* * *
I couldn’t recall the novel specifying anything about the Countess Valuncio being male.
But that didn’t matter now.
I was the one who married Klen, and if he became the Count, I’d naturally become the Countess Valuncio.
And before long, I’d be assassinated.
‘…Should I run away?’
The thought surfaced again.
Not bringing anyone from my side had its perks.
If I decided to flee, I could move alone without worrying about others.
Abandoning everything and escaping was a sweet temptation, the best option I had in this situation.
Not that Klen would chase after me if I did.
“…Hah.”
I spent the entire night battling with my thoughts.
The decision, however, was finally made: for now, I wouldn’t run.
The sacred vow, if left unfulfilled, would condemn me to suffer every agony imaginable before a slow death.
A quick death would’ve been mercy.
It was this dreadful fate that had driven our families to wed me and him, despite the absence of love between us.
But now that the vow was properly fulfilled… was it safe to leave?
Still, something strange continued to nag at my mind.
If it were just a matter of tarnished honor, I’d flee immediately. But with my father’s life at stake, I couldn’t afford to act recklessly.
If trouble arose, the entire purpose of this marriage would be meaningless.
So, I decided to wait and observe.
After all, my life wasn’t exactly dangling like a flickering candle in the wind—at least not yet.
‘Now, what should I do…?’
Knock, knock—
A faint tapping sounded at the door before it abruptly swung open without permission.
“How are you feeling today?”
It was none other than my supposed partner, Klen Valuncio, stepping inside with a mild expression.
One of the culprits responsible for my sleepless night.
The stark contrast between the cold demeanor described in the novel and the bumbling persona I’d encountered from our first meeting to now still didn’t quite align.
Yet, the fleeting expression he’d shown yesterday oddly matched the novel’s depiction.
‘Which one is his true face?’
Or could it be… a split personality?
Either way, his visit meant that enough time had passed.
I hurried to sit up.
“Ugh?!”
The dizziness that hit me just from sitting up must have been from staying up all night.
Klen quickly approached, supporting me and helping me lean back against the bed.
His touch remained gentle and cautious, just like before.
“You’re more fragile than I thought.”
“…!”
But the words he uttered stirred something indignant inside me.
It was true that I didn’t develop conspicuously large or firm muscles, but my frame wasn’t slender or soft either.
If I exerted myself properly, I could easily…
‘Wait, hold on.’
A sudden idea struck me—to use this misunderstanding to my advantage.
Whether I planned to run away or find another solution, gathering information was the top priority.
To move more freely, I needed a way to confidently skip unnecessary gatherings and events.
Instead of scrambling for excuses each time, wouldn’t it be better to establish from the outset that I had a “delicate constitution”?
Covering my mouth with my sleeve, I spoke in a low voice.
“I’ve been frail since childhood. Sparring with my older brother has always been a distant dream…”
I turned my gaze away as if lost in wistful thought.
Covering my mouth was a genius move.
Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to stifle the laughter threatening to escape.
If my parents back home heard this, they’d burst out laughing at the sheer absurdity.
Still, it wasn’t entirely untrue. I
t had been a dream—albeit one slightly altered from “beating my older brother in a duel.”
My brothers, who used to spar with me readily, had stopped altogether several years ago.
Even taunting them with “Are you scared of losing to me?” hadn’t worked.
Bringing up sparring now made my body itch for a fight.
I may look like this, but there was a time I’d gone monster hunting with my eldest brother.
“Is that so…”
“…!”
Lost in nostalgia, I was startled by his sudden response.
Now wasn’t the time to reminisce.
Before I could elaborate, he nodded slightly, as if he’d come to some understanding.
I wasn’t sure what he thought, but… had I managed to fool him?
He studied me silently before cautiously speaking.
“Do you have a chronic illness?”
“…!”
A chronic illness.
That was actually a decent idea.
Klen might not have intended it, but his words had given me a useful excuse.
It would serve as a plausible cover in various situations.
Illnesses with unknown causes were fairly common, after all.
“That’s right… exerting myself too much tends to make me dizzy.”
“Overexertion, you say.”
“…”
I placed a hand on my forehead and lowered my head slightly, a subtle gesture to suggest that I was feeling lightheaded even now.
It was more convincing than staggering dramatically or outright collapsing.
Feigning dizziness was surprisingly easy.
All I had to do was recall the time I’d sparred with my third brother.
I’d experienced firsthand what it felt like when the world turned yellow and everything spun.
“In that case, dancing must be out of the question.”
I raised my head weakly, then slowly nodded.
Come to think of it, what would happen if I were expected to dance?
Surely they wouldn’t make me wear a dress, would they?
Even if not, the thought of dressing extravagantly and dancing with this man in front of a crowd…
“And you likely won’t be able to go hunting or on outings often either.”
Once again, I nodded.
“Well, that works out… I mean, it can’t be helped. If my spouse can’t attend, it wouldn’t be right for the husband to go alone. I’ll speak with Father to arrange for us to skip any non-essential events.”
“?!”
Wait, did he just say ‘that works out’?
Before I could react, he easily decided on his own, almost as if he’d read my mind.
Hearing him rattle off his decisions, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was more excited about this than I was.
“…”
No, that couldn’t be.
Nobles typically loved such events.
Despite my thoughts, my mouth betrayed me, setting a small trap.
“You don’t have to skip them for my sake…”
“Adrian. Aren’t we married?”
“…”
The way he firmly cut me off left no doubt.
He was definitely excited.
Apparently, he wasn’t fond of attending such tedious events.
‘Why does he throw around words like ‘spouse,’ ‘husband,’ and ‘married’ so easily?’
* * *
