The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

57 – The Unfamiliar Face of the Madame

The territory of Lumineel Duchy is moderately vast. It’s an estate that can’t be expressed in words.

Compared to the territory of the Marquis who guards the vast borders, it’s smaller, but compared to the land of an ordinary noble, it’s larger. Still, considering the name value of Cardi Lumineel, it’s on the smaller side.

We arrived at the outskirts of the duchy.

It was a port city with a faint salty smell.

“The sea…”

The hunting grounds where the hunting festival is held are a considerable distance from the port city, deep in the forest. Nevertheless, we chose the port city’s villa because of Elpisia’s decision.

Since we’ve come to the duchy, I want to show the kids something new and make it a good memory. That’s Elpisia’s kind reasoning, and it’s why our destination was decided.

“It’s definitely new.”

For me, the sea was a co present life. So, the salty smell lingering in my nostrils made my heart flutter.

I loved how the horses moved diligently from early morning. Thanks to their hard work, we were able to arrive at the port city’s villa by noon.

I got off the carriage first and extended my hand to Elpisia, who remained behind.

While enduring the rising noise…

“Take my hand, kind wife. Puh…”

“Shut up!”

Elpisia responded with a smirk. Her quick breathing revealed her complex inner self.

With a pose like a cat puffing out its fur, she took my hand. But she didn’t let go, and I felt it was cute.

Next, the villa’s staff rushed out to greet their lord.

“Welcome, Duke Lumineel.”

“No need to be so formal. Are the kids’ accommodations prepared?”

“Of course. We’ve thoroughly managed everything so you can rest easy even if you return suddenly.”

“Good job.”

The duke praised them with a satisfied tone. Then, it was the kids’ turn to rush out and exclaim in excited voices.

“Wow, weird smell! Daddy, can I go up there and see the sea?”

“You need to ask the duke for permission here.”

“Ah, really?”

Tina scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed, at Yuri’s remark. I intervened in their banter and teased Yuri.

“Hey, you! Can’t you just say ‘really’ and leave it at that? Are you going to hurt our daughter’s feelings?”

“What, hurt? Are you talking about the scratch I just gave myself?!”

At that moment, I just wanted to see Yuri’s flustered face. But before that, the real troublemaker appeared beside us.

“Hahaha… the son-in-law is right. Even if you’re the 3rd Prince, would you hurt my granddaughter?”

“Uh, Duke?”

I called out to him in surprise, but the duke’s brakes had failed due to his own madness.

So, I just left the scene.

If things get difficult, Tina will take care of the duke. Our daughter is a good kid, after all.

As I returned to my place, Elpisia spoke to me with a stiff expression.

“… This is the worst, you.”

“I think it’s an opportunity to develop crisis management skills.”

“Do you really think so?”

Elpisia pressed me with a distrustful gaze. Her sharp, red eyes had the power to pierce through any excuse.

Even in this chaotic situation, only those with introverted personalities like Glen and Eko were able to maintain their composure.

“How about it, Glen? Can you see the sea?”

“The buildings are in the way, so you can’t see it from here. You need to go up to the mansion or a bit further into the city to get a view.”

“I want to go to the city…”

“You can go. I’ll get permission from the lord and come with you.”

“Ahh…”

Eko’s face flushed with excitement.

Although I couldn’t read Eko’s mind accurately, it seemed like she was more thrilled about the idea of going out with Glen than seeing the sea.

“It’s already getting busy at the mansion.”

“There are a lot of kids, so it’s bound to be noisy.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

A moment of silence.

Elpisia then responded with a gaze that seemed to be reminiscing about a past scenery.

“No, it’s just… it’s changed, that’s all.”

◇

When we first arrived, the kids’ energy was overflowing, but after lunch, they started to lose steam rapidly.

No matter how luxurious the carriage was, it was still a carriage. Sitting in that cramped space from early morning, feeling tired and hungry, was bound to make them lose interest.

As the day wore on, the kids didn’t seem to have any intention of getting up. Especially Eko, who was weak, was sleeping peacefully without even snoring.

… Unlike our lady.

“Kooh… Kooh… Kuuuuu…!”

‘Tina…’

Tina, who was usually like an angel, had a habit of kicking off her blankets and sleeping sprawled out. If she felt empty, she would hug her blankets tightly. She was so restless that she would often fall off her bed when she was at the orphanage.

‘She’s still young. As long as she’s healthy, it’s fine…’

As I rationalized and left the room, I ran into Elpisia walking down the hallway. Unlike the tired kids, she looked perfect as always, just like she did at the late-night party…

“I told the servants to prepare some snacks for when the kids wake up.”

“This is quite a favor.”

“It’s not a favor. We’re in a relationship where we can ask for help, after all. There’s no need to feel indebted.”

Elpisia crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Then, she said something quite frightening.

“Or what? Are you saying that the family you’re talking about excludes me?”

“Ahh…”

Her words seemed to be scolding, but her intention was kind. She probably wanted to convey that family members should be grateful for each other without feeling burdened.

I acknowledged my mistake and approached Elpisia.

“I was wrong. How can we make our lady happy?”

“Hmm…”

Elpisia was honest, as always.

What it means is that she responds with equal honesty to genuine honesty. Like her face, which couldn’t hide shame at all, and her habit of crossing her arms…

It seems like she developed that habit because she didn’t want to reveal her inner self, so she locked her heart away with her own intentions.

That thought occurred to me once again.

I wanted to get rid of the habit of crossing my arms someday.

I also wanted to create an environment where she could express her kindness sincerely.

To do that, I thought it would be better to be in a free outdoor space rather than a tightly locked mansion.

With vague hopes by my side, a golden light suddenly enveloped us like a river, and our scenery changed drastically.

“Excuse me, Elpisia.”

“What, just a minute! Harte!”

I ignored Elpisia’s words and led her as I pleased. In an instant, the divine light blocked our view, and the scenery we were looking at changed completely.

The first thing I noticed was the scent of salt carried by the sea breeze from the distant horizon, and the scenery with the colors of the setting sky.

As I indulged in the moment, a refreshing and unfamiliar sound greeted us with a rhythm.

Whoa… Crash!

It was the sound of the waves I heard for the first time in my life. The rough sea surface was constantly in motion, crashing against the shore.

I was briefly captivated by the overwhelming nature, and even forgot about Elpisia’s body temperature in my arms.

“What are you doing?”

“… Elpisia.”

I came back to my senses. Elpisia, who was in my arms, had a complex expression.

“What’s with you, using your divinity again? You know best that it’s not allowed…”

“Yeah, I guess my rebellious phase started late.”

There are two lines that the owner of the divine name must keep.

Not to use divinity for personal gain, and not to betray one’s own justice.

Neither of these restricts the use of divinity itself, but it’s common sense not to use it recklessly.

If one doesn’t follow that common sense, the lines that the owner of the divine name has are extremely flexible.

I used divinity for Elpisia’s sake, and prioritizing family is my justice.

There’s no problem with that…

… Yeah, there’s no problem with that.

“Are you worried about me?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I just said something reasonable.”

“That’s weird. We’re not supposed to have feelings of debt towards each other… but wanting to be worried about is a luxurious relationship?”

It’s difficult, really difficult…

When I said that, Elpisia expressed her inner turmoil with her shoulders.

“I’m worried about Elpisia.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“Who else would it be?”

“You have a lot of things to worry about.”

It’s true that I have a lot of things to worry about.

I worry about how the four kids, who are too different from each other, will grow up, and the uncertain future that has deviated from its course.

Among all those elements, the person I worry about the most is still Elpisia.

“I don’t want people to misunderstand Elpisia.”

As I said that, I took a step forward. Then, the cool sea breeze swept past my head. I finally realized my mistake and put a coat on Elpisia’s shoulders.

“It’s like I want to boast about it, but I’m trying to hold back. My wife is so smart and kind that it’s overwhelming.”

“… That’s just flattery.”

“It’s not flattery, it’s worrying. Humans ultimately have to live together, but unfortunately, someone is desperately trying to hide their true nature.”

“I’m not particularly kind. You’re misunderstanding, and you’re misunderstanding it thoroughly.”

“How could you not know? If you look closely, the heart that cares for others will be revealed transparently.”

I stopped in my tracks and gazed into Elpisia’s eyes, which shone like rubies. However, the darkened scenery created shadows in her eyes, as if trying to conceal her true heart.

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“Elpisia.”

Right then, the world brightened.

Pah!

The electrifying tone, accompanied by a soft glow, dispelled the darkness. The festival lights, stretched out along the streets, lit up the sleeping city.

It was the lighting ceremony of the Hunting Festival, a commemoration of the Imperial Order’s establishment.

The beautiful glow, like the Milky Way, adorned the streets. As I walked along the winding coastal road, I acknowledged my own mistakes.

“Yeah… what. I made a mistake.”

There’s no need to rush.

We still have a lot of time, and people are bound to change anyway.

It’s just a matter of pace.

“Hmm…”

A small hand, replacing a fan, covered her forehead. But the festival lights highlighted Elpisia’s existence, as if she were the center of the world.

What else could explain it?

Perhaps I was under the illusion that she was the center of the world.

Elpisia’s face, revealed amidst the confusion, was unfamiliar.

She wore an expression I had never seen before.

It was a mix of embarrassment and tears.

Her face was filled with longing and yearning.

I, as if in a trance, reached out to touch the unfamiliar face of my wife.

As if to confirm that it wasn’t an illusion.