Chapter 8

As Isabelle reflected on Lix’s character, the final memory that surfaced in her mind was when they shared wine after her swim in the valley. With her body trembling from the cool water, Isabelle grabbed the bottle of wine. After a while, Lix returned with a large, plush towel and wrapped it around her. He was shocked when she unhesitatingly popped the cork open.

“Isabelle, have you had alcohol before?”

“No, but it’s cold, and the adults who come to the temple to pray for repentance say that drinking increases body temperature.”

“That’s probably not what they meant.”

“What about you? Have you drank alcohol before?”

Lix thought for a moment before shaking his head. This meant it was their first time drinking. With glistening eyes, Isabelle held the bottle by its neck.

“I’ll take a sip first.”

“You’re going to drink straight from the bottle?”

“I forgot to bring glasses. Anyway, it’s all the same once it’s in your stomach.”

That night, Isabelle had a strange experience. She had only taken a few sips, but her body warmed noticeably. She couldn’t control her thoughts, and the world spun. She still couldn’t remember what happened after she got so intoxicated.

When she came to her senses, it was pitch black around her. If it hadn’t been for Lix’s arm that she was using as a pillow, she would’ve trembled in fear. There was one more strange thing. Lix’s gaze seemed much kinder than before, even though he wasn’t drunk.

“Isabelle, are you awake?”

“Ugh, my head hurts. Why are we lying in the field? We were in the valley earlier.”

“Don’t you remember?”

Isabelle tilted her head. If he had been any other man, she would’ve been concerned enough to check if she was dressed properly, but he was someone with neither a sexual drive nor a desire for romance. Therefore, there was no need to panic.

He’s asking if I remember anything, so something important must have happened.

Isabelle recalled the stories that people shared about the things they did in their drunken haze. Some people pulled the hair of those they hated, while others simply threw up on the side of the road. Some people unknowingly lent money to others, and some got regretful after divulging a secret while under the influence of alcohol. By this point, Isabelle was more worried about Lix, who had been the one to deal with her inebriated self.

“Lix, by any chance, did I hit you?”

“I guess you really don’t remember. Isabelle, you’re a real lightweight.” Lix laughed bitterly.

Isabelle clammed up, feeling even more guilty. There was a long period of silence. Lix might have been upset that she had no recollection of what happened, but he didn’t push her away. Instead, he urged her to scoot closer to him because it was getting colder.

With her head on his arm, she gazed up at the night sky and murmured, “I wish a shooting star would appear tonight.”

“Is there a wish you want to make?”

“To not be alone.”

“You’re not alone right now, though. Are you saying I don’t count because I’m not a man to you?”

He sounded resentful for some reason. Isabelle turned her head to look at her childhood friend’s face.

“You’re right. It’d be nice if you stayed by my side forever too.”

He was silent, and Isabelle saw his Adam’s apple move. She smiled as she grabbed Lix’s hand lightly.

“Lix, are you interested in becoming a priest?”

“What?”

“I live in a temple. If you become a priest, you can stay with me for a long time. I think it’d be perfect because you have no sexual drive or interest in women.”

Lix’s mouth moved open and shut, but no words came out. After a while, he asked in bewilderment, “You said you’re not going to be a saint because you don’t want to wear only dark gray clothes all your life.”

“I’m not fit to be a saint. You have to be pure in body and mind to be one. I’m tainted.”

“So you don’t intend to remain pure for the rest of your life?” Lix’s voice was so low, and his breath tickled her face, causing Isabelle to laugh.

“Well, yeah. Even if an impure woman could become a saint, I refuse to be one. I have to get married.”

“What?” Lix dramatically cried out, which wasn’t like him at all. When he abruptly sat up, Isabelle’s head hit the ground.

“Owww...”

“You’re getting married? To whom? Is there someone on your mind?”

“It’s only an idea for now. My future husband will be... a moderately tall, handsome man.”

Lix regained his composure and lay on the grass. “Tall and handsome, huh?” He mused over the two words. “Anything else?”

Lix was acting a little strange. Isabelle thought he disliked discussing other people’s ideal types or romantic experiences, but he was actually interested in knowing hers. For some reason, she was tempted to see his serious expression, so she blurted out conditions that could only be found in novels.

“I want him to show up wearing a mask on our first meeting and save me from danger. And I’d prefer it if he covered just his necessary body parts when sleeping.”

“Is that any different from sleeping naked?”

“Of course. Wearing less clothing is more provocative than wearing nothing at all.”

“That means he has to have a nice body too.”

“That’s right. Oh, I hope he smells like soap. When he comes out of the shower, he’ll have a towel around his waist. On our first night, we won’t sleep at all. We’ll break the bed doing it.”

Despite the absurd conditions, Lix nodded steadily. The more demanding her conditions became, the more pleased he looked.

In the end, after running out of ideas, Isabelle said, “This is the most important thing. Aside from meeting all those conditions, he also has to be competent.”

“Competent, huh...? That might be a little difficult.”

Isabelle felt a sense of satisfaction at having broken his optimism. Grinning, she continued to spout nonsense.

“That’s right. My future husband has to be the most competent man in the empire.”

“In the empire?”

Isabelle nodded brazenly. Lix hated it whenever other kids brought up such topics, so she was glad that he was actively listening to her.

“Don’t marry unless you find a man like that.”

“Of course,” Isabelle replied coyly before looking at the sky again. She didn’t see any shooting stars like she’d hoped to, but on that particular day, the stars looked so close together that it was as if they were raining down.

A few days later, the record-breaking heat ended. That was when Duke Cardiego officially challenged House Pilsburg for the emperor seat, which the latter had been holding on to precariously.

***

After recalling the past, Isabelle came to a simple conclusion. Lix didn’t meet any of her ideal husband’s criteria. In particular, he was far from capable. Every time he came to visit Isabelle, he had a different job.

Why did he get vocational training for half a year then? I had a rough time during those days because I missed him so much.

It was then that Isabelle realized there would still be a problem even if he showed up tomorrow and agreed to the marriage. She liked his clumsy and ridiculously naive personality, but he wasn’t the best choice for a husband.

I’ll provide for him, I guess. I’m sure I can make as much money as him.

Isabelle scribbled something on a small piece of paper that was neither a letter nor a note.

—Lix, I’ll make sure you get three meals a day, so don’t worry.

Even if it wasn’t a marriage that both sides wanted, and they were strapped for money, it would be fun to live together in the same house.

I wonder how Sister Maria will react.

Isabelle had never thought of Lix as a man, but she felt cozy and peaceful when she used his arm as a pillow or when he embraced her with his large frame. Years of fake marriage wouldn’t be a bad thing if he felt the same way.

If I have to fake-marry someone, it has to be with Lix. He’s who I feel most comfortable with.

Unfortunately, there was no time to deliver her little note to him. She folded the paper roughly, put it in the corner of her desk, and went to bed.

***

I didn’t expect Isabelle to catch wind of the rumors about my inability to perform in bed.

Lix stepped out of the carriage with furrowed eyebrows. As he went down the steps and onto the ground, the servants of Cardiego Castle bowed their heads to greet their master.

He walked past them and turned to his butler.

“Bill, dispatch someone to the temple to investigate the priests. I’ve received a tip about human trafficking.”

“Yes, Your Highness. What should I do if it’s true?”

Lix would usually order for them to be killed, but he paused for a moment. He knew Isabelle wouldn’t want to witness such a terrible scene.

“Take care of it without attracting attention from anyone in the temple. Actually, we’d better send reapers.”

Reapers from the Underworld? Bill, the butler, was astute as usual and immediately knew something serious had happened. Lix continued to give instructions concisely.

“Bill, have you found Sister Maria?”

“I apologize, Your Highness. I’ve been scouring the empire, but there’s no trace of her.”

“We can’t rule out the possibility that she hid on purpose. Do whatever you can to bring her back.”

House Cardiego was a family that used the power of the Underworld. The head of such a family could not have been interested in the temple. There was only one reason why he would do something so odd.

It must be related to her.

As Lix’s closest servant, Bill was aware of Isabelle’s identity and existence, but he never even dared think about her name. Duke Cardiego remembered only the first syllable of his servants’ names because he was too lazy to pronounce the whole thing.

The butler also had a wonderful name—Billian—that his parents had given him after a lot of thought, but his master merely called him Bill. The duke wouldn’t allow someone whose name was only a syllable long to speak Isabelle’s full name.

“Oh, and...”

Bill stopped wallowing in his own bitterness and turned his attention to his master. At first, he thought he was seeing things. The duke rarely showed any sort of emotion or warmth on his face, but he was currently sporting a faint blush. A chill ran down Bill’s spine. There was only one occasion when the duke had such an expression on his face.

Which family does he want to get rid of this time...?

However, the words that came out of his master’s mouth completely caught him off guard.

“Prepare a banquet.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Are you going to make me repeat myself? I don’t care how much it will cost; the budget isn’t an issue. This can’t wait, so make sure it’s done on schedule.”

This was the first time the duke had ordered the preparation of a banquet. Bill stifled his gnawing curiosity and closed his mouth. Given the haste, it most likely had something to do with the three-syllable-name girl. Ignoring Bill’s bewilderment, Lix ran a hand over Isabelle’s necklace and the fake marriage contract hidden on his person.

“Someone proposed to me, and I have no intention of refusing.”

At his unexpected announcement, Cardiego Castle’s servants, including the butler, gaped at him.