The Arrogant Duke Buys the Devoted Love of the False Saintess - Chapter 6

“Here…?”

Really?

Lily stood bewildered before the imposing gate that loomed before her.

But when she showed the letter of introduction to the gatekeeper, she was promptly let inside, so it seemed she really was in the right place.

Passing through the grove of trees and proceeding straight ahead, she saw an equally towering building.

If she could just rent a corner of this estate, the orphanage children might have a place to live. Even a hut, like the kind gatekeepers might use, would be fine.

If borrowing money wasn’t an option, maybe she could ask about renting a small cottage.

They could survive for a while if allowed to cook in the courtyard, though whether such a thing would be permitted on a duke’s grounds was a mystery.

As she walked, lost in thought, a large door opened and a man who appeared to be a butler emerged.

“Welcome, Miss Lily. This way, please. The master is expecting you.”

Had the employment agency contacted them, or had the gatekeeper sent word?

She didn’t know which, but it seemed there was no time to hesitate.

Lily gulped audibly, swallowed her dry saliva, and took a step forward toward the mansion, following the butler’s lead.

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“Damian Fischer?”

“You have to add ‘sir’ properly in front of him. He’s the king’s younger brother, a duke. And above all, he’s incredibly wealthy.”

When Kina returned to the private room at the agency where Lily was waiting, holding the letter of introduction, she told her the client’s name.

“Well, even a noble-hater like you must know him. He’s the most famous person in the capital, no, in the whole country.”

“No, well, wouldn’t only babies not know him?”

Even as Lily said it, she knew it was said that even an infant would fall for him if he were right in front of them. Of course, Lily had never seen him herself.

Damian Fischer.

He is the fifteen-years-younger brother of the current king of the Seirijin Kingdom.

This man is, above all, shrouded in mystery.

Because his origins are unknown.

That he is the former king’s illegitimate child is undeniable, judging by his appearance.

The translucent blue eyes, reminiscent of the sky and unique to the royal family, upon closer inspection, hold a scattered starlight within them.

They are said to possess a unique light within the deep blue. However, his mother abandoned him, a newborn, at the castle gates and disappeared. The former king never revealed who the mother was.

But because those eyes undoubtedly belonged to the royal family, he was raised within the castle.

However, the moment the former king died of illness, his elder brother, the crown prince, ascended the throne and expelled him from the castle. That was about ten years ago. In other words, a boy of thirteen, not yet an adult, was thrown out almost penniless, though granted the title of duke. It was a duke’s house in name only, with no territory and no power.

Yet, from there, he rapidly rose to become an immensely wealthy man.

He discovered mines, established a shipping business, and invested in tourism industries like hotels. His influence even extends abroad. Even his brother, the current king, can no longer ignore him.

In short, he is a man of extraordinary luck and blessings.

On top of that, his appearance, being of royal blood, is flawlessly handsome.

Young and possessing more money than he could ever spend, it’s impossible that women wouldn’t flock to him.

But there isn’t a single rumor of any romantic affairs, and currently, he reigns supreme as the most desirable husband in the country.

He is, in other words, the man most often talked about by the gossip-loving ladies of the town.

So, even Lily, a noble-hater with little interest in the opposite sex, knew his name.

But, staring at the letter of introduction before her, her hands trembled with anger.

“Is this for real?”

“It’s a generous offer right now, isn’t it?”

“It is generous, but it’s making a fool of people, isn’t it?”

“First, calm down and listen without getting angry. The person who came to request this job had the duke’s handwritten signature. Frankly, I don’t even know if that’s genuine.”

“Wait. If I just show up, won’t I be punished as an imposter?”

Her anger instantly evaporated. Imagining a sliver of anxiety, she asked Kina, who also smiled awkwardly.

“But, if someone is seriously requesting such a strange job, I also think it might really be the duke. You know, the whims of the rich. That arrogant way of thinking that comes with power, or something. Commoners wouldn’t think of this, right?”

“…………”

Indeed, maybe that’s it?

She couldn’t help but think so.

Anyway, nobles and the wealthy have sensibilities commoners can’t quite grasp and operate on logic that’s hard to understand.

Even the donations to the orphanage were like that.

Do ornaments and paintings nourish the soul and fill the stomach?

It would be more constructive to burn paintings as firewood in the fireplace.

But Dates had advised her that paints sometimes contain toxins, so burning them carelessly is dangerous. Lily was furious that they would send such dangerous things.

In any case, she was convinced that nobles and the wealthy were fundamentally incompatible with her.

She didn’t have good feelings toward nobles to begin with.

But still, the details of the job offer remained unclear.

“Is this some noble-like metaphorical expression telling me to sell my body?”

Looking down at her own thin, shapeless body, she asked. Kina shook her head.

“I did confirm the content. I said, ‘We don’t arrange for brothels, so we cannot accept such requests.’ They denied that aspect.”

“In that case, it’s even more unclear what they want me to do…?”

“It’s specifically addressed to you, Lily, so no one else can take it. Anyway, why don’t you just go and hear what they have to say? You have that pressing debt situation, after all.”

Kina smiled reassuringly.

“If it looks like you might be punished, run for your life. I’ll figure out a way to help you then.”

With that ominous piece of advice, she sent Lily off.

Lily couldn’t help but give her childhood friend a skeptical, sidelong glance, thinking she must still suspect it was a scam.

The job offer details Lily clutched in her hand were written: ‘Contract for the Sale and Purchase of Love.’