HDFL 03

Chapter : 03

“…What did you just say?”

“I’ll double the pay instead. Well? Does that get your attention?”

It seemed the illustrious Duke was wealthy enough to spend a fortune on a trivial amusement.

Caught completely off guard by the unexpected proposal to pretend to be his lover, Lucrezia frowned as she looked at Kallian. She had naturally assumed he was joking, but his expression was surprisingly serious.

Ten thousand ducats just to act as his lover? Is this man out of his mind?

As she stared at him suspiciously, the corner of Kallian’s lips curled into a smile. Despite the obvious mockery on his face, it somehow wasn’t as irritating as it should have been—probably because that absurdly handsome face made even arrogance look tolerable.

“If you simply need someone to play your mistress, why don’t you visit the red-light district? Unfortunately, I’m not the type of person who takes responsibility for a client’s nights.”

“Me? Desire me? You’re rather full of yourself. You seem to have less self-awareness than I expected.”

“Then why are you willing to spend that much money to hire me?”

“Because I think it’ll be entertaining. I can’t think of any other reason.”

There wasn’t the slightest trace of deception in Kallian’s expression as he answered so casually. His honesty bordered on outright rudeness, and Lucrezia’s ears flushed red in embarrassment.

Standing beside him, Derek finally spoke up.

“Your Grace, please restrain yourself while we’re here. Haven’t you already been involved in enough scandals? Besides, it’s rude to make such a proposal to someone who’s come here looking for honest work.”

“So now you’re pretending to be righteous because you were born into a prestigious family?” Kallian sneered. “Sometimes looking at you makes me sick, Derek. Tell me, what promise did you make when you begged me to let you become my adjutant?”

“…I said I would become Your Grace’s dog.”

“Then stay quiet like a proper dog. Stop barking every time you feel like sticking your nose into someone else’s business.”

Though he clearly had plenty he wanted to say, Derek lowered his head and fell silent. Unlike his earlier courage, his drooping eyebrows now made him resemble a dejected puppy.

What a strange man.

Normally, Lucrezia would never have accepted such a proposal.

But she had no choice except to consider it.

Ignoring ten thousand ducats simply wasn’t an option given her current circumstances. The money she had now wasn’t even enough to pay her taxes, much less Jack’s medicine.

Fine. I’ll accept for now. If things become impossible, I’ll just take the advance payment and disappear. The Duke will eventually return to the mainland anyway.

Nobles visiting from the capital usually left for the mainland once the carnival season ended.

For someone desperately in need of money, this was the perfect opportunity.

If the reward was generous enough, enduring that unbearably arrogant man for a while wasn’t impossible.

“I’ll accept your proposal, Your Grace. But I have one condition.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I’ll need an advance payment. If you suddenly leave Benin, I’ll end up with nothing.”

“How much do you want?”

“Half of the total payment. Cash would be too bulky, so a check or jewels would be preferable.”

Normally, the standard advance payment in Benin amounted to only one-tenth of the agreed fee.

To keep herself from looking nervous, Lucrezia had to draw upon every bit of acting experience she’d gained surviving the back alleys.

After a brief silence, Kallian nodded as though it were nothing.

“Very well. We’ll do as you say. But I won’t hand it over for free.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I don’t make losing deals. I’m not foolish enough to hand that much money to a woman I’ve only just met.”

Taking another step closer, Kallian gently gathered a lock of Lucrezia’s hair in his hand.

Her silky hair slipped through his fingers like strands of silver.

The crimson eyes that slowly examined her carried the lazy yet overwhelming pressure of a predator that had already caught its fragile prey.

“You’ll receive the advance after you pass a few tests. Report to my townhouse tomorrow. I hate questions, so if there’s anything you want to know, ask Derek.”

“Wait a minute. That wasn’t part of the deal. And what do you mean by your townhouse? Where is it?”

“I already told you. Ask the dog over there. I hate repeating myself.”

Being referred to as a dog yet again, Derek looked so miserable it was painful to watch.

Having said everything he wanted, Kallian walked out of the drawing room as though he had no further business there.

Apparently accustomed to such treatment, Derek let out a weary sigh before handing Lucrezia a note with an address written on it.

“This is the address of His Grace’s townhouse. I’ll inform the gatekeeper beforehand, so please come dressed as inconspicuously as possible. It would be best if you claimed to be a servant who came for an interview.”

“…Don’t tell me you intend to treat me like a servant for the duration of the contract?”

“That depends entirely on His Grace’s wishes. But let me warn you in advance—don’t expect humane treatment. As you’ve already seen, even I, his adjutant, am regularly treated like a dog.”

Answering weakly, Derek hurried after his superior.

Left alone in the now-empty drawing room, Lucrezia stared blankly at the doorway through which the two men had disappeared.

“…Sigh. Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed.”

Her regretful sigh melted into the darkness.

Carrying groceries she’d bought from the market, Lucrezia made her way home through the slums.

Several children who had been begging passersby for money cheerfully ran up and clung to her legs, but she simply shook her head with an apologetic smile, saying she didn’t have the energy to play with them today, before continuing into the dim alley.

Her home, filled with all kinds of blacksmithing tools, had once been Jack’s workshop—once the most successful forge in Benin’s back streets.

The furnace that had never gone cold had long since fallen silent.

Yet every time Lucrezia returned to the shabby, soot-covered house, she felt warmth spreading quietly through her heart.

Setting down her heavy shopping basket, she took a deep breath before opening the door.

The thought that she might soon have to serve in a Duke’s household left her with mixed feelings, but she couldn’t let Jack see her looking depressed.

“Uncle, I’m home. I’m coming in.”

The old door, whose hinges had long since fallen out of alignment, let out its usual unpleasant creak as she pushed it open.

Inside, a gray-haired middle-aged man was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard.

“You could’ve at least lit a lamp. It’s so dark in here.”

“I’ve spent my whole life in front of fire. I’ve grown tired of it.”

“That’s a lie. Lamp oil isn’t that expensive. Why are you always so stubborn?”

“You’ve gotten bold now that you’re all grown up. The smell gives me a headache. I like it this way.”

“If you don’t like the oil lamp, then at least light some candles. I’ve been leaving plenty of them on the table just in case.”

Receiving no reply, Lucrezia struck a match and lit the candles around the room.

As warm yellow light pushed back the darkness, the dreary little room immediately felt a bit more alive.

“How are you feeling? Ever since we changed your medicine, your walking seems much better.”

“Haven’t I told you over and over to stop wasting money on medicine? This body’s going to die sooner or later anyway. Why spend so much?”

“…You didn’t skip your medicine again, did you? If you did, I’m really going to be angry.”

Speaking in an intentionally stern voice, Lucrezia watched as Jack reluctantly pulled the pills he’d hidden beneath his pillow and swallowed them.

It proved he’d skipped earlier doses, but at least she’d managed to make him take today’s medicine. That was enough for now.

“Good job, Uncle. You’ll keep taking it every day from now on, right?”

“How can you expect me to swallow something that’s more precious than gold every single day?”

“I told you, that’s a misunderstanding. How could I possibly afford something that expensive? I barely earn enough to get by.”

Jack had only recently discovered that the tiny pill he’d believed to be an ordinary herbal remedy was actually a newly developed medicine imported from the New Continent.

Ever since learning the truth, he’d stubbornly refused to take it.

If only the fruit vendor—a middle-aged woman who had briefly dated Uncle Jack years ago—hadn’t secretly let the truth slip, he never would have found out.

“…You’re probably right.”

Seeing the faint trust replace the suspicion on Jack’s stubborn face, Lucrezia smiled gently.

“I’ll make you a really delicious dinner tonight. I went all out shopping today.”