Is it wrong for me to like seeing the villain suffer [25]
Inside Arkell's office.
Huan handed his master one piece of paper, which was a contract in which the terms of the agreement with Lizzy were recorded.
Huan said:
“It is a paper protected by magic. It will not be affected by water or fire, so there is no need to worry about it being damaged.”
Arkell remained silent, staring at the contract.
His gaze stopped at the signature box where Lizzie's name was written, then his gaze descended to the empty box below it.
“It is enough for you to sign here, sir.”
With Huan's simple words, Erkel slowly reached out and grabbed the quill.
The point of the pen approached the signature box, but it suddenly stopped before writing his name.
“What's the matter, sir?”
Huan asked, raising his glasses in surprise.
“The content of this contract... is it really true?”
'Is there an unreasonable condition?'
But that was not possible, as he reviewed the terms more than once.
“…It’s hard to believe.”
Hearing his deep voice, worry began to seep into Hwan's heart, and he wondered if he had made a huge mistake in a contract of this importance?
He quickly read the terms of the contract again with his eyes from behind the lenses, but he did not find any defect.
“Sir…this necklace—”
“Is there anything suspicious about him?”
Arkle raised his eyes to Hwan, and his gaze was like waiting for a confession, which made Hwan unintentionally slur his words:
“If there is something I have overlooked, I apologize. But I carefully prepared the contract with Miss Lizzy personally—”
“Are you saying that just because I sign here makes me Lizzy Alheim's husband...?”
Arkell's features froze as he muttered. Then he said:
“You and Lizzie were alone?”
“In order to draft the contract...”
“Alone, you said?”
Sweat began to drip from Huan's forehead.
He did not know whether he should be happy that the necklace was free of errors, or worry about the strange change that appeared in his master.
“Indeed, I was alone with her for a while... but she only regretted your absence, and said that she would have been happier if you had been the one who drafted the contract with her.”
Arkle was silent, then raised his hand to his mouth.
'Did he... just smile?'
Hwan suspected that the glass of his glasses was cloudy, but it was clean and clear.
No doubt then... He noticed a slight smile on his master's lips.
'Could he be serious? 'Towards Lizzy Alheim?'
There was no longer any doubt: Arkell's cheeks were red.
Huan swallowed hard as he faced features he had never seen from his master before.
'Does he himself realize this? That girl...Lizzy Alheim, she couldn't be the innocent saint everyone thought she was. She seems... really deranged.'
“Huan.”
“N-yes, sir.”
But his master was not preoccupied with these doubts, but suddenly said:
“I will relieve half of your duties.”
Huan couldn't believe his ears.
'Are he serious? I'll finally get rid of this deadly workload? Did he fall in love so much that he became so full of compassion?'
“Thank you very much...!”
Whatever the reason, it seemed like a beautiful dream.
While he was feeling the pleasure of sleep that would finally be allowed to him, his master added:
“I entrust you with the task of helping my wife.”
Emphasis on the word my wife.
Huan blinked his eyes in surprise.
“She is not yet accustomed to the life of this place, and she will need your support. House of Alheim is very different from House of Cain.”
'But she seemed more than adjusted, as if she was at home...'
He almost said it, but he swallowed it and said, “True…”
Arkell continued with a serious face:
“I heard that the Eliheims revere group spirit. I fear that you will be disappointed by Kaien’s individual nature.”
'If she was going to get hurt, it would have been from the moment she was kidnapped, right?'
But Huan did not say a word, and merely smiled.
“I'm counting on you, then.”
“Sir…I…”
Huan took a deep breath, and was preparing to apologize politely, claiming his incompetence.
But Arkell said calmly:
“I will quintuple your salary.”
“I will devote myself to making Lady Lizzy fit into this house to the fullest.”
Huan responded immediately, the amount was too great to refuse.
He raised his glasses saying that, and Arkal nodded contentedly.
“Time to sign then.”
He picked up the feather again, then brought its tip closer to the signature box.
[Arkle Cayenne]
His name is engraved in careful, elegant handwriting.
Arkle stared for a long time at his name written next to Lies Alheim's.
'Here he is again...'
In a fleeting moment, Huan clearly caught a glimpse of a slight smile once again crossing his master's face.
‘…….’
Huan silently raised his glasses.
It was strange, but it wasn't a change he hated.
Miss Alheim was certainly eccentric.
Her sometimes cunning looks, and her endlessly bold actions...
He did not know yet whether her calm face was her true self or that other face that appeared from time to time, but what was certain was that she was not the Saint of Elheim as she was rumored to be.
It was confusing to wonder whether his master and the rest of the people did not see in Lizzy what he saw.
'However....'
It wasn't that he didn't understand why they loved her.
On the contrary, he began to understand a little why.
Lizzy Alheim has the ability to change those around her.
Naran, Arkle, and even the servants… they all changed after knowing her.
In Huan's opinion, her true power was not in healing, but in this very thing.
“I will serve her to the best of my ability.”
Huan said as he looked at Arkell in a sincere voice.
Arkell nodded as if he felt the sincerity of his words.
“I'll put the necklace in the safe.”
“Before that.”
His master stopped him when he was about to take the necklace.
“Copy it and give me another copy.”
“You don't have to worry about losing it...”
But as soon as Hwan's gaze fell on his features, he realized that it was not a fear of getting lost.
‘The other copy… to keep personally then.’
“I'll have the wizard copy it first. Oh, and there's one more thing.”
Huan paused for a moment, then looked up at Arkell.
“I have been informed that my absent miss will arrive at the Duchy tomorrow evening.”
“So...my sister.”
“Do you want me to tell her about Lady Lizzy?”
"…no."
After a short thought, Arkell replied:
“I'll talk to her myself. And also to Lizzie.”
"concept."
After he greeted his master and left the room, Huan suddenly turned to the door behind him.
He had always thought of his master as a cold, unaffected man.
However…
“He wasn't cold, just indifferent.”
Hwan muttered as he turned around.
It had served him long, but he couldn't imagine what Arkell would be like if he really cared about anything.
❖ ❖ ❖
Evening.
I was lying on the large bed, half asleep, when someone knocked on my room door.
"my wife."
It was Arkle's voice.
'At this hour, what's the matter?'
I rubbed my eyes and opened the door a little, and found him standing in front of it as I expected.
Our eyes met, and he said in a low voice:
“I have something to say, can I come in?”
"Help yourself."
I opened the door willingly, yawning lightly.
“You look tired.”
"That's fine. But what brings you here so late?"
I smiled slightly as I asked him, and he fixed his gaze on me and raised the corner of his lips with a mysterious smile.
“It's true that it's just a contract... but we're a couple, right?”
“……?”
What he said is correct in principle, but... why does he suddenly say that? And with a strange smile too?
“It is not strange for a couple to spend the night together.”
He said as he stared at me with his charming red eyes.
His eyes had always seemed calm, like a calm sea, but now they flared as if they were glowing for the first time.
I lost my ability to speak, and just blinked at his strange features.
'Has he always been this bold...?'
'Or am I still half asleep?'
'It's unbelievable...do he want us to share a room now?'
We used two separate rooms thanks to his long work schedule.
But now? To spend the night together?
'Should I be happy? To say it's a golden opportunity? But... I'm not ready for this yet...'
As I stood there dumbfounded, Arkell let out a light laugh and filled the room with warm laughter:
“Haha, I was just kidding. Just kidding...”
Then he fixed his gaze on me and added:
“But seeing that face… makes me want to pet you even more.”
A soft smile appeared on his lips.
“Now I understand why you ever asked me to beg you.”
‘……?’
Did he suddenly change after marriage? It seems more and more strange.
“If you keep joking, I'll get angry.”
I said while laughing shyly.
Arkil nodded calmly:
“I won't do what you hate. But...”
“What?”
“That face a moment ago...it was so beautiful.”
He said it very seriously without any hesitation.
I screamed out of embarrassment and started hitting him with my hands:
“How do you say something like that... so simply... without any thinking?!”
“Is this a mistake?”
Arkell asked with a surprised face. He did not try to dodge my blows, but rather received them all.
He seemed sincere in his ignorance of what he had done.
'Man, don't say something like that to someone you don't like. And not so carelessly.'
Perhaps because he is usually cold, he started saying these words coldly as well... and this is more dangerous than any deliberate plan.
I shook my head desperately.
“Anyway, what is the important matter you came for?”
“Actually...”
He said slowly:
“My sister will arrive at the duchy tomorrow. I received the news just now, so I wanted to tell you.”
tomorrow?
“Huh... I get it,” I whispered, touching my chin.
The moment has finally come for the heroine to emerge.
*****
Translated by: Snow
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