Husband Wanted! - Chapter 4

It was another bright, sunny morning.

“Huh?”

Father Bremen, who had set out early, stopped abruptly as he entered a narrow path between tall trees.

“What… what is going on here?”

He wiped his face with trembling hands. The path was crowded with people lined up in rows, leaving no space to squeeze through. There must have been at least a hundred people.

This early in the morning, on this mountain path.

Unable to wipe the sweat off his forehead and nose, Bremen alternated between looking at the scene before him and the note in his hand.

Come as soon as you can.

It was rare for Evelyn to send a message, and even rarer for it to be hastily scribbled with errors.

“To qualify for the bid, I’ll need to hire a husband.”

The bombshell announcement from a few days ago flashed through his mind.

“I need to get to Evelyn quickly!”

Realizing the urgency, he tried to push his way through.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going, cutting in line?!”

Someone put a hand on his shoulder.

“What?”

A stranger glared at Bremen.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. If you came late, go to the back of the line!”

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“No, that’s not it,” Bremen stammered, wiping the sweat off his face with shaky hands. “I don’t know why you’re all here, but I—”

“What? Are you looking down on me?” The man straightened his shirt collar and smirked confidently. “Wake up. Evelyn’s husband isn’t going to be you, it’s going to be me, Viscount Montstille!”

“Wha-what?!”

“So, get to the back of the line!”

Before Bremen could say anything more, he was unceremoniously shoved out of the line.

***

“What… what is happening here?!”

Father Bremen made his way through a path more treacherous than usual and finally arrived at the mansion, only to find the situation just as chaotic.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Trying to push past me?”

“What? I was clearly here first!”

“It doesn’t count if you had your servants hold your place! So get behind me and wait your turn.”

“Well, I never! How rude!”

…No, the scene was even worse than the one on the mountain path.

Bremen rubbed his eyes once more, unsure how many times he had done so already.

“Stop making a fuss and stand in line properly!”

“When is this line going to move? Are people even getting in?”

All the way from the steep path to the mansion’s gate, a crowd of men formed a long line in front of Evelyn’s mansion.

With his eyes red and sore from rubbing, Bremen looked around.

There were men in luxurious uniforms, others in well-maintained but visibly patched clothing, some in dirt-stained overalls and boots, as if they had just come from a farm, and even men in torn pants and worn-out shoes.

Are they rioters?

Recalling the recent attack on Evelyn, Bremen quickly dismissed the thought. Rioters wouldn’t be standing in line so orderly.

Moreover, the men were of varying ages.

There were young men who had just come of age, sturdy young adults, middle-aged men, and even a few elderly men with gray hair and beards.

“Excuse me… I need to get through…”

Bremen hunched over and carefully navigated his way through the crowd. He had to push through this mass of people to reach the gate.

“They said they’d pay the annual salary in a lump sum upon hiring, right? That money could clear all my family’s debts!”

“And what about the twelve annual bonuses? I’ll use the lump sum for big expenses and live off the bonuses.”

“And they’ll give you a castle after the divorce? I can’t wait to sign those divorce papers!”

…Men dreaming of divorce even before getting married were everywhere.

Bremen struggled to move forward, finding it increasingly difficult as the crowd seemed to grow.

“I’m sorry, please let me through…!”

The old man finally raised his voice and gently tapped the arm and shoulder of someone blocking his way.

“Excuse me, I just need to get to the front…”

“What?”

A man, head and shoulders taller than everyone else, with shoulders twice as broad, turned around to face him.

“Are you a priest by any chance?” he asked, noticing Bremen’s attire.

“Yes, I am! I’m the head of the temple down the hill! I have other business here!” Bremen hurriedly explained, waving his hands to indicate he wasn’t trying to cut in line. He couldn’t afford to be pushed back; he didn’t have the strength to push through the crowd twice.

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of eyes scrutinized him from head to toe.

“The priest isn’t here for the interview, but for other business… Ah! Are you a contact person?”

The moment those words were spoken, all eyes focused intently on Bremen. He quickly pulled out the note Evelyn had sent him from his pocket.

“I don’t know what you mean, but I’m just here to see Miss Evelyn,” he said, not realizing he should have avoided saying that.

“A contact person!”

The man blocking his way suddenly lit up with excitement and grabbed Bremen’s hand.

“Please give me some interview tips!”

“She asked me to come urgently… What?”

“What does Miss Evelyn like? Huh?” The man’s grip was so strong that Bremen’s wrist started to ache.

“Let go of me…” Bremen tried to free his hand.

“What kind of husband does she prefer? Even a small tip would help!”

Others who overheard their conversation began to crowd around them.

“Tell us too!”

“Me too!”

“Wait, sharing tips with only a few is unfair. Let’s all hear it!”

“Why should I share with everyone?”

Before Bremen could say anything, voices clamored from all directions.

“Just tell us something, don’t be stingy. Please?”

“Interview tips! Insider knowledge!”

“I don’t understand…”

It all happened so fast.

Bremen’s voice, and even his figure, were soon swallowed up by the crowd.

“Ugh.”

God, help me. Someone save me!

His brown priestly robe, caught in the jostling crowd, looked like a leaf floating on a stormy sea.

***

While Bremen was facing turmoil outside the mansion, Evelyn’s brow was furrowing deeper inside.

“Viscount Nikolai?”

The man sitting across the desk immediately lifted his head.

“Yes, speak, my lady.”

…My lady?

A faint line formed between Evelyn’s brows. Technically, she was the future employer and he was the interviewee. Yet, he was calling her “my lady.” Had all these men conspired to call her that before coming in here?

“What’s the matter, my lady?”

Now wasn’t the time to address it. Evelyn let out a small sigh and glanced down at the papers in her hand.

“So, Viscount Nikolai, you mentioned that you grew up under the strict but loving guidance of your father and the gentle and kind care of your mother…”

“Yes. Though we weren’t wealthy, I had a joyful and happy childhood!”

“……”

“I was a bit of a prankster at the academy, but that allowed me to make many friends. Through my varied experiences in new environments, I grew significantly!”

His words began to fade, scattering and disappearing entirely.

“My teachers always praised me for my strong leadership, and also…”

“So, what are your qualifications?”

“Pardon?”

“The job ad specified three qualifications. Which one do you meet?”

“None, actually. But hear me out.”

…Another one.

Once again, she found herself listening to the story of a man who didn’t meet any of the qualifications, this time a man who looked well into his mid-40s, reminiscing about a not-so-wealthy but happy childhood.

“Given my exceptional sense of responsibility, after graduating from the academy…”

“Viscount Nikolai.”

A hot surge of frustration bubbled inside her.

“I volunteered at the orphanage our family sponsored…”

“You don’t meet the qualifications, so you’re disqualified.”

“Pardon? Already?”

The man looked at her, bewildered, clearly thinking he had just started.

“Then at least listen to this. After I became the head of our family…”

“Yes, yes. Thank you for coming today.”

Evelyn promptly dismissed the man who tried to prolong the conversation. She then walked over to the window and threw it open.

Fresh air rushed into the study, and she stood directly in the breeze, taking a deep breath before letting out a roar.

“Ahhhh!”

Damn it, I can’t take this anymore

The words she couldn’t utter out loud, for fear the people gathered below might hear, roiled in her throat.

It was fortunate that more than a hundred people had shown up on the first day, exceeding her expectations. But still!

“It’s fine that everyone is desperate to seize an opportunity, but at least be useful to me!”

It was only natural that a job advertisement as appealing as hers would attract people desperate for money. But still, why did they all ignore the three essential qualifications?

“Oh my, Miss, what’s wrong?” Sara asked as she knocked and peeked in, carrying a tray of tea.

Evelyn trudged back to her desk. “There’s no one…”

She slumped into her chair, clutching her head.

“What do you mean, no one?”

“I’ve been interviewing since dawn without a break… but there’s no suitable candidate…”

“See?”

Sara clicked her tongue knowingly. “Didn’t I tell you? I said this wouldn’t work.”

“Ha…”

She had indeed said that. From the day the job ad was first posted until this very moment.

“This was an expected outcome from the beginning. Just give up now.”

“No, it’s only because it’s still early.”

“Such persistence.”

Evelyn took a sip of tea instead of responding and then weakly signaled to Sara.

“Next candidate, please.” Sara called in the next interviewee waiting outside.

The door opened, and a tall man walked in with confident strides.

“Excuse me.”

A voice with a soft, comforting resonance filled the room.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Evelyn Revelbrite.”

At that moment, a refreshing breeze blew in through the wide-open window, playfully ruffling his beautiful blonde hair that framed his straight forehead.

“……”

Evelyn forgot to respond, staring blankly at the young man who wore a gentle smile.

His golden hair, reminiscent of the midsummer sun, his tanned, muscular skin evoking the image of sun-kissed sand, and his sapphire blue eyes that called to mind a refreshing ocean.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Cedwin Cashtree.” He approached her desk with a disciplined stride. “I am a paladin, officially ordained by the Holy See.”

At that moment, Evelyn’s ears perked up.

A paladin?!

A judicial authority from the Holy See! That’s qualification number two!

It felt as though a chorus of angels was filling the room.