The Strongest Man’s Fake Wife Wants to Live Chapter 43

Since she couldn’t exactly say no, she awkwardly nodded.

Surprisingly, the Emperor let the two of them go without much fuss.

“I can’t very well keep an ill woman standing here. Very well. Do you have somewhere to stay? You likely don’t have a proper residence in the capital.”

“We have somewhere to stay.”

“A townhouse?”

“No. It’s just somewhere we’re temporarily staying.”

“Is that so? I thought Count Namoi had already arranged a residence in the capital.”

If Owen had shamelessly played along at times like this, saying something like, “I’m preparing one so that I can promptly carry out Your Majesty’s commands,” or “I’m thinking of gradually expanding into the capital while leaving the territory under management,” perhaps that man’s life would have been a little easier.

But Owen Namoi was the kind of person who had made the Empire the undisputed ruler of the continent and yet quietly remained in his own place, so there was no way to expect such political maneuvering from him.

The Emperor rubbed his chin for a moment before speaking as though he were doing them a great favor.

“You’ve come from far away. Will you really be able to recover properly in a place like that? I could lend you an annex of the Imperial Palace instead. How about staying there?”

“……”

Although he appeared concerned on the surface, Pesha knew perfectly well that his true intention was to keep Owen close and watch him.

She already disliked the idea of staying in an unfamiliar place, and she certainly didn’t want to have a spy following them around as well, so Pesha glanced at the Emperor.

Seeing the couple’s lukewarm reaction, the Emperor waved his hand as if to say he wouldn’t interfere any further.

“Whatever the case, do what is most comfortable for the two of you. You may return now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for your consideration.”

The heavy doors of the audience chamber slowly closed behind them.

Pesha secretly shuddered.

No matter how nice the place was, if she had to stay there under airtight surveillance in the same place as the Emperor, she would undoubtedly feel suffocated.

They were walking toward the exit of the Imperial Palace when murmuring voices came from the far end of the corridor, followed by the opening of a large door.

People wearing robes poured into the corridor and began moving to another location.

Those wine-colored robes were worn only by high-ranking officials who came and went from the Imperial Palace.

“So, there was no conclusion again today.”

“No matter how good a proposal is, there’s nothing we can do unless His Majesty approves it. He’s been particularly sensitive lately, so wouldn’t everyone be better off keeping their heads down?”

The officials’ whispers gradually grew closer.

Amid them, Pesha recognized a familiar face.

Her father, Duke Rydell.

Duke Rydell also spotted them and stopped in his tracks for a moment.

She had a bad feeling about this.

‘Should I run?’

It wasn’t exactly the thought one should have immediately after being reunited with her father for the first time in months, but today, Pesha was too tired to cater to his whims.

But wouldn’t it be strange if she suddenly ran away the moment she saw him?

She was still hesitating when Duke Rydell excused himself to the other officials and came over to the two of them.

“Aren’t you Pesha? What are you doing here?”

Duke Rydell looked bewildered, as though he didn’t know that Owen would be leading the military parade.

“I thought you were holed up in Swapro—Ahem, I mean, staying there.”

“Ah…… His Majesty the Emperor gave us some orders concerning Founding Day, so we came to the capital for a while.”

Pesha gave him a vague answer and glossed over the details.

When she was young, whenever she didn’t want to answer a question or found it difficult to do so, she would evade it like this instead of reporting every little detail to him.

Duke Rydell would then accuse her of disrespecting him and angrily drag up everything from her behavior to her very nature.

So this time, Pesha had prepared herself for another lecture.

But surprisingly, Duke Rydell nodded calmly without the slightest trace of anger.

“Then you should have contacted me before coming to the capital. I am your father, after all. Shouldn’t I at least know when my daughter is coming and going?”

Pesha stared at Duke Rydell strangely as he lightly chided her as though he were hurt.

‘Did this man eat something strange?’

This was nothing like the Duke Rydell she knew, who used to lecture her and find fault with even the most trivial things.

More than anything, what Pesha found suspicious was the fact that he hadn’t slapped her the moment they met.

Pesha had sold off all of Duke Rydell’s tax-evading real estate to raise funds for her business.

With such expensive properties suddenly listed on the market as quick sales, there was no way the duke hadn’t found out.

So Pesha had expected that, if she ever ran into Duke Rydell, he would at least grab her by the hair.

Yet the duke in front of her was acting like an ordinary, caring father worried about his daughter.

‘This money-grubber suffered such a huge loss and isn’t showing the slightest sign of it. Has the world turned upside down?’

Just as she was thinking that, she suddenly remembered Owen standing beside her.

Ah.

Even if the world hadn’t turned upside down, she was standing in front of someone terrifying enough to turn it upside down.

No matter how much a daughter might have been treated like a rat before marriage, once she married and took a new surname, it was customary to show her a certain degree of respect.

Pesha hadn’t known that Duke Rydell possessed such common sense, but apparently, standing before a son-in-law with overwhelming military might had a remarkable effect on his ability to control his anger.

Having grasped the situation, Pesha quickly brushed it aside with a soulless apology.

“I’m sorry. It slipped my mind.”

What could he possibly say when she’d simply forgotten?

The corner of Duke Rydell’s mouth twitched unnaturally.

Normally, given his temper, he should have already started shouting by now. But once again, his threshold for anger seemed to rise infinitely in front of Owen.

Unable to vent his frustration on Pesha as he used to, Duke Rydell seemed dissatisfied and shifted the subject of conversation to Owen.

“More importantly, Count Namoi. I believe this is the first time we’ve seen each other since the wedding. You’re as impressive as ever. It’s good to see you.”

Duke Rydell extended his hand, and Owen took it and gave it a light shake.

“I should have come to see you sooner, but I had a great deal to deal with in the territory and couldn’t contact you first.”

When Owen gave a slight bow of his head, Duke Rydell let out a hearty laugh.

“You’re busy, so these things happen. But at this rate, I might forget what my daughter even looks like. Come visit me with Pesha from time to time.”

Duke Rydell spoke earnestly, sprinkling his words with light jokes, but the unfamiliar curiosity and feigned friendliness in his eyes only made the whole thing more absurd.

‘What is wrong with him?’

Was this merchant who had sold off his daughter in a deal with the Emperor now trying to play the part of a friendly father-in-law as well?

Whatever he did, Pesha couldn’t look at him favorably.

“Yes. As it happens, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, so I’ll pay my respects soon.”

That was enough.

With a greeting like that, she had fulfilled the basic courtesy expected of her and could bring the situation to an end.

What she had overlooked was that Duke Rydell was more persistent than she’d expected.

“Soon? Why don’t we have a meal together today, while you have the time?”

His excessively enthusiastic invitation was burdensome.

Why is he suddenly being so clingy?

Pesha was a little uneasy because she couldn’t figure out what Duke Rydell was really thinking, but she wasn’t particularly worried.

‘Owen would have to be insane to eat with Duke Rydell, who’s practically his enemy. Is he trying to make a joke out of us? Has he already forgotten who was responsible for Owen losing his chance at becoming a duke?’