CRV 14

Chapter : 14

“From now on, not a single word about the snow globe.”

“I won’t even say the ‘s’ in snow globe ever again.”

Charlotte drew a line across her lips with her hand as if zipping them shut.

Only then did Pierce let his killing intent fade and shake off Rakhal’s grip.

“Do better.”

“I-I’m the landlord, you know.”

Her voice trembled slightly like a post-traumatic aftereffect of surviving a near-death situation.

“So what?”

“Please make good food.”

“…Fine.”

Phew. I’m alive. I almost went on a hell tour trying to peek at a snow globe.

Come to think of it, I somehow ended up making Pierce the 7th-floor chef.

No—nothing is more important than staying alive.

If I can avoid transmigrational death, I can endure this much.

The dangerous tension that had been on the verge of murder finally dissipated.

Rakhal looked back and forth between the two of them, both now standing awkwardly.

“Is the negotiation concluded now?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

Rakhal gestured toward the kitchen door as if inviting them.

“Then let’s go draft the supplementary contract.”

Charlotte saw Rakhal off all the way to the main road in front of the mansion.

Standing in front of the carriage, she sincerely thanked him.

“Thank you for your help today.”

“It was nothing.”

“No, no. You helped a lot. You gave legal advice and stayed with me the whole time in front of Pierce.”

Even knowing Pierce was a crazy mage who treated killing people lightly, Rakhal had stayed by her side until the end.

And the thought of Pierce paying rent…

Made her extremely happy.

“Since you’re thanking me, will you also pay my attorney fee?”

Charlotte, who had been clenching her fist like a victor’s celebration, flinched.

“I’m joking.”

“Oh… yes.”

“But it does feel a bit wasteful to just let it slide for free.”

Nod nod.

Right. That was understandable.

Rakhal had every right to ask for a fee.

He had come for tea and ended up forced into active legal combat.

The problem was—she had no money right now.

Maybe she should ask if she could put it on credit until she started collecting rent from Pierce…

“Instead of a fee, how about you help me with something, Lady Charlotte?”

Oh, that was an option too.

It was a common novel trope, but not a bad one.

“If it’s something I can do, I’ll help. I can’t promise things beyond my ability though.”

“No need to worry. It’s not difficult at all. In fact, it’s quite simple.”

“Please tell me. What do you need help with?”

Rakhal asked politely, like a gentleman inviting a lady to dance.

“Would you be my partner?”

“Partner?”

“I’ve been invited to a few noble families’ balls, but I don’t want to go alone.”

Charlotte blinked in confusion.

With a single word like “I need a partner,” this man could probably have a line of noble ladies stretching from here to the royal palace.

And yet he was asking her.

Suddenly, she remembered when she had once transmigrated as a palace maid.

The face of a jealous noble lady twisting in rage had been terrifying.

Am I going to be that victim this time?

Imagining herself being mobbed by jealous girls made her swallow nervously.

“I’d very much like to keep living a long life.”

“I am, surprisingly, quite selective. I wouldn’t have asked anyone other than you.”

So he chose her specifically.

Rakhal didn’t even hide his expectation for her answer.

If he looked at her like that, it was hard to refuse…

For a moment, she wondered when she would ever get another chance to attend a ball with a handsome man.

Thirty-seven transmigrations had built up a lot of survival stress.

Honestly, she was exhausted because of Pierce anyway—so maybe she should go out and have fun once.

Just as she was about to agree, she hesitated.

The poisoner issue.

Staying indoors was safest, but maybe she could find a way to go out safely for a few hours.

“I’ll be your partner, even if it’s not a reward.”

She lifted her dress slightly and curtsied elegantly.

“It would be my honor, Duke Statua.”

Rakhal placed his right hand over his chest and bowed gracefully.

“The honor is mine.”

Clack, clack.

Inside the carriage heading to the ducal estate, a cold shadow fell over Rakhal’s face.

In the crimson sunset, his silver eyes turned faintly blood-red.

“So she endured Count Abel’s abuse while pretending to be foolish… or was she not foolish at all?”

At the will reading, he had already seen Charlotte cleverly humiliate the Abel family.

But he had assumed she would be timid after being raised under contempt.

Yet—

“She wasn’t afraid at all. In fact, Charlotte Abel has far too much nerve.”

Not just nerve.

She was bold. Decisive.

And she did not back down even when attacked.

“She even used my invitation for tea as an opportunity to deal with Pierce and draw me in. She’s clever. And she refuses to take losses.”

Yes. Charlotte Abel had left a strong impression today.

Rakhal raised his hand slowly.

He could still feel the softness of her hand.

It was a strange feeling.

It wasn’t as if he had never held a woman’s hand before…

So what was this?

Rakhal was usually indifferent to physical contact with women.

He had danced at balls and escorted ladies many times.

In fact, he disliked being touched.

And yet—

Touching Charlotte hadn’t felt unpleasant.

When he had grabbed her on the stairs, he had been momentarily startled by how warm and soft it was.

Even while walking to the study, he hadn’t wanted to let go of her hand.

And when he had wrapped an arm around her waist…

He had even felt the urge to stay like that.

“An urge…”

Rakhal let out a self-mocking laugh.

“Forget it, Rakhal Statua. You only held her waist so she wouldn’t fall.”

What mattered was that Charlotte today did not seem like a noble lady at all.

She was completely different from the Charlotte he had heard about from Countess Norback—or from rumors.

It was as if she had been replaced entirely.

Or as if her soul had changed.

Charlotte Abel… is she hiding something important?

For the first time in a long while, Rakhal felt a surge of curiosity.

“This might be interesting. Investigating Charlotte Abel’s secrets.”

After arriving at the estate, he gave an order to his driver-cum-bodyguard knight.

“Reinvestigate Charlotte Abel.”

Laila, who had been pounding a feather pillow on Charlotte’s bed, jumped in surprise.

“A ball?”

“Yeah. Duke Statua invited me as his partner earlier.”

Charlotte replied while tying the ribbon of her silk nightgown.

Laila tilted her cute head.

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? Can’t I be invited as his partner?”

Laila waved her small wing-like hands.

“That’s not it. It’s just… you only met him twice and already got invited as a partner.”

“How do you know that?”

“I overheard it in the carriage.”

Ah, the day of the will reading.

“Even if it’s just twice, maybe Duke Statua fell for me.”

Charlotte Abel was the cutest and prettiest among all the transmigrated characters she had seen.

And she even showed signs of becoming a stunning beauty as she grew.

“Ah, yes.”

Laila answered half-heartedly and went back to punching the pillow—harder this time.

Laila… was that really worth ignoring? That’s embarrassing.

I did say I was “love at first sight” level, but even I feel like I exaggerated a bit.

Charlotte, slightly sulking, asked Laila as she set up another pillow.

“How was Duke Statua when you secretly watched him?”

Laila froze mid-air.

“You knew I was watching?”

“I saw you standing scared in the study. If I couldn’t notice that, I’d be an idiot.”

Even if Rakhal had noticed her, he probably wouldn’t have been angry—but Laila had hidden and trembled.

“I’m sorry, miss.”

“It’s fine. I sneak around too when I’m curious. If something seems interesting, you can’t sleep anyway.”

“That’s true.”

“And thanks for preparing the new tea set even while hiding.”

“Hehehe.”

Laila hugged the pillow and swayed happily.

“Alright, stop smiling and answer. How was he?”

Charlotte pressed her like she was evaluating a potential boyfriend.

In a bright voice, Laila replied.

“Well… he was kind of scary.”

Ah.

So that’s why she hid behind the sofa so quickly.

Still, that was unexpected.

“Why scary? Duke Statua is very kind and gentle.”

“Not compared to the late master… but I’ve never seen anyone talk to Sir Pierce like that before.”

“Ah.”

“At first I thought he was a very difficult person.”

So Laila, who was already afraid of Pierce, had likely lumped Rakhal into the same category.

“If the duke seemed difficult, why did you get into his carriage last time?”

“Oh, that? Luke told me to.”

“Luke? That brown fluffy sparrow?”

“Shhh!”

Laila suddenly jumped forward as if to cover Charlotte’s mouth.

“Luke hates being called a sparrow.”

Lowering her voice, Laila leaned in closer.

“Please call him ‘Sparrow.’ You have to say Sparrow.”