CH 11

Cedric, who had been staring at me for quite some time, said in a quiet voice.

“…I’m glad you liked the bed. It will be your room from now on.”

“If it is possible, it would be great if you could change the bedding frequently. I like fuzzy things, you know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He spoke more softly than before and lowered his gaze back to the desk again. When he had an absurd thought to the extent his hydrangea eyes disappeared, he opened his mouth again.

“Would you mind sitting on the sofa for a while? I’ll go and arrange it.”

“Yes, well. I understand. Can I sit anywhere?”

I have learned and know from my previous life that there is also a top seat in sitting. However, when I asked about the order of the seats except for the upper seat, Cedric just nodded his head without sincerity.

I sat anywhere except for the top seat with a bewildered expression on my face as he was busy and didn’t even bother talking to me.

It was then. 

“Ahem… ”

As soon as I sat down, I heard the sound of clearing one’s throat right above me. I looked up in surprise, and there was a man with a slightly red face standing there.

The man held up a bunch of paper and greeted me politely.

“Hello, Miss Ellia. I am Edwin Polinoa, the chief aide who is serving Sir Cedric Kedyssel Indigentia.”

Red hair and green eyes, and moreover glasses. The man with the unusual combination asked for my understanding and sat opposite me.

Those green eyes were a bit unfamiliar to me, so when I looked at them, Edwin’s face turned red like his hair.

Ahem, he coughed, clearing his throat again.

“The reason I came to visit Miss Ellia like this is… ”

“No, I’ll talk.”

It was right at the moment when Edwin tried to explain something and handed me a bunch of paper. Cedric got up from his seat and strode over to take those papers from him.

“Ah, I understand.” Edwin still blushed and didn’t know what to do, but only bowed his head and went back to his seat.

Looks like he’s an aide with a hot flush.

As I stared at Edwin hurriedly went back, Cedric sat across from me and snapped his fingers. The surroundings crouched for a while, and then returned to their original state.

“What’s that?”

“I made a barrier. Don’t let our conversation leak.”

“We are the only ones in the office, anyway.”

“Isn’t Edwin a human too?” Cedric asked in a rather sharp voice, but he didn’t seem offended.

So, I denied with a vivid expression, “It’s not like that… “, but I didn’t say anything more.

It’s not a very important thing, because I had something else I wanted to ask him.

“Why did you call me so early in the morning?”

The hydrangea-colored eyes were busy checking the roll of paper that Edwin had handed over. Soon after, he handed me a roll of paper and said:

“It is a contract. We need to coordinate quickly so that we can schedule the wedding quickly.”

“Ah!”

Only then did I understand why Cedric had called me.

“Have you already written it? You’re incredible.” I gave him a compliment without much thought and checked the contract he handed out.

It was written in difficult words, but what I had to check was simple.

First, I checked how long I needed to maintain my marriage and how far I can claim in this process.

“First of all, the period has been set at three years, but it could be reduced or increased.”

“The key must be for your curse to be lifted.”

“You saw it right away.”

The Grand Duke of Indigentia promised to treat me properly as the wife of Cedric, the official adoptee.

“We set your private money at 1 million gold per month. You can use it freely within the available range, but please write a justifiable reason in the ledger each time.”

In short, it meant never even dreaming of filling my back pocket.

Momentarily, I almost popped out the question, “Then, is it privately owned?” but I nodded for now.

If I don’t fill my back pocket, a huge amount of 1 million gold is my monthly allowance…

“If you need additional money after that, please let me know. There’s nothing I can’t listen to if it’s a valid reason.”

Then there’s no more reason to fight.

Subsequently, it was also confirmed when and how much the alimony will be given.

“Alimony will be paid within 30 days of the contract expiry, and the amount is… ”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

There are one, two, three, four, five zeros…

“This is the amount I’m offering, but it can be adjusted.”

Nine zeros. And the first number is one.

I asked him with a puzzled expression.

“…o-one billion gold?”

1 billion gold.

I was so startled by the ridiculous number that my voice stood out. With such a proper crack, I quickly wrapped my neck with a heated face.

Ugh, I’m ashamed.

Cedric smiled softly at me and gave a look as if it was a good condition.

To be honest, I don’t know the value of money in this world yet. It might be 10,000 won or 100,000 won per gold.

However, I just thought it’d be the largest monetary unit since it was called gold.

That’s why, when I saw that my private money was 1 million gold per month, I was thinking of setting it up based on 36 million gold, which is the value of the three-year contract period.

Yet now… Huh?

“Uh, huh… Am I confusing the units now?”

“No. 1 billion gold. You saw it right.”

“1 billion… billion… ”

This is truly a billion-sounding number!

I widened his eyes in astonishment, but Cedric asked with a natural virtuous face.

“Is that not enough?”

Not enough… Is that?!

Let’s say that 100 million gold is 100 million won.

If it was like my previous life, I could get a charter somewhere on the outskirts and get one step closer to my dream of owning a house, but for 1 billion?

Besides, that’s a gold coin?!

I was so shocked that I was speechless.

But I wasn’t easily pleased.

I have to think carefully. Everything expensive is there for a reason.

I’m just marrying a stranger I don’t know, and the alimony is 1 billion won?

Isn’t it because there’s something bad behind it?

I checked the contract again anxiously.

But no matter how I looked at it, there seemed to be no provision against me.

To protect myself, a small number of elite knights would be organized, and they all would be interviewed by Cedric in person.

When I’m going anywhere, I must be accompanied by either Calib or Cedric, but there was no reason to refuse as it was in the name of escort.

It was also stated to hear my opinion first in an event of an absurd situation such as getting framed.

No matter how many times I read it, there seemed to be no provision for me to risk 1 billion gold.

If so, another issue came to mind.

Then why is he giving me 1 billion gold…?

“Hush money… Is there a cost for it?”

“Of course, it’s already included.”

“But the cost of the hush money is 1 billion gold? What kind of hush money is that?”

Everyone knew that Cedric was an adoptee and that he was cursed. He could easily figure out how to enter the Sanctuary of Knowledge, and he chose marriage among them.

But, what secret do I have to keep?

I looked at him with a puzzled expression. Then Cedric cleared his throat and said:

“To be more precise, it’s a settling for freedom restrictions.”

“Freedom… restrictions?”

What other nonsense is this?

“If you look at the sixth line on the second page, it says that either me or Calib must accompany you when you go.”

“Yes, I saw it. But this is in the name of escort.”

“In other words, you cannot go out without me and Calib.”

For a moment, I kept my mouth shut.

“If you look at the seventh line of the third page, it says that a knightly order for your protection will be organized, and all the servants around you will be filled with my own people.”

“Yes, you are going to interview them in person.”

“They’ll be my eyes and ears.”

“…So in short, you’re going to monitor me during the contract period. As you’re not certain about my identity.”

“You are smart.”

Cedric readily admitted.

I’m a little relieved.

Alright.

1 billion gold wasn’t just alimony or compensation.

‘I will monitor and report on your every move from now on. You can’t go anywhere without me and Calib, so stop talking nonsense.’

But my thoughts after that.

“Yes, got it.”

I was just relieved.

“Are you, are you okay with that?”

Cedric was rather embarrassed.

“What can’t be done?” I nodded his head with a look as if that didn’t mean much to me.

It’s kind of spying on me, I’m used to it.

I was a taekwondo player, and an athlete’s usual behavior had a great influence on one’s participation. It is the same logic as when an athlete causes an assault case, the situation escalates.

So, after I was selected for the national team, I trained under the coach’s fearsome hawk eyes. If that was how I won the gold medal, it would be 1 billion gold to defeat Cedric’s surveillance with Ellia’s body.

But what’s so hard about that?

Besides, even if I didn’t have any memories, wouldn’t I be able to solve it quickly as I was the one who cursed him?

Then I’ll get… 1 billion won, which isn’t free money, right?

I asked him to check again.

“No matter how long the marriage period is, you’ll divorce me as long as your curse is lifted and you’ll pay me another billion gold, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Even if your curse is lifted tomorrow?”

“It’s difficult because we aren’t married yet.”

Oh, yeah. The contract is made only when I get married, that’s right.

I was confused for a moment, but Cedric even spoke with an expressionless face.

“Even if the curse is lifted on the day of the wedding, the payment of 1 billion gold will remain unchanged.”

Oh? Really?

This means that I don’t have to continue my marriage for three years. After that, I’d just take a big bath and live leisurely.

But Calib would be in the Grand Duke’s Castle again without me…

I suddenly remembered the face of Calib who said he wanted to live in the Grand Duke’s Castle with me.

So I thought about it for a moment and then cautiously told him.

“I would like to add one thing, could you please listen to me?”

“I will consider it if it makes sense.” Cedric nodded his head, telling me to talk comfortably, and I hesitated a little.

“Even after we get divorced, I want to come to the Grand Duke’s Castle to see Calib on a regular basis.”