CH 09
“What? What does that mean…….” (Eileen asked)
“Baby.” (Kashar said)
“Baby? What baby?”
I blinked, and he said, kindly, one by one.
“Why don’t you call me babe.”
Now, what did you say?
I contemplated searching my ears.
Then Evan stepped in front of me.
“She’s my nanny. You’ll have to speak to me.”
The confidence didn’t seem like it was from a 7-year-old.
But in Kashar’s eyes, he was just a distraction.
“Leave the child out of it. We’re going to have a grown-up conversation.”
With a smirk on his face, he looked very handsome but also threatening.
Evan’s expression hardened.
Kashar stepped in front of Evan, who still didn’t move out of the way.
“Didn’t you hear? That Eileen and I are lovers and have been for a very long time…….”
Wait, wait, wait!
What the hell is this guy talking about in front of a kid!
“Mr. Evan, I have to go for a minute!” (Eileen said)
I hurriedly squeezed Kashar’s hand and ran into the building.
My mind was racing, and I didn’t know where I was going. We arrived in the kitchen.
“Here again?”
The kitchen was where I had first met Kashar.
I was nervous, wondering if he was referring to the incident.
But Kashar didn’t say anything, just looked at me.
“You’re looking at me ……, aren’t you?
Kashar’s eyes were scanning me from head to toe.
“Sorry, prince. I think I’m done here.”(Eileen said)
I’ll probably die before Louis and Evan turn black.
“If you’re going to kill me, kill me quickly.”
But as I made my last words, Kashar had other ideas.
“Why haven’t you worn any of the gifts I’ve given you?”
“What…”
“The gift.”
Suddenly, I couldn’t figure out why it was coming up.
I timidly voiced my opinion.
“It’s not mine……”
“Why not? It was a thank you for breakfast. Didn’t I say I’d return the favor?”
“Did you really say that?”
I still couldn’t believe it.
No matter how good my food was, it couldn’t possibly be worth the gifts he sent.
But Kashar looked at me incredulously.
“So you thought it was fake?” he asked.
“No. It’s enough that you saved my life.”
I felt a little embarrassed because my life was on the line.
I still managed to keep my cool, probably because I’ve been through horror movies before.
“That’s different.”
“What’s different?”
“Breakfast is a gift, but there’s a separate reward for accidents.”
“That’s that, and this is this.
“What logical crap!
I hastened to protest.
“I didn’t win anything!”
“One of your prince was surrounded by toys.”
His sneering words sent me into despair.
“Mr. Louis!”
The seven-year-old, unable to resist his desire, finally broke his promise.
“I should have put my finger on his mouth and sealed it!”
No, I should have shown him the vice president first!
The water had already been spilled.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to ask you to pay me back, but are you not going to treat me to a meal today?”
Kashar, who was laughing out loud at my despair, asked, looking around the kitchen.
Who cares about gold and silver treasures when you will don’t have a life in the near future?
I grumbled under my breath.
“Anyway, you’re not going to listen to me, right?”
I glared at him, not wanting to spare his life.
“What if I do?”, ignoring the upturned corners of my eyes.
“What if I do?”
“I can give you an 18% discount!”
If that number sounds like an insult, you’re probably mistaken!
I felt like I was in and out of hot and cold, but it was better to be hopeful.
He laughed at my lightning turn of events and squeezed the ends of my hair.
“As much as I adore your food, I have another favor to ask of you.”
Kashar’s shadow loomed over me. The distance was so close I felt like I had to hold my breath.
As if sensing my nervousness, his deft fingertips slowly released my hair.
“First, a date.”
A date, did he mean it?
Excitement. Thrilled. My heart was racing.
Except I couldn’t tell if I was shaking from fear or excitement.
“I didn’t understand a word you said earlier.”
At this point, it was probably better to be honest.
Kashar narrowed his eyes at me as if my ignorance was a bad thing.
“I started to take an interest in you.”
My face turned bright red at his words.
It had to be a lie. But.
“Listen, Duke. If a lie makes you this excited, you’re mistaken.”
He was too handsome to accuse me of being a fraud.
Kashar had left me in the confusion, and he was the only one who didn’t seem to mind.
I hadn’t even had a chance to express my frustration. He held out his hand in front of me.
“Come.”
His large, thick-boned hand resembled his owner’s.
Gulp. I swallowed dryly and cautiously placed my hand on his.
[***]
The imperial palace was a vast place.
Like an overly lavish village?
There were over a hundred palaces, the largest being the main palace, and many smaller ones, all of which required carriages.
The rich streets, starting from the largest garden in the center of the castle, were the exclusive shopping district for the royal family and nobility.
‘There’s a cafe, a restaurant, and a shop for everything.’
I looked around as soon as I stepped out of the carriage.
There were booties everywhere, as expected in an imperial castle.
In her memories, Eileen had been to the Streets of Wealth.
She had longed to wander the streets, to eat her way in and out of them, but had been frustrated by the high prices of everything.
‘Not even a maid’s salary and the royal family’s minimum standards of decency can cover the cost.
A cup of noodles blew Eileen’s paycheck.
There are so many rich people in the world?
Gorgeous women and gentlemen lined the streets.
Kashar held my hand as we walked down the street.
I followed behind him awkwardly, and he matched my steps.
This is, like, real, isn’t it?
It was like going on a real date.
Everything was perfect: his back, the sleek buildings, the sunny weather.
I took a moment to marvel at the scene and tripped over my own feet.
“Ugh!”
My body jerked forward with a sickening sound.
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the pain to come.
But instead of kissing the ground.
I was caught.
A firm, hot embrace enveloped me.
Lifting my head, I locked eyes with Kashar.
“Be careful.”
My face burned at the sound of his voice.
Mmm, I can feel it. Handsome pecs!
The muscles of his chest, hot and hard through his shirt, made me dizzy.
I could feel the stares while I was immobilized. Everyone on the street was staring at me and Kashar.
It’s a burden!
I felt like I was going to spit my heart out of my mouth.
I turned to Kashar for help, hoping he could save the day.
“Look, everyone is staring at me.”
“It’s okay, don’t be shy.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer.
“My God, who is that young lady?”
“I don’t think she’s a young lady, she’s a maid. Did the Duke of Vladis have a lover?”
A group of young ladies nearby heard Kashar’s voice, and there was a murmur of oohs and ahhs.
Despite his glamorous face, Kashar had no scandals with women.
A woman being embraced by a man who knocks away any woman who approaches him without hesitation is bound to attract attention.
He’s a virgin until he meets the heroine, which is one of the reasons I liked Kashar more than the male lead.
Neighbors, you’re wrong, this guy is a virgin!
I wanted to say.
He stopped in the middle of the street, unaware of what I was thinking.
“Are you in a bad mood today?”
“What? Not really, but…….”
“You’ll feel better if you eat something sweet, honey.”
Kashar’s act wasn’t over yet.
People were staring at me like I was possessed.
“Oh my God, look at that.”
“….That icy attitude?”
“What am I looking at?”
I could hear the chatter.
There were many women who had Kashar’s heart.
Dangerous, handsome men were attractive.
But most people would end up feeling hurt by his cold insults, regardless of gender.
“That Foxy brat……!”
A pretty young lady’s voice pierced my ears.
A murderous glare poured down on me.
It’s a misunderstanding!
It felt like going back and forth between cold and hot baths, like a shabu-shabu experience.
All I could think about was getting out of here.
I scanned the street frantically and finally saw what appeared to be a cafe in front of me.
I tugged on Kashar’s arm.
“My throat is burning! What is this place selling?”
As I said it, my throat was indeed burning.
I pushed Kashar through the door and we went inside.
A waiter at the cafe greeted us.
“Welcome to the Golden Eden. May I have your table…….”
“The one in the corner, preferably with the curtains drawn!” (Eileen said)
I begged desperately, and the waiter showed us to our table.
It was a couch on the third floor, in the corner, with the curtains drawn.
This is just like the Room Cafe.
As I sat down and looked around, the waiter brought me a menu.
There were several types of cakes and teas, but they were all eye-poppingly expensive.
“……hick!”
I pressed my hand to my mouth and swallowed the scream.
The cheapest glass of water was 50 silver.
Even a five-star hotel would give you water, but I thought, That’s really too much.
I thought to myself, I’m in, I should at least order something.
It was like walking into a tiger’s den to avoid a wild animal.
I could see why Eileen had given up on Floating Street.
“I just want a glass of water, please.”
My voice was shaky.
It had been a long morning of paying bills.
