Chapter 34 - Contract Renewal (2/2)
Seriously what kind of S&M play is this? While thinking this, I am softly placed on the couch and without a moment’s delay the Duke takes a seat next me. I mean, there is a lot of sitting places like opposite or diagonally and yet, he sits next to me! The distance is so close! It is a couch where three people can easily sit but, for some reason he is stuck close. Already there is too many contradicting things and it has become troublesome.
“First of all is the most important thing, we will not cancel the marriage,” the Duke clearly declares as the first thing he says. Certainly it starts from there. Because it has been a contractual marriage from the start based on his sweetheart.
“But She is no longer here? Besides also Duke and I did not marry based on love, rather it was with a completely unknown nearby stranger”
“Such things, in this world, there is a great quantity! Things like political marriages of convenience are common everywhere.”
“Well, that is right”
It is an aristocratic society so it is common knowledge that marriages are made for the purpose of mutual household connections. Or rather maybe marriages from love are more rare. This country is still an open-minded one towards things like social status difference, though.
“There are many married couples who become close after getting married.”
“That is right.”
“So, you and I can think of it as ‘merely a political marriage of convenience.’”
The Duke is unusually eloquent. However he does not have his usual archaic smile. I am being stared at in a slightly prickly-like seriousness and, is this feeling like there is somehow a edge of a cliff right behind me, merely a hallucination?
Like this clause of ‘decoration wife’ will be deleted.
And next is a important clause. That is the problem of my family’s debts. They have already been fully paid by the Duke’s duke-household ability.
“In which case what shall be done about the debts shouldered by Duke? They were paid in exchange for me becoming a decoration wife.”
I ask the Duke while being ready to possibly be told ‘pay with your life’ when,
“If that’s the case would it not be nice if we thought of it as betrothal money that I have given to the earl’s household? It was given under that pretense from the start and, if it is for the sake of gaining you, that amount of money is not a regret. Please accept it.”
It is quite a quick reply. But no, it is not an amount of money on the level of ‘please accept it’……
I have lost to the Duke, who is persevering to the extent of reforming the unequal contract.
“Well then that is the first one. I have decided to live here everyday from now on.”
Uh huh, if it was an ordinary marriage this would be very obvious but, regarding this person he is not ordinary. Having to reform this contract it from such a rudimentary place, we must have been bound a strange contract from the start!
“Yes”
“The room I will use will be my personal room I have been using so far”
Glad to hear that.
“Yes”
“As soon as the detached building is put in order, my luggage will be brought over here. Please use your personal bedroom the same as always.”
“Thank you.”
However, as far as the Duke completely moving over here is concerned, various problems, particularly in relation to meals, will spring forth……
“As I promised in the beginning, it is alright to freely do as you please but,”
“but?”
I cut in the middle of the speech and look slightly doubtful at the Duke who is looking closely at my face. What is this, this delicate distance.
“With the exception of me, lovers are absolutely prohibited.”
A love prohibition with the exception of the Duke has been incorporated into the contract.
T/N:
[1] 猫パンチ – a cat’s punch is referring to a punch with little to no damage like a cat’s punch. Something soft and adorable like this: