Cuckold Wizard’s Adventure

Chapter 620: The Conversation Of The Contractual Couple

 After Shinji had drifted off to sleep, Coral returned to her room, where Roz came to visit.

 It was rare for him to come to her room since their contract marriage, and she let him in, curious and puzzled.

 With the servants dismissed, there was no one to offer them drinks during this private time.

 Coral asked if she should call someone, but Roz shook his head.

 They sat across from each other on the sofa, with the table between them.

 Unaware that Freri, sensing something interesting, was eavesdropping through the flowers in the vase on the table, they began to talk.

 ”…I see, Roz. Did you notice my feelings?”

 Everyone in the mansion has noticed!

 He couldn’t say that, though, and just nodded seriously.

 ”So, Coral-sama…”

 ”Yes. I do have feelings for him. Even wanting to take care of him was because of my liking. But I don’t intend to express these feelings. I have you as my husband, after all.”

 Your feelings definitely reach him too!

 He couldn’t say that either, and just listened in silence.

 Thinking he was angry, Coral furrowed her brows apologetically.

 ”I’ve upset you, haven’t I? Even if it’s just in form, a wife having feelings for another man… I deserve to be scolded for that.”

 Since she couldn’t mention the divine artifact user related to her promise with Goddess Arian, she couldn’t explain why she fell in love.

 And of course, she couldn’t say it was because they ‘hooked up’.

 Any reason that led to being intimate with someone other than her husband was infidelity.

 Many nobles have lovers.

 But those are secret relationships, and they must not harm the spouse.

 Even in a contract marriage, if she caused him discomfort, apologizing and bowing her head was the right thing to do.

 ”I’m not angry… actually, I’m impressed.”

 ”Impressed…?”

 Coral looked up, meeting Roz’s calm, smiling gaze as she lifted her face from her bow.

 Blinking in surprise at the unexpected reaction, he spoke to her in a quiet tone.

 ”I’m glad that someone has earned the admiration of Coral-sama, who seldom finds anything impressive outside the sea. I hope you understand the feelings that led me to propose a contract to her, out of my love for her.” Ř𝐚ɴȯ𝐁ĚS̩

 ”Yes, I suppose… it’s not easy to grasp, but I get it a little. If wanting to make him happy and to know more about him is what love is, then I understand too.”

 Coral smiled even more gently than when she had shared her thoughts about the sea──a smile that was truly like that of a maiden in love.

 (Could it be love at first sight? The reports said there was nothing, but could it be true…? Could they have missed something?)

 The testimony of a knight sworn to the king and sword couldn’t be a lie.

 But he also thought that someone who had ‘seen nothing’ could never make such an expression.

 In any case, there was no way to know her reasons, so Roz continued the conversation, planning to reveal a proposal he had considered before visiting the room.

 ”If that’s the case, Coral-sama… I imagine you now hesitate at the thought of having a child with me.”

 ”That is…”

 ”You don’t have to say it. It’s not just women who have those feelings.”

 ”…But our relationship is one of contract. We must produce the next generation to inherit this territory, or we’ll eventually have to return it to the king. That would trouble Roz and the others as well.”

 Hit right in the chest by his words, Coral found herself at a loss for words.

 She had agreed to the contract to uphold her promise with her father to the next generation, but now that she knew love, a sense of resistance had begun to grow within her.

 But a contract is a contract.

 She had no intention of breaking it.

 Born into the royal family, she understood the weight of a contract through rigorous education.

 Even a twisted relationship like theirs was only possible because of the unshakable foundation of their contract.

 Even the king’s father was no exception.

 If he didn’t keep the promise of blood connection, he would have to return this territory to the king.

 If that happened, Roz would have to leave this land, and there was a real chance her stable life would crumble.

 ”The king’s words mean that Coral-sama must create a blood tie. In other words, he means a child who carries your blood. In other words, a child born between you and me. But… do you not think that seed does not necessarily have to be mine?”

 Coral couldn’t grasp what Roz was saying──no, her mind couldn’t accept the reality of it, causing her thoughts to freeze for just a moment.

 He continued to speak to her, despite her bewilderment.

 ”Of course, I will acknowledge the child, make it known, and raise it. The one who will inherit this land is the child, after all.”

 ”…Do you even understand what you’re saying? Doing something like that doesn’t benefit you at all. It would only lead to scandal.”

 Coral, burning with emotions of love, would never jump at such an utterly outrageous proposal.

 However, even though she glared at him in disbelief, Roz maintained his confident demeanor as he spoke.

 ”If the partner were just some nobody, that would be one thing. But with Shinji-dono, a contractor of 3 High-ranking Spirits, the story changes. Just as a child born from a high-magic individual tends to have high magic themselves, it’s said that children of Spirit contractors are often favored by Spirits. If your child is born from someone who has contracts with 3 High-ranking Spirits, the chances of them being able to contract with a High-ranking Spirit themselves are quite high. Don’t you think so?”

 Given that Shinji was proving immensely useful in the Wolf Territory, it goes without saying that having a High-ranking Spirit in governance would be extremely beneficial.

 While Magic users who contract with High-ranking Spirits are rare, it’s even more unusual for them to be tied to high-ranking nobility, and when you consider the royal family, it’s almost non-existent.

 If a person of royal blood could contract with a High-ranking Spirit, the benefits would be immeasurable.

 In terms of superior lineage, one could say that Shinji has better blood than Roz.

 More than anything, Coral knows that Shinji is the apostle of the goddess.

 The conviction that integrating the blood of the goddess’s apostle would be a huge benefit for the royal family made her waver at Roz’s words, which she would normally refuse outright.

 ”Even if they can’t form a contract with a spirit, it’s still fine to become a skilled magic user. If the child keep an eye on not just this land but our family’s territory as well, both families will surely thrive.”

 Roz’s outrageous proposal stemmed from his desire to avoid having children with Coral.

 While she was certainly beautiful and had a great figure, she was far from Roz’s type.

 As a duty of the nobility, he had intended to use stimulants to fulfill his obligation until he had a child, but upon learning that Coral had fallen in love, he began to scheme to push this role onto Shinji.

 The benefits he spoke of were his unvarnished truth.

 Even just relying on him for a job would mean hiring a skilled magic user contracted with a high-ranking spirit, and securing a budget at his family home was becoming increasingly tough.

 If their ‘child’ could be tied to a high-ranking spirit, then raising someone else’s child as their own wouldn’t be a big deal at all.

 Roz had that kind of cunning.

 ”If Coral-sama has discovered love──no, true love, I believe balancing that with responsibilities is possible. If that happens, I can pursue it with all my heart too.”

 ”True love… his child… No, but…”

 It was too heavy a choice to make quickly.

 Sensing that getting an answer from her right then and there was impossible, Roz decided to back off intentionally.

 ”Please let me know once you’ve made up your mind. I will respect whatever choice you make, and I’ll respond wholeheartedly as your partner.”

 ”…I understand.”

 ”Good night.”

 Coral watched him leave, but her doubts would not be resolved that night.

 Unaware of the smirking presence (Freri) that thought it was amusing, she would spend a sleepless night.

 True Love (One-sided)