Chapter 13

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 13

Chapter Title: Contract Negotiations

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That incredibly dangerous line, delivered in a suspiciously shady tone by what seemed like a truly harmful person?

I stuttered slightly as I backed away.

"Why... why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's the truth?"

My escape route was blocked.

The bed's overly plush cushions caught my butt and thighs, stopping me dead.

I toppled straight backward onto it.

"Eek!"

As if finding it utterly ridiculous, Arpad's laughter rang out like shattering crystal beads across the floor.

Wow, what a truly obnoxious guy. Why does even his mocking laugh have to sound so cool and atmospheric?

And the price of my momentary lapse in vigilance was steep.

Arpad strode toward the bed and loomed right over me!

"Kyaa!"

Ah, scratch that—he hadn't actually collapsed onto me.

His face had come too close too suddenly, sparking the misunderstanding.

He wasn't overlapping me as I lay on the bed; he was just standing at the bedside, looking down at me.

Like he was observing something utterly fascinating.

His red, delicate irises narrowed, sharpening his pupils into something reptilian and alien.

I could tell he was... intrigued, amused, and deeply suspicious.

The dangerous man spouted another harmful line.

"Is this some clumsy attempt at seduction, or a trick to lower my guard?"

"Seduction? What kind of filthy thing is that to say!"

I shot upright like a jack-in-the-box.

My sudden movement rewarded me with a dizzy spell.

Damn this diet!

After three days of horseback riding on a body weakened by bridal dieting, my condition was in the absolute gutter.

As I swayed, Arpad's firm arm wrapped around my waist, steadying me.

Thanks to that, I avoided the disaster of smashing my forehead into his handsome one.

But now we've ended up in an even more dangerous position?

I was wearing only a thin chemise.

Arpad had on nothing but that red robe.

The room was filled with an oddly sweet scent...

And behind our backs loomed the bed strewn with rose petals.

Arpad leaned in close, his voice a low whisper that soaked into my ear with thickening intensity.

"You know what consummating the marriage means, right?"

"...!"

It was far too dangerous and harmful a statement!

Blood raced through my veins. My heart pounded all the way to my fingertips.

My vision whitened, my whole body heating up—just as it was about to—

I snapped back to my senses and shouted.

"I know! Let's hammer out the details of our commission and contract terms properly!"

I clenched my fist and thrust it in front of Arpad, yelling desperately.

"You've completely killed the mood."

Thank goodness Arpad had shaken off that lewd, perilous atmosphere from moments ago.

But his meaningfully muttered words felt a bit off.

"You'll have to pay this back with interest later."

What nonsense...!

Thanks to that, I finally escaped Arpad's dangerous embrace.

And so Hilia and Arpad were able to sit facing each other across a clean table, rather than that bizarre rose-petal-strewn bed.

It had been quite the ordeal.

Arpad lounged at the table in an utterly indolent pose.

His elegant fingers toyed idly with his sharp jaw, devoid of any enthusiasm.

His half-hearted attitude made the fresh, cherry-blossom-petal-like woman flare up.

"...Focus!"

"You want me to focus even more on that boring explanation? Do you know how valuable my attention is?"

"Keep slacking, and I'll write up the contract however I please!"

That's right. Hilia was currently drafting a very belated Bride Abduction Marriage Commission.

At that, it wasn't Crown Prince Arpad who popped out, but Mercenary King Gerald.

"A commission written on one-sided terms can be voided by the mercenary side as well. Customer."

"Eek!"

It was such a spot-on retort that Hilia clenched her fist, which had been about to swing forward.

Annoying! Obnoxious!

When it came to bad luck, this man made her ex-husband and former fiancé Ludwig look tame by comparison.

Well, that's exactly why I snagged this guy.

No one short of an absolute madman like Arpad could shatter a marriage.

Hilia took a deep breath, struggling to regain her composure.

No. Arguing just hurts me. He's a madman. You don't engage madmen seriously.

Forcing strength into her weakening grip, she kept moving the pen.

"So... now that the wedding's done, Your Highness has fulfilled the most important part of my commission."

"The most important? Not all of it?"

Hilia shook her head.

"At the very least, you have to maintain the marriage until I no longer need it. That's a crucial clause."

Scritch!

Hilia double-underlined the clause on the commission sheet.

This was vitally important!

"You make it sound like maintaining the marriage will be difficult."

"Of course. Ludwig won't just sit idly by."

"True. Father's marriage arrangement with you was groundwork to position Ludwig—that half-breed—as my rival."

Arpad crossed his legs the other way.

His bare legs were nearly exposed, leaving Hilia unsure where to look.

No way... he's not going commando under that robe, is he?!

She couldn't bring herself to ask, half-expecting the worst.

Forcing her gaze to the paper, she read aloud deliberately, word by word.

"Furthermore, the client has already paid the advance fee with Agrippina's Tear..."

Arpad smirked at Hilia's obvious flailing.

Leaning in close, he deliberately puffed a breath into her ear to correct her.

"More precisely, it's payment via Agrippina's Tear and related information."

"Eep! Y-y-yes, that's right!"

Hilia's hair and skin tone were blending together.

Her cherry-blossom-pink ears covered by her hands as she stammered—it was pretty adorable.

Hm. Weak ears.

She'd have thrown a fit if she knew he was thinking that.

Her entire body flushed pink, Hilia dove into the commission with even more fervor.

Arpad, wearing a mischievous scowl, threw a wrench in it.

Right at the very top line.

"By the way, this is weird. Why are you 'Party A' and I'm 'Party B'?"

-Hereinafter, client Hilia Delphin shall be referred to as 'Party A,' and mercenary Gerald (Arpad Estrid) as 'Party B.'

Surprisingly, this world had terms equivalent to Korean '갑 and 을'.

Hilia had used them straight in the commission.

And now 'Party B' Arpad was protesting.

Hilia narrowed her eyes into triangles.

"Isn't it common sense that the client is Party A?"

"This isn't your run-of-the-mill commission. You keep forgetting who I am."

"I haven't forgotten! Crown Prince Arpad Estrid, Your Highness!"

She grumbled.

"And if you're going to nitpick the basics, you should've focused from the start of drafting!"

Hands on hips, index finger jabbed right in his face—the pose carried real dignity.

Arpad chuckled softly.

"Fine. We'll let this one slide."

"You're the one who should be grateful I'm letting it slide!"

Even so, Hilia diligently filled out the contract clauses.

It was a hard-won victory, navigating sabotage from Arpad—the 'Party B' and sole saboteur.

But at the final clause, Arpad's eyebrow arched.

"'Once Party B ascends to the Emperor's throne, if either Party A or B requests divorce, it shall be immediately granted'? What is this? So either one of us wanting it makes divorce possible?"

Hilia blinked wide-eyed.

"Exactly. By then, everything should be wrapped up, so divorce won't matter."

"After I become Emperor, you'd already be Empress, wouldn't you? You're saying you'll divorce then?"

Arpad asked as if it made no sense.

Hilia brightened and nodded vigorously.

"Exactly! This is the ultimate proof of my pure intentions!"

"Pure... intentions?"

For the first time, a tremor crept into Arpad's voice.

Not quite shaken—more like the queasy half-disgust of biting into an apple and finding half a worm in the crisp flesh.

"Yes! This proves I'm not doing this commission for the Empress's seat or power!"

Hilia was utterly passionate.

Like a salesperson hitting the key selling point of their product.

But the buyer's reaction wasn't positive.

"Why prove that?"

"...Pardon?"

No, it was downright negative.

Hilia panicked.

What? Why the sudden attitude? What's not to like?!

This was a clause she'd added purely out of goodwill.

You've got a lover already—or one incoming soon anyway!

That's right.

Hilia clearly remembered the rumors about Arpad from before her regression.

"They say the Crown Prince went mad after losing his lover."

"He completely lost it after his beloved was taken from him."

And so on.

So if that tragic lover showed up, she'd step aside gracefully.

Not even coveting the Empress's power—she'd bow out nicely. So why the fuss?!