Standard Contract Guidelines for a Fraudulent Marriage - Chapter 31

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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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Episode 31

The maid lowered her gaze, her expression betraying discomfort at the troublesome situation that had arrived.

“Not yet, Your Highness…”
“Really, what are you doing? You don’t seriously mean you won’t dance with me, do you? I won’t let this go!”

Princess Claria stamped her foot again with a sharp thud, then let out a cry and grabbed her ankle.

“Your Highness!”

The maid hurried to her side and dropped to one knee.

She’d apparently twisted her ankle from stamping her foot too hard, and Claria whimpered that she couldn’t stand.

“We’ll take you to the Princess’s Residence at once. You there—carry Her Highness.”

A large attendant stepped forward from the back of the group and hoisted Claria onto his back with little ceremony.

With no care whatsoever, the movement was as rough as if he were carrying a troublesome child, and Claria thrashed about, yanking his hair and pounding his shoulders.

“What are you doing? Be gentle, can’t you?”
“…My apologies.”
“Ugh, I’m furious! Nothing ever goes right! Mari!”

The maid who had always attended to the princess like a tongue in her mouth hurried to answer.

“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Tell Roaston to come to the palace at once! He should pay his respects to me during my illness. Tell him to hurry because I’m injured!”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll see to it immediately.”

The maid rushed off without delay.

Claria, still perched on the attendant’s back, kicked her feet into the air and threw punches as she vented her rage, then breathed heavily, gasping for air.

***

Meanwhile, Roaston slept a short, deep sleep while Adelia watched over him.

When he woke, his dizziness had improved considerably. In its place, however, his throat ached terribly, and when he drank water, a pain shot through it as though someone were slicing it open with a blade.

“…I think I’ve caught something proper.”

Roaston spoke while holding his throat. His voice had grown hoarse, rough with a metallic rasp.

Adelia, accepting the water cup, spoke with concern etched across her face.

“You should wrap something warm around your throat. Or was it supposed to be cold?”
“Which is it?”
“Um… when you have a throat illness, inflammation develops in the tonsils or larynx. If too much heat is applied, the inflammation can actually spread. But wrapping it in something cold is difficult because of the coughing…”

Right on cue, a sharp cough erupted from him.

Adelia moved her hands back and forth uncertainly, then finally brought a cloth dampened in lukewarm water.

“Wrap this around your throat instead.”

Roaston touched the cloth, which was neither cold nor hot but at an oddly precise temperature, and made a skeptical face.

“Will this actually help?”
“…I’m not sure about the temperature effect, but it should help with humidity. A cold requires careful humidity control.”
“If only there were something that automatically regulated humidity.”
“That would be simple to arrange! All we’d need to do is boil water somewhere nearby.”

But Roaston shook his head firmly.

“No, not in this heat. I’d rather not go to such lengths.”
“It would help you recover more quickly!”
“Don’t worry, Adelia. It’s not that severe.”
“But still…”
“Besides, could you help me change my shirt? The sweat is making me uncomfortable.”

Adelia thoughtlessly opened his wardrobe and retrieved a fresh shirt.

Gaunt from fever and pain, he removed his vest and shirt. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

“Wait, please. If you put it on directly, it won’t do. Let me wipe you down first—just wait a moment.”
“What? Wipe me…? No, I can…”

But Adelia had already gone to the washroom.

She soon emerged with a clean towel.

Starting from his shoulder blades, she carefully wiped down his broad back, then spoke.

“Can you raise your arms?”

As she wiped him down, she appeared as matter-of-fact as if she were dusting off a still-life object.

Only Roaston seemed to be the one wrestling with how she could be so composed.

The sound and feel of the towel brushing his skin, the breath he felt from her proximity—it was dangerously stimulating.

Each time she switched to a fresh towel, soft fingertips grazed his skin. With each touch, his heart threatened to leap from his chest.

“Here—let me do the front.”
“…Oh, you’d prefer that? Yes, that makes sense.”

After wiping both his arms, Adelia folded the towel and handed it to him.

As he began drying himself, Adelia’s face, which had turned to fetch a fresh shirt, suddenly flushed crimson like flame.

‘Oh… oh no… what have I done!’

She hunched her shoulders, squeezed her eyes shut so as not to catch his attention.

He looked so unwell that she’d wanted to help, and thinking she owed him a debt, she’d impulsively offered to wipe him down.

But the moment she saw his bare torso, her heart began racing wildly.

Roaston’s skin, revealed under the lingering sunlight, appeared smooth and unblemished yet harbored the hardness of stone beneath.

Had his back always been this broad?

Had his shoulders always been this firm?

Adelia’s mind had spun entirely away.

So while wiping him down, she’d switched off her thoughts entirely.

Click.

But the moment that switch had turned back on, an unstoppable wave of embarrassment crashed over her.

She stood holding the shirt, waiting for him to finish drying himself.

It was only a brief moment, yet it felt like an eternity.

“I’m done now. Give me the shirt.”
“Are you sure you don’t need help putting it on?”
“I’m not so helpless I can’t put on a shirt myself.”

His voice carried a hint of amusement.

Adelia, relieved he didn’t seem displeased, handed over the shirt.

She deposited the used towel into the laundry basket near the washroom and took a deep breath.

‘Lately, I’ve been growing far too close and familiar with him…’

Adelia thought to herself.

‘This can’t happen. With him, it’s only ever been a contractual relationship. If I behave too recklessly, it will only complicate things for him. I need to exercise restraint. Restraint.’

Tap, tap!

She’d slapped both her cheeks when she turned around to find Roaston standing right there before her.

“Eek!”

Startled, Adelia let out an odd sound and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

Roaston stared at her in brief confusion before breaking into laughter.

“What on earth was that strange noise?”
“I-I was startled because you appeared behind me so suddenly…!”
“I scared you?”

His voice was unexpectedly tender.

He carefully drew her into his arms and gently pressed his lips against the side of her forehead.

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

At his gentle voice, Adelia’s heart gave a sharp thump.

“…Yes, please recover soon.”
“I will. After resting today, I’ll be completely better. Don’t worry.”

He held her, swaying slowly side to side as if to soothe her.

Adelia stood in his embrace with her eyes squeezed shut, unsure of what to do with herself.

‘No… this is wrong. It makes me confuse things.’

The illusion that perhaps he harbored something different for her.

It was absurd, yet the thought kept returning.

Adelia’s cheeks flushed crimson as she blinked, her expression troubled.

That was when it happened.

A knock sounded at the door.

Adelia abruptly pushed away from Roaston and quickly distanced herself from him.

“There’s no need to push so hard, my dear.”

His words made her realize she’d been too blunt, and embarrassment washed over her.

But Roaston said nothing further and walked to open the door.

It was Rudolf.

Rudolf’s expression was grave, and he held what appeared to be an envelope in his hand.

“Rudolf, what is it?”

Roaston asked, but Rudolf didn’t respond as promptly as usual.

The moment their eyes met, Adelia felt an inexplicable, ominous dread.

“A carriage has arrived to collect you, Duke.”

Roaston replied in a bewildered voice, “A carriage to collect me? From where? Cough!”

“From the Royal Palace, sir. And…”
“…”
“…Princess Claria requests your presence, Duke.”

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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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