The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

Harte was utterly shocked.

Become lovers? It was a truly earth-shattering question, but his brain processed the information so slowly that his outward appearance remained calm.

Elphisia's situation, however, was different. Her entire body flushed red like a ripe apple, and her eyes grew moist. For someone who had rejected countless suitors, this was an unimaginable humiliation.

"You...!"

Whack!

Elphisia grabbed Harte by the collar, completely disregarding the stares around them. Then she unleashed a torrent of abuse that Harte could never have imagined.

"I'll kill you... I swear I'll kill you!"

"Gack, Elphisia! Kaha...!"

Elphisia shook Harte's collar as if she were laundering bedsheets. His vision violently shook, and his consciousness teetered on the edge of the abyss.

"W-wait, ack, Elphisia...!!! There are people around! Please watch what you're saying...!"

"It's all because of you... It's all your fault!"

"Is it... really my fault...?!"

Witnessing Elphisia throwing a tantrum, forgetting her pride as a high-ranking noble, Harte truly felt he might be the one at fault. And the crowd gathering around them seemed to agree that Harte was the villain.

"Oh my... It looks like that man played with a woman's feelings."

"From what I can see, it's a rich woman and an ordinary man... She's been thoroughly deceived by a nasty fellow."

"Judging by appearances, the man seems to be the one who should feel lucky... What a spectacle."

"Look at that man's face. He looks so innocent... This is why you shouldn't judge people by their looks."

Public opinion condemning Harte as trash spread throughout the vast plaza.

If one person criticizes you, you might doubt them, but when everyone criticizes you, you can't help but doubt yourself. Thus, Harte sincerely reflected on his wrongdoings.

'Honestly, I have no idea what I did wrong... But judging by the bystanders' reactions, I must have violated something directly related to Elphisia's purity. Otherwise, why would the intelligent, beautiful, and noble Elphisia suddenly ask me to be her lover?'

When his thoughts reached that point, Harte recalled his first encounter with Elphisia.

'... No, I've already tainted Elphisia's purity. Even if it was unavoidable, I dared to covet an unmarried woman's thighs...'

As God's vanguard, he was loath to admit it. Whether emotionally or physically, he had disturbed Elphisia's purity.

The benevolent Elphisia had glossed over it with the excuse of a trivial contract, but that day was a grave sin that couldn't be repaid so easily.

Therefore, Harte made a resolution.

'I must... take responsibility.'

Given the situation, he should become Elphisia's husband and serve her for life.

He etched this absurd determination into his heart.

It was a conclusion drawn from his naivety and childlike innocence, utterly oblivious to the ways of the world.

"... Elphisia."

Harte gently removed Elphisia's hands from his collar. Then, folding her hands in front of his chest, he conveyed his feelings with resolute eyes.

"My thinking was shallow. I thought about how to make it up to you. But no matter how much I considered, there was only one thing I could do."

"What..."

Just as Elphisia was about to question Harte's suddenly serious demeanor.

Harte declared boldly.

"I'll take responsibility for Elphisia for life. I won't run away. I'll spend the rest of my days by your side, atoning for my sins.

So... please... please marry me...!!!"

"All of a sudden?!"

Now it was Elphisia's turn to be dumbfounded.

Whatever thought process had occurred in that innocent head of his was a mystery. Even the brilliant Elphisia couldn't decipher it.

More than that, what disturbed Elphisia's composure was the reaction of the onlookers.

"Oh! The young man's found his courage, hasn't he?"

"Tsk tsk, proposing in public without even a single flower."

Harte and Elphisia had already become a public spectacle. Likely, by the next day, shocking rumors would circulate in social circles. Those keen on gossip would probably perceive Harte as the future Duke Luminel consort.

Just then, a pretty young girl approached them.

"Handsome brother over there, take this."

"... Excuse me, but who are you?"

Harte asked the girl who had suddenly appeared with a bouquet. The girl replied with a bright smile.

"I'm Flotia. I run the largest flower shop in the capital. You happened to propose in front of my store, so I'm giving you this for publicity."

"I, I see..."

"It's nothing."

Flotia then lowered her voice.

"It's a bouquet for proposing to Duke Luminel, you know? By tomorrow, flowers from our shop will sell like hotcakes. This is all strategy, so don't think of it as a debt."

Indeed, judging by how she had memorized Elphisia's face, she was a girl with a keen business sense.

Harte accepted the bouquet as if entranced, and immediately presented it to Elphisia, continuing his proposal.

"Please. Allow me to stay by Elphisia's side. Give me the chance to serve you closely for life."

"What..."

"Am I not enough? Or... do you find me disagreeable?"

"Ugh, that's not it, I mean..."

"Elphisia..."

"No..."

As Elphisia took a step back, Harte took a step forward. Her expression was hidden behind the large bouquet, making it difficult to gauge her reaction. This only heightened his anxiety, until Elphisia shouted.

"Isn't this moving too fast?!"

It was an exclamation that brought the commotion to an end.

Afterwards, Elphisia turned and walked towards the ducal mansion, as if fleeing.

Harte's persistent pursuit was just a bonus.

---

---

Elphisia was overwhelmed by cultural shock.

A sudden proposal was something that should never have happened.

Elphisia was, after all, a high-ranking noble. With Rayners' death from lifestyle diseases, she was now the empire's only duke. For such a high-ranking noble to skip the engagement process and proceed directly to marriage...

The old-fashioned values ingrained in her mind wouldn't allow it.

Her essence, raised as the esteemed daughter of a martial house, was unequivocally conservative.

Such a radical marriage, fit only for romance novels, was nothing but unseemly drivel.

"Elphisia..."

Unaware of Elphisia's inner turmoil, Harte called her name like a rain-soaked puppy. Even so, she didn't dislike the way his bright eyes focused solely on her.

'Damn it, even his lack of decorum is cute...'

Objectively speaking, Harte was tall. He was the very epitome of a holy knight. Yet, why did this man seem so small when he stood before her...

"Ah..."

Suddenly, Elphisia realized the reason.

Harte always hunched his back when standing before her. It seemed to be his effort to match her eye level. That's why the Harte that Elphisia perceived was smaller than usual.

It was troubling how even such a trivial gesture now appeared endearing to her.

"... Harte."

"Yes, what is it? Elphisia."

"I'll tell you the truth. I was very flustered in the plaza."

"I... I've caused you trouble again, haven't I?"

"Harte, I..."

Elphisia tightly closed her ruby-like eyes behind her eyelids. Only when her mental preparation was complete did she reveal them to the world again.

Quietly confessing her true feelings.

"You did cause trouble, but I didn't dislike it."

"... Pardon?"

"It's just a matter of procedure. Dating is one thing, but what noble would skip the engagement process and go straight to the wedding? Especially me, a prominent figure of the empire."

"Is... is that so..."

Harte's face turned beet red.

His immediate proposal may have been rejected, but didn't this mean she wasn't averse to becoming his wife?

He had impulsively proposed due to his confused mental state... Who could have dreamed it would lead to such an unimaginable outcome?

Finally sensing a peculiar atmosphere, Harte gathered his courage.

"Then... would it be alright if we followed the proper procedures?"

"Well."

Elphisia turned her face away slightly and replied nonchalantly.

"...... I suppose there's no reason why not."

"Elphisia...!"

Step, step.

Harte circled around the table to Elphisia's side. And Elphisia didn't bother to retreat from him.

Her seemingly haughty and cold face was betrayed by the expectant look in her eyes.

The scene was like a fully prepared banquet.

Harte, who would usually spit out even spoon-fed food, managed to pick up the spoon this time.

"Please become my lover."

"Harte..."

The only problem was that the spoon he had managed to pick up started stirring the food a bit too vigorously.

"I swear by my baptismal name."

Harte took Elphisia's hand in his. Then he bowed his head and pressed her hand to his forehead.

Woong.

Golden particles filled her office. The divine radiance that had manifested at the Emperor's birthday celebration now swirled around Elphisia.

Belatedly, Harte recited his sacred vow.

"I'll always stand by your side. Even if the world forces us down a thorny path, I'll surely protect you."

Harte liked Elphisia.

Being by her side made him feel at ease. A completely different switch flipped compared to when he stayed at the temple, as if his very identity changed. Perhaps this was what they called

'Normalcy'.

Harte cherished that normalcy.

"Even if countless people denounce you as a liar, even if they whisper seductively in my ear, I'll simply believe in you."

He trusted the Elphisia he had come to know.

He felt comfortable with her, the way she hid her kindness behind a brusque facade.

He wasn't sure if this was the feeling of love shared between lovers. But as long as she allowed it, he wanted to start learning from now on.

"I pledge in the name of God bestowed upon me, and engrave this eternal promise before the Sovereign God."

Harte's pure violet eyes reflected a beautiful red.

"So please, become my lover. Elphisia."

This was a one-sided binding.

A vow made on one's baptismal name held absolute power. The price for betraying such a promise could be considered nothing less than everything the person possessed.

Therefore, this was a one-sided promise with not even a speck of disadvantage for Elphisia.

Unaware of this, Elphisia responded to his wish with a slightly coy tone.

"... I'll consider it an honor."