The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

73 – The Inner Self of a Virtuous Person

Time passed, and it was late June, a perfect early summer.

When the temperature rises, the world changes.

For example, the decorations on the dresses become simpler, and the thickness of the jackets also decreases significantly. Moreover, when the material of the clothes changes, the fashion also changes, which is a trend.

The change in fashion is especially noticeable in women, and Elpisia on this day was a good example.

“Hey, Elpisia…!?”

“What’s wrong. You’re making a stupid face.”

“No, I mean, that’s…”

Harte’s eyes, which had just entered the mansion, were wandering around, looking for a place to rest. His face was also bright red, as if he had eaten something spicy, and his lips were slightly open, as if he was about to say something.

“What the hell, what the hell… That indecent outfit…!!!”

“Indecent?!”

This time, Elpisia’s face became distorted.

It was no wonder, as he had just been insulted right after facing her. Even if Elpisia wasn’t someone with a strong sense of self-respect, she would still feel offended.

However, if Harte were to make an excuse, it was undeniable that Elpisia’s outfit had a guilty corner that would warrant a guilty verdict.

“How can such a lewd outfit exist?”

The hem of the long skirt had a diamond-shaped pattern embroidered on it.

The smooth, white skin of her thighs was tightly attached to the hem of the skirt, shining brightly, and the subtle points drawn with a brush were so captivating that they caught the eye. It was inexplicable why a single point on her porcelain-like skin could stimulate her heart so much.

“Hey, Elpisia… Elpisia is the only duchess in the empire, so why are you revealing your skin so carelessly…?”

“What? Revealing my skin? Me? Where…”

Elpisia thought that Harte’s honest reaction was as if he had seen her dress torn apart. However, when she took a closer look, she saw that Harte’s purple eyes were glancing at her side.

“Maybe… because of the slit on her thigh?”

It was a very small slit on the side. So, Elpisia judged that she had made a wrong assumption. However, when she saw Harte’s instinctive gaze again, Elpisia became convinced.

“Ha, haha…”

“Huh…”

I don’t know why my face is turning red like this. Maybe the saint always wore tight clothes. So, Harte might not have had the opportunity to see a woman’s skin until now.

But when I think about it carefully, this is also a contradiction.

“Hey, you.”

“Yes… Elpisia.”

“What’s wrong with you? This kind of outfit is common at parties.”

National events are held even in the summer. So, it’s unlikely that Harte hasn’t seen a woman’s revealing outfit before.

Harte’s voice, which had been growing louder, suddenly became quieter, as if to invalidate Elpisia’s speculation.

“… I didn’t see it.”

“What did you say?”

“How could you… how could you take your eyes off me even for a moment…? Even if you had seen it, you would’ve forgotten about it by now.”

“…”

Elpisia’s heart thudded loudly.

Harte’s unfamiliar expression, as if tears and sobs were about to burst out, made Elpisia feel uneasy. Yet, she didn’t dislike his unusual demeanor; instead, she wanted to see more of it.

Was it possessiveness? Or was it sadism? Either way, Elpisia wanted to disturb and distort Harte’s gentle and honest heart.

“Mm-hmm.”

Elpisia curved her lips into a sly smile.

“So, you’re not working right now?”

“Ah, no…! Elpisia.”

“You must be feeling carefree, with your eyes wandering elsewhere.”

Tap, tap.

With each step, the distance between them narrowed. Occasionally, Harte would take a step back, but Elpisia, who was walking straight ahead, was faster.

Harte was finally cornered, unable to escape, and stood stiffly still.

She opened her mouth, her rose-scented perfume wafting strongly, around the time she had applied it that morning.

“Do you think I’m pretty? I have no idea what to do.”

“Well, yes. You’re beautiful, Elpisia. Extremely beautiful…”

“Uh-huh.”

For a moment, Elpisia’s words were stuck in her throat.

She had received countless compliments about her beauty before. Moreover, she could clearly see her own level of beauty just by looking in the mirror. But why did Harte’s honest words sound so different…?

It was a mysterious phenomenon.

At that moment, a question arose in Elpisia’s mind.

Half-jokingly, but also half-seriously, she asked:

“… Harte.”

“Yes?”

Elpisia hesitated for a moment, but soon shook off her doubts.

“Who’s prettier, the Saint or me?”

“That’s… impossible to say.”

“Is the Saint prettier than me?”

“…”

“… Look at this?”

In reality, she knew the truth.

Compared to young girls, the Saint’s beauty was on a different level, and her skin was unlike anyone in their 20s.

… It was a completely different story.

The Saint, with her flawless, unblemished skin, was on a whole different level. Even Harte’s skin was much better than hers, with a tender, baby-like quality.

Elpisia had never felt inferior to anyone because of her appearance…

But she didn’t know that the owner of the Baptismal Name had an unfair advantage, with skin that always maintained its optimal state…

“‘I’m filled with self-loathing.’

My head feels cold.

I regained my composure, but the shame was so overwhelming that it felt like I was about to die.

The nausea-inducing self-praise continued, with someone asking who was more beautiful, like a childish question. The weight of my past mistakes felt crushing, like my shoulders were being pressed down.

“‘Damn it.’

“‘Elpisia!’

Elpisia retreated with a sulky face. Hart followed her immediately.

“‘Did I give a wrong answer and make you angry? But I didn’t want to compare others’ appearances. I’m sorry.’

“‘You’re apologizing, but you’re saying everything you want to say, which is ridiculous.’

‘… I don’t know what to do in this situation. I just do what I believe is right.’

‘I know. You’re right. I was wrong. So there’s no need to apologize.’

Elpisia had finished sorting out her thoughts, separate from her disappointment.

Hart, who had just hatched from his shell like a baby bird, was someone she was familiar with.

She had experienced his innocent side enough to dislike it. Therefore, Elpisia could understand everything Hart said.

However, Hart seemed to think that Elpisia had closed the door to her heart because she was still angry.

‘…… Elpisia…!!!’

Hart made an unusual suggestion at that moment.

‘Won’t you come out with me?’

◇

The reason for suggesting going out was simple.

Hart expected that Elpisia’s mood would improve if she left the suffocating mansion and felt the wind on the streets.

Hart glanced at Elpisia’s profile. He felt extremely sorry when he saw her expressionless face, which showed no emotion. He couldn’t guess what to say to make Elpisia happy.

‘There, Elpisia.’

‘Speak.’

‘Did I force you to come out against your will?’

‘Not really. It doesn’t matter whether it’s inside or outside.’

In reality, she was happy.

No matter what the circumstances, Hart had suggested going out for her sake. Since he was so dedicated to understanding her feelings, she couldn’t feel bad. When Hart was by her side, she felt like she was a queen.

‘Thank you for saying that. You’re really kind, Elpisia.’

‘You’re stupid. Saying I’m kind is the most distant nonsense from me.’

‘Hey, don’t say that. Just seeing how you treat me with affection is enough to show that you have a good personality.’

‘… What?’

‘I also have intuition. I know I haven’t been able to satisfy you, but you haven’t scolded me much and have waited patiently.’

‘No, that’s not…’

No matter what, it was true.

Elpisia didn’t spare Hart when he made mistakes. However, Hart received her criticism with a smile and handled it skillfully.

In other words, Hart’s brain was like a flower garden, so he didn’t take her criticism as criticism.

‘So sometimes I have bad thoughts.’

‘Bad thoughts? You…?’

‘… Yes. I’m ashamed to have such a mind.’

Note: I’ve kept the line breaks and formatting as per the original text.

From noble mtl dot com

I couldn’t believe it.

Harte, a canvas of innocence, was harboring a bad thought.

Elpisia was convinced that it was more realistic for flowers of affection to bloom one by one in her spine, rather than having them all at once.

“I…”

Soon, Harte, the innocent saint, poured out her genuine feelings.

“I used to think that everyone should be treated equally, no matter what. That’s justice, right? But lately, I’ve been feeling strange.”

Harte’s purple eyes reflected the past.

“Remember the Emperor’s birthday celebration? To be honest, I shouldn’t have saved Helio back then. Why? Because if I treated everyone equally, I’d have to perform miracles every time someone came to me.”

“Is there a reason it can’t be done?”

“Yes, it’s a flaw. It goes against the will of the gods. But… I’ve become selfish and want to be a special person.”

It’s something everyone does.

Trying to become special in someone else’s eyes is a common effort.

Power, fame, and humans are all intoxicated by the desire to be special. Therefore, Harte’s desire was human.

That’s what Elpisia thought, but…

In that moment, Elpisia had to acknowledge that her prediction had gone awry.

“…… I wish I could be special to Elpisia alone.”

“Huh?”

“I think it’s right to treat everyone equally… but I want to be Elpisia’s special person.”

“…”

“Foolish, right? I can’t even keep my own words straight…”

Next to Harte, who was self-ridiculing, Elpisia walked silently, matching her pace to Harte’s.

She didn’t respond carelessly. No, she couldn’t respond.

Her mind was as white as a winter forest, and her thoughts were paralyzed.

‘What is this guy…? Right now…?’

The time for self-reflection was honestly a waste.

The intention was clear, even if it was indirect.

Thud, thud!

Her heart was racing wildly.

It wasn’t her first time receiving a confession, but the sensation of lukewarm water rising in her chest was new.

Elpisia raised her hand to her collarbone, as if gathering a mysterious feeling with both hands. Then, in a voice as low as possible, she asked Harte.

“… Harte.”

“Yes, Elpisia.”

After a brief silence, she asked again, her long eyelashes fluttering.

“Do you want to be my lover?”

“… Um?”

“Huh?”

“…”

The surrounding noise seemed to have disappeared.

Harte, with a question mark hovering above her head, and Elpisia, who couldn’t keep up with the situation, her eyes darting back and forth.

They exchanged brief words once again.

“Yes?”

“Uh-huh?”

“…”

“…”

In their own world where time seemed to have stopped, Hart was the first to come back to his senses.

“Is that… really going to happen?”