YSLM 03

Chapter 3

“Indeed, you truly live up to your reputation as the gentleman among gentlemen, Sir Oscar. But there is one more thing I must confess.”

Feeling her mouth go completely dry, Lea said the first thing that came to her mind.

“I actually have a very serious drinking habit.”

“Drinking habit…?”

“I mean, when I drink alcohol and get drunk. Whenever I get drunk, I grab onto anyone nearby and cry my eyes out—”

“That sounds like a rather cute drinking habit.”

“Crying is only the beginning.”

Now words that had not passed through her brain began spilling out on their own.

“After that, I do a handstand. I lean against the wall, count to thirty, and then clap with my feet…”

“Wait a moment.”

Thanks to Oscar’s quick understanding, Lea no longer had to continue humiliating herself.

“It seems that you wish for me to withdraw the marriage proposal, Lady Lea. However, that is not possible. Our marriage is an important promise made between our two families.”

As expected, he was not an easy opponent.

In the end, Lea chose the direct approach.

“I don’t want to do it. This marriage.”

Oscar’s eyes widened.

“Lady Lea—”

“You said this before. Sir Oscar, you wanted to approach me through a strict give-and-take relationship, like a business deal. That was also the reason I accepted this marriage proposal in the first place.”

Oscar’s firm eyes shook for a moment.

“……Then why?”

“My feelings changed. If this is truly a business deal, then unless I have received a contract payment, I should be able to cancel it whenever I want, right?”

“Wait, Lady Lea.”

Lea had no intention of giving up the advantage she had finally gained.

“I apologize for changing such an important decision. I will take my leave now.”

As she left behind Oscar’s confused expression and whispered the teleportation spell inside her mouth—

“Lea, you brat! What on earth are you doing?!”

Lea lightly answered her troublesome older brother’s voice.

“Shut up, Raymond!”

Raymond stared blankly at her back as she disappeared brightly into the shining magic circle.

A little dizziness, a blurry vision, and a slight feeling of nausea.

All of them were side effects of sudden teleportation magic.

“Ah, my head.”

As Lea looked around, a familiar scene entered her sight.

A vast garden stretching as far as her eyes could see, and a magnificent mansion as grand as a royal palace.

‘This place is…….’

The heir of the Tillman family, the richest family in the kingdom, and the “King of Patents” who possessed dozens of magic engineering patents.

Kevin Tillman.

This was where her childhood friend of ten years lived.

“Are you Lady Lea?”

The gatekeeper guarding the entrance immediately recognized her and let her inside.

Lea was guided to a guest reception room and received the finest treatment while waiting for Kevin to arrive.

‘He said he had just returned from a long business trip to the Nawita Kingdom.’

After finishing her tea, Lea stood up and approached the window.

At that moment.

“Lea!”

The door suddenly opened, and Kevin rushed in before wrapping his arms around her tightly.

His firm chest touched her face. A sweet scent tickled her nose.

Lea naturally leaned into his embrace.

If another man had done this, she would have immediately punched him in the jaw.

But Kevin was different from other men.

‘Because Kevin is different.’

He did not see her as a woman, nor did he have even the slightest hidden intention.

He was her true best friend.

Only after a while did Kevin let her go.

“You should have sent word before coming. I just returned from my trip, so I look terrible.”

“Terrible……?”

Lea looked up at Kevin.

With a height close to 190 centimeters and broad shoulders, he had a masculine figure.

Yet, unlike his strong body, his beautiful face had delicate features.

This mysterious and attractive man could probably earn the title of “the kingdom’s greatest handsome man” even while wearing only a wrinkled shirt and trousers.

Kevin’s eyes curved into a crescent shape.

“If I had known you were coming, I would have dressed up properly.”

“Well, you didn’t have to go that far……”

“Of course, I know you already think I look handsome even without doing that.”

Perhaps because of his ridiculous joke, Lea lost her tension and let out a small laugh.

“You’re finally smiling.”

“What?”

“No, your expression was just too dark.”

Kevin carefully guided Lea to a comfortable chair in front of the table.

“Did something bad happen?”

At those words, Lea told him everything that had happened.

Her brother’s private debt.

The arrival of the debt collectors.

The threat of not only confiscating the mansion but also selling her into slavery.

The marriage proposal that arrived at the perfect moment.

The appearance of Oscar Donan.

‘And then…….’

No matter how close they were, saying that she had died and returned one year into the past would be difficult to believe.

Leaving that part out, Lea finished her explanation.

Kevin immediately responded.

“So you’re saying you didn’t reject the marriage proposal like you normally would have?”

Kevin understood quickly.

The financial laws of the Maclin Kingdom were famous for strictly collecting debts.

Even if it meant making the remaining family members carry the responsibility.

But looking at it another way, it meant that if a direct family member, including a husband, paid it, the debt could be cleared.

‘But now I can’t even accept Oscar’s proposal.’

If she did not marry, she would become a slave.

If she married, she would go to the afterlife.

Her situation was so hopeless that she could only sigh.

“Yes. But now I don’t know what I should do.”

Kevin thought for a moment, then smiled.

“Then marry me.”

Lea almost spat out the tea in her mouth.

“……What?”

“Let’s get married. Why are you so surprised?”

“Kevin, don’t joke around. This is serious.”

“I’m serious too.”

The smile instantly disappeared from Kevin’s face.

His eyes became completely serious.

“What do you mean……”

“You said if you don’t pay the debt, you’ll become a slave. But you can’t borrow more money, and I or those foolish mages can’t just pay it for you.”

“Yeah.”

“Then there is only one choice.”

Kevin pointed at himself.

“If I marry you, I become your direct family member, right? Then I can pay everything at once and this ends with a simple happy ending.”

“……Well, technically, you’re not wrong.”

“Not just technically. It works in reality too.”

When Lea did not answer, Kevin narrowed his eyes.

“You’re not seriously considering marrying that Oscar Donan or whatever his name is, are you?”

“Huh?”

Kevin’s expression became colder than ice.

Lea felt slightly guilty inside.

‘Did I only seriously consider it? I even lived as his wife for one year after returning to the past.’

In her previous life, when Kevin learned that she had accepted Oscar’s proposal, his reaction had been shocking.

First came shock.

Then anger like a raging fire.

Finally, despair.

After Lea married Oscar, she and Kevin became so distant that they were practically strangers.

Remembering those memories, Lea shook her head.

“That’s not it, but…… Kevin, I’ve already received too much help from you until now.”

The playful expression disappeared from Kevin’s face.

“Are you really calling a marriage proposal a ‘favor’ so naturally?”

“If it isn’t a favor, then what is it? Because my situation is difficult, you’re saying you’ll marry me and pay my debt. But that’s too much. Marriage is an important matter, and doing it for such a reason—”

“A contract marriage.”

Tap, tap.

Kevin lightly tapped the table with his long, thick fingers.

“If a normal marriage is too much, how about a contract marriage?”

Lea opened her eyes wide as if asking what he meant.

Kevin snapped his fingers.

Snap!

A single sheet of paper appeared in the air and slowly fell onto the table.

[Marriage Contract]

“A contract?”

“It’s apparently popular in the capital these days.”

Kevin nodded and continued.

“It’s a simple version, but it still has everything necessary. It has legal power.”

“With this, it isn’t too excessive?”

“Exactly.”

“A three-year contract. Isn’t that fine?”

“Hmm.”

Was it merely fine?

It was the best possible condition.

Not only would her problem be solved, but Kevin was a friend who understood her perfectly.

Even living together would likely not cause any problems.

Besides, he had a rather ‘unique preference,’ didn’t he?

For her, he was the safest possible choice.

‘But I never heard it directly from him.’

After thinking for a while, Lea hesitantly spoke.

“But what if you…… see me as a woman—”

“Ah. I understand what you mean.”

Watching her become embarrassed, Kevin smiled.

“Don’t worry, Lea.”

“Hmm?”

“I think I might be the safest man in the world for you.”

“……Really?”

“Of course. A safe and harmless man. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Lea’s face brightened.

‘So the rumors were true after all.’

Kevin, who was considered the kingdom’s greatest marriage prospect, had rejected countless approaches from beautiful women and marriage proposals.

Because of this, the gossipers of Maclin’s social circles often said:

‘Sir Kevin is either impotent or interested in men. Isn’t that the reason?’

Kevin looked out the window and continued casually.

“I also need someone to marry.”

“Really?”

“Sir Herbert and Lady Constance are obvious. Now even the head butler Theodore and the old gardener are joining in and telling me to get married.”

Sir Herbert and Lady Constance.

Lea remembered hearing before that Kevin’s parents often pressured him about marriage.

Even someone as stubborn and firm as Kevin would not be able to remain unmarried forever considering his social position.

‘So that’s why he wants to have a fake marriage with me.’

Lea’s heart had already moved more than halfway.

“Then if you feel too burdened…”

Kevin smiled and held out a quill.

With his finger, he pointed at the “special conditions” section at the bottom of the contract.

“You can add one condition that benefits me and repay your feeling of debt toward me.”

Because of those words, Lea completely fell for it.