Chapter 3
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Chapter 3
* * *
Knock. Knock.
A dull sound of wood being struck echoed from somewhere.
"Ugh, Emma, it's so noisy...."
As I stirred sluggishly, it suddenly occurred to me.
Emma was the duchess's servant who used to care for me, and I'd been a runaway for three years now.
So what was the source of this familiar noise?
"...What is this?"
Had I fallen asleep at some point?
A blanket was draped over my body.
The same blanket I'd covered that man with.
"Did he leave?"
I glanced around, but there was no one. Come to think of it, I wasn't on the first floor either.
'When did I come up to the second floor?'
I didn't even know there was a bedroom here.
I calmly stepped out of the room, and a delicious aroma wafted through the air.
The source of the smell was the first floor.
I could see someone moving in the first-floor kitchen.
'The man?'
That's when it hit me.
That man was the one I'd brought here yesterday.
The man with black hair and broad shoulders. I peered down at him from the staircase.
"You're awake."
Our eyes met at that moment.
I felt awkward, as if I'd been caught spying.
I hid the club behind my back and crept closer.
"What, what are you doing here?"
"I was cooking..."
He smiled shyly.
"Do you usually skip breakfast?"
"No? Anything's fine if you make it. Even better if I don't have to make it myself. ...But who are you, anyway?"
"Ah."
The man laughed awkwardly.
"I apologize for the late introduction."
He handled the kitchen of someone else's home with remarkable familiarity.
He wiped the wet blade dry with a cloth, tucked away an apron he'd found from somewhere, and arranged it neatly to the side—all as naturally as if it were his own home.
"I'm the owner of this house. My name is Dale."
"I should have known. I thought it seemed natural, and now the owner... what?"
My eyes widened in an instant.
"The owner? You?"
* * *
I immediately sought out the lord's aide and Real Estate Agent to hear the full story.
"I did mention beforehand that the property has certain complications. Unfortunately, I cannot refund the payment you've made."
So that "certain" complication was this.
It wasn't a full house sale—only a partial one.
To summarize the Real Estate Agent's explanation:
1. The house is divided between the first and second floors.
2. There's a staircase on the second floor leading outside, and the kitchen can be newly constructed, so it poses no problem.
3. The only floor I can currently move into is Dale's floor.
"No wonder the price was so cheap for a rural property."
There was a reason it was far below market value.
"So you use the first floor, Mr. Dale?"
"Yes. Primarily."
"And I would use the second floor?"
"That's correct."
He consistently averted his gaze with an awkward, bashful smile.
Despite his cold, stern appearance, the man grew flustered the moment our eyes met.
"Why did you only sell one floor of this house?"
"That's..."
The man—Dale—pressed his lips together for a moment, then mechanically wiped the moisture from the kitchen counter.
"I needed the money."
"Ah, money."
Money is always the most important thing, after all.
I studied Dale intently.
When our eyes met, he lowered his head like a startled rabbit.
His face and neck flushed red, revealing that unlike his appearance, he wasn't accustomed to conversations with women.
'The strangest thing isn't the house or the situation—it's that man.'
How could someone with that face lack confidence?
'With a face like that, I'd feel pride with every exhale, every inhale—pride with every breath I took.'
This house seemed to lack mirrors; perhaps he simply didn't care about his appearance?
I stared intently at Dale.
"If my presence is inconvenient, I can step outside for a while."
"No, it's cold out there. Where would you even go?"
"Anywhere...."
He couldn't meet my eyes, looking apologetic.
"Don't go. Stay here, Dale. This is your home, after all."
The handsome man with his imposing frame settled quietly onto the sofa with composed movements.
Those moist, innocent eyes gazing at me so intently....
...Wait.
Was he enchanting me?
I wiped away the saliva I'd unconsciously drooled.
"Are you alright?"
"Huh? What do you mean? I wasn't thinking anything."
I shook my head vigorously as I answered.
This man's fever had dropped, he wasn't in pain, and he wasn't a suspicious person.
Now the problem was me.
'Where am I supposed to go?'
There were no houses in Grunvalt I could move into immediately.
Unless I was willing to live in a barn, I'd have to leave for another territory.
"Sigh...."
Autumn had arrived, and darkness fell quickly. The world outside the window was already pitch black.
If I wanted to find another house, I'd need to leave soon, but there was nowhere suitable.
Yet I couldn't live together with this man either.
And I couldn't get my money back.
Dale watched me in my dilemma with an embarrassed expression.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
"Are you expecting a guest?"
"...No. I'll go check. Please stay here."
When Dale opened the door, a bewildered stranger stood there.
"Is the most beautiful Miss Anne in the world here?"
Anne was my alias for running away.
The most beautiful in the world~ was a code Emma had arbitrarily set up.
"Wait, Dale! He's my guest."
"Ah! Miss. So you were here. It's a pleasure to meet you."
How should I put it—the S-rank Mercenary Emma sent was truly....
A sturdy, muscular man who looked like he'd protect me well.
If there were two types of people in the world—those who valued appearance and those who valued function—Emma was the function type, and I was the appearance type.
In short, he's not my type.
Especially standing next to Dale, who fits my preferences perfectly, made him seem even less appealing.
Right after seeing Dale, my standards had shot through the roof.
"From now on, I'll be the Hunter serving you, miss. I look forward to working with you."
He showed me the request letter Emma had written in her own hand.
This man was the real deal. Not Dale—this was the man who would be living with me going forward.
"...."
I asked the man a question.
"What rank S-rank Mercenary are you, by any chance?"
"S-rank."
"What about your fees? Is there an additional charge for hiring you?"
"Yes, since I was referred through the Mercenary Guild, there's an initial contract fee separate from...."
"You don't have a house in Grunvalt, do you?"
"Pardon? No, of course I don't."
I straightened my posture, which I'd bent forward for the conversation, and made my decision.
"I'm sorry, but let's forget about this request. I don't have the money to pay your fees."
* * *
"Your name is Dale, right?"
"Yes."
He was a man of few words.
When I spoke to him, he answered carefully in a low voice.
"According to the Real Estate Agent, I have the right to use the second floor of this house for one year. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
I sent Emma's S-rank Mercenary away and observed Dale carefully.
Dale was also a mercenary.
A-rank was a perfectly respectable grade, there were no brokerage fees to pay, I'd already lost money I couldn't recover, and his appearance was flawless.
Of course, the house's exterior was equally flawless.
"Dale has agreed to this as the homeowner, correct?"
"That's correct."
"If this house belongs to Dale, when a census taker comes later, will my name be registered under Dale's name instead of mine?"
"You, miss...."
"It's Anne."
"Since Anne is renting the second floor of this house for one year, that's correct."
Wait a moment.
A calculator spun rapidly in my mind.
'Then my chances of avoiding The Emperor increase too.'
"However, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. If you wish, Anne, you can speak with the investigator and register under your own name instead."
"No. That's actually what I like most about this arrangement."
I tapped the table.
"But I'm in a situation similar to being scammed in a real estate transaction, aren't I?"
"I sincerely apologize for that."
Strictly speaking, it wasn't even Dale's fault, yet he apologized profusely.
"So I'd like to add some conditions to this contract. What do you think?"
"If there's anything you'd like, please feel free to tell me."
"To be precise, this isn't about the house itself—I'm making a proposal to you, Dale, as the owner."
"To me... you say?"
Dale's eyes widened in surprise.
"When Dale collapsed, I saw your identification badge. You're a mercenary."
*Thunk.*
I placed the money pouch I'd been holding onto the table.
"This is...."
Dale stared at it uncertainly.
"I'm offering you a contract. Starting with a base salary of 1 million Crobats."
"1 million Crobats?"
He seemed startled by the unexpectedly large sum, his eyes growing even wider.
"Looking at the amount, you can tell this isn't an ordinary commission."
Typically, 100,000 Crobats was about a year's living expenses for a commoner family of four.
"Would you be willing to hear my story?"
Dale rubbed his brow and looked at me. His expression seemed quite confused.
"...I'll listen."
"I needed a place to move into immediately. More precisely, I needed a place to hide and live. I... yes. I ran away from home."
"...."
He listened to my story seriously.
"And I need someone who can protect me."
"So that's why that man came."
"That's right."
"Are you under threat to your life?"
In an instant, Dale's expression sharpened.
"It's similar, but the specifics are a bit different."
"If it's similar, then who exactly is threatening you?"
"I can't say that. It's someone quite significant."
"Significant...."
Whatever he was imagining, Dale's handsome face grew quite serious.
"The 1 million Crobats is just the base salary, but given the danger involved, I'm also considering hazard pay."
I held up my index finger.
"10,000 Crobats per day, for a total of 3.64 million Crobats on top."
A grand total of 4.64 million Crobats.
It was an enormous sum—enough to purchase several mansions in the Capital.
"A commission of such magnitude naturally carries considerable risk. ...Especially for you, Emma."
"Of course."
"I will maintain absolute discretion regarding the details of this commission."
I appreciated how quickly this man grasped the situation.
I withdrew several more pouches of money and placed them on the table.
"The commission I'm about to propose is difficult in one sense, yet simple in another."
"I will keep that in mind."
"What I'm asking for is one thing."
I leaned forward and fixed my gaze upon him.
"Become my contract husband for 364 days."
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org