An Arranged Marriage with an Enemy - Chapter 13

When the sun was high in the sky, a carriage rumbled across the paved road and out of the estate. It was time to purchase Alessia’s other necessities and also introduce her to the territories under Ferdinand.

Usually, merchants were brought inside the walls so that their goods could be inspected and they could take orders, but Alessia wanted to go out, so it was decided that they would visit the city.

Kaon stole a glance at her, who was busy looking out the window.

‘Are her eyes creepy?’

His casual admiration of her countenance turned focused.

‘Not really.’

Her ruby eyes seemed even more dazzling in the sunlight. They weren’t scary or creepy at all like the maids had said, just mesmerizing in the way jewels were.

“Kaon, was this wall built to keep out monsters?”

Unfortunately, his appreciative thoughts had to stop there. Following her gaze, he answered, “Yes. Ferdinand has very little history of being involved in territorial disputes, but its biggest enemy has always been monsters. My forefathers built the fortress starting with the side facing the forest before the city was even built entirely.”

After the end of the first war against the monsters, the walls built on the orders of the first Duke Ferdinand were still functional. They were sturdier than the walls that protected the city from human invasions, and it was so strong that even though it was the first fortress built, it had the least number of requisite repairs.

‘Well, it was built with permanence in mind, obviously… It cost a whole lot of money and mana to build.’

Kaon stared at the faint shimmering across the walls. At first glance, it looked like haze, but it was an energy barrier erected by the immense power of a single person. It had always amazed him how the entire thing was in one piece, created by some person who was chock-full of mana.

Barriers consumed a lot of mana, being a protective type of spell. Any mage who performed it on that scale alone was either very strong or very crazy. Probably both.

He’d checked the archives one time out of curiosity, but the records were saying something contrary. The phrase “dozens of mages took turns to cast the barrier” was particularly wrong.

Kaon knew as much because he was capable of ‘seeing’ the flow of mana, and it was clear that all of it only came from one person. He and his dearly departed mother were the only ones in the family who had such an ability, one that manifested at a young age.

‘But she didn’t like it.’

His mother had begged him not to tell anyone about it, up until the very end.

Kaon averted his eyes.

“I heard there are several cities, Kaon. Where are we going today?”

“Briar. It’s the city with the most shops.”

It was the busiest, most crowded city in Ferdinand, with the largest number of permanent residents and businesses. No city could rival the shop sizes and product quality either.

A long time later, the carriage entered the city of Briar and slowed down. Large shops were lined up on both sides of the street. People were outside doing business.

“How lively,” Alessia muttered quietly after a stretch of silently staring out the window.

Kaon followed her gaze. Traders and customers were bargaining with each other, passers-by were laughing, and lovers were walking while shyly holding hands.

It all looked so… ordinary.

Alessia watched on, her face somber.

Kaon spoke openly, “We have to stop by the boutique first. It must have been difficult for you to bring a lot of luggage due to the length of your journey, so it would be best to buy several sets of clothes right now. Not to mention, you’ll be inspecting the forest soon.”

“Oh, will I need some kind of armor?”

“Mages don’t usually wear any, but it would be better for you if you had clothes that you can move freely in.”

Alessia nodded in understanding, then a look of hesitation crossed her face. Kaon remembered that no other carriage carrying her stuff had arrived.

The Ferdinand estate was far from Ingelos, so he’d thought that her luggage would arrive later to reduce the number of things she would bring with her, but he realized now that maybe that wasn’t the case.

What if Ingelos was more impoverished than he had imagined? Of course, such a thing seemed improbable for a ducal family, but it was a question worth asking.

Kaon decided to test the waters. “You’re my fiancée… I know that you came here under an agreement, but you will also be paid separately for your work as a mage.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. All items we will purchase today will also be paid for by Ferdinand, so please feel free to choose what you like,” he said in reassurance.

And the effect was great. Alessia’s eyes widened, then a noticeable blush spread across her face. Her eyes turned into crescents even as she pursed her mouth in an attempt to school her expression.

‘Why is she so happy?’

Her reaction was confusing, yes, but she looked so innocent and…

‘…Cute.’

“She isn’t planning on staying here permanently, is she?”

“No way! How can you say that so easily, man?”

The sound of a conversation crept into the slow-moving carriage, one that bore the Ferdinand coat of arms on purpose so that they could travel around comfortably.

“Is she a mage? I’ve heard that those who come from the Tower are pretty arrogant. The knights who come to our bar complain about their headaches each time.”

“Would that be the case for someone from Ingelos?”

“I think so. I just hope we never meet. I don’t want to see those red eyes.”

Even if no names were passed around, it was obvious who the words were about.

“Alessia…” Kaon trailed off, interrupted by the coachman announcing their arrival at the boutique.

“I think we’re here.” Unlike him, who had stiffened in embarrassment, Alessia smiled innocently as if she’d heard nothing.

But Kaon knew better. He saw her hand clenching into a fist.

***

“Welcome, Sir Kaon and Miss Alessia. I’m Deborah, the person who runs this boutique. It’s my honor to serve you.” A woman with an impressively puffy hairdo bowed politely.

“Thank you. We’ve come to order some clothes for my fiancée here.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll show you around.” Deborah led the two upstairs past a clothed dress form. “Kaon, will you be joining us?”

“I’ll just wait here, so please go ahead and take a look, Alessia.” Kaon settled on a sofa and looked around.

Finished dresses were displayed on one side, while dozens of fabrics and threads were neatly arranged on the other.

‘I hope she finds something she likes.’

There were so many things in the boutique that it was difficult to see everything with a single glance. Kaon observed Alessia from afar, noting her polite smile.

‘By the way, does she not get hot easily?’

Ferdinand had particularly hot summers. Everyone tried to escape the heat during this season. Even the wooden dress form’s dress had short sleeves.

Alessia was the only one who had on clothes with long sleeves.

‘Come to think of it, she hasn’t worn anything with short sleeves ever since she arrived. It’s not like the sun avoids her.’

Perhaps she just liked the warmth.

Kaon also noticed the ring on the index finger of her right hand, which had a large ruby as its center gem and several small diamonds surrounding it, imitating the appearance of a sunflower.

Even to his untrained eyes, it looked expensive. Expensive and too old-fashioned for her. The design was outdated, and the gems themselves were too big for her small hands. Did she like the ring so much because the ruby was the same shade as her eyes? Enough to wear it all the time without fail?

“Kaon?”

“Yes, Alessia?” He stood up when she approached.

She beckoned for him to lower his head, then brought her mouth to his ear when he did. “Can I buy some hats?” she whispered.

Really, there was nothing out of the ordinary with what she said or how she said it. But in that moment, Alessia’s warm breath and soft voice made his hair stand up.

“…Of course. As you wish,” Kaon eked out stiffly, the strange feeling he had lingering.