Chapter 8
At the moment when Petrick was still enjoying his tryst, unaware of his impending future, Letricia stopped in her tracks on the central staircase as she felt dizzy.
Perhaps due to the aftermath of her nosebleed, she could feel her physical condition worsening.
‘I hope nothing happens until the banquet ends.’
Drip.
Wiping away the cold sweat flowing from her temple to her chin, Letricia resumed walking.
As she reached the top of the stairs.
She caught sight of Petrick’s back disappearing around a pillar at the end of the corridor with a woman in a red dress.
“Ha.”
There was nothing particularly surprising about it.
After all, there had never been any romantic affection between Letricia and Petrick to begin with.
As Greg had said, their relationship was merely a transaction between families.
Two houses leading the most prominent businesses in the empire currently.
The Godwin family monopolizing spice distribution and the Esta family monopolizing the shipping business that transported those spices to the empire.
Their relationship could be defined simply as collateral for a contract where these two houses would exchange half of each other’s businesses. That was all there was to Petrick and Letricia’s relationship.
And even if that weren’t the case, she had vaguely suspected Petrick had a hidden lover for some time, so it wasn’t particularly new.
He always carried the scent of a woman’s perfume when he was late to their appointments, and whenever he bought Letricia gifts, he would always buy one extra of the same item.
Unless one was a fool, it wasn’t hard to understand what these things meant.
The reason she had pretended not to know until now was…
Perhaps because it had been a one-sided relationship from the start.
Letricia and Petrick stood in different positions.
Even though he was illegitimate, Petrick Godwin still had noble blood flowing through his veins, albeit half, while Letricia was a commoner from an orphanage.
That alone put Petrick in a superior position in their relationship.
And above all, even apart from such issues, Count Esta himself didn’t want Letricia causing any disturbance.
‘I actually got scolded when I brought up breaking off the engagement.’
Letricia pressed her temples hard as her head throbbed, remembering the Count’s face from a few days ago when he had coldly looked down at her and muttered, “Are you wasting my time with such nonsense?”
In this situation where not a single person would take her side.
Rather than starting a fight she couldn’t win, Letricia had chosen to simply endure and move on.
It wasn’t the first time she had been treated this way anyway. And she wasn’t passionate enough to make an issue out of something she was used to.
But not anymore.
Now that she knows she doesn’t have much time left, she no longer intends to pretend not to see, not to hear, and silently digest everything alone.
“I apologize, Lady. You cannot pass through here.”
“…?”
Lost in old thoughts, Letricia frowned at the servant blocking her path.
The servant showed a polite smile.
“This area is only for those specifically permitted by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. If you wish to rest, please use the terrace on the opposite side.”
Again.
First at the entrance, and now at the second-floor entrance to the terrace. Why were there so many special passages?
She had heard that the Empress Dowager thoroughly excluded those not on her side, but she wondered if it was appropriate to divide people so visibly even at an official banquet.
“My fiancé is inside. I’ll just meet him briefly and come back.”
“I apologize, Lady.”
Even when she mentioned Petrick’s name hoping it might help, the servant’s response remained unchanged.
However, perhaps feeling somewhat sympathetic, he slightly opened a possibility for Letricia.
“Um… if you must use this passage, you can enter if accompanied by someone who has access.”
“Someone who has access?”
“Yes.”
Speaking of someone with access, one person immediately came to mind.
Winston Hilton. With him, she could pass through easily like at the castle gate.
‘But… would he take me in?’
“Hmm…”
Letricia swallowed as she recalled Winston’s face that had seemed displeased before they parted.
But then.
A familiar mint scent accompanied a dark shadow falling over Letricia’s head.
“I wondered where you’d gone, and here you are.”
“Lord Hilton…?”
“Running around everywhere with that small body. You’re more active than you look.”
How had he found her so quickly among all these people?
Surprised by Winston’s approach directly to her without any wandering, Letricia asked about the nobleman who had been dragged away with his mouth covered.
“Did you finish your conversation well with that nobleman from earlier?”
“Well, in a way.”
Shrugging somewhat mysteriously at her question, Winston, or rather Killian borrowing his appearance, discovered the champagne in Letricia’s hand and rubbed his eyebrow with his index finger as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t.
“Huh. I wondered who would drink such a horrible thing. That champagne, surely you didn’t choose it yourself?”
“What? Ah… no. My fiancé chose it.”
Tap. Tap.
At Letricia’s answer, Killian lightly tapped his brow bone.
“Seems you have a fiancé with quite remarkable taste.”
“Haha. Indeed.”
Though she knew it was completely ironic, Letricia couldn’t help but laugh.
Then, noticing Killian’s steady gaze on her, she pulled down her raised corners of her mouth.
“By the way, Lord, are you busy right now?”
“…? I’m scheduled to be busy soon, but I’m rather free at the moment. Why do you ask?”
“Ah… could I ask you for one favor?”
* * *
‘Tsk. Did something happen again in that short time?’
Killian observed Letricia with eyes dyed brown like Winston’s.
He had thought she looked too pale from their first encounter.
Perhaps because of bleeding earlier, Letricia’s skin now looked as if it completely lacked any blood.
Moreover, cold sweat had formed on her small, round forehead.
“Lord Hilton?”
“…”
Despite looking like she might collapse at any moment, she still called out to him while straightening her back, pretending to be fine.
Killian let out a bitter laugh at Letricia’s stiffness.
Watching her fragile body that seemed like it would crumble at the slightest touch stubbornly standing there made him feel somewhat twisted inside.
“Are you listening to me, Lord Hilton?”
‘I wonder if she’d feel better if I laid her down somewhere quietly.’
Though this thought suddenly arose at Letricia’s repeated calls, fortunately, Killian didn’t act on it.
Although the rumors surrounding him might be garbage, he wasn’t crazy enough to carry off someone he’d just met today.
…At least not yet.
“Ah. Sorry. I was momentarily lost in thought.”
Tick tick.
After habitually moving his fingers, which seemed too delicate to believe they held swords, Killian put on an ordinary expression that could pass for Winston Hilton.
“What did you say?”
“Well…”
Tick.
Killian’s index finger moved again as if counting seconds.
Wondering what could be so difficult to say that she was hesitating like this, Killian leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed.
“You can enter here, right?”
“Here?”
Killian’s head tilted slowly at Letricia pointing to the passage where the servant stood guard.
“I probably can.”
“Then please help me get inside.”
“There’s probably nothing worth seeing. Why bother?”
“This.”
Letricia smiled bitterly at Killian’s response and shook the champagne in her hand.
“I want to return it to my fiancé. So please. If you help me, I’ll definitely repay you.”
Again.
Earlier she had talked about compensation, and now she speaks of repayment.
Why would she mention repayment while asking for such a simple favor as taking one more person inside?
Should he see this as a neat personality that’s clear about calculations? Or was there simply no such thing as kindness without return in her world, leading her to act this way?
Pondering between these two possibilities, Killian lightly rolled his stiff neck.
While doing so, he glanced sideways at the situation downstairs where young nobles were spinning around dancing with their partners.
More precisely, at the Emperor and Empress Dowager enjoying the banquet seated in ornate chairs.
“It’s not difficult for me to help you enter, but are you sure? That would mean your debt to me increases to two.”
Wondering if she might have forgotten, Killian extended his smooth finger to remind Letricia and tapped the blood stain that remained not completely cleaned on his jacket.
“You haven’t resolved this yet, and you’re already trying to add another debt. What, is owing debts your hobby?”
“Of course not.”
“…”
“Will you… help me?”
Killian silently met Letricia’s direct gaze for a moment.
Then, noticing her body swaying slightly, he moved away from the pillar and grabbed her thin arm.
“Very well. I’ll help you enter. However…”
Killian, who had taken Letricia’s arm and linked it with his, erased his unpleasant expression and lazily twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Not only what I’ll demand as compensation, but also what I’ll receive as repayment – let me decide both.”
