Chapter 04

The paper rustling inside her clothes was, of course, supposed to be the marriage certificate, but when Tamia pulled it out, she found that it was actually a scrap from a monthly magazine.

“Argh! I guess I didn’t bring the certificate, husband!”

“Here.”

Leon casually pulled the marriage certificate from inside his robe and handed it to the civil servant.

“You dropped it on the way, so I kept it safe.”

“…You get a hundred points.”

Tamia gave Leon a thumbs-up.

She had thought he was merely incredibly strong, but he even had excellent sense.

“Now we can participate in the competition, right? There isn’t any problem, right?!”

“There is no problem, but…”

Just like the priest before him, the civil servant’s face gradually turned pale as he took the marriage certificate.

“J-Just why would someone like this…”

“Shh.”

Leon glared menacingly at the civil servant, who hiccupped and immediately shut his mouth.

“Hic.”

“Now, I think it would be best for us to go and get some rest early if we’re going to participate in the competition tomorrow.”

“You’re even worried about my condition? Thank you so much. I really did choose the right husband!”

“I’ll see you in front of the competition grounds tomorrow morning. You should get going.”

“Okay, husband. Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest, too. Oh, right! I have to go find my words!”

Tamia waved at Leon before quickly disappearing.

Leon let out a deep sigh and approached the civil servant, who was still frozen stiff.

“If rumors spread that an Imperial Prince is participating in the competition, I will hold you responsible.”

A pair of vivid red eyes gleamed with murderous intent from beneath his black hood.

“Y-Yes, Your Highness!”

The civil servant could only nod frantically, his face on the verge of tears.

At last, the day of the competition arrived.

Tamia carefully brushed her long hair, tied it up high, and put on a riding uniform that allowed for easy movement. She also strapped the sword she had bought from Rippel’s blacksmith shop a few days ago to her waist.

She slung her familiar bow across her back and brought a generous supply of arrows as well.

“This should be everything.”

Worried that she might be late for the competition, she rushed to the hunting grounds on the outskirts of the capital immediately after breakfast.

That husband of mine couldn’t possibly have overslept, could he…? Ah, there he is!

Leon had arrived even earlier than Tamia and was waiting for her at the entrance to the competition grounds.

Even from a distance, his tall, striking figure was impossible to miss, along with the muscles he had developed through training.

Unfortunately, that excellent physique was hidden beneath a shabby black robe.

“What are you supposed to be? A criminal? Why do you keep covering your face?”

Tamia approached Leon and poked him in the side.

“If I were a criminal, would you call off the marriage?”

“I wouldn’t mind even if you were a professional assassin. You’re still my husband either way.”

Tamia was confident that she could subdue him in an instant even if her husband turned out to be a highly trained spy sent by an enemy nation.

Besides, her husband’s identity wasn’t important right now.

The most important thing was the prize money!

The prize money!

“All right, then! Let’s go earn those two thousand der!”

In high spirits, Tamia firmly grabbed Leon by the wrist and strode into the competition grounds.

“Why have you been grabbing my wrist since yesterday? Do you normally just grab any man’s wrist like this?”

“What are you talking about? You’re my husband.”

“Even so, we’ll be divorced in just a few—”

“Oh! That must be the waiting area.”

Before Leon could say anything more, Tamia dragged him away.

It was a sight that would have made his aide Kallen faint if he had witnessed it.

‘U-Uaaagh! Your Highness! Is your wrist all right?! Even if you dislike physical contact with other people, please don’t do anything extreme like cutting off your wrist or burning it!’

Leon snorted softly.

If another young lady had behaved like Tamia, Kallen’s concerns might actually have become reality.

Leon Ignatz Valentis, the Second Imperial Prince of the Empire, had a condition.

A severe aversion to women.

Extremely severe.

His declaration that he would never marry a woman who couldn’t exchange at least five blows with him had not been an exaggeration.

He genuinely didn’t even want to face a woman who wasn’t strong enough to fight him to that extent.

And yet, for some reason, he didn’t dislike Tamia’s touch.

She wasn’t merely brushing against him. She had grabbed his wrist so tightly that it felt as though she could break it, yet instead of being uncomfortable, he actually found himself pleased by it.

“What are you doing, husband? Why are you so slow?”

Tamia urged Leon on as he failed to run quite as quickly as she had expected.

“Hurry! We need to get to the front so we can kill even one more monster!”

“Haaah…”

At that same moment, only Count Theodor Arderin’s deep sighs echoed throughout the Arderin estate.

“Why is no one willing to buy the jewels…?”

Several sparkling jewels rested atop his large, rough hand.

It had already been three days since they had suddenly been confronted by debt collectors.

After discussing the matter with his wife, Grita, Theodor had decided to urgently sell several pieces of jewelry first.

Yet strangely enough, none of the jewelry would sell.

‘Goodness, we only sell jewelry. We don’t buy it. Please leave.’

Even when he took them to jewelry shops, everyone merely waved him away.

‘Aren’t these stolen goods? Why are you trying to sell them in such a hurry?’

Some people even openly suspected Theodor.

Desperate, he had eventually gone to the underworld, where under-the-table transactions were common, but even there, no one was willing to buy the Count’s jewelry.

“Dear, don’t worry too much. I’ve already asked my family for help in the meantime…”

Grita was comforting her husband, Theodor, when—

“Ahem. Is Count Arderin here?”

Someone had come looking for Theodor.

“Why, if it isn’t you! Isn’t that Duke Dupont?”

Theodor’s face brightened, and he hurried outside.

“I heard you moved to the capital, but I’ve been so busy that I couldn’t come to visit you. You’ve found yourself quite a nice house.”

“Please, come inside.”

“Shall I?”

Theodor led his guest, Duke Alexis Dupont, into the drawing room.

“Your physique hasn’t changed at all. Monsters would probably flee just from seeing the Count’s appearance.”

“Haha. I simply make sure not to neglect my training as a warrior.”

“I’ve always been grateful to you. Was it seven years ago already? If you hadn’t helped me back then, I might have been killed by those monsters.”

Duke Dupont patted Theodor on the shoulder.

“Not at all. Hunting monsters is my duty.”

Theodor was embarrassed by the praise, but his expression suddenly darkened.

“Actually, Your Grace, I’ve been meaning to visit you.”

“You wanted to see me?”

Duke Dupont raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Didn’t Your Grace advise me to purchase a townhouse in the capital? You also recommended a financial institution to me.”

“I did.”

“But the financial institution you recommended… seems to be a rather strange place. I hadn’t even had the money for very long when they suddenly notified me that I had to repay one thousand der immediately.”

Duke Dupont rested his chin on his hand and looked over the Count with an amused expression.

“Hmm. That shouldn’t have happened. Are you certain you haven’t misunderstood something, Count?”

Theodor lowered his head awkwardly.

“No. The debt collectors have already come to my estate. They said that if I don’t repay one thousand der within a week, they’ll seize my mansion in my territory…”

After hearing the circumstances, Duke Dupont clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. It seems things have become rather difficult for you. As you know, Imperial law is quite strict toward those who owe money. Unfortunately, I think it would be best for you to repay the debt by whatever means necessary.”

“Could you… help me?”

Theodor swallowed his pride and bowed his head.

“Strangely enough, all my sources of funding have suddenly dried up.”

“In that case, Count…”

Duke Dupont smiled slyly before continuing.

“Your daughter is twenty-two this year, isn’t she? Have you perhaps considered marrying her off?”

“Marriage?”

Theodor raised his head in bewilderment at the unexpected proposal.

“Ahem. My son, Chris, seems to have taken an interest in your daughter.”

“What?”

“I’m suggesting that our families become in-laws. If you agree, I’ll not only pay the one thousand der, but I’ll also pay off every bit of debt you incurred purchasing this townhouse.”

“That…”

Theodor was at a loss for words.

Come to think of it, seven years ago, when he had rescued the Duke, his son Chris had seemed to take an interest in Tamia.

But at the time, both of them had only been fourteen or fifteen years old, so Theodor hadn’t paid much attention to it.

“Your Grace, I believe that is something I must ask my daughter about first.”

When Theodor did not readily accept the Duke’s proposal, Duke Dupont’s expression turned cold.