Standard Contract Guidelines for a Fraudulent Marriage - Chapter 70

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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 70

The morning after.

The Fruit Market was every bit as lively and crowded as Loerston had promised.

Adelia drifted through it as though drunk on wonder, taking in the sights with an almost intoxicated rapture.

Crates overflowing with fragrant fruits she’d never seen before, vendors haggling over prices, the auction house radiating heat and energy—

and everywhere, even messenger boys balanced precariously on tall bicycles, performing feats of breathtaking daring. There was not a single sight that failed to captivate her.

‘And the scent…!’

The air was thick with fragrance, as though she’d stepped into a field where every flower in the world had bloomed at once.

When fruit vendors split open their wares with a sharp crack to draw customers, the exposed flesh released a sweetness so intense that bees came swarming.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.”
“Worth the visit?”
“Absolutely. Though I suppose fruits like these must spoil terribly quickly if you don’t eat them right away.”
“Why’s that?”

Adelia made a thoughtful humming sound and held up her index finger playfully.

“Because fruit contains all sorts of microorganisms—yeast, bacteria, and so on. These microorganisms reproduce primarily using the moisture and sugars inside the fruit. That means fruits with high water content, or very sweet fruits, spoil much faster. That’s the basic idea, anyway.”

Loerston, reading the bright curiosity in her eyes, suppressed a smile and replied:

“So peaches spoil faster than apples.”
“Exactly! But there’s an advantage to that—they ferment easily. That’s actually excellent for making alcohol.”

Adelia explored the market alongside Loerston, marveling at the special fruits that grew only in the Island Region.

Despite belonging to the same Rigan Kingdom, the fruits here seemed as foreign and exotic as if they’d been imported from a distant land—both in appearance and in taste.

“Look at this one! What kind of fruit is it?”

Adelia picked up a fruit, her eyes widening with wonder.

It was shaped like a frozen moment of blazing firelight.

“That’s a Dragon Fruit.”
“Dragon Fruit! What a magnificent name. Do you think we could make alcohol from it?”
“I’m not sure—I ate one so long ago I’ve forgotten. I don’t recall it tasting like much of anything.”
“But looking at it, I’d have guessed it tasted like strawberry or apple.”

Adelia turned the Dragon Fruit this way and that before setting it down carefully.

There were countless other fruits that caught her eye.

Yellow watermelons, for one. Or fruits that resembled cherries but, when split in half, released a jam-like sweet nectar within.

“Let’s go look at the Auction House.”
“Wait, Adelia. Slow down. We haven’t even finished exploring this area yet.”
“Oh, you’re right.”

Loerston watched her with quiet fondness as she lowered her eyes, hesitating.

Both of them knew why she was so restless this morning.

Though neither had spoken of it, Adelia was almost certainly thinking of last night, just as Loerston was.

Last night.

Loerston could still feel it—the phantom warmth and softness of her skin lingering in his palm.

When he clenched his fist, the collected heat pulsed like a small, frantic heartbeat.

—Senior…

When his hand, reaching over her shoulder, had pressed so carefully against her chest, Adelia’s face had flushed crimson, her entire body trembling.

Watching her face with eyes squeezed shut, he felt his own body respond with a wild, almost frenzied urgency.

To suppress the wild horses of desire thundering through his veins, Loerston bit his own tongue until it was tattered and raw.

When he felt her rounded chest rise, hardened peaks pressing against his palm, he quickly drew his hand away.

If he’d continued touching her, he would have lost all control.

—You smell so good. All of you.

As he pulled her close and whispered against her skin, Adelia managed to stifle a moan, burying her face in his shoulder.

Feeling her small hands stroke his back with careful tenderness, Loerston could no longer deny the inevitable awakening of his body.

He didn’t know whether she’d noticed—she never mentioned it.

They’d spent the night like lovers entranced, stroking each other until sleep finally claimed them both.

In the morning, as he carefully pulled her chemise back up and fastened the buttons while she slept, Loerston felt his throat go dry.

“Oh, look!”

The reverie shattered as Adelia’s cry startled him from his thoughts.

She was grinning broadly at something in the distance.

“They’re selling juice over there!”

It was a small juice stand, with various fruits piled high and freshly pressed juice being prepared on the spot.

Loerston smiled at her with indulgent amusement.

“They sell juice stands like that in the Capital too.”
“But they only sell orange or lemon there! What’s that orange fruit? Can we try it?”

Unable to resist the sparkle in her eyes, Loerston impulsively pressed a kiss to her forehead and spoke:

“Why not, my princess?”

At his words, Adelia’s cheeks flushed.

“You seem to have spent time with many women, it seems.”
“What? What on earth makes you think that?”
“Just… you’re so skilled at all this…”

Adelia fidgeted with her fingers and murmured, and Loerston burst out laughing.

“I learned it from books. Studied it, really.”
“What kind of book teaches that sort of thing?”
“What? You’d know if you looked—the world is full of Love Manuals. My father’s even got some in his study. You should look for them when we visit next.”

Still skeptical, Adelia let herself be led toward the juice stand.

The vendor allowed customers to choose two fruits of their choosing and made the juice fresh, and Adelia later remarked that it was an excellent system.

“That way, the flavor would be much richer. You could choose fruits that complement each other perfectly.”
“Then should we spend all day tasting fruits? Buy different varieties and mix them?”
“I’d like that.”

Adelia drank her juice with a serene smile playing at her lips.

Her mood was light. The faint salt breeze from the sea seemed to amplify the sweetness of the fruits, and Loerston remained as ever—gentle and affectionate.

‘I was a little worried after what happened last night…’

Adelia sipped her juice thoughtfully, lost in reflection.

She was still uncertain about the fact that Loerston’s hands had touched her body.

She’d hidden her alarm, but the moment she’d woken to find her chemise already buttoned properly back in place, she’d been flustered and confused.

‘It wasn’t just… just touching.’

The memory of his soft hands moving down to her waist flushed her cheeks crimson.

When their bodies had pressed together, the warmth and sweat that had seeped through their skin, the way she’d touched him and been touched in return, the desperate, aching need that had nearly consumed her—what was all of that? Why had she wanted so desperately to kiss him?

If someone had asked Adelia directly, she would have jumped back and denied everything.

But deep down, she knew the truth.

It wasn’t the brief, superficial sex education she’d received at school. It was an impulse that lived at the level of instinct—a primitive hunger and yearning.

The desire to sink deeper into Loerston.

Or to lose herself entirely while kissing him without pause—to forget who she was.

Last night had been exactly that kind of night.

“Adelia?”

At Loerston’s voice, she pulled away from her cup with a slightly dazed expression and looked up.

He gently wiped the juice from the corner of her mouth and asked:

“Want to check out the auction? Or are you tired? Should we head home?”
“Oh, no. I’m not tired at all. Let’s go see the auction. I’ve never been to one before.”
“If we see something we like, we can bid on it. Just for fun.”

Adelia smiled warmly and squeezed his hand as they set off together.

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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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