The Predator's Contract Partner

Last night, Elisha dreamt of a lost future. Her heart felt terribly uneasy.

‘You should go shopping.’

She concluded that she should only believe half of what Lucerne said. It would have suited him more if the man had a knife in his mouth. When he spoke, it was clear that he was taunting others.

Moreover, he was the same man who said that even a disfigured woman like Elisha in her previous life had been pretty.

“Nora, I’m going out. Would you like to come with me?”

“Yes, my lady.”

She told Lucerne that she would take Nora as her escort, as he had requested.

***

‘I’ll take this opportunity to earn favor and get on madam’s good side,’

vowed Nora, secretly nurturing her ambitions.

Even if Elisha didn’t call Lapis first, it seemed they were on good enough terms that he could go and chat with her.

After the fifth time of him proclaiming, ‘I’m the only knight she’s ever treated to tea!’ all the Seeds were annoyed. Still, at the same time, she was envious.

‘If I go with you, I can take care of and look after you!’

said Elisha’s maid, Sophie, who took care of her necessities.

Often when a lady went shopping, the maid attending her would receive a ribbon at the store as a bonus.

Not only was she upset about that, but she would miss out on taking in all the glamorous trends and inhaling the air where beautiful objects lived. Nora, of course, was unaware of such circumstances.

‘Madam, you are very pretty. It’s looks very nice,’

Nora was determined to say such if Elisha asked for her opinion while shopping.

“Nora, are you okay? Is this kind of store uncomfortable?”

asked Elisha while looking at a hat. Nora lost her chance to tell Elisha, ‘Very pretty,’ and became a little depressed.

“I’m sorry, Nora. This is a personal errand. After all, this must be very boring, isn’t it?”

“No! It’s not like that. I am the one who’s…….”

“Yes?”

Nora bit her mouth. She was too taciturn. Perhaps, she should learn how to foster familiarity and kindness from Ian, the master of dressing as a woman. Her shoulders visibly slumped.

“Nora?”

“No, it’s nothing, ma’am…….”

***

Elisha slowly wandered down the street. Where wealthy aristocrats gathered, money circulated, and without fail luxury boutiques were built. A high-end shopping district was also concentrated in Yurif.

‘Madam……. seems to enjoy shopping.’

When Elisha was doing her shopping, Nora didn’t notice that she was scrutinizing the public announcement notices outside of the city hall and offices.

“May I take a look around this office for a moment?”

Elisha stopped at the Spencer’s Real Estate Brokerage Agency at the Yurif branch office. Nora glanced at the sign and realized that it was where the madam had visited in the capital.

“It’s a real estate office?”

Elisha thought that Nora might report her whereabouts to Lucerne afterwards.

“Yes. I heard at yesterday’s party that all the ladies have a villa or hotel memberships in Yurif. After hearing that, I think I will have to look into it a bit more to see if it is true. That’s all.”

Nora was convinced by her explanation.

‘You’ve been working hard and studying a lot too. Even though madam is so slender, she is busy running the house; it must be difficult.’

Nora was naive. It was then. Someone’s voice was heard from the office.

“I will pay any amount of money, so please make it happen! Don’t you understand? I really need that parcel of land.”

The yelling belonged to Marco’s wife. It was Arien’s voice.

Instinctually, Elisha placed her finger on her lips, signalling to be quiet. Nora understood her intentions and held her breath. The door was slightly ajar.

“So, when it comes up for auction, I need you to make the proxy bid. I have a few decent names.”

The office was tiny, and luckily there was no one else on the street. Elisha could clearly hear the following voices,

“Listen well. Never reveal my name. I need to purchase it under a borrowed name. Can you do it? I’ve been told it would be a piece of cake.”

Elisha stepped into an alley. Soon the door opened, and Arien looked around several times and walked three blocks to get into her wagon.

“That was just…….”

“Yes, Marco’s wife, Arien. I saw her face at the duke’s estate. What is that woman up to?”

Everyone knew that the duke’s grandchildren were hostile to each other, to the point where they casually exchanged assassins when they were bored.

Rightfully so, Nora saw them as enemies. In fact, there were times when Lucerne’s army was harmed by Jacob’s or Marco’s schemes.

Nora glanced at Elisha and was startled. She was always the kind lady to Nora, and at that moment, she seemed like a stranger.

Like a mysterious flower submerged in deep water, she gave off an eerie air of an unknown entity. She was lost in thought and utterly still. Eventually, Elisha released her hand from her lips.

“Nora, I have a request. I will give you gold coins. Go inside and give these gold coins to the staff. And find out what property Arien wants?”

Nora looked at her expression and nodded her head.

“I see, madam, but why would the lady do this…….?”

“I am ashamed,”

Elisha whispered.

“I heard at the party yesterday, Carola and Arien……. The wives of the other grandchildren of Cartier were not ordinary. I heard that they were no less than their husbands’ adviser. That’s why I also want to get some information, so please do it.”

Nora didn’t like her words. She hoped her lady would be protected and remain kind and beautiful. But she couldn’t refuse her request, so she nodded her head and agreed.

Had Nora known the consequences of that action, she would have never heeded Elisha’s request.

***

Lucerne was handling business in the hotel room. When he arrived at the capital, he still had a lot of things to attend to. Thanks to the fact that he was in a city just a short distance from the capital, he received quite a few telegrams last night.

“Excuse me.”

Amidst this, there was a knock on the door.

“I think they’re here again.”

Ian let out a sigh and opened the door. A hotel employee with his arms full of red boxes was standing at the entrance. Lucerne nodded, and Ian received the packages. Gift boxes that had already arrived were piled up near the sofa.

Ordered by: Elisha de Lor

Violet Dressing Room.

“Now, take a look at what it is.”

“No, you’re not asking me to look at the stuff; I am conducting a safety check. Sir, those are stockings. Silver.”

When Lucerne heard the word stockings, he burst into laughter. Ian pretended not to see the scene.

“Close it now.”

“Oh, yes.”

Ian repackaged the box again.

“It looks like your wife is enjoying her vacation. Didn’t you say that this was a trip that the madam originally wanted?”

“Well, she also has a cute side.”

As soon as morning came, Elisha went out to the streets to shop and, as if to prove something, goods continued to be delivered to their shared hotel room. Lucerne found it highly amusing because her actions felt like a kind of protest.

She was a woman with a tingling taste. It was just the kind of thrilling exhilaration he wanted to roll on his tongue. Even as a child, he was a child who always ate bitter, sour candy that made his tongue tingle.

But it was strange. The more you swallow, the sweeter it gets. Lucerne thought.

Then there was a knock.

***

The door opened, and Nora entered. Nora was carrying many boxes in her arms.

“Is that also the lady’s?”

Ian accepted the boxes. Nora nodded her head.

“My wife,”

Lucerne asked without turning his gaze away.

“Having a cup of tea in the salon downstairs.”

“Well, how was everything?”

Nora hesitated. Then Lucerne raised his head from his work.

“What.”

“As instructed, I closely watched whatever she was doing and was by her side. But…….”

“But?”

“She looked very upset. It’s a bit complicated to tell you…….”

Ian was also paying attention now.

“If I have violated any military ordinance, please punish me.”

“What do you mean?”

At Lucerne’s inquiry, Nora slowly put together her words.

“Actually, it seems that the lady and I have been to a dangerous place. However, I’m not sure about that either. So…….”

Her remarks made his brow furrow.

“My wife got hurt?”

***

Nora’s report was truly strange.

“You spotted Arien on the road?”

“Yes. But……. Suddenly, she asked me to go buy that land.”

“The land in Yurif that Arien wanted to buy?”

“Yes. The land was just around the corner.”

“Did you follow her again?”

“My lady moved so quickly that I had no choice. I didn’t want to use force to stop her. But it’s really bizarre……. The site was just a flat, dismal, empty plain where grass did not grow in the middle of the forest.”

“What’s so peculiar about that?”

asked Ian, who became frustrated.