CHAPTER 81…………………………………………….
A hint of expectation appeared in Anje’s eyes as he watched the Duke cautiously.
“So does that mean my mission is finally over? Since there’s no need to investigate Lady Crow any further.”
He had been quietly preparing to pack his things, but then the Duke’s voice—laced with a mocking laugh—reached his ears.
“Is that what you think?”
The Duke, arms crossed, lowered his gaze to stare directly into Anje’s eyes.
Those eyes were the same as always: dark, sharp, intelligent—reflecting him clearly. A satisfied smile tugged at the Duke’s lips.
“You must not have read the contract carefully. You still have several tasks left. Particularly the very last clause.”
…The last clause? What was that?
Anje frowned as he tried to recall. Had he been so distracted by the large sum of money the Duke offered that he overlooked the small print on the back page?
Still, he couldn’t imagine missing a clause—yet something felt off.
Watching Anje tilt his head in confusion, the Duke suddenly burst into laughter. Without giving him time to react, he reached out and gently smoothed the furrow between Anje’s brows.
“What are you—?”
“If you keep frowning like that, it only makes me want to tease you more.”
Anje glared at him.
“‘The contract shall continue until the client is satisfied with the results.’ I’m sure that was written on the bottom line of the attachment on the last page.”
The attachment? Bottom line…?
There was something like that?
“That— that’s basically a slave contract!”
At Anje’s protest, the Duke clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“You signed it voluntarily. I don’t recall threatening you into it, do you?”
Ha… my life… just end it… Why am I like this?
Anje pressed his hands over his face and let out a deep sigh.
Why did His Grace kick Hildegard away? Who in society could possibly be a better bride than Hildegard?
Turning his face toward the window to hide his expression, Anje looked miserable.
All he’d done was try to save his own skin—so where did everything go wrong? Everything had gone completely off track.
Just recently, he hadn’t doubted at all that the Duke and Hildegard would marry.
Swallowed by helplessness, Anje held back another sigh.
Late at night.
The rear gate of the Marquess’s estate opened discreetly, admitting a man dressed head-to-toe in black.
A servant, shoulders hunched under the man’s sharp gaze from beneath a deeply pulled black hat, approached nervously.
“This way.”
The outbuilding the servant led him to was small—almost shabby compared to the main house.
The air smelled faintly of dust and mold from being long unused, though it was still furnished expensively befitting a great household.
Gray, stepping inside without much thought, suddenly froze when he spotted a woman sitting on a red-velvet-covered sofa.
“What? Surprised it’s me and not my grandfather?”
Hildegard spoke without bothering with a greeting. Gray quickly composed himself and bowed.
“Of course not. As you know, the ‘Black Wolf’ does not discriminate between clients.”
Hildegard gestured to the seat across from her.
“That’s why I called you. Sit. My neck hurts.”
Even after Gray took his seat, Hildegard merely lifted and set down her teacup repeatedly in silence.
Unable to endure the quiet, Gray shifted slightly. Only then did Hildegard’s dry gaze flick toward him, and he barely stopped himself from frowning.
What kind of woman has eyes like that…?
Pretending not to notice, he lowered his eyes and recalled his briefing report.
Hildegard Crow.
The woman who had stirred up high society in more ways than one—and the one Anje had been investigating for months.
She was Anje’s age, wasn’t she? Which made her only twenty-one. But the look in her eyes belonged to someone who’d lived a mercenary’s hard life.
The bright violet eyes seen in newspapers and magazines were now sunken and dim. She looked utterly worn out.
“So, the reason you summoned me…”
“The details are in the envelope.”
“May I look now?”
“Do as you want.”
Hildegard leaned back against the sofa again, lost in thought.
Gray opened the envelope and pulled out the contents.
“……!”
“The sooner, the better.”
Despite seeming distracted, she had been watching him; she spoke in an even tone.
“You’re telling me to kill this person?”
Even though the request was written clearly on the document, Gray had to ask. He couldn’t believe what he was reading.
“Did Miss Anje Bofort do something terrible to you…?”
Caught completely off-guard by the assignment, Gray blurted out a foolish question.
“Do you need to know all of your client’s sob stories?”
“N—no. My apologies.”
“The down payment is inside. I’ll give you the rest when the job is done.”
“But… my lady.”
The Black Wolf doesn’t take assassination requests unless there’s a war…
Gray swallowed the words rising to his throat and forced a smile.
He had once pestered Anje, urging him to get into assassination work—after all, it paid far better than regular information brokering.
Gray himself was skilled with a blade and knew several professionals in the field. If they set their minds to it, earning a fortune would’ve been easy.
‘Do you have any idea how terrifying the karma of killing people is?!’
But Anje flatly refused.
He didn’t know what exactly “karma” meant, but Anje lectured endlessly about the classic warnings.
‘We can quit after we make enough.’
‘You think it works that way? Do you know how assassins usually end up?’
Gray had argued, but he’d had to concede eventually.
Even if killing wasn’t a literal addiction, once someone started, they rarely stopped.
And assassins didn’t exactly have happy endings.
So even during wartime, when assassins ran rampant, the Black Wolf only ever fought for protection, never for killing.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Hildegard’s voice snapped him back to attention.
“Of course not, my lady. It will be done.”
Gray signed the contract the servant handed him and bowed politely.
“Thank you for placing your trust in us.”
“Good. When I heard your group doesn’t turn down any job, I expected some brutish thug. I’m relieved you seem at least somewhat sensible. Not that I trust you—how could I, when I know nothing about your people? I’m giving you the job because your reputation is good. Do well.”
Hildegard even smiled a little.
Gray felt faint.
Do well?
At… murder?
She really wanted him to kill Anje.
Barely suppressing hysterical laughter, Gray turned to leave.
Anje hiding his identity all this time had truly been a stroke of genius.
“Oh my, that must be her!”
“But really… has His Grace lost his sense of sight? She looks so ordinary. My daughter is far prettier, honestly.”
“I thought the same. Since he broke off the engagement with Lady Crow because of that girl, I expected a stunning beauty. What a disappointment. Not even as pretty as I was in my youth, don’t you think?”
People shot annoyed looks at the vain noblewoman, but another lady fluttered her fan and added,
“Men don’t fall for just a pretty face, you know. Perhaps she’s skilled in… other ways.”
They really had no filter.
Anje kept smiling, her hand resting casually on the Duke’s arm, but she squinted one eye in irritation.
Noticing her discomfort, the Duke clicked his tongue.
“Should we just head back?”
“How could we? This is still official business. It’s just…”
She discreetly rubbed her ear.
“My ears are itching. By the way, what will you do now? Now that you’re no longer engaged to Lady Crow, every noble family with a daughter is aiming for you. And for the record, this part is not in our contract—so I can’t help. Even with extra pay, I refuse.”
The Duke let out a small laugh.
“It will die down if we don’t react. But you’re the one in trouble, aren’t you? Every lady here seems to hate you.”
“All because of someone…!”
Anje snapped, but bit her lip when she heard the Duke’s laugh. He was teasing her.
“It doesn’t matter. The rumors about me are already everywhere. Everyone thinks I bewitched you and ruined your engagement. A bit more slander won’t make a difference.”
The Duke chuckled and nodded. His brightened eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Then behave and cooperate.”
…Maybe she should punch him. And quit the job while she was at it.
