Unexpectedly, Stella accepted quickly.
After all, even if it’s just on paper, he is Noel’s spouse, so assisting him is also part of her duty.
Of course, it was only after she heard the detailed explanation of her task.
In any case, no matter how bizarre someone’s taste may be, if they were seeking a romantic atmosphere, they wouldn’t be leaping across building rooftops while loaded down with luggage.
“…………Please don’t startle me like that.”
Stella spoke, looking a bit dizzy.
“You really need to learn how to communicate without causing misunderstandings. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
On the other hand, Aiden, who was flying across rooftops with his collar grabbed, seemed even more terrified.
Carrying an adult man with one hand like a sack while leaping over multiple buildings at a time is nothing short of superhuman.
‘Her physical strength is truly…!’
Having recently engaged directly with the knights, he now understood clearly that even among them, there are distinct levels of ability.
Of course, she might not be stronger than Noel, who uses pure white energy to its fullest, but she’s pulling off these feats without any special powers.
It’s clear why she holds the position of Vice Commander of Lionheart Corps.
Thanks to her, Aiden was now easily accomplishing tasks that would’ve taken him days on his own.
“Yes, could you handle that as well?”
Stella, with a slight pout, hammered a stake deeply into the ground where Aiden had pointed.
So far, she had been running across buildings, driving these mysterious stakes into them as instructed.
“Mr. Aiden.”
Stella tilted her head and asked,
“What exactly is the point of all this? I did finish quickly, though.”
“There is a point to it.”
After all, those aren’t just ordinary stakes.
-System Log
Imbuing the target ‘wooden stake’ with ‘Divinity’.
These are items he had been crafting continuously during the day, even while learning combat techniques through nightly torture sessions with Meyer.
Since they’re not as complex as firearms, it wasn’t too difficult to imbue each one with a single power, but the quantity was staggering.
Noel had been shocked, asking if he was planning to hunt down a vampire army.
-System Log
▶ Using ‘Weaver of Fate’ on the target ‘Katia’.
Copying the skill ‘Divinity Manipulation: Delayed Release’.
And there is a skill that serves as the key to utilizing them.
The power within will function as he wishes.
Combining it with the divine energy already imbued in those stakes could allow for some… ‘interesting’ uses.
Of course, it’s not enough to cover an entire chapter on its own.
What will be crucial are the three remaining replication rights from Noel, and one replication right from the Prince, which, while weaker than the original, can still ‘mimic’.
How he uses these will determine whether Aiden survives this incident.
As he was contemplating this, Stella, arms crossed, asked again, clearly dissatisfied.
“I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but if it’s just this, you could’ve asked Katia or someone else. Why me?”
“Because I can’t ask them.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about what exactly happened between Lady Noel and the Guardian Knight.”
Stella froze in her tracks.
“That’s someone else’s personal matter. I don’t think it’s right to ask me about it.”
“The Prince plans to use it to pressure Lady Noel. It seemed like more than just a personal grudge.”
To Stella, who stubbornly kept her lips tightly sealed, Aiden continued speaking calmly.
“Please trust me, Lady Stella. I’m asking because I want to help Lady Noel, too.”
“You seem quite dedicated for someone who got caught in a simple marriage of convenience.”
“Isn’t it a good thing to work hard?”
“Nothing is more suspicious than goodwill with unknown intentions or motives.”
Fortunately, if there’s anything clear, it’s this:
“I don’t like the Prince.”
It’s mainly because he started manipulating Katia just to make things difficult for Aiden.
Aiden tends to hold long grudges when it comes to that kind of behavior.
“I feel compelled to sabotage everything he does. So, I need to know what he’s using to blackmail Noel.”
“I especially can’t stand it when someone I dislike messes with Lady Noel.”
…
“That slick-faced guy, scheming in the shadows, is really an eyesore.”
At his final words, Stella, unable to suppress her laughter, covered her mouth with her hand.
“……If you get caught saying things like that, it’s the gallows, Mr. Aiden.”
“Oh, are you going to report me?”
“No. I also dislike anyone who treats Lady Noel like that.”
After sharing a mischievous smile typical of those who understand each other’s secret intentions, Stella’s voice, now steady, continued.
“At the end of the Alliance War… there was a devastating battle that severely disadvantaged the Empire. Are you aware of it?”
“Vaguely?”
He had heard rumors about it.
During the war, the Kingdom of Grivus was the Empire’s most intense and long-standing opponent, and it remained the same in the final battle near the Empire’s borders.
It was said that a special unit was sent to break through the frontline and disrupt the entire Empire.
It was a perfect checkmate situation, with only a weak defense left for the Empire.
If it had succeeded, the two of them wouldn’t be standing here now, having this conversation.
The entire Empire would have been engulfed in the flames of war.
Lionheart—Noel’s fame also rose after that incident.
She became the hero who rallied a handful of defenders and repelled the Kingdom’s elite forces head-on, preventing the Empire from collapsing due to a single strike.
“……Although it’s not widely known, there were two particularly notable figures among those who deployed alongside Lady Noel at that time. One was the Prince, and the other—”
Theresa Adelaide.
Known as the Guardian Knight, she was a veteran of the Order and the one who initially recruited Noel into the Imperial Army.
They led the charge in that battle, and while two returned, one did not.
“That’s all I know.”
“Only Lady Noel and the Prince truly know what ‘exactly’ happened that day. But, what’s known is…………”
After hesitating for a moment, Stella continued in a disapproving tone.
“There are rumors that Dame Theresa sacrificed herself to save Lady Noel, who made a mistake during the battle.”
“I’ve heard that some of those who were there at the time say such things, but no one knows the truth.”
“……I see.”
Aiden replied, his face showing a slight frown.
Even if the exact circumstances are unknown, just hearing the outline cleared up quite a few questions.
The Guardian Knight was someone important to both the Prince and Noel. In the original background, she was described as almost a mother figure to them. If the rumors were true, it makes some sense why the Prince dislikes Noel so much.
However, one thing still doesn’t make sense.
Why propose to someone you despise that much?
Asking someone you hate to marry you doesn’t just seem inconsistent—it’s completely irrational.
Didn’t he even ask Aiden to call off his engagement just to secure that position?
It doesn’t add up.
It feels less like a personal vendetta and more like there’s an entirely different agenda.
‘…I’ll need to dig deeper into that,’ Aiden thought as he gently patted Stella’s shoulder.
“Shall we head back now?”
Tomorrow is an important day.
They need to sleep well and conserve their strength in preparation for any potential incidents.
If possible, they should also secure a good position, to ensure they can respond as quickly as possible.
‘Whatever the case, it’ll happen regardless of where we are.’
As indicated by the title of Act 1, “Crack in the Capital,” the event would be of a scale that no one in the city could miss.
Even if it’s not too severe, the possibility of being unaware of it when it occurs is slim.
Just as he was thinking this, something suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
-System Message
▶ Quest information has been updated!
-Quest Info
Act 1, <Crack in the Capital>
Act 1 is about to commence!
Related events will unfold shortly. (D-Day!)
Sham Marriage
▶ You have been chosen as Noel’s spouse.
Maintain your contract until the end!
Related events will soon occur. (D-Day!)
-Update?
Wondering why this suddenly appeared, Aiden realized that it was about time for the date to change.
So, it made sense for the information to update.
He thought of it lightly.
…!
-…!!
Suddenly.
Without any warning.
A terrifyingly ominous energy began swirling around.
It seemed that Aiden wasn’t the only one who sensed it, as Stella, who was getting ready to carry him like luggage, flinched and looked up at the sky.
“What is that…?”
Dark, tangible death energy roiled around them, soon spiraling upward as if coalescing into one mass.
Visible from here was a ‘rift,’ clearly in view.
Like a tear in canvas, the twisted landscape created a crack that distorted the surrounding space.
Then.
The initial fissure expanded into a massive, splitting rupture.
‘Ah.’
Aiden sighed inwardly.
It was a sight he remembered vividly.
This was the event that marked the beginning of Act 1, “The Phantom Knight Incident.”
‘Heartless bastards…!’
He cursed inwardly, unsure of whom he was directing it at.
At the very least, couldn’t they have given him some time to rest…?
“You’d better hold on tight to me, Mr. Aiden.”
Seeing the situation, Stella’s face hardened as she spoke, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Aiden felt as though he had been upgraded from mere baggage to a valuable possession.
“I’ll get you to safety at full speed. After that, I’ll call for backup.”
However, there was no need for her to continue that sentence.
“Aiden!”
In this strange situation, there was someone even more concerned about his safety than Stella.
It hadn’t been long since the vortex appeared, but the voice of Noel, who had somehow found them, rang out from a distance.
Soon, as always, Noel came hurtling down like a meteor, landing before them.
“Are you safe? Something strange suddenly appeared—”
Noel’s voice trailed off abruptly.
It was probably because he saw Aiden clinging tightly to Stella, like a baby bird nestled against its mother.
An awkward silence was shared among the three of them.
It lasted for quite a while…
“…Aiden,” Noel finally spoke, breaking the silence.
As usual, he wore his trademark smile.
It seemed like he was trying not to make the atmosphere any more tense.
“…Your situation is strange, but now is not the time to dwell on that.”
“Right?”
“So, let me ask you simply.”
‘So, there’s no option of asking later, huh.’
No matter how urgent the situation, he had to address this first.
Upon closer inspection, even though Noel was smiling at him, her eyes weren’t smiling at all.
“What were you doing with Stella?”
“Taking a walk.”
“At this hour?”
“Alone together?”
“… …”
“Interesting.”
“I assure you, there’s nothing I’ve done that would make me feel ashamed in front of Lady Noel.”
“Is that so.”
Noel’s voice was as gentle as ever, but Aiden couldn’t shake the feeling that he could read between the lines.
‘Oh, is that so?’
-or something like that.
“Even if you had done something like that, it’s not really my concern. After all… we’re just married through a ‘contract,’ aren’t we.”
“…Lady Noel?”
“Yes, that’s right. We’re not in a relationship where we exchange deep feelings, after all. Isn’t that so…”
Aiden’s eyes darted towards Noel, who was stroking the hilt of her sword as she continued speaking.
It was probably a habitual gesture, but it somehow gave off a faint aura of danger.
“Even though you said you liked me.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
When Aiden asked what she had mumbled, Noel instantly cut off her own murmur like a knife.
She then furrowed her brows sharply and turned her gaze straight ahead.
There was still a cold smile lingering on her lips…
“Shall we handle that first?”
Noel’s gaze shifted towards the massive fissure, now visible to everyone in the capital.
Somehow, she seemed as if she was preparing to vent her frustration there.
Cliche Novel 