Chapter 20

Translator and Editor: Lea and Ishy

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Chapter 20

The situation was already considerably lopsided.

“Take your time,” Lennox said as he leaned leisurely against the chair. I could hear his pen scratching against the paper of our marriage contract.

“We have plenty of time anyway,” he mocked me.

I glanced at him before focusing on the chessboard again.

‘I have no hope after this…’

I sadly looked at my white knight, that was heroically killed and kicked out of the battlefield.

In particular, it was a big mistake to lose both bishops.

I opened my mouth only after I moved the Queen to the right, blocking the path of the black pawn.

“It lasts until our conditions are met. After that, I’ll be glad to tidy it up for you.”

“Your conditions are to provide safety from the things that threaten you. Correct?”

I nodded my head. “In return, I’ll eliminate whatever disturbs Your Grace.”

Lennox’s handwriting began to be embroidered in the contract. I expected the letters to have a hard and angular shape, but he had surprisingly smooth handwriting. He was brief in writing the framework of the contract since it was clear what we wanted from each other.

“Now then, we need a few consultations for our smooth marriage.”

“I agree.”

One of his eyebrows slightly rose to my swift answer.

“Perhaps you have any requests in mind?”

“I do, but depending on what it sounds like, Your Grace might feel uncomfortable. If I’m being honest, I’m not sure I can say it… Ah! So mean!”

Lennox aimed for my precious knight with his pawn.

However, if I were to save my knight, the black Queen who was waiting behind would immediately aim for the King.

I had no choice but to let him have my knight block his pawn.

“It’s fine, so tell me.”

This time, Lennox’s knight fell back and was poised for an attack.

“I don’t have any other intentions, so I hope Your Grace doesn’t misunderstand.”

“What are you trying to say?”

I swallowed to relieve my dry throat.

“I don’t wish to interfere with Your Grace’s private life, but I want you to include a clause that says you will be faithful to this marriage during the contract period.”

Did he get what I meant?

Shifting my eyes, I added, “Your Grace can be loyal to his contract partner, right?”

I was frozen stone under his shining but cold gaze.

“Do I seem that brazen to have an affair while I have a wife?”

“I just want some reassurance.”

I pretended not to hear his question and caught his Queen with mine.

“If so, you shall have it willingly.”

Straight away, his black rook knocked over my queen.

Somehow, I felt a corner of my heart relax.

“As your husband, I promise to repay your faith and trust.”

Lennox, who sounded frustrated but firm, added,

“But the same goes for you.”

I was following the pawn’s path to defend with a rook when my finger stopped.

When I raised my head, he was looking at me.

I was a little agitated under his unshakably still gaze.

But his voice made it better, “don’t think about neglecting your duties as my wife.”

“Of course. I promise to be a faithful wife,” I nodded enthusiastically.

I must’ve tried very hard to express it with my whole body, because the stiffness from his face was slowly disintegrating.

“Then we move on to the next topic, the item given to you with your right as the mistress of the house.”

I was confident about this. “I’m not interested in the power of a duke’s wife. I have no intention of exerting influence within the family.”

“…Are you serious?”

Lennox narrowed his eyes as he asked.

“I find that hard to believe.”

This was unusually rare, so I could understand.

“I mean it.”

I decided to nail him with my faith.

Trust was the most important thing in contracts.

“Our marriage is temporary. Our contractual relationship only needs what we decided to exchange.”

“…”

I had no desire to intervene in the family’s complex struggle for power. I would live quietly as if I wasn’t there, and leave when our contract ended.

A safe and peaceful life. That would be enough.

“After our divorce, Your Highness would be in search of his real wife.”

“…”

“In order for it to happen, it would be better if I leave as little traces of me as possible in the Duchy of Kravant. Isn’t that right? I don’t want myself to be hated by your future Duchess.”

As I finished talking, I realized that Lennox had become quiet at some point.

I said no more, and the conversation was broken off.

We ate each other’s pawns one by one, and our pieces cluttered over a few more meaningless movements.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

No matter how much I thought, I couldn’t figure out what I said wrong.

Rather, it was a good offer to Lennox, so he had no reason to refuse.

In the uncomfortable and awkward silence, I nervously chewed my lower lip hidden from him.

Luckily, it wasn’t long before Lennox’s lips opened to speak.

“I understand what you think.”

It swept my chest with relief.

‘Is he being considerate because he doesn’t want me to feel bad in case I said I liked him?’

Even at times like this, he proved himself to be a good man. He was not bad as a temporary husband.

“If so, we deal with this problem in accordance with the common practices of noble families.”

“I’d like that.”

“At least you won’t feel uncomfortable as Kravant’s Duchess. Checkmate.”

“Ah!…”

Meanwhile, his black knight was aiming for my rook as well as my king at the same time.

Indeed, this man could not relax for a moment. He had to be cautious for every trap his enemy might have set up.

I had no choice but to sacrifice a look with tears.

“Next is…”

I swallowed as I glanced at the contract.

Finally, it was time.

I moistened my lips with my tongue before I continued, “The, the dowry.”

I hoped that my poor tongue, which was going to say shameless things for itself, would not break down on the way.

“If possible, I’d like to proceed with it. We’re going to get divorced anyway, and it only complicates the situation if Father has to split his property.”

The division of property was an excuse and in fact, there was no money under my name.

It was unlikely that Viscount Brienne, who only cared about fixing my marriage, would provide a dowry.

“However, I want you to allocate some of your money to me.”

Deciding to put up an iron face, I continued with my gaze down,

“As the Duchess, it is necessary for me to maintain minimum dignity. You don’t want to see the mistress of Kravant walking around like a beggar, right? What I mean is, this is not only for me but also for Your Grace.”

I didn’t even give him the time to answer. I shot the words out like a swift gun. Otherwise, I thought, the rest of my shame and conscience would make me unable to speak to the end.

However, it took a great amount of courage to spit out the next words.

“The amount of money…”

The most important thing in contracts was concreteness. Words such as ‘appropriate’ or ‘sufficient’ were ambiguous and unsuitable for documentation.

‘Just close your eyes, pretend you never said it.’

Still, there was something poking at me, so I moved my pawn diagonally with my eyes fixed on the chessboard.

And finally, after capturing the black knight, I opened my mouth to speak.

“I want you to let me use about three hundred gold a month.”

My face was hot and red with embarrassment.

“…”

I didn’t hear Lennox answer for a long time.

The silence continued.

I couldn’t stand it, so I glanced up to look at him.

In place of his indifferent look, Lennox was watching me with an amused expression on his face.

‘Did I ask for too much?’

The timidness with which I raised my head was pushed into the corner of my chest.

I specified the highest amount I could receive with the intention of bargaining, but it already seemed to be a ridiculous amount.

Before I knew it, the black knight piece that I captured felt strangely large and overwhelming.

‘Was three hundred gold per month too much?’

I quickly decided to lower it.

“Perhaps two hundred gold would be good.”

“…”

“…A hundred gold.”

My confidence shrunk like a deflating balloon.

It was true that I was too brazen on the subject of asking for money.

I had a pessimistic view of my poor situation.

Just when I was looking for ways to deal with this embarrassing situation.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what I said wrong.”

Lennox, who was staring at me with silence until then, began to move his other knight again as he spoke,

“First, I don’t need a dowry. No matter how much you bring, it’d be a penny’s worth of Kravant.”

‘Oh, yes. I see. I’m just jealous of the enormous wealth you own.’

…It was too realistic for me to be sarcastic.

I was barely able to press down my lips from saying, ‘thank you!’

“And I was talking about my money.”

I would be ready to accept even if he allowed only fifty gold.

If he got offended and said he would not give it to me at all, I’d be the one in trouble.

My white king stepped back once and hid behind the shield.

“I was a bit much earlier, wasn’t I? I was joking. Your Grace doesn’t have to give me that much-”

“According to the documents I approved this morning, the amount of money that will be given to you is five thousand gold per month.”

“Yes, that will be eno- Hold on, what did you say?”

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