Chapter 21 - A Deal

“So you’re saying you need something in return.” Alloken seemed to like what he said just now more than all the conversations they had so far, because his face, which had been stiff all this time, had loosened a little. 

“Yes, I venture to ask for a deal.” 

“It’s way easier to understand someone who has a wish than someone who just says they would do me a favor for no reason. Great. So what is it that you want in return?” Alloken’s reaction had become more gentle. 

Fanora took it positively and put an end to this conversation by saying, “Please get engaged to me.” 

“…”

“…” 

Upon hearing that, Alloken thought for a while before he replied, “I’ve done quite a lot of activities here, so it was only natural for me to hear various rumors about the noble daughters from the central.”

“Yes?” Fanora didn’t understand where he was going with this.

“I’m not the type to get swept away by rumors, so all this time I didn’t believe the rumor that says the Celsius’ eldest daughter is sick somewhere.”

“Yes.”

“But when I think about what you have said to me, my trust begins to get shaken.” Simply put, he was asking her if she was really sane.  

Alloken continued, indicating that it wasn’t the only problem, “Moreover, I have already set my heart on someone I’ll marry.”

“Do you have someone you love?”

“No way. It’s just that there are a few families that would be helpful.”

Ah, if that’s the reason then there’s nothing to worry about. Fanora made her wish more clear, “I’m not asking you to marry me, but just to make a contract called engagement for a while. For two years, or about three at most.”

Seeing how Fanora spoke calmly without avoiding eye contact, Alloken chose a rather rude sentence to refute, “Say I’m engaged to you for two years—”

“Don’t just say it, please do it in reality.”

“Then apart from my reputation being damaged, what will Fanora of the Celsius family gain? What are we buying time for?”

‘…’ 

She couldn’t answer him immediately due to various circumstances involved. But soon after she told him a simple summary of the situation, “There are talks of marriage between someone and me now, but I hate that person. Yet it doesn’t seem like my family would cancel the marriage…”

“In short, you want me to break it?”

“My parents would easily change their attitudes if it’s a duke family. And two years would be enough for him to find a new fiancé.” Of course, only half of this was true. It was true that she was thinking of breaking the proposal of marriage with Naverius with power, but there was another reason why she needed two years or more. I need time to plan my revenge.

Currently, the new Countess Celsius was dying to marry off Fanora for some reason. 

I need to deceive Hanar. Even if she broke the marriage proposal now, the countess wouldn’t stop trying to marry off Fanora. Fanora needed an immediate engagement to avoid her family’s attention. She couldn’t be in a bridal class when she still had a mountain of enemies. 

“But we don’t know what kind of feelings might arise when young people get close to each other… I’ll have a hard time if you fall in love and bother me.”

Fanora answered him with a straight face, “It’s not going to happen.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Because I know love would only ruin my life.” This rarely came from her heart. 

For Fanora, affection between people was only a concept that existed in books and at the same time, it was disgusting. If only her mother didn’t love Count Celsius too much and had treated him more formally, if only her father who had pledged eternal love didn’t betray his family.

Naverius… if only that casanova didn’t take her love for him lightly for even a little bit, then her life might’ve changed. Fanora had never been loved properly. Why would she yearn for a love relationship again when that concept called love had ruined her life?

Alloken smiled wide for the first time, “We share the same values.” 

“…”

“I guess we have to, as an ideal couple.”

Does that mean he accepted the offer? Fanora wondered, hearing his words.

Alloken continued, “Hm, a deal… but I’ll have to propose after the duke is in remission though…”

“Yes.”

“Can you prove your ability right now?”

Fanora thought for a moment, It’s better to move faster if I’m going to break the marriage talks. Even though she hadn’t said anything about her engagement with Naverius in this life, it would soon be carried out at a fast pace by their parents. 

If I do nothing, the situation would only get worse. So let’s do this first. She made a decision and gave Alloken the information he wanted. “I’ll tell you how to ease the duke’s illness.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Restrain the duke from eating all fruits he eats, right now.”

“…”

“And if you soak a cloth in tea mint oil and let him inhale it little by little, it will get better immediately.”

Upon hearing that, Alloken said while squinting his eyes, “And what if his disease gets worse instead after I do as you say?”

“…”

“How would you take the responsibility if something goes wrong with one of the only two dukes in this country?”

Fanora knew he didn’t speak lightly. 

When did the duke collapse again? First of all, the Duke of Jalier isn’t on the guest list for the wedding today. She couldn’t back off after doing so much so far. She got lost in thought for a moment. If he collapsed without modifying the will, Alloken would try whatever I say.

The duke’s disease and the treatment for it were revealed to the world when she was 17 years old. So she couldn’t tell him the name of the disease and treatment in detail now. In the end, Fanora refused to yield. “If Duke of Jalier’s condition gets worse even after you did as I said…”

“Then?”

“Tear my limbs to death.”