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Chapter 09
“I’ll help you. But in return, I’ll decide what I want as compensation.”
With those words, Killian withdrew the hand that had been resting on Litricia.
He had nothing to lose, so there was no real reason for him not to help.
“Yes. Go ahead,” she replied.
“Heh. And you’re agreeing so easily, even without knowing what I’ll ask for in return?”
“What is it you plan to ask for?”
“…You sure are quick to ask.”
As Killian handed over his identification badge to the attendant, he let out a short laugh upon seeing Litricia calmly looking back at him.
He silently retracted his earlier thought that she was a calculating person.
This young lady before him seemed to trust others a little too easily—almost naïvely so.
“…And yet, why was she like that with me?”
Muttering something inaudible under his breath, Killian let out a dry smirk and tucked the returned badge into his inner pocket.
“Lady Esta. Don’t you know you should make promises with caution?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then you should’ve answered more carefully. A rash agreement could end up tying you down later.”
“It’s fine. Oh… though, I’m not sure if you know this, but my standing within my family isn’t all that great. If you’re expecting compensation at the family level, I might not be able to meet your expectations.”
“That doesn’t matter. What I want isn’t anything like that.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Then please, tell me what it is you want from me.”
Killian narrowed his eyes at Litricia’s composed manner. She didn’t even flinch as she spoke—completely unshaken.
It seemed he needed to revise his assessment of her yet again.
‘She’s not trusting me. She just doesn’t care what happens.’
Straightening his posture, Killian extended a hand toward her.
“Very well. But once I make my request, you won’t be able to take it back. Remember—it was you who accepted this offer.”
***
“What in the world is he going to ask for?”
Thanks to Killian’s help, Litricia smoothly passed by the attendants and turned back to look.
At the end of her gaze, a short distance away by the balcony railing, stood Killian, sharply observing the floor below.
He had acted like he would demand something outrageous at any moment, yet now he said he’d simply wait there until her business was done.
He was truly unpredictable.
Sometimes he was cold as ice, yet other times, he could be surprisingly considerate. Threatening like a northern wind, and then suddenly thoughtful like this.
That made him even harder to figure out—what exactly did a man like him want from her?
‘Still… I guess it doesn’t really matter.’
Given how everything in her life was already at rock bottom, Litricia figured one or two more debts wouldn’t make much of a difference. She turned her attention away from Killian and toward the corridor Patrick might have gone down.
The hallway, adorned with lavish chandeliers at intervals, was lined with numerous terraces. But hardly anyone used the terraces this early in the banquet, so only one of them had its curtains drawn.
And naturally, the one enjoying a secret tryst behind those curtains was none other than Patrick.
“Rose, why are you so upset, hmm?”
“How could I not be? What is this? We didn’t even get to share a proper first dance, and now we’re sneaking around like this.”
“Ah… well, there were just too many eyes watching. You think I like this situation any more than you?”
In stark contrast to how he treated Litricia, Patrick anxiously tried to calm the woman before him.
“Lorazne, look at me. Please?”
Lorazne Apeltz.
The woman revealed by the swaying curtains had the kind of striking beauty worthy of the nickname “Rose.” She was the only daughter of Count Apeltz.
“Rose. Aren’t you going to forgive me? We can just dance here instead. Isn’t that even more romantic?”
“…”
“Please, Rose. Don’t look so sad. I didn’t even dance with Litricia because you didn’t want me to. I came running straight to you. Are you just going to look at me like that?”
Patrick’s voice was tinged with real desperation.
Perhaps moved by that earnestness, Lorazne’s sharp tone softened slightly.
“…Fine. But then, you’re not allowed to dance with your fiancée for the rest of the night. It makes me feel awful.”
“Alright, alright, I got it. That’s my sweet Rose.”
Relieved, Patrick exhaled a deep breath, but Lorazne stomped her foot with dissatisfaction.
Apparently, she still wasn’t completely over it.
“By the way, Patrick. Are you really planning to marry that commoner orphan?”
“…Didn’t we already go over this?”
“You said you’d break off the engagement soon and make me your duchess! But how many years has it been now?”
“Haah… Rose, I told you before. If I’m going to push my brother out and claim the dukedom, I first have to win over my father.”
“I know. That’s why you got engaged to that Litricia girl. You said you’d use the engagement to get access to the Esta family’s shipping business. But you never said the fake engagement would drag on this long!”
“Yeah, I did say that. But, sigh…”
Something clearly wasn’t going according to plan. Patrick let out another sigh with that annoyingly picture-perfect face.
From a distance, he might’ve looked like a saint contemplating world peace—but the words coming out of his mouth were far from noble.
“Count Esta—that sly old snake—must’ve sensed something. He’s saying he won’t hand over the business rights until after the wedding.”
“What?! Patrick! Don’t tell me you’re actually going to marry her?”
“But Rose, you know better than anyone that there’s nothing as useful to my father as the shipping business. It’s the perfect card to outmaneuver my brother.”
“So what? And what am I supposed to be, your mistress? Hah!”
As the noble daughter of a prestigious count, the very thought was unbearable to Lorazne. Her shoulders trembled in outrage.
Then she violently shoved Patrick’s hand away.
“Forget it. If that’s how it is, then we’re done!”
“There you go again. Don’t always get so emotional…”
Whoosh.
Patrick turned gracefully, his tailcoat fluttering, and half-embraced Lorazne.
This exposed his well-sculpted face completely in Litricia’s direction.
But he was so focused on pacifying his lover that he didn’t notice her standing in the shadows.
“Rose, calm down and think about it. This might not be so bad. We just get married, and then we can get rid of Litricia at the right moment.”
“…How? What if she divorces you and demands the business rights back?”
“Well… Count Esta is supposed to get the spice distribution rights from our family in exchange for the marriage. He won’t be able to go back on the deal.”
With a shrug, Patrick moved his shoulders with theatrical grace.
“I’ll just live with her for a few years, then stir up some scandal and kick her out.”
“A few years?! You expect me to wait that long? That’s unbearable!”
Pouting, Lorazne puffed out her cheeks. Patrick tilted his head affectionately.
“Aww, I could never let my dear Lorazne be bored. I’ll try to move up the timeline.”
“Easier said than done!”
“Well, there’s this new spice we recently got that’s pretty interesting.”
“A new spice?”
Lorazne’s eyes widened with curiosity. Watching her, Patrick curled his lips seductively.
“Yeah. It can render someone unconscious in seconds… without leaving a single trace.”
“If push comes to shove, I’ll just use that.”
He said it casually, without a shred of guilt, then leaned in toward Lorazne.
Smooch.
The soft sound of a kiss echoed once through the terrace. Just as he was about to go in for a deeper one—
A gust of wind, thick with the smell of rain, blew through.
The curtain shielding the terrace flared wide open.
So wide, even Patrick could now see Litricia clearly.
“…!”
It was the second time today—this exact scene.
Ah. But maybe this time he felt a little guiltier. His eyes trembled more violently than before.
“L-Lisha? How did you get in here?”
Startled, Patrick pushed Lorazne away.
But what was the point now? She had already seen and heard everything.
“L-Let’s talk somewhere private, Lisha. I know this looks bad, but I can explain everything.”
“…”
“Whatever you’re thinking—it’s all a misunderstanding. Don’t jump to conclusions—”
“Patrick. Don’t you think that excuse is a little lazy?”
“…What?”
Even in this situation, he was lying so effortlessly that Litricia could only stare at him in disillusionment. Then she swiped the bright red lipstick stain from his lips with her thumb.
“If you’re going to say things like ‘It’s a misunderstanding,’ at least wipe your lover’s lipstick off your face first.”
“A-Ah, damn…!”
Finally realizing how he looked, Patrick frantically rubbed at his face—but only made himself look more ridiculous.
Litricia watched him for a moment.
Then she called his name in a tired voice:
“Patrick.”
And with that, she tilted her champagne glass over his golden, beautiful head.
Splash.
As the champagne spilled without resistance, she slowly let out the words she had buried deep inside for a long time.
“Let’s break off the engagement.”
