Chapter 9
“I’ll help you. However, let me decide what I’ll receive as repayment.”
After saying this, Killian withdrew his hand that had been touching Letricia.
There was no reason not to help since he had nothing to lose anyway.
“Yes. Please do so.”
“Huh. How can you agree so readily without knowing what I might demand?”
“What will you demand?”
“…You ask quite quickly.”
As Killian handed his identification badge to the servant, he let out another laugh at Letricia looking at him transparently.
He takes back what he thought earlier about her being meticulous with calculations.
This lady before him seems to trust others almost naively.
“…Why did she do that to me when she trusts others so easily.”
Muttering incomprehensible words in a voice too quiet for Letricia to hear, Killian put the identification badge the servant returned into his inner pocket with a sardonic smile.
“Lady Esta. Don’t you know to be careful with promises?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then it might be better to answer more cautiously. An easily given answer could become your shackles.”
“It’s fine. Ah… but you might not know, my position in the family isn’t very good. If you want compensation at the family level, I might not be able to satisfy you.”
“That doesn’t matter. What I want isn’t that sort of thing.”
“That’s a relief then. Please tell me what you want from me.”
Killian’s eyes narrowed at Letricia continuing to speak calmly without any sign of hesitation at his words.
It seems he needs to revise his judgment of Letricia once more.
‘She’s not trusting me – she just doesn’t care what happens.’
Swoosh.
Killian straightened up from his lean toward Letricia and extended his hand to her.
“Very well. But once I make my demands, taking them back is impossible. Don’t forget that you accepted this proposal, my lady.”
* * *
“I wonder what he’s planning to demand.”
Having easily passed the servant with Killian’s help, Letricia looked back.
At the end of her gaze was Killian, who had taken position by the railing a few steps away and was keenly observing the lower floor.
Unlike his earlier demeanor that suggested he would make some grand demand immediately, he said he would wait there until Letricia finished her business.
He was such an unpredictable person.
Sometimes he seemed endlessly cold, yet other times delicate. Sometimes threatening like the north wind, yet showing consideration like this.
That made it even more impossible to predict what such a person would want from Letricia.
‘Well, it probably doesn’t matter anyway.’
In this already worst possible situation, what difference would two more debts make? Thinking this, Letricia withdrew her interest from Killian and shifted her attention to the corridor where Petrick had likely gone.
Though numerous terraces lined the corridor with luxurious chandeliers at each section, only one had its curtains drawn since hardly anyone had been using the terraces since the start of the banquet.
And naturally, it was Petrick enjoying a tryst with his lover behind those drawn curtains.
“Rose, why are you so angry? Hmm?”
“How could I not be angry? What is this? Can’t even have a proper first dance. Having to meet in hiding like this.”
“Ah… hmm. But there were so many eyes watching, I had no choice. You think I like this situation?”
Unlike how he treated Letricia, Petrick called the woman’s name restlessly.
“Lorazne, look at me. Hmm?”
Lorazne Apfelts.
The woman revealed between the curtains swaying in the breeze was the only daughter of Count Apfelts, with looks as gorgeous as the rose her nickname suggested.
“Rose. Really won’t forgive me? We can dance here. Isn’t that more romantic?”
“…”
“Rose, please. Don’t make such a sad face. I didn’t even dance with Ricia because you said you didn’t like it. Yet you’re only going to show me such an upset expression?”
Petrick’s voice was quite desperate as he tried to soothe his angry lover.
Perhaps moved by his earnestness, Lorazne’s sharp voice softened a bit.
“…Hmph. Fine. But absolutely no dancing with your fiancée until the banquet ends today. It makes me sick.”
“Yes, yes, I understand. As expected, our Rose is so kind.”
As Petrick was about to let out a sigh of relief at his seemingly appeased lover, Lorazne stamped her foot in dissatisfaction.
Oh dear, it seems she’s not completely over it yet.
“By the way Petrick, are you really going to marry that commoner adoptee?”
“…Wasn’t this over already?”
“You said you’d break off the engagement soon and make me the duchess! But how many years has it been now?”
“Haah… Rose, I’ve told you so many times. To push aside my brother and take the duke’s position, I first need to win over my father.”
“I know. That’s why you even got engaged to that Letricia. You said you’d get the Esta family’s shipping business in exchange for the engagement. But you never said this fake engagement would drag on this long!”
“Yes, I did say that. But… sigh…”
Something wasn’t going according to plan it seems. Petrick sighed again with that picture-perfect face.
From a distance, it might look like a sacred face pondering humanity’s peace and wellbeing, but the words from his mouth were no such noble concerns.
“Count Esta, that cunning old man, must have noticed something because he says he’ll only hand over the business rights after the wedding.”
“What? Petrick! So you’re really going to marry her?”
“But Rose, you know well there’s nothing better than the shipping business my father has always dreamed of to keep my brother in check.”
“So what! You want me to understand that? Then what about me! You want me to be your mistress? Ha!”
Being the precious daughter of a count, this was unimaginable for Lorazne, who shuddered.
Then she roughly pushed away Petrick’s hand.
“Forget it. If that’s how it is, let’s just end it here!”
“There you go again. Stop being so emotional every time…”
Twirl.
Petrick turned, his tailcoat swishing, and half-embraced Lorazne.
This caused his handsome face, previously seen only in profile, to be fully visible to Letricia.
But he seemed too focused on soothing his lover to notice Letricia in the shadows.
“Rose, calm down and think about it. It might not be such a bad thing. We just need to get married first, then get rid of that Letricia woman at an appropriate time.”
“…How? What if she asks for the business rights back after divorcing her?”
“Well. Since Count Esta is also supposed to receive our family’s spice distribution rights in exchange for marriage, he won’t be able to do that.”
Shrug. Petrick moved his shoulder lightly in a picture-perfect gesture.
“Just keep her around for a few years, then create some scandal and drive her out.”
“A few years? You want me to wait that long? Just thinking about it is tedious!”
Petrick tilted his head lovingly at Lorazne puffing her cheeks.
“Oh dear. We can’t bore our Lady Lorazne. I’ll try to shorten the timeline as much as possible.”
“Would that be as easy as you say?”
“Well, we recently got some very interesting new spices.”
“New spices?”
Lorazne’s eyes rounded as if asking what that meant, and Petrick watching her stretched his lips seductively.
“Yes. The kind of spice that can render a person unconscious in a very short time without leaving any trace.”
‘Maybe I’ll use that,’ he replied casually without any hesitation before leaning his face toward Lorazne.
Smooch.
The sound of a light kiss echoed in the alley, and just as a deeper kiss was about to follow.
A strong wind carrying the scent of rain blew in, causing the curtain covering the terrace to flutter widely once more.
Wide enough for Petrick to discover Letricia.
“…!”
This was already the second time today. This kind of situation.
Ah. Though perhaps feeling more guilty than before, this time Petrick’s eyes shook more severely.
“Ri-Ricia? How did you get in here?”
Startled, Petrick roughly pushed Lorazne away.
But what good would that do? She had already heard and seen everything.
“L-let’s go somewhere and talk, Ricia. I know this is a situation you could easily misunderstand, but I can explain everything about what’s going on.”
“…”
“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s all a misunderstanding, so don’t jump to conclusions on your own…”
“Petrick. Isn’t this a bit too insincere?”
Looking skeptically at Petrick who could lie so effortlessly even in this situation, Letricia wiped the bright red lipstick from his lips with her thumb.
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or misconception. If you’re going to say such things, at least wipe away the traces of your lover from your face first.”
“Ah, this…!”
Once again realizing his state a beat too late, Petrick hurriedly rubbed his face, but that only made him look more unsightly.
After watching Petrick for a moment, Letricia,
“Petrick.”
Called his name in a tired voice and tilted the champagne glass over his honey-sweet looking head.
Splash.
Along with the champagne flowing down unobstructed, she slowly spoke the words she had been suppressing for so long.
“Let’s break off our engagement.”
