Chapter: 11
“Good thing I scouted out the suspicious one beforehand. I can’t just blindly bring someone so shady back to the residence.”
Unlocking the door at the entrance, Lenia stepped inside and pointed toward a worn-out sofa.
“Sit there for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
“Where is this place? Looks a bit gloomy for someone to live alone.”
“This is my hideout. There are alarms set up all over, so don’t wander around carelessly.”
“Right. Come back quickly before I get too curious. I tend to be impatient.”
Watching the man respond so smoothly, irritation welled up inside her.
With a bang, Lenia entered the room, kicked off her dress, and changed into something more comfortable.
“Yeah. This outfit is definitely the best.”
Tight leather pants and a white shirt.
It was her usual light attire and also suitable for the mission.
After taking several weapons from a box, Lenia equipped them with practiced ease and returned to where the man was waiting.
“Stylish outfit. Hard to imagine you’re the same lady I saw earlier.”
“If that’s sarcasm, that’s enough. I’m not in the mood for joking with you.”
“I mean both look good. Honestly.”
What does this man even want from me to act so strangely?
Lenia let out a deep sigh and perched on the squeaky sofa.
“So, what exactly do you want from me? Don’t tell me you followed me all the way to a matchmaking appointment just to pretend you don’t know.”
“Can’t I just say I broke into the hotel because I fell for your beauty? Sounds like a pretty solid excuse to me.”
“I said I’m not in the mood for jokes. Are you a bounty hunter or something? If you are, I’ll double your pay, so just leave. Don’t bother someone who’s trying to live a decent life and quit shady business.”
“Hmmm. Wipe the slate clean, live righteously from now on? That’s a boring story, enough to make me yawn. I know your plan is a little different.”
The moment her eyes met his, Lenia realized he already knew everything about her plan—
Her scheme to gather a fake family and become the heiress of the ducal family.
“What I want isn’t some bounty, Lenia Crestian. Nor do I intend to harm you. If anything, I want to join in on your future plans.”
“…I don’t work with shady people like you.”
“I don’t recall giving you a choice. You just need to accept my offer. It’s not a losing deal. You won’t find anyone else as suited to your plan as I am.”
The man rose from his chair and walked toward her.
He seemed utterly unafraid of whatever hidden traps Lenia might have set.
“The obedient, good man you’ve been hoping for? Here I am. Forget the rest. I’m far better than ten mediocre men combined.”
Wow.
Is this man some kind of professionally trained con artist in this field? A pro Casanova, perhaps.
“This is insane…”
The man alternated between threats and sweet talk with a face so dazzling it was almost hypnotic.
When his gloved hand brushed her cheek, Lenia squeezed her eyes shut and shoved him away.
“Okay, that’s enough!”
Every time he got close, she felt like a phantom arrhythmia would strike.
“Stay calm. If I’m not careful, I’ll completely fall for this man.”
As she tried to steady her pounding heart, the man flexed and relaxed his gloved hand as if gauging something and then grinned.
“So you’re saying you’ll consider it positively? Glad you understand my sincerity.”
“Who decided that? I just said I’d think about it because otherwise you’ll cling like a leech.”
“Same thing, really. As long as the result is good, isn’t that what matters?”
Phew.
If he didn’t have that arrogant face, she would have already punched him several times.
“What should I do? He doesn’t seem like the type to give up easily… Maybe I should just make him an ally?”
One of the most effective ways to deal with an enemy is to turn them into a partner.
In that sense, teaming up with this suspicious man might actually be a good choice.
She had been struggling to find a husband, and compared to the other matchmaking candidates, this man was quite competent.
“He looks aristocratic, so no need for extra etiquette lessons. Seems skilled with swords too; could come in handy.”
The main concern was that this would be a three-person team, not just her alone.
Since they had to mimic a fake family, the teamwork of three was crucial. But this sly man could easily cover any gaps.
“One thing I need to clarify. Are you from the underworld? You don’t exactly look like someone who fights in alleyways.”
“No. I was a mercenary roaming borderlands until recently. My work is unrelated to yours. I used to have a respectable status, but I lost it long ago.”
Judging by his reluctance to reveal his past, perhaps he was an illegitimate child of an aristocratic family.
“Doesn’t matter if he was aristocracy or not before. As long as he’s useful, that’s all I care about.”
“I can trust what you say, right? If you try to deceive me, I won’t forgive you.”
“Of course.”
Lenia slowly studied his expression as if reading his intentions, and finally made up her mind.
She would incorporate him into her plan.
“It’s not easy to eliminate a skilled person like him. Better to keep him in my cage and monitor him.”
If she rejected him, the man smiling in front of her could easily turn into an enemy.
The biggest problem was that he could use Rakan as leverage to threaten her.
Better to pretend to cooperate while slowly finding his weaknesses.
“Alright, we have a deal. But one thing must be clear: I’m the leader of this temporary alliance. Remember that well.”
“I’ll follow your lead. After all, the duke is looking for his lost daughter, not her husband.”
“And second, you mustn’t lay a finger on my companion. If you harm that child, the contract is immediately void.”
“I have no perverse hobby of hurting kids. What else is there?”
“Since we’re on the topic, we might as well put it in writing.”
They began drafting a document based on their verbal agreement.
The condition was that Lenia would cooperate in becoming the heiress, and in return, the wealth acquired from the ducal family would be shared proportionally.
Even though her share was quite large, the man raised no objection.
From this, Lenia realized his interest in the ducal family wasn’t monetary.
“One thing we need to clear up: who exactly are you? Why do you want to get involved with the ducal family?”
