I Ended Up Snatching a Marriage With the Male Lead! - Chapter 18

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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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She’d rushed into a marriage with the male lead.
Chapter 18

‘Capital Guards?’
At the man’s words, Emilia faltered for a moment.
Her eyes swept over the clothes he was wearing once more.
Then she opened her mouth slowly.
“You’re equally suspicious, if you ask me.”
“What? Me?”
The man raised an eyebrow.
“You’re lying.”
Emilia fixed him with a direct stare, her eyes hardening.
“You’re not with the Capital Guards, are you?”
For an instant, the man’s eyelid twitched.
“……Why would you think that?”
Emilia gestured at the insignia attached to his Knight Uniform.
“Naturally, because of that uniform you’re wearing.”
More precisely, it was because of the insignia pattern sewn onto the Knight Uniform he wore and the color of the embroidery thread on the shoulder board.
This was not the current standard uniform.
‘That’s an outdated design.’
Being this close, she could examine the clothes carefully—and she’d noticed.
After all, she’d compiled the Legal Summary with illustrations of the uniforms and insignia of the Royal Guard and other palace knight orders, including the Capital Guards. What did he take her for?
Cedric had even drawn them painstakingly because he couldn’t memorize them otherwise.
And according to regulations, the old uniform could only be worn alongside the new one for a maximum of six months.
But it had been over a year since the Capital Guards’ uniform changed.
‘Either he used to work for the Capital Guards, or he stole the uniform and is impersonating one.’
Either way, the man clearly was not currently a member of the Capital Guards.
“Am I wrong?”
After hearing her explanation, the man laughed and rubbed his head in surrender.
“You’re hilarious, you know that? How on earth did you figure that out?”
He let out an incredulous laugh and straightened up.
Emilia’s chin naturally rose to meet his gaze.
“So we’re both suspicious people. Why don’t we just let it slide?”
He shrugged lightly.
Then he extended his hand toward her, gesturing for her to take it and stand.
“Come on.”
But Emilia only narrowed her eyes, her gaze wary.
The man waggled his hand impatiently.
“Hurry up? We need to get back up there together.”
At his urging, Emilia unclenched her fists and took his hand.
“Hmm?”
In that instant, Lucas made a puzzled sound at the texture of the woman’s hand.
He’d expected her palm to feel soft and delicate, but instead it was rough and coarse.
After helping her to her feet, he examined his own palm.
His hand came away smudged with dirt.
Naturally, his eyes drifted to the spot where the woman had been sitting.
“Don’t tell me…”
Upon noticing the shallow grooves dug into the earth on either side, Lucas broke into uncontrollable laughter.
“Pfft-haha! Were you seriously planning to attack me with dirt?”
At the man’s burst of laughter, Emilia’s face flushed crimson in an instant.
Emilia bit her lip and stomped the ground flat again with her feet.
The man showed no sign of stopping his laughter.
“Stop laughing!”
“No, come on—even so, that’s far too pathetic.”
“Pathetic? Dirt in the eye can cause blindness.”
“Ah yes, terrifying.”
He released his grip on his stomach and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.
Then he tried to clean her hands.
“That’s enough. You’re not applying medicine to a self-inflicted wound.”
“Still, your hands are in no state—”
“……I’m not really a lady anyway, so it’s fine.”
She rubbed her hands roughly on her clothes to dry them. The man watched this closely before speaking.
“Then what should I call you instead of ‘lady’?”
To his question, Emilia replied curtly.
“We’re not likely to meet again anyway, so what does it matter?”
“How cold. I gave you my name.”
His voice carried a note of disappointment.
“That’s because you told me on your own.”
“Hmm. Then should I call you ‘a penniless girl with no family and no money,’ as you described yourself?”
“…….”
When she shot him a glare, he smiled prettily, lips curving upward.
“It’s Emilia.”
Emilia had no choice but to open her mouth.
If she didn’t tell him her name, he really would call her that.
“What a cute name.”
“It’s just ordinary.”
Despite her terse reply, he chuckled.
“Well then, now that we’ve introduced ourselves properly. Let me actually get you back up now.”

* * *

Fortunately, the man named Lucas didn’t cause further trouble and escaped the Mana Sinkhole without incident.
Though he did carry her like a sack of grain tucked under his arm.
On the way back to the empty lot behind the Plaza on horseback, the only trouble was that he kept prying into her personal details.
“So where’s your home?”
“That empty lot from earlier.”
“What kind of lie is this?”
“It’s the truth. My house is in that collapsed building, so that’s my home now.”
“What?”
Lucas let out a sigh as if he’d understood something, then gave an annoyed laugh.
Of course, she’d only moved there a few hours ago.
But there was no reason to tell this suspicious man about that.
“Well, I need to head back anyway because of work.”
“What work? You’re not even with the Capital Guards.”
“I’m not with the Capital Guards, but I am a knight. And we even have a curfew, you know?”
Seeing the disbelief in Emilia’s eyes, Lucas spoke with a hint of frustration.
“I’m serious. I’ll make sure to relay the information you gave me, so trust me a little, won’t you?”
“Yes, well. I’ll trust you.”
Emilia gave him a vague answer.
‘I’ll have to visit Duncan again later.’
Watching the woman as she seemed eager to be rid of him, Lucas reached out his hand.
“Then go ahead. I…”
As she was about to shoo him away, she suddenly felt a light tug at her hair.
Turning back, she saw her hair slipping through his fingers.
And his hand was near her lips.
“What did you just do?”
“Just a parting gesture?”
The man wore an enigmatic smile.

* * *

After Lucas departed, Emilia headed for the streets to catch a Public Carriage.
The sky was already growing dark.
She longed to return to the Mansion and sink into a soft bed.
As she trudged forward on weary legs—
“Where have you been?”
A low, ominous voice called out from somewhere.
‘What?’
Emilia’s eyes widened as she turned around.
The voice belonged to none other than Caiden.
“Why are you here?”
Emilia’s voice came out bewildered.
At this, Caiden’s face crumpled in displeasure.
Why? Naturally, because of the woman who’d promised from her own mouth that she’d wait quietly at the Mansion.
He’d returned to the Mansion earlier than planned.
When he found only an empty Mansion instead of the woman who was supposed to be there, his shock had been immense.
So on a whim, he’d made his way back to that squalid Tent and its surroundings, only to find no woman—just a circle of grim-faced women ready to greet him.
“Ah, so you had business in this area.”
As he recalled his schedule, the woman jumped to the wrong conclusion, satisfying herself with her own reasoning.
Meanwhile, Emilia’s gaze had fallen on the jacket draped over his forearms and his hair, damp as if from sweat.
‘He must have been incredibly busy.’
Even at this late hour.
“I had some business of my own.”
“Is your business finished?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Then shouldn’t we return to my Mansion?”

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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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