The Reason for Marriage

“…No, nothing.” Iveca hoped the pause wouldn’t raise too many more questions.

She could not say outright that the King called her to his bedroom. That would raise some questions. However, for someone who has never thought about kissing a woman without holding her hand properly, wasn’t he being too straightforward? Did he call her for a strange favor? And how could she discuss all this so it could make sense to her? The thoughts rolled over in her head and Sid, expressionless, stood by her desk and tossed two candies toward her.

“What do you want for dinner? You’re going to have to eat sometime, especially with all this overtime you’re working.”

“Are you working overtime, too? Didn’t you work outside this morning?”

“There’s no wiggle-room for going home early on this floor.”

Iveca shook her head sullenly, remembering Daniel’s words to come before dinner. Before long, it was time to go.

“I don’t think it’s possible. I have a prior appointment.”

“Did you have another friend?”

“What do you mean by another? I don’t even have one. But Senior, you don’t think we are friends, right?”

Sid pulled her hair one more time without answering her joke and disappeared without saying goodbye. Iveca took the candy he had tossed and swallowed her sigh. Did it have a sexual connotation? But then he showed a sense of shame even with the slightest sexual nuances. He was not the sort of person who would ever call a Bureau of Investigation officer to sleep with him.

Iveca pulled at her hair nervously. If it was sexual activity, should she say no? Could she refuse? No, was there any reason to refuse? She was the one who proudly said she could sleep in front of him, even if she did not love him.

Asking her to wear her casual clothes, she pondered for a while in front of her locker. Comfortable clothes? Pretty clothes? Plain clothes? Accessories? Iveca had been agonizing for a long time before finally changing into her prettiest clothes and fixing her makeup because she was nervous. Be bold, be bold. Don’t think too deeply.

Whether she refuses, she should not be too shabby in front of him, anyway. Even if she dressed up like this, she would hardly be as good looking as Daniel still. She went to his bedroom only once when she had to report to him urgently at midnight. Imagining his solid body and disheveled blond hair made her body tremble a little.

Suddenly, she thought she did not particularly dislike his call. He was young, handsome–a King, of all things. If he had only been the son of some countries’ lords, she would have fallen in love with him at first sight.

Rationally, of course, it was absurd, but Iveca knew from experience that instinct won easily when there were two young men and women who appreciated each other’s looks.

When she came out from the dressing room after brushing her hair down for a long time, Sid, who was on her way to dinner with Reina, squinted his eyes.

“Eve? Where are you going? You put in more effort than usual.”

“Oh… I have an appointment.”

“With a man, is it?”

It was a mistake not to answer that immediately. Reina smiled and put on an insidious look.

“Tell me about your date. I’ll tease you from tomorrow morning, just so you know.”

Sid walked out of the Bureau of Investigation building without saying a word. After Reina tapped her shoulder, she pursued Sid. Iveca went to her seat, grabbed her report, and took a few deep breaths, and then headed for the Palace.

It was not yet dark, but she felt strange going to the King’s bedroom. He glanced at Anriq, who was guarding the bedroom door, and then knocked. When he asked her to come in, she unknowingly fixed her dress.

The moment she swallowed her dry saliva and opened the door, Iveca stopped in surprise at a situation she had never expected.

“You’re here?”

Daniel grinned.

“I’m going to go undercover.”

Wearing a brown wig, hazy, thick glasses, and a hood, he looked more like a grim sorcerer than a sly King. He was dressed like that, so even in the bar that day, she had no idea that he was there. Iveca was a little embarrassed about what she thought by herself all day, she was a little embarrassed with it.

“Now? So suddenly?”

“If it was Kayden, I would have had dinner with you today.”

Iveca tried to ask back because she did not know what he meant, but she opened her mouth halfway when she saw him pushing the bookshelf to the side and opening the secret passage.

“I’m going out now, but the escorts will follow me anyway, so you don’t have to worry about the surrounding area. I would appreciate it if you could just play the role of Kayden.”

In the end, everything ‘takes the place of Kayden Ruth’ and she giggled at her karma. She sighed and nodded.

“You won’t be able to see what’s in front. Hold my hand.”

She carefully took his hand. She almost embarrassed herself for having dressed up so much. Yes, this man was very innocent, but she had only imagined the word “bedroom”. The path she walked while holding Daniel’s hand in the winding maze was strangely long. Both were silent.