My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - Chapter 73

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

Is that person really a monk?
Why would a man of God be collapsed right in the middle of a hunter’s shelter in broad daylight?
Seeing how he didn’t have a single scratch on him, it didn’t seem like he had encountered bandits, but he possessed far too little luggage for that to be the case either.
As I was examining him, the monk began to squirm.
I tugged on Scheit’s arm and stepped back slightly.
The mercenaries had not drawn their swords yet. The clothes the monk wore belonged to the Bartes Church.
Furthermore, the influence of that denomination was so formidable that it was no exaggeration to say most people were believers of the Bartes Church unless they were atheists.
Anyone with a religion wouldn’t dare treat that monk carelessly.
But I don’t have a religion.
“Excuse me, Monk, could you perhaps clear the path? If we take another route, we would have to turn back too far.”
“Ah…”
The monk let out a small groan while sprawled flat on his back toward the sky.
Blinking slowly, he rolled his eyes to look at us.
“The Southern Region?”
It sounded like a question asking about our destination.
“Yes. We are heading to the Southern Region.”
“Good for you.”
What exactly was good? Anxiety gradually crept in.
“May the grace and blessings of Bartes be granted abundantly upon both of you. Since meeting like this is a twist of fate, could I perhaps hitch a ride in your carriage as far as Kleins?”
It was an ordinary request.
Except for the fact that his voice sounded completely dazed, and the person making the request was still glued flat to the ground.
“Are you perhaps unable to move? Are you injured or something?”
“Ah… No. I’m just too lazy.”
Who on earth stays glued to the road in front of everyone just because they are lazy!
Dumbfounded, I looked at Scheit.
He also seemed taken aback. After all, a monk was supposed to be a symbol of integrity and diligence.
When I merely stared in sheer disbelief, the monk finally pushed himself up with agonizing slowness.
“If you give me a ride, I will specially pray to Bartes for blessings upon you two. My prayers have a great success rate, you see.”
Even the way he spoke sounded like a fraud.
Accommodating one more person wasn’t a particularly difficult task.
The carriage was spacious, and there wasn’t much farther to go until Kleins.
They said there was a small village once we passed this forest, so if it felt truly uncomfortable, we could just find him another carriage there.
Yet, for some strange reason, I really didn’t want to take him along.
Tugging on Scheit’s arm, I turned around and whispered.
“What should we do?”
“Giving him a ride just until the next village shouldn’t be an issue.”
“I sing very well.”
Suddenly, a voice piped up from right behind my back.
Startled, I jumped forward, and Scheit caught me in his arms.
“You two certainly share a close relationship.”
At those words, I hurriedly stepped out of Scheit’s embrace and cleared my throat for no reason.
Turning back around, I faced the monk again.
His straight-cut bangs covered the bridge of his nose, hiding his eyes from view.
Seeing how the hooded cloak he wore and the monastic habit underneath were thoroughly grimy, it seemed he hadn’t washed properly for days.
Should I let him ride, or should I not?
While I was deliberating, the monk suddenly began to sing a hymn.
My eyes widened of their own accord at the pure, resonant voice.
It was a sacred melody that even a non-religious person could appreciate.
Even the mercenaries took their hands off their swords and closed their eyes gently, soaking in the hymn.
Scheit lowered his voice and murmured beside me.
“It appears he is indeed a monk.”
“I suppose so. I guess he’s just a slightly eccentric person.”
“Hwaaaaawm.”
The song, which sounded holy just moments ago, was abruptly cut short by a long yawn.
A collective sigh echoed around us, but the monk in front of our eyes simply gaped his mouth wide and yawned a few more times.
“If you just give me a ride, I… *Yawn*. I’ll become a human orchestra and use my voice, *yawn*, to play music all day long…”
“I get it, so just get in for now.”
“Thank you. I shall pray to Bartes immediately to bless the two of…”
Muttering to himself, the monk crawled into the carriage we had stepped out of.
He literally half-crawled inside.
Finding this entire situation absurd, the mercenaries were also exchanging bewildered glances with one another.
Scheit settled the surroundings.
“Let us set off again.”
He extended his hand toward me.
As I took his hand out of habit and boarded the carriage, a staggering sight unfolded before me.
The monk had taken up an entire side of the carriage, lying down fast asleep.
Left with no alternative, I had to sit right next to Scheit.
“Will it be alright?”
“For now, he does not appear dangerous.”
A long while after the carriage began moving again, it became time for a meal.
The carriage came to a temporary halt, and the sounds of the servants and maids preparing food could be heard from outside.
As the aroma of food drifted in, the monk opened his eyes.
“Ah…”
Though he groaned blankly, he merely blinked and did not raise his body.
However, the moment a servant brought the dinner inside the carriage, he slid upright.
I thought he might even eat while lying down, but it seemed he hadn’t sunk quite that low.
“To receive such daily bread… Thank you for the me—ah, right. The prayer.”
He lifted his spoon, only to set it back down.
“O Bartes, Creator of all things. With this bountiful harvest granted by the Lord… What was it again? Hmm. Well, anyway, thank you.”
“Did you perhaps forget the mealtime prayer?”
“Yes, yes. It happens from time to time. Aren’t you two going to pray? Well, it’s fine. The heart is what matters, *yawn*…”
I decided not to point out that not a shred of gratitude could be felt from the prayer he had lazily cobbled together.
Scheit also let out a bewildered chuckle and began to spoon his stew.
I watched the monk while eating my own meal.
He was dozing off even as he chewed.
“By the way, Monk.”
“Yes. I am listening.”
“Why were you collapsed on the road? Were you perhaps ambushed or something?”
“Ah… That. I was sleeping.”
“…”
Both Scheit and I were struck completely speechless.
“Do you perhaps have a chronic illness? Like narcolepsy?”
“Ah… No. I am just lazy.”
Does a person usually say such things out of their own mouth?
His expression was also consistently dazed, like someone intoxicated by something.
He isn’t an apostate, is he?
He isn’t running away after breaking the rules and being defrocked, right? Getting entangled with that kind of person would only cause unnecessary exhaustion.
As expected, I should just drop him off at the next village and leave.
I shouldn’t even ask for his name.
Concealing my inner thoughts, I offered a smile.
“Please eat plenty.”
“Thank you. You two are as warm as the breath of Bartes.”
Hearing him speak like this made him seem like a monk again.
The moment I handed the empty dishes outside, the monk slithered sideways onto the seat once more.
This time, he even began to snore softly.
I guess this was what he meant by becoming our exclusive orchestra.
Scheit and I carried on our conversation in hushed tones so as not to wake the monk.
Eventually, the sun went down, and it was time to camp for the night.
I stepped down from the carriage for a moment with Scheit. The monk was nodding off, looking drowsy despite having slept the entire day.
Watching the servant unfold the seats inside the carriage to turn them into a bed, I spoke to the monk.
“We will sleep outside, so please sleep comfortably in the carriage.”
“No, no. An uninvited guest must not steal the host’s sleeping quarters. Werther said not to covet what belongs to another.”
“It’s Bartes.”
“Oops.”
A brief silence descended.
“*Yawn*… Ahem! At any rate, I sleep well even on the ground.”
He certainly looked the part. In fact, we had literally picked him up while he was sleeping flat on his back on the ground.
Even so, it felt uncomfortable to make a guest sleep on the dirt road, so I looked at Scheit to get his opinion.
Without saying anything else, he was merely tilting his head while staring at the monk.
“What is the matter?”
“It is just that the monk’s voice feels somewhat familiar. Though it is likely just my imagination.”
Finishing his sentence, Scheit signaled a servant with his hand to prepare a sleeping bag for the monk.
Watching the monk lay out his spot in a suitable area and lie down, we also entered the carriage.
I lay down side by side with Scheit.
Since it would look strange if a close couple slept separately, we had already been sharing a bed for over a week, yet it remained inherently awkward.
As I pressed myself tightly against the carriage wall and closed my eyes, the chill crept in sluggishly.
“Amarynthis.”
“Ye-Yes?”
“Come closer this way. You will catch a cold.”
“I’m covering myself with the blanket, so I’m fine.”
“You always roll over to this side once you fall asleep anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to sleep warmly from the start?”
When I squeezed my eyes shut again, pretending not to hear, Scheit pulled my waist toward himself.
“Ah!”
My body was enveloped by his warmth.
Fearing he might feel my heart thumping wildly, I stealthily pulled away a bit.
Fortunately, Scheit did not draw me back in again. Still, his arm remained resting around my waist.
Unable to fall asleep, I stared blankly outside into the dark, only to see the monk standing up in the shadows.
After scanning his surroundings for a moment, he quietly walked into the forest.

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