QHIM chapter 34- Fake Companion

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“I’ve already told you before.”

“……”

“I want you to be my wife.”

The tone made it clear he wasn’t joking, and my pupils shook for a moment.

I expected him to ask for some great condition, but in the end, he was just talking about settling down again.

However, this time, the atmosphere was different.

Facing Jerome’s face, which had no trace of a smile, I let out a groan.

It seemed the marriage he had been chanting about was no joke.

I looked down at the blackened clover ring and let out a hollow laugh.

‘Should I just tell him straight? That I’m a guy just like you?’

There was no way a male Jeanne could marry Jerome, and my goal was to destroy Mephisto and then be forgotten by everyone.

If I promised marriage here, I could no longer ask Jerome for memory-erasing magic.

I hesitated, then carefully opened my mouth.

“That would be difficult. Maybe something else…”

“No, there are no exceptions. Whether you fall in love with another man or bear another man’s child, you must live in the castle I built and wear the clothes I made for you. You must serve me as your husband.”

Was this a ‘must’ instead of a ‘have to’?

If this were a romance novel, it might have been quite a romantic statement, but from my perspective as a man, it was nothing short of horror.

Especially coming from Jerome, it was even more chilling.

I suddenly found myself pondering.

If this guy finds out I’m a man and can’t get pregnant, will he calmly accept it with, ‘Oh, I see. Men can’t biologically get pregnant’?

No way in hell.

Jerome would call in a top authority in body modification magic and implant an artificial womb in me.

I could picture Jerome, slicing open my belly to take out a fetus, smiling as if nothing had happened.

“Jeanne, look at this. She’s a daughter who looks just like you. Huh? But why does she have twenty-four fingers…? It’s because she’s my child. She’s special.”

A daughter with twenty-four fingers and a psychopathic husband.

I gulped as my face turned pale. I stared at Jerome, whose eyes had lost their luster, and looked away.

“…I’ll, um, think positively about considering it.”

Jerome’s face instantly brightened.

His tail seemed to be wagging, almost like a hallucination.

Guilt stabbed at my heart for lying.

‘But I have no choice, right? The eradication of Mephisto requires Jerome’s will as the host. As long as there’s a reward waiting, Jerome might make an effort to control his madness himself.’

‘But why does it have to be Jeanne, of all people? All I did was calm Jerome down when he was acting out. Why is he so hung up on Jeanne when there are plenty of other proper young ladies around?’

Unlike me, who felt like crying, Jerome seemed to be in a great mood.

I looked at the tattered grass ring with a troubled heart. Just in case, I reiterated my point.

“Still, no button threading.”

A long silence followed.

As Jerome pretended not to hear, my face gradually turned pale.

✽ ✽ ✽

The rain grew heavier, and by the time the sun had set, a torrential downpour had begun.

The maids hurriedly closed the windows against the fierce rain that seemed like it could flood the entire world.

The guard knight of Duke Michael, who had gone to check the situation outside, returned soaking wet.

Biting his lower lip in apparent distress, the knight spoke in a grave tone.

“I heard some of the residential areas are already flooded. They say the autumn showers are scarier than the summer monsoons, and it seems that’s true.”

“Is passage completely impossible?”

“It’s already late at night… if the carriage wheels were to get stuck in a puddle, it would be troublesome. And there’s also the risk of a monster attack.”

Jerome, standing with a bored expression, caught my eye.

He seemed indifferent, quite unlike how he was when he was with me, as if playing the role of a refined noble’s son was irritating to him.

‘Still, it’s commendable that he’s not acting out. Maybe the carrot approach worked instead of the stick.’

Seeing his expression, as if he were a dog wearing a harness collar for the first time, so uncomfortable he could die, naturally brought a smile to my face.

Jerome’s eyes shone brightly as he watched me.

I stopped laughing and froze.

Jerome’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

His face looked like he was suppressing some deep desire.

I quickly averted my gaze from Jerome and addressed Duke Michael.

“Wouldn’t it be better to stay here tonight? I can explain everything to Duke Charlotte. It’s also about time you should be getting hungry.”

After all, there was no harm in making a good impression on Duke Michael.

He could be a decisive figure in helping Jeanne get into the academy, and as a high-ranking official overseeing the empire’s magic department, he would certainly be of help someday.

With a face filled with emotion, Duke Michael looked at me and exclaimed.

“How could you be so considerate? It would be rude to refuse the favor offered by Lady Jeanne. This is great; I have so many questions for Lady Jeanne.”

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to converse with a distinguished duke like you. I’ll tell the maids to prepare a meal, so please feel free to relax.”

Duke Michael’s face was soon filled with delight as he looked at me.

An image suddenly flashed through my mind. You know, like the gaze of fans looking at their idols.

Duke Michael sighed as if regretful.

“Not only are you beautiful, but you’re also intelligent and kind-hearted. I swear, if Duke Charlotte would allow it, I’d want to bring you into the Howard family as my daughter-in-law.”

Duke Michael had no idea.

He couldn’t dream that the person who desperately wanted to marry his son was actually a man.

It’s because he didn’t know that he’s being so deferential.

Duke Michael grabbed my hand, which was smiling with lifeless eyes.

“Why don’t you try calling me Father, hmm?”

But I knew. Humans desire things they can’t have even more.

Marriage in this era is like a transaction, so I wanted to extract as much benefit as possible before Duke Michael’s interest wanes.

Looking at the desperate Duke Michael, I tilted my head slightly as if troubled.

“I’m also eager to form a connection with the Howard family, but… I recently received a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yes, the Count of Lyldro sent several rare thoroughbred horses. Moreover, they’re even planning to send a mercenary from the Imperial Knights to protect me, so I feel I ought to repay them someday.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

The Count of Lyldro also wanted to marry off their son to the Saintess of Maya.

Thanks to this, horses of excellent lineage, worth the price of a house in the capital, were grazing in the stables of the Efilia Duchy. I smiled quietly to myself.

‘It’s not just about marriage; it’s a matter of pride between two noble families. While these two whales fight, I just need to pick up the krill that falls to the bottom.’

I let out a deep sigh and glanced sideways at Duke Michael.

A vein bulged on Duke Michael’s forehead. Duke Michael, who was trembling with his lower lip quivering, called his secretary in a strained voice.

“Royan!”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Go to the Imperial Knights at dawn tomorrow and bring back the best mercenary.”

“But… the mercenaries from the Imperial Knights are so proud, and they’re in such high demand that it’s hard to get them without waiting for years.”

Duke Michael ground his teeth as he looked at his secretary, who was bowing his head pale.

The story about the mercenaries from the Imperial Knights was actually a lie.

The only thing I knew about the Imperial Knights was that those who were proud wouldn’t move for money.

But that was the point.

Even if I asked for jewelry or ornaments, Duke Michael, who had money to burn, would easily supply whatever I demanded.

Then, naturally, Jeanne would also become something easily bought with money.

‘People value things that are hard to get, whether it’s an object or a person.’

I smiled brightly at Duke Michael, who was gnashing his teeth in frustration.

I had set the spark; now I just had to wait for Duke Michael to burn with it.

If I instigated the fight too much, the duke might realize that I was playing both sides between the two houses.

“You don’t have to push yourself too hard, Duke. I’m just happy that you came to visit me like this. Please, spend the night here without any other thoughts.”

After smiling so harmlessly for so long, my facial muscles were trembling.

Duke Michael, who was quietly watching me, whispered in a low voice.

“Is it that you don’t like my son?”

“Pardon?”

“Once upon a time, he was considered the best husband material in the empire, monopolizing the love of the young ladies. Although, he never actually went on any dates because he was only interested in monster hunting.”

Duke Michael, who had maintained a solemn demeanor since arriving at the mansion, suddenly turned slick as if that never happened.

It seemed he was eager to proceed with Jerome and Jeanne’s marriage, even if he had to promote it this way. I awkwardly smiled and looked away.

“I see.”

Though he was a madman, he was handsome, strong, and as the son of the Wizard Tower Master, his family background was excellent.

In Jeanne’s position, where her life was hanging by a thread every day, there seemed to be no reason to refuse Jerome.

He’s the kind of guy who didn’t care if Jeanne was a man in the original story, so getting engaged to Jerome and using the Howard family’s reputation would be an option.

But there was one reason I wasn’t doing that.

No matter how desperate I was, that felt too devilish.

Jeanne was someone who had to be forgotten one day.

It would be one thing if we were just friends, but asking an engagement partner for memory-erasing magic was too cruel.

That’s why I wanted to maintain a proper distance from Jerome. If only that bastard didn’t interfere with everything.

‘I need to arrange a meeting between Jerome and another young lady as soon as possible.’

Even if he’s the kind of guy who chants about setting up a household every time our eyes meet, after all, Jerome is still a man. I had to find a way to shift his affection to another young lady as soon as possible.

‘Though it doesn’t seem like it’ll be that easy…’

I sighed deeply and whispered to Twitty, who was standing next to me.

“Twitty, guide Duke Michael to the dining room.”

“Yes, Lady.”

Twitty, who bowed her head, stood behind Duke Michael.

After confirming that Duke Michael had disappeared down the hallway following Twitty’s lead, I turned around.

Jerome was having a serious conversation with the guard knight.

The maids, who were looking at Jerome with flushed faces, whispered among themselves.

“The rumors about Lord Jerome’s madness getting worse were all lies. How could he be so beautiful and elegant? It feels like we’re seeing the heroic Lord Jerome again.”

“You know, the handkerchief I dropped earlier—someone actually picked it up and gave it back to me. He’s really kind, contrary to the rumors.”

Not knowing Jerome’s dark inner nature, such comments were like a series of jabs that pierced my ears.

From the maid’s conversations, it seemed Jerome had diligently followed my request to act normally.

I eavesdropped on their chat with a blank expression and then approached Jerome to speak.

“Sir Jerome, could you spare a moment to talk with me?”

Both Jerome and Jeanne seemed to share the same hidden nature.

Despite their decaying inner selves, their outward appearances were quite convincing, and their skill in deceit due to their inherent misfortune.

‘They may be the worst pair as lovers… but who knows.’

Jerome, who had been staring at me blankly, lowered his head. I could feel the maids, watching us from a distance, holding their breath.

‘As partners, we might actually be a good match.’

Jerome’s hand tightened on my shoulder.

With an indifferent expression, Jerome whispered to me with a voice full of amusement.

“Your act of being an innocent young lady is quite convincing.”

“Jerome.”

I grasped Jerome’s wrist firmly.

I smiled quietly at the flinching Jerome. He seemed to be certain that I would fear him like other people did.

However, after being reincarnated into this novel, I made one firm decision: I would not simply be a victim in any situation.

Just as the past version of me had been, I didn’t want to become a weak person who trembles helplessly before misfortune, just because of affection, fear of others’ hatred, or emotional weakness.

“If I can survive, I’ll do whatever it takes. I have no interest in honor or personal matters that will disappear with death. If there is someone who tries to obstruct my resolve…”

“…”

“I won’t hesitate to kill them.”

A strange thrill made my hair stand on end.
Yes, in fact, I think I wanted to say this all along—to the loan sharks who piled up their interest like a snowball, to the construction workers who pretended not to know my dead father, to the high school teachers who discriminated against me for not paying my lunch fees.

“So, do you still want to take me as your wife?”

This was a kind of warning—a warning to back off if you were only thinking of cooperating half-heartedly.

A faint smile spread across Jerome’s face as he looked at me in silence.

His expression seemed like one of passionate confession, despite his words.

After contemplating something, Jerome spoke.

“Well…”

His hand, which had been gripping my shoulder, gradually moved down.

The subtle touch slid along my waist.

Just as I desperately tried to hold onto Jerome’s hand, the oil lamps illuminating the mansion were suddenly extinguished.

Bang!

“Aaaah!”

The maids screamed in response to the loud thunder that followed.

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