Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Marriage Isn't Easy!
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This "Duel Marriage List" might look, on the surface, like it's filled with upright women brimming with pride in their own strength.
In fact, I'd seen posts in online communities from other marriage agencies saying they get clients like this every now and then, too.
The most famous example is TowerMatch.
Their employees are some of the biggest players in the industry, constantly dropping juicy scoops in the forums.
TowerMatch doesn't even accept Duel Marriage cases to begin with.
The moment they do, there's just too much hassle to deal with.
The same goes for everywhere else.
Wedding Company tries to talk them out of it as best they can before sending them packing, and places like Royal Matching, which cater to the elite, cut them off at the door.
Sometimes, you see those kinds of people pop up in the communities.
Even now, in this era where awakenings and the opening of the floors have all but erased the differences between men and women, these relics from the old days still linger.
No one pays them much mind anymore, but every so often, they show up claiming that women who want Duel Marriages are independent and strong-willed.
But.
In industry slang, this Duel Marriage List is—
The Old Maid List.
Nothing more, nothing less.
These women were a far cry from the "independent women" the communities talked about.
Take Heartless Sword Fairy Nangong Haryeong, for example—
"D-Demon! So huge! A h-hairy brute! F-Forcing yourself on m-me—hyah!"
"Customer! You can't do it hereee!"
Yeah, that was the vibe.
On the flip side, Infinite Library Belloa had a completely different energy, but she wasn't exactly the independent type either.
"Dad clearly said if I just studied hard, that'd be enough."
"Customer?"
"He said if I just focused on magic research, romance would come naturally."
"Customer?!"
"I made it all the way to the academy grad school, and there's not a man in sight—hell, no people at all."
"P-President! It's an earthquake!"
"I... I hate books now. I wanna hold hands with a guy. I wanna date. President, can't you just hold my hand once?"
"Custoomeeer! The building's shaking?!"
And so on.
The Duel Marriages praised in public opinion were a world apart from the real thing.
These women didn't believe in their skills and hope to "win."
They just wanted to "lose" to a strong man—or they had no clue how else to connect with people.
Well then.
Today's client.
What about Yin-Yang Twin Veins Baek Yeonhwa?
"……."
Baek Yeonhwa stared at the list in shocked silence.
She even stammered as she pointed to a familiar name.
"D-Does that mean Heartless Sword Fairy Nangong Haryeong and Azure Wind Dance-Free Peng Sorin have also visited Meracle?"
"Yes, that's right."
"A-As expected of Meracle... The talk of being the industry best isn't just hype. Sorry for judging by the building's exterior."
She wasn't wrong about the misunderstanding.
But cases like Nangong Haryeong and Peng Sorin only came here after getting rejected elsewhere.
"Phew, it's been a while for those two. They came around the same time and got listed. Shall I really add you?"
"……."
Baek Yeonhwa glanced sideways, gauging my reaction.
Anyone with half a brain could tell this was the old maids' graveyard.
"Ahem! H-How could this humble girl go back on her word?!"
"Ah, sure."
Goodbye, Laypenburg.
No, that's not it.
- Yin-Yang Twin Veins Baek Yeonhwa.
Once I added her to the list for sure, her face twisted in complicated emotions.
Like this wasn't at all what she'd imagined.
"There, you're in. We don't charge membership fees for Duel Marriage clients. Just leave your contact info, and we'll call when a match shows up."
Thud!
I tried to usher her out quick, but she grabbed my wrist in a panic. It hurt like hell—she was that desperate.
"Wh-When? How soon can I expect a call?"
"...We'll call when someone shows up, obviously?"
"Isn't there an average? Like, how long does it usually take?!"
Man.
I was pondering how to break it to her when—
"Uh, no."
Kim Yang delivered the killing blow from the side.
"N-No calls. They don't get married."
"B-But you said some have—"
"Th-That was a special case. A-And they lost on purpose."
"Huh?"
Seeing her so shocked made me feel a little bad, but Kim Yang's brutal honesty was refreshingly straightforward.
Her back-scratching daughter act kept going.
"Wh-Who marries like that these days? I-Idiot?"
"What?! But marrying the strong is the way of the jianghu, what everyone wants—"
"Wh-What if the winner stinks like hell? Y-You can't even smell your own funk."
"......I'd endure it as the wife."
"Wh-What if he cheats constantly."
"......"
"Y-You have two kids!"
"......"
"A-And he brings a different woman home every day—"
"Stop! Stop! Stooop! D-Do you think Yin-Yang Twin Veins Baek Yeonhwa would lose to such a vulgar scum?!"
"Th-That's the point. You grit your teeth and win against anyone you don't like. And lose on purpose to the good ones?"
"As if! That's illogical!"
Good job, Kim Yang.
Feels great.
Screeech!
Right then, the creaky old door swung open again.
I thought it was a customer, but it was the part-timer from the convenience store next door, holding a lunchbox.
"Oh? Got customers? Busy since morning, eh?"
"What? Already here to stir up trouble?"
"Heh, look forward to it. Keep the floor clean."
Grinning like that, she was clearly planning to roll around on the floor making a scene.
"But not now. Got some discards left—want 'em? Gotta toss 'em anyway."
"Oh, thanks. Haven't had breakfast."
"R-Reneah from the convenience store?!"
"Yep! Next building over! Gotta earn my keep! E-rank's right around the corner!"
"Ah, y-you can't raise your rank with part-time gigs."
"......I heard that, so no need to say it."
She handed over the discarded lunchboxes.
Three of them, no less.
"Granny strikes again with the big hands."
"What'd you say?"
As I dodged her gaze, Baek Yeonhwa stared straight at Reneah and asked.
"Reneah? Are you by any chance the Elf Queen Reneah on this list?"
"Hm? Oh, the Duel Marriage List. Yeah, that's me."
Reneah puffed up her shoulders with a smug senior's pride.
But to Baek Yeonhwa, she must've looked like a savior.
She rushed over for advice.
"Th-they say if you're on that list, no one calls! I-Is that okay?!"
"Huh?"
Kim Yang calmly started explaining to the cocking-her-head Reneah—
'Time to get to work.'
I ignored them and turned to other tasks. Things hadn't worked out with that dark lion beastkin guy Lee Cheol-su met last time.
I dug through the list for the next beastkin to match him with.
'Someone a bit more feral...'
I wanted to say, "Just get a pet, you perv."
But.
'Premium client's orders are orders.'
Pays 500k a month on the dot. And piles on the options—truly admirable economic values.
Personally, I'd love if he took his time finding a match.
The longer it drags, the more I earn.
"How dare you—!"
Reneah's sudden shout startled me into looking over.
Having heard Kim Yang's explanation, she was pointing accusingly at Baek Yeonhwa with a glare.
"You think marriage is that easy?! What? Follow him if you win? You planning to be the bride-snatcher?!"
"Huh? N-No, that's not—"
"Win and make him follow you? Bah! I'd love if someone dragged me off like that! But it doesn't work that way! You gotta try! Do you know how I feel, 1,901 years old and slinging convenience store shifts?!"
"1,901 years old?!"
"Don't talk about age! Anyway—! How dare you try to waltz into marriage like that! Blood! Sweat! Tears! That's what love takes at the end! That's marriage!"
At this point, it wasn't scolding anymore—she was just venting her frustrations.
Eh, whatever.
Let it be.
"But Your Majesty is on the list too!"
Baek Yeonhwa pointed at the clearly listed "Elf Queen Reneah" on the Duel Marriage List.
But Granny just stuck out her tongue smugly.
"Just the Duel Marriage List? I'm also on the 'Eternal Solo List' and the 'Romanticist List'."
"......Huh?"
"That's effort! Spreading the seeds! Casting wide nets however you can!"
"Ah."
"Hang one fishing rod, you catch one fish! But two, three, four! Dozens!?"
"Aah...!"
"That's my effort! Don't take marriage hunting lightly, kid!"