The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

I remembered my past life on my nineteenth birthday.

The trigger was utterly trivial.

Back then, I was a promising holy knight at the temple. I tripped and fell headfirst into the waters of the Sacred Pond.

Everyone laughed at me, but the Sacred Pond lived up to its reputation in a truly bizarre way.

Not only did I recall my past life, but I also realized this world was inside a romance fantasy novel.

'My name... Harte.'

And my surname, Messiah.

Harte Messiah... That was the name of the Holy Knight Commander destined for a miserable death.

The cause wasn't really known, but who cares? I was fated to die in about ten years!

"I'm quitting the Holy Knight Order."

"What? Why?!"

The current Commander, clueless about why he was losing a promising knight, desperately tried to stop me.

"Were the rules too strict? Look, you can bend them a little. Just don't visit brothels... Hm? Or is it the pay? Position? Don't you know I've been training you as the next Commander?"

That seems to be part of the problem...

But I didn't owe him an explanation.

"I heard leaving the Holy Knight Order is a measure of intelligence."

"Who the hell said that?"

"Someone pretty high up."

Like, the goddess who decided my fate.

"Higher than me? Whoever it is, they're in big trouble if I catch them."

'Wow...'

So high it's beyond comprehension.

The Commander of the Holy Knight Order himself started spouting outrageous blasphemy.

While the Holy Knight Commander might be on par with a cardinal, he picked the wrong opponent. So, I handed in my resignation without hesitation.

"Are you really leaving?"

"Yes."

"What'll you do out there?"

"..."

Good question. What indeed?

"See? The real world's tough, isn't it? The Holy Knight Order's so comfortable. We give you food, a place to stay, and all you gotta do is pray and train. There's no better job, right?"

This feels familiar.

If I had to be specific...

I think I got this kind of guilt-tripping from a boss in another world I was dragged to in my early 20s. Yeah... A place where wild boars and deer ran around, smelling of gunpowder...

"... Ah."

So this is what you went through, past me?

"Good luck to you."

As soon as I remembered those painful memories, I bolted.

"Come back here!"

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I couldn't hear him with my ears covered.

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Three springs had passed since I quit.

At first glance, there really did seem to be no better job than the Holy Knight Order, just like the Commander said.

Using divine power to heal people openly as an outsider was illegal, and mercenary work paid peanuts. Despite my modern knowledge, I was useless in the outside world as a liberal arts graduate.

Maybe the goddess took pity on my struggles?

One day, I found a kid hurt in a carriage accident and healed them illegally. I had no choice; they would've died if I'd left them.

I probably would've faced forced labor if caught.

Luckily, the kid's parents were grateful and turned out to be classy nobles.

"I'm truly grateful... How can I ever repay you?"

"You'll keep this a secret, right?"

"Of course, naturally."

"Then... how much are you willing to offer?"

"Haha."

The father's smile soured a bit at my blatant money-grubbing.

But I couldn't help it.

Your environment shapes you, and back then, I was desperate for cash. Even more so because I was barely scraping by on two meals a day.

The resulting purse was pretty hefty.

"So... what are your plans now? Seems you don't have a proper job. Want to work as a guard for our family?"

"Hmm."

I was pretty simple-minded back then.

With limited options, I decided to do something I liked.

After some thought...

'Right... an orphanage. Taking in orphans would be good. Because I like kids.'

In my past life, I'd worked at kids' cafes. It's perfect since I could get government support if I met certain conditions.

My temple background would give a good image too.

So I boldly declared:

"I'll use the money you've given me to open an orphanage, Count."

"Oh my. I thought you left the temple for material reasons, but it seems I was mistaken?"

'Oh, such refined speech.'

"Then of course I must support you! Doing good deeds, how could I not?"

"Wow. Such a generous heart!"

And so, under the radiant patronage of the Count, whose generosity shone as brightly as his balding head, my career path was set.

Just then, the Count's son I'd healed grabbed my trouser leg.

"Big brother, are you really opening an orphanage?"

"Of course."

"Then, when it's finished, can I come play too?"

"If the Count allows it?"

When the kid stared at his father, he nodded with a kind smile. At this moment, I nearly squinted as the Count's reflection angle changed.

"Yay, I'm so excited!"

"Yes, yes."

That's true.

While you were excited, I pretended to pat your head as I sneaked some divine power into your scalp.

May the Count's abundant generosity be repaid with abundant hair for future generations.

... This was how I ended up opening an orphanage.

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Having opened an orphanage, what did I need next?

Orphans, of course.

Or abused kids.

Or children with nowhere else to go due to unavoidable circumstances.

'The responsibility... is huge...'

If I tried to care for a kindergarten's worth of kids from the start, I felt I might drown in responsibility. Plus, the orphanage was still small, and I had to handle everything alone without any staff.

'For now... let's start with exactly three kids.'

After that, I'd slowly increase the number if I could manage or if more funding came in. So I approached a girl selling flowers on the street.

"Hey, do you not have a mom?"

"Are you insulting my parents right now?"

'This isn't easy...'

Surprisingly, the flower-selling girl's family seemed perfectly happy.

Looks like she really came out on her own to help with the family finances.

And so, one of my assumptions bit the dust.

Unable to make progress, I headed back to the orphanage as the sun was setting.

An unexpected but welcome visitor was standing in front of the orphanage. I took the initiative to greet him.

"Oh? It's been a while, Count."

"Indeed it has. But the orphanage seems rather small."

"We'll have to grow it gradually."

"Well, perhaps smaller is better."

"Pardon?"

The Count nodded, looking down.

At his feet, a noble-looking blonde boy was staring at the orphanage with cynical eyes that didn't fit his age.

"I trust your character and want to entrust this person[1] to you."

"This person?"

The boy referred to as 'this person' by the Count seemed to accept the title as normal.

"Who might this be?"

"It's the Prince."

"Holy sh*t! Do royals grow up in orphanages these days?"

"Watch your language. The political fighting is too much, we have no choice. Think of it as hiding for his safety. A tree is best hidden in a forest, you know."

"Even so..."

It was surprising enough to suddenly receive a prince, but it was even more shocking that the prince was being entrusted to me.

Above all, it was weird that the Count was the prince's guardian.

"Excuse me, but are you allowed to be in charge of the prince, Count? I mean, doesn't it take at least a marquis to protect someone royal?"

"Ah, I may be a count, but I'm a Court Count."

"A Court Count is acceptable."

I hadn't cared enough to know, but it turns out I was the benefactor of a Court Count's child.

Whether it was the life of his body or his hair...

This really secures my future.

"Then, I entrust the prince to your care."

"I'll do my best."

Being a Court Count, he must have thoroughly checked my position in the Holy Knight Order. After thinking it through, he seems to have decided I could protect the prince safely.

"Let's see..."

I asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"If I may ask, which prince are you?"

"The third."

"Wow, the male lead appears already?"

"Male lead?"

"It's a thing."

This world was based on a romance fantasy novel.

Which means there are male and female leads guiding this world.

The Third Prince was destined to be the male lead who overcomes hardships with the female lead as a powerless royal.

'Well... nothing major should happen.'

Anyway, as the male lead, the Third Prince lives a long life. At least until the story begins, he can't die even if he wanted to.

So, I have no reason to worry.

"Third Prince."

"Speak."

"As you've probably heard from the Count, this is an orphanage. That means you'll need to act like a normal kid, Your Highness. Because that's how we avoid suspicion."

He's so handsome it's unlike a child, but looking closely, even his clothes are shabby.

It was probably the Count's idea. But this alone isn't enough.

It was a perfect disguise, but the disguise failed because his face was too perfect.

"So from now on, you'll need to use polite speech."

"I understand."

"I said you need to use polite speech."

"I understand, yo."

"Dayo is Japanese[2]."

"...? I understand, yo."

'This isn't easy...'

Should I just tell him to speak casually?

This weird living arrangement was only the beginning.

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[1. raei: this is said in a respectful and formal way]

[2. adding yo to the end of sentences can be used to add politeness to your speech. The prince however, uses it wrongly, and ends up sounding like he's saying 'Dayo.']]