The End of a Fake Marriage

Renee, who waved her hand along, sat down at her desk with a coffee cup that she had previously poured hot water into the dripper.

“The boss, huh?” she chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all. She then began to meticulously review the documents left behind by Dorothy.

Renee had established her office here about a year ago. With the surplus funds from her marriage contract, she wanted to use this money for the children working at White Hall and the operating costs there.

So after much thought, her solution was to partner with Winchester’s soap factory. Winchester’s soap was made from high-quality olive oil sourced directly from the Olive Factory near White Hall, and it had gained a reputation for excellence even in neighboring cities.

Renee realized that if his soap factory were to grow a bit larger and employ more people, it would be a great opportunity for Whitehall and its job seekers.

So she suggested to Winchester that he expand his business so that he could supply his soap to the capital’s department stores and arcades. He said he would help her with the necessary funds and operating plans.

Bewildered by the suddenness of the proposal, Winchester thought about it for a month and a half before accepting her offer.
In fact, Renee had intended to just make the offer and invest and then leave, but as she took care of the affairs in the capital, it ended up like this. She went from being a simple investor to a real partner.

To be honest, the reason the business was able to establish itself so quickly was partly due to leveraging the name and status of “Chambler.” For instance, on occasions when she met with high-ranking officials as “Renee Chambler,” she always brought handmade soap as a token of gratitude.

High-quality packaging, strong scent, and even the name “Chambler”. It would be a silly condition to not earn favors.

Rene made sure to subtly mention that the soap was made by a soap artisan from her hometown.

She claimed that although it wasn’t typically for sale, she had arranged for a small supply to the capital specifically at their request. As word began to spread, she showcased her products at a fair organized by the queen. It was around this time that Dorothy joined as an employee.

As word began to spread, she showcased her products at a fair organized by the queen. It was around this time that Dorothy joined as an employee.

Many women expressed their favor at the fragrant scent of my clean hands.

Despite various ups and downs that followed, within just over a year of starting the business, ” Pearl de Hazel ” products were stocked in ten department stores and arcades. If you counted the four months spent waiting for the factory to be built, it had been about one year and four months.

As Renee organized the contracts, she suddenly felt a renewed sense of gratitude.

It wasn’t yet socially acceptable to be a woman in business. Even though many female workers poured out after the war, it was still a transitional period.

If I hadn’t come to Kaliba, if I hadn’t accepted this ridiculous contract marriage, none of this would have happened.

As she fiddled with her cold coffee cup, she suddenly looked at the wedding ring on her finger. With the time to end the marriage drawing nearer, she reflected on the meaning of this union.

Contract marriage.

For you and for me—a marriage established by contract for mutual benefit.

Renee got a lot out of this marriage. Aside from a little stress, it’s been a marriage that’s been far more beneficial, both materially and experientially.

But what about you, Alexander?

“…Why was it me?”

Rene repeated the question that had been haunting her thoughts lately.

Even after crunching the numbers, it didn’t add up. Even a decade ago when they were young, he was a boy difficult to understand.

Just when she thought she was beginning to understand him as time went by, he would change abruptly or go in an unexpected direction, making him impossible to grasp.

So, Renee had actually given up trying to understand him. She had tried to keep her distance from him, thinking that she would never understand him anyway.

However, for the past few days, the same thought had been tangled up like a thistle and wouldn’t let go.

A great businessman, an aggressive investor, a man with a heart of gold. The investment prodigy, with all his impressive titles—why would he enter into a marriage that didn’t benefit him?

“Alexander, what did you want from me?”
“…What was it that you truly intended to gain from this marriage?”

A shiny, pure white car stopped on the side of the road, raising a small cloud of dust. The driver got out first, opened the driver’s door, and spoke in a friendly voice.

“We’ve arrived, Miss Xavier. Please head straight up to the second floor. I’ll carry your luggage for you.”

“…Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Lantier Xavier, holding her cloche hat against the wind, followed the driver, who was carrying her large trunk, up the stairs to the second floor. Renee had sent a driver directly to pick up Miss Lantier, asking if she could assist with the outfit preparations right here.

“So, this is Mrs. Chambler’s office.”

The young designer Lantier looked around cautiously, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. It was located on 7th Avenue, Liv Hill—a prime spot. It was a busy main road, yet not overly noisy, with Queen’s Park a block away, giving the surroundings a refreshing atmosphere.

However, despite the prime location, it was surprising that Mrs. Chambler would run a small office in a place like this. After all, she was none other than the lady of the Chambler name.

Lantier glanced up and gazed at the towering structure across the River Leverd. She could see the Chambler headquarters, a skyscraper completed just last year and now the tallest in Leverd at 24 stories.

The victorious nation of Aiel already had a building with 50 stories, but it was the first building with over 20 stories built on the continent of Perrotis. It was such a monumental building that the Queen herself was present to cut the ribbon.

That was how great the economic status of Chambler was in this country, Leverd. And yet, here was the lady of this powerful family, operating a small office on the second floor of a modest building along a street filled with writers and artists.

It was a situation that anyone could not help but find puzzling.

“Here we are. I’ll wait downstairs.”

Room 203.

Taking a deep breath in front of the thick oak door with only a simple sign indicating the business name, she let out a tense sigh.

Renee Chambler.

She was the great opportunity of her designer career, the lifeline that would pull her into high society.

It was a huge opportunity for such a big name to wear the clothes of an unknown designer who ran a small clothing store.

Now that the opportunity had come, she had to grab it.

‘Do well. Do well, and let’s do this! I’ll make them a regular customer with this opportunity!’

Lantier raised his fist in a silent cheer.

Knock knock. With a loud knock, the door of opportunity opened.

***

“Ah!”
With a small groan from Renee Chambler’s mouth, Lantier’s door of opportunity was completely shattered.

A long, red mark, as if drawn with a crimson pen, ran across her back, stark against her snow-white skin. It was all because of the horrific mistake made by her own hand.

‘I’m screwed. What should I do?’

Lantier, who had been helping her get dressed, dropped the scissors and needle she was holding, her face pale with fear, and apologized repeatedly.

“I-I’m so sorry, Mrs. Chambler! Are you alright? Your back… the wound! Oh my goodness, what should I do?”

“It’s alright. It doesn’t hurt that much. I was just a little surprised. Is your back okay?”

“No! It’s not okay! What do I do, what do I do!”

Lantier immediately pulled out some band-aids and ointment from her bag and hurriedly applied it to the wound.

She had no words to say, knowing she had caused a wound on the back of someone so respected. Her fingers trembled, ready for any punishment.

Renee, who turned around to look in the mirror, shrugged his shoulders and smiled as if it was okay. A scratch like this didn’t hurt any more than a cat’s claw. The concern, however, wasn’t the injury itself.
“Well, this… It looks like we can’t wear a dress that reveals the back. We should put on the second dress I showed you.”

But even Renee couldn’t wear Lantier’s second dress. Both dresses were peg-top designs with quite a bit of exposure around the shoulders and waist.

Renee, who was worried, let down her hair that had been tied up and looked behind her. “Maybe I could just cover it up with my hair like this?”

These days, short hair was trending among women, but it wasn’t yet popular among the upper class. The Queen’s preference for long hair certainly had an influence. Despite of this, whenever Rene felt her neck itch because of the heat, she’d be tempted to cut it all off.

‘Once the divorce happens, I’ll definitely cut it.’

Her long, golden blonde hair, which flowed down to her lower back, was beautiful to look at, but extremely difficult to manage. It was thick and heavy, and she often suffered headaches because of it. No matter how she thought about it, she had to cut it.

“Still, when you’re dancing or something, it might show your back. You could cover it with makeup, but that would be harsh on your skin.”

“That’s true, but…”

Eventually, the two women put their heads together again. But they didn’t have much time, and they didn’t have many options.

“I guess it would be best to just cover it up with makeup. It’s only for a short time anyway.”

“…Actually, what about this? It’s my personal dress, so I’m not sure if it would fit you, but I do have one more dress I brought with me.”