Terms of the Contract

Did they give rooms this fine even to a guest of the household? Or was it because she had arrived under the name of a mistress? There was no way to know.

"Four rooms, and a maid's quarters attached, too!"

Lydia said, her face glowing with delight.

"Well, they've certainly prepared a fine room."

Kasika said this as she settled onto the couch. She had never wanted this life, having lived only frugally, so the situation felt strange to her now. If she were still Lydia's age, she might have been delighted by all she could enjoy at once—but in the end, she would have to return to the Lamplis estate. She could not simply savor the present moment.

There was the debt, of course, and beyond that she needed to find something here worth exploiting—something that might turn a profit.

"Far too gaudy for my wardrobe to hang in."

"No need to worry about that, my lady."

At the voice, Kasika turned her head. Noah stood at the door, though she had no idea when he'd arrived. Tucked under his arm was a document envelope.

When did he get there...? The corridor was marble; she should have been able to hear every footstep. How could he cross it without making a single sound?

"Noah."

"Kasika."

Noah offered a smile. It took a slightly different shape than the one Kasika had imagined. He looked almost pleased. Why? Ah—was it because his excuse for a shakedown had finally arrived?

"You really did come in a fortnight, as promised."

"I did."

Kasika answered. Noah gazed at her for a moment, then shifted his eyes to Lydia. When Lydia simply stared back at him with a blank expression, Kasika said, "Your bow." Only then did Lydia understand and lower her head.

"There's no need for that," Noah said.

"It would be best if you excused yourself for now."

At that, Lydia recoiled as though struck. Her face said the thought had never once crossed her mind. Kasika understood—no guest had ever come before. In all that time, the only visitor to speak of had been Noah himself. She would have no notion of the etiquette of stepping aside when company arrived.

Once Lydia had gone out, Noah glanced after her. Only after the door clicked shut, without a sliver of a gap, did he speak.

"An untrained girl, isn't she? Shall I assign you a new one?"

"That won't be necessary."

"It must be inconvenient, though. A maid's first virtue is knowing when to make herself scarce—failing to read the room like that."

"She's been with me nearly ten years. Reading my cues is all she needs to do."

"You'll be living in the capital from now on, meeting a great many people. Knowing only your cues won't be enough."

Kasika looked at Noah. He wasn't wrong. But that was a condition for staying in the capital permanently. With no telling when she'd have to go back, she had no intention of casting aside a maid she'd kept for years just to be a little more comfortable here.

"That is my prerogative."

At Kasika's refusal, Noah's eyes narrowed. It was the look of an idiot whose pity was showing.

"Very well. Have it your way. Still, I'll assign a few more maids. This suite would be difficult for you to manage alone."

"I appreciate the consideration, but—"

"It is not an offer."

"...Then keep them out of sight. Strangers are hard to trust."

"Gladly."

Noah said this with a face that suggested such a thing posed no problem at all, and sat down beside her.

"Was the journey here agreeable?"

Before she had any chance to react, a hand reached out and touched her hair. When Kasika gave no response whatsoever, Noah tilted his head to one side and smirked.

"You seem accustomed to having other people's hands on you, I see."

She hadn't kept any personal visitors, though. Nor were there any young servants about. The Marquisate of Lamplis employed exactly two maids and a single butler—nothing more. Had she ever summoned anyone?

Noah seized a handful of her hair. The sound of the strands grinding against each other was strangely unsettling. Before long, he let go, obedient enough.

"..."

"I've brought the contract. Read it over before we have it notarized, and if there are any parts that need adjusting, do say so."

"You would allow adjustments?"

Kasika challenged, even as she accepted the leather document envelope from him. The family crest was embossed right on the surface. How distasteful.

Kasika drew out the papers and began reading through them. Noah continued.

"It shouldn't be flatly one-sided. A contract may establish who holds the whip hand, but surely neither party signs unless they're more or less satisfied."

"Clause five. While serving as my mistress, I am not to share a bed with anyone else."

Kasika said.

Noah failed to hide his expression. He had expected her to flag a few provisions, but he hadn't imagined she'd start with that one.

"I'd like to negotiate this part."

"...You mean to say you intend to see other men?"

"Is it even possible to see only one person in high society? Especially when everyone has already fulfilled their obligations?"

"I don't find that very agreeable."

Noah said, furrowing his brow. Who knew what was going through his head. Smoothing out the creased space between his eyes with his fingers, he spoke in a low voice.

"I don't prefer to share what's mine with other people."

"I'm not yours."

"You did agree to take me as your mistress."

No—I didn't agree, you blackmailed me into—

"So let that clause stand as written."

"I can promise that within high society, I won't have such meetings with anyone but you."

"..."

Having said that, Kasika supposed the other party's position might be different after all.

"If you wish, Noah is free to be as promiscuous as he likes—"

"I believe I mentioned this before. You seem determined to make me a shameless creature who keeps a mistress and sees other people besides. Is that the idea, madam?"

"That was not my meaning. Merely..."

She still hadn't found a handsome commoner worth beheading—one who could take her first.

"It is an inconvenient matter for me."

No—now that you can't chop off heads at will, you'd have to find another method. Honestly, what am I to do with this— Kasika was thinking when Noah said, "On that point."

"Let's negotiate slowly. For now, I'd like you to respect my wishes."

Somehow I suspect that the moment I sign, there'll be no more revising anything.

"The capital's high society is filthier than you'd imagine."

"Is that so."

"Yes. Filthy."

"I can manage."

At Kasika's words, Noah regarded her quietly. Even when their eyes met, neither could read the other's thoughts.

"Let's discuss this further as we go through the paperwork."

In the end, it was Noah who spoke first.

"As for the other clauses—do you want for anything else?"

"The terms."

Kasika flipped through the documents. "Better than I expected," she said.

"Aren't these terms more disadvantageous to you than to me?"

Noah smiled as though it were nothing.

"Upon accepting a contract mistress, not only is half of your debt to Count Elpertz—2.8 million gold—forgiven, reducing it to 1.4 million."

Frankly speaking, Kasika had nothing to complain of in these terms. There were a few odd points, but nothing on the whole that disadvantaged her. Especially this part.

"A monthly stipend of 20 gold for the maintenance of my dignity."

"If you require more money, do tell me."

"Forgive me, but—do you by any chance have a proper occupation at present?"

Noah stared at Kasika with the face of a man who had no idea what he'd just heard. In those pale green eyes fixed on her, Kasika's worry only deepened. The thought even crossed her mind: was the boy perhaps utterly naive about the world? And she'd thought him so sharp.

Perhaps her worry showed on her face. Noah, whose eyes had been darting about as he worked out the situation, burst into a short laugh. Kasika pressed her lips tightly together and looked at him.

"Hah—ahaha. Are you worried about me, just now?"

About whether he had a job, whether money would come in? Whatever could be so funny, Noah chortled a while longer before turning his head back to look at her.

"You never quite move the way I expect you to, madam."

And you're the one talking nonsense right now, Kasika thought.

"Of course, I know how wealthy the Count's house is. So you'd extend that sum for Elpertz, someone with no real connection to you, whom you've merely met. Even so, these terms are more than generous to me."

You majored in law and made blackmail your trade—why on earth did you draft the contract like this? Do you not know how to secure an advantage? Kasika, in the frame of mind of some old governess, was on the verge of delivering just such a lecture before she swallowed it all down and said only, "It makes me suspicious."

"You think there's some hidden scheme?"

"Yes."

"Then go on and suspect."

Noah said this as he sprawled back in his chair. One leg crossed over the other at the knee, chin propped in his hand—the slouch suited him better than she'd expected. He'd seemed all rigid propriety before, but seen like this...

"You're welcome to suspect all you like."

There was even something of the delinquent about him. It was hardly the air one would expect from a young nobleman. More like someone who'd spent a little time knocking around back alleys.

Could he have served in the military? Noble men of the previous war had been conscripted temporarily, but this was no such time. She wished she'd at least heard the gossip from the capital or society, but having neglected such things, she had no information at all.