The Fake Wife of the Strongest Husband Wants to Survive - Chapter 23

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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 23
“You’re leaving?”
“I’d like to go to the Capital as well to negotiate with the Uze Trading Company.”
Owen raised one eyebrow.
His expression suggested disapproval.
“The journey to the Capital will be arduous. You’ll grow tired and weary.”
“I want to go anyway. I’m acquainted with Marquis Clark — he’s Io’s father. I’ve met him several times, so it should be easy enough to converse with him.”
Pesha spoke with unwavering confidence.
It seemed that ordinary persuasion would not sway her.
Owen nodded.
“As you wish.”
Now that he’d secured her permission to accompany him, he needed to expedite their departure for the Capital if the work was to proceed quickly.
“We’ll leave tomorrow, then? I’ll have the servants begin preparations at once.”
“Before that, you should rest a little——”
Owen tried to stop her in her excitement, but Pesha had already slipped into her room as though she couldn’t hear a word he said.
Why was she so pleased?
Owen withdrew his outstretched hand, his expression bewildered.
He couldn’t fathom the reason for her joy.
Was it simply the prospect of seeing an old friend?
‘If that were the case, I’d be grateful.’
Yet watching her delight at leaving this place and returning to the Capital stirred something bitter in his chest.
Still, there was nothing to be done about it.
Pesha, unlike him, had never chosen this marriage.
Owen smiled wryly.
* * *
After selecting a lean retinue and leaving three capable officers behind to manage Marquis Castle, they set out for the Capital.
Unlike the cumbersome wedding procession that had come to Swarf, this lighter company allowed them to arrive far more swiftly.
Returning to the Capital after so long brought Owen no particular sense of occasion.
In truth, Pesha’s mind was wholly consumed with thoughts of bringing Owen and Io together.
So when the carriage halted at a dwelling she hadn’t anticipated, she was puzzled.
“Where are we?”
“I’ve rented it. It won’t serve as a long-term residence, but it should suffice for a few days.”
Owen stepped down from the carriage and introduced it with characteristic bluntness.
The building was indeed too modest to be called a nobleman’s townhouse—it resembled a comfortable merchant’s home—yet it seemed perfectly adequate for their stay.
“My, you’ve arrived.”
The caretaker greeted his master, whom he hadn’t seen in ages.
“Welcome, sir. The journey must have exhausted you greatly. I’ll see that rooms are prepared for your rest at once. Fortunately, I’ve already had the master and mistress’s chamber tidied——”
“Master and mistress’s chamber?”
While examining the building, Pesha’s ears caught on those words and her face flushed crimson.
The caretaker noticed her alarm and studied her with a confused expression.
“Yes, sir. A chamber for you both to share. Is there some difficulty?”
Difficulty? There was an abundance of it.
The situation was nothing short of disastrous.
At Marquis Castle in Swarf, the master and mistress’s chamber had been left nearly abandoned throughout that year-long construction; here, circumstances were entirely different.
There was no reason the construction would extend to this residence, so naturally a fully prepared chamber awaited them.
She and Owen would have to share a bed.
Pesha fumbled for an excuse, her face flushed with panic.
“That is… I-I actually caught a chill yesterday——”
She’d blurted out something hastily, but the excuse was painfully thin.
She was on the verge of biting her tongue when suddenly she was interrupted.
“No. Prepare separate chambers.”
It was Owen, unexpectedly, who cut short her words.
He requested separate rooms with casual certainty, his expression perfectly composed.
“It will be more comfortable for you as well.”
“Ah……”
Comfortable, certainly. After all, neither of us chose this marriage.
Yet seeing him refuse so decisively left her feeling oddly unsettled.
‘Isn’t that rather abrupt?’
He had always been forthright, that was true. Still… the feeling was strange.
In any case, the two of them set out for the Uze Trading Company’s branch office the next day for their meeting.
Thanks to Owen’s reputation, he was able to secure a meeting with the head of the Uze Trading Company, widely regarded as the finest in the industry.
“Count Owen! What an honor to meet you. I am James Clark.”
As Owen entered the trading company’s reception hall, Clark was already waiting.
The Marquis Clark, with his rounded frame and genial features, emanated an air of kindness at first glance, though the rumors painted a different picture.
As a merchant known for being fastidious and calculating, negotiations with him would prove arduous.
Pesha swallowed hard, her throat dry with tension.
“What an honor to meet an imperial hero whose name will live in history.”
“I’m not.”
Owen, apparently accustomed to such grand flattery, replied curtly and took a sip of tea.
Rather than dismissing Owen outright like some common rabble, Clark greeted him warmly.
Yet it was this very Marquis Clark who stood as the leader of those lower nobles who had shown such arrogance before Owen, which demanded all the more caution.
“But what brings you to visit our Uze Trading Company today?”
“I wish to conduct business.”
“Business?”
“The Empire has yet to find stability. Particularly the Eastern Region, which borders the Abyss, remains perpetually exposed to danger. When confronting Monsters, the greatest difficulty lies in the Aura they emit. Humans exposed to Aura Contamination perish swiftly.”
“I see. And?”
“What if I told you there was a way to prevent that death?”
“A way to prevent death, you say……”
Until now, Clark had worn only a perfunctory smile, but something flickered in his eyes—the glint of a man who’d caught the scent of profit. Pesha seized the moment and spoke.
“I’ve created a medicinal potion. Here it is.”
As Pesha set the medicinal potion bottle on the table, Clark examined it with evident interest.
“A liquid preparation, I see. But surely you’re aware that Aura Purification potions are already widely distributed.”
“This differs from what’s sold commercially. I’ve added disinfectant properties to it.”
“So it disinfects wounds while also purifying Aura?”
“Yes. Because Aura travels through wounds and causes rapid contamination, purification alone proves ineffective unless the wound itself is healed.”
“Hmm……”
Clark turned the bottle over in his hands, then broke into a smile.
“How might I be of service?”
“I’ll give you forty percent of the profits. In exchange, the Uze Trading Company provides the materials for the potion—just a few varieties of medicinal herbs.”
“Just a few varieties of herbs……. Wouldn’t it be more profitable if you cultivated them in your own territory and simply entrusted distribution to me?”
In that moment, Pesha froze. Something in Clark’s tone felt wrong. Revealing any more of her hand seemed dangerous.
“We lack the manpower and don’t have suitable storage facilities. I attempted to manage it myself, but it proved difficult.”
As she offered this explanation smoothly, Clark suddenly burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha! But isn’t there a greater problem at stake? I’ve heard that Swarf, your territory, suffers greatly from Land Contamination.”
“……”
“You have no land to plant the medicinal herbs that would serve as the potion’s materials, is that not so?”
Pesha bit her lip, then chose to press forward with confidence instead.
“Does that matter? This potion will be indispensable. It will save the lives of many travelers, mercenaries, and knights. If the price is set reasonably, the company will gain not only profit but also an improved reputation.”

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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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