I Ended Up Snatching a Marriage With the Male Lead! - Chapter 36

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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 eloped with the male lead without even thinking.
Episode 36

“Why are you calling Ivan yours?”
Emilia turned her head sideways, looking at Kaiden.
“What do you mean?”
“What you just said to Ivan.”
She’d whispered it softly enough that she thought only the boy could hear, but it seemed he’d caught it too.
And for some reason, his tone carried a distinct displeasure.
“It’s just something you say to a child. Why are you being so serious about it?”
“It’s a bad habit.”
“What do you—”
Emilia blinked, bewildered by his firm response.
“When you send him to the Hipri Kingdom later, what will you do if he throws a tantrum, asking why you can’t take him if he’s your child?”
“That, well…”
Emilia faltered for a moment, stumbling over her words.
If it came to that, she’d have nothing to say.
“And I’m simply correcting the facts.”
But she had a counterargument to his next point.
“No, if we’re being factual, it’s not entirely wrong.”
“How so?”
Kaiden tilted his head, inviting her to explain.
“During the time I’m working as a tutor, I can say Ivan is mine.”
Emilia insisted, putting force into her gaze.
It was rather flawed logic, admittedly, but sometimes you had to push with confidence in moments like these.
Kaiden fell silent for a moment, as if considering something, then met her eyes.
“By that logic, the contract was made with me.”
He continued slowly, his voice low.
“So you’re agreeing that you’re mine?”
“That, what—”
She was just beginning to stammer in confusion when it happened.
A sound came from far away—something cutting through the air.
“Oh, watch out!”
Emilia reflexively turned her head—
Tug.
A light pull on her shoulder sent her upper body tilting backward, and something hard brushed the back of her head.
‘Huh?’
At the same time, a sharp jawline came into view.
She found herself staring into the man’s deep, dark eyes.
“So.”
Emilia’s eyes fluttered at the low voice so close to her ear.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“…Yes?”
Kaiden stood motionless, looking down at her, waiting for a response.
“Um, well…”
Emilia trailed off, her lips parting slightly.
‘No, what answer does he even want…?’
And more than that—
She couldn’t think straight because she didn’t know where to look.
Just then, a child approached them nervously to retrieve a ball.
“S-s-sorry, but, um…”
At the interruption, Kaiden’s eyes narrowed.
Without sparing the child a glance, he lightly kicked the ball at his feet.
It flew through the air at tremendous speed, soaring far into the distance.
Thwack!
Crack!
A tremendous sound followed.
“The goal post broke…”
“Whoa! Look at that tree snapped in half!”
The children marveled at the spectacular destruction wrought by the ricocheting ball.
Emilia’s eyes widened as she surveyed the carnage.
Turning back to Kaiden, her mouth opened cautiously.
“The, um, property damage…”
Kaiden’s face crumpled at her mention of it, his gaze having lingered persistently on her lips.
He straightened her posture and stood up abruptly.
As his face vanished from her sight, Emilia blinked.
She turned her head and watched him stand there on the bench.
“Hah…”
With a strained gesture, he swept his hand through his hair and stepped back from the bench.
“Where are you going?”
At her bewildered question, Kaiden murmured low.
“That wasn’t meant to be a question.”
He gestured with his chin at the broken remains of the goal post and tree lying in pieces far away.
“To pay for damages.”
“Ah, yes…”
Emilia answered quickly.
Leaving it like that would certainly cause trouble for the park attendant.

* * *

Left alone, Emilia felt too embarrassed to lift her head and kept her gaze down.
‘I knew Kaiden was handsome, but…’
Seeing him that close surprised her all over again.
Her heart was needlessly pounding.
Rustle.
With her head down, her long hair fell across her dress.
She wanted nothing more than to hide her face beneath it.
‘Phew.’
After taking several deep breaths, she lifted her head again.
She looked toward Ivan, who was playing in the sand.
Just moments ago, she’d been watching the children play with a contented heart.
Now, somehow, the sight didn’t quite register.
‘I’m hot.’
Emilia fanned her flushed face frantically, and it was just as she gathered her hair into a high bun that a long shadow fell across her.
‘What?’
Emilia looked up in confusion.
A man stood directly in front of her, now visible in her line of sight.
She recognized him at once, and her eyes widened.
It was at that moment.
“Who are you?”
Knights appeared from nowhere, restraining the man and speaking coldly.
Lucas’s eyes gleamed with interest as he surveyed the knights on either side of him.
One of the Valen Duchy knights asked Emilia.
“Do you know this man?”
“Ah, yes.”
Emilia nodded quickly, and the knights released his arms, bowing briefly to Lucas.
“Pardon us.”
Lucas smiled and shrugged his shoulder as if to say it was fine.
The knights vanished as swiftly as they’d appeared.
“Goodness, how frightening.”
Lucas wrapped his hand around the arm that had been held, playing up his distress.
Then he settled naturally beside her on the bench.
“Nice to see you again, at least?”
He crossed his legs and draped his arm across the back of the bench.
Emilia narrowed her eyes, studying this Lucas with suspicion.
“Is the Capital really this small?”
“Hm?”
“It seems like I’m running into you awfully often.”
She gave him a look of considerable skepticism.
She could chalk the last street encounter up to coincidence.
But running into him in such an unusual place too made her suspicious.
Especially when he seemed to be alone this time.
Lucas replied with an aggrieved tone.
“Both times were coincidences?”
“Really?”
“Truly. Besides, I come to this park all the time.”
Yet Emilia couldn’t shake her suspicion of his claim. It was easy to say such things with words.
“Then tell me what’s different from when you came before? That seesaw over there was just replaced a few days ago— wait? The goal post and tree… why did they suddenly end up like that?”
“…”

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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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