Chapter 27
Rebecca sighed deeply and said,
"Haa. I guess I have no choice. But I'm coming back in three hours, okay?"
"I will."
"Well, that's good. I was starting to get curious about the merchant guild."
"Ah, the merchant guild. I've already set it up. I also found the guild leader you mentioned. And just in case, I didn't tell the guild leader about your identity."
"Thank you. You've prepared more meticulously than I thought."
At Rebecca's praise, Julian asked with a slightly excited smile.
"Where would you like the merchant guild building to be located?"
"The market near the Liberta Poorhouse. That would be good."
"The market? Most of the buildings there are shabby."
"It's okay. I have a lot of things to do around there anyway."
"Alright. I'll arrange it for you tomorrow."
Julian said it as easily as if it were just eating a meal.
Rebecca recalled how hard she had worked in her previous life to secure even a small house.
That was only possible because Margaret had given her a house at an absurdly low price.
Her mouth felt bitter.
And she felt anew just how powerful the person she had chosen as her backer was.
Rebecca sighed softly and said,
"By the way, it's going to be a problem that it's difficult to contact each other. We can exchange letters, but it'll be hard if there's something I absolutely have to take care of myself."
"You can't go outside at all...?"
"Mostly. Especially when I'm pretending to be sick like now."
Only then did Julian notice Rebecca's appearance.
Julian saw the bandages wrapped tightly around her leg and asked, stiffening,
"You, are you hurt? How badly? You should have told me sooner! What happened, no, who...?"
"Shhh. Don't get excited. I told you, I'm pretending to be hurt. But it's not like I'm not hurt at all. I fell down the stairs. On purpose, of course."
"Why would you do something like that? Why!"
"Would you understand if I said it's to gain my freedom?"
Rebecca propped her chin up with a strange smile.
"A sick doll should be left alone until it recovers. If you want to play with it again, that is. And for as long as the owner leaves it alone, I can move as I please."
Her soft, whispering words stirred Julian's heart.
He asked with a look that buried his anger.
"What can I do for you?"
"Huh?"
"To get you divorced within a month."
"A month, huh. That'll be a bit difficult. First, I need to gather some money with the merchant guild. More than anything, it'll take some time for the Devil's Claw to grow."
"Then two months."
"Well, I can't say for sure."
"It doesn't matter. Because I want you to get divorced. Did you forget? Luck is on my side."
Rebecca burst into laughter at Julian's confident attitude.
And she said playfully.
"Really? Then do something to make Zeppelin so busy that he can't set foot in the mansion. Then I can wander around as I please."
As Rebecca spoke jokingly with a smile, Julian was silent for a while.
She stared at Julian, who was muttering something, with a puzzled look. His attitude was strange.
This was just a contract, after all.
She had no doubt that he would faithfully fulfill the contract. But there was no need for him to get so worked up.
Once the contract was over, they would never see each other again. But he was sincerely trying to help her.
'He's kind after all.'
He must have felt sorry for her.
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to look at her with such sad eyes.
Rebecca was grateful for Julian's pity.
Rebecca looked at his golden eyes, which were bathed in the brilliant moonlight. It was as if the moon and the sun were floating together.
So she reached out and stroked his black hair without realizing it.
Julian flinched for a moment, but quietly accepted Rebecca's touch.
"Anyway, thank you for caring, Julian."
At the soft and affectionate voice, Julian's eyes widened.
At that moment, he felt a tingling pain in his heart.
Because of that, Julian grabbed Rebecca's hand that was stroking his hair.
Rebecca's eyes shook.
She could feel Julian's gaze growing more intense. His lips were also moving, exhaling a sweet breath.
Night and moonlight. And two men and women in the bedroom.
'Ah, this atmosphere is dangerous.'
Rebecca was embarrassed.
She had momentarily forgotten that Julian was a vigorous young man and had committed such a disgraceful act.
At this rate, it was no different from her blatantly seducing him.
Rebecca hurriedly shook off his hand.
"I'm sorry. This is entirely my fault."
Julian stared blankly at his rejected hand.
Rebecca quickly continued.
"This will never happen again. Because that would be a breach of contract."
She had promised not to touch him, and she had done this before even signing the divorce papers. It was shameful.
'Why did he have to open his eyes so beautifully?'
Rebecca laughed in vain, wondering if she was so weak to looks.
Julian came to his senses at the word contract.
His golden eyes gradually turned black.
Julian returned to his stiff tone and said.
"That's right. We were in a contractual relationship. So I hope we can finish things quickly."
Julian jumped up from his seat. He staggered slightly, perhaps because he had gotten up so suddenly.
"Well, it seems like the story is mostly over, so I'll be going now."
"Wait, there's still time..."
Before Rebecca could even shout, Julian had disappeared without a trace.
And in that place...
Meow?
Leo was frozen in place, having only lifted his hind leg to groom himself.
Leo paused for a moment to assess the situation, then narrowed his eyes unpleasantly.
"Has it already been three hours...?"
Rebecca lifted Leo with bewildered eyes.
Leo puffed up his tail with an uncomfortable look, but did not escape from her arms.
"Your master, no, your companion is really strange."
As Rebecca placed Leo by the window, she recalled Julian before he disappeared.
'His ears were red.'
She thought she knew why he had fled this place as if he were running away.
At the same time, she also felt guilty.
'He was more innocent than he looked. Well, he was still a child.'
If she counted her age before regression, Rebecca was twice as old as him.
Her conscience pricked her, but the smile did not leave her lips.
Rebecca leaned against the window and watched Leo's back as he left the mansion with graceful movements for a while.
* * *
"Haa. Haa."
Julian, who had entered the room, gasped for breath. He felt dizzy from teleporting continuously.
He collapsed on the bed and covered his face with his arm. Cold sweat flowed from his entire body.
Julian threw off his shirt violently.
Even though he didn't want to think about it, what had just happened replayed repeatedly as if it were automatic.
'Thank you for thinking of me that way, Julian.'
He recalled his dumbfounded face reflected in her blue eyes.
Was that the expression he made every time he saw her?
But he couldn't take his eyes off Rebecca. Moreover, he was going crazy because he didn't know why.
"Ugh."
He felt the same chest pain as before again.
It was a tingling and throbbing pain that he had never felt before.
Julian was suddenly afraid.
The cause of death for most of the previous Dukes Johannes was heart failure.
They said that when the Divine Power they were born with ran out, their hearts would stop.
And that there was chest pain as a warning sign.
'No way, no.'
Julian jumped up from the bed. On the table next to the bed was the medicine that Croa put out every day.
He had always scoffed and not taken it, but today was different.
Julian poured the medicine into his mouth in one gulp and drank cold water. Then he propped himself up on the table with both hands and glared.
"I can't die. Not yet."
* * *
"A figurehead? Are you telling me that the Duke told you to make me a figurehead?"
Tanisha Chenister slammed the desk.
Croa quickly picked up his cup of coffee.
"Why are you getting so worked up? To be exact, it's not a figurehead, but a guild leader. Is this the first time the Duke has made a ridiculous request?"
"Why did I put up with those ridiculous requests! It's because you clearly promised to give me a merchant guild under my name!"
"It is under your name. The business registration is also under your name."
"Then what's the point! I'm a puppet for some damn person I don't even know."
"Hey, watch your mouth. If you say that in front of the Duke, you'll be in big trouble."
"Why are you always on the Duke's side! Am I your family, or is the Duke?"
"Of course..."
"Of course?"
"It's you. It's ridiculous to think that the Duke is family with someone as lowly as me."
"Just go die!"
Tanisha started throwing whatever she could grab at Croa.
Croa dodged the flying objects as if it were not the first time.
"Think of them as a business advisor, not your owner. And this is a pretty important matter. That's why the Duke entrusted it to you."
"Why did I go through all that trouble! I'm already pissed that you became a butler just because you were born a few years earlier than me, but what the hell is this!"
"That mouth! That mouth! I feel sorry for whoever takes you."
"Why feel sorry? They hit the jackpot. I'm outstanding in appearance, good at what I do, and have a lot of money. You're the one who's never even been in a relationship since you were born."
"...Let's not talk about that. I was wrong."
Croa, who had been hit in the bullseye, lost his will to fight and lowered his head dejectedly.
"Forget it! Who is that person?"
"Who?"
"The person who owns my merchant guild. I think I need to meet them in person."
"Just stay still. Why do you keep running around instead of just doing what you're told?"
"Are they some kind of wanted criminal? Why are you being so secretive? I need to meet them in person to decide whether I'll serve them as my owner or just quit."
"Qui, quit? Tanisha, do you think it makes sense for Chenister to defy Duke Johannes's orders?!"
"Do you think I wanted to become a Chenister? If necessary, I can throw away all this crap. I can just renounce my family register and become a commoner. Even if I become a commoner, I'll live like an Emperor."
"Can you say that in front of your parents?"
"Anyway, spit it out, quickly. Otherwise, I'll tell everyone about how you messed up Leo's fur when you were trimming it last time."
"Heup," Croa covered his mouth.
