CH 47

It was a matter of bringing in a maid from a prestigious family. But what on earth are they thinking if they didn’t even care about the basics?

Could it be that they really want to use me as a test subject?

As I went into my second panic, Louis said again, pulling out the chair for me to sit on.

“Do you want to check the contract first?”

Elusiana suddenly came to her senses at the word of contract. She looked at the contract on the table. She already said she had no intention of working here, but why was he asking her to check the contract?

When Elusiana didn’t budge, Louis turned over the cover of the contract with his hand.

“If you look here, it says, ‘The contract is established from the moment the advance payment is received’.”

“W-what? I haven’t even signed it, so how can a contract come to be established?”

“To be precise, this is a provisional contract. Of course, you can cancel the contract if you don’t like the Grand Duke.”

“I can cancel it? Is that true?”

Being delighted, Elusiana rose up. At that moment, Louis pointed to a part of the contract with a darker smile than the first.

“Yes, however, you must pay for the penalty.”

“What do you mean?”

“The penalty is 30 times the advance payment.”

“Yes?”

With her eyes widened, Elusiana’s face went pale. In front of her, Louis held out another contract. A quill pen was in her hand. Looking at the place where the tapping sound came from, she saw a white blank. It was the place to put a signature.

Seeing her lose half her mind, Louis kindly explained once more. “If you can’t pay 30 times the penalty, you can sign it. Here, and here, Lady. There you go. Well done.”

* * *

Knock, knock.

“Your Excellency, it’s Louis.”

“Come in.”

After finishing the matter of contract with Elusiana, Louis entered the room. He stopped at a certain distance, watching the man peering out the window.

“Did you meet the lady well?”

There was a smile on the man’s face reflected by the window.

He was a man coughing to death just a few minutes ago and barely lying in bed with Elusiana’s help. However, now he looked very healthy, not like before.

Aster said, gazing at Elusiana’s back through the window, “Why would I miss this good opportunity?”

Louis was relieved to see the soft smile on the man’s face, which had been terribly cold. His temperament, which had been raging like a vicious beast, seemed to have softened a little after meeting the young lady.

“My Lusi is still the same. Still beautiful and undoubtedly sweet.”

Louis didn’t ask more.

The past two years being apart must have felt longer to Aster than the 10 years they spent together.

“You have to be more careful.”

“But Your Excellency said you wanted to check on the lady’s heart.”

Aster took a deep breath as if worried.

“Has the lady changed her mind?”

“She didn’t recognize me at all.”

“Of course, that’s the case. How could anyone see through Your Excellency’s face recognition disorder magic?”

They spent 10 years being like brother and sister. No matter what others said, Aster was happy that she cared for him like her own brother. He wished for nothing more if he could spend his whole life with her.

If Simon hadn’t suddenly said, ‘Lusi got married,’ Aster would still live with that thought.

“Are you sad?”

“It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t sad. Because Lusi, who knew everything about me, treated me like a complete stranger.”

“A complete stranger is the right word, Your Excellency. Both externally and internally, Your Excellency is no longer Astein at that time.”

“Hmm.”

“No way. Do you really want to live like a sibling with the lady for the rest of your life?”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“If Your Excellency reveals that you are Astein of that time, the same relationship as before will only be repeated.”

“…Nothing is easy.”

Louis once again solidified his will as he watched Aster persistently staring out the window. He should make the lady the grand duchess as soon as possible. Only that will put the bloodthirsty beast to rest and make the Grand Duchy Sestein prosper. With that, his last wish could come true.

Madam Marian, I will take good care of the young master. Louis vowed to prepare more carefully and systematic plans to make Elusiana a grand duchess in the future.

Aster said without taking his eyes off the window, “I’m sure the carriage is on standby, right?”

“Of course. But I don’t know if the young lady will get into the carriage or not.”

Aster kicked his tongue low as if he wasn’t satisfied. “If it’s the Lusi I know… She will definitely refuse it.”

Elusiana couldn’t readily accept excessive favor. Because she was the kind of woman who thought nothing was free. She always said there was nothing more dangerous than a favor given for no reason. She repeatedly emphasized that if you didn’t want to die first, you had to be suspicious of it.

But you came here because you were tempted by 20 gold, Lusi. Aster, who laughed involuntarily, quickly wrinkled his nose.

It was all good to lead her to the Grand Duchy Sestein and sign a long-term employment contract through Louis’s ploy. But now, apart from that, he wasn’t comfortable.

How hard would it be to walk to the public carriage with those small feet? The soft flesh of her soles, the toes, and the heels of her old shoes, would scream silently every time she stepped on the ground. Couldn’t it have been a little more perfect?

Aster’s tone became even harsher. “What about her escort?”

“The knight commander took over.”

“Logan is reliable.”

Aster frowned unwillingly. This was because the escort knight wouldn’t shorten her distance to walk. He then stroked his chin as he looked at the little figure running through the maze garden.

“If I use space movement magic, she could arrive right away.”

He could have taken her there in a blink of an eye, but he shouldn’t have exposed himself to her yet.

Aster took out the necklace from his arms, taking away his disappointed gaze. Elusiana’s mother’s keepsake and the only thing he cherished. It was a lisianthus necklace with white petals beautifully crafted like real flowers.

Aster kissed the necklace briefly and recited it low. “Wait for a moment, Lusi.”

Soon, she would welcome him as a real family.

* * *

After escaping from Grand Duke Sestein with Heila’s guidance, Elusiana saw a carriage waiting at the entrance.

“Lady, I will take you to your house.”

“…Yes? Me?”

“Go up.”

“Y-you mean with that carriage?”

Surprised by the majesty of the fancy carriage, Elusiana hesitated and squeezed the envelope in her hand.

“The butler told me to serve Lady respectfully.”

“No! It’s alright. I can go alone. Then, g-goodbye.”

Elusiana shook off the knight’s guidance and began to run urgently. Who are these people? How can this fancy carriage be used for a maid? The situation should be, ‘Stand there! What have you done to the Grand Duke!’ shouted the butler as she was about to run out.

…I should have known that the person who was dying there was the Grand Duke! Elusiana shuddered, completely forgetting that she had to ride a public carriage. She just ran straight to the Fragrant Garden.

* * *

Clack. Finally arriving at the flower shop, Elusiana burst open the shop’s door. She ran into the shop without looking back.

“Gasp, gasp.”

Holding the doorknobs, she frowned, catching her breath. No one was chasing her, but her heart was beating like crazy as if she was grabbed by someone in the back.

In the meantime, Elusiana was sick and tired of seeing the ‘envelope’ she held tightly in her hand. Ha! How dare they make me sign the contract.

Knowing the identity of the sickly man, Elusiana had fled the room, leaving him behind with a short apology. Just in time, she ran into Heila, who was hanging around the hallway. Guided by the butler, she faced the ‘employment contract’ as if being tricked. It all happened in just twenty minutes.

“I didn’t even sign the contract yet, but to pay the penalty? What kind of nonsense is that!”

When she said she would reconsider, the butler gave the justification that it was impossible to reconsider because she had already received the advance payment. Elusiana, who couldn’t pay the huge penalty, had no choice but to sign the ‘employment contract’ in tears. No, when she came to her senses, she had already signed it.

“Ha…”

Elusiana sat down in the chair and cleared her mind. She wouldn’t have signed it like this if she hadn’t met the sickly Grand Duke Sestein in that dark place. That’s why she didn’t seem to be blaming anyone. She couldn’t believe she’s done the same thing after all this time trying to clean up Simon’s mess.

Like father, like daughter. Elusiana shook her head.

“This is crazy. Even if they didn’t look alike, how could they resemble each other?”

Elusiana, who sighed deeply, suddenly tilted her head. “But why is the Grand Duke sick?”