CH 51

There was a rare smile on Noel’s face as he entered the Klaus mansion with a colorful basket of flowers. However, his smile quickly distorted when he saw reddish hair wandering around the mansion’s entrance. He stopped walking and clicked his tongue low. While he was pondering whether he should go back like this, the red-haired woman who found him quickly approached him.

“Lord Noel.”

Camilla, who couldn’t get rid of her excitement, smiled captivatingly. As she approached, Noel frowned at the thick scent that seemed to numb his nose.

“Lady Eragost…”

“You came earlier than I thought, Lord Noel. They said it would take some time— I’m glad we met like this.”

Camilla, whose eyes were taken by Noel’s flower basket, blatantly gave gestures. Of course, the hand gestures that she stretched out as if it was hers were so natural.

Noel twitched the corner of his mouth, smiled, and escaped Camilla’s hand. Then he handed over the flower basket to the butler, who followed and said, “Send it to Yeri.”

“I understand, young Master.”

The butler was handed a colorful flower basket and headed straight to Yeriel’s room. The face of Camilla, who was chasing after it, was horribly contorted for a moment.

“…Lord still has a deep friendship with Lady Yeriel. It’s nice to see.”

“I wonder what business you have waiting for me.”

Noel, who pointed out her rudeness in coming without making an appointment, smiled coldly. Camilla replied with a deep smile as if she didn’t care at all.

“I have something to give Lord.”

“I guess you haven’t received the marriage proposal I sent back to you.”

“I’m here to return the marriage proposal to Lord.”

Noel sarcastically answered Camilla’s words in a gentle tone. “Lady Eragost is really persistent.”

“If I don’t do this, it’s not easy to meet Lord.”

“Isn’t the position of Marchioness the one you want to covet?”

Camilla quivered as if she had something to say. Her jet-black eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t look really surprised.

“Lord still doesn’t believe me? All I need is your heart.”

“It seems that Lady Eragost really doesn’t understand my heart.”

“Lord Noel.”

“I have no intention of marrying Lady. So take back the marriage proposal you’re holding in your arms.”

Noel’s purple eyes stared straight at Camilla like a sharp sword.

“It means don’t try to do useless things.”

Noel turned around as if he had nothing more to do. Camilla remained motionless until he disappeared completely. When he turned around, he didn’t seem to have the slightest regret for her.

Why all of a sudden? Camilla had wanted him for a long time. Noel knew about it because she always watched him from close to far away. Even if he pushed her away right now, she was sure Noel would accept this marriage proposal one day. But he turned around so easily?

Something’s wrong. It was the first time that he, who had been neglecting her until now, expressed his opinion so firmly. He couldn’t treat her so harshly unless someone got in between them, just like that vulgar knight in the past.

“I see, this time again… Who is it?”

In the middle of the empty hall, Camilla’s face, which stood tall, made a deadly expression like a venomous snake.

* * *

Noel entered his room and tossed off his chest-tight vest. The refreshing feeling of meeting Lusi slumped down like falling into a trash can.

“Haa… It smells bad.”

Noel roughly unbuttoned his shirt, which was stuffed all the way to his neck, and twitched his nose. His head was still throbbing from the strong scent Camilla had.

“Anyway, the future is a problem.”

He sent her back immediately, but she wasn’t a woman to give up easily. He had known her for a long time, so he knew her obsession was excessively morbid.

Obviously, she wasn’t like that at first. Since when?  Noel let out a self-help laugh. Maybe it started when he turned away from her attention. Maybe she fell into the illusion that she wanted more because she couldn’t have it. She wanted to marry him probably because she judged that there was no other way to bind him.

“Marriage. That’s ridiculous.”

Noel frowned and put his hand under the bed. A long box of arm’s length was dragged out by his hand.

Noel, who carefully placed it on the table, opened the cover of the box. An arrow with red leather. It still had the sweet and bitter scent of that time. Noel’s eyes, which swept affectionately over the surface of the box, sank coldly.

“Don’t worry, Eva. I will definitely find the one who killed you.”

And if he found them out— His eyes followed the carriage that disappeared out of the window— He would pay them back. The despair and pain he felt at that time were intertwined even more brutally.

* * *

It was the next morning. Elusiana managed to soothe Simon, who was worried and went to work as Grand Duchy Sestein’s maid.

“You are here on time, Lady.”

Elusiana raised her trembling lips as she watched Louis slowly savoring the tea.

“It’s because… of the contract.”

“I’m glad you seem to understand the meaning of the contract very well.”

“…”

The butler drew a nice smile.

Was it an illusion that sounds like it would be hard to stay alive if she didn’t fulfill the contract properly? Elusiana’s hair seemed to stand on end, with goosebumps climbing her back neck.

Elusiana managed to convince Trisha to sell the flowers on her behalf when she suddenly came last night. Since her working hours were until 3 o’clock, she was looking for someone to work instead of her at those hours, but Trisha, who found this strange, found out what was going on.

“The Grand Duchy of Sestein? Lady, are you out of your mind? That’s where the crazy old man is!”

After checking the huge penalty written on the contract, Trisha said she would try to find a way somehow. Still, she burst into tears when Elusiana confessed that Simon was in debt.

“Our Lady, how can you be so pitiful… Huhuhu.”

Elusiana focused on the butler in front of her, erasing Trisha’s loud wails that were still vivid in her ears.

“You don’t have to be so nervous, Lady.”

Elusiana inadvertently paused as she tried to reach for the teacup right in front of her. This tea… is it really okay? Thinking about it, she could sense unusual energy from that thickly brewed green tea. Her situation was like a basic contract requirement, in which poison would be given, and the antidote handed out at regular intervals. This is the Grand Duchy of Sestein.

Elusiana looked away from the dark teacup, then said, “By the way, Sir Butler.”

“Yes, Lady. Do you have any questions?”

“Speaking of the contract, well, the contract lasts for 10 years. Why is it like that?”

The butler smiled kindly. “Didn’t you say you would receive 1,000 gold in advance?”

Elusiana’s brow naturally frowned. Could it be that he’s trying to do something that didn’t exist because I signed the contract?

Elusiana, who was nervous, asked back while pretending to be calm. “Didn’t Sir Butler say you would take care of that today?”

“Of course. However, the contract period is 10 years because based on Lady’s salary, it was determined that repayment would be possible only if Lady hadn’t spent a penny for at least five years.”

“But why is it 10 years, not 4 years…?”

“I think Lady can think of it as a collateral or guarantee for advance payment to be paid for 5 years.”

“…Ah!”

Only then did Elusiana understand what the butler meant. It didn’t make any sense in the first place that 1,000 gold was paid in advance without collateral to someone. Therefore, it means that the risk would be guaranteed through this kind of ‘slavery contract.’

At this point, Elusiana was a bit worried. She couldn’t decide whether this condition was good or bad. However, in terms of her situation, there was no better condition than this. The proposal to pay the advance payment by collateralizing the employment contract ‘for the duration’ instead of clear collateral was a very considerate restriction.

The butler wasn’t strict but a meticulous person. Her wary eyes slightly softened. In fact, she had no other choice as she had already signed the contract.

“Thank you for your consideration, Sir Butler.”

“We’re now one family, aren’t we? You don’t have to feel pressured.”

“One… family? Hahaha, t-that’s right. Now we’re one… family.”

She felt like the butler’s words went too far, but there was nothing bad at all for her, who was receiving immediate benefits. An advance loan without interest. What a beautiful and dream-like welfare benefit.

She was pleased with a smile that permeated her heart for a while. Elusiana’s eyebrows narrowed slightly. But why did I feel so uncomfortable? It was as if a person had helped her, but another person had been waiting for her at the end of the hunt. However, she felt such an ominous feeling, as if she had grabbed someone’s hand without knowing who it belonged to.