Chapter : 07
“So, you want me to act as your fiancé?”
Noah leaned back against the sofa and met her eyes over the contract.
“That is all I want.”
“Why?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“Depending on the situation.”
“In the current situation?”
“You do.”
‘Seriously, I’ve been watching him and watching him, but he really does talk so briefly.’
Raeliana crossed her arms and tapped her fingers lightly against them.
What if she said:
‘I’m someone who came from another world, and I know about this world because I read it in a novel. My fiancé is trying to kill me. Oh, and as an additional note, I only found out where the Imperial Seal was because of him. Please keep that in mind. Anyway, I need your cooperation to get rid of that man.’
What kind of expression would that man make?
If she could just make that arrogant face turn into a blank, dumbfounded expression, she felt like she could say it once, even if there was a risk of being locked away in a mental hospital.
But if she brought up something like that, she was sure that instead of looking stunned, he would only curl one corner of his lips into a smirk again, call his servants, and have her dragged out of the mansion.
So Raeliana decided to suppress the impulse.
“I obtained information that the man—that is, my fiancé—is trying to kill me. But I have neither evidence nor witnesses. I need a convincing reason to break off my engagement with French Brooks as soon as possible.”
“You found out he’s trying to kill you even though you have neither evidence nor witnesses?”
Raeliana shrugged her shoulders.
What else could she do? It was the truth.
“You don’t have to believe me. It’s not an important matter to the Duke anyway.”
She became rather bold.
In this terrible class-based society, she briefly worried that she might be punished for something like, ‘That girl doesn’t know her place and is acting arrogantly! Beat that insolent woman!’
But that worry only appeared for a moment, as small as a drop of an ant’s tear.
Noah placed the contract down on the table.
“Is the source of this information the same as the source of the information about the Imperial Seal?”
“Speaking in general terms, yes.”
“Then let’s talk about that source.”
“I cannot tell you the source of the information. I want to make the contract under that condition.”
“No. That won’t work.”
“It will.”
The two of them argued back and forth over the contract Raeliana had prepared beforehand.
For her, none of those matters were things she could compromise on. However, Noah picked apart every single condition of the contract, from the first clause to the last.
Their tense negotiations kept returning to the beginning and continued endlessly.
“The person who gave me the information is already dead. I cannot verify their identity, but I will guarantee in whatever way is necessary—whether through this contract or otherwise—that there will be no one who will bother you because of this matter in the future.”
“What makes me believe that?”
“Ughhh…”
Raeliana let out a sigh that seemed to rise from the deepest abyss somewhere inside her stomach.
On the other hand, Noah only looked amused.
Her insides were boiling.
She felt like she wanted to immediately slap that handsome cheek of his.
Noah seemed like some kind of sadist who enjoyed it more the more uncomfortable she became.
“Regardless, I cannot give in on that point. If we cannot reach an agreement, then let’s pretend this contract never happened. As you know, the information I possess is extremely valuable, so I believe other young nobles would gladly pay a high price for it. Isn’t it common knowledge even among the children in the streets that there are plenty of people who would gladly lick my feet if it meant they could damage the Duke’s reputation?”
Noah let out a small laugh.
Again. Again. Again, he was mocking her.
Again.
“Didn’t you come to me because you don’t think they would believe you?”
“A small hole in a dam can eventually turn into a flood.”
“Some incidents remain nothing more than incidents.”
This felt like being forced to choose between two ridiculous options: ‘Die’ or ‘Become impotent.’
“This—stupid and frustrating—”
Raeliana trembled with anger for a moment and stopped speaking before continuing.
“……Let’s stop this battle of wills. What I want is simply this. Whether you think I’m some pathetic stalker of the Duke, or a fool making a deal without receiving proper compensation, or a suspicious woman hiding some other scheme—I don’t care. You may think whatever you want.”
“What I want is nothing more than this business relationship that is enough to fool people’s eyes for a while. According to this contract, I will keep silent about everything regarding the Imperial Seal. You won’t have to worry about anything else because of me.”
“If you only pretend to be my fiancé for six months. Just six months. After that, I will disappear completely from your life.”
Noah tightly closed his mouth.
Unable to tell what he was thinking from his emotionless poker face, Raeliana emphasized once more.
“Completely.”
‘So hurry up and sign it.’
With the true meaning hidden beneath her smile, Raeliana tapped the empty space on the contract with her finger.
This was the last chance.
She was really going back now.
She repeated those thoughts over and over again in her mind, but then Noah’s eyes curved like a crescent moon, and his low voice flowed out.
“Fine.”
He signed the contract with his fountain pen.
‘Did it work? Really?’
“But in return, while we are performing this ridiculous play, whenever I need you, you must fulfill your role as my fiancée.”
“……Whenever you need me?”
“You’ll find out whether you like it or not.”
Raeliana felt an ominous feeling creeping up from the tips of her toes and tightening around her.
And before long, she would come to regret this contract she had made today—over and over again.
