“A good…person.”
“Learning is a good thing. He’s really a good person.”
Elise passed it off nonchalantly. An inscrutable smile hung on the corner of Karan’s mouth.
“It’s done. I hope it suits your taste.”
Elise took a sip of the tea that Karan had poured. The tea definitely tasted good.
“That person must be very proud.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The person who recommended that you learn to make tea. They would be happy to know that you can make such good tea.”
“Do you like it?”
Elise blinked as if to ask why he was asking her that.
Then she smiled, realizing he was asking about the taste of the tea.
“It’s really delicious. It suits my taste well. The aroma is good, and the subtle flavor is also good.”
Karan also smiled back. Elise stared at him for a moment, lost in thought.
His usually sharp features softened, making him look completely different.
Her heart responded to his refreshing smile, reminiscent of a green apple.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No, Your Highness. You’re just too…”
“Yes?”
“Handsome.”
Elise immediately expressed her admiration, worried that Karan might be offended.
Karan just slightly opened his mouth, but there was no reaction.
In Bedrokka, complimenting someone’s appearance was one of the social skills, not something to be taken aback by.
But maybe it’s different for a Tetrisian. Karan’s lips hardened.
“I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“It’s not that I’m upset…Do you like my face?”
If it’s simply a matter of liking or not, of course.
“Yes.”
Karan smiled broadly.
When he smiled faintly, he was like a green apple, but now he was like a very ripe red apple.
At the provocative smile that dripped with charm, Elise’s heart fluttered in a different way.
“I’m glad you like it.”
What is he glad about?
Every time she talked to him, she became more curious.
But it was hard to ask outright. Elise had memories from before her regression, so she felt familiar with him, but to Karan, she was still a stranger.
‘Let’s just get to know each other slowly and ask this and that.’
Elise just quietly held her teacup.
Karan prepared his share of tea and sat across from Elise. For a while, the two focused on drinking tea.
Only after emptying a cup of tea did Elise bring up the main topic.
“Have you thought about it?”
Although the subject was omitted, Karan knew what she was talking about.
The two were going to make a marriage contract today.
“Yes. Do you have any conditions you’ve thought of beforehand?”
“I’ll match everything to you.”
A deep suspicion entered Karan’s eyes.
It was a contract that involved their lives.
He understood that Elise needed his help, but there was no need to hand him the hilt of the sword.
‘How is she going to handle it if I get greedy?’
Karan hid his boiling greed and made a modest proposal.
“I don’t want to make an unfair contract. Since you made the proposal, you should also mention the contract conditions first.”
“I’m not in a position to pick and choose. As I said, I won’t be a good match for you.”
“Don’t say that. It’s my will to marry you. I don’t want to belittle my choice.”
In every word of Karan, Elise felt his consideration for her.
Elise realized anew that he was a good person.
‘Was he such a good person that he wanted to save me before I died. But how come he knew I was in the underground prison then.’
Elise never dreamed that Karan had come to the underground prison for her.
“Please speak.”
Karan said.
The tea had cooled down. Elise spoke first about the conditions, as it seemed that the matter would not progress if they both kept yielding.
“There’s only one thing I want. Please let me keep the position of your first wife.”
Tetris was a polygamous society.
But the only one who could assert her rights as a wife was the first wife.
Elise’s ultimate goal was to put Karan on the throne.
Only then could she completely suppress Chase.
And it seemed that only then would the marriage not be a loss for Karan.
For that, Elise had to have power.
In fact, she didn’t have any desire for the position of the first wife, but when Karan asked her to say what she wanted, she became greedy.
“Do you think I will have a second wife because you said you want to be the first?”
But was that too much greed?
Karan looked very displeased.
“It’s common in Tetris.”
Karan’s hand, which had been fiddling with the teacup, stopped.
The warm aura that had been enveloping the man suddenly turned cold.
“You’re greatly mistaken.”
Elise took a breath. It seemed she had made a big mistake. As she was thinking about how to fix this, Karan spoke.
“Let’s make it clear. I will have only one wife. I’ll have to put that in the contract.”
“What? Only one? Does that mean you won’t marry me?”
Elise was so surprised that she knocked over the teacup. If Karan hadn’t caught the teacup, it would have fallen to the floor.
Karan put the teacup down in front of Elise and looked up at her.
“Tetrisians may be barbarians, but they don’t treat promises like trash.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I’ll keep my promise with you. I will have only one wife, and that will be Elise Worton.”
Elise’s eyes widened.
‘Does he mean he won’t have any other wives besides me?’
She couldn’t believe it even after hearing it. As you get married, you gain power and authority…why?
As Elise was trying to accept this fact, Karan brought a pen and paper.
Karan specified in the first clause that his wife would be only Elise.
“Your Highness, you don’t really need to…”
Elise belatedly tried to stop him.
“No. I will definitely keep it.”
Was polygamy a flaw in Tetris? Elise was confused.
“Is there anything else?”
“No, not really…”
Karan had given up too much.
“You don’t seem to have any demands, Miss.”
Just running away to his country was already a big nuisance.
Although she was confident that she could bring him enough benefits to offset the scandal that would temporarily stick to him, the marriage was currently only disadvantageous to Karan.
So it was shameless for Elise to ask for more here.
“I have more. I will maintain the marriage life until I say divorce.”
“What? Not three years?”
“That’s right. I’ll decide the period.”
A sense of defeat spread across Elise’s face.
Three years was a long time if it was long, but it was a short time to repay Karan’s favor and lay the foundation for revenge.
“It can’t be too short…”
Karan chuckled at Elise’s muttering.
She was firmly mistaken.
This marriage would not end for a lifetime.
As long as Karan does not die.
He had no intention of letting go of Elise.
But there was no need to reveal this feeling to Elise.
Karan tapped the table with a fountain pen, moistened his lower lip with his tongue.
“Will it be difficult?”
“…No. I’ll accept it.”
“There is one more condition.”
“You said you didn’t have anything in mind, but it seems you’ve thought a lot.”
“I’ve spent the longest time in my life.”
It wasn’t just about the contract clause. He was talking about a new beginning with Elise.
Huh, Elise laughed.
She liked his attitude of seriously considering the contract with her.
“Please speak.”
“Be faithful to married life. What we’re doing is no different from a real marriage. The institution of marriage itself is a contract. It’s just different whether you make a contract in front of a priest or not.”
“What exactly do you mean by ‘married life’?”
“Everything you can imagine. All that is expected.”
He smiled as he finished speaking. His smile was strange, and Elise’s throat dried up.
He cherished Ellise, but he couldn’t just hold her like a treasure. Instead, he wanted to imprint her sweet breath, scent, and body temperature onto his own body.
“How about it? Will you accept my contract terms?”
Elise nodded her head.
Karan had prepared two copies of the contract, including the terms he had just mentioned.
“Now, do you have anything prepared to sign it separately?”
Usually, a family seal is stamped on a contract.
But Elise, who was just the daughter of a viscount, did not have a family seal.
Elise held the two contracts in her hand.
She placed the contracts side by side and pressed her lips to stamp them.
“Is this okay?”
Elise handed one of the contracts to Karan.
Karan leaned in when he saw Elise’s half-lips and suddenly pushed his upper body forward.
As Elise leaned back, he placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her towards him.
“Both parties need to sign the contract together. But I wasn’t prepared for it. Let me borrow it for a moment.”
As he finished speaking quickly, his lips pressed firmly against Elise’s.
He pulled his lips away cleanly and held the contracts side by side.
Looking at Elise, he brought his lips to the mark left by her lips.
As soon as his lips covered Elise’s, Elise touched her lips with her fingers.
“Oh, I’m going to be late again.”
Elise had a feeling.
“Tonight will not pass easily.”
****
“You’ve become quite the sleeper, Miss.”
Regina, who couldn’t wait for Elise to wake up, drew the curtains and opened the window wide.
Bathed in the deep sunlight, Elise struggled to open her eyes. Her body felt as if she had toiled for hours on end.
Last night had unfolded as Elise had expected.
“Because we’re married now.”
As Karan held Elise’s hand, which was pushing him away, he whispered in her ear, Elise collapsed helplessly.
Everything about Karan was overwhelming. When he pressed down on her, Elise felt as if she were trapped in a cave.
Having spent the night with such a person, there was no way her body would remain intact.
“I should have insisted on limiting the marital relations to once a week in the contract.”
She regretted it, but it was already too late.
“Regina, please draw a bath for me.”
“A half bath? Good thinking. I’ll prepare an herbal bath for you.”
Regina moved quickly. The bath was soon ready. Elise pushed Regina away in front of the bathroom.
“I’ll do it alone.”
“I can help you.”
“No, I need to think.”
Perhaps because of the contract she had signed, Karan acted as if he had made up his mind the previous night.
Even if he didn’t know, it was obvious her body would be covered in bruises. Elise pushed Regina away.
“I want to help…Do you need anything? Should I prepare some refreshing tea for you?”
Elise shook her head, then stopped. There was something she needed to confirm. Something very important that she had even written a note about, but she had completely forgotten because of Karan.
“Regina, did the Alleycat Times arrive today?”
:>