CH 8

The last thing that comes to mind when I think about who Riggs, is when we drank wine after swimming in the valley.

When she came out of the water, she was trembling from the cold, so Isabelle opened the bottle of wine.

After a while, Riggs brought her a big, soft towel. 

“Isabelle, can you drink?”

“I’ve never had it before, but I’m cold. Listening to adults who come in to pray for repentance, I think alcohol raises your body temperature.”

“…it wouldn’t be on that level.”

“Riggs, have you ever had a drink?”

Riggs rolled his eyes for a moment and shook his head. Then this is the first drink between the two of them. Isabelle grabbed the bottle by the neck with her eyes shining.

“I’ll take a sip first.”

“You’re going to drink from the bottle?”

“I forgot to bring glasses. Anyways, it’s all the same once it’s in your stomach Riggs.”

That night, Isabelle had a wonderful experience. She only drank a few sips, but her body got hot, she couldn’t control her thoughts, and the world started spinning.

I couldn’t even remember what specifically happened when I was drunk, other than my drinking capacity.

When I came to my senses, it was dark. If it wasn’t for Rigg’s arm, I would have been trembling with fear.

Another thing was strange… Riggs’s eyes were a lot friendlier than before we drank, even though I don’t think he’s drunk.

“Isabelle, are you awake?”

“Uh, I have a headache. …Why are we lying in the field? We were in the valley earlier.”

“…don’t you remember?”

Isabelle looked down. If he was a different man, I would have been surprised to see that we were still dressed properly, but Riggs had no desire for sex or love. He is a safe drinking partner.

The way you asked if I remembered anything makes me think something important happened.

Isabelle recalled what people said when they came in praying for repentance.  ‘When I get drunk, I act hateful and hit people, or vomit on my shoulder.’

There were a lot of people who lent money and regretted it once they sobered up. At this point, I was more worried about Riggs, who would have received the brunt of my actions.

“Riggs, did I hit you?”

“You really don’t remember. Isabelle, you’re a terrible drinker.”

Riggs said while laughing bitterly. Isabelle felt even worse and shut up like a clam.

There was a long period of silence.  I was sad to forget a piece of the time we spent together, but Riggs didn’t push me away.

Rather, as the day got colder, he told me to come closer.  He muttered at the night sky that Isabelle is his.

“On a day like this, I wish a shooting star would appear.”

“Is there a wish you want to make?”

“I’ll beg to not to be alone.”

“You are not alone now.  Am I not a man?”

Somehow, there seemed to be resentment in his voice. Isabelle turned and looked directly at her friend’s face.

“I know. I’d like Riggs to stay with me forever.

“······.”

He gulped. Isabelle grinned and held Riggs’ hand.

“Riggs, are you interested in becoming a priest?”

“…What?”

“I live in the temple. If Riggs becomes a priest, you can stay with me for a long time. It’s perfect because you don’t have a sex drive and you aren’t interested in women.”

For a while, Riggs only babbled without making any noise. After a long time, he said something while looking dumbfounded.

“Isabelle, I’m not going to be a priest because I don’t want to wear black clothes for the rest of my life.”

“I’m not cut out for it. You have to be pure in body and mind to be a saint, and I don’t have a pure mind.” 

“…so you don’t intend to remain pure for the rest of your life?”

Riggs’s voice was so straightforward that Isabelle grinned.

“Well, that’s it. Even if a woman with an impure heart could be a saint, I wouldn’t do it. I guess I have to get married then.”

“What?”

Riggs had an uncharacteristic reaction. As he jumped to his feet, Isabelle, who was lying on his arm, hit her head on the ground.

“Ouch…”

“You’re getting married?! With whom?! Do you have a fixed partner?!”

“It’s just a vague idea… Well, a moderately tall and handsome man.  “

Riggs regained his composure and lay on the grass. Height and face. He brooded over two words with a voice implying he was interested.

“What else?”

Isabelle thought Riggs was acting a little weird. She thought he was someone who hated when people talked about their ‘ideal type’ and love stories, but now he’s full of interest.

For some reason, I wanted to see his serious face, so I said random things. The conditions of the novel. If you hear it, you’ll laugh.

“For our first meeting, I want them to show up in a mask and save me. I’d prefer a man who sleeps while wearing as little as possible.”

“Is that different from sleeping naked?”

“It’s different. Isn’t it more stimulating if they wear a dandelion leaf, than it is to reveal everything?”

“They need to be in shape, right?”

“Of course, of course. Oh, I hope they have a clean smell, like soap, and just wear a towel around their waist when they wash up. On the first night, we have to break the bed without going to sleep.”

But no matter what ridiculous conditions she gave, Riggs nodded steadily. He also seemed pleased whenever more demanding conditions were given.

In the end, Isabelle, who ran out of things to say, said this was the most important thing.

“They have to meet all those conditions, and then they have to be capable.”

“That may be a little difficult because it’s about their ability.”

It gave her a strange pleasure that it broke Riggs’ infinite positivity. Isabelle smiled and continued her prank.

“Of course, the man who will be my husband must be the most capable man in the Empire.”

“Best in the Empire?”

Isabelle nodded shamelessly. It was quite pleasant that Riggs, who hated it every time other children in the village brought this stuff up, listened to her.

“Never get married unless they’re that kind of person, Isabelle.”

“Of course.”

Isabelle added coyly, and looked up at the sky again. The shooting star I was hoping for. I can’t even see my nose, but it seemed so close as if it were raining stars.

A few days later, the record-breaking heat was broken when Duke Cardiergo formally challenged the Emperor’s position, which Pilsburg had been holding onto precariously. 

***

After the long flashback, Isabelle reached a simple conclusion. Riggs is a man who didn’t fit any of my ‘ideal husband’ conditions.

In particular, the capability part was severely underdeveloped. Everytime Riggs came to see me, it turned out he changed jobs again.

‘Why did he get a job training for half a year if he was going to switch jobs? It was so hard to endure without seeing him for that long.’

At this point, I thought it would be a problem if Riggs showed up tomorrow and agreed to the marriage.

Isabelle liked Riggs’ cluttered and ridiculously naive personality, but once she got married, it would be her reality.

‘I’ll feed him. As much as Riggs wants. I’ll earn the silver.’

Isabelle scribbled a small note, neither a letter nor a memo.

[Riggs, I’ll make sure you eat every meal, so don’t worry.]

Even if it wasn’t a marriage that both sides wanted, even if they were strapped for money, it would be fun to live in the same house as Riggs.

‘How would St. Maria react if she knew?’

I’ve never thought of Riggs as a man, but I felt comfortable with the cozy feeling I got when I laid in his nook or was hugged by his strong arms.

A couple of years of camouflage marriage wouldn’t be bad if Riggs felt the same way.

‘If you’re going to have a camouflage marriage, I hope you’ll be comfortable too, Riggs.’

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to deliver the letter saying that I was going to feed him every meal. Isabelle folded the paper roughly, put it in the corner of the desk, and fell asleep.

***

‘…I didn’t expect Isabelle to hear rumors that I have a problem with my lower body.’

Riggs got out of the carriage with a knitted brow. As he stepped down the stairs and onto the ground, the Duke of Cardiergo’s employees bowed their heads to greet their master.

Riggs walked past them and told the butler.

“Bill, send someone to the temple to examine the priests. It’s about human trafficking. I received a tip-off.”

“Yes, Sir. What if the facts are confirmed?”

As usual, Riggs paused before answering, ‘I’m going to kill them.’ I’m sure it will bother Isabelle if she witnesses a terrible scene.

“…Take care of the others in the temple quietly. No, I’d rather send the reaper.”

Moving the reapers underground. Bill, a competent butler, sensed that something serious had happened. 

Riggs, who gave the instructions, did not seem bothered.

“Bill, haven’t you found the missing Saint Maria yet?”

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. Of course I’ve been looking throughout the empire, but I can’t find a trace.”

“We can’t rule out the possibility that he hid her on purpose. Anyway, find her and bring her back.”

Cardiego was a family that used underground power. The head of such a family could not have been interested in the work of the temple. This guy is acting odd in many ways.

‘She’s got something to do with this.’

Bill, who serves Riggs the closest, knew Isabelle’s existence and name, but he didn’t dare to even say her name in his mind.

The Duke of Cardiego, his master, said he was too lazy to pronounce everyone’s full name, so he only remembered the first syllable of his servant’s names.

Bill also had a wonderful name, William, given by both parents after a lot of time was spent agonizing over it, but for Riggs, the butler was just one-syllable “Bill.”

My Lord used all three syllables, he was not a great enough person to put Isabelle’s name in his mouth, when he is only one syllable long.

“Oh, and…”

Bill, who was wallowing in his own bitterness, paid attention to Riggs, who spoke briefly. Is it an illusion? His face, which was not even warm, was covered with lush redness.

Bill had a chill run up his spine. There’s only one reason why Duke Cardiego would have this kind of look.

‘This time, which family will be sentenced to extinction…’

But the words from his Lord’s lips were totally unexpected.

“We’re going to have a Mistress soon, so prepare a banquet.”

“…yeah?”

“Are you going to make me say it twice? It doesn’t matter how much the budget is. I can’t wait any longer, so make sure it is on schedule.”

This is the first time the Duke has ordered a banquet to be prepared. Bill shut his mouth with curiosity. It must be related to the three-letter woman, given his haste.

Regardless if Bill is nervous or not, Riggs touched Isabelle’s necklace and the fraudulent marriage contract that were hidden in his arms.

“I’ve been asked. I don’t mean to say no.”

At his surprise announcement, Cardiego’s employees, including the butler, jaws dropped.