🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 4
The place the duke took the two of them to was a spacious reception room. After sitting on the wide sofa and waiting for a while, a maid entered and served them tea and refreshments.
Hearing the sound of someone swallowing, Aileen turned her head and saw Adrian staring at the cookies on the table, licking his lips.
“If you want some, you may eat as much as you like, young gentleman.”
The duke smiled warmly as he offered. However, Adrian frowned deeply and replied,
“I’m not a child. I am a proper nobleman who has inherited the title of count!”
“Count?”
The duke’s gaze shifted toward Aileen. Reading the question in his eyes, Aileen calmly answered.
“Although the family is currently on the verge of ruin, Adrian is indeed a count. We are members of House Walker.”
“House Walker… That is a family I have heard of before.”
After saying that, the duke took a sip of the tea the maid had brought.
Aileen’s expression darkened. She did not know where or how he had heard about House Walker, but she had a feeling it was probably not for a good reason.
At that moment, the duke put down his teacup and looked at Aileen again.
“By the way, I would like to continue the conversation we could not finish earlier, Lady Walker.”
Aileen’s expression became serious.
So, the moment had finally arrived.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a gaze on her and lowered her head. Adrian was looking up at her with a worried expression.
After remaining silent for a moment, Aileen turned to the duke and asked,
“I apologize for interrupting, but would it be possible to have Adrian leave for a while?”
“Sister!”
Adrian gave her an unhappy look. He did not want to be separated from Aileen, but he also disliked the idea of leaving her alone with the duke.
However, Aileen gently pleaded.
“Adrian, it will only be for a little while. Please wait outside for a moment. I’ll come find you soon.”
At Aileen’s earnest request, Adrian’s eyes wavered. Eventually, he nodded.
“……Okay.”
“Good boy, Adrian.”
Aileen gently patted her younger brother’s head. Under her usual warm touch, Adrian’s sulky expression gradually softened.
Watching them, the duke called for a servant.
“Escort the young count to the next room. Prepare tea and refreshments as well. Especially plenty of refreshments.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Following the maid’s guidance, Adrian left the room. Just before leaving through the door, he looked back with a worried expression, but when Aileen smiled at him, he reluctantly disappeared.
Click.
The door closed, and Aileen turned back to the duke with the smile gone from her face.
The duke found her strict separation of personal and official matters interesting, but he did not show it.
“You introduced yourself as someone capable of creating the highest-grade magic stones, Lady.”
Here it comes.
Aileen nervously gripped the hem of her dress.
Seeing this, the duke continued with a puzzled tone.
“But something seems strange. Someone capable of creating the highest-grade magic stones… why are you living like this?”
He was not speaking in a mocking manner, but Aileen still could not suppress the bitterness rising inside her.
After calming herself, Aileen opened her mouth.
“I only discovered that I could create the highest-grade magic stones recently.”
“Your ability manifested only recently?”
“No. My ability manifested when I was very young.”
The duke raised an eyebrow. His expression seemed to ask if she was playing with words.
Before he could say anything, Aileen spoke first.
“I will explain everything. But before that, I need your promise.”
“What kind of promise?”
“That you will never reveal anything we discuss from this point onward.”
The duke looked at Aileen with interest. He found it fascinating that someone who appeared so fragile could speak with such determination.
After meeting her gaze for a moment, the duke smiled and nodded.
“Very well. I, Richard Felix Olden, swear upon my name that I will keep this promise.”
Hearing his name, Aileen’s body stiffened.
Richard? Richard?
It was a name she could never fail to recognize.
Because that name was…
“You… You were royalty?”
“Is that a problem?”
The duke smiled slightly as he asked back.
Aileen stared at the man before her in disbelief.
The Second Prince, Richard Felix Kaines.
That was his real name.
She had heard that after receiving the title of duke, he had withdrawn from the struggle for the throne early on.
‘Who would have thought my guide would be royalty?’
She should have realized when she saw those shining golden eyes.
Feeling a headache coming on, Aileen pressed her fingers against her forehead.
No. No, think positively.
That just means his abilities are guaranteed, right?
Trying to reassure herself, Aileen lifted her head. The smiling face of the duke, Richard, came into view.
“Or perhaps you would like a written promise bearing the family seal?”
“No. This promise is enough.”
Aileen answered calmly. After letting out a small breath, she returned to a serious expression and continued.
“As I said earlier, my ability manifested when I was very young. And until recently, I could only create low-grade magic stones. Like this.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Aileen created a low-grade magic stone.
Seeing the dull-colored stone glowing faintly in her palm, Richard narrowed his eyes.
“Hmm… But then how did you create the highest-grade magic stone?”
“Because of you… No, because of Your Grace.”
“Because of me?”
Richard tilted his head as if he did not understand.
Aileen nodded and revealed the secret passed down through her mother’s family.
“There is something called a guide in this world. If someone has a guide, they can control their magic power more precisely and delicately, allowing them to create purer magic stones. And you are my guide. That is why I was able to create the highest-grade magic stone.”
“So that was why you hugged me that day.”
Richard casually mentioned what happened that day, causing Aileen’s face to turn red.
However, she calmly nodded.
“That’s right. I needed to confirm whether you were my guide.”
“But if I am your guide, why can you only create low-grade magic stones while we are together now?”
“The power of a guide manifests when there is physical contact. Could you give me your hand?”
Richard stared at her extended hand for a moment before placing his own hand on top of it.
At the same time, Aileen created a magic stone.
Resting in Aileen’s palm was a brilliantly shining, highest-grade magic stone.
“Oh. This is…”
Richard laughed with an incredulous expression.
Aileen released his hand and asked,
“Do you believe me now?”
Richard’s gaze landed on her.
After looking back and forth between Aileen and the magic stone, he shrugged.
“With you showing me this directly, how could I not believe you?”
Aileen secretly felt relieved.
She had worried that he might accuse her of trying to deceive him.
Richard examined the magic stone after receiving it, then returned it to Aileen and said,
“However, I do not understand why it has to be you, Lady.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I am your guide, then would it not be enough to ask another magic stone creator instead of you to make the stones?”
In other words, he was asking what use she was.
However, Aileen did not show any displeasure and shook her head.
“Why do you think I specifically called Your Grace ‘my’ guide?”
Richard looked at her curiously.
“Because Your Grace’s ability does not manifest with anyone else.”
“Is that true?”
“If you think I am lying, then as you said, you can simply go to another magic stone creator and ask them.”
Richard looked at her suspiciously.
Aileen met his gaze confidently.
“What is it that you want, Lady?”
Finally, the words she wanted to hear.
Aileen suppressed the corners of her mouth from rising and answered calmly.
“Make a contract with me. Just for one year, please stay with me.”
“What benefit do I receive from that?”
“I will give you 40% of the magic stones I create. I believe Your Grace knows how rare people capable of creating the highest-grade magic stones are.”
Isn’t this practically a free offer?
As she looked at him with that expression, Richard fell into thought and rubbed his chin.
Aileen was secretly nervous.
Although she had tried her best to make her proposal, she did not know whether the famously cold and calculating Richard would accept it.
Suppressing her anxiety, she waited.
Then he spoke.
“50.”
“……Excuse me?”
When Aileen asked because she did not understand, Richard smiled and repeated himself.
“If you give me 50% of the magic stones you create, I will accept your proposal.”
Aileen unknowingly made a distressed expression and shouted,
“50% is too little for me!”
“I am already being generous. If you are dissatisfied, we can simply forget this matter.”
Aileen’s body flinched.
Richard looked at her with narrowed eyes and said,
“Isn’t the one who needs this contract more urgently you, Lady?”
He was right.
If this contract failed, the disappointed party would be Aileen.
And it was not just disappointment.
She would probably suffer for the rest of her life.
In the end, Aileen had no choice but to nod reluctantly.
“……Alright. 50%.”
Richard smiled like an excellent businessman.
“Good. Then I will send a letter to House Walker in a few days.”
“In a few days?”
“Yes. I also need to confirm whether your words are true.”
Aileen widened her eyes and reminded him.
“As I said earlier, the matter regarding guides…”
“I know. We made a promise, did we not? That I would never reveal anything we discussed today.”
When he mentioned the promise himself, Aileen finally felt reassured.
After that, Aileen discussed the contract details with Richard.
Once their conversation was completely finished, she went outside and found Adrian waiting. He immediately ran into her arms.
Aileen and Adrian returned to the ruined mansion in an Olden family carriage.
The coachman looked at the mansion and asked several times if this was really the right place, but Aileen only smiled bitterly.
A few days later, as promised, a letter arrived from Richard.
Along with a short message saying that his confirmation was complete, two letters arrived.
One was the contract they had discussed beforehand.
And the other was…
“This is… what…”
Aileen stared blankly at the letter in her hand.
Adrian looked at her from beside her, wondering what had happened.
Taking a deep breath, Aileen read the contents of the letter once more.
But nothing had changed.
It was a marriage proposal sent to her by Richard.
