Pretending to Be Married

In the midst of all that, Lucian was now suffering from strange side effects caused by the medicine Shana had made.

And the cure for Mana Rejection Syndrome had not progressed even a little.

“It’s nothing more than mild aftereffects. There’s no need to worry.”

“…Please do not concern yourself.

The Imperial Knights are doing everything we can, day and night, to fill the captain’s absence.

Of course, it would be presumptuous to say we could ever replace you, but at the very least, we will ensure that you are not troubled with worry.

As the Empire’s hero, we sincerely hope you make a swift recovery……”

Jake showed every sign of continuing endlessly.

Trapped inside the blanket and growing increasingly suffocated, Shana finally lost her patience and was just about to kick Lucian’s thigh.

“That’s enough. You should go. I need to read the report.”

“Ah, yes! Of course! Glory eternal to the Empire!”

After Jake snapped to attention, saluted crisply, and withdrew, the sound of the apothecary door closing echoed through the room.

Only then did Lucian place the bundled blanket onto the bed.

“…Hah!”

Shana shoved her face out of the blanket, gasping deeply as she inhaled fresh air.

“I thought I was going to suffocate. Untie this, quickly, Lucian.”

“Ah. Yeah. Right.”

“Hurry.”

Lucian, looking uncomfortable, dispelled the magic he had placed on the blanket.

Shana’s body, which had been tightly rolled up like a caterpillar, finally loosened.

The moment she was free, Shana pointed at the report in Lucian’s hand and asked,

“So what is it? Is the monster surge really that serious that you have to go personally?”

Lucian, still watching Shana’s reaction because of what had just happened, pulled the report out fully.

“Do you want to read it too, Shasha?”

“…Me? An imperial document? Are you insane?”

“I’m joking.”

What had caught Shana’s attention earlier was the mention of the Kallis cult.

Their ritual.

Wasn’t this a perfect opportunity?

“Lucian, that thing…Can I go with you?”

“What? I can just assign someone else. How could I take you somewhere that dangerous?”

‘Do some actual work.’

Shana nearly let her expression crumple at his response, but she quickly composed herself and played another card.

“…Lucian, actually…I want to go. Look at this.”

Shana pulled out a manuscript from beneath the desk.

“‘Those who believed in Kallis, the god of love, were able to suppress rampaging mana through sacred rituals involving beverages infused with specific medicinal ingredients……’

Doesn’t this sound similar to Mana Rejection Syndrome?”

“…It does sound similar.”

“And Lucian. Your heart pain has been getting worse lately, hasn’t it?”

“That’s because every time I see you, my heart feels like it’s going to burst—”

“You know that’s not it.

Lucian, if we can obtain the special medicinal ingredients from that region, I might be able to create a cure.

This is essential for my research.”

“Shasha.
The border really is dangerous.”

Since words clearly weren’t enough, Shana changed tactics.

“Then I guess I have no choice. I’ll go with another imperial knight instead.

Ah, but what if I get swept up in the moment? They say love that blooms in dangerous places is the truest kind of romance.”

Even she felt her skin crawl saying it.

But Lucian’s expression changed instantly.

“What? Are you serious?”

Unable to say it aloud, Shana nodded.

“I wonder who I should ask. Maybe Sir Jake?

He looked really strong, and his build was impressive.

And he’s the commander of the Imperial Knights……”

In truth, she hadn’t even seen Jake’s hair because of the blanket.

What mattered was Lucian’s reaction.

This would also stop the knights from coming to the apothecary to report, so it was killing two birds with one stone.

Lucian’s jaw tightened.

With the sound of grinding teeth, he muttered quietly,

“Jake……”

But when he looked back at Shana, he smiled again and smoothed his expression.

“What are you talking about, Shasha? When have I ever told you no?”

“Really?”

“Of course. As long as it’s what you want.”

Then Lucian suddenly added a condition.

“There’s just one thing.”

“What?”

“To go there, we’ll have to pretend we’re married.”

“What? Married?”

“They’re Kallis cultists.”

Lucian said it as if it were obvious.

“Do you know what it truly means to worship the god of love, Shasha?”

“…They take love very seriously?”

“I’ve been near the border before.

For them, the union of a man and a woman is as natural as breathing.

They say that even during large-scale rituals, it’s normal for multiple people to engage in relations……”

“…What? That’s insane.”

Shana swallowed hard.

“Think about it carefully, Shasha.

If we say we’re not married, how many people do you think will cling to us?

Do you really think your precious research would make any progress then?”

Lucian was smiling, but his eyes weren’t.

Ever since she mentioned Jake earlier, something about his demeanor had been off.

Jealousy and possessiveness were tangled in his slightly lowered gaze.

“So pretending to be married is easier for both of us.
Otherwise……”

Lucian narrowed his eyes and whispered,

“I might get jealous and kill every man there.”

Shana let out a dry laugh, but when she saw that his gaze didn’t waver even slightly, she fell silent.

“…Just while we’re there. Only for a little while. Pretending to be married, right?”

“Yeah.”

Lucian nodded enthusiastically, like an excited puppy.

“…If that’s the case.”

‘Fine. As long as I can get the medicinal ingredients, I can put up with that much acting.’

She was already somewhat used to Lucian sticking close to her anyway.

“Great, Shasha.
Then what kind of couple outfits should we wear for our honeymoon?”

“Couple outfits?”

“I heard that Kallis cultists require married couples to do one of two things as proof…….”

Lucian stepped closer and brushed Shana’s hair back with his fingers.

“Like this. Twisting the hair up and tying it, as a sign of a married woman.”

As Lucian lifted her hair, her slender neck was exposed.

“Or they say the couple must wear at least one identical item layered into their outfits.”

“…Really?”

“But since my hair’s too short to tie up, matching outfits seem like the better option.”

Lucian released her hair with a smile.

The soft pink strands slid back down over Shana’s shoulders.

“Then matching it is.

But… the chief god won’t get angry over this, right?”

‘Pretending to follow another religion, and pretending to be married when we’re not. Is that really okay?’

“Well, since we’re going to get married anyway, I doubt the chief god would be mad about a little rehearsal— mmph.”

Shana covered his mouth with her hand.

Without pulling away, Lucian pressed a kiss against her palm.

Shana startled violently, and Lucian laughed out loud with her hand still over his mouth.

His breath tickled her skin, and in the end, she pulled her hand away.

***

“Captain, you’re really going to handle it personally?”

Jake’s voice, filled with emotion, echoed from the communication device.

“Yes.

If we need to move with a small elite force, I alone will be sufficient. So stop worrying about this matter.”

Lucian reported that he would personally handle the monster incident.

It wasn’t unheard of, but it certainly wasn’t common, and Jake thanked him repeatedly.

“Th-Thank you! Captain! Glory eternal to the Empire!”

“Glory eternal to the Empire. Ah, and Jake.”

“Yes, Captain?”

“If you come to the apothecary again, I’ll kill you.”

“…Pardon?”

Lucian cut the call without another word.

Then, with visibly light steps, he walked over to Shana.

She was rummaging through an old box in the corner of the dressing room.

“I told them I’d handle the monsters alone…
Shasha, what’s that?”

In Shana’s hands were a pair of old thread bracelets woven from black and pink string.

“This?
A couple item.”

“…Those bracelets?”

Lucian made a subtle expression as he looked at them.

They were a bit rustic, roughly woven.

“That’s just string……Where did you get something this shabby?

Don’t tell me you matched it with another man—”

“I made them myself.”

“You did?”

Lucian examined the bracelets more closely.

Looking again, they were crafted with astonishing precision.

They were, without exaggeration, works of art.

Shana spoke with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“…Back when my apothecary business was doing terribly, I thought I might try selling charm bracelets like these.”

“You didn’t seriously stand on the street selling things like ‘bracelets that bring good luck,’ did you?”

That was exactly what she’d done.

Inside the drawer were more bracelets sorted by color.

Each compartment was clumsily labeled with things like ‘wealth luck,’ ‘romance luck,’ and ‘health luck.’

And the fact that so many were still left meant only one thing.

“…They didn’t sell.”

“Well…

People who have no money and no love selling wealth and romance charms don’t exactly inspire confidence.”

“What was the name of that village again?”

“Don’t even think about going there. Stay put, Lucian.”

Lucian, looking disappointed, obediently stood back.

As he continued looking through the drawer, he noticed a particular pair of bracelets that felt different from the rest.

“This blue one has a different pattern.”

The woven thread shimmered faintly, and it looked like far more care had gone into it than the others.

“Oh, that’s a safety charm. For physical safety, and protection from disasters and accidents.”

“…This one’s pretty. Why didn’t anyone buy it?”

“Because I didn’t make it to sell.”

“…Then why?”

“I made it for you.”

At those words, every trace of a smile vanished from Lucian’s face.