Chapter 57

As soon as I finished my words, his widened eyes stopped.

It seemed that the corners of his mouth were about to go up as he thought of something positively.

“Of course, Lady. If I can convey my heart and sincerity as wide as the sky, I can even drink poison.”

What was this about drinking poison all of a sudden?

Well, his resolve wasn’t bad.

Even if it was not poisonous, the document I was going to show him right now would be something like poison.

As I pulled the thin piece of paper out of the bag, Jacob asked what it was.

Well, this was both good and evil.

It was poisonous to swallow, but too tempting to not eat it.

Of course, the downside is that it may have only seemed that way to me… Would Jacob bite this apple or not?

E/N: for someone confused by Jacob’s speech, Selena is a bit of a poet herself lol

“It’s nothing, it’s just an ordinary contract.”

“A contract?”

“Yes, it’s a contract. I have to give it to someone who will become my lover someday… It’s a contract I’ve been thinking about. I never imagined that I would bring it out to Sir Jacob.”

His bewildered expression quickly changed to a flimsy one. Ever since he thought he had crossed over, his tension seemed to have been relieved, and the change in his expression was so simple.

He looked just like a warm-hearted fool… I didn’t know how I came up with such a creepy thought. Besides, with such an eye-blinking skill, that wouldn’t work… No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem like his role. So after this meeting, I seriously wanted to recommend him a part other than the swallow.

T/N: remember the previous chapter when she puts the men with bird counterparts?

Jaden took the paper I handed him and opened it.

When his lively eyes met mine, I nodded to tell him to read.

The smile gradually cleared from Jacob’s face as he read the paper with an excited face. Eventually, by the time his eyes turned to the bottom of the paper, his face turned white.

It reminded me of Aiden from the past.

The paper was a little wrinkled, as if strength was applied to both hands holding the paper.

Oh my, what a waste of paper.

“Excuse me… Lady? What is this…?”

“It’s a contract. A contract that you must sign if you want to be my lover.”

Jacob’s mouth opened poorly, then shut tight. With two lines of deep wrinkles clearly dented between his brows on his white face, Jacob lowered his gaze to the paper again and read the clauses aloud.

“First, we will not interfere with each other’s private affairs. However, when broken…”

Jacob looked at me without finishing the first clause. I think he could read it perfectly, so what was wrong? As his shoulders crouched, Jacob, with a trembling expression, began to read the second clause.

“Second, both persons’ property belongs to the other. Don’t covet others. Third, marriage should be done after at least 5 years have passed since the contract was signed… Fourth, if the other person dies during the dating period… They are to be buried together?”

Perfect.

The handwriting was a bit of a new development, so I was wondering if I should applaud Jacob who read it very accurately, but I lowered my hands because Jacob’s expression didn’t seem to be prompting an applause.

“Yes, it’s a good deal, isn’t it?”

“This?”

“They seem to be romantic conditions that match the cries of the heart.”

T/N: also a nod to the previous chapter hahaha

Wasn’t it? A romance that respected each other’s freedom, respected each other’s property, and guaranteed a sufficient dating period and even covered death.

I could proudly say that it was the best romantic contract of this era.

And just as how a contract goes, if Jacob signed it, I was also willing to keep it.

“…Still, the princess and I are both of-age… Wouldn’t a five-year relationship be too long?”

“Luckily, Sir Jacob is the Count’s second son, and I have an older brother who will inherit the family… So we’re both not the heirs, right? So, about five years of dating, and if I, the princess, insist, both families will allow it. It’ll be a relief, won’t it?”

As if I was giving an answer that was casually prepared, Jacob nodded his head blankly. I didn’t understand, but he seemed to nod reluctantly because he couldn’t find anything to argue with.

“Ah… Yes. It’s a… Relief. By the way… other than that… What is the last clause?”

“If the other person dies during the dating period, we are to be buried together. It’s been my dream since childhood. To die together with the one I love. I am a bit of a romantic person.”

I kept it a secret that Jacob would have to be buried in the ground with me after 4 years, since my lifespan is up to 23 years old.

By the way, after talking a lot, I became thirsty.

I glanced at Jacob while sipping the remaining tea from my teacup, and there was no trace of a forced smile on his face anymore.

I lowered the teacup, feeling proud that my Medusa ability, which I had stopped using for a long time, was still intact.

T/N: because medusa turns people into stone XD

“By the way, after signing the contract, it will also be notarized in the noble court of nobles. If you break the rules… The fingers and toes might turn into odd numbers.”

It was a small joke of my own that I threw at Jacob because he looked too scared, but it didn’t seem very funny.

Jacob, who had a pale face, shook his head and muttered, “Crazy… Really…”.

If that word was meant for me, I would be a little upset…

‘You’re not talking about me, right, Jacob? I trust you so incredibly.’

He, who was someone who would shout the cries of his heart in a public place… Don’t tell me he got flustered only about this clause?

I raised my hand and called the staff.

As I did so, Jacob was looking at me with a questioning eye this time.

“Add a strawberry cheesecake and a cup of tea. Oh, would you like another drink, Sir Jacob?”

“…No?”

I wanted to eat another sweet cake suitable for this romantic situation, but Jacob didn’t seem to like it.

“Then just that… Oh, and bring two more of the best cakes to the table where the two men with the platinum blonde and white hair are sitting.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Looking at the polite employee who was leaving, Jacob smiled wryly.

Then he asked in a sharp tone.

“Are you messing with me?”

The courting eyes that I had been seeing all this time had been thrown away, and his eyes shone weirdly as he spoke with a harsh tone… He looked like he was about to strike a hit.

If that was the case, I’d have to give him a beating instead of sitting still, too.

Of course, it was not me who would do the beating, but Lucas and Aiden.

“How can that be, I was really serious.”

Jacob seemed to have already concluded in his mind that I was making fun of him. Jacob shook his head violently and gulped the remaining tea in front of me.

“You mean you’re not messing with me by giving out such a ridiculous contract? It seems that the princess’s hobby is to play with people’s hearts.”

His behavior of tilting his head and speaking sarcastically was just like a thug. Thugs’ endings in novels weren’t always good, though.

And, what? Playing with people’s hearts was my hobby? I was dumbfounded.

If someone else said that, I would say, ‘Oh, really. I’m sorry.’, but you shouldn’t be saying that, Jacob.

Who was the one who started to eat people from the back?

E/N: TL says that Selena literally uses the verb “to eat” (먹는다) in this and future sentences. I’m assuming it means something like scheming or bad intentions? I don’t know how I would edit it though, so I’m just going to leave it like this I hope it still kind of makes sense

Was it my fault for finding out and taking advantage of it, or was it his fault for trying to play his part? It was something with a clear answer, even if you asked a passing child.

“Really? My hobby? So, let’s say it’s my hobby…”

Now it was time to put an end to it. I felt the name ‘Jacob’ rising up on the list of ‘It was awful to meet you, let’s not see each other again’.

Just in time, the polite staff brought cake and tea.

The great staff who did his job regardless of the seemingly complicated situation left, and I took a sip of the steaming tea in front of me.

After savoring the sweet and bitter taste, I put down the teacup aloud.

“Is it Sir Jacob’s job to do business with people’s hearts?”

Yes, it is necessary to have sound effects like this to be a highlight.

As I spoke directly, Jacob’s face, which had been filled with anger, gradually changed to bewilderment.

It was funny to see him with his face turned white and his mouth shut, just like when he first read the contract.

Until recently, he was using his mouth so freely…

“Didn’t you know that you were acting so poorly? Rather than that, since when did the terrifying plan of eating princesses come into existence?”

I deliberately tapped the table with my fingernails to apply pressure.

Jacob bit his lip in line with the tap, tap, tap sound, and it looked like he was quite nervous.

For Jacob, who wasn’t speaking, I decided to lean back on the backrest and wait for the answer leisurely.

However, our Jacob seemed unwilling to open his mouth.

Without a single answer, only his lips, which had been closed by nervousness, were shaking.

With a small fork, I pushed it down on the strawberry on the cake. When the strawberry was so badly cut in two, Jacob trembled greatly.

He looked like a child who was trembling after being severely scolded by his parents.

I used to tremble like that too… ‘Don’t worry, Jacob. You’ll get used to it after a few times.’

“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. I’m curious… It’s not my hobby to bully poor people. As you know, my only hobby is playing with people’s hearts. instead… You have to be careful not to let others know about this.”

Nevertheless, our Jacob was too pitiful, so I decided to show mercy.

I was curious about the answer to my question, but I gave up a while ago, so…

“If it is discovered that you dared to eat the princess from the back, it will not end with just your fingers and toes.”

Saying so, I pointed between his legs, put my thumb around my neck, and made a slashing movement. This would have been a great explanation.

From Jacob’s mouth, who hadn’t been uttering a single word, a ‘huck’ escaped.

When I waved my hand to tell Jacob to go away, he jumped up, bowed his head, and ran away.

Looking at the back of the person who was about to become my lover, I put the rest of the cake into my mouth.

Well, as expected, strawberry cheesecake was the best.

“Selena. What’s Sir Jacob doing?”

I thought I would finally enjoy a leisurely cake time alone, but Lucas and Aiden came over and called me.

Apparently, from their seats, they could see Jacob rushing out as well.

“No idea. He must have been busy.”