It's Not A Childcare But A Contract Marriage - Chapter 4 Part 1

The Duke’s eyes shone brightly with a rage that I had never witnessed before.

“Who is it?”

“Uh, yes?”

“A shameless man who dared to propose such a ridiculous marriage talk—”

The Duke growled, his words dripping with venom. As he glanced at my slightly frightened expression, he suppressed his rough breathing and continued speaking.

“Who is this suitor courting you?”

“Ah, Marquis Gaspar, who is rumored to be His Majesty’s second cousin.”

The Duke’s reaction was sharp and intense upon hearing the name of the prospective marriage partner, as if he had encountered his archenemy. He pronounced the name with such disdain, as though he would tear it apart letter by letter if it took physical form. Then, in a low voice, he muttered, “That old man.”

Can a duke just casually disrespect the emperor’s relatives like that? If I were to do it, I could be charged with the crime of insulting the imperial family honestly.

‘Anyway, it’s interesting to see the Duke’s reaction.’

Ordinarily, one would react with mild annoyance to a proposal of marriage with a 40-year age difference. But the Duke, who was not even a family member, was angered by my situation. A strange emotion briefly surged within me, but I quickly redirected my attention to the Duke’s voice.

“So, that’s what the young lady told me… Is that why you proposed marriage?”

“Ah, yes.”

The Duke spoke forthrightly, as if even the Emperor’s relatives were inconsequential. However, he hesitated for a moment before uttering the word “marriage.” It was as if he was carefully weighing each syllable before offering them to me.

“Ah!”

I hastily added, so as to avoid any misunderstanding.

“Of course, I don’t mean to enter into a ‘real marriage’ with the Duke!”

“… …”

The Duke’s expression turned sour somehow.

I made an effort to elaborate further on the concept of a “contract marriage” that I was proposing.

“Would it be possible for us to enter into a temporary arrangement?”

I couldn’t possibly entertain the idea of a genuine marriage with a Duke. I wasn’t some kind of fraudster. This was not a real marriage; it was a contract marriage—a marriage with clear conditions and a definite deadline.

“That’s no different from the threat my family was trying to make. As I mentioned earlier, all you have to do is endure it for one year.”

“One year?”

“Yes. Oh! Do you currently have a significant other or someone you’re considering for the future?”

I’ll seize the opportunity now.

I had never heard any rumors about the Duke’s affair, despite the smoke rising from the chimneys of other socialites’ households. What if there was a hidden lover? Just the thought of it made my face blur with anxiety.

“There is no such person.”

The Duke responded firmly and urgently.

Phew, thank goodness.

Relieved, I let out a sigh and allowed the corners of my mouth to relax.

“Then there is nothing for you to lose!”

“Hmm.”

“One year is merely a period chosen to minimize any potential loss of the marriage card for the Duke.”

Well, how important is marriage to aristocratic families?

At a position like Ivernum’s, the gains and losses from marriage would be trivial. Nevertheless, marriage among aristocrats was no different from a fierce battle to measure each other’s profits and losses. The one-year period was selected to minimize the loss of forfeiting the marriage card.

“It’s only a year. Even if I temporarily withdraw from the marriage market and return later, the Duke will still have a queue of girls waiting for him.”

“… …”

“Because you are the most eligible bachelor in the empire, the one whom everyone desires!”

So I tried my best to emphasize that the Duke had nothing to lose. However, his expression seemed unimpressed, causing my voice to involuntarily grow quieter.

‘No, I feel like I’m only making things worse.’

Why?

Was my bargaining power really this weak?

Feeling a bit disheartened, I proceeded to discuss the remaining points I had prepared, lowering my expectations somewhat.

“And not only can I provide you with the sedatives, but also the information I possess about the Second Prince’s faction.”

I had put in considerable effort to uncover the corruption within the spy families associated with the faction. This information could prove highly valuable to the First Prince’s faction, which the Duke belonged to.

“Formal marriage documents are necessary to prevent other marriage proposals, but I don’t want an extravagant wedding since it’s not a genuine marriage.”

That way, you won’t have to spend a fortune.

That was my selling point, but for some reason, it seemed to bother the Duke.

“Does the Duchy seem so poor that he needs to worry about the cost of a wedding for the bride?”

“Yes? Oh, no, of course not!”

No, is it because he’s concerned about the duchy’s finances? After all, they are the wealthiest family in the empire. I only emphasized that my proposal was economical and advantageous!

Suppressing my inner grumbling, I maintained a perfect smile and continued like a skilled salesperson.

“Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know about the wealth of the Duke of Ivernum? I merely didn’t want to cause the slightest harm to the duchy.”

“That’s true.”

“Yes. So, what do you think…?”