CH 12

She didn’t tell me what the contract was about. Instead, what I received was a contract with the name of the other party to sign with Diello Argenta.

“This…”

If it was a contract involving the head, it must be something important. However, could they really show it to someone who would be leaving in a few months?

“This is a contract drawn for someone who will be leaving for another family’s territory as of today.”

As I examined the contract, Vielle spoke briefly.

“It’s a magic contract that prevents those who were once part of Argenta from leaking its secrets when leaving this place.”

“I see…”

Did Alors and Cartiel have something like this, too? I’ve never heard of it before.

“The person who will sign the contract is waiting. You just need to enter the room.”

Her voice was light, as if it was nothing.

“Okay.”

When I finally nodded, Vielle gazed at me as though she was waiting.

“Shall we meet with them now?”

Wait, they were already waiting? Then, there was no need to delay any longer since procrastination would only be troublesome.

“….”

However, as I walked while looking over the contract, I stopped abruptly.

Vielle, who was leading me, turned to look at me.

“Madam?”

I raised my hand in response to her voice.

“Wait.”

[ Mirta, who signs this contract, cannot disclose anything about Argenta anywhere. When he tries to disclose anything about Argenta, he would feel an unbearable thirst, and if he disregards the warning and discloses it, the fire of the head will directly burn him and everything around him. ]

So far, it seemed like a typical contract. However, the next passage caught my eye.

[ At that time, the fire of the head will directly burn him and everything around him. Remember that. ]

“The fire of the head will directly…”

I muttered quietly. It definitely felt different from any other paper, it was clearly a magical contract.

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[ Head Diello Argenta ]

It seemed that he had not yet signed this contract, so all Mirta had to do was sign it and pass it on to him.

“Is it common to use this kind of contract?”

At my question, Vielle slightly tilted her head.

“It’s not common, but it happens occasionally. Of course, I hardly ever seen anyone violate the terms of the contract.”

At her words, I let out a short sigh without realizing it. It was because I couldn’t easily imagine Diello burning a person.

“Is this Argenta’s tradition?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t think it was typical of Diello’s character. Still, I nodded and followed Vielle’s guidance into a room. The man who was about to sign the contract had short brown hair and greeted me curtly. He then nervously looked at the document in my hand.

“He’ll be the one to sign that contract.”

“You know how to do it, right, Mirta?”

Vielle handed the paper I had put down to Mirta and slightly bowed. The next moment, she put a quill pen in front of him, but there was no ink. Where was the ink?

Just as I was about to ask….

Clink.

A dagger was placed next to the quill.

No way…

As I slightly opened my mouth, Mirta decisively took the dagger and brought it to the tip of his finger.

“Ah.”

‘It must’ve hurt.’

Blood immediately welled up where the dagger had touched. It seemed that Mirta had to cut his finger somewhat deeply with the dagger so that he could use the quill. Then, he picked up the quill.

“If you break your oath, you will come back to this place again. Of course, I believe that won’t happen.”

Vielle opened her mouth. In her hand was a paper doll that looked like a person. Just as my gaze was drawn to it, fwoosh! The paper doll caught fire.

“Ah.”

I was startled and leaned back when I saw Mirta’s somewhat pale face, perhaps due to the fire hitting his face. In the meanwhile, the paper doll’s toes gradually turned pitch black. The contorted figure writhed in agony and gradually fell apart into ashes.

“Mirta, remember the oath.”

Vielle uttered, dropping the paper doll. The fire soon slowly spread to the other paper dolls on the silver tray.

“I understand.”

Mirta replied, signing the contract with a tense expression. By that time, all the paper dolls had turned into ashes.

“Thank you for that. And it was an honor to meet you, Madam.”

Mirta said to me, giving a deep bow.

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Even though he was leaving Argenta, he didn’t seem happy about it.

I looked at him and asked.

“But why are you leaving?”

Why would someone that seemed capable leave Argenta? Mirta paused at my words, then opened his mouth and replied.

“I’m going to my wife’s sick parents’ territory. We want to spend time with them.”

It would have been difficult to move the sick people to Argenta. I roughly understood the situation.

“See you, Vielle.”

“Yes.”

Vielle replied softly.

“And I hope to hear good news. Mirta.”

A gentle smile was on his face.

“Thank you.”

Saying so, Mirta bowed deeply and left the room.

As I glanced at his tired face, I picked up the contract. This was clearly an internal matter of Argenta, so it felt strange as if I was interfering with something that I shouldn’t touch.

“Mirta was His Excellency’s attendant.”

On the way back to Diello’s office, Vielle spoke up. It seemed like she was telling me because I was curious about it earlier.

“Oh…”

He was his attendant. Then, Diello must have had some affection for him. It must have been difficult for him, emotionally, to have written such a cruel contract.

Knock, knock.

By the time I thought about that, Vielle and I were standing in front of Diello’s office.

“Your Excellency, I have brought the contract.”

Vielle’s words were quickly met with a response.

“Oh, come in.”

The low, gentle voice clearly belonged to Diello. Judging by the casual reply, it seemed he expected her to come in herself. So when I stuck my head into the room with the contract in hand, Diello flinched.

“…Krua?”

I saw a hint of surprise in his slightly bewildered expression.

“I’ve brought the magic contract.”

Was this why he had been so confident the night before? Now, I know no one could easily betray Argenta.

Diello, who had been lost in thought, glanced up at me with a faint smile.

“Oh, you received it early. Thank you, Krua.”

After carefully examining the contents of the contract, he took a dagger from his desk drawer.

“Ah…!”

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I was the only one who gasped in surprise. Though Diello did wince as the knife cut into his finger, he did not cry out.

Tap.

Pressing his blood-stained finger onto the contract, he used his handkerchief to wipe away the excess blood.

The pure white handkerchief was now stained with red blood.

As Diello looked down at the contract, he seemed to be slightly frozen. He would’ve felt uncomfortable reading it after all. His gaze remained fixed on the part of the contract that read, ‘The head will personally burn them.’

“I heard that person was your attendant.”

“Yes.”

Diello replied with a slightly subdued voice as he looked up at me with a somewhat pitiful smile.

“It’s a shame.”

His gaze shifted towards the window.

The contract, which was soaked in the blood of both parties, was now being engulfed in a blue flame and slowly disappearing. I felt instinctively that the blue flame was the sign that the contract had been bound.

“By now, he must have gotten on the carriage.”

Leaving immediately after sealing the contract was the rule.

He stood at the window, his lips tightly sealed, unable to take his eyes off the view outside. In the end, I tapped him on the shoulder.

“To be honest, I was worried about betrayers yesterday. But now, I understand why there wouldn’t be any betrayers.”

I spoke, giving him a big smile.

Diello looked back up at me and gave me a faint smile, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Yes, you’re right.”

He replied, holding my hand that was on his shoulder and gently squeezing it. When Diello kissed the back of my hand, I could feel the warmth of his breath.

“Thank you for comforting me, Krua.”

After that, he whispered in my ear.

“See you tonight.”

Hearing those words made me feel like we were newlyweds. Glancing at his desk, which was piled high with papers, I realized that we really did need to see each other tonight.

I grabbed him on the shoulder and left the room.

Geez, looking at his personality, I could tell that the road ahead wasn’t going to be easy. I knew he was talented from reading his original story, but I didn’t know he was such a soft person.

The road ahead would be long.