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Chapter 34
In the past, Tristan had never married.
But in this life, if he broke the curse, he would be able to live as an adult instead of remaining a boy.
Right now, because he was married, no one approached him. But after the divorce, things would be different.
He was handsome, had a great physique, and possessed a kind personality. People would naturally flock to him.
I’m only the contract wife anyway. It’s only proper etiquette to make sure his real wife won’t feel uncomfortable because of me.
It would be better to give Tristan a heads-up in advance.
Even if it wasn’t today, once they reached the capital, it was obvious that Tristan would meet many new people.
“Tristan, since we’re heading to the capital, there’s something I’d like to say.”
“Yes.”
“If there’s ever someone you come to like… please tell me.”
The unexpected request left Tristan speechless.
“Then I’ll make sure not to act overly familiar with you in front of that person.”
“…Why?”
Tristan asked.
Maya carefully explained her reasoning.
“We’re in a contract marriage, and eventually we’ll get divorced. What if, when that time comes, you meet someone you truly love? It’s better to prepare for the future in advance.”
Watching how considerate Tristan always was had made her want to learn from him.
That was a pretty thoughtful thing to say, wasn’t it?
Maya felt rather proud of herself.
I’m sure Tristan will appreciate it.
Of course, Tristan did not appreciate it at all.
Engraving deep into his heart the painful truth that he was still the only one with feelings between them, Tristan gently took Maya’s hand.
“Maya, people don’t even know we’re married…”
He leaned close and whispered into her ear.
“It makes me sad that you’re already thinking about divorce.”
His voice, lower and more subdued than usual, tickled her ears.
“Do you dislike me that much?”
Maya hurriedly shook her head.
“No! There’s no way I could dislike you, Tristan!”
At the very least, she seemed to have a favorable impression of him as a person. Perhaps that was a good first step.
They said strong denial was actually affirmation.
Should he take it the opposite way?
Narrowing his eyes for a moment, Tristan smiled brightly.
“Then I’m relieved.”
“Please don’t misunderstand.”
Maya flusteredly tried to reassure him.
Normally, Tristan would have immediately eased her worries, but this time he didn’t.
It was a tiny bit of mischief on his part.
“Maya, during our marriage, I won’t look at anyone else.”
Let’s start from here.
“So don’t think that another woman will appear in my life.”
He would begin by making himself unforgettable.
“The only person by my side right now… is you.”
Tristan both understood Maya and didn’t.
He still wasn’t sure what kind of feelings she held toward him, or how she would react if she learned about his own feelings.
So until he came to understand Maya better…
Until he became certain that she felt something similar…
He decided he would keep trying.
“Maya, I have a question too.”
“Yes.”
“What about you? That statement wasn’t meant only for me, was it?”
There were already people around who cared about Maya.
And there was no guarantee more people wouldn’t come to like her.
“Me?”
It was something she had never even considered.
“Well… I’ve never met anyone like that before…”
There had been people who approached her asking for sparring matches.
But after learning how skilled Maya was, they usually shook their heads and backed away.
Most of them had grown up proud of their own abilities.
No matter that Maya was a descendant of Pendragon, many couldn’t accept losing to a woman. Their wounded pride sent them away.
Of course, there were some who did become interested in Maya.
But none of them were generous enough to take on the Pendragon family’s crushing debt along with her.
And that wasn’t all.
Most of those half-hearted admirers would see Kendrick standing beside Maya and retreat in fear.
More than anything, the biggest problem was Maya’s complete lack of awareness.
If human ability had a limited total amount, then it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Maya had invested nearly all of hers into physical talent.
She was just that oblivious.
Even after returning to the past, the little bit of perceptiveness she had gained only amounted to this much.
“Um…”
Maya couldn’t continue speaking for a long while.
It wasn’t an emotion she had ever experienced, so she couldn’t answer easily.
What exactly did it mean for one person to love another?
Will I ever experience something like that?
She had never properly seen love, nor felt it herself.
“You don’t have to answer right away.”
It was Tristan, not Maya, who finally broke the silence.
“But if you ever do feel that way… tell me.”
Looking at Maya, Tristan smiled.
“No matter who that person is.”
And he prayed that the person she would one day name…
Would be him.
With all his heart.
The capital buzzed with fresh rumors after a long time.
The first was about the new monster that had appeared in the north.
“I heard a new mage completely defeated the White Serpent.”
“His name is Kendrick, isn’t it?”
Sebastian, the Master of the Magic Tower, intended to spread news of Kendrick’s achievement as widely as possible, making the rumors travel even faster.
Realizing that the Magic Tower Master had begun taking an interest in him, Kendrick accepted it, believing it would become the foundation for his future as the next Tower Master.
As stories spread about Kendrick’s handsome appearance and his strength, capable of defeating the White Serpent, people’s attention naturally turned toward him.
Of course, Kendrick wasn’t the only one becoming famous.
“Did you hear? Goodness, Grand Duke Beiden actually got married.”
“I heard his bride is from the Pendragon family.”
At long last, House Beiden was returning to the capital.
Not only that, but the Grand Duke—who had never even made his debut in high society—was returning as a married man.
People would meet the Grand Duchess before they even properly knew the Grand Duke himself.
Interest in Maya Pendragon skyrocketed.
However, the only members of the Pendragon family that people knew were MacGuire, the gambling addict, and his wife.
Not a single person truly knew anything about Maya.
Naturally, curiosity about what kind of person she really was continued to grow.
“I heard she’ll be attending the upcoming banquet.”
People searched for any opportunity to see Maya.
At just the right time, rumors spread that she would attend the banquet hosted by the Emperor.
Since it was an imperial banquet, practically everyone of importance would be there.
With everyone’s attention focused on the event, the rumors surrounding Maya only grew louder.
Even on the road back to the capital, minor monsters occasionally appeared.
Fortunately, they were the sort that ordinary mercenaries or knights could handle without difficulty.
Maya played around with the monsters alongside the White Dragon.
Most of the monsters ended up becoming food for the wyverns they had brought with them.
Though wyverns usually didn’t look particularly gluttonous, their appetites were enormous.
Hunting was worthwhile if only to keep the wyverns fed.
“I don’t want opponents like these!”
The White Dragon cried out dramatically.
Afterward, when they stopped at an inn for the night, Tristan booked a separate room from Maya.
Did he notice that I’d been acting awkward since our conversation?
It was easy for Maya to ask Tristan questions.
But whenever Tristan asked her something, she always found it difficult to answer.
Especially when it involved things she had never experienced.
Just because I’ve lived once before doesn’t mean I’ll be good at everything this time around.
Maya sighed inwardly, wishing she had experienced more during her previous life.
Then again, if she had lived a richer, happier life before…
She probably wouldn’t have wished to return at all.
Maya had always been someone who focused on living in the present.
“You two seem different lately.”
The White Dragon spoke to Maya after she finished her bath.
“Me and Tristan?”
“Yeah. You two look really close.”
“Well, we’re in a contract marriage. We can’t exactly look distant.”
Hearing that they looked close together made Maya happy.
Answering proudly, she was met with another question from the White Dragon.
“But if you’re trying to break the curse, shouldn’t you increase the amount of physical contact?”
“I think so too. But… it’s hard to bring it up when the person involved doesn’t say anything.”
At first, Tristan had seemed willing to do absolutely anything to break the curse.
Yet now he was deliberately taking things slowly as he approached her.
Almost as though he were watching Maya’s reactions.
“You can just tell him you’re okay with it.”
“I know. I could just say it…”
But ever since their previous conversation, expressing her own opinions to Tristan had somehow become difficult.
He looked genuinely hurt.
She hadn’t expected suggesting that he tell her in advance when he found someone he liked would wound him.
“I’m being more careful now.”
Even for Maya, Tristan had become an exception.
“That happens.”
The White Dragon simply nodded without making a big deal out of it.
“By the way, I’ve been feeling really restless lately.”
“The monsters aren’t enough for you, are they?”
“Not unless they’re like the White Serpent.”
After thinking for a moment, Maya asked,
“The White Serpent said it served the Demon King, didn’t it?”
Very little was known about the Demon King’s subordinates.
The Pendragon and Beiden families ultimately served the Emperor.
If their accomplishments became too great, they could threaten imperial authority.
For that reason, the imperial family deliberately downplayed and minimized records of their achievements.
