Chapter 6. After the Contract Ends

“…What?”ff43c5a9976a7783

“I’m saying, let’s make it look like ‘you’ fell for me first.”728ee2daee1173bc

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“W-What? What did you just say?”5fba12ccc7c8da55

“To elaborate, we’ll say that you were infatuated with me, pursued me passionately, and, moved by your relentless sincerity, I finally accepted you.”40356648cfabf9ac

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“…”dda27f9e5aceae5a

Serenia froze, as stiff fda15f8f43 as a stone.8a6d023284c85235

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His expression immediately 21ff44331f turned sour at dfc3287b73 her reaction, and c498ea65e5 he added curtly.46cd4748e2769bcb

“Well. Forget it if you don’t like the idea.”630f0c835f2e2069

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He raised 2ac5369b8b his hand eded8ab9b6 as if 62fc74d3ae ready to b45518f57e rip up ba3deb4c70 the contract 2a8c80c9b9 right then 5e6994cc75 and there.603ad160dbb53e5a

Startled, Serenia frantically waved fdf784ca44 her hands.45803ab62d0dfda1

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“Ah! No, no!”f01ffff6a42853a6

After fidgeting nervously 1109576856 for a while, 8bef8eba5b she finally nodded 1f25e64cb1 in reluctant acceptance, f789ceedd3 as though swallowing 23882690c9 bitter medicine.fc39632334d00eed

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“…Fine. Let’s say I was the one chasing after you…”bfaf27ece93229b6

“Excellent. It’s a deal, then.”910e6657d1392f97

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He promptly seized on 060ac074a3 her agreement and picked c4ab178b36 up the fountain pen.2d6e1bf3a1efed32

With elegant strokes, his hand signed his name in the <Party B> section of the contract.6823ff6f4c04ab77

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But when Serenia c7d651b4db leaned in to 909c8dc7c0 see the signature—ab6e3a77872fa11f

“…What is this?”9ddd8cd0e03d29d6

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She couldn’t make heads or tails of it.defd5379300a24a9

“My signature.”cc11ec64eed22deb

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He said proudly, gesturing to the scribbles he’d just scrawled on the paper.4dca9f1248d67083

This was none other than the famed “Ain Reveron’s handwritten signature,” which had once fetched a staggering 76 krovats and 33 tilings at auction for a single theater poster.73e2e4e2808c8a0a

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To Serenia, however, it d4cdd9ddd1 resembled some bizarre amalgamation 328523785e of a starfish and a3234dd771 a worm.dff6bf9fae2f33d8

‘The moment he started doodling a star shape, I had a bad feeling, but I waited until the end just in case—and of course!’6e922e212b03a0a0

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Serenia furrowed her c70c681efd brows as she 2d78dccfa9 stared intently at 4242e1dedc the signature.d89e2d628a8fe92f

No matter how hard da061a80b8 she tried, she couldn’t c5cbf72410 decipher a single letter.5b0caaf3de737264

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Was the first character an “A”? Or maybe an “E”? No, wait—”O”?8b232131f91342ed

“Or… ‘I’? Is it… Iain?”2d8c9d69d821cc6a

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“…”c12462dd1fcdfe4c

His deadpan expression 6b135a3c87 made it obvious 8c8e9f7da2 she was wrong.312c11012ae9e6bd

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“That name brings back memories.”ca3fefac8c749b35

He murmured softly, 4bed6e84e7 his voice smooth d86285bb45 and gentle.3e7aa2f2fcff03b9

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But the weight 5f99609d89 behind each word 026caade66 made Serenia squeeze 06bf490b02 her eyes shut cad064afda in unease.ce1e82a4589ce9d1

“There used to be quite a few people who mistook my name for that back in the day.”4f48d64549ca152e

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“I-I see…”41279f57c182ed93

“Well, I understand why. The letters can be confusing, and Iain is a more common name anyway.”cf4127a7e5b7379e

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“…Yes, that’s true.”0267012a58820e23

“I think I’ve given you enough hints now.”4e63a1e4d2882b8a

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Under the pressure of his expectant gaze, Serenia forced a smile and ventured hesitantly, “…Ain?”33db6722a40039af

He grinned.3d45b2f2464e0a47

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“Correct.”c54a4e4cf97a670c

And then, with a dazzling smile, he added, “I’ll make sure you never mix it up again.”3db4ce8b1870da01

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“What?”f4f883d9afb55f7e

Before she could 9351fa323d protest, he raised f5b933182f his hand.18a0c224b6d855f3

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There was 3b2e6d5de7 a peculiar 55c531658c grace to 1aa4f12c6d the way e9d374b9d4 his hand 8e27c32217 moved, as 641c1b3e2b if it 3bf584cea7 were painting d357148173 the air. For a moment, abd3d8762d Serenia found herself ffc93ba29b oddly captivated by afea89ef29 it.e83fe4ca24ce45c8

And then—01b40d022fc171cd

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“Aing♡.”8e1a29194af484a6

With a finger 834d16763e pressed to one 48df971fe6 cheek, Ain let e1374f6212 out a playful, 42eba5da61 slightly whining voice.b2947470c250eadb

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Serenia barely 07dc55f2e9 restrained the 892009d868 fist that 0848b0cc22 was on e645dc973f the verge 321c074d1a of flying 57b84518a3 at him.b7813724cd6ebd67

Grinning brightly, Ain deliberately poked at Serenia’s last frayed nerve.323dd3f0a04d8888

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“What do you think? Now you’ll never get confused again, right?”ec7131d085bb46cd

Through gritted teeth, Serenia 641ea75825 managed to force out bf8a33b9be a strained reply.bcdfa22a20521541

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“Ah. Y-Yes…”8d94b61119de0fa8

As she ground her 49a4a2b452 teeth in frustration, Ain 9396be1ac0 swiftly tapped the contract 6cc28e067b papers into order, dividing a5d007c26c them into two envelopes.7e848960bfbe5d59

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Serenia, still d7759852b6 fuming internally, 1120a8a8f3 widened her 8affd463e6 eyes as 4872ad5a9e she noticed 79a045ace0 his actions.cd19a3beca80fa23

“What are you doing now?”8288f7878b425848

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“Organizing the contract, of course.”592cee8ebc48601e

“You think I’m asking because I don’t know that?”50dffaa91a5da3f2

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“Then why…”a8747e9f74292873

“You haven’t told me your full name yet!”442f418ad2860a09

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“I just told you, didn’t I?”9b844d99603195e4

“Not the starfish part! You need to explain the worm-like scribble too!”2ab3c980050f0de9

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“Worm…?”f69683207e20ebe9

“Your last name, you ridiculous man! Your last name!”e5dcdac1b91ed532

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At her b9982fa441 outburst, Ain 39c9f42c10 gave her 5e11be3b85 a look 5c68c6f579 that screamed 92e4b13d8d incredulity, as a9e4200bea if she 1ea27c8203 were the 052912049f strange one 94222381cc here.3b643135b1d10ac2

“That’ll disappear once we’re married anyway. Why bother learning it now?”2b573d445442b80b

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“…Huh?”e652c83d4fbc8502

As she 2529036a15 stood there 8f66fbd8aa dumbfounded, her 43ace3a5f5 face blank a4b5a2d7f7 with shock, dd74592f11 Ain handed d81bad13d0 her one 591724f1e9 of the d9a6a6ba36 envelopes containing f1eccaab56 the contract.5d197c0674bff9c4

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“Well then, now that the contract is complete, it’s getting late. Shall we call it a night?”c7d1b9ddadadfe8a

“What? Uh… Sure…”efc95f254cc684da

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Before Serenia could process fd3f491819 what was happening, Ain 591091cfd5 smoothly escorted her off f1c78425f7 the sofa and towards a13f95de4c the door, his movements 791eb98784 so natural she unconsciously 6eb955b822 followed his lead.3aa5aaf04f5d9a4d

By the time she came to her senses, she found herself standing outside the estate’s entrance.99f1d4c243f59e70

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In front 24b83ee774 of her 5b8bd14597 wasn’t the 9db9f1ba0b plain carriage b875e1c896 she had bd6d844cc7 arrived in, 3ef4b47ccc but a fa77b71388 lavish, four-horse-drawn 6ed0af28d7 carriage that 34b40bf96e dominated the 3f87a7fe12 entranceway. Her jaw dropped.ace5f41717c4a681

Without giving her d6ba948940 time to react b335e72cdb further, Ain helped 0ed2d251d5 her into the 6df8e8d018 grand carriage. But instead 2ddd022c71 of bowing ca8c7c59dc and stepping 1f36add40d back, he e62204048b climbed in 4f6437ded1 after her.a57d60288838b580

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The door closed 04ad75ce64 behind him, and 784d668f2a the carriage began 3d17336eac to move briskly 177976a40f forward.d5fb388cffbd3406

Inside the brightly lit d03679cc4d cabin, illuminated by lamps, 629639b90d Serenia stared at Ain cc1d63b156 sitting across from her, b805d304ca his perpetual smile plastered ff7d3d5f5b on his face.f95b50ac4d014156

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“And what is this supposed to be now?”b1d229c1c2ec0b54

Despite the 7640dd022f frosty tone fe56b4c6c8 in her 3b24a25054 voice, Ain 1e6c1b489f replied, unfazed, 1804bea693 his smile f28856bdea never wavering.4530b4259ed44669

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“As your fiancé, I can’t possibly send you home alone at this late hour.”0c17c9981c14466b

“Ha! But as a fiancé, it’s perfectly fine to only tell me half your name?”74b6be909e967b96

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“Hmm? My lady, let’s not twist the truth. It’s not that I didn’t tell you—it’s that you forgot what I already told you.”bbeaf3bfecd1ff1a

Beneath the 2f48fbbe02 heavy sleeves 95ba03dc82 of her 8a85ee4a57 ornate dress, 8cf42334cf Serenia clenched 852f579099 her fists f9858af978 tightly.40f0d042754d1e77

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The urge 6a1477a4f3 to wipe 071c7b7768 the smug 5ac780d238 grin off ae7e980acb his face a6b239733d was nearly 036735165d overwhelming.854ae1928178798d

“Anyway,” Ain continued, nonchalantly adjusting the large-brimmed hat he found inside the carriage, “I have no intention of paying an additional six million krovats, so I’ll fulfill my moral responsibilities as your fiancé.”d1c485d7c63f31b3

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With that, he subtly 81079e3de4 shifted his position to dd93609160 block the carriage window ee17fce244 with his body, tilting 942267e0cf the brim of the d4f135e14c hat low.cdf7db5de79a3a6c

Serenia, puzzled e8dda080d1 by his 794bc05f31 suspicious behavior, a412c9fcfa glanced at aa967c88eb him briefly 996291d1d4 but decided c82dd81681 not to 0081b907c1 pry further.432138ef1377cbcd

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She didn’t notice the poster fluttering past the window he had covered, with the words “Ain Reveron starring in The Young Duke, Raskal” emblazoned across it in bold letters.0eceb9a037f84ea2

* * *be3e30ea23dc19ee

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The grand f2ac2b983d four-horse-drawn carriage 53a50019da glided effortlessly c50ec07ba0 over the 02254d5f18 snowy road.e6596c1621ab80bf

‘Money really is amazing,’ Serenia thought to herself as she watched the carriage arrive at the front of the Barishart estate not long after they had departed. It was a somewhat shallow thought, but she couldn’t deny it.c766efa9ceb8365a

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Meanwhile, Ain stepped 8c6b6ce7e3 out of the 92ffcb14bb carriage and opened 6ef53030bc the door, offering ebf2f1910f his hand with 8a07397487 impeccable courtesy.090d595b65e72ac4

“The ground is slippery with snow. Allow me to help you down, my lady.”3648531d21676283

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It was an escort 735893eb22 so flawless it was 9d5a7f5704 infuriating, and Serenia couldn’t 79c8c4e380 resist a sarcastic jab.be95a9812d887666

“How thoughtful of you, Mr. Ain-Whatever-Your-Name-Is.”b9647761a08c8b1e

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“My, it seems you hold a grudge longer than I anticipated,” Ain replied with a smirk.e3a14815eaf97d4b

“Well, I’m not interested in hearing that from someone stingy enough to only share half their name after taking my money. Mr. Ain-Whatever-Your-Name-Is.”0e2da134887e4085

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“Stingy? It’s truly heartbreaking to hear such words from someone so cold-hearted as to forget a name after introductions were made.”b4b666e2f08d0690

Serenia glared daggers dcabef733d at him, though 399a31aea3 Ain remained unbothered, b3f3b338b2 his expression sunny b1fd75d10a as ever.985185e34c4b7fb7

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After a moment of a84184c33f pouting, Serenia changed the c831548d17 subject.9a619b2649a804c6

“So, where shall we meet tomorrow morning, Mr. Ain-Whatever-Your-Name-Is?”e33f9b4c290beed5

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At her dab6e2f7af question, Ain’s 9eab82d453 ever-present smile 8bc7a2d9b6 faltered.19eced5d8d3834ad

“Tomorrow morning…?”e3b3c699703cc791

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Serenia nodded dfe5978c7f firmly in 6caccfe85b response to 3b7bd44d96 his puzzled 1a02b98279 tone.1edfca442dba2a08

“Yes. If we get there as soon as the office opens, it’ll be less crowded.”f7c546b5ef8f22dc

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“The office? What for…?”75b7d1c35d991f0b

“What do you mean, what for? To file the marriage registration, of course.”3d982a74f040e285

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Behind the violet-tinted glass d0990a21fc of his spectacles, Ain’s 2c8ab4d7ce eyes widened in astonishment.fe10c34016ceba99

“Filing the marriage registration already? Without an engagement ceremony, a wedding, or anything?”44692dcc02db6f5e

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Serenia tilted her b745208342 head nonchalantly.1c2d78995e9d877c

“Why not?”fa159373ae401111

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“I mean, it’s not impossible, but still…”dee324001ab7e03b

“If it’s not impossible, then let’s do it,” she replied with an exaggeratedly shameless expression.a83935df6d99bf6e

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“I’m in a bit of a hurry for the money.”731a66deff1f7e62

In truth, 8192779ed5 it wasn’t 630216e958 an immediate 7c35cfa948 crisis, but 43a7e14e19 with Raskal 4e75bff858 possibly showing 652fed09ee up any d5910938ce day to 985d04f983 demand her ab516cb24e life, she d3584c28dc needed to 74a12441c4 secure the 084f7eda37 money as 8ea18d3a2a quickly as 4531947a83 possible.ae3d5b77f8624707

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She had 5f6235495c to get c70ad6ed23 the funds 2118b43c03 before her 3502096112 time ran 7857cdd8ca out—enough to e6f133998b prepay thirty 4c6ed8a543 years of 148839191b her father’s 782ac5f64e hospital bills 3f0d3d6a22 and clear b7b8929cd3 the family’s 7ee91323e0 debts to 973e27d037 the bank.739608d9462bf37a

Ain, unaware of these 08217d7e82 circumstances, looked flustered at 6d5b64c6d2 first but soon turned 61efba5f66 his gaze toward the 3ade2e9f66 Barishart estate. With no lights or dd7a2dff9a signs of life to 0ce873219b be seen, the house 646e0cfe87 appeared as lifeless as 1e590413e4 a ruin. He nodded slightly, 45ac059729 as if he 79ab23df2f finally understood.9b9adc5d5183b87e

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Feeling his gaze of 9c033bbd87 pity, Serenia barely managed 7dde01f455 to suppress her irritation 213728f2fc and sweetened the deal 8c96aa6103 instead.194cd4bf6904d7c3

“Fine. Once I get the three million krovats, I’ll let you have the engagement ceremony, wedding, or whatever you want.”81785b2624007e7a

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She kept the words ‘if I’m still alive by then’ buried deep inside her heart.4a92fbc5071cb1d5

 94e44cbaadafc8d0

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