ASDEF 12

Chapter 12

Daniel couldn’t be bothered to say yes or no either way.

He remembered his father’s grim expression and his sharp-tongued younger sister who had pointed out every flaw. He also recalled how he himself had been harsh with Sophie’s words and actions, acting surly on the spot.

Moreover, she seemed to have already heard the ominous rumors about the Benson family.

He himself had heard the stories about how most of the Benson household staff couldn’t last even a month due to the Duke and his son’s violent temperaments, but…

Still, it was all just belated regret.

As he was reminiscing about those rumors, even the train he’d been waiting for had departed, and he was left staring at the empty station.

“Excuse me, young master…!”

At the familiar voice that suddenly came from behind, Daniel turned his body around.

Lush pink hair fluttering in the wind. Emerald eyes sparkling particularly brightly in the rising sunlight. And an awkward smile with her lips pulled up as high as they could go.

Daniel’s gaze fixed on her.

Wally glanced at his master, then quickly approached Sophie.

“Welcome, Lady Filtz. I am Wally, the young master’s personal butler. Please, let me take that.”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all. And please, feel free to call me Wally from now on. If you speak to me formally, it might raise suspicion from others.”

“But…”

“From now on, Lady Filtz, you are a proper noble lady. You must not forget that. I will also treat you accordingly.”

“Oh, yes… I mean, right.”

As Sophie nodded awkwardly, Wally replied with a smile.

Wally lifted her light bag with ease. Sophie scratched her head, looking embarrassed, and approached Daniel.

“You surprised me. I thought you weren’t coming. I was worried I’d been scammed.”

“You didn’t get off the train.”

“Oh, that? Sometimes there’s a train that runs faster than the first one. It’s cheaper than the regular train too. I took that one… Why, did I do something wrong again…?”

Her face began to turn pale.

Seeing that, another chuckle escaped Daniel’s lips.

He quickly stiffened his expression and cleared his throat.

“You’re here, that’s what matters. First, we should get you some new clothes.”

Just as Daniel turned toward the carriage, Sophie suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

“Young, young master!”

“……?”

“I’ve made up my mind, but I’m still worried about my family at home. What if that lord’s son I saw last time tries to harm them?”

Daniel’s brow twitched at her concern for her family.

Soon, information about Sophie’s family came to mind.

From the background check, Sophie’s family was, to put it bluntly, a mess.

All they had was a rundown shack on a hill, a sick father, a stepmother who took Sophie’s wages and squandered them on gambling, and a string of young half-siblings.

Aside from Sophie, there wasn’t a single capable earner in the household.

Perhaps that’s why she seemed to have acted as the head of the family for a long time.

He couldn’t fathom why she would worry about such a worthless family that only caused her hardship.

Daniel had already arranged for an agent to pay the restaurant owner the back wages she was owed, to prevent any future trouble, and was looking into a suitable place for her remaining family to live.

He hadn’t bothered to worry about Olf, who wouldn’t dare budge at his word anyway.

After staring at Sophie for a moment, Daniel’s lips slowly parted.

“If that’s the case…”

“How about breaking one of his legs? Or could we use magic to turn that bastard into a fried chicken? I’d love to cook him up myself.”

A sinister smile was already forming at the corner of her mouth.

I found myself sitting across from Daniel in the carriage again.

I never dreamed I’d be riding in a carriage with Daniel again after that day.

No, to be honest, I never even thought I’d meet this guy again.

The hollow silence was unbearably uncomfortable.

What should I say to break this awkward atmosphere? Still, he’s someone I’ll have to keep seeing for the next year—no, now he’s my husband.

A husband who’s both on my side and on someone else’s side.

For me, who’d never even dated in my past life, I now had a husband.

Just the thought made me so awkward that a whistling sound involuntarily escaped my lips.

“…Is the prospect of marrying me so laughable that you have to snicker like that?”

Daniel furrowed his brow deeply. He looked displeased.

Well, he is a great catch as a marriage prospect. The eldest son of the prestigious Benson family, an 8th-class mage, the head of the Royal Order, and even handsome.

He’s a man lacking nothing. Almost to the point of feeling like a cheat.

Ah, except for that icy personality and the predetermined future.

“Why are you suddenly acting so awkward? What happened to that brazen spirit you had when you were groping me?”

“Huh?! When did I ever brazenly grope you… I’ve told you several times it was an accident.”

“How long are you going to keep up that absurd claim?”

“What’s so absurd about it? It’s the truth!”

As our voices rose, I could see Wally, the butler riding next to the coachman, turn his head and lean toward the connecting window. I turned away.

I quickly lowered my voice.

“Anyway, it’s a misunderstanding.”

Daniel curled just one corner of his mouth and turned his gaze out the window.

Seizing the opportunity, I fumbled through my things and pulled out the documents to finalize the contract.

“Here are the documents you mentioned last time. I’ve already signed them.”

After staring at the documents for a while, he tucked them into his coat without even properly checking them.

I’d read and re-read them hundreds of times. Was it that Daniel was exceptionally bold, or was I just petty?

Soon, Daniel held out two envelopes in return.

“One is your dowry, and the other is a sort of salary.”

“What’s the dowry, and what’s the salary…?”

“The dowry is the marriage costs prepared by the bride’s side. It’s better to follow all the proper procedures to avoid suspicion. As for the salary… you’re supposedly a lady of the Filtz family, so you’ll need funds to maintain your dignity.”

“Ah, marriage costs and dignity maintenance funds…”

“You’ll be allocated a certain amount from the family soon, but that won’t be enough. Use this to supplement it.”

In short, both were money.

One was to be given to Duke Benson, and the other seemed to be my actual salary.

I wanted to check the amount right away, but out of a sliver of pride, I couldn’t bring myself to look and just clutched them tightly in my hand. They were thick, so I could tell without looking that it was a large sum.

With this, I can send a good amount to Father.

I’d boasted that I’d send my salary every month, but I was worried whether I could actually follow through. This solved it in one go.

I’d even received a salary, so I should at least say thank you, right…?

Putting it straight into my bag as if I’d been waiting for it would be rather unsightly.

I ran through countless expressions in my mind and chose to flash a bright smile.

“Thank you, young master.”

For a moment, Daniel’s gaze lingered on me before looking away.

He replied in a stiff voice.

“There’s no need to thank me. That dowry will come back to me anyway. We’ll invest that money in safe bonds and live off the annual interest. That’s the way newlywed nobles do it.”

“Ah, bonds… the way…”

“And we’ll stop by the State Church on the way. We need to explain our situation to the Archbishop and obtain a special marriage license first.”

“A special marriage license? Can’t we just have the ceremony at a regular church…?”

I’d never attended anyone’s wedding since being transmigrated into this novel, but I knew that people usually held ceremonies at church.

But a special marriage license…

Was it because of our different social statuses? Everything that came out of Daniel’s mouth was beyond my comprehension.

Daniel, seeing my reaction, leisurely folded his arms with a languid expression.

“Have you forgotten already? We have to hide your true identity first. And that wedding you mentioned is one conducted in the presence of witnesses.”

“Witnesses…?”

“Is there anyone who can testify that you are the lady of the Filtz family?”

“Oh, now that you mention it!”

Daniel’s words were absolutely right. Who would vouch for me, a fake hiding my identity?

What do we do then? Is it already over?!