I am Being Chased by My Husband - Chapter 9

‘Based at the time of her appearance, she must be on the crown prince’s side. She will find firsthand that the northern part of the country is not an easy place.’

Until now, he had no intentions of getting married, but there was no reason to avoid it if he was only married in name.

If this suspicious woman was indeed a spy sent by the Crown Prince, he might as well let her in. It’s easy to deal with the upcoming risks.

He believed the people of the north who stayed in the castle. There was no way that a suspicious person, who is too weak to protect herself, be allowed to run around freely.

If it’s a woman who is this dull, it’s not bad to get married in this way and arrange it later.

After all, he doesn’t think that the common people of the South would last long in the duchy anyway.

Still, it was a bad idea to ease Diego’s guard for the time being. This is because it was obvious that he would run away once he meets an evil spirit.

At that time, as if to bring up a difficult topic, Eloise leaned slightly and said,

“And…. just in case, I’d like to agree on a divorce in advance…”

“It’s up to you”

Johannes replied as if it were not a big deal.

“I don’t think you’ll be in the duchy for a long time anyway. If we can’t get what we want from each other, isn’t right for you to leave?”

“Yes, it’s true that I fell in love at first sight, but illusions can be shattered. There’s no forever in this world.”

“If there is an encounter, wouldn’t it be better to think about the end as well? Because nothing last forever.”

He proposed for romantic reasons, but he was surprisingly thorough.

As long as the significance of this marriage was to get over the crisis of this moment, Johannes, who had no particular reason to hold her after that, suggested it first.

“You can get a divorce whenever you want. I will sign the divorce application, so if you want to get a divorce, go ahead and proceed.”

“Wow, you are generous.”

Johannes filled out the divorce application and stamped his seal on it.

If Eloise wanted to divorce, all she had to do was sign the rest and bring it to the office. Eloise accepted the divorce application with a smile.

“Anyway, I am glad we have reached an amicable agreement. After all, you are kind to everyone other than the ‘Blue Ruby’. In fact, I think I like the Duke even more.”

“Umm, Young-ae” [2]

Johannes said with a smirk.

“Don’t you know what kind means?’

“Wouldn’t you have been less kind to the ‘Blue Ruby’?”

It wasn’t wrong. She was a strange, speechless woman.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow at noon in front of the statue in the square behind the inn.”

Eloise smiled and stood up and greeted him with excessive courtesy. Then he mumbled and disappeared.

***

The next afternoon, Johannes arrived at the meeting place first. The wedding ceremony was held in front of the small statue of the goddess in the square near the inn. As agreed, a simple wedding was to be held.

The procedure for the simple wedding was ridiculously simple.

Under the leadership of the retired priest who manages the statue, several questions and answers were exchanged, and the marriage registration form was signed, and the documents were submitted to the government office. This method was a way for people to secretly get married when parents were strongly opposed to them.

And both Johannes and Eloise had already fully agreed on a marriage to be held this way.

“Duke, I’ve learned about Viscount Renoir”

Since the wedding took place urgently, Pagan managed to gather information just before the wedding.

“They are literally migrants who settled in the South. As you know, the South requires large amounts of money to approve relocation. Records show that Viscount Zion raked up money while working at a pawnshop.”

“… pawnshop?” [3]

Johannes wrinkled his brows because it was probably not something nobles would do. Pagan spoke quickly.

“On the record, yes. In the South, it is customary to grant the title of lordship according to contributions made during migration. I guess that’s how he got his status. Before going to the South, I have little information about it because I was a commoner.”

“Hmm.”

“Eloise Renoir is the younger sister of Viscount Zion Renoir, with a big age difference… In any case, since her brother became an aristocrat, she became an aristocrat herself. There is no exact record of her, but based on the age of the document, it appears that she only grew up in the South.”

And Pagan added the most important information.

“It seems his identity is questionable, but there does not appear to be any evidence of contact with the imperial family.”

“What is the possibility that all these records are false?”

“If you’re not an expert in forgery, it will be very, very difficult. Viscount Zion Renoir did not seem to have such eminent authority.”

Johannes was lost in thought for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice.

“But send a pigeon to the people of the castle. Search her luggage as soon as she arrives and keep a close eye on her at all times.”

“Yes.”

Pagan bowed his head once, then slyly glanced at Johannes. He was wearing a routine outfit, no different from yesterday.

To be honest, the basic appearance was so nice that everyone glanced at him even if he was dressed neatly as usual. However, it was hardly a wedding groom’s outfit.

“Eloise might be a little disappointed. It’s still a wedding.”

However, Pagan’s expectations were wrong.

Eloise, who appeared lively, was also dressed similarly to yesterday, and there was no reaction to Johannes’s outfit.

“Ah, Duke!”

As soon as she saw Johannes, she approached him with a big smile.

“It seems that you have no intention of delaying this marriage. What a relief.”

“Why did you think so?”

“Because you don’t have a sword!”

In front of the statue, even Johannes could not carry a weapon. That was the point. In a way, it was a good point.

“Actually, I brought all my luggage to leave right after the wedding, but if the wedding was canceled, it would be a complete waste of effort. So, I was a little worried, but I was relieved.”

A large cart stopped behind her. Pagan, who witnessed an enormous teddy bear in it, had to hold back his laughter once more. It’s because even Leo wouldn’t play with the teddy bear.

“You’re leaving right away?”

“Yes, there is no need to waste time.”

Eloise nodded her head as if it was natural. Johannes was the one who said he wanted her directly to go to the north, but he didn’t expect to leave as soon as the wedding was over.

Johannes asked after glancing for a moment at the teddy bear sitting like a human in the wagon.

“By the way, did you come to the capital alone in the first place? I understand you have an older brother.”

“Ah, Zion is busy.”

Eloise said as if it were nothing

“And I am a little afraid of evil spirits. I don’t want to get out of the South.”

“I don’t think you’re a Southerner.”

“Yes, but how much did you hate the evil spirit to escape to the South?”

“Does your brother know about this marriage?”

“Ah, he asked me if I was crazy. He even made a sound that did not make sense. I don’t really understand.”

Johannes and Pagan looked up at her brother, who they did not know his face, with an expression of understatement. Eloise continued, shrugging her shoulders and spoke nonchalantly.

“It’s my marriage, so why is he making a fuss? Both parties knew it well and decided on it. Well, anyway, sign it quickly and get it over with. If I stand up for a long time, my legs will hurt.”

“Oh…well.”

At those words, Pagan faltered. He hesitatingly looked at the two people in attire that did not match the wedding, no matter how much he looked at them.

“If you wait for a moment, I’ll go get a bouquet of flowers. It probably feels too empty.”

“Ah, does the Duke like flowers? Or is it a northern tradition?”

When she asked innocently, Pagan waved back in response.

“No, flowers don’t bloom in the north. Maybe… It’ll be difficult for you to pick flowers while walking around the fields. Is that okay?”

At those words, Eloise blinked her round eyes as if asking what the problem was. Then she asked carefully.

“Well… what is flower picking? Was it that great? I’m fine as long as I don’t get my neck choked.” [4]

With those words, Johannes had no choice but to look at Eloise with a puzzled look. Probably because she uttered words that did not suit her small body.

“Aha, ahaha”

In the end, Pagan clumsily clapped and laughed.

“The North… It is not such a cruel land, Eloise-nim. There will be no choking at all.”

“Really? That’s a relief. Then I think it would be a good place.”

Johannes and Pagan did not respond much to Eloise’s fairly dichotomous answer. Thus, Pagan’s purchased of the bouquet of flowers completely fell through, and Johannes and Eloise had their wedding ceremony as if they were taking a walk in the square.

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Yes!”

Johannes went up to the statue and told the old priest, who was a little deaf, that they would be marrying. The priest, who was dozing while hugging a small dog, suddenly looked bewildered at the wedding proceeding requested.

“… Ah, get married. An informal wedding… ah”

The priest hurriedly put on a magnifying glass and began to search for related documents. Because very few people held a simple wedding ceremony. In the meantime, the dog in the priest’s arms jumped down and hovered around Eloise’s foot.

“haha”

The priest, who saw this scene, stroked his beard, and laughed.

“This dog grew in the temple and is coy to the general public. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen it so friendly to someone who isn’t a priest. It must be said that the lady is a blessed person, quite compatible with the temple.”

“What… thank you.”

Eloise, the temple’s first-class bounty hunter, grinned clumsily and held the dog in her arms. The dog was responding to Eloise’s holy*** power, but no one could have guessed it.

“It’s a dog of the temple that only wags its tail to a priest.”

Eloise patted the dog and glanced at Johannes.

“I wish I could be more independent.”

[2] Young-ae–daughter of a rich or respectable person.

[3] not sure if this is actually a pawnshop as in a shop or the act of pawning something instead.

[4] 목 means a lot of things like neck, throat, voice, and location.

***Corrected