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16.
Rebecca carefully amended the contract and handed it to Julian.
Julian examined the document methodically.
Then, with a satisfied smile, he promptly produced a lighter and set the contract ablaze.
Rebecca's eyes widened as she watched the flames consume the paper.
"What on earth—"
"Since neither you nor I would betray the other, it's best we destroy the evidence now. I will uphold this contract with my life. And if you value yours, you won't betray me either."
Julian's lips curved ‌‌‌upward. Between the scattering ashes, his eyes gleamed with an amber hue.
He interlaced his fingers and spoke with playful menace.
"Will you betray me?"
His expression—mischievous yet sinister—made Rebecca feel as though she had just signed a pact with the devil himself.
It was the attitude of one who dared anyone to try.
Rebecca found herself envying his unwavering confidence.
She vaguely imagined whether she could wear such an expression had she been born as the Duke of Johannes instead ‌‌of Rebecca of House Obelia.
Rebecca dismissed the absurd fantasy and answered.
"That could never happen. I too will uphold this contract with my life."
"Good. Then the contract is sealed. Now, what's the first plan? ‌‌Destroying a noble house sounds simple enough, but the Earl of Devonshire is no fool. He commands influence second only to myself and the Duke of Latrans in the entire Empire."
"I'm aware."
When Rebecca answered without ‌‌‌‌hesitation, Julian's curious eyes urged her to continue.
Rebecca smiled faintly as she observed his ‌‌‌undisguised interest.
"Do you know what serves as ‌‌‌the foundation stone of House Devonshire?"
"What is it?"
"People."
"People?"
"Yes. The Devonshire house rests upon four foundation stones. First, the servants who manage the estate. Second, the retainers who oversee the house's major enterprises. Third, the attendants who provide the ‌‌‌Earl with information. And finally, the knights who protect the house. The key individuals who comprise these pillars are what I call hunting dogs."
"Hunting dogs, you say..."
"They are not driven by loyalty. The Earl holds leverage ‌‌‌over every hunting dog. Thus, they move solely through fear, terror, and appropriate compensation—absolute obedience to his commands."
"In other words, they'll do anything, no matter how vile."
"Precisely. Disobedience means something far worse than death awaits them."
"Then the key is neutralizing these hunting ‌‌‌dogs. How do you plan to do it? A well-trained dog rarely betrays its master."
Rebecca let out a short laugh at Julian's words.
"There's one ‌‌thing you've overlooked."
"What's that?"
"As I said, what sustains House Devonshire is people. They are not truly hunting dogs—they are human beings, just like us."
Rebecca paused to trace the rim of ‌her teacup before continuing.
"That distinction is precisely what will bring Zeppelin down. He has transformed people into dogs. I will sever their leashes and shatter the prisons of ‌‌their weaknesses. ‌Then they will naturally awaken to their humanity and begin to destabilize the house."
Julian fell silent for a moment, studying Rebecca intently.
Her eyes burned with absolute conviction—the certainty of one who had contemplated this for a very long time.
"Very well. What do you need me to do?"
"First, I intend to establish a small trading company. To properly understand Devonshire's financial channels, it would be advantageous to enter ‌‌the market. If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could find a capable person to serve as the company's proprietor."
"It's not difficult. But you seem to struggle even leaving the house—how do you plan to run the Trading Company?"
"I have already made arrangements for that, Your Grace."
Julian laughed at Rebecca's unflinching response.
"So all ‌‌‌I need to do is sit back and provide ‌‌funds? Not a bad arrangement. Money overflows anyway, so take as much as you need and use it well."
"Thank you. I'll send you a detailed report by letter later. And..."
"And?"
"Since you're spending it anyway, perhaps spend a bit more."
"Hmm?"
Rebecca smiled sweetly.
"I wish to marry the Duke sooner, you see."
* * *
There ‌‌exists a plant with black, hook-shaped leaves that resemble claws—called the Devil's Claw.
Inedible and causing rashes from the slightest touch, it was ‌‌initially shunned.
Yet when the Devil's Claw was used as a dye, it produced an exquisite purple never before seen.
Soon the Devil's Claw gained prominence.
The nobility erupted in acclaim for this new color, christened Devil's Purple.
The Devil's Claw proved difficult to cultivate, and its rarity made it priceless.
"So you're asking me to procure the Devil's Claw?"
"Yes. But I need ‌‌fresh leaves, not dried ones."
"Unfortunately, obtaining fresh leaves is impossible unless one cultivates it directly."
"If you provide a greenhouse and laboratory, I will bring someone capable of growing the ‌‌Devil's Claw—I only need seeds."
"Hmm. You're not ‌‌planning to make dresses from it, are you? ‌‌‌What's the actual purpose?"
"I know of another use the Devil's Claw possesses."
In my previous life, the Devil's Claw held value far exceeding diamonds. A botanist had discovered its ‌‌‌‌hidden properties. ‌
When one consumed the fresh leaves of the Devil's ‌‌‌Claw, hideous pustules erupted across the ‌entire body—lasting a month or three, depending on the person.
The pustules emitted a terrible stench, and high fevers often persisted.
Yet when ‌‌these pustules subsided, most ‌‌‌chronic ailments were cured.
The Devil's Claw was a panacea—its toxic symptoms purged the body's poisons.
I had consumed this leaf alongside Zeppelin.
He had paid a fortune to obtain it, hearing ‌‌‌it would restore ‌‌skin to its youthful state.
And indeed, months after consuming the leaf, I became pregnant.
I recalled Zeppelin's horrified ‌‌‌expression as he stared at my pustule-covered face.
Though he looked equally grotesque, he grimaced and kept his distance from me.
Zeppelin sometimes said he still had nightmares about my appearance then.
He had not cast me out because he knew I would regain my beauty.
But now it was different. ‌‌
The Devil's Claw's true properties had not yet been discovered.
If I lost my beauty, Zeppelin would discard me as worthless.
Julian asked with a puzzled expression as he listened to my explanation.
"Divorce simply because she became unsightly? Yet Zeppelin cherished you dearly—would he truly do such a thing?"
"Do you ‌‌‌know that love and hatred are separated by merely a sheet of paper?"
A truth I had never wished to acknowledge.
I recalled the moment when the husband I had devoted my entire life to loving transformed into a monster before my eyes.
And that look of contempt in Zeppelin's eyes as he kicked me repeatedly.
"Zeppelin ‌loves me for precisely one reason: this beautiful face that resembles his own. I ‌‌‌was brought to ‌‌the Devonshire Earldom ‌‌as though sold into servitude. Should this appearance fade, there would be nothing left for him to ‌‌hold onto. I would become nothing but a burden."
Julian fell momentarily silent at Rebecca's matter-of-fact words. ‌‌‌‌
To dispel the awkward silence, Rebecca burst into laughter.
"There's no need to look at me with such eyes. Doesn't everyone carry at least one thorn in their life?"
Rebecca was telling Julian that the curse she had placed upon him was likewise a thorn he would have to carry throughout his life, much like her own miserable existence.
Julian quickly grasped the meaning behind her words.
He ceased his comparison of whose life was more wretched—his own or Rebecca's.
And he felt ashamed of that fleeting thought.
Julian, feeling oddly self-conscious, quietly sipped his tea.
Rebecca, knowing his heart yet feigning ‌‌ignorance, spoke with brazen composure.
"The efficacy of Devil's ‌‌‌Claw remains unknown to anyone. Why not invest in it? It won't be a losing venture. Oh, and don't ask about the source. It's a trade secret."
She could even jest.
Julian's eyes narrowed. A reassessment of her was beginning to take shape in his mind.
'I want to know more.'
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Julian's lips curved upward like someone who had ‌discovered an amusing plaything.
That smile appeared so ingenuous that Rebecca found herself momentarily entranced, gazing at him.
At times he seemed like a dangerous ‌‌‌‌man, yet his eyes would return to those of an innocent boy.
Julian extended his ‌‌large hand.
"Agreed. From now on, we're business partners. Let's do this well, Rebecca."
Rebecca stared at his hand for a moment.
Had I ever shaken hands before? No matter how hard I searched my memory, I could find no such instance.
To shake hands as equals, rather than receive a kiss upon the back of my hand, felt strangely novel.
Rebecca smiled with overwhelming emotion. And she took his hand. ‌‌
"I look forward to working with you."
* * *
"You're later than expected."
As Rebecca returned home in good spirits, her expression darkened upon ‌‌‌seeing Zeppelin standing before the mansion entrance.
He had cut his hair short as she had instructed. His ‌‌sharp jawline and distinct features were now fully exposed.
I could feel the servants' eyes lingering on his refined appearance.
The Rebecca of ‌‌‌old would have gazed at him with the same entranced look, but I was no longer that woman.
Perhaps it was from having just seen Julian, but he now seemed like a child awkwardly imitating manhood.
Today, his frame appeared smaller than usual.
"How is it? I cut it as you suggested."
It was not a genuine request for opinion. The ‌‌‌answer was always predetermined.
Rebecca composed her expression and smiled gently.
"Why ask? It suits ‌‌you perfectly, as always."
"While you were ‌‌‌‌away, I've been thinking...."
Zeppelin approached me slowly.
Then he ‌‌‌‌brushed aside the strands of my hair that draped across my shoulder.
A chill crept down my spine.
"Ever since I brought Alicia in, I feel I've been neglecting you. I thought we might spend some time alone together tonight."
Zeppelin lifted a lock of my hair to his lips and kissed it.
I grasped ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌the signal he was sending instantly.
Tonight, we would share the same bed.
I knew it was unavoidable, yet now that it loomed before me, ‌‌it felt unbearable.
Even this moment, pressed against that shameless creature, was difficult to endure.
And to think I would have to do such things with him in that bed.
I recalled our past intimacies. Suddenly, nausea rose in my throat and my complexion turned ashen.
In this moment, with his breath touching my ear, I wished I could sever it from my body.
Kanna watched the scene unfold with a rigid expression.
"You understand, Rebecca? Then you should remove those shabby clothes and make yourself presentable, yes?"
The Countess who ‌‌‌fled had returned.
E-book publication.

January 12, 2022
Author.

Long Night Sky
Publisher.

Desert Fox
Published by.

Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission received.

naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.

blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.

@wjt_fennecfox

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team ‌‌and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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