I Ended Up Snatching a Marriage With the Male Lead! - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I’d gone and married the male lead on impulse.
Chapter 13

“How would you feel about becoming a tutor?”
“A tutor?”
The unexpected proposal made Emilia’s eyes widen slightly.
“The child you rescued back then wants to learn the Imperial Language, and I realized you’d be perfect for the job. Of course, room and board will be provided.”
At that, Emilia rolled her eyes in thought.
‘Coincidence, or what?’
In truth, the moment she’d received her meager weekly wages, she’d bought a Hiprian grammar book.
Even in the Capital, relevant texts were scarce, so she’d gone from bookshop to bookshop hunting for them.
Of course, studying Hiprian offered no practical help in her current predicament.
And yet, thinking of Ivan—who’d clung to her that day while thanking her—she’d carved out time to flip through the book here and there, exhausted as she was after work.
Emilia glanced sideways at Kaiden and considered.
He’d made the offer unknowingly, certainly enough—
‘but teaching is something I’ve always been rather confident about.’
Wasn’t that what she’d been doing for the past several years?
And with room and board covered, it couldn’t be better.
“I’ll do it, then.”
After brief deliberation, Emilia nodded her assent.
“Excellent. Starting tomorrow, come to my residence—”
“Wait! Ivan was at your residence the whole time?”
Emilia’s head snapped up.
Kaiden replied with visible bewilderment at her sudden reaction.
“Is there some reason the child shouldn’t be at my residence?”
“…No, not exactly.”
Emilia trailed off her words as she answered.
Teaching as a tutor in his residence, of all places.
‘That would mean getting tangled up with the male lead.’
For a moment she considered refusing.
She had no desire to become deeply entangled with Kaiden or any of the novel’s major figures.
But Kaiden pressed her, whether oblivious to her hesitation or not.
“If there’s no particular issue, shall we draw up a contract at once?”
He intended to hire her into his household and compensate her under the guise of severance pay.
It was far better than simply providing her with a servant’s reference letter and sending her on her way.
“Come directly to the residence. I’ll send a carriage to fetch you.”
Otherwise, who knew where she’d disappear to next?
“Ah, no… that is…”
But the woman’s expression was odd again.
“I think I could just find my own way there…”
“Why now, of all times?”
Kaiden asked in a voice that had grown slightly stiff.
He was beginning to suspect she was planning to disappear again.
Emilia glanced up at him.
‘This will cause a scene.’
A noble’s carriage appearing where she’d been staying would certainly draw unwanted attention.
Though embarrassed, Emilia resigned herself to explaining the fundamental problem.
“The truth is… I don’t have a home.”
“Wait. Explain that in detail.”
“Well, that is…”
Emilia ended up telling him the whole story from beginning to end.
Kaiden swallowed and swept a hand across his brow.
“So you’re telling me you’ve been sleeping rough on the streets until now?”
He summarized her situation with remarkable brevity.
“…No, you don’t have to be so blunt about it.”
Emilia protested timidly.
She’d tried to soften the truth, yet here he was, rubbing salt in the wound with such directness.
“Could you perhaps show a little compassion for the victim’s painful circumstances? I’m not exactly sleeping on bare pavement, you know.”
She recalled the makeshift tent where she’d been staying temporarily.
“A home is really just a roof to keep out the rain and a place to lie down, isn’t it?”
Though admittedly the conditions were rather dire, she was grateful enough for even that much in her current straits.
At Emilia’s unreasonable words, Kaiden inwardly clicked his tongue.
‘What reckless thinking.’
Then again, a reckless woman would throw herself into saving a complete stranger without hesitation.
“If such a thing had happened, you should have come to me at once—”
Wasn’t that the obvious solution?
But in that moment, as Kaiden was about to continue, he closed his mouth.
Clearly, she would never have dreamed of seeking him out.
“…Never mind.”
In the end, he shook his head with an uncomfortable expression.
As Kaiden trailed off mid-sentence, Emilia tilted her head in confusion.
But noticing his expression seemed complicated, she didn’t press further.
“Any injuries?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you injured anywhere?”
Emilia answered with a somewhat sheepish expression.
“No. Fortunately, it happened while I was out.”
Kaiden studied her complexion. There was unmistakable fatigue etched across her face.
‘And yet she calls it fortunate.’
“The Capital is less safe than you might assume. Abductions occur with disturbing frequency.”
“Abductions?”
Emilia’s eyes went wide.
“Yes. Hundreds of people disappear from the Capital each year alone.”
“Ah…”
As if realizing this for the first time, her expression darkened.
“I’d rather not file a missing person report as the first step to hiring a tutor, so let’s head to the residence now.”
Kaiden drove his point home like a wedge and rose to his feet.
“Come along.”
“Wait!”
Emilia, who’d been sitting dazed, hurried after him.

* * *

They arrived at a corner not far from the Plaza.
There stood a single carriage, waiting alone.
At that moment, the carriage door flew open.
“My lord! Where on earth were you rushing off to so suddenly… eh?”
The one inside was Herald, the bewildered aide who’d been abandoned.
His eyes widened in astonishment—he’d been about to pour out complaints to his superior, who’d suddenly leapt from the moving carriage and vanished.
He’d spotted a woman peeking out from behind Kaiden.
“You… from back then!”
“Hello. It’s good to see you again.”
Emilia offered an awkward smile in greeting.
“Get out of the way.”
Kaiden gave a curt command, bending back Herald’s raised finger.
“Ow! That hurts!”
Herald clutched his finger and shot a reproachful look.
Kaiden shoved him aside regardless and claimed the seat next to him.
“Get in.”
Emilia was about to board at Kaiden’s gesture when she hesitated.
She’d noticed two men squeezed onto a single bench.
Herald was on the lean side, admittedly—
‘Wouldn’t it be more reasonable for me to sit with Herald rather than have two grown men crammed together like that?’
But Emilia merely shrugged.
‘Well, if they’re not uncomfortable with it…’
The moment Kaiden shut the door himself, the carriage lurched into motion.
‘Hmm.’
Still, the sight of the two men sitting with shoulders pressed together was rather awkward.
“I heard back then that you were heading for the Capital, but I never expected to meet you again like this.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
Emilia responded with a smile as Herald spoke with evident delight.
While she was exchanging pleasantries with Herald, a low voice suddenly interjected.
“So where is it?”
“Pardon?”
Emilia turned to look up at Kaiden.
“Where you’ve been staying. The place you’re… residing.”
“Ah! Well, there’s an empty lot behind the Plaza…”
He seemed to have softened his word just now, but she let it pass.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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