Chapter 8
“There won’t be anything particularly difficult. You’ll mostly be assisting me with my work.”
A short while later, we moved to a different location. Apparently, today’s work would be conducted elsewhere.
To my surprise, he explained the job in a perfectly sensible manner.
The problem was…
The thing that had happened just before this had been so utterly nonsensical that I still hadn’t recovered from it.
“Let’s start with this proposal.”
The more I listened, the more I realized this man wasn’t a Crown Prince in name only.
His explanations were precise, and his grasp of every issue was crystal clear.
‘He’s incredibly easy to follow.’
Compared to the corrupt retainers back in my territory whose heads were full of flowers instead of brains, merely looking at him felt refreshing.
‘Besides… he doesn’t seem like he’s going to pull any more tricks.’
Just as that thought crossed my mind…
His hand slid toward the one holding my stack of documents.
“Oh dear.”
“My mistake.”
We were in the middle of exchanging documents, so his hand naturally settled over mine.
That part was fine.
‘Then why are you interlocking our fingers?! Have you completely lost your mind?!’
I whipped my head up to protest…
Only to freeze.
His deep gaze was fixed intently on our joined hands.
Curse that ridiculously handsome face.
Even knowing how attractive he was…
It still stole my attention.
The Crown Prince smiled, his eyes curving beautifully.
His face was so enchanting it almost looked seductive.
“I wonder…”
“Why doesn’t this bother me?”
“…Pardon?”
“Nothing.”
“By the way, Duke?”
What now?
I eyed him suspiciously.
His smile widened.
“You have beautiful fingers.”
…
Your flirting is so terrible that it actually helps me stay sane.
“There’s a ring that would suit those fingers perfectly.”
“May I give it to you as a gift?”
“No.”
If those pickup lines were water for flowers…
The flowers would wilt within a single day.
They’re rotten!
After that, he quietly returned to his seat.
But believing he would stop there…
Turned out to be my mistake.
“Duke.”
“Do you happen to have any glue?”
“May I borrow some?”
“…Glue?”
“Yes.”
“So I can become attached to you.”
…
You son of aā
I desperately resisted the urge to rub the goosebumps off my arms.
My eyes went completely cold.
Absolutely not.
Never.
Impossible.
‘Where the hell did this lunatic learn lines like these? He wasn’t like this in the original novel.’
Jackal watched my horrified expression with obvious amusement.
“Duke.”
“Are you aware of your own appearance?”
“…Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
“Because…”
“I think you could charge people just to look at you.”
“After all…”
“No one could ever get bored.”
“…”
Why…
Why am I the one who has to listen to this?
Unfortunately…
He wasn’t finished.
“What are your plans after work?”
“I’m planning to be sick.”
Even after that…
Jackal continued disguising one outrageous attempt after another as “work-related explanations.”
That night.
Still wearing my nightclothes with a shawl draped over my shoulders, I anxiously chewed on my finger.
“Hey, Rodemin.”
“Is there any way I can become a married woman by tomorrow?”
“I’m afraid that’s rather difficult under current Imperial law.”
Scratching his cheek, Rodemin handed me a report.
“I investigated what you asked me to.”
“About the family heads and heirs who returned before completing their one-year service.”
That was faster than I expected.
Straightening up, I accepted the papers.
“About five years ago, the head of House Palagat apparently made a serious mistake while assisting His Highness.”
“He fell out of the Crown Prince’s favor and was expelled.”
As I listened to Rodemin’s report, I stroked my chin.
“So…”
“If the Imperial Family dismisses someone, they don’t have to complete the full year.”
“So your idea is to become such an unbearable nuisance that he throws you out?”
“But if His Highness wants both our heirloom and its wielder…”
“Would he really let you go so easily?”
“If I become even more troublesome than that…”
“Wouldn’t he simply abandon me and look for another treasure bearer?”
There were twelve Zodiac Treasures.
And twelve families that possessed them.
I slowly nodded.
“…That’s true.”
Jackal wouldn’t give up on us easily.
But what if I behaved so outrageously that dealing with me became more trouble than I was worth?
‘It’s not that you’re afraid of filth.
You avoid it because it’s filthy.’
That wasn’t a bad strategy.
It had been one of my original plans.
I’d only postponed it because walking the fine line between “annoying” and “unforgivable” seemed difficult.
But…
This guy was an even bigger lunatic than I’d expected.
‘Maybe this approach actually has a better chance…’
There’s a saying that people hate those most similar to themselves.
Perhaps even Jackal wouldn’t tolerate another madman like himself.
It was also the quickest way to return home.
Better yet…
If I got thrown out, I wouldn’t have to resort to finding a husband willing to marry into House Arcrux.
That plan might only provoke him further.
I’d rather keep it as my last resort.
There was one downside.
Being expelled would become the talk of high society.
It would also damage House Arcrux’s reputation.
‘Then I’ll simply shoulder all the scandal myself and step down as Duke.’
After all…
My sister was still there.
If it was for both of our survival…
She would understand.
“…There’s an old saying.”
I crumpled the document tightly in one hand.
“If someone acts like a lunatic…”
“You become an even bigger lunatic.”
A grin slowly spread across my face.
After all…
In my previous life, I had been a fifth-grade civil servant.
I’d even passed the national civil service examination.
‘I’ll show you what a truly impossible public complaint looks like.’
Watching his mistress lower her head and laugh ominously to herself…
Rodemin scratched his cheek.
“The taxes are leaking away everywhere!”
When Helena had been only nine years old…
People had called her one thing.
A child prodigy.
None of them knew…
That Helena had once been an adult who passed the highest-level civil service examination in another life.
Even through the eyes of Rodemin, who had been a young wizard himself…
She was extraordinary.
She effortlessly understood ledgers no one had taught her to read.
She never feared merchants or knights twice her age.
And she successfully managed the territory from the front lines.
Strangely…
Everything Helena predicted always came true.
“I’m going to get rid of every parasite sucking the lifeblood out of this territory.”
“So you’ll help me.”
“…I don’t work for free.”
“I’ll pay you.”
“Then just give the order.”
From that day onward…
Whenever Helena made up her mind, she displayed almost monstrous determination and competence.
But Rodemin knew something.
Sometimes…
She pointed that determination in directions that were a little too extreme.
Like now.
“Hehe…”
“I’ll definitely succeed…”
His mistress muttered to herself as though she could no longer see reality.
‘Nothing bad had better happen…’
Unfortunately…
Rodemin’s bad feeling proved correct.
The next morning.
News spread throughout the Imperial Palace.
The Duke of House Arcrux had failed to report for work.
“…She didn’t come to work?”
The report soon reached Crown Prince Jackal as well.
He stared at the empty seat.
It was already eleven o’clock.
‘I assumed she was merely running a little late…’
Rubbing his chin, Jackal smiled darkly.
It was rather amusing.
Just one day.
Only a single day.
His office, once polluted by the lingering scents of countless people passing through…
Had seemed purified by the presence of one woman.
Her warm fragrance had replaced the unpleasant odors.
Even the headaches he’d always suffered had disappeared.
And now…
The familiar discomfort had returned.
“Where did she go?”
Jackal’s pupils narrowed slightly…
Like those of a reptile.
It was not a good sign.
The head attendant kept his head lowered, unable to raise it.
“W-Well…”
“We still don’t know where she went…”
“…Did she run away?”
Jackal pictured the slender woman sprinting somewhere in the distance.
He imagined chasing after her…
Grabbing her ankle before she could escape.
…
The thought made him laugh.
‘After only one day…
I’m already thinking like this?’
A smile slowly formed on his lips.
As though thirsty, he slowly moistened them.
In truth…
He felt a craving that had yet to be satisfied.
Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, the head attendant began trembling.
“Find her immediately.”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness! Right away!”
The head attendant hurriedly answered.
But suddenly…
Jackal raised one hand.
For some reason…
He had the feeling he could find her himself.
A faint lingering scent still clouded his senses.
“No.”
“I’ll go personally.”
After all…
A game of hide-and-seek could be quite entertaining.
