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Chapter 27
Rebecca let out a deep sigh.
“Haah. It can’t be helped. Instead, let’s say we’ll go back after three hours.”
“All right.”
“Well, that’s good. I was just starting to get curious about the merchant guild’s business.”
“Oh, the guild. I set it up. I also got the guildmaster you mentioned. And just in case, I didn’t tell the guildmaster who you are.”
“Thanks. You prepared more carefully than I expected.”
At Rebecca’s praise, Julian smiled a little, somewhat pleased, and asked, “Where would you like the guild’s building to be?”
“The market near the Libertà relief house. That would be good.”
“The market? That area mostly has shabby buildings.”
“That’s fine. There are lots of errands to run nearby anyway.”
“All right. I’ll have it ready by tomorrow.”
Julian said that as if arranging a meal. Rebecca thought of how hard she’d worked in her previous life just to buy a small house. That had been possible only because Margaret had sold it at an absurdly low price. Her mouth tasted bitter. She suddenly realized again what a big shot the person she’d chosen as her backer really was. Rebecca gave a small sigh and said, “By the way, it’s going to be difficult to communicate. We can exchange letters, but if something requires me to step in personally, that will be hard.”
“Can you not go out at all…?”
“For the most part. Especially when I’m pretending to be ill like now.”
Only then did Julian notice Rebecca’s condition. Seeing bandages wrapped tightly around her leg, he stiffened and asked, taut with concern, “You’re hurt? How badly? You should have told me earlier! How did it happen, who—”
“Shh. Don’t get worked up. I told you earlier I was pretending to be hurt. Still, I’m not completely uninjured. I fell down the stairs. Of course, by my own doing.”
“Why would you do that? Why on earth—!”
“Would you understand if I said it was so I could be free?”
Rebecca propped her chin on her hand with a strange smile. “An injured doll has to be left alone until it recovers. So it’s more fun to play with again later. And while its owner leaves it alone, it can move about as it pleases.” Her low, intimate words stirred something in Julian’s chest. He asked, his eyes masking anger, “What do you want me to do?”
“Huh?”
“If you want to be divorced within a month.”
“A month? That’ll be tough. I have to save some money for the guild first. Above all, it’ll take time for the Devil’s Claw to grow.”
“Then two months.”
“Well, I can’t promise for sure.”
“It doesn’t matter. I want you to divorce me. Forgot? Luck is on my side.”
Rebecca laughed at Julian’s confident manner, then teased, “Really? Then do something that keeps Zeppelin so busy he can’t set foot in the mansion. That way I can go out freely, too.” Rebecca said it jokingly and smiled, but Julian was silent for a while. She stared at him in puzzlement as he muttered something under his breath. His attitude was odd. This was, after all, a contract. She had no doubt he would fulfill it faithfully. But did he need to get so fired up? After the contract ended they would likely never see each other again. Yet he was sincerely trying to help her. ‘He’s so kind.’ He must pity her; otherwise there would be no reason for him to look at her with such sad eyes. Rebecca felt grateful for Julian’s pity. She looked up at his golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight — like the moon and the sun both shining. Without thinking, she reached out and stroked his black hair. Julian flinched briefly but quietly accepted Rebecca’s touch.
“Anyway, thank you for caring, Julian.” Her low, gentle voice made Julian open his eyes wide. For a moment he felt a sudden, electric pain in his chest. Startled, Julian grabbed Rebecca’s hand that was stroking his hair. Rebecca’s pupils fluttered. She felt his gaze growing more intense; his lips parted, drawing a sweet breath. Night, moonlight, and two people in a bedroom. ‘Ah, this is dangerous.’ Rebecca was embarrassed. She had forgotten that Julian was a vigorous young man and had behaved inappropriately. This made it no different from openly seducing him. Rebecca quickly pulled her hand away. “Sorry. This is entirely my fault.” Julian stared blankly at his hand that had been rejected. Rebecca hurried on, “It won’t happen again. It would be a breach of contract.” She felt ashamed — she had promised not to so much as touch him and here she was, acting like this before signing the divorce papers. ‘So why did he look at me with those pretty eyes like that?’ Rebecca let out a self-mocking laugh at how easily swayed she was by looks.
The word “contract” snapped Julian back to reason. His golden eyes darkened to black. He returned to a firmer tone: “Right. We are under a contract. So let’s finish this quickly.” Julian sprang to his feet. Rising suddenly made him sway a little. “Well, it seems like the conversation’s wrapped up, so I’ll be going.”
“Wait, there’s still time—” Rebecca tried to call out, but Julian vanished without a trace. And in his place… “Meow?” Leo froze mid-grooming with his hind paw raised. After a moment of assessing the situation, Leo narrowed his eyes in displeasure. “Has it already been three hours…?” Rebecca lifted Leo with a puzzled look. Leo puffed his tail in annoyance but did not leave her arms. “Your master, or rather your companion, is really strange.” As Rebecca set Leo down by the window, she recalled Julian before he had disappeared. ‘His ears were red.’ She thought she understood why he had run away like that. At the same time, she felt guilty. ‘He’s more innocent than he looks. Well, he is still young.’ Counting even the years before she was reborn, Rebecca was at least twice his age. Her conscience pricked, but she couldn’t stop smiling. She leaned against the window and watched Leo’s graceful figure depart from the mansion for a while.
“Hah. Hah.” Julian stumbled into the room, breathing roughly. The dizziness from consecutive space-teleports hit him. He flopped onto the bed and hid his face with his forearm, cold sweat covering his body. He tore off his shirt violently. No matter how hard he tried not to, the events just now replayed in his head. ‘Thank you for thinking that of me, Julian.’ He remembered the foolish expression reflected in Rebecca’s blue eyes. Does he always look like that when he sees her? Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off Rebecca, and not knowing why was driving him crazy. “Ugh.” He felt that same chest pain again — a tingling, aching pain he’d never felt before. Julian was terrified. Most of the Dukes of Johannes had died of heart failure. When one’s innate divine power ran out, the heart stopped, they said. Heart pain had been described as a prodrome. ‘No way, no…’ Julian sprang from the bed. On the bedside table sat medicine Croa left out every day. He had always scoffed at taking it, but today was different. Julian swallowed the pills in one gulp, drank cold water, and gripped the table with both hands, eyes wide. “I can’t die. Not yet.”
“A figurehead manager? Are you telling me the Duke said I should be a figurehead manager?” Tanishaa Chenister slammed her desk. Croa quickly picked up his coffee cup. “Why are you so worked up? To be exact, it’s not a figurehead manager — it’s the guildmaster. Is this the first time the Duke made a ridiculous request?” “Why did I put up with that ridiculous demand! He promised me a guild in my name, that’s why I accepted!” “He did promise to put it in your name. The business registration is in your name.” “So what! I’ll just be a puppet for some unknown jerk.” “Hey, watch your words. Don’t call him a ‘jerk.’ Say that in front of the Duke and you’ll get a reprimand.” “Why are you always on the Duke’s side, huh? Family is me, or the Duke?” “Obviously—” “Obviously?” “You. The Duke suddenly being my humble family member? That’s nonsense.” “Just go die!” Tanishaa started throwing whatever she could grab at Croa. Croa dodged the flying objects as if this weren’t the first time. “Think of yourself not as his subordinate but as a business advisor. And this is actually important. That’s why the Duke entrusted it to you.” “Why did I have to go through that hell all this time! I’m furious that my brother became a butler just because he was born a few years earlier, and now this nonsense!” “Your mouth! My goodness. Some guy’s going to take you away; I feel sorry for him.” “Why be sorry? I hit the jackpot — pretty, capable, and rich. You, on the other hand, have never had a single romance since birth.” “…Don’t bring that up, okay? I was wrong.” Croa, stung, lost his fighting spirit and hung his head sullenly. “Enough! Who is this person?” “Who?” “The owner of my guild. I need to meet them myself.” “Calm down. Why do you keep flying off the handle? Just do as you’re told.” “Is this some wanted criminal? Why all the secrecy? I have to meet them myself to decide whether I’ll serve them as my master or just quit.” “Quit? Tanishaa, do you think it’s reasonable for someone from the Chenister house to disobey Duke Johannes?” “Who said I wanted to be a Chenister? If worse comes to worst I could give up all this nonsense and register as a commoner. I could live like an emperor even as a commoner.” “Can you tell that to our parents?” “Just hurry up. If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone about when you botched Leo’s grooming and made that patch.” Croa clapped a hand over his mouth with a gulp.
