The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

Meanwhile, the duke's mansion approached noon as Harte and Elphisia departed.

Echo stayed at the mansion under the guise of temporary protection.

At first, she was thrilled at the thought of living under the same roof as Glen. However, she soon faced a daunting challenge.

"Hey, hey, what should we play?"

"I... I... well..."

"What do you like, Echo? I love hide-and-seek and strawberries!"

"Um..."

The daunting challenge was none other than Tina. The moment she heard about a new friend her age, Tina dashed out. She bolted from Cardi's office mid-snack.

Cardi's face was unreadable as he stared blankly at his granddaughter's retreating back. But the innocent child had no time to notice.

"You're really pretty. Your skin is so white, like porcelain."

"It's... because I don't see the sun..."

"And your eyes are super pretty too, right?"

"I... don't know..."

Echo found Tina overwhelming.

It was natural for Echo, who had lived in isolation, to struggle adapting to Tina's energy. Moreover, there was a time when Echo had deeply envied Tina.

Now that Tina was clinging to her like an overexcited puppy, her excessive attention was becoming too much.

'Glen was fine, though...'

Looking back, she and Glen had connected well from the start.

From comfortable silences to not dragging out conversations, they clicked. In contrast, it would take time to become close with Tina, who radiated positivity.

"Um, hey..."

"Hm? What is it? What?"

"Where... where's Glen...?"

"Oh, Glen? He's probably exercising with Grandpa right now."

Exercise!

Echo tilted her head, eyes closed. Come to think of it, she'd heard he was the duke's disciple, but hearing it from someone else made it more real. Glen really was amazing.

"Why? Want to go see Glen?"

"... Is that okay?"

"Sure! Let's go together."

"Thank you..."

"It's nothing!"

Whether Echo was uncomfortable or not, Tina was thrilled to have a female friend her age. She had quite a few friends from parenting gatherings, but Glen was the only peer she could meet often. In these circumstances, Echo's presence was like a breath of fresh air for Tina.

Tina took Echo's hand and led her, mindful of her weak eyesight. The maid assigned to Echo watched anxiously as she carefully descended the stairs.

By the time they finally reached the bottom and the mansion doors opened, the maid felt like applauding.

At the end of this journey, they arrived at the training grounds.

Cardi, abandoned by Tina, was crossing swords with Glen, who was training diligently. Though Glen's skills had improved over the past few months, he was still no match for Cardi.

Echo let out a worried gasp at Glen's groans as he rolled around.

"Oh no... Isn't he in pain?"

"It's okay, Glen's tough."

Tina and Echo sat on a bench at the edge of the training grounds. Glen, in the midst of his grueling training, merely glanced at them before refocusing.

As the clash of swords rang out once more and the mock duel unfolded, Echo asked again.

"What's happening now?"

"Grandpa's totally relaxed. Oh, he just flicked Glen on the head."

"Glen did?"

"No, Grandpa did the flicking."

"Good heavens...!"

How harsh must the training be for Glen to be beaten so one-sidedly? Echo wanted to shout out in concern.

Oblivious to Echo's feelings, Tina voiced her disappointment:

"If only Echo could see... Then you could watch Grandpa's amazing skills more clearly."

"Oh, well, that's..."

Honestly, she didn't want to see. She might not mind seeing Glen's impressive side, but witnessing him getting beaten would likely make her sad.

Just then, Tina clapped her hands excitedly.

"Oh! That's right. Should we ask Dad? My dad's an incredible doctor, so he could definitely fix your eyes."

"A doctor, you say?"

"Yep!"

Tina still firmly believed the lie Harte had casually made up. If Harte could cure even the Bloody Dragon's instinct to crave blood, he could surely do this.

Tina had unwavering trust.

"Really... Could my eyes... really be able to see..."

"I'm sure they will. My dad is super amazing, you know?"

"Yes... Because he's the Director."

"Oh, you know? Did Glen tell you?"

"That's right. He said the Director shoots beams from his mouth."

"Oh..."

Tina sat thinking, letting her imagination run wild. After some thought, she concluded:

"... Wouldn't it go like 'Bwaaaah!'?"

She was practically treating Harte as some sort of alien life form.

It was a logical deduction based on the idea that if dragons could breathe fire, Harte must be capable of the same.

"He really is amazing..."

Echo, influenced by Tina and Glen, was convinced.

As the sky turned golden and twilight approached, Harte and Elphisia returned home.

---

---

Elphisia was indeed a woman with a formidable side. I was reminded of this once again only after visiting the Peter viscounty.

She bluntly presented the papers for relinquishing parental rights over Echo, but the Peter couple strongly opposed. Despite having treated Echo like a family disgrace until now, their attitude completely changed the moment they heard the word "fragment".

They claimed it was all a form of discipline, that they had actually treasured her and kept her hidden.

It seemed difficult for them to give up a girl blessed with a miracle. With such a sacred child, they could marry her off to any family of their choosing in the future.

Moreover, apart from her severe weak eyesight, Echo's appearance was quite appealing, befitting a daughter of the Peter family.

Elphisia swiftly dismissed all their resistance, citing legal grounds with enough force to make a judge flinch.

When they threatened to contact the Minister of Justice, to who they were connected by marriage, Elphisia's response was shocking.

"By all means, go ahead. Right here, right now."

She then added:

"The moment you do, I'll buy the Minister of Justice."

I'm not sure if Elphisia was implying bribery or hinting at buying off the Minister of Justice himself. I only knew that Elphisia was dead serious, and that was the decisive factor in making the viscount couple back down.

At that point, I couldn't gauge the extent of House Luminel's influence. More surprisingly, it was fascinating that she could make such an offer on the spot, wielding full authority of the ducal house.

Thus, I ended up returning after merely putting on airs like a borrowed sack of grain.

"Dad!"

With a bang, Tina burst out as if she'd been waiting. I lifted her up and nuzzled my forehead against her plump cheeks.

"Ahah, haha! That tickles!"

"Did our daughter have fun today too?"

"Yes, I made a new friend and it's so great!"

"That's wonderful."

Having finally landed on the ground, Tina approached Elphisia as well.

"... What."

"Mom, won't you do it for me too?"

"Why should I do such a thing..."

"Please?"

Tina's pleading gaze held a magical power that compelled Elphisia to act. Soon enough, Elphisia picked Tina up, made eye contact for a few seconds, then put her back down.

Tina, unsatisfied with Elphisia's lukewarm response, immediately signaled a more aggressive approach.

"Fine, since Mom didn't do it, I'll do it for you this time."

She then grabbed Elphisia's thighs and rubbed her face against her lower abdomen freely. Somehow, I envied the uninhibited contact against my wife's thighs, which were both soft and firm...

...

......

Slap!

I struck my own cheek hard enough to rattle my teeth. I could clearly feel my molars wobbling before settling back into place.

"Y-You...! What are you doing? This is the fourth time today!"

"... Sorry."

"Are you okay, Dad?"

"Urgh, Tina. Daddy... Daddy is really... sorry...!!!"

I'm sorry for being a depraved father, and sorry for being a husband whose vow of chastity has weakened.

Once again sinking into self-loathing, Tina quietly approached me.

"Um, Dad."

"Yes...?"

"Can you fix Echo's eyes too? Because you're a doctor, right?"

"Ah... about that."

Tina gazed at me with unwavering eyes, showing firm trust. But I could only scratch the back of my head sheepishly.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but... it's impossible."

"... What?"

Tina's face fell instantly as she tightly gripped my hand.

"You're joking... right? There's no way you can't fix it, Dad. I already told Echo everything would be fine..."

"Tina..."

If Echo's weak eyesight had been a congenital disability, it wouldn't have been difficult. But her condition was a miracle bestowed as a fragment of divinity. In other words, it was the power of the Lord.

There was no way to remove the Lord's power with the Lord's power.

If it were a matter of transferring it to me, like the dragon's instinct that had troubled Tina, it might not be impossible... but that would be a sin of arbitrarily taking the Lord's power.

To put it another way, it would be overstepping my bounds.

So, I gently explained to Tina.

"That's why I was thinking of asking someone else instead of me."

"Oh, someone else...?"

"Yes. There's someone called His Holiness the Pope, who's even more amazing than Dad."

"Ah, I saw him at the ball. Was he an incredible person?"

"Of course."

While it would be problematic for the Lord's vanguard to take the Lord's power, there would be no issue if the Lord himself were to withdraw it.

In exchange, Tina's newly made friend would disappear into the temple for a while.

"... Is it true...?"

Just then, a trembling voice came from the mansion's entrance. It was Echo, who had come to greet us at the entrance, holding Glen's hand.

"Can you... really fix my eyes?"

"Yes. Though you'll have to live at the temple for a while."

"Th-That's fine. I... I can do that. So, so, I really want my eyes fixed...!"

"Alright, if you want them fixed, we should fix them. You're our little one's secret friend, after all."

Glen immediately protested my joking words.

"Secret friend, what do you mean...! Echo is just a friend... not a secret friend."

"Hey now, I think we can agree that friends we meet secretly are called 'secret friends'?"

"Ugh..."

Thinking it over, he seemed to have no good comeback. Glen just glared at me resentfully, having gone quiet.

"It's too late today... Shall we go to the temple tomorrow?"

"Yes...! That sounds good!"

At the hopeful news, smiles bloomed on Glen and Tina's faces as well. Glen in particular held both of Echo's hands tightly, expressing his joy with a rare smile.

"That's great, Echo!"

"... Yes! Thank you, Glen. This is all thanks to you finding me..."

"You're exaggerating..."

Glen awkwardly tried to save face. Seeing their shy yet harmonious interactions made me feel content.

Now there was only one task left.

That is... to control my own heart.

---

---

"Let's use separate rooms for a while, Elphisia."

That was what Harte proposed just before entering the bedroom. Elphisia was secretly annoyed but nodded with a haughty face.

At the time, Harte's foolish expression, as if he'd shaken off all his worries, irritated her for no reason. But now, lying in bed and feeling the emptiness beside her, she thought differently.

'It's a good sign.'

Harte had begun to recognize her as a woman, not just a contract wife. It was like a tiny crack in a massive dam.

The water trickling out was just the beginning; before long, it would burst forth like a flood. That was the essence of emotion. The moment one becomes aware, love and desire grow uncontrollably.

'... I know it well.'

How terrifying a moment of realization can be.

How it can make you lose yourself.

Elphisia remembered it all vividly.

At some point, looking back, you find that your firmly held beliefs and values have crumbled like a sandcastle swept by waves.

An unfamiliar feeling, as if losing oneself. It's a strange but not unpleasant experience.

That was how love had sprouted in Elphisia.

"Come to think of it, my husband's tastes are quite... peculiar."

Could thighs really be that appealing?

Soon, it might be good to find an excuse to offer a lap pillow.

"Or I could pretend to toss and turn and press against him."

It would be quite amusing to see Harte's reaction if she pinned his hand with her thigh. Elphisia couldn't help but smile imagining Harte's face turning bright red.

"What a lewd person... and a fool."

She buried her face in the pillow. While it was fun to imagine various strategies, it was still embarrassing. If Harte ever turned the tables on her, she would surely flail about, unable to even speak properly.

She found herself contradictory, both hoping for and fearing such a day.

"Well, I'm in no position to call anyone a fool."

Only in calm moments like this could she think of such calculated plans. When faced with reality, her heart would race, causing her to lose all reason.

Even today was like that.

Originally, she had planned to sit on Harte's lap like a mistress, grab his chin, and look at him coldly. Yet one mention of sex made her too embarrassed to continue.

How pathetic!

"For now... I should steadily secure the areas to target."

Elphisia pulled the bell rope to summon a maid. Then she hid her flushed face, pulling the blanket up to her nose.

She then issued her order:

"Place an order with the dressmaker for custom-made casual attire by tomorrow evening. About thirty outfits should suffice."

"My lady, when you say custom-made, what kind of attire do you mean...?"

"Leave the design to the dressmaker's expertise, but keep one thing in mind."

"I'm listening."

Elphisia conveyed a truly puzzling condition to the dutiful maid.

"... The side slit in the skirt is essential."

Unable to continue speaking, she cast aside her shame and finished her order.

"...... Relay that to them."

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