~Chapter 87~
The incident began with Elliot.
“So, you finished the second stage of the soul contract well, right?”
The cautious question of the blond curse, who was sketching in his notebook, made Damien pause his pen and lift his head.
Silently, but clearly, he nodded.
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
Elliot pretended to wipe nonexistent sweat from his forehead, sighing in relief.
“If you complete the third stage too, the chance of running away will decrease.”
“Hey, that’s not certain.”
Alice, who had been organizing sparkling treasures in a jewel box, suddenly interrupted.
“If stupid Damien messes up even once and makes her mad, it’ll be the end anyway.”
“But Rubiana is also kind of stupid, so…”
Alice fell silent for a moment, struck by Elliot’s blunt words.
After a fake cough, she stubbornly continued.
“Even if she’s stupid, Rubiana is a woman. Yesterday, I read in a book that a woman’s heart is like a reed—”
“Alice, I told you cheap romance novels are forbidden.”
Damien didn’t miss the chance to point it out, and Alice quickly shut her mouth.
“No, wait. Actually, I didn’t read it in a book. Someone told me that before.”
Damien sighed and turned back to his papers. He made up his mind to change the hiding spot for books—those twins were clearly sneaking and reading things not good for their age.
“But Damien, there’s something I really want to ask.”
Alice leaned over his desk, legs swinging, and peeked at him.
“After you finished the second ritual, what did you two do? Did you go on a date?”
“Date?”
Damien’s quill stopped mid-scratch.
“…The day after the ritual, we had a tour date in the mansion.”
“Are you kidding me?”
Alice exploded, pretending to punch him with her fist.
“You do that all the time! Not that. I mean, after such an important ritual, you should’ve done something special!”
But Damien gave no answer.
Elliot, sensing something strange, put down his crayons and walked over to lean on the desk too.
“Hey, after you came back with Rubiana from the ritual, what did you do?”
Damien thought for a moment before replying.
“We had a ghost story exchange in our room.”
“…Then the next day after work?”
“We had a horror art appreciation in the library.”
“…And the day after that?”
“I took her to the lower curse cave to observe—”
“Hey! You lunatic!”
Alice shouted, stabbing the silver knife she had been holding straight into the mahogany desk.
Ding! The polished knife vibrated with a sound.
“All of those are things you always do! You need change, change!”
This time she waved a fork in agitation.
“At least go outside or something! What woman would like a man who talks about the same things every single day, in the same room?”
Damien’s face stiffened.
“But… Ruby likes scary things…”
“Even so, it needs balance! Who would like it if it’s the same routine every time?”
Alice screamed again.
Elliot stepped in, trying to calm her down while explaining to Damien.
“She’s right. Think about it—don’t you hate it when the Emperor tells you the same thing over and over? To just keep eating curses? Isn’t it annoying?”
Finally, Damien’s violet eyes trembled.
“Me… like the Emperor?”
“Exactly!”
Alice kicked the desk leg, then crossed her arms, eyebrows raised in frustration.
“You! Do you want to end up like an old man, repeating the same words and same actions every single day like the Emperor?”
Thump— Damien’s heart dropped.
“No matter what, after something that important, there should’ve been a surprise. A unique date, at least.”
She pointed her finger at him like a warning blade.
“If you keep acting like this, she’ll divorce you.”
Divorce.
Damien, who had never feared even the strongest curses or the Emperor himself, had recently found one thing terrifying.
That word.
The moment he heard it, his eyes flew open as if struck by lightning.
“That must never happen.”
From the beginning, the soul contract had been something Rubiana did for his sake.
Yet he hadn’t even thought about giving her greater joy in return. Instead, he had lived idly.
Damien felt pathetic.
‘What if…’
In his mind, he saw a nightmare.
Rubiana smiling with a stranger:
“Damien, I’m sorry. I’m leaving you. He prepares different kinds of dates, unlike you, who always do the same things.”
Snap.
“Eh?”
Elliot flinched when Damien’s quill snapped in his grip.
“…Oh, crap.”
Elliot saw Damien’s eyes—already half-lost to madness.
“Hey, Alice. Let’s go.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Just… let’s leave.”
Sensing danger, Elliot dragged his sister out of the room.
Left alone, Damien ground his teeth and pulled out a new quill.
‘I’ll finish this within an hour.’
At terrifying speed, he completed paperwork that should’ve taken three hours in just one.
All with one determination—
To prepare the perfect surprise date for Rubiana.
“Hmm?”
While sketching, I suddenly felt something strange.
It was because of the soul contract—I could sense Damien’s state.
‘What’s this? He seems to be rushing to finish his work quickly.’
Being a duke really was a hard job.
‘He already has so much work… I hope he doesn’t overdo it.’
He must’ve had little mental rest while preparing for the second ritual. It was admirable, but also a bit worrying.
‘Is there a way I can help him?’
I drew lines across the white canvas without thinking.
When I looked down, I realized I had drawn the torso of a man without a face.
“…Huh? What did I just draw?”
Normally, I always chose a subject before drawing. But this time, I had unconsciously sketched, and something unusual came out.
Rare for me.
“Silly me…”
I erased the lines with my eraser.
Then, Ruhy came bouncing over and plopped down on the paper.
[Ru-hy?]
Tilting its head cutely, Ruhy asked.
“Ah, I think I drew it wrong. I’m erasing it.”
[Ru-hy~]
Ruhy nodded, as if saying, ‘I see.’
I smiled and reached my hand out to him.
“Then, should I draw my little Ruhy today?”
[Ru-hy!!]
He bounced happily, leaping onto my palm.
With cute Ruhy perched on my shoulder, I focused again on my drawing.
About ten minutes later, a knock came.
Knock knock.
“Come in!”
The door opened—
And instead of a servant, it was Damien.
“Huh? Damien?”
It hadn’t been long since I felt his determination to finish work quickly, so his sudden visit surprised me.
Even more unusual—his hair was slightly messy, his face flushed, and there was even ink smudged on his cheek, as if he had rushed here desperately.
‘He must’ve worked with incredible passion!’
I stood immediately and walked over.
“Oh my, Damien. What’s the matter?”
“Ruby…”
Damien pulled something out from behind his back and held it out toward me.
