I Ended Up Snatching a Marriage With the Male Lead! - Chapter 22

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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 ended up in a flash marriage with the male lead.
Chapter 22

It was then that she declared her surrender.
“I can’t eat another bite.”
Emilia gazed down at the table with reluctant, longing eyes.
There were so many dishes that some hadn’t even been tasted.
But if she ate all of this, she’d certainly feel sick.
With no choice but regret, she set down her fork—
Scrape.
The sound of a chair being pulled back.
She looked up to find Kaiden rising from his seat.
At her questioning glance, he spoke.
“If you’re finished, let’s go.”
“Pardon? Where suddenly?”
When she asked, bewildered, Kaiden answered as though she’d asked something obvious.
“To my office.”
They needed to draw up the contract right away.

* * *

Once they arrived at the office.
Kaiden went straight to his desk and retrieved the contract that lay upon it.
“Here it is.”
“…Yes.”
Before Emilia had even settled onto the sofa, she received the paper with an awkward expression.
The contract was filled densely with text.
She’d clearly returned to the residence with him yesterday, yet somehow he’d drafted this contract and completed morning training—she didn’t know when he’d managed it.
It confirmed what she already knew: he was truly a diligent man.
Kaiden took his seat and spoke.
“The deadline is set for the Founding Festival.”
“The Founding Festival?”
Emilia looked up with curiosity in her eyes.
It wasn’t merely about Ivan’s proficiency in the Empire’s language—there seemed to be a specific reason the date was fixed this way.
Kaiden promptly answered her unspoken question.
“There are circumstances. After that, the boy won’t be at my residence.”
His unexpected words made Emilia pause.
Rather than probe further, she simply nodded slowly in understanding.
“I see.”
‘So that’s roughly eight months, then.’
His words meant that by next year—or even by this coming winter—Ivan would be gone from the Empire.
Since the Hipre Kingdom was distant and notoriously closed off, she wouldn’t see Ivan again after that.
‘I should make as many good memories as I can in the time we have.’
So his final memories of the Empire wouldn’t be altogether grim.
With that resolve, Emilia’s grip tightened on the contract.
‘But until the Founding Festival…’
The Founding Festival was, literally, a celebration of the nation’s birth.
This year especially marked the Empire’s five-hundredth year, so the festivities would be particularly grand.
While everyone looked forward to the state ceremony, it carried a different weight for her.
Because the Founding Festival Ball was where Reina and Kaiden would first meet.
‘Under normal circumstances, Reina would propose a contract engagement to Kaiden there.’
Emilia lowered her gaze and murmured softly.
“The ball…”
But what would happen now?
‘Would they show up together—her and Cedric—at the ball?’
Her mood sank.
That’s when Kaiden, catching her faint murmur, raised his eyebrow.
“Would you like to go?”
“I’m sorry?”
Emilia lifted her head at the sudden voice across from her.
“To the Founding Festival Ball.”
Her eyes widened.
Was he asking if she wanted to go to the Founding Festival Ball?
“Then shall we…”
“No, no.”
Emilia waved her hand in horror.
“Absolutely not.”
……
If Reina and Cedric appeared at that ball, she’d be forced to watch them dance together.
She had no desire to witness that with her own eyes.
Besides, the ball held at the Imperial Palace wasn’t something anyone could attend just because they wanted to.
It was strictly the domain of the nobility.
As a commoner like her, she couldn’t even attend, let alone get near the place.
‘Though actually, in a way, I’m relieved.’
If she’d been a noblewoman, she’d have had to witness that scene herself.
The very thought made her frown.
Then she suddenly remembered she was in the middle of a conversation with Kaiden.
“Oh.”
Emilia quickly composed her expression and looked at him.
“What were you about to say just now?”
Her reflexive response had cut off his words.
“…Nothing of importance.”
“Is that so?”
Kaiden, who’d been silent as if thinking, finally spoke.
“I dislike them too.”
“What?”
“I think balls are pointless affairs that only fools attend.”
He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on his lap as he spoke with conviction.
“So I have no intention of attending.”
“Ah, I see.”
It was at that moment, as Emilia awkwardly averted her eyes, that—
Kaiden gestured toward the contract in her hands as though to change the subject.
“Let’s review the contract quickly.”
“Of course.”
Emilia nodded and began examining the contract as he’d requested.
Rustle-rustle.
As she turned each page, Emilia tilted her head.
The content was, naturally, the standard rules to follow as a tutor, but…
there was an unfamiliar clause.
“What is this clause?”
Emilia showed him a portion of the contract and asked.
It was the clause stating: “Free use of all necessary material and human resources.”
Kaiden’s eyebrow twitched as he confirmed what she’d pointed out.
“When tutoring, you’ll need certain things, won’t you? That’s written to give you permission to use them in such cases.”
He added casually.
“You can even use the carriage, of course.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
‘Surely he’s not referring to himself as the carriage.’
Emilia’s face warmed and she could only nod vaguely.
“Ahem, well, let me continue reviewing.”
She cleared her throat once and quickly turned the next page to finish reading.
‘Three hours a day, ten gold per week.’
The working hours were more generous than she’d expected.
And the salary was quite substantial relative to the time worked.
Even accounting for her knowledge of the Hipre Language, it was twice what a typical tutor would earn.
Then Emilia’s voice took on a note of confusion again.
“…Severance pay?”
It was because of a single line written directly below the salary.
Kaiden, who’d been waiting for her to sign the contract, immediately furrowed his brow.
“It’s a right guaranteed by law. Is there a problem?”
Emilia tilted her head, puzzled.
“Of course, given the size of your residence and the number of staff employed, severance pay is mandatory under Imperial Labor Law. But I wouldn’t be entitled to it, would I? The employment period needs to be at least eighteen months.”
As Emilia pointed out the issue, she stopped.
“Why are you looking at me that way?”
For some reason, Kaiden was staring at her intently.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”
“What is it?”
“What work did you do before coming to the Capital?”
“Pardon? Oh, I just worked at a general store.”
Emilia answered straightforwardly, though bewildered by his sudden question.
“Yet you speak the Hipre Language and seem well-versed in legal matters.”
“Ah, that’s just a personal hobby, I suppose…”
Emilia laughed awkwardly.
If she told him she’d learned it to support her fiancé, he’d never understand.
“I see.”
Following her candid answer, Kaiden’s questions continued.
“Then your age?”
“I turned twenty-one this past spring.”
“This past spring?”
“Yes, I don’t know my exact birthday. I grew up in an orphanage.”
Emilia spoke in an even tone.
Perhaps her silent support of Cedric had stemmed from a desire to experience such unconditional devotion herself.
For someone with nothing, failure was devastating.
So she wanted him to challenge without fear, without worry.
‘…Though that didn’t mean challenge other women.’
Emilia glanced at the man listening quietly.
She wondered if he had more questions for her.
Then, suddenly, she realized something odd about this situation.
“Wait, isn’t the order a bit off?”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually these questions would be asked before drafting the contract.”
Now that she thought about it, it would have been proper to verify her personal information first before presenting the contract.
“It’s my preference. And…”
Kaiden spoke, seeing Emilia’s bewildered expression.
“This seemed like the right procedure for you.”
“I’m sorry?”
Emilia blinked at his incomprehensible words.
But he seemed disinclined to explain, instead pointing back at the documents.
“As for the severance pay, I’ll determine an appropriate amount at my discretion. Don’t worry too much about that—”
He continued.
“Just sign already.”
The woman before him would never know.
He’d already repeated that thought to himself a hundred times.

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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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