TFLMLD 35

Chapter 35 Contract After the First Union
2021.01.02

The items I had listed at the auction purely to test their commercial appeal had already drawn immense demand, spreading by word of mouth, and requests for orders poured in. The results before me were far larger than anything previously imaginable, and the rumors were explosive. No matter how high the price, the items were selling out. The commercial test had unexpectedly received such a hot response that even finding the auction alias “Queen of the Night” became more frequent. Journalists requesting interviews flooded in, yet I kept my identity even more strictly concealed. If I were exposed, stories of the “monster prince” would resurface, causing trouble for Macaron. Operating the business without revealing my identity wasn’t a problem, anyway. Whenever I thought about the uncertain future, money always served as a reliable stepping stone. How wonderful it would be to open a makeup shop under my name, spread it nationwide, and even globalize it. Whether I would still be here then or elsewhere was unknown…

Putting such complicated thoughts aside, I focused solely on my work. The idea of fulfilling a long-cherished dream made my heart swell. But there were still two changers left to develop.

Developing a skin improvement changer that made makeup work properly—a formidable challenge.
Developing a hair-dye changer, inspired by the dye Macaron had gifted me earlier.

If I succeeded in these, the barriers to makeup would vanish, and hair dyeing would no longer be a task for human hands. The main problems were creating a drug capable of regenerating skin and having a reliable supply of dye. After countless studies, a month passed, and today, Macaron was still fully immersed in sword practice. Although it felt like our eyes met at times, he continued swinging the sword as if nothing had happened… Macaron remained consistent.

Back at the western annex, Macaron’s face bore a satisfied smile, as usual. It wasn’t just because Kai’s skills had improved… the true reason was different.

“I wanted to show Calypso how I wield the sword…”

He had never expected to boast this naturally. Even though he had disliked swords as much as Kai did in his childhood, he now felt a desire to praise himself for enduring endless training. Macaron was beginning to enjoy the swordsmanship, which had been forged from tears and bloodshed to eliminate threats and protect himself. When Calypso watched, many things changed: what he once disliked became enjoyable, and what he already liked became even better. Macaron’s swordsmanship, previously stagnant, was noticeably improving. While the secretary of the Knight family played a significant role, the greatest contributor was Calypso, who watched him from the window.

But what use was all that? Macaron’s expression darkened as he gazed at the contract on the table. Momonte couldn’t help but notice Macaron’s low spirits all day.

“All day, ignoring estate management and only staring at that…”

Momonte immediately grasped the nature of Macaron’s dilemma.

“Would you like to change the contract?”

“Is there a way?”

“There is… but…”

Momonte hesitated at the end of his sentence.

“What is it?”

“That… whether Your Highness can do it…”

Macaron’s brow furrowed noticeably. Doubt his ability? What could it possibly be?

“Have I ever failed to do something?”

“Yes.”

The straightforward confidence, without the slightest hesitation, piqued Macaron’s curiosity.

“Speak quickly.”

“It’s… the union.”

Muttering to himself, “I must be crazy to believe this,” Macaron turned his chair to look out the window.

“You fool. If your lady had approved, would you even be worrying about this?”

Even in this moment, Momonte remained firm. Having long served a master who had endured life alone, his loyalty dominated decisive moments. He could not bear to see his master live a lonely life in solitude.

“You must reconsider. Contract after the union.”

“…?”

Macaron muttered quietly in the silent room, cursing under his breath.

“This is insane…”

Momonte usually kept personal feelings out of work, but this time he could not. The lady was far better than his initial prejudices had suggested. If she were another noblewoman, or if His Highness had any interest in the throne, things would be different… But for someone who spent a lifetime away from political strife, what he needed most was a person like her—beautiful and of good character. So, Momonte firmly expressed his point today.

“Think carefully. There is no alternative to the union.”

“….”

“Nothing can surpass the union…!”

Macaron slammed his hand on the table, his face red with anger, and only then did Momonte regain composure. He disappeared outside, leaving Macaron alone to ponder the bizarre solution proposed.

“Contract after the union… damn it… wait.”

When people are cornered, even strange things can seem like lifelines. At that moment, Momonte’s suggestion started to make sense. Recently, the most popular book among ladies was “First Kiss, Then Love.” By that logic, a “contract after the union” could be considered a reasonable argument.

“…But…”

The initial excitement of the idea soon cooled. Memories of a recent disastrous day resurfaced.

“All because of that damned thing… and it can’t even be controlled…”

Macaron sighed while staring at the cursed object and ran several laps in the training hall. Only after exhausting himself did he summon Momonte.

“Is there a way?”

Macaron glared while smiling faintly, and Momonte immediately switched to a respectful mode, bowing politely.

“Leave it to me.”

“….”

“Your Highness needs only to follow my instructions.”

Momonte’s face was resolute.

Even today, Macaron danced with the sword, and as usual, he smiled widely at me at the end of his performance. Yet, he did something strange—tapping his chest and pointing to the hall, smiling contentedly. Was that a signal to meet? Macaron had always enjoyed creating secret signals just between us. After lightly applying makeup and tying my hair up, I went downstairs, and he was waiting in the corridor.

“What’s the matter?”

For some reason, Macaron stared blankly at me, face red, unable to meet my eyes. Yet, his actions were bold despite his shy expression.

“Could you make it so I can come even when there’s no reason?”

Muttering “like Kai and Coral…” he looked slightly offended. I couldn’t resist teasing him.

“That’s difficult.”

“Why can Kai and Coral, but not me?”

“I don’t allow dangerous people into the room.”

Since the healthy incident that revealed him, Macaron had endured daily teasing. He seemed resigned, almost enjoying it now, his grin stretched from ear to ear.

“So, did you come today to get into the room?”

“I’ll try that next time.”

He whispered conspiratorially, as if sharing a secret.

“The reason I came today is different. You must agree to this.”

“I’ll hear it first.”

When he finally spoke, his tone was low:

“I plan to go on a family trip.”

“…!”

With such an innocent expression suggesting a family trip… I couldn’t resist. And so, we went on a family trip. Coral and Kai sat together as usual, showing off their charming demeanor. Macaron, unsurprisingly, looked ridiculously handsome—enough to make anyone’s jaw drop. Thanks to the new “Secret Sexy” changer, the allure was perfect. His gaze lingered on me, and whenever our eyes met, he would suddenly act startled like a caught mischievous cat.

“He suddenly proposed a family trip… there must be some scheme…”

I didn’t care. Whatever scheme Macaron had planned, I was ready to go along. The scenery from the carriage was peaceful, and excitement ran high as it was our first family trip. The destination, strongly recommended by Macaron, was the Rieromant estate. True to his description, it was stunning, with small homes clustered like a painting. Some servants went ahead to move luggage to annexes, while we wandered the streets under the discreet protection of Lord Eint and the knights.

Rieromant was lively, bustling with people. The crowd was so dense that I held Coral’s hand tightly. But Coral grabbed Macaron’s hand and subtly placed my hand in his before stepping back.

When did Coral change like this…? Spending time with Macaron had clearly increased her expressiveness while diminishing her innocence. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Macaron subtly linked his arm with mine. Coral smiled slyly at me, then posed seriously.

“Coral will go with Kai oppa.”

She naturally linked arms with Kai, as we had expected.

“Children can change in an instant… when did our Coral change like that?”

Whether good or bad, one thing was certain—when Coral acted, everything… seemed right. Kai’s ears were clearly burning from afar. The cuteness was overwhelming.

A low voice interrupted the moment:

“Shall we go too?”

I was about to scold whoever disturbed our historical observation of our little ones’ date, but turning, I found Macaron’s handsome profile and decided to forgive him. I guess I have a weakness for handsome people. Today, Macaron had once again broken his own peak looks. Yet, we looked like a perfect couple, so no one sent flirtatious glances our way. The people in the lively streets, dressed in gorgeous dresses and tuxedos, seemed vibrant due to the unique atmosphere of the estate. A few were even using the changers I had developed, which was fascinating. Kai and Coral received leaflets from a person in a clown mask and spent some time discussing them.

“I wonder what it’s about…?”