Ultimately, this marriage was less a union of hearts and more an employment contract—a fact that neither of them, with their matching cleverness and astuteness, failed to grasp.
And a contract, of course, required written terms and conditions.
Curtis was, after all, a terribly efficient man.
While ordering Chloe to bring her family to take refuge at his estate, he had given her separate instructions.
“You will be unable to leave the mansion before the wedding, so use the time to consider the terms of our contract.”
“Pardon?”
“Let us draft a contract.
A prenuptial agreement.”
Such agreements were common practice among ruling families, even outside of royalty, as a means of preventing titles and estates from being torn apart.
Given that their marriage was premised on an eventual divorce, and that Chloe had agreed to the title in exchange for financial compensation, drafting a contract was only natural.
For Chloe, however, who had lived as a quasi-noble, placing the words ‘marriage’ and ‘contract’ side by side was intellectually understandable but emotionally foreign.
So, leaving her two wide-eyed younger sisters to tour the annex, Chloe had spent the entire day agonizing over a blank sheet of paper.
“1.
Prohibition of overtime work during the contract period.”
The deep indentations of her pen showed how much thought she had poured into it, yet Curtis could not help but snort at the very first clause.
Under his amused gaze, Chloe hesitated before speaking.
“Do you intend to go down in history as a man so cold-hearted as to force overtime on his beloved?”
“I cannot speak for history, but it seems people already perceive me that way,” Curtis deadpanned, referring to the newspaper with the Royal Guard interview.
“Since our courtship was meant to be a secret, I believe we can smooth that over later,” Chloe replied swiftly.
“Not a chance,” Curtis retorted in his characteristic tone.
“I think we need to define the scope of ‘overtime’ first,” he interjected.
“Does the Grand Duchess attending a banquet qualify as such?”
Chloe blinked.
A banquet—the thought had not even crossed her mind.
Curtis adjusted his spectacles and continued.
“What I require of you, Warrant Officer, is not merely to be a Grand Duchess in name.
If I simply needed someone to install in the estate, I could have dressed Noel in women’s clothes, slapped a name tag on him reading ‘Grand Duchess,’ and relegated him to a corner.”
“Curtis, what about my opinion?” Noel protested lightly.
Curtis ignored him.
“As long as you and I are maintaining the pretense of a love match, attending banquets is mandatory.
You must fulfill a host of other duties as well.”
The duties of a Grand Duchess.
Her head throbbed at the thought.
Seeing Chloe unconsciously bring a hand to her forehead, Curtis smirked.
“Your concern for your family’s safety was touching, but should you not have also considered that I am to become your family as well?”
At his words, Chloe paused and looked at him.
Curtis raised an eyebrow.
“Why?” he prompted.
“No… it is just that you said ‘family’.”
“Have you a complaint?”
“Less a complaint… I swear, I have never once connected that word with Your Highness, and the thought… well, it gave me goosebumps.”
Realizing her words were excessively insolent even after they had left her mouth, Chloe hesitated, a flicker of concern in her eyes.
But at her retort, Noel burst out laughing, and Curtis, after a beat, allowed the corners of his mouth to curl into a slight smile.
Only then did Chloe relax.
“Very well.
The prohibition on overtime is accepted, but only as it pertains to your duties as a Warrant Officer of the Royal Guard.”
“Yes!” Chloe cheered.
“However, I will first have to consult the Military Law Compliance Committee to determine if a Warrant Officer can remain as my adjutant.”
At that, Chloe confidently crossed her arms.
“The Military Law Committee will approve it,” she asserted.
“What gives you such confidence?” Curtis challenged.
“Because it is obvious,” Noel chimed in, “that if Warrant Officer Amboise leaves, there will be no one left to serve as your adjutant.”
Chloe giggled.
With a thoroughly displeased expression, Curtis read the next clause.
“2.
Separate Contract Payment: One Million Sing.’ Understood. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
However, the additional clause for a four-hundred percent salary increase is out of the question.”
“Why not?” Chloe exclaimed.
“Your salary comes from the national treasury, not my personal coffers.
Instead, I shall provide the Grand Duchess with a stipend for… wait.
How much is your salary?”
“Forty thousand Sing a month…” Chloe murmured.
Curtis looked at her again.
His gaze swept over her, from head to toe, and Chloe winced.
She was, once again, in uniform.
‘I ordered several sets of women’s clothing sent to the annex for her temporary use.
She must have received them.
Why on earth is she not wearing them?’
Instead of asking, Curtis let out a short scoff.
“You have managed to maintain the appearance of a human being on that salary.
Impressive,” he remarked dryly.
“…I will take that to mean you intend to provide me with a substantial stipend?” Chloe ventured.
“I will provide ten million Sing per year,” Curtis stated.
“Pardon?!” Chloe practically jumped from her seat.
Her reaction, he thought, made the expense worthwhile.
“I told you,” Curtis reminded her.
“You are to perform all the duties of a Grand Duchess.
And for that, you must maintain the dignity of one as well.”
“I will do my best,” Chloe vowed grimly.
Curtis chuckled at her determined reply, then moved on to the final clause she had written.
“Must always obey Chloe Amboise’?” he read aloud, a note of disbelief in his voice.
“I wanted it memorialized in writing,” Chloe explained.
“There is a more specific sentence below.”
The woman who had just been sputtering over the sum—’Ten million Sing?!
Not a thousand?!’—had vanished.
In her place was a composed Chloe, answering him with perfect poise.
“I wrote ‘obey,’ but I do not intend to make Your Highness kneel as you did before,” she clarified.
“Well, you cannot exactly order me to kneel three times,” Curtis drawled, a sharp edge to his tone.
The sarcasm was laced with thorns.
Only Second Lieutenant Noel, who did not know the context, looked on in confusion, tilting his head slightly.
Curtis pushed up his spectacles and read the next line aloud.
‘Curtis Sean Berk shall regard Chloe Amboise as a superior and treat her with the utmost respect.’
Chloe cleared her throat.
“Furthermore, if Chloe Amboise makes a demand by invoking this contract, he is obligated to grant her request, up to three times within the contract period,” Curtis continued.
He scoffed, dumbfounded.
“Grant three wishes?
I thought I was reading a childish fairytale.”
But Chloe was adamant.
“This is a clause directly linked to my survival, and that of my family,” she insisted.
“It is about survival, all of a sudden?” Curtis mocked.
“Are you going to war, Officer?”
“Not exactly,” Chloe replied.
“I have been giving it some thought.”
Despite his continued sarcasm, Chloe placed her hands on her knees and spoke with grave sincerity. This story is hosted at g.com.
“Since I have unintentionally thrown my lot in with Your Highness, I intend to see this matter through to the best of my ability.
His Majesty the King, however, will surely be displeased by my commitment, will he not?”
‘Doing her best in this matter.’ For a bride-to-be, it was a ludicrous turn of phrase, but Curtis found the expression quite satisfactory.
“I suppose so,” he conceded.
“I considered what His Majesty might do to stop this marriage most easily, and I have concluded it would most likely be assassination,” Chloe stated.
At the sudden mention of such a grave word, Noel, standing nearby, widened his eyes in panic.
Curtis, however, merely nodded.
“Because if you die, this entire arrangement comes to an end,” he explained.
“Is that not why I had your family moved to my estate?”
“Ah, but I believe I will be in more danger after the marriage than before it,” Chloe mused.
“Why is that?” Curtis inquired.
Her gaze drifted upward for a moment before she spoke.
“Because it would be easier to force a widower into remarrying than a man still grieving a fiancee who died tragically just before their wedding.”
“A sharp deduction,” Noel exclaimed in admiration.
Curtis barked a laugh.
“Do you think I would not use that excuse to avoid marriage if you died ‘before’ the wedding?” he challenged, a glint in his eye.
“Then would you obediently get married?” Chloe pressed.
“No.
That excuse is excellent,” Curtis replied.
“I had not thought that far, but should you happen to tragically lose your life before the marriage, I will gladly make use of it.”
“That makes me curious.
In that case, would I receive a posthumous commendation?”
“Would you?” Curtis scoffed.
“I will ensure the compensation paid to your family is not disappointing.”
“Ah.
My parents are hopeless with finances, so that would be problematic.
Please put it in my second brother’s name.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
It was an incredibly heartless conversation for a couple about to be married.
‘Even if this is a contract, is this truly all right?’ Noel glanced between them, but neither showed any sign of being upset or finding it absurd.
It was only natural, as there was no affection between them to begin with.
Chloe shrugged nonchalantly.
“In any case, it is obvious that in such a situation my family could be taken hostage, or other difficulties could arise.
But since I am, after all, a woman marrying Your Highness for money…” she trailed off.
“I understand,” Curtis interrupted.
“You mean you want the right to prioritize your interests over mine on three occasions.
Approved.”
“Thank you,” Chloe said simply.
“I should be the one thanking you,” Curtis returned.
That concluded the clauses Chloe had put forward, but not the contract itself.
A contract, after all, is a document of mutual interests.
With a sigh, Noel handed Chloe another sheet of paper—this one containing Curtis’s conditions.
Her eyes scanned it quickly.
The first clause stated that from the moment she took the name of Berk, she must fulfill all duties accompanying that name.
This they had already discussed, so she had no objection.
The next clause, however, was perplexing.
‘2.
Chloe Amboise acknowledges that she is in a contractual relationship with Curtis Sean Berk and shall not interfere with Curtis Sean Berk’s romantic relationships during this period.’
Chloe looked up from the page, her brow furrowed.
“You are going to… date?” she asked slowly.