The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

I first recalled memories of another world when my 19th birthday came around.

The trigger was relatively trivial.

At the time, I was a promising young knight in the temple, but due to a slight misstep, I slipped and fell into what was known as the Sacred Pond.

It was the laughingstock of the town, but the pond was true to its nature as I experienced a truly miraculous phenomenon.

Not only did I remember my past life, but I also realized that this world resembled a world from a romantic fantasy novel.

‘My name… is Harte.’

Furthermore, my surname is Messiah.

Harte Messiah… that was the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights, destined for a tragic death.

That revelation was cryptic, but what the hell? I’m supposed to be dead in a decade!

No, it’s more troublesome since I don’t know the cause. I had no choice but to get to the bottom of this.

“Holy Knights, I’m leaving.”

“Why?!”

The commander was about to lose a promising knight and was at a loss for words. He desperately grabbed me, begging me to stay.

“Are the doctrines and rules too strict? Actually, you can bend them a little. Don’t just go to the headquarters… Oh, is it about salary? Ranking? Is it because you didn’t know I had appointed you as the next commander?”

It might have been a problem if he had appointed me without my knowledge…

…but there’s probably no point in kindly pointing that out.

“Someone told me that the wiser you are, the earlier you leave.”

“Who the fuck said that?”

“Someone very high up.”

By that, I mean the goddess who wrote my destiny.

“She’s more powerful than me? I don’t know who she is, but if she messes with me, she won’t get away with it.”

‘Wow…’

She’s even more powerful, incredibly so.

The commander of the Holy Knights had just committed outrageous blasphemy.

Although the commander’s position was said to be on par with that of a prime minister, there is no comparison. Therefore, I did not hesitate to hand in my resignation.

“Are you sure you want to go?”

“Yeah.”

“What will you do when you get out?”

“…”

Good point. What WILL I do?

“See, the outside world is tough, but don’t you know how easy it is to live as a Holy Knight? We’re fed, housed, worshipped, and trained. There’s no better job, don’t you think?”

It’s like a vision.

To put it in concrete terms…

It feels like I was subjected to a similar kind of gaslighting in my early twenties. Yeah… for instance, with wild boars and raccoons running around and the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air… that’s what it’s like…

“… Aha.”

Were those my memories in a previous life?

“Good luck.”

I left as soon as I remembered the painful memories of my former life.

“COME BAAAAAAACK!”

I covered my ears so I couldn’t hear his call.

◇

It’s been three years since I’d been dischar-, no, three years since I’d left.

At first glance, there really was no job like being a Holy Knight, according to the commander’s gaslighting.

It’s illegal for outsiders to heal people with their holy power, and mercenary work pays less than you might think.

Having a modern man’s knowledge and being lazy make me absolutely powerless in this world.

I wondered if the goddess was looking down on me for suffering like this.

One day, I stumbled upon a child who had been in a carriage accident and treated him illegally. I had no choice, as the child would have died if left untreated. If I had been caught, I would have been sentenced to forced labor.

Luckily, the child’s parents were virtuous and decent nobles.

“That’s very kind of you… I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You’ll keep my secret, right?”

“Of course.”

“So… Is it moving along?”

“Haha.”

The father’s smile faltered slightly at the snobbishness of my immediate response…

…but it couldn’t be helped.

A man’s environment makes a man who he is, and at the time, I was a penniless man. I was living on barely two meals a day.

The money I received was quite substantial.

“So… What are you going to do now? Since you don’t seem to have a decent job, will you be a guard for my family?”

“Hmmm.”

I’m living a very simple life at the moment.

There’s only so much I can do, and I’d rather do something that interests me. I thought to myself…

‘Okay… An orphanage. A place that takes in orphans because I love children.’

In my previous life, I had entertained customers in a kids’ cafe. If you fulfill certain conditions, you can get a subsidy from the government, so it’s perfect.

Plus, I used to be a Holy Knight, so I definitely have a good reputation.

Therefore, I proudly declared:

“I will use the money to open an orphanage, Count.”

“Oh, I see. In fact, I thought you were a very worldly and materialistic person who left the Knights to pursue worldly desires. Still, it was all my misunderstanding, was it?”

‘Oh, no. You’re talking out of your ass.’

“Then, of course, I should patronize it; you’re doing some good work.”

“Oh, no. You’re so compassionate!”

In this way, my career was decided under the halo of the Count, whose radiance was as bright as his bald head.

Just then, the Count’s son, whom I had cured, grabbed me by the hem of my pants.

“Brother, are you going to open an orphanage?”

“Well, that’s the plan.”

“Then, when it’s finished, can I come and play?”

“With the Count’s permission?”

The child glared at his father, and he nodded with a generous smile. At this point, I had to squint to see the Count as his aura grew even brighter.

“Wow, I’m so excited!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

That’s true.

I had ‘blessed’ your scalp by pretending to stroke it while you were excited.

The Count’s bountiful mercy will surely be rewarded with bountiful heads of hair for generations to come.

… This was how I came to own an orphanage.

◇

What would you need if you started an orphanage?

I would need orphans…

…or abused children.

…or children who had been abused and had nowhere else to go.

‘The responsibility… That’s a lot of responsibility…’

I could not handle the responsibility if I cared for several children who could fill a daycare center from the beginning. Plus, the area wasn’t spacious, and I had to do everything myself without a single employee.

‘For now, I’ll limit the maximum to three.’

Then, I’ll gradually increase the number if it’s worth it or if more funds come in. So, I approached a girl who was selling flowers on the street.

“Hey, do you have a mom?”

“Did you curse my parents just now?”

‘This isn’t easy…’

Somehow, the girl selling flowers seemed to come from a harmonious home.

It seems like she’s voluntarily trying to contribute something to her family, no doubt about it.

This shattered one of my prejudices.

I made it back to the orphanage by sunset, unable to do anything else.

An unexpected guest stood in front of the orphanage. I greeted them carefully.

“Oh? It’s been a while, Count.”

“It has indeed. But the orphanage seems a bit small.”

“We have to grow slowly but surely, you know.”

“Indeed, perhaps it’s better to stay small.”

“Pardon?”

The Count nodded thoughtfully and lowered his gaze.

At the other end of the line of sight was a blond boy, staring at the orphanage with a cynical glint in his eye that was uncharacteristic of his age.

“I’m trusting your character and entrusting you with this gentleman.”

“This gentleman?”

The Count addressed the boy as “this gentleman,” and the latter seemed to take the title for granted.

“Who is he?”

“He’s a prince.”

“Are you out of your mind?! Do princes grow up in orphanages these days?”

“Well, be careful with what you say. The political situation is getting worse, so there’s no other choice. Consider it as a temporary refuge for safety. After all, sometimes, it’s best to hide the tree within the forest.”

“Even so…”

It was surprising enough to suddenly receive a prince as a guest. Still, it was even more astonishing that the Count entrusted the prince to me. Above all, the fact that the Count was the prince’s guardian was stranger than strange.

“Excuse me, Count, but is it alright for you to take care of the prince instead? Isn’t it appropriate for someone of royal status to at least become a marquess to require protection?”

“Ah, I may be a Count, but I am also a royal court noble.”

“Being a royal court noble is quite an acknowledgment.”

I didn’t realize it because I wasn’t interested, but it turns out I was the benefactor of a child from the royal court.

Whether it’s flesh and blood or hair…

I feel secure in my future.

“Then, I entrust the prince to you.”

“I’ll take care of him.”

As a royal court noble, he must have thoroughly investigated my knighthood position.

After various considerations, he seems to believe that I can protect the country safely.

“Let’s see…”

I asked as tactfully as possible,

“Excuse me, but which prince are you?”

“The third.”

“Wow, the male lead is already making an appearance.”

“Male lead?”

“There is such a thing.”

This world was based on romance novels.

That means there are male and female leads, among others.

The third prince was destined to overcome hardships with the female lead as a powerless noble.

‘Well… I’m sure it isn’t a big deal.’

Anyway, the Third Prince will live as long as the protagonist. What I’m sure of is that he shouldn’t die until the beginning of the story.

Therefore, I have no reason to worry.

“Third Prince.”

“Go on.”

“As the Count may have already informed you, this is an orphanage. So, Third Prince, you should behave like an ordinary child. In that way, you won’t arouse suspicion.”

He’s charmingly handsome, but even his clothes are shabby upon closer inspection.

Those were probably a hand-me-down from the Count; however, he’s hardly presentable.

It was a perfect disguise, but in fashion, since his face was the cherry on top, it failed due to his appearance’s imperfections.

“So, from now on, please use honorifics.”

“I understand.”

“You should use honorifics.”

“I understand, Dayo.”

” ‘Dayo’ is Korean.”

“…? Got it.”

‘This is harder to teach than I thought..’

Should I just tell him to speak informally?

This newly established, strange cohabitation is just the beginning.