CH 5

Ian shrugged his shoulders. I trembled in anger. Lucian quickly added an explanation as if I wasn’t there. 

“As the saintess knows, now it’s happened and no one will believe the truth. The commander’s virginity is….gone.”

‘How do you just lose your virginity?’

Virginity is important in this world! Was it alright to let something as important as your commander’s virginity get taken just like that?

I couldn’t snap out of it and my lips stuttered.

“Also….are you really going to admit that you and I slept together?”

“Here’s the story. You and I have been in love with each other since the beginning.”

Ian spoke softly in a languid tone. The story itself was surprising, despite his calm tone.

“But, because of my position as Commander of Holy Knights, I chose to be single. In the morning, the woman I had dreamed of appeared in my bed. I thought this was a dream and we coveted each other….”

Ian’s voice was getting lower and slower. 

Ugh. Goosebumps spread all over my body as the story went on. Ian smiled as he saw how disgusted I was by the story. 

“It turned out to be reality and not a dream. As soon as you became a saintess, you corrupted me with your own hands.”

Ian muttered with a voice the size of an ant and said with a sly smile.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, I hope you understand.”

Ian slowly continued. Until then, I thought there won’t be any more shocking remarks. But, Ian exceeded my expectations again.

“Let’s announce our engagement. Let’s get married, just for a year.”

“What?”

I opened my mouth wide, and after a second I came back to my senses. 

“That’s ridiculous. No way! I can’t admit we are in a relationship, moreover marriage!”

“You don’t think it’s enough for me to lose my virginity, now you’re going to turn me into a guy who can have a one-night stand with anyone?”

Ian growled. I gasped in astonishment. Ian sighed a little, and this time he spoke sarcastically.

“As I said, Let’s pretend this is a love marriage. Let’s just say we’ve been in love with each other for a long time.”

“What happens if I say no?” 

Then Ian said with an angelic smile. 

“What do you think is going to happen?”

“….You will kill me?”

“What do you mean? How could I do that to my beloved?”

Ian closed his eyes and laughed.

“My wife.”

“Don’t call me that!”

I cried out in fear.

“I understand the commander’s plan. I fully understand and I honestly think it’s an effective plan.”

Yes, Ian’s plan was bizarre enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, but it was also the most plausible in this situation.

‘If I tell them that nothing happened between Ian and I, even an ant passing by will not believe it.’

Then this was a way to reverse the scandal. A fateful love story between the commander of the Holy Knights and the saintess would fascinate quite a few people. 

Yes, this plan should be the best option for Ian, but not for me.

“But I can’t be engaged with the commander.”

Ian raised one eyebrow.

“Why?”

Well, if I married him, my escape plan would take much longer.

‘Well, it appears that an easy escape plan was unlikely since the moment I told them about the Emperor’s remains.’

Still, the escort (surveillance in the name of) for just a ‘Saintess who knows the secret’ and a ‘Saintess who knows the secret and even became the fiancée of the commander’ must be different.

However, I couldn’t mention these. I shook my head for a moment and said,

“I have someone I love.”

“…… Is that true?”

Ian frowned. Soon, he tilted his head as if he had remembered something and asked.

“Was he the one who made those marks?”

Marks? If it’s a mark… Oh, right. It seems he was referring to the red marks on my neck when I got on the bed.

I was a little surprised. I thought he didn’t understand anything about those red marks. Was it a lie?

“Lucian told me the meaning behind those marks.”

Ian’s face stiffened as he said. As if he were talking about something very strange and unfamiliar.

‘…I am also a virgin.’

He suddenly appealed to me. I was a little embarrassed to look at Ian’s face all of a sudden. 

“Oh I see.”

“Please answer me. Did you get into my bed with your boyfriend?”

“Do you really think so?”

I don’t even know why I had those marks on my body. No, I honestly expected it.

They must have dressed me up to look like I was in a more provocative situation for the photos. But I couldn’t say that, so I had no choice but to create an imaginary person who didn’t even exist.

“Are you in a deep relationship? With that boyfriend.”

“Um, well, it’s not really like that, but…”

“Then break up.”

“What? Th-that’s hard.”

“You said you aren’t even close.”

“But we’re still dating now!”

Tsk, ​​Ian clicked his tongue. I added quickly in case there would be another story about dating.

“Actually, we are close. We love each other very much.”

“Lady Irene. Then let’s do this.”

Ian narrowed his eyebrow as if he was reluctant, then he came up with another suggestion. 

“If you break up with your boyfriend and join my plan, I’ll give you enough compensation.”

“….Compensation?”

I should have refused right away. The mouth stained with capitalism unknowingly spat out a question.

“Anything you want.”

Anything?

What this man said was dangerous. I slowly glanced at Ian. I didn’t know how much I would be exploited, because this Genie, the fairy of the lamp, didn’t set the range to define the scope of ‘anything.’

“If it’s hard to decide, I’ll give you an example. How about 10 million Mars?”

‘How much is that?’

I thought hard. I remembered a line from ‘A Saint Doesn’t Know About Love’, in which the main character paid one million Mars for a two-story house in the capital. 

‘Wait. If a two-story house in the capital is 1 million Mars… How much is 10 million Mars?’ 

Ten houses in Seoul!

I shook my head in disbelief. I didn’t think of it after I entered this world, but as I slowly considered it, I realized I needed money.

And I needed it desperately. 

I didn’t have the bank account from which I had carefully saved from my part-time job expenses. There wasn’t even a piggy bank where a hundred won (₩) coin could be taken out of. Truly penniless.

I needed money to survive in this world, while having no connections at all.

At least until I found a way out of this world!

I don’t need ten houses, but I thought it would be great if I had enough money to live without needing to do anything for a year or so. 

And, above all else.

‘Listen, number 76. You must succeed in this mission at all costs.’

The whisper that had hit my head a few hours ago came back to me. 

When I remembered the voice that had been immersed in my head, I got goosebumps all over my body again.

‘I need to figure out who that voice is.’

It was likely that the owner of the voice was still watching me. Because the article was widely spread, the scandal erupted as someone had intended.

But will the owner of the voice let go of this body that I have possessed?

‘I don’t think so.’

If I ran away recklessly, Ian and the owner of that voice… There would be a high possibility of being chased by both of them at the same time.

I slowly looked up at Ian after gathering my thoughts.

“Is there a deadline? Did you say one year?”

“Of course. I have no intention of continuing the fake marriage any further.”

“Please give me some time to think.” I ended up saying.

I needed time to organize my thoughts. This proposal was too risky.

My head was now overloaded with a lot of information that had been accumulated in a short period of time. I spent several hours swaying around frantically after getting into Ian’s bed.

Ian, who had been silent for a moment, softly nodded his head.

“I understand. I’ll give you time to think.”

“Thank you.”

“Have a servant call me or Lucian inside when you’re ready.”

I nodded and Ian smiled softly.

“Then I’ll see you soon. My wife.”

“Don’t call me that!”

Ian chuckled as if my protest was funny. I turned to Lucian and ordered him to give me a room. While I was walking down the hallway following behind Lucian, the people who saw me momentarily paused.

“Is-is that her?”

Isn’t that right? Hair color and features are so identical to those in the photo.”

“And she is with Sir Lucian. I’m sure of it.”

“She is the commander’s woman.”

I was taken aback by the whispers I heard. Lucian whispered cautiously around the corner of the hallway.

“There’s a lot of people watching. If you accept the commander’s proposal, you will have to get used to this kind of thing in the future.”

“…..”

“But most of the people in the temple are naive. What’s scariest are…..”

Lucian blurred his words. I already knew it without having to listen.

‘Social Circles. Imperial Family.’

Especially the Imperial Family, who knew everything about the dark secrets of the current emperor.