Chapter 5
A gaze filled with a warning glow stared at me intensely, as if telling me to think carefully before answering.
But only one thought popped into my head.
“No way, come on.”
It was more likely that a fish would fly through the sky.
I was a commoner. An orphan, even, with no idea who my parents were.
Sure, they might be desperate to continue the family line, but there’s no way they’d want someone with such an unknown background like me to give birth to the heir of a ducal house.
“If that were the case, they would’ve accepted the maid who was the elder brother’s lover in the first place.”
More likely, they were planning to hand me an envelope of money and chase me away.
From the Duchess’s point of view, she’d done it once—why not again?
“Duke, I just came up with a brilliant idea.”
“What is it?”
Like the con artists I often saw at the fountain square, I started pitching it like I was selling a miracle tonic.
“So, you don’t want to get married, but your mother keeps nagging you about it, right?”
“Exactly. I’m out here at this hour just to escape that nagging.”
“I have a very effective way to stop it.”
“What is it? Pretending to be my lover?”
“Not just pretending. You take me with you and tell her, ‘If it’s not this woman, I’m not getting married!’”
The duke raised one eyebrow, clearly not expecting that answer.
“Hmm… and then?”
“A commoner like me would never meet your mother’s standards. She’d tell you to break up with me, obviously. Then I’ll pretend I can’t let go because I love you so much, and stubbornly hold on.”
“Until she offers you a money envelope?”
“Yes! And once I take it and disappear, you’ll have a solid excuse: ‘I told you I wouldn’t marry anyone else!’”
“Oh… So when she tries to force me to marry someone, I can say, ‘Then bring back the fiancée you chased away.’”
“Yes, exactly!”
Feeling quite proud of my flawless plan, I beamed, but the duke burst out laughing.
“What if they really do bring you back?”
“As if they would. I’m just a commoner.”
“Well… If the issue is just your status, there are ways to fix that. I could pay some remote noble family to adopt you and clean up your background.”
“Hmm… If things go that far, you can secretly intervene from behind the scenes.”
“Me?”
“Yes. If we actually ended up married, the one in real trouble would be you, Duke.”
“Me?”
…Huh?
“Well, fine. I’ve had enough of that nagging. If you can make it stop, I’d be grateful.”
He looked at me with a deep smile. It was as sweet and thick as freshly harvested honey.
“But let’s be clear—while I brought it up, you, Iri, are the one pushing this forward.”
Gasp. He’s really going along with this ridiculous plan?
Before he could change his mind, I quickly nodded.
“Yes! Whatever happens, I’ll take full responsibility! Just trust me, Duke!”
He seemed to like my enthusiasm, giving me a gentle smile with twinkling eyes.
“To think my future fiancée would be so reliable. I must be very lucky.”
“Pardon? Fiancée?”
“Well, if we want to convince my mother enough to hand over a money envelope, we need to be more than just lovers—we should at least act like we’re planning a future together.”
…That makes sense?
When I nodded in agreement, the duke stood up and looked down at his feet.
“Shai.”
A dark figure suddenly rose from the duke’s feet.
“Eeek! Wh-what is that?!”
“No need to be scared. She’s my right-hand aide. You’ll be seeing her often, so introduce yourself. Just know—Shai can’t speak.”
“Oh, I see. Hello. I’m Iri. As of today, I’m the duke’s fake lover… I mean, fiancée.”
I bowed politely, and the slim, agile woman—slightly shorter than the duke—returned the bow silently.
After we finished greeting each other, the duke held out his hand to Shai.
Understanding what he wanted, Shai immediately pulled out a pen and paper from the pouch at her waist.
“Well then, shall we start with the contract?”
“Eh? A contract?”
“Just in case.”
The duke quickly scribbled something on the writing pad Shai held up.
“Take a look.”
“Okay.”
Of course, I was ready to sign it no matter what it said.
“…Huh?”
But the content was so unexpected that my eyes widened.
“This isn’t… a contract. It’s a letter of introduction.”
It was. The duke had written a recommendation letter in seconds.
A letter addressed to the director of the magical healing center in the capital.
“When I was in the capital, the director owed me a favor. Take this, and they’ll treat your grandmother in the VIP ward until she’s fully recovered. Free of charge.”
“VIP ward? A-and for free?”
“Well, technically not free.”
The duke gently pulled the paper from my hands.
Then he fluttered it in front of me like luring a cat with foxtail grass, smiling with half-moon eyes.
“Think of it as an advance payment. You’re doing all this for your grandmother’s treatment. If this drags on and her condition worsens, it’ll be too late.”
“Ah…”
“You’ll pay me back with the money envelope. Just don’t vanish on your own.”
My chest swelled with emotion at his thoughtfulness. Without even thinking, I shouted:
“Yes! I’ll repay this kindness with my whole body if I must!”
“Miss, you’re seriously dangerous. Saying things like that—you might end up in real trouble.”
“I’ll do my best to make sure you never hear nagging about marriage again! Let’s hurry up and write the contract, Duke!”
At my declaration, the duke laughed again.
“Alright then… You said it yourself, so no backing out.”
“Of course! I’ll keep my word!”
Shai pulled out another sheet, and the duke and I drafted a simple contract.
Clause 1: The Duke will provide Iri a letter of introduction so her grandmother can be treated at the capital’s magical healing center.
Clause 2: Iri will act as the Duke’s lover until she receives a money envelope, then she’ll hand it over to the Duke.
Clause 3: If she fails to receive the envelope…
“Then repay me with your body—become my secretary or something.”
“Yes! I’ll pay you back no matter what!”
The Duke, seeming quite pleased with the arrangement, smiled with satisfaction.
“Alright. First, send your grandmother to the capital. Then let’s meet again this Sunday at noon by the fountain.”
“Yes! I’ll be waiting in front of the fountain!”
Fearing I might lose it on the way home, I clutched the introduction letter tightly and dashed home.
* * *
“She’s going to trip running like that again… Shai.”
At Elkiers’s brief call, Shai disappeared into the shadows once more.
Blessed by a spirit of shadow, she could not only blend into darkness, but also move from shadow to shadow.
From the shadow of a bench to that of a tree, then to a stone wall—slipping into Iri’s shadow took no time at all.
With his aide gone, a deep, marsh-like silence settled around Elkiers.
Even the air felt heavier—perhaps because the ever-present smile on his face had now disappeared.
“…She really doesn’t remember?”
His voice held a hint of disappointment, but at the end of his muttering, a small cherry-like smile formed on his lips.
“She’s even prettier up close. Grew up just like she looked back then.”
As if already feeling nostalgic, he recalled Iri’s bright smile. He narrowed his eyes as he flicked the contract still in his hand.
“I didn’t want to get greedy… didn’t want to drag her into this cursed family. But now? It’s a different story.”
He looked down at Iri’s round, bubbly signature and quietly recalled their earlier exchange.
“If I take the money and run, and get caught—I’ll go to prison in the ducal house without resistance.”
‘Are you sure about this clause?’
‘Of course! If I ever repay kindness with betrayal, you’d better drag me back and punish me properly, Duke!’
“…She has no idea she’s already caught in my trap. So bright and naive… what am I supposed to do with her?”
The moon was hidden by clouds, but his gentle eyes curved like a crescent moon.
And behind the paper, the corners of his mouth curved just the same.
Lost in memories of a distant day, Elkiers sat for a long time on the now-empty bench beside him.
