The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

I was floored when I received the invitation.

Not a single line criticized my reckless use of divine power. Instead, it mostly contained greetings asking how I'd been.

If it had stopped there, I would've been relieved. The problem was the summons to attend the Founding Day ball at the Imperial Palace written on the last line.

In the past, I wouldn't have hesitated. But now, with three kids in tow, I wasn't as free to move around.

'What am I going to do about the children...?'

To be honest, I could probably figure something out for Tina and Glen, even if it was a stretch. However, it would be risky to leave the Third Prince Yulian unattended.

While I was lost in thought, Elphisia, who had been quietly observing behind me, peered over my shoulder at the invitation.

"An invitation from the Imperial Palace. I knew it was coming, but I didn't expect the temple to be behind it."

"You knew it was coming? Why?"

"Did you really think the world would turn a blind eye after you used so much divine power so recklessly? Honestly, it could be seen as a desperate cry for attention."

"But... every situation was unavoidable..."

"Just because a situation is desperate doesn't mean people ignore it. Anyway, now that it's come to this, we should come up with a plan."

Elphisia quickly formulated a strategy.

"Let's openly reveal Yulian."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Of course not. If I claim to be Yulian's guardian, who would dare make a foolish move?"

"Don't tell me you're planning to use the Duke's name?"

"You guessed it. You might have forgotten, but I'm a pawn in my father's game, remember? I'm not exactly out of favor."

Elphisia's argument made sense. I had assumed her ties with the Duke's family were severed since she was living in a humble orphanage.

But as I mentioned earlier, Elphisia wasn't a neglected child. She was pushed into marriage because the Duke coveted divine power.

In other words, Elphisia's will could align with that of the Duke's family.

If I say I want it, the Duke would likely agree.

"From then on, House Luminel will have joined a faction... We'll be in the political game. Not that I'm worried about Father losing, not even a bit.

Besides, he might even be pleased to be on the same side as the Court Count he's been so eager to recruit."

"..."

"Harte?"

"No, I was just... wondering if we're already forcing Yulian onto a difficult path. That's what worries me."

I knew Yulian couldn't stay at the orphanage forever. After all, he's destined to return to the cutthroat Imperial Palace someday and claim the Regalia.

I could help with other things, but politics was beyond me.

If I, with a baptismal name, were to step into politics... the separation between church and state would crumble.

Above all, the chances of crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed would skyrocket.

'At times like this, the baptismal name feels like shackles.'

To the world watching us, the miracles of the baptismal name might seem like an all-powerful blessing. But in reality, it was closer to bearing a huge burden in exchange.

Therefore, the ways in which I could help Yulian were extremely limited.

At best, I could protect him from assassination attempts.

"Haah..."

A deep sigh escaped me. Elphisia then placed her hands on her hips and spoke sharply.

"Harte. Have you forgotten our contract?"

"Why bring up the contract?"

"Prioritizing the children above all else is the condition placed on me, isn't it?"

The next moment, Elphisia struck a chord with a truly characteristic statement.

"Then what's there to worry about? I am Elphisia Luminel, after all."

"... That's quite the confidence."

"... Well, this time, I won't make any mistakes."

Elphisia's bold declaration somehow felt magical. Even though there was no evidence yet, I had a strong feeling that things would go exactly as she intended.

At that point, I set aside my worries about Yulian.

"What about Tina and Glen?"

"They can stay at the Duke's mansion."

"... Is that okay?"

"Of course. If it's my father who's so desperate for you, he'll probably shower the kids with treats or something."

"That's hard to imagine..."

The current Duke Luminel is the empire's finest prosecutor and holds the highest noble rank.

To think of such a man trying to win over little children.

Well, what can I do? It's hard to believe, but I have no choice.

'I suppose Elphisia, being family, would know better than me...'

The dilemma was resolved surprisingly quickly.

Elphisia is so wise that she sometimes overwhelms me, making me feel inferior. Having her bound to me, even if only through a contract, is incredibly reassuring.

Above all, it was comforting to know that the original story's villainess was on my side.

"Elphisia, when do you think we should leave? The train connects Arwel territory to the capital, so the journey itself won't take long. But with two weeks left until Founding Day, we need to time it right. What do you think?"

"Why even ask?"

"Huh?"

She gives an unexpected answer.

"Let's leave right now, with just the clothes on our backs."

---

---

The journey from Arwel territory to the capital took two full days.

It was incredibly boring for me, with memories of modern high-speed trains, but the children seemed quite excited to enjoy the train ride.

Even without memories of a past life, it would have been irrelevant. For me, running on two legs is much faster than the train, so there's no helping it.

After arriving at the train station in the capital, we boarded a carriage and rode for a good hour before we could set foot in the heart of the capital.

There, I quietly prayed to myself.

'Our Mother in heaven, please forgive this sin and show mercy...'

Because the first place Elphisia dragged us to was a clothing store.

And that clothing store was so sinfully opulent that I felt guilty just looking at it.

I couldn't even properly take in those dazzling outfits.

"Well then."

Elphisia gracefully opened her mouth.

"Send everything from the left corner to the opposite end. House Luminel will take care of the payment."

"We'll serve you well, Lady Elphisia!"

"Elphisia...!"

The 'left corner to the opposite end' she pointed to was a space full of children's dresses on display.

The fabric was on a completely different level from my everyday clothes, and jewels that I questioned why they were even attached caught my eye here and there.

I whispered to her, almost pleadingly.

"Please... Extravagance is a sin, Elphisia. Can't we just buy what we need, reasonably...? Besides, why are jewels necessary on clothes? I'm really curious about that, but I don't want to know anymore..."

"Oh my, you seem to have a misunderstanding. The idea that extravagance is a sin is just a prejudice."

"A prejudice? Why...?"

"Think about it carefully. If those with vast wealth don't spend, how much money would circulate in the market? Even seemingly reckless extravagance all contributes to the economy's virtuous cycle."

Is that... how it works?

...

My gut feeling is trying to refute it, but I can't seem to find a way to counter Elphisia's logic.

Elphisia smiled at me with a benevolent smile like a saint.

"If someone with ten gold coins spends one copper coin, it's consumption, but if someone with one copper coin spends one copper coin, that's extravagance."

"Umm..."

"But I have countless gold coins, so the concept of extravagance doesn't apply to me. In other words, today's shopping isn't even extravagance."

"Your words... seem right... Yeah..."

Somehow, I feel like I'm being manipulated with money. Money-pulation, so to speak.

I had to endure the culture shock with my whole body as I stepped into a dazzling world I didn't know existed.

"We should pick out a suit too, right? Since your hair is all grey, a white suit would look good... Blue tones would be nice too."

"Don't call my white hair gray... And I don't really need an outfit."

"Are you planning to go naked like the emperor in that story?"

"No, I was invited as a member of the temple, so the Holy Knight Order's uniform should be sufficient."

"Hmm."

Elphisia rolled her eyes upward as if trying to recall something. Then, for some reason, she pulled at her cheeks and smiled loosely.

"The Holy Knight Order's uniform... It was handsome. Certainly."

"... Have you seen it before?"

"Huh?"

"Have you seen a Holy Knight in uniform before?"

"That's, well..."

It's not strange for Elphisia to have seen a Holy Knight in uniform. After all, unless you're the owner of a baptismal name, temple personnel are relatively free to come and go.

But it bothers me that Elphisia said it was handsome.

Even though I know the faces of all the Holy Knights by heart, if she gives me some characteristics, I can immediately identify who it is.

I wonder what kind of person could make the high-and-mighty Elphisia use the word "handsome." I'm curious, purely out of innocent curiosity!

"Could you tell me what you saw?"

"Do I really have to say it?"

"I can't say it's absolutely necessary, but..."

Honestly, I struggled a lot before expressing the next words. After all, I had sworn not to use the contract myself, and here I was about to break it for mere curiosity.

I hope our Lord forgives me for succumbing to temptation.

With that, I opened my mouth.

"It's the contract... you know. The marital duty of not looking at others. I just... if you like that person, it would put me in a difficult position..."

I cut off my words, feeling too shabby to make any more excuses.

"... That's all."

Elphisia is a capable and wise person. From the start, she was out of my league.

In reality, while I've received countless help from Elphisia, there's been virtually no opportunity for me to help her in return.

At this rate, isn't she really just... a woman who was sold off?

After a moment, Elphisia, having chewed over her thoughts repeatedly, finally spoke.

"I can... give you a hint."

"Yeah, tell me."

"Let's see..."

Elphisia's lips quivered as she chose her words carefully.

Is she happy just imagining it?

Somehow, I don't like this feeling.

Unaware of my inner thoughts, she gave me a hint.

"He's a fool and an idiot like no other in this world."

"... Huh?"

"He got so obsessed with a woman that he couldn't tell right from wrong and ended up in trouble."

"What, what... Is that... Is that kind of jerk handsome to you...?"

Is Elphisia's ideal type a bad boy? If so, it's an ideal I can never fulfill.

No, more than that, there's no one in the Holy Knight Order who would chase after women like that.

But Elphisia lets out a small chuckle.

"If you said those words to him, he'd be shocked."

"Go ahead and tell him. I wonder how recklessly one must live to be like that, I swear..."

"Kuk, khuhu... Th-that's, that's, r-right... ! Kuk..."

Elphisia's vocal cords seemed to have malfunctioned. What could be so funny that she can't even speak properly...

"Whew... Anyway, such a dimwit of a man isn't bad either."

"Not bad? A proper man should know to be careful with alcohol, fists, and women!"

"Well, he's far from alcohol and fists, at least."

"Hmm..."

Who on earth could it be?

There's no one in the Holy Knight Order who indulges in alcohol and violence to begin with. Nor is there a womanizer, and no one has ever gotten into big trouble because of it.

'Is Elphisia making fun of me?'

Or is it possible that an outsider is impersonating a Holy Knight... No, that's unlikely. There are few jobs with worse cost-effectiveness than impersonating a Holy Knight.

But then why does Elphisia look at me with a smile tinged with an inexplicable sense of superiority?

It's truly perplexing... a mystery indeed.

"See?"

As I continued my internal reasoning, she shot out a remark as if delivering a sharp rebuke.

"I told you he's a fool without a clue."