of duty to take responsibility for the magic that had disappeared.
‘Of course, I secretly used it to make a living, but I didn’t receive money from the beginning to erase magic or dispose of things.’
As she started to receive money as a token of gratitude, she thought that she should receive the minimum amount of compensation in order to maintain the antique shop that was on the verge of going out of business.
“We must take responsibility for our actions.”
If only half of the people in positions of authority in the kingdom had as much sense of duty as this small woman before him, Ilian’s headache would be much less frequent.
Ilian decided not to point out the problem with Lydia’s words and instead changed the subject.
“From the start, my choice wasn’t wrong. So there’s no need for unnecessary worry.”
“You’ve never made mistakes or bad judgments in your life?”
“That’s something that only those who can’t even protect themselves do.”
The man’s arrogance was sky-high, yet somehow it suited him perfectly.
His face was expressionless as he sat cross-legged and stared out the window, showed no sign of doubt about his own actions
“We’re here.”
Before Lyida could continue the conversation,The carriage stopped.
The old buildings were packed together, and trash littered the ground, but seeing these familiar sights made me feel strangely comforted.
“Please wait here. I’ll be right back.”
To his surprise, Lydia swiftly opened the door and got out.
Ilian reached out to help her down, but he could only watch as she walked away. His eyes were drawn to the dark blue ribbon on her head, tied high and swaying gently.
He couldn’t help but fixate on that fleeting glance. Somehow, it captured his attention just like its owner’s unique and lively way of speaking had piqued his interest.
‘Nothing about her is ordinary’
The corners of his mouth curled up in a smirk. He felt more intrigued than annoyed by this strange sensation that felt so new he couldn’t quite get used to it.
How much time had passed since Lydia entered through the door and disappeared? After gazing at the quiet street for a while, he finally got out of the carriage.
“Wait here.”
Waiting around didn’t suit his personality. I also disliked just following along with what others said.
He’d already done a quick check into Lydia’s living situation and figured there wouldn’t be much here.
Still, he followed her anyway.
He climbed the low stairs and opened the front door. Inside, I saw a living room and kitchen that were pretty much like the outside: shabby wooden floors and a tattered carpet.
The place showed signs of everyday use, but no one person’s tastes stood out. It was clear this was a shared house for several people.
As I passed through the first floor, which seemed to be public spaces, and started up the stairs straight ahead. The second-floor hallway, with its many doors, felt eerily quiet.
As I looked around trying to find out where Lydia had gone and spotted tall and steep stairs at the end of the hall. They seemed to lead straight to the attic.
I took the creaking stairs with easy steps and saw another turn at the top. There was a heavy wooden door up there.
Through a small crack, I could see the sunlight streaming in from outside.
“…mys… I’m fine…”
I faintly heard what seemed like the voice of someone talking to another.
‘Who is that?’
Was it a friend? An acquaintance? Either way, if they were close to Lydia, I needed to know who they were. So, I gently pushed the door open.
Inside, Lydia caught my eye, holding a fluffy white ball in her arms.
“I’m sorry. I have to move for a bit………. Oh? Marquis?”
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just a ball of fur but a snow-white cat.
“This is my cat, as I mentioned earlier. His name is Didi. Isn’t he cute?”
Cute or not, I wasn’t thrilled about it. But staring at her bright smile, I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘No to bringing a furry animal into the mansion.’
My reputation as a bad-tempered person wasn’t earned for nothing. Even when my precious niece tried to bring her own puppy, I said no—the same goes for this cat.
Seeing the small smile on the brown-haired woman’s lips, he felt that her happiness might slip away if he spoke up. In the end, he decided to keep silent.
Lydia, cradling the cat as if soothing a baby, looked around and sighed.
“I’ve packed some basic clothes and books, but I’m worried because I have way more luggage than I expected.”
“We can ask people for help with the rest. If you’re ready, let’s go now.”
Ilian had been spacing out, staring at Lydia until he finally snapped back to reality and spoke.
“Oh, wait a minute. You can’t carry Didi all the time.”
And then, Lydia approached him and did something truly absurd from Illian’s perspective. She suddenly thrust the cat in her arms at him.
“We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, so let’s get friendly. You don’t need to worry—she’s super quiet and people-friendly.”
I awkwardly accepted the cat, but my only experience with animals had been watching my father’s hunting dogs from a distance or stroking the mane of the horse I rode occasionally. Even just holding a cat this close was confusing for me.
The warm body in my arms seemed uncomfortable too. With a soft *meow*, it squirmed in my embrace.
Still, as Lydia said, it was surprisingly calm for such a small creature.
Lydia approached, carrying a picnic basket. Maybe finding my struggle amusing, she gave a short giggle before getting closer.
“If you hold her like that, she’ll never warm up to you. Let’s give her some space for a moment. I know, it’s hard. But just hold on for a bit.”
As he tried to return the cat to Lydia, the glove on his hand slipped, exposing his wrist. Once again, their skin touched.
Once again, he felt that perfect sense of liberation.
But as soon as Lydia stepped back, the pain returned. It started in his left arm and seemed to spread throughout his whole body.
Ilian froze on the spot. Lydia was so focused on safely placing the cat in the basket, she didn’t notice his expression had completely changed.
johnson ponraj
For Nice he said no but for his Wife he said yes