I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes.
Harren held my hand. His large hand covered the back of mine.
When I turned my head at his touch, I saw Harren looking at me with a worried expression.
“Boss, you can tell me anytime. I’ll be ready to run away. Don’t forget, I’m always on your side.”
I chuckled lightly at Harren’s words.
“Okay, okay.”
At that moment, the clock struck noon.
Harren and I both turned to look at each other.
“Is everything prepared?”
“Of course. Even if I don’t tidy up the office, I can still do one thing well.”
Harren replied, winking at me. He then promptly dropped all the papers on the table to the floor and placed the magic scrolls on them.
As I handed him the robe that was rolling on the floor, Harren meticulously flipped it over to cover his hair, ears, and eyes.
I also pulled down the hood of the robe I had brought with me.
Soon, we heard a knocking sound on the door.
“Come in.”
“Goodness!”
Once permission was granted, a noisy man opened the door and entered.
It was Jack who distributed the magic scrolls that Harren and I created to the market.
Jack, the middle man, crouched down and sat across from me.
He looked around and exclaimed,
“Wow~! This place always seems to get dirtier every time I come here!”
“Enough chit-chat. Check the merchandise.”
“Ah, the young master’s temperament is still as feisty as ever!”
Harren let out a snort.
I handed the magic scrolls to Jack.
“The response to the new product seems good, so we’re planning to focus on ‘Palm Blast’ for a while.”
“Sure, sure. I was just about to suggest that. As expected, you know your stuff, boss. The young master here seems clueless.”
Originally, Jack referred to me as “Madam” and Harren as “Boss.”
But then Harren started yelling at him that I was the boss, so now he calls him the young master.
Harren made a face and yelled.
“Just shut up and check the merchandise.”
“Oh, well. Our boss, Young Master, your products are always good. But still, we need to check to make sure everything is fine!”
Jack replied nonchalantly. He inspected each magic scroll one by one.
Although the magic scrolls were legitimate, when Jack inspected the products, he looked serious, and his appearance was quite intimidating, giving the feeling of dealing with drugs.
In reality, we could distribute directly to the market without a middleman, but since neither of us wanted to reveal ourselves, Jack was necessary.
“As expected! Everything is perfect again!”
After finishing the inspection, Jack, who had been expressionless until then, chuckled and joked as if nothing had happened.
“By the way, have you seen the new shop that opened up in the alley here? I hear it’s some kind of drugstore. They sell all kinds of medicine, including contraceptives.”
Harren’s face twisted in disgust.
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that this is your shop? Don’t do business there, and get lost.”
“Ha-ha-ha! I’ve been caught!”
Jack, still clutching his magic scroll, lowered his hips as if remembering something.
“By the way, be careful, both of you.”
The moment the word “careful” was mentioned, Harren, who had been slouching, suddenly straightened up.
“Why?”
Knowing that any information Jack sporadically provided could be of great help, I immediately paid attention. Jack whispered softly.
Jack whispered in a low voice.
“I heard that a certain high-ranking nobleman is interested in magic scrolls. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, it’s better to be cautious, right?”
“You sneaky bastard! You know everything!”
“That’s all I really know!”
Jack ducked as Harren tried to grab him by the throat.
“After a fortnight, I’ll come back! Take care~!”
“Goodbye, Jack! Get some juice from downstairs!”
After Jack disappeared, Harren couldn’t hide his anxiety.
Seeing him look so uneasy, I eventually had to calm him down.
“Harren, just relax for now.”
“Don’t you worry at all, boss? It’s easy for me to just run away, but not for you. It’s better to keep this business hidden from the Duke as much as possible.”
“Well, yes, but…”
Seeing my lukewarm response, Harren punched his chest in frustration.
“Argh! This is frustrating! How can you be so calm, boss?”
“I’ve just given up. Some things just won’t change no matter how much you fight against them…”
“Stop talking like an old man! You’re barely in your twenties!”
“Yeah, it must be nice to be older like you!”
After exchanging a few more banters, Harren got up from his seat.
“What, leaving already?”
“Yeah, I probably won’t be able to come as often as before.”
“Well, good for you. You must enjoy lazing around.”
Despite saying that, I know that he would work harder than anyone else. I ruffled Harren’s hair. His green hair was intertwined between my fingers.
“I’ll be back soon, so tidy up the office and take care, okay?”
After bidding farewell to the now-docile Harren, I descended the stairs.
“Leaving early today, Miss.”
“Yes, I think I’ll call it a day. Thank you as always, sir.”
I paid the fruit juice vendor.
It was payment for the juice that Harren and I drank.
The vendor furrowed his brows upon seeing the amount of money.
“You don’t have to give me this much every time.”
“I’m grateful; that’s why.”
If it hadn’t been for the vendor at that time, Harren would have died.
Just as I was about to finish my conversation with the vendor and turn around, I heard a familiar voice.
“Lady Philome!”
“Gio?”
My eyes widened at his appearance.
‘You didn’t see me coming down the stairs, did you?’
I quickly exited the fruit juice shop and approached Gio.
“How did you know I was here?”
Gio answered under his breath.
“The coachman told me that you were dropped off here in the square, so I was looking around.”
‘Did he have someone follow me?’
I hid my suspicious gaze and smiled.
“Oh, I see. Did I take too long? I was planning to go back anyway…”
“No, you’ve only been out for a few hours. It’s just that…”
After scanning the surroundings, Gio lowered his voice.
“I think you should come with me.”
“…had something happened to the Duke?”
Gio confirmed with silence.
I said hurriedly.
“Lead the way.”
As Gio and I left the alley, a carriage appeared right away.
Entering the carriage, I was surprised.
I thought it would be empty, but Kaien was sitting inside. He was sitting casually as usual, but his face was pale.
‘Right.’
I remembered the episode where Kaien and Nadia had their first contact after marriage.
“Do you need physical contact?”
I grabbed Kaien’s hand on his knee.
“How do you feel?”
Kaien’s face, which seemed momentarily startled, relaxed in an instant, as if nothing had happened.
“Phew…”
Kaien sighed and leaned his head back, revealing his sharp jawline. His usually neat hair was slightly tousled, giving off an unusual vibe.
As I rolled my eyes around, I noticed his slightly narrowed forehead.
Not enough?
I firmly grasped his hand with both of mine, adding pressure.
“Are you feeling good?”
“…….”
Was that a wrong question?
Carefully, I asked the silent Kaien again,
“Are you okay…?”
The previously quiet Kaien responded with a voice tinged with amusement.
“Milady, I’m not a pervert.”
It wasn’t that he seemed sexually excited; he genuinely appeared to be in a good mood. It was evident from the faint smile on his lips and the relaxed expression on his face.
“If you’re asking if I’m feeling good without any ulterior motive, then yes.”
Kaien tightened his grip on our joined hands and lowered his head to meet my gaze.
“Out of all the contacts I’ve had so far, I’ve calmed down the fastest with you. It seems like Milady is truly my perfect match.”
“Is that so?”
Since it wasn’t exactly good news to me, I nodded with a troubled expression.
“That’s enough for now. Be careful not to overdo the physical contact, as it can affect the other person negatively. Even though I want it, if it becomes too much for you, you must refuse. Understand?”
“But didn’t you enter into this contract marriage for that purpose?”
“…Well, that’s true to some extent.”
Kaien released my hand, and I did the same, placing it back on my knee. A chill ran through me as the warmth that had filled my palm disappeared.
“Didn’t Milady ask for respect?”
