Chapter 38: The Contract (2)

 

The contract continued.

 

Now, I only had two chances left.

 

I had no intention of altering the existing clauses. While they had been written unilaterally by Abel von Hardenberg, they weren’t unreasonable.

 

What remained was adding new clauses to the contract.

 

“I’ll add a clause. Abel von Hardenberg will provide Adele von Este with as much information about the Imperial Family as possible.”

 

As soon as I spoke, the number decreased to 1. A white flame etched the clause I had suggested as the sixth clause.

 

Abel, who had been silently observing, lowered the paper he was holding slightly.

 

“I’ll delete the sixth clause.”

 

Before his words had even fully registered, the letters burned white and disappeared. Startled by his sudden decision, I looked at him.

 

When I met his gaze, questioning and confused, he slowly shook his head.

 

“Any secret about the Imperial Family becomes distorted the moment it is spoken.”

 

“What… does that mean?”

 

What was he talking about? I tilted my head in confusion and stared at him.

 

“It means exactly what it sounds like. For example…”

 

Abel paused briefly before continuing.

 

“□■□□□■■■■”

 

The incomprehensible sounds that flowed from his mouth made me freeze. The strange language rang in my ears, leaving my head in disarray.

 

Startled by the chilling sensation that seemed to pierce my brain, I instinctively covered my ears with both hands. Abel, watching me, stopped speaking.

 

The buzzing sound lingered, still tormenting me.

 

“What on earth…?”

 

“It’s less distorted because we’re in subspace.”

 

“This is less distorted?”

 

If that was the case, what would it sound like in reality? The sounds I had just heard were already deeply unpleasant.

 

Was this what he meant when he said secrets about the Imperial Family couldn’t be spoken? It seemed no one could understand it anyway, and it only caused discomfort.

 

But that led to another contradiction.

 

“How is the princess able to speak of secrets then?”

 

I distinctly remembered her explaining the Emperor’s hand to me in the library. If Abel’s words were true, shouldn’t the princess also be unable to speak of such secrets?

 

At my question, Abel shook his head again.

 

“The royal family is an exception. Otherwise, even the Emperor would be bound.”

 

An exception?

 

Then, Estelle talking about the Emperor to me made sense.

 

‘…Wait, could it be?’

 

I recalled the last conversation I had with her.

 

“Do you happen to know where His Majesty the Emperor is from?”

 

“The capital of the Kingdom of Priletcha, Arc.”

 

“That’s correct. It’s been a long time since it was destroyed by the Arie Empire.”

 

“Does that give you a little hint?”

 

Come to think of it, she never directly mentioned any suspicions about the Imperial Family. She only hinted at it by talking about the Emperor’s homeland.

 

The fact that the Emperor had destroyed his own homeland was something I deduced through knowledge of imperial history.

 

When Estelle said “a little hint,” perhaps that’s what she meant.

 

Now, with my questions answered, everything started to fall into place.

 

“One chance remains,” Abel said, pulling me from my thoughts.

 

I shook my head to clear my mind. The information about the Imperial Family could be organized later. What mattered now was completing the contract with him.

 

I had one last chance to alter the clauses.

 

As I pondered what clause to add, an idea came to me.

 

It might seem a bit underhanded, but as long as I didn’t cross the line, it should be fine.

 

“I’ll add a clause. Abel von Hardenberg must fulfill Adele von Este’s requests up to three times.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Abel crossed his arms and looked at me with interest. Feeling uneasy under his gaze, I avoided his eyes, and he chuckled softly.

 

“Surprisingly greedy, aren’t you?”

 

“Is that okay?”

 

“Well, it’s not impossible,” he replied.

 

Relieved by his response, I sighed quietly.

 

It was like asking a genie to grant more wishes—a request to increase the number of wishes.

 

I had been worried he might dislike it, but it seemed my concern was unnecessary.

 

The white flame began to inscribe the sixth clause onto the paper. At the same time, the number dropped to 0 and then completely disappeared.

 

Abel skimmed through the contract and then spoke.

 

“The terms of the contract are as follows:

 

First, Abel von Hardenberg will act as Adele von Este’s fiancé for one year and support her as much as possible.

 

Second, in return, the Hardenberg family will gain exclusive rights to the Este family’s trade guild for one year.

 

Third, the contract can be extended or canceled as needed, with mutual agreement. At such times, both parties must be of sound mind.

 

Fourth, Adele von Este will assist Abel von Hardenberg in rebellion if necessary.

 

Fifth, the term “if necessary” refers to instances where mutual agreement is reached while both parties are of sound mind.

 

Sixth, Abel von Hardenberg will fulfill Adele von Este’s requests up to three times.

 

“Is that satisfactory?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Having three opportunities to receive Abel’s help was more than enough.

 

The reason I limited it to three was that I didn’t want to provoke his ire. After all, I had only said “three times” on a whim.

 

“The contract is ready.”

 

The paper in his hand fluttered as it flew into the air. The two papers intertwined in the center and merged into one.

 

Eventually, a small golden chest appeared before us.

 

“This is…”

 

The sight of the chest, radiating a sacred aura, made me swallow involuntarily.

 

Abel approached the chest slowly and drew a dagger from within his coat.

 

Swish.

 

Without a moment’s hesitation, he sliced his finger. Abel’s expression didn’t flinch as blood dripped steadily from the wound, flowing onto the golden chest.

 

The droplets soaked into the chest, which began to glow with a white light.

 

“Are you alright with this?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” I replied. Seeing blood was nothing new for me, and it wasn’t particularly frightening.

 

As I stepped closer to the chest, Abel handed me the dagger.

 

Taking it from him, I mimicked his actions and cut my finger. A sharp sting accompanied the flow of blood down my hand.

 

If it were me from before my brush with death, I might have screamed, but now, I felt only numb acceptance.

 

I held my hand over the chest, letting the droplets fall. The blood soaked into the chest, which then began to emit a crimson glow.

 

Wooong…

 

A faint vibrating sound echoed as the chest started to dissolve into particles of light.

 

“The contract is complete,” Abel said.

 

The glowing particles gathered on the back of my right hand, forming a pure white pattern. A searing pain, as though my skin was being branded, made me wince involuntarily.

 

In a few moments, the pattern was fully formed and began to shine brightly.

 

“This is...”

 

A white sigil made up of three distinct strokes.

 

“The symbol of the contract is an artifact passed down through the Hardenberg family for generations,” Abel explained.

 

It was an artifact of absolute power in enforcing contracts. As long as the conditions were met, it could compel the contractor to perform any act.

 

“The conditions are simple.”

 

Both parties must perceive the contract as fair.

 

Neither party must betray the other’s trust during the process of the contract.

 

On the surface, it seemed simple enough, but they weren’t easy conditions to fulfill. Without mutual trust, forming a contract was impossible to begin with.

 

“Then this sigil means...” I asked.

 

“It grants you the right to make requests of me,” Abel replied. “As long as it doesn’t concern life or death, you can ask for anything.”

 

That made sense. The artifact sought fairness, so it wouldn’t allow commands involving life and death.

 

Not that I had any intention of making such demands in the first place.

 

Wooong…

 

Cracks of white light appeared in the black space, which then shattered into fragments.

 

The familiar scenery of the garden returned to view.

 

I looked down at the sigil on the back of my hand, then turned to Abel. With this, I now had three requests I could make of him.

 

“You have three chances.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How you use them is up to you.”

 

Three chances.

 

A sudden thought crossed my mind.

 

What would happen if I used one of the chances and then went back in time?

 

Would the granted request be undone, and the sigil reset? Or would it remain as is?

 

I had no intention of testing it. If the sigil didn’t reset, it would be a waste of one of my opportunities.

 

Besides, the contract’s symbol was essentially an artifact belonging to the Hardenberg family. There was no telling if time manipulation would even affect it.

 

“By the way, is there a reason you specifically chose three chances?” Abel asked suddenly.

 

I froze at his question. His head tilted slightly, his curiosity genuine. I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should answer.

 

“Well…”

 

Did I really need to say it?

 

If I did, he’d definitely tease me. If I didn’t, he’d find another way to mock me.

 

“Because I thought you might dislike it if I asked for more,” I finally admitted.

 

“…I see.”

 

Abel seemed momentarily taken aback by my answer.

 

When I glanced at him, his lips were faintly curved into a smile. I frowned and glared at him, only for his smile to grow wider.

 

“How thoughtful of you. Who knew our dear Adele had such a soft side?”

 

“...Shut up.”

 

This was exactly why I didn’t want to say it.

 

Whether he understood my thoughts or not, Abel only laughed quietly.

 

His reaction, far subtler than his usual teasing, was somehow even more infuriating.

 

“…I’ll be leaving now,” I said curtly.

 

“Very well. Let’s meet again soon.”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, I turned on my heel and strode off.

 

Really, he was an insufferable man in every way.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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