Standard Contract Guidelines for a Fraudulent Marriage - Chapter 67

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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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Chapter 67

Adelia was thrilled, having wandered from stall to stall and bought heaps of everything that looked delicious.

The two of them claimed an empty table overlooking the sea near the cliff’s edge, and only then, faced with the mountain of food piled before them, did they come to their senses.

“I’m… I’m so sorry.”

When Adelia spoke in a subdued voice, Loerston, who’d been reaching for a Pheasant Skewer, widened his eyes as if to ask what she meant.

“I think I bought far too much. I got a bit carried away.”
“In a place like this, a little indulgence is fine. It’s not as though we see this every day, is it? Here, try it before it gets cold.”

Adelia accepted the skewer he offered and took a bite.

First came the firm, chewy texture, then her mouth flooded with a sweet-savory and strangely unfamiliar sauce.

“Good?”

At Loerston’s question, Adelia’s eyes went wide and she swallowed what was in her mouth.

“It’s delicious! You should try some too. The sauce is so unusual—I wonder what they put in it?”
“Is it?”

Loerston soon picked up a skewer himself, but then seemed to think better of it, set it down, and leaned slightly across the table.

“Ah.”

Seeing Loerston round his lips into an ‘O’, Adelia stared at him in bewilderment, not understanding the situation.

“Um… um, sir?”
“Go on. I’m waiting. Ah.”

The moment he closed his eyes, Adelia’s cheeks blazed crimson.

‘What… what is this! With everyone watching…!’

But when she glanced around, no one was paying them any attention.

A strange sense of freedom washed over her.

If this had been in the Capital, the onlookers’ eyes would have popped clean out of their heads.

“Really, you’re quite mischievous…”

Muttering under her breath, Adelia neatly stripped the meat from the upper portion of the skewer and popped it into Loerston’s mouth.

He finally straightened with a satisfied expression and a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

“Tasty.”
“Isn’t it?”
“It tastes even better when you feed it to me, though.”
“Oh, really! What are you talking about? That can’t be true.”
“Why not?”

Loerston, who’d been savoring the pheasant for a while now, spoke.

“Seems to be made from local fruit. And I think there’s a bit of Peanut Butter in it.”
“Peanut Butter?”
“You’ve never tried it?”
“Oh, I think I had it once, long ago… but I’ve forgotten what it tastes like.”
“Peanut Butter is a specialty here too. It might be worth buying some to take home with us.”
“Do you eat it with bread?”
“That too, or you can use it as a seasoning. Not bad, right?”

It was more than not bad. Adelia forgot the embarrassment from his earlier ‘ah’ and tasted the remaining dishes one by one.

After eating their fill, the two walked slowly along the cliff path, past the food stalls.

As the night grew deeper, the Night Market became increasingly crowded.

Just as Loerston had said, performers from the Circus Troupe were breathing fire or daring to ride Unicycles with breathtaking skill.

“How good must your sense of balance be to ride something like that?”
“You can actually try it. Want to have a go?”
“What? That’s impossible! I’d fall over in an instant!”
“I’ll hold you up. Right, actually, this is a good chance to have an experience like this. Come on.”
“Wait, please! Sir, please!”

Loerston ignored Adelia’s desperate calls and sought out the troupe master.

After a brief conversation, the master soon brought over the man who’d been performing the Unicycle tricks.

From a distance it wasn’t clear, but he was a tall, slender man.

Despite the makeup on his face, his prominent nose and sharp jawline were striking enough for him to be an actor.

“This young lady is going to ride it?”

The Unicyclist laughed in disbelief. Loerston replied:

“Just to sit for a moment. Don’t worry—I’ll keep hold of her.”
“Even so, it’ll be hard to balance. Let me give a demonstration of how I’d support her first. Then it’d be better if you held her instead.”

With that, the man lifted Adelia practically off her feet and set her on the saddle.

Too startled to even cry out, Adelia tensed her whole body and trembled, whereupon the man said:

“You need to relax. If you stay that stiff, the bike won’t move at all. Good… Now, let’s try pedaling. Slowly.”

Holding Adelia’s left hand, the man guided the Unicycle into balance with practiced ease.

After some initial wobbling, Adelia soon found herself riding smoothly, and she turned back to Loerston with a beaming smile.

“Sir, look! I’m doing it!”

Loerston, arms crossed, smiled and nodded.

He didn’t much like the way the man was grinning down at Adelia while holding her hand, but… well, since Adelia seemed to be enjoying herself so much, he let it pass.

The man completed one circuit around the small area, then handed Adelia’s hand over to Loerston.

“Now, let your spouse try guiding you.”
“She’s my wife, not my girlfriend.”
“Oh, my apologies. But aren’t spouses eternal sweethearts?”

The man winked with playful charm, and Loerston let out a dry laugh. Firmly grasping Adelia’s hand, he gave her a questioning look.

“Ready?”
“Yes! I think I can do this.”

As Adelia began pedaling again, the Unicycle rolled slowly forward.

In that moment, Loerston realized that what had looked easy to do was actually quite technical.

“Whoa! Sir, you have to hold me steady!”

Adelia, who’d wavered for an instant, laughed brightly.

Loerston put all his strength into keeping her balanced. Once he found the center point, the rest came easily.

“Sir, sir! Look at this!”

When she finally managed to ride holding only one of his hands, Adelia cried out in elation.

“Fun?”
“Incredibly fun!”

As the pedals finally came to a stop, Loerston gathered Adelia into his arms and lifted her down.

The Unicyclist looked down at Adelia, whose face had brightened, and spoke:

“Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes, thank you so much. I had a wonderful experience because of you.”

The man nodded with satisfaction, then pulled two small tickets from his pocket and handed them to Adelia.

“They’re Performance Tickets. There’s no show today, but we’re performing tomorrow night, so do come see us. It’s the countryside, but our Circus Troupe’s show is worth watching.”
“Oh, but that’s too much trouble for you…”
“Not at all. After all, I got to see something wonderful too.”

Adelia accepted the tickets with a soft “Of course.”

Before she could even thank him properly, the man remounted his Unicycle and was weaving skillfully between the crowds, performing his tricks.

***

After they’d finished exploring the Night Market.

Back at the Villa, Adelia was so enchanted by what she’d seen that she drifted through the halls humming to herself.

Watching her, Loerston found a mischievous thought crossing his mind.

“Tsk…”

The sound of him clicking his tongue and drawing in a breath made Adelia jump, and she hurried over.

“Sir, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“Mm, I think I strained my back a bit while I was holding you up earlier.”

Though in fact, nothing was wrong at all.

Loerston watched as worry painted itself across Adelia’s face, and he mustered an expression of barely restrained pain.

“It’s nothing serious. A warm compress would probably help.”
“Why didn’t you say anything!”

Adelia immediately led him to his room and brought back a towel warmed with hot water.

“Really, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have ridden that bicycle.”

Hearing the dejected note in Adelia’s voice, Loerston felt a pang of guilt. But more than that, he was delighted that she cared for him.

‘I’m acting like a complete child.’

He thought to himself.

Adelia fussed carefully over his back, worried it wasn’t too hot or too cold, trying her best to make him feel better.

“What if it’s a serious injury?”
“That’s unlikely.”
“But they say back injuries take a long time to heal.”
“Who says that?”
“Kinderbelle. You know her, don’t you? The one who teaches history.”

Loerston made an ‘ah’ sound and chuckled.

“Kinderbelle is ninety years old. Whether it’s her back or anything else, something’s bound to linger.”
“Still.”

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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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