The Archduke’s Gorgeous Wedding Was a Fraud

* * *

Lacius wasn’t interested in people by nature. Naturally, this was because he felt nervous and sick of their interest.

He already gained awareness of his influence and presence since childhood, but he only had one wish at the end of each year: to become like a small particle of dust in this world.

He doesn’t care about others, and it would be nice if others did not care about him too.

However, even if he lived like that, he had no choice but to pay attention to those he spent the day with.

Besides, if it goes as planned, she will be his wife, so he can’t help but be worried about her. 

‘I’ve been thinking about it since the beginning, but she’s too skinny.’

She didn’t seem to know, but in his eyes, she looked like she was barely breathing. Even if she did look better than before, she still had to gain 20 more pounds to look human.

Lacius didn’t know much about beauty weight; he thought women should weigh around 160 pounds to meet the standard, as most of the female knights around him did.

‘And those wounds…’

She must have gotten them when the human traffickers caught her.

Lacius frowned.

There were no maids in his mansion, so Shay had to wash and take care of herself, unattended. It was obviously his fault, because he didn’t ask whether she needed to be served, even though she looked like a noble. 

‘I’m insensitive, too. ‘

Lacius clicked his tongue. Of course, he didn’t think of this because he was unfamiliar with women, but he should have taken care of it as a courtesy to a lady.

Lacius called to his servant, feeling a little guilty in his heart,

“Maynard. “

“Yes, my lord. “

“Give the guest a wound healing ointment that I usually take with me to the battlefield, and make sure to serve a lot of kinds of bread during meals, with syrup or jam that can make you gain weight.”

“Oh … I understand. “

Maynard blinked forcibly. It’s because he knew that Lacius didn’t enjoy bread very much. 

“Oh, add some meat as well. Make sure to serve more cheese and ham than usual. It should all be of good quality.”

“Okay. “

Lacius sent Maynard off without saying anything else.

‘She’s a valuable witness who can testify to the slave auction, and if she collapses, it’ll be  troublesome.’

Entering a small tea room connected to the dining room, Lacius shifted his eyes to the newspaper on the table.

However, somehow, he could not move past the first line.

The scene that just happened slowly spinned in his head.

No one was watching, but Lacius, who coughed, stood by the window with his back and gazed far away.

‘To gain weight healthily…’

Even if he didn’t know much about gaining weight, he at least knew that she had to eat a lot of meat, bread, and sweets.

It’s okay because she doesn’t travel much now, but she’ll need stamina as she may later need to go to the court several times. That’s why he’s attentively making sure she eats well.

“… Sigh. “

Lacius finally released his hands and slowly wiped his face dry¹[마른 세수를|]/Dry face wash- is one of the gestures using hands, rubbing or touching the hand to one’s face. Use it for disappointment, anger, despair, surprise, fear, frustration, shock, and embarrassment.

In fact, there were numerous ladies who fought grueling battles with him on every road he went. 

Intentionally loosening their waistbands and asking him to tie them back, or inviting him to participate in the bizarre act of making him wait in the same room while they changed their clothes. 

And it’s not like there weren’t any ladies who secretly wore dresses that emphasized their breasts.

However, Lacius has never properly seen a woman’s body until now. He had never encountered such a thing this suddenly.

‘There needs to be in-depth research on why it was not unpleasant.’

Lacius became the most serious as he’s ever been since he was born.

From the first encounter, everything that made up Shay was not so bad that it was strange. He then thought to himself, maybe it’s because Shay lacked any ‘intentions’ toward him.

I don’t know what happened a moment ago, but after looking at her expression, it seemed like Shay didn’t open the door herself.

Lacius coughed a couple more times for no reason.

‘Wouldn’t it be fine if it were such a woman?’

Still what happened just now seemed to be his fault, presuming Shay wasn’t the one who opened the door.

However, Shay apologized to him instead, being considerate in case he got surprised. He felt puzzled and warm at the same time, because he was given “consideration” for the first time in a while.

‘I can’t believe she responded so nonchalantly even though she encountered me while being naked in such a place.’

Is it true that the blood of the sun god doesn’t work on foreign women? Or is something special with Shay?

Honestly, Lacius expected her to run into him and attack him.

There was nothing else to expect other than that.

And if what he had expected occurred, he was planning to turn 45 degrees to the side and leave immediately. He also would have asked her to leave this house instantly. He wouldn’t have asked her to pay back the money from buying her at the slave market, but instead, he would have given her some for travel expenses then send her on her way.

Her reaction was so unfamiliar and fascinating. So fascinating that it kept running through his mind.

‘To neutralize the sun’s overflowing heat from the body, a woman with strong moon energy must be by his side.’

That was what his ancestors, who had also suffered such symptoms, discovered.

The best thing for them to do was to get married and have sexual intercourse.

But it’s okay even if they didn’t do so. It was said that the situation would improve sufficiently when the Yang energy gets neutralized once they live together under one house for a long time.

This was all due to the overflowing amount of energy emanating from him.

However, the problem was finding a woman who would not fall in love with him until the end. He wanted to have a rational partner who would sign an agreement to have a purely contractual marriage.

Even if emotions began growing for each other, in the end, as time went by, the emotions on the female side were bound to be much greater.

He learned how miserable it could end from his parents’ relationship.

In this regard, Lady Crisiona, who had been mentioned several times as his potential marriage partner, was not a bad choice, but even so, he was still reluctant.

The lady did not seem to sit well with him. 

Although she fit the role of an aristocratic and elegant woman, there was ‘something’ in Lady Crisiona that stirred his instinct.

Stay away from her.

He was pretty confident of his instincts.

“Sigh.”

Soon Lacius leaned by the window and looked out at the sunset.

It’s beautiful. Today, however, he was reminded of something else after looking at the beautiful sunset…

‘It’s as if it was born out of a flame…’

Red hair. That glimmer in her eyes. The moment when the unique silver-blue eyes widened in surprise and her sincere tone uttering sorry.

The scene replayed in his mind over and over again without any intention of leaving him alone.

“Sigh.”

Lacius wiped his face dry once again.

It’s the first time he’s ever thought of a woman on his own accord.

Maybe, really.

That hope deepened.

* * *

I swear I felt like a student who texted the word f*ck to my homeroom teacher.

Well, in fact, this was a real story, and I accidentally did so the first semester of my third year in high school.

I wasn’t really trying to curse at my homeroom teacher like that. I was just thinking about my homeroom teacher and accidentally didn’t send it to my friend, ugh!

Anyway, the next day I felt like I was being dragged to a slaughterhouse. Just like right now, as I stood at the entrance of the dining room.

Inhale, exhale.

After clasping my hands together and taking a deep breath, I rushed into the dining room while still failing to hide my anxious eyes.

Yet it was Maynard’s butt, not Lacius’s stern eyes, that almost ran into me who dashed in like a rhino.

“…!”

I stopped with only 1cm left between us before a catastrophe took place, then I swiftly moved out of range with a step.

“Oh, My lady? “

“Hi, Maynard. “

After a while, Maynard, who set down an enormous mountain of bread he held, turned around. I sat where I was previously assigned and pretended to be coy.

“Wait a little bit. I’ll get something else quickly.”

“Yes, thank you. “

Lacius hadn’t appeared yet.

I calmed down and scanned the table. Is there anything delicious to…day?

“Bread mountain …”

What? No wonder the whole house smelled sweet and savory; this was the reason. 

I looked down at all kinds of baked goods feeling a little surprised.

What’s all this?

“This is a place full of dreams and hope, bread mountain…”