Chapter 6
The breeze gently stirred his golden hair, dyed crimson by the glow of the setting sun.
Though he was currently being condemned from all sides, he was still the heir to the House of Schultz.
His honor would soon be restored, and just as it always had, the embezzlement scandal would quickly fade from people’s memories.
Even if he owed my father a great debt…
Ignoring someone like me would never earn him a single word of criticism.
So why?
I stared intently into his eyes, unable to hide my confusion.
But no matter how long I gazed into those breathtaking blue eyes—so beautiful they reminded me of the sea—I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
After hesitating for quite some time, I finally repeated his proposal aloud.
“You want me to work for the House of Schultz?”
“That’s right.”
“Even though I might not be capable of doing the job?”
The Young Duke nodded immediately.
Growing even more puzzled, I slowly clenched my fist and asked,
“Why are you helping me like this?”
Instead of answering, he reached into his coat and took out a cigarette case.
He placed one cigarette between his lips, casually tossed the rest of the pack onto Father’s coffin, then lit the cigarette in his mouth.
The entire sequence flowed so naturally that it almost seemed habitual.
When he noticed me frowning, he spoke.
“My apologies. We always smoked together.”
It didn’t sound like an excuse.
Simply an explanation.
At least it erased the impression that he was being disrespectful.
Though…
Father had never smoked.
He must have had a very difficult time…
As I drifted into thought, his quiet voice broke the silence.
“As I mentioned earlier.”
He drew deeply on the cigarette before slowly exhaling.
“I couldn’t simply stand by while the daughter of someone I knew suffered. Petty Officer Prim helped me greatly, and since I can no longer repay him personally…”
“…I’ll repay his daughter instead.”
His answer carried a trace of cold cynicism.
The man I owe is dead, so I’ll repay his daughter instead.
That way my conscience will be clear.
That was essentially what he meant.
It was a proposal born from the noble mindset of putting oneself first.
He probably believed he was being considerate…
Yet arrogance seeped from every word.
Gripping the front of my black dress tightly, I looked at his expressionless profile.
“Is there some other reason you feel you owe my father? I don’t know much about military ranks, but I can’t imagine Father did something so extraordinary for someone who commanded an entire fleet. Or is it simply… sympathy for me?”
The Young Duke raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
His voice was steady.
“I owe him a far greater debt than you imagine.”
His perfectly sculpted face remained completely composed.
He looked like someone speaking nothing but the truth.
Besides…
A man of his status had absolutely no reason to lie just to approach someone like me.
Still…
This offer is far too burdensome.
To become a servant in a noble household, one had to possess the certifications required by that family.
More importantly…
A servant had to know how to keep secrets.
As a result, getting hired was incredibly difficult.
Which also meant that obtaining those qualifications required a certain level of wealth to begin with.
People even joked that three generations of one’s family had to live honorably before someone could become a servant for a noble house.
Of course…
The Russell Marquess family was the exception.
They were so desperate for employees that they hired almost anyone.
I remembered glancing at a recruitment notice from the House of Schultz long ago.
Preference given to applicants fluent in foreign languages and holders of professional certifications.
I was confident I could keep secrets.
But I wasn’t fluent in any foreign language.
Nor did I possess a professional license.
I had only been studying to become a pharmacist.
No matter how indebted he was to Father…
Hiring me would essentially be giving me special treatment.
And that didn’t sit well with my conscience.
Putting on a polite smile, I answered,
“Then I’m grateful… but I must decline.”
“Of course… I have the right to refuse, don’t I?”
The lines on his forehead deepened.
“I believed my offer would be impossible to refuse.”
“May I ask why you’re declining?”
“I’ve already received more help from you than I could ever repay, Colonel.”
“That can’t be true.”
The Young Duke let out a faint, incredulous laugh.
It was the sort of laugh one would give after hearing something utterly absurd.
As though he truly believed he hadn’t helped me in the slightest.
And the words that followed proved he meant exactly that.
“Miss Edith Prim.”
He inhaled another slow breath of smoke before letting it drift into the evening air.
“I haven’t invested even the slightest effort in helping you.”
“…What do you mean?”
“The job I offered is no different.”
“I’m merely paying the proper value for the labor you’ll provide.”
I was speechless.
He spoke with impeccable manners.
His tone was more courteous than anyone else’s.
Yet somehow…
His words sounded unbelievably arrogant.
“That’s…”
Perhaps…
Had we not been standing before Father’s coffin…
His offer might actually have tempted me.
But Father had always taught me to live honorably.
Never accept kindness without reason.
Always maintain a healthy degree of suspicion.
Those were the lessons he had left me.
I stared blankly at the glowing tip of his cigarette before looking up at his impossibly handsome, emotionally detached face.
His posture was flawless.
Every movement restrained.
Only then did it truly sink in that I was speaking with a nobleman.
I bit my lower lip before taking a deep breath.
Then I answered.
“But if I weren’t Petty Officer Prim’s daughter…”
“…you never would have made this offer in the first place.”
“I’m truly grateful.”
“But I don’t want charity.”
“I’ve been trying to survive on my own.”
“Without relying on anyone.”
The Young Duke’s next words left me completely dumbfounded.
“What if I were asking it as a favor?”
It was almost as though he had expected my refusal from the very beginning.
“…A favor?”
“I possess enough wealth and authority to repay the debt outright.”
He paused briefly.
“And yet…”
“…I’m asking you politely instead.”
His voice grew quieter.
“I believe Miss Prim understands better than anyone…”
“…what sort of reputation I currently have in Müsen.”
The Young Duke brushed his windblown hair back.
The slight furrow between his brows deepened.
It felt somewhat irreverent to notice such a thing while standing before Father’s coffin…
But Johannes Schultz possessed the kind of beauty capable of captivating anyone.
His only flaw was how little expression he showed.
That made him seem cold…
And difficult to approach.
“Just look at the way people casually gossip about my disappearance.”
“That alone should tell you how far the House of Schultz has fallen.”
He dropped the shortened cigarette onto the dry winter grass.
Crushing the butt beneath his polished shoe, he left behind a faint black scorch mark.
For some reason…
His movements now seemed less composed than before.
After watching him for a moment, I answered quietly.
“I know.”
Even someone as extraordinarily handsome as he was…
Someone born into one of the greatest noble families…
Couldn’t help but care about public opinion.
I had known that already.
Still…
Hearing him admit it himself felt strangely different.
Tilting his head slightly, he studied me in silence.
“So…”
“I want a servant I can trust.”
“And if that person were Miss Prim…”
“…it would make things much easier for me.”
“…How can you trust me in the first place?”
“Petty Officer Prim spoke about his daughter constantly.”
“He said you were one of the few truly honest and upright young women left in this world.”
Despite those warm words…
His voice remained remarkably dry.
“…He did?”
“I trust Petty Officer Prim.”
“So, Miss Prim…”
“…trust your father.”
“And trust the man your father trusted.”
After a brief silence, the Young Duke took a long stride toward me, closing the distance between us in an instant.
From that undeniably close distance…
He reached out.
The mourning veil that had partially covered my face was gently lifted away.
My vision became perfectly clear.
His fathomless blue eyes looked directly into mine.
“I believe…”
“…you will never disappoint me.”
