Chapter 117
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A villainess locked away in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body.
Chapter 117
My initial shock at the sudden shortening of the period quickly faded.
I carefully posed a question to him.
"Are you certain that duration would suffice...? It seems rather brief to me."
"Brief?"
"If your objective is to break the engagement, wouldn't a contract romance spanning merely three months be too short? Wouldn't that damage the pride of the Solid Marquis House, regardless of it being a verbal agreement?"
Declaring a broken engagement after just three months of dating seemed reckless, even if only a promise bound them.
Though it wasn't my concern, I felt that if we were to proceed, we ought to do it properly.
Shortly thereafter, as if to resolve my doubts, the Blaire Grand Duke nodded in agreement.
"That does make sense. Then we should recalibrate the duration. However... I'm uncertain what contract period would be most reasonable."
Since a contract romance was entirely novel to him, such deliberation was only natural.
After pondering for quite some time, he finally spoke.
"Perhaps we needn't establish a fixed contract period at all. That could be one viable approach."
"Ah, so you mean we adjust it based on circumstances as they unfold?"
Three months felt too brief as a contract duration, yet setting it longer would inevitably burden us both.
Since the Blaire Grand Duke had reached marriageable age, he would need an open seat beside him to find a suitable match, wouldn't he?
Understanding his meaning, I clapped my hands together and summarized our agreement.
"Then for now, we could terminate the contract by mutual consent without establishing a separate timeframe..."
"I agree."
Huh?
"...That sounds good, yes. Aha!"
His response came so abruptly, cutting off my words mid-sentence, that I could only muster an awkward laugh.
Was he truly so eager to break the engagement?
Since the original work provided almost no description of Camellia, I knew little about her character.
But if the Blaire Grand Duke was this averse to her... perhaps she was even worse than I imagined. Well, it wasn't my place to meddle anyway.
Turning my gaze toward him, I shifted the atmosphere and smiled brightly.
"Then let's proceed with that... What about the compensation for this contract?"
The essence of contract romance or contract marriage!
That lay precisely in the contract's 'compensation.'
Living as a shut-in, I'd consumed countless web novels, webtoons, dramas, and films through OTT services... yet I'd never encountered a contract romance without compensation.
Therefore, I couldn't help but contemplate it myself.
'Of course, it would likely be money.'
Even a cursory thought conjured the famous line: "How much would it take? How much?"
Above all, the Blaire Grand Duke I'd observed thus far was someone who dispensed rewards and punishments fairly. When I resolved the Dam construction matter initially, he'd asked what compensation I desired in return.
So what would the Blaire Grand Duke offer me as compensation for this contract?
I couldn't guess, but he surely had something in mind.
"Hmm."
...Or perhaps not?
Regarding the compensation for the contract romance, he seemed not to have given it much thought, his expression oddly innocent as he fell into contemplation.
"Is there truly no price for this?"
"No. The price is, well..."
Thud!
Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from outside, only to fall silent again moments later.
'What was that just now?'
About five minutes passed in that eerie silence before frantic footsteps thundered once more, accompanied by someone knocking on the door like a madman.
Bang bang bang!
"Gasp, huff! Your Highness! It's Liam!"
"...What?"
At the urgency in his voice, Blaire Grand Duke jolted upright with a bewildered expression.
"Come in."
"Yes, Your Grace. Huff, huff...."
Liam burst through the door, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily as though he'd been rushing about frantically.
Soon after, with trembling hands drained of strength, he thrust forward a jewelry box.
Blaire Grand Duke's expression grew peculiar as he accepted the small case, which at first glance appeared far from ordinary.
"This is...?"
"Yes, precisely! The very item Your Highness directly commanded me to retrieve. Huff, huff. That is to say, the tiara crafted from the 'Mermaid's Tear'—the very one the Grand Dukes of the Blaire Family have used for generations when proposing to their Grand Duchess!"
"Why are you suddenly bringing this..."
Liam cut off Blaire Grand Duke's bewildered response as though burned by fire, his words tumbling out in panic.
"Yes! Exactly! The Princess must have thought, 'Why are you suddenly bringing this...'!"
Wait, that was something Blaire Grand Duke said, not me?
Regardless, since I was equally curious about the reason, I held my tongue and waited for what came next.
Not long after, behind his ragged breathing, Liam's voice rang out with solemn determination.
"Didn't His Grace wish to present this tiara to the Princess as the price of the contract!"
Really?
I lifted my head so quickly the air whistled, my expression toward Blaire Grand Duke openly displaying disbelief.
A tiara, and one crafted from the Mermaid's Tear no less—it must possess immeasurable value.
Perhaps one could even purchase several castles in Salt with it?
Yet he was offering to give this away as the price of a contract?
"This?"
"This?"
Both Blaire Grand Duke and I asked Liam in bewildered unison.
As I alternated my gaze between him and Liam, unable to comprehend why Blaire Grand Duke was equally flustered, Liam's face flushed crimson as he answered with resounding clarity.
"Yes! It is what His Grace desires! To present this tiara to the Princess as the price of the contract! Ab-so-lute-ly! To present it! Wasn't that what you wanted! Didn't you command me to bring it!"
"Ah, yes... yes, I did. That was my order."
My doubts dissolved as Blaire Grand Duke nodded with a somewhat dazed expression, yet I still couldn't easily accept this.
"Well, if that's the nature of such an object, shouldn't His Grace reserve this tiara for when he proposes to someone else?"
No matter how wealthy the Blaire Grand Duke Estate might be, giving away something like this as a contract price seemed terribly impractical. Moreover, this appeared to be an item whose significance far outweighed its monetary value.
As I attempted to decline, Blaire Grand Duke finally answered with a fully awakened expression.
"No. I wish to give this to the Princess as the price of the contract."
Before I could respond, Liam abruptly interjected.
"Perhaps the rest of the conversation would be better suited for the two of you in private...."
His retreating figure, having drained himself of all presence and withdrawn without fanfare, somehow seemed oddly refreshing.
But my response was already predetermined.
"I'm grateful for the trust you've shown me, but I truly cannot accept this. You said it's connected to the traditions of the Blaire Grand Duke House. Moreover, the price is astronomical...."
"...."
"Perhaps something else instead... Ah, what about exempting me from room and board fees?"
I would be more than satisfied if that astronomical debt for lodging and meals simply vanished.
Where else could I possibly live such a luxurious life in such a grand mansion?
Besides, during our contractual courtship, it was natural that we live together, so I wouldn't face any further inconvenience from new fiancées.
The Blaire Grand Duke, holding the tiara box, appeared to deliberate for a moment before slowly nodding.
"...I shall respect the Princess's wishes."
Phew, what a relief.
That tiara was certainly beautiful and precious, and I did feel a slight pang of regret at refusing it outright....
Yes, to be honest, it was heartbreakingly painful to let go of!
'I am not its owner, after all.'
It was better for one's wellbeing not to covet things that could bring misfortune if possessed.
As I was consoling myself thus, the Blaire Grand Duke spoke once more.
"However, I would appreciate it if the Princess would safeguard the tiara for the duration of this contract."
"Pardon? Me?"
"As a guarantee of the contract."
Well, if that's his only intention, there's no reason to refuse.
In fact, there's no better way to prove we're actually in a relationship.
Of course, the responsibility of safekeeping was a burden, but that was easily solved by using the magical vault I'd purchased from the Magic Tower previously.
However....
"What if I took this and ran away?"
"If you want it, ask me for it."
What, as if he'd actually give it to me.
I shrugged and accepted the tiara box.
"I'll keep it safe for now."
"Good. I'll have a contract drawn up regarding this matter soon."
"Yes."
Was that everything, then?
As I obediently responded, I suddenly realized I'd been distracted by other topics and hadn't addressed what I truly needed to discuss.
"Oh, there's something I needed to tell you!"
The mysterious attackers!
The dark magic altar!
And various other matters...!
Now that I thought about it, there were mountains of issues I needed to discuss with the Blaire Grand Duke.
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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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