Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 41
Maya Pendragon felt unfamiliar.
The sunny demeanor she had shown in the castle seemed like she was someone who might rely on Tristan, but now, it felt as if Tristan was the one who should rely on her.
‘But that’s not all.’
Tristan noticed that Maya was hiding something. He had thought that since it was her first subjugation campaign, she would struggle. Yet, Maya navigated the mountain range, which even the Northern Knights found challenging, with too much ease.
‘How?’
When he had looked into Maya Pendragon, she had no connections to the North. There were rumors about the imperial knights keeping an eye on the Pendragon bloodline, but that was it.
‘Where did that knowledge and information come from?’
She knew everything from the types of monsters inhabiting the area to what she was doing in the mountains for her awakening. His assumption that she would struggle was wrong.
‘There’s something.’
Throughout his life as a Grand Duke, this was the first time he was following someone else.
Yet, he could do so because he had that much faith in Maya Pendragon.
At least the Maya he had seen would have honestly confessed if she didn’t know something.
“But are you sure there’s a wyvern here?”
Wyverns were originally creatures that flew in the sky. No one would think they’d be in a lake.
“Positive. I heard it from the imperial knights in the capital.”
Maya somewhat evasively shifted her gaze to the rope as she explained how she knew the location of the wyvern.
“It doesn’t seem like something you could just hear about.”
“I have wider connections than you’d think. Oh my, this rope is too short.”
“I see.”
It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t ask further because he was still confident that he and Maya were on the same side.
They had a contract, and she was fighting with all her might to help with his awakening.
If she didn’t want to disclose something, should he just let it go?
‘How far can I push this?’
Tristan chewed on his lip, lost in thought.
Maya glanced at Tristan. More precisely, she was staring at the brooch pinned to his chest.
‘It suits him better than I thought.’
She was very pleased with the gift she had given.
“Maya.”
The boyish face made Maya smile inwardly. Despite his height, Tristan Bayarden’s appearance when cursed with youth was notably youthful.
While traveling together, Maya realized anew just how different Tristan’s physique and facial structure were between his boyhood and adulthood.
‘By a lot.’
Perhaps what was fortunate was that Tristan’s physical capabilities far exceeded those of an ordinary person, allowing him to keep up with Maya even in his youthful form.
The forced march that began right after leaving the castle yesterday would have been dangerously exhausting for an ordinary person, almost to the point of vomiting blood.
Of course, it was partly Maya’s fault for deliberately choosing routes infested with monsters.
All of this was for the sake of awakening, so Maya felt no shame in front of Tristan.
“Shall we try to get some sleep?”
Tristan looked around the cave, preparing a place to sleep.
‘But that’ll be just a couple of hours at most.’
At least, closing his eyes would allow for some recovery of strength.
However, Maya got up after hastily making the rope.
“I’ll go out and catch some monsters.”
“But with the monsters we’ve already caught—”
“The more, the better.”
Maya dashed out of the cave.
She left wearing only her cloak and carrying a sword.
It was a relief to Tristan that she hadn’t noticed his condition.
He hadn’t shown it, but his physical state was definitely worsening.
Meanwhile, Maya felt relieved.
‘It’s becoming similar to when I first awakened.’
It was intentional, after all.
She had told him she would use her power whenever he was in pain, but unless it was a truly life-threatening crisis, she planned not to let Tristan know.
If healing improved her condition, it would change the conditions from the past.
No matter how painful the past was, she was determined to awaken again, even if it meant repeating the same process.