The Arrogant Duke Buys the Devoted Love of the False Saintess - Chapter 13

Thanks to rushing to the employment agency first thing in the morning, I managed to secure a job at a certain workshop that was a favored client.

Since it was a familiar workshop, the foreman welcomed me warmly just for bringing a letter of introduction. With a thick apron, boots, thick gloves, a hammer in hand, goggles on, and a cap pulled low over my eyes, I was ready to work.

I was working diligently as instructed when, just before noon, the foreman, who had somehow turned deathly pale, came scrambling over to Ellie.

“Foreman, is something wrong?”

“Uh, Lily, you have a visitor…”

“A visitor?”

Could something have happened at the orphanage?

Passing by the trembling foreman, I headed for the entrance to find a luxurious carriage blocking the way.

“A carriage? Here?”

Though puzzled, I was more worried about the orphanage.

Avoiding the carriage, I scanned the street for the children, but didn’t see any familiar faces.

“Huh?”

“Who are you looking for?”

“Eh, the children—Lord Damian?”

The one who called out from the shadow of the carriage was Damian, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit.

His lustrous hair was styled as always, flowing naturally and smoothly.

His brilliant golden hair shimmered dazzlingly under the soft spring sunlight, making me instinctively squint.

“Did something happen to the children?”

“Eh, no, huh?”

Wait, could it be that the foreman came to get me because Damian was here?

Remembering the foreman’s pale face, Lily vaguely guessed the reason.

“Good day, Lord Damian. Do you, perhaps, have some business with me?”

Tilting my head as I asked, he, for some reason, made a spectacularly sour face.

Why such a grimace?

His well-formed face, now contorted, held a certain intensity.

Did I ask something strange? Lily panicked inwardly.

“No, uh, well, it’sabout the name… calling me…?”

“My name? Well, aren’t you supposed to call your lover by their name? Was it unpleasant?”

From what Seigard told me, lovers want to be called by their names, but it seems that doesn’t apply to a duke.

Well, I’ll stop immediately, I was about to continue, but he only looked more and more displeased.

What should I do? Lily had absolutely no idea.

As a course of action for a lover, it was based on market research results, but perhaps commoners’ opinions weren’t a good reference after all?

Could it be insufficient research?

“No, it’s fine… as is…?”

Why is it a question?

That should be for Damian to decide, not anyone else.

Though perplexed, I asked to first resolve why he was here.

“Um, so what is your business?”

Since the busy Damian had gone out of his way to come see me, he must have had some business. Surely, he didn’t come all this way just to ask about name-calling.

“Ah… no, what’s with that outfit?”

“This? I’m working.”

“Is a hammer necessary?”

“It’s a job of tirelessly crushing seashells into fine pieces. Perfect for daily stress relief. Plus, I get paid, so it’s killing two birds with one stone. Oh, would you like to try it too, Lord Damian? Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy and fun. I’m good at this job. I can crush shells quickly and uniformly.”

Saying this confidently, he, unusually, widened his eyes.

So he can make that kind of expression too, Lily thought, impressed. Somehow, he had an image of being arrogant and composed.

“Wh-what for?”

“Calcium carbonate is an ingredient for glass. Haven’t you heard?”

“G-glass?”

“It’s a specialty of the royal capital, right? It’s often presented to royalty and nobility.”

“Ah, that… that stuff?”

“It’s part of the raw materials.”

“I-is that so?”

“Did you come to confirm that?”

Tilting my head, wondering if his work was okay, Damian began to fluster again.

My image of him might change by the end of the day.

“Ah, well, this morning…”

“Morning?”

“Ah, so, uh, I mean…”

“Yes?”

“…………It’s, it’s nice weather, isn’t it?”

“Pardon?”

“I, I remembered something I have to do. Farewell.”

“Eh!?”

For some reason, with an utterly displeased look on his face, Damian got into the carriage and drove off.

Left behind, Lily watched the shrinking carriage, then absentmindedly gazed up at the blue sky.

I dislike nobles. Damian is arrogant and his manner of speaking is haughty.

But fundamentally, for some reason, I feel like there’s an endearing quality about him that makes it hard to truly hate him.

Maybe I’m bound to him.

But the blue sky is blameless.

It really is nice weather.

When you’re inside the workshop, the weather doesn’t matter much.

Feeling a slight warmth toward Damian for pointing that out, I gave a small nod and returned to my seashell-crushing work.