It's Not A Childcare But A Contract Marriage - Chapter 9 Part 1

As soon as I stepped onto the duke’s carriage, positioned right in front of the upper level, and closed the door, I couldn’t help but open my mouth.

“How the hell are you here-“

“Are you surprised?”

The images of the duke and the horse overlapped, causing me to pause for a moment and notice something odd.

‘Polite words…?’

The duke responded as if he understood the question in my gaze.

“Aren’t you my fiancé?”

“Yes, but…”

Goosebumps appeared on my arms when I heard such respectful words from someone like the duke, who I presumed had never used honorifics in his life.

Wait, wasn’t His Majesty the Emperor the only person who the duke would address with respect due to his position?

The duke, who had been observing me intently, spoke up.

“As long as you are comfortable with my reputation, do as you please.”

“Yes! That’s convenient!”

…

For a brief moment, it seemed like a dark expression passed over the duke’s face. However, when I blinked, it was as if it had been an illusion, and he regained his usual composed demeanor.

Lost in the beauty of his perfectly formed features, I was suddenly interrupted by the duke’s question.

“So, were they always like that?”

“Yes?”

“Did they treat you like that? Raising their hand against you?”

The deep furrow between his eyebrows seemed to reveal his discomfort.

After a moment, I understood his meaning and hastily waved my hands, correcting the misunderstanding.

“No! I am also a noble lady. Would you think I’d let them harm me?”

“…”

“No, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, even if we talk about our family relationship, as you can see, it’s not good.”

I hadn’t approached the hostile family for no reason.

“Ah, doesn’t this lend credibility to my words?”

“Trust?”

“Yes. I’m serious about punishing them.”

I wondered if they had truly recognized my sincere intentions—not to deceive the duke, but to place obstacles in the path of the cruel family.

Did I express it too bluntly?

The duke, silent for a moment, spoke as if he had understood my sincerity without any filters.

“…No trust, no engagement.”

“Ah! Yes, that’s right.”

If the duke hadn’t genuinely accepted my proposal, he wouldn’t have taken the trouble to expedite the approval of the engagement papers.

I was surprised when I saw what the duke had taken out earlier.

As I reminisced quietly for a while, the duke’s words reached me.

“I guess you must have been surprised.”

“Yes?”

“Since the eldest son of the marquis threatened you without even realizing his own humiliation.”

I widened my eyes for a moment at the unexpected words.

“Well, it was the first time that that guy, who calls himself my brother, raised his hand, so I was a little surprised…”

“It’s alright. It’s not like that.”

“It’s nothing. It’s not a big deal.”

I calmly composed my expression and spoke.

The duke is an important business partner. I can’t show any weakness in front of him.

“Chiaville was just talking, he didn’t actually lay a finger on me… Ah, of course, thanks to the duke’s timely intervention! I was grateful back then.”

“……”

I smiled brightly, ensuring there was no trace of agitation.

Perhaps due to my well-managed facial expressions, the duke accepted my words without question, closing his mouth.

His gaze, which had been fixed on my eyes, moved away as if searching for something else… Ah.

‘This.’

Following his gaze, I noticed that my hand was trembling slightly.

I quickly hid it, but the duke’s eyes remained fixed on my fingertips. I bit my lower lip hard, feeling something stir inside me.

‘Chiaville! He’s not helpful in this life anyway!’

Resolutely fortifying myself internally, I tried to dispel the chill that kept creeping in.

There shouldn’t be a chill inside the carriage with no wind coming in, but my body couldn’t help but shiver.

‘Alright. It’s the first time I’ve experienced physical violence directly, so it’s natural to be surprised. But I need to calm down.’

Calm down, body. Now is not the time to panic.

I took a deep breath, careful not to make any loud sounds. Please, let there be no visible signs of agitation.

‘Ah, there was still a lingering disappointment.’

Like a fool.

But I guess there was still a fantasy about having a real family.

It must have been a bit shocking to realize that I had some expectations for my family.

I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

…

At that moment, the duke, who had been silently observing me, took off his glove and extended it towards me.

“Hmm?”

“It seems like you’re cold.”

“Yes? Ah…”

Pretending not to know, attributing my trembling to the cold, the duke put his gloves on my hands.

The large gloves didn’t fit my hands at all, and it looked like they could slip off at any moment.

“…”

The warmth that transmitted from the duke’s hand, filling the ill-fitting gloves, was evident.

‘My hands are surprisingly warm.’

Lost in the warmth, I pondered for a while.

Perhaps it was due to his concern that my body’s trembling ceased without my notice.

“Let me know if you feel cold again.”

“…Could you wrap me in a cloak next time?”

The duke smiled and placed his hand on his cloak.

“If you wish, I can do it now.”

“No, it’s alright… So, what were you originally trying to say?”

“Let’s speed up the carriage.”

Observing my perplexed expression, the duke calmly spoke up.

“If we arrive at the mansion quickly, I can provide you with something to warm you up, like a heater or a blanket.”

“The duke is unexpectedly thoughtful.”

“Me?”

The duke raised an eyebrow, his expression clearly showing unfamiliarity.

Pfft.

Thanks to that, an involuntary laughter escaped my lips.

“Yes, really.”

“…”

With the duke looking at me with a puzzled expression as I giggled, I held onto my now warm hands.

‘It’s ironic.’

While families who share blood act like that, it’s the contractual family who shares circumstances that provides comfort in this situation…

The sensation of the ill-fitting glove slipping over my fingers became even more pronounced.

Is it motion sickness? My heart fluttered a little.