Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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It wasn't that I was being asked to make some kind of contract.
Instead, what I was to receive was a signature.
The signature of the other party contracting with Dielo Argenta.
"This is..."
If it was a contract with the head of the family's name on it, it must be important, but was it okay to show it to someone who would be leaving soon?
"This is a contract that the Argenta who is leaving for another family's territory as of today will be writing."
Pielle explained briefly to me as I examined the contract.
"It's a magical contract to prevent those who were Argenta from divulging the family's secrets when they leave this place."
"There's even something like this..."
I wondered if Alloze or Kartiel had something like this. I had never heard of such a thing.
"The person to contract is waiting right now. You just need to be present at the signing."
Pielle's voice was light. As if it were nothing.
"Okay."
I ended up nodding.
Then, as if she had been waiting, Pielle bowed her head.
"Shall I bring them in right away?"
What, they were already waiting?
Then there was no need to delay any further. Delaying work would only be a hassle.
"...!"
But I stopped while walking and examining the contract.
Pielle, who was leading me, turned to look at me.
"Madam?"
Even at her voice, I raised my hand.
"Just a moment."
[As of this contract, Mirta, who is relinquishing the name of Argenta, cannot divulge anything about Argenta in any place.
When trying to divulge anything about Argenta, a burning thirst will be felt in the throat, and if that warning is ignored and divulged, the contract with the head of the family, Dielo Argenta, will immediately notify him of that fact.]
Up to here, I thought it was normal.
But the next clause caught my eye.
[At that time, remember that the head of the family's fire will directly burn oneself, and even the surroundings will be burned.]
"The head of the family's fire directly..."
I muttered quietly.
Seeing that it felt different from other papers, it was definitely a magical contract.
[Head of the Family Dielo Argenta]
He didn't seem to have signed this contract yet.
The task was to get Mirta's signature first and then deliver it to Dielo.
"Is it common to write contracts like this?"
At my words, Pielle shook her head slightly.
"It's not common, but it happens from time to time. Of course, I've rarely seen anyone break those rules."
At Pielle's words, I let out a short sigh without realizing it.
It was because I couldn't easily imagine Dielo burning people.
"Is this an Argenta tradition?"
"Yes."
I thought it didn't seem like Dielo.
I nodded and followed Pielle's guidance into a room.
"Ah, Madam. Nice to meet you. I'm Mirta."
The person leaving was a man with short brown hair.
He bowed politely to me.
Then, with nervous eyes, he looked at the contract in my hand.
"I never thought I'd be writing that contract."
"You know how to write it, right, Mirta?"
Pielle, who had bowed slightly to me, handed the paper I had put down to Mirta.
And she placed a quill in front of him.
But there was no ink.
Ink?
That was the moment I was about to say that.
—Thud.
A dagger was placed next to the pen.
Could it be...
As I opened my mouth slightly, Mirta, as if determined, drew the dagger and brought it to his fingertip.
"Ah."
That must hurt.
Blood instantly welled up where the dagger touched.
Perhaps because the quill had to be soaked for the signature, Mirta cut his fingertip rather deeply with the dagger and picked up the quill.
"If you break the oath, you'll be back here. Of course, I believe that won't happen."
Pielle said.
In her hand, she was already holding a paper doll in the shape of a person.
It was the moment my eyes were drawn to it.
—Whoosh!
The end of the paper doll caught fire.
"Ah."
Startled for a moment, I leaned back slightly.
Perhaps because Mirta's face was illuminated by the light, it looked somewhat pale.
The feet of the paper doll were gradually burning black.
The shape, which had been writhing as if in pain, gradually fell as ash.
"Mirta, remember the oath."
Pielle dropped the paper doll.
Then, the fire slowly began to spread to the other paper dolls on the silver tray.
"...I understand."
With a tense face, Mirta signed the contract.
By that time, all the paper dolls had turned to ash.
"Thank you for being present. It was an honor to meet you, even for a short time, Madam."
Mirta bowed politely to me.
Even if he was leaving Argenta, his politeness didn't seem to change.
I looked at him and asked.
"But why are you leaving Argenta?"
Why would such a polite person leave Argenta?
At my words, Mirta paused and opened his mouth.
"...My wife's sick parents are where I'm going. They want to spend their last days there."
"Ah..."
If they were sick, it would be difficult to move them to Argenta.
I roughly understood the situation.
"See him off well, Pielle."
"I understand."
Pielle, who had bowed, gently accepted my words and concluded.
"And I hope only good news comes. Mirta."
A gentle smile was on her face.
"...Thank you."
Mirta bowed deeply and left the room.
I looked at his signature, which was engraved with his blood, and picked up the contract.
This was clearly an internal matter of Argenta.
I had a strange feeling that I had interfered in something that an outsider shouldn't have touched.
"Originally, Mirta was a person who served His Highness."
On the way back to Dielo's office, Pielle opened her mouth.
It seemed she was telling me because I had been curious about him a little while ago.
"Ah..."
He was a person who served him.
Then Dielo must have become quite attached to him.
Given his nature, it must have been difficult to make him write such a cruel contract.
—Thump, thump.
By the time my thoughts reached that point, Pielle and I were standing in front of Dielo's office.
"Your Highness, I've brought the contract."
The response to Pielle's words came back immediately.
"Ah, come in."
The low, soft voice was naturally Dielo's.
Judging by the way he was speaking informally, he didn't seem to expect me to come in person.
As I, holding the contract, peeked my head through the door, Dielo flinched.
"...Krua?"
Seeing him a little flustered, I felt playful.
I shook the magical contract and placed it in front of him.
Was this why he was so confident last night?
That Argenta wouldn't betray him. As I was half lost in thought, Dielo opened his mouth slightly.
"...Ah, you received it early. Thank you, Krua."
After receiving the contract, he carefully checked the contents and took out a dagger from the drawer.
"Ah...!"
I was the only one who made a surprised sound.
Dielo frowned when the blade pierced his fingertip, but he didn't groan.
—Drip.
He used the fallen blood as ink to sign the contract and pressed his fingertip firmly with a handkerchief.
Red blood stained the pure white handkerchief.
Dielo, looking down at the contract, had a slightly stiff expression.
Well, it must be uncomfortable.
His gaze was constantly fixed on the places where it was written, such as 'the head of the family will directly burn with fire.'
"...I heard that person was serving Dielo until recently."
"Yes."
At my words, Dielo said in a slightly subdued voice.
He looked up at me and smiled as if he felt a little sorry.
"It's very, very regrettable."
His gaze turned to the window.
The contract, which contained the blood of both parties, was engulfed in blue flames and slowly disappearing.
I instinctively felt it.
That the blue flames meant that the contract had been concluded.
"By now, he's probably boarded the carriage."
Since it was the rule to leave immediately after the contract.
He couldn't take his eyes off the window, his mouth firmly closed in a straight line.
In the end, I patted him on the shoulder.
"Honestly, I was worried about the traitors yesterday, but Dielo was like that too. That there wouldn't be any traitors."
At my words, Dielo looked up at me again.
I smiled at him.
"Betrayal isn't easy either. You have to have the conviction that you'll succeed."
At my words, Dielo was silent for a very short time.
Then he drew a soft smile on his face. It was a Dielo-like smile.
"I guess so."
He gently wrapped his hand around my hand that was holding his shoulder.
Then he kissed my hand that he had lifted up. A soft warmth spread over the back of my hand.
"Thank you for the comfort, Krua."
Then he whispered to me.
"See you at night."
Hearing even these words, it really felt like we were newlyweds.
I glanced at his desk.
Seeing the piled-up work, it definitely looked like I would have to see him at night.
I patted him on the shoulder and left the room.
Ugh, seeing this person's mentality, I'm a little worried about his future.
I knew his abilities from reading the original, but I didn't know he was such a kind person.
His future was long and arduous.
