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Chapter 50. Nothing Could Get Worse Here (3)
“Eva. Now keep your promise as a knight.”
“B-but Lord!”
Edelvais pushed Noel away. Her heart was beating wildly.
“Please let me go, Lord.”
“I don’t want to?”
Noel held Edelvais tighter in his arms. He already knew how she felt. He was more sensitive to human emotions than anyone else, so he knew long ago that she was looking at him differently. So why did she push him so stubbornly?
“Lord!” Her voice trembled finely.
Edelvais must be afraid that Noel will find out what she has been hiding so far.
Noel said with a languid smile like that of a predator, “You have to promise to be with me for the rest of your life. You swore to me, Eva. That you will do anything if I win.”
“F-for the rest of my life? That’s not my promise!”
“I said you would be my knight. Just like… to be mine.”
Edelvais was surprised and covered Noel’s lips. Her face looked to the left and right, in case anyone had heard that. However, there were very limited people who could enter Noel’s private training ground without permission.
Feeling relieved, Edelvais raised her eyebrows. “Please don’t say anything weird, Lord! What are you going to do if someone gets misunderstood at this—”
“It’s El, Eva.”
“…!”
“My name, which only you can call like that.”
Eva’s struggling body stiffened. Noel lifted the tip of Eva’s stiff chin slightly. Bright green eyes that were so pure. In those eyes, he could see his own smiling face.
“Eva,” Noel whispered sweetly and lowered his head. The breaths escaping from their lips blended precariously as if they were bumping into each other.
At that time, Edelvais, who had been inhaling and exhaling, suddenly grabbed Noel’s body strongly. Noel didn’t seem to notice yet, but it was because she saw something shiny flying toward them at high speed.
“…Eva?”
Eva grabbed Noel’s body and quickly pulled him toward her. All she had to do was twist her body and swap positions, so Noel responded with a smile.
If only Noel knew, it would be her last. If only he had known that an arrow from somewhere would be lodged in her heart. He wouldn’t ever succumb to her hug.
Thud. Edelvais’s body couldn’t withstand the great shock and pain. An arrow pierced from her chest until her heart.
“Urgh.”
“Eva!”
In an instant, all of Noel’s thoughts stopped. What’s going on here? Why is the arrow pierced Eva’s chest? Who the hell…! Who would do this!”
“Urgh. Uuurgh.”
Edelvais’s body, which was pouring out blood, lost its strength and collapsed. Noel hugged her as she collapsed and stared at the front where the arrow had come from. But nothing was visible. He couldn’t feel any presence.
Young Noel’s eyes gleamed viciously. An uncontrollable anger burst out like an explosion. Then something cold wrapped around Noel’s face.
“Lo…rd…”
Edelvais touched Noel’s face with her trembling hand. Her sparkling eyes slowly faded as if the light had gone out.”
“E-Eva!”
“…Lord…”
“Eva! Don’t lose your consciousness. Don’t die! I’ll save you no matter what. Please… hang in there!”
Noel clenched his teeth as he held Edelvais’s body. Recovery was already impossible because her heart had been pierced. Even knowing that Noel tried to find a way to save her by groping where the arrow had hit.
“Are you going to leave me like this? You swore to me! You swore to protect me! Keep your promise, Eva!”
People sometimes deny the unbelievable reality and expect something transcendent. And for Noel, this was that moment.
God! Please! Please save Eva! Don’t take my one and only woman. Noel swallowed his cries and grabbed Edelvais’s trembling hand. Her fingertips were terribly cold.
“Eva, open your eyes.”
The aura of death came as if to take her breath away.
“Please!”
“Don’t beat yourself, El… It’s not your fault.”
“Eva!”
“I’m glad I was able… to protect you… My Lord. My… El.”
Thud. Edelvais, who was smiling faintly, dropped her hand.
The fire that had been fueling the embers was charred before it even blazed.
Before he could tell her what he felt—
Before he could even kiss the back of her hand that was losing its warmth—
It died without even a chance to bloom lovingly.
“Heuk, Eva! Uaaaaargghhh!”
* * *
Elusiana stared at Noel, who was suddenly stunned and silent. There was something strange about him. What’s wrong with him?
Elusiana carefully placed her hand on Noel’s shoulder. “Lord?”
At that moment, Noel quickly turned around and grabbed Elusiana’s wrist.
“Gasp!” Elusiana, swallowing her groan at the subtle pain, looked up at Noel. However, the expression on his face was distorted, as if he was forcing himself to endure his pain.
“Noel?”
“Ah…! I’m sorry.”
Noel quickly loosened his grip and swept his face as if embarrassed.
“Ornithogalum. That’s nice. I will take it.”
He smiled as if nothing had happened. But somehow, it was an unnatural smile.
Is it presumptuous to ask why? Elusiana stared at him, suddenly thinking she wanted to console him. But she knew. It was clear that interest beyond this would be far-fetched. She just pretended there was nothing strange and picked up the flowers.
“Would you like it in a bouquet or basket?”
“Something easy for Lusi to make.”
Elusiana, who was trimming the stem, made a strange expression. For a moment, she couldn’t understand what he meant. But she spoke calmly. “A bouquet will be good if it’s for something informal and not burdensome. On the other hand, the basket will look more sincere. So which one?”
“Making a flower basket will take longer, right?”
“Yes, of course—”
“Then I’ll have a flower basket.”
Elusiana frowned as if she had more things to say. “Noel, do you really need flowers?”
“Yes, so make it quick.”
At Noel’s appearance as if he was acting cute, Elusiana thought the expression she had seen earlier was just an illusion.
“More than that, can I watch you make the flower basket?”
“…It will take a little while.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m good at waiting.”
Noel pulled out the chair next to Elusiana and sat down across from her. Soon quiet silence fell. Until the flower basket was completed, he stared blankly at her hands all the time.
It was a few hours later.
“I’ll be back, Lusi.”
Elusiana finally took a breather when she caught a glimpse of Noel carrying out the completed flower basket.
“Why is today so long?”
It felt as if it had been a few days ago that she rushed to the Grand Duchy Sestein to have an interview to be a maid in the morning. She sat down in her chair and took out the employment contract, which she hadn’t yet confirmed. According to the butler, it was no different from a regular contract. But her sixth sense wasn’t telling her so. It was saying there must be something more.
“What am I so nervous about? What could be worse than now?”
Elusiana smiled and flipped through the contract. However, the more she read, the more she tilted her head.
“…Don’t they need money?”
Elusiana looked at a one-page entry on benefits, and she let out a laugh.
“Overtime allowance, off-duty allowance, special duty allowance, holiday allowance…”
Huh! They’re very good at wasting money. Elusiana involuntarily swallowed her laugh and put the contract down.
Originally, when seducing people to commit fraud, they often hide the unfavorable things below and highlight only the good things. In that sense, this contract was quite suspicious. As expected, I feel uncomfortable.
At that time, she could see what was written in small letters at the very bottom of the contract.
[However, the allowance rate is adjusted according to the level of satisfaction.]
Elusiana’s face was distorted. “Well, of course. How can they just give me the money without adding more terms?”
In the end, it meant that they would decide whether or not to pay the allowance depending on how they felt about her work. It also meant that she could get a value of zero.
“Tsk.”
That’s a shame. Elusiana clicked her tongue low and turned over the contract’s last page.
“Wait, what is this again?”
Elusiana rubbed her eyes, thinking she had seen something wrong. But again, the number she was just now was right.
“Why is the contract period 10 years?”
Usually, contracts were limited to 3 years at the longest, with a base of 1 year. However, for 10 years?! Ha! This butler grandpa! Do you think I’m a pushover?
But what was even more shocking was what was written below it.
[If you leave before the contract period expires, you must pay 30 times the salary already paid for the remaining contract period.]
“…!”
Widening her eyes, Elusiana trembled as she held the contract.
“W-what is this? What kind of employment contract is this? This is a slave contract!”