Chapter 11
If it had been the usual Curtis, he would have already executed Chloe on the spot and ended it. But this man had managed to broker a ceasefire with three different kingdoms. That alone showed how calculating and patient he could be when it served his goals.
No matter how angry he was, disposing of Chloe now would be foolish. If he did that, he would have no choice but to go to Glyntrand—something he had worked hard to avoid.
So, Curtis forced himself to stay calm and asked again, “Fine. I won’t deny you’ve caught me in a weak position.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“That wasn’t a compliment. Let me ask you one thing. What exactly do you gain from all this? What do you want out of putting me through this service review?”
Money? Fame? Revenge? Curtis’s tone was cold, but the frustration was barely hidden.
Chloe sensed it too. She paused, choosing her words carefully before speaking.
“First of all, I think it’ll be fun.”
“What…”
“There’s a certain satisfaction in turning the tables on a superior who used to punish everyone with collective discipline.”
Curtis was speechless.
“Or maybe it’s payback for that time I had to follow you to a banquet on my day off, only to end up on the king’s bad side.”
The absurdity made him laugh out loud. All this, just for that?
Chloe didn’t miss the flicker of emotion on his face.
“Are you thinking, ‘All this just for that?'”
Curtis shot back sharply.
“Isn’t it? You’ve been in the military long enough. Ever heard of following orders? If you had such a problem with discipline, how did you even survive this long?”
Chloe met his glare with one of her own.
“Let me ask you something, sir. In our current relationship, who’s the one in a higher position?”
She stood up and took a step closer. Curtis flinched involuntarily. It was rare to see her like this—direct and intense, with pink eyes staring straight at him.
“Yes, your rank is higher. But it seems you don’t understand what marriage actually means.”
He tried to lean back, but she had already backed away and sat down again.
“What are you saying? That if I marry you, I become your subordinate?”
“The law says married couples are equal, yes.”
Chloe leaned back into the sofa, lifting her hands like scales.
“I mentioned earlier that it helps to be specific in negotiations. But there’s something more important: making proposals that consider the other person’s position.”
Curtis cleared his throat as he sat across from her. Chloe waited and continued.
“You want me to become your wife in name, to take the brunt of the king’s criticism. And you’re willing to compensate me for it.”
“And?”
“But doesn’t that include my family? Marriage is the union of families, not just individuals.”
Curtis froze. Chloe glanced at him and went on.
“If you understand that, then let me ask: Are you willing to include my entire family in this contract and compensate them too?”
She wasn’t actually asking for her family to be hired. Curtis understood what she really meant.
Why had he hesitated to choose her in the first place? Because the Ambroise family was of embarrassingly low status.
He was already unpopular with the king. Marrying her would invite even more ridicule. But the worst that could happen to Curtis was being mocked.
Her family, on the other hand, would face a storm.
If navy officer Chloe Ambroise became Chloe von Berg, her whole family would be dragged into chaos: gossip, attention, invitations, scrutiny.
“By the way, I have three younger siblings. None of them are married or even finished with school.”
Curtis said nothing. Of course, her family would become targets for everything: scandal, political attacks, maybe even threats. Being thrust into the spotlight wasn’t a blessing—it was a disaster.
It was something he had overlooked. A mistake born of being born too high to understand what lay below.
“Do you remember earlier today when I told you I didn’t have a dress for the banquet?”
“I remember.”
“It’s not just about money. My siblings don’t even know how to greet high-ranking nobles. Families like ours never need to.”
Curtis sighed. Chloe continued, her voice steady.
“I joined the military at eighteen for the paycheck. I wanted to pay my younger brother’s tuition and help me marry off my sisters to decent families.”
“…”
“I became your aide so that my second sister could also attend university.”
Chloe Ambroise was the breadwinner of a poor family holding onto a minor hereditary title. A family without land or wealth. Her siblings valued education over etiquette.
“If I go through with this fake marriage, it’s not just about the money. I have to drag my innocent siblings into a world we’ve never imagined.”
Curtis had read the files, but hearing it directly was different.
“Honestly, I don’t want to do it—no matter how much you pay me. But thanks to your actions today, I no longer have a choice.”
“I’ll make sure your family is protected.”
Chloe shook her head.
“I’ll say it again: you’re asking me for a favor. And I expect more than just vague promises.”
“Like what?”
“At the very least, in this marriage—no, this contract—I want it clear that I’m the one in charge.”
“In charge?”
“You think I endure those late nights for you?”
Sometimes a dumb question is the best way to get a clear answer. Curtis sighed.
“You’re not asking for a promotion, are you?”
“The only way I outrank you is if I become queen.”
“…Good luck hanging on the gallows with your siblings.”
Curtis rubbed his forehead. He was tired.
“So, you want me to show through my actions that you’re in charge during this contract.”
“Exactly.”
Her logic was razor-sharp. Curtis felt oddly clear-headed.
He had just asked a woman to marry him, without fully understanding what she would have to sacrifice. And now, she was asking him to show that he was willing to come down from his pedestal.
You want me to do this? Then prove it.
Show me you’re ready to step down and play the subordinate in this marriage—because what I lose from this arrangement, I can never get back.
He had doubted her sanity just moments ago. But now, he found himself fully convinced.
Not only that, he trusted she would carry out this contract exactly as needed.
A power reversal?
As far as Curtis was concerned, if you treated it like any other contract, it was a fair deal.
****
Chloe had one thought:
“Wow, I really bluffed my way through that.”
She had acted on impulse, using the idea of revenge and a service inspection to provoke him—and it had actually worked.
