My Dream is to Get My Own House

“Where are you going, Ishael?”

“I’m going to organize the warehouse with the part-time worker here, Ford!”

“Ah… I see. Okay then.”

“Ah, Ford! This is the Sir Dylan I mentioned. He’s really good at training and quite impressive.”

“Ah, yes. You’re really impressive!”

It was obvious that they were openly flattering him.

Those who flatter others were generally insincere.

According to their words, they had even gone so far as to be pathetic.

Dylan ignored Ford and fixed his gaze on Ishael.

“Where are you going?”

“Ah, yes. I’m going to organize the rusty swords.”

“Then, let’s go togeth—”

At that moment, Ford interrupted Dylan and said, “Uh, uh, let’s go quickly, Ishael! We’re busy!”

Unlike Dylan, who froze instantly, Ishael had a bright expression.

She whispered so low that only Dylan could hear.

“Well then, see you at home!”

Her words thawed the cold gaze.

The fist he had clenched relaxed.

“…Yes.”

The reddened ears were just a bonus.

It was a quick change of appearance.

Having witnessed the scene, Ford stood frozen in place, mouth agape.

“W-What…”

As Ford muttered to himself, Dylan stared at him with an annoyed expression.

It was an expression that could be confidently called unfortunate.

“Why is that suspicious guy sticking to Ishael like that since earlier?”

It was a misconception.

In reality, the two of them were maintaining proper social distance.

But in Dylan’s eyes, it looked like the two of them were too close.

Yes, just like that night when thunderstruck.

It resembled the sight of Ishael, who held hands with him.

“Ford… I should investigate in detail whether he’s a terrorist or not.”

Fortunately, thanks to the suspicious part-time worker, I gained some information.

“Ishael likes comedy.”

Disappointed, am I? 

The favorite phrase of office workers is “weekend.”

“It seems fun.”

A gentle smile appeared on his lips.

It was the beginning of a wrong epidemic.

“Your Majesty.”

“I’m done with everything.”

“No, you’ve already finished the tasks…?”

Archmage Michael, who was looking at the draft document on the desk, paused.

“…Really? As expected, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor smiled gleefully at Michael, who clenched his thumbs tightly.

It was a smile that made the back of the viewer’s neck shudder.

“Michael, should I tell you something fun?”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“No.”

In an instant, Michael, who had been taken aback, tried to raise the corners of his mouth.

The other party was the Emperor of this empire.

It was when Michael was trying to control his boiling insides.

The Emperor thought of Ishael and smoothed his chin with his hand.

In an instant, Michael regained his poker face and asked, “Your Majesty, will you continue the part-time worker play?”

“Yeah. It’s fun. Oh, have you investigated all the information?”

“Yes. Here are the documents. We’ve investigated everything from the house where the two of them reside to Ishael’s home environment.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes!”

As the Emperor sifted through the documents and furrowed his brow, Michael asked, “What’s wrong?”

“What is this?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I told you not to use informal style in the draft documents. What is this?”

Today, Michael’s world collapsed.

“Why? Isn’t it cute?”

“When using polite language, use the formal style.”

The Emperor crossed his arms over his chest and clicked his tongue.

“By the way, did you go to that town where they supply specifically to newlyweds?”

“Yes!”

“Dylan must have a lot of money, why? He could just buy a luxury house in the capital.”

Michael, who had his informal style taken away, grumbled with a wounded soul.

“I guess he is hiding his status.”

“Then he could just buy a suitable house, right?”

The Emperor, who had been pushed onto the battlefield and accumulated countless achievements, bestowed a great amount of wealth to his younger brother.

But was there a reason to specifically utilize the special supply policy for newlyweds?

“Yeah….”

“Well, it is a nice house.”

The Emperor stroked his chin and pondered deeply.

“But the newlywed town isn’t supplied like an ordinary residential area. Do you know that?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“It’s a system carefully created by the Imperial Housing Supply Management Bureau, you know?”

“So?”

“The director is worried that there might be fake newlywed couples among those who apply for the newlywed town.”

“Fake newlywed couples?”

“Yeah. There are couples who get married just to buy a house. Isn’t that outrageous?”

The current situation was that housing prices in the capital were unreasonably skyrocketing.

This was because overseas big shots and nobles believed that “if you buy a house in the capital, it will always appreciate” and engaged in speculation.

For ordinary citizens, it has become difficult to buy a house, facing the harsh reality.

The Emperor himself was also well aware of the headache this issue caused.

He knew that there could be scam groups taking advantage of this system to purchase expensive houses in the capital under the guise of fake newlywed couples.

“Ugh…”

“Think about it. As the director, how can you filter out the fake couples and allow the real ones to move in?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

Mycol looked perplexed.

“Keep an eye on it. It’s going to be interesting.”

The Emperor’s thoughts were correct.

At that moment, Dylan and Ishael had their eyes wide open as they looked at the notice that had arrived in front of them.

3. Acting Like a Real Newlywed

* * *

“So, exactly.”

“Yes.”

“The townhouse manager sent us this program pamphlet.”

“That’s correct.”

With a pamphlet between us, Dylan and I exchanged glances simultaneously.

[Special Supply for Newlyweds!
Newlywed Town: Mandatory Participation Program]

Week 1: Picnic for Newlyweds
– Newlywed couples residing in the townhouse must participate in the weekend picnic.
– Foster friendships with other residents in the townhouse!
– Administrative officials from the Housing Supply Management Bureau will also participate in this picnic.

Upon seeing this program document, the first thought that crossed my mind was this:
“The administrative officials are working on the weekend. I wonder if they get proper compensation. Poor them.”

As a working person trapped in the hustle and bustle of life, there’s no way around it.

The next thought that crossed my mind was about something else:
“I guess news about Dylan and my marriage will spread faster than I thought.”

And finally, the last thought that crossed my mind was this:
What could be the reason behind planning an event like a picnic? It must be to weed out fake couples hiding in the Newlywed Town!

Unfortunately, I was one of those fake couples, and our relationship was extremely superficial.

To anyone, we were clearly the “suspicious” couple.

“Um…”

My friend Henry once told me that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

He said there’s always a reason behind why people love free things.

“If they are administrative officials from the Housing Management Bureau, they might recognize our faces. Oh, I don’t know, but Dylan will probably get  recognized by them.”

To put it simply…

“It means that our marriage could become known to the world.”

It didn’t matter to me since I was already considering quitting my job.

But for Dylan, who would have to divorce me after a year and start anew, it was an unpleasant matter.

“…Are you okay with it?”

“Even the part-time worker, Ford, will find out?”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“Then, that’s good.”

Why did Ford suddenly come up here?

It’s quite suspicious.

At that moment, Dylan tightly clenched the pamphlet as if believing in it and whispered.

There was a slight hint of emotion in his stoic expression.

“It’s my first time attending a picnic… I really want to go.”

“Me too! It’s my first time attending a picnic too, so I’m quite excited.”

In response to my words, he flinched and murmured to himself.

“Even Ishael, it’s her first time…”

I directed my gaze to the pamphlet.

Let’s start by carefully reading the precautions.

Fortunately, the precautions written in the pamphlet seemed quite ordinary.

“Could there be anything special?”

Nodding, I ate the sandwich Dylan handed me and drank the milk.

“I feel even more excited because I think our family relationships will be clarified before going on the picnic!”

I made a dubious expression.

By now, the proper notice would have been sent to the family, right?

* * *

At the same time, a storm was raging in Ishael’s house.

In front of the modestly furnished dining table on the first floor, Ishael’s mother, Mrs. Masha, wore expressions of confusion.

In front of her, a letter from a moneylender was laid out.

“What is this about? The loan application was rejected because it cannot be done on behalf of someone else?”

Mrs. Masha repeatedly blinked her eyes, wondering if she had read the letter wrong.

“Ishael and I are family, why can’t it be done on behalf of someone else? It must be a mistake. We need to reapply for the loan.”

Ishael’s younger sister, Soldika, tilted her head with a hint of doubt.

[…According to our investigation, Ishael Lorelei has been identified as being included in another family relationship…(omitted)…]

“Is it because of marriage?”

“No way! Pedro didn’t say anything about it.”

Soldika chuckled lightly.

Mrs. Masha’s mind was relieved.

“Yeah, there’s no way that could be true. It must be a mistake.”

Amidst that peaceful time, the sound of the front door being forcefully opened was heard.

Soldika elegantly turned her head to look outside.

There, Pedro was staggering as he walked towards them.

His face showed clear signs of exhaustion, with visible traces of a beard.

“Ishael! Where’s Ishael?”

“Pedro? What’s going on?”

“Ishael sent a warning demanding compensation!”