How the Useless Me Became the Beloved of the Devilish Duke Knight - Chapter 9
Chapter 9 : Curses and Deals
Elma turned around as if fascinated. Without letting go of his hand, the man quietly looked around the store. There were no customers or employees, at least as far as he could see.
He raised the cloth with his other hand. The beauty that Elma saw under the moonlight last night peeks out again. His silver eyes were shining faintly.
Staring into each other’s eyes, Elma felt her body heating up again. The hand that is holding hers seems to be on fire. Closing her eyes to concentrate, she suppressed the rising heat. When she opened her eyes again, the man suddenly opened his mouth.
“I knew it. Somehow, my ‘curse’ doesn’t seem to have an effect on you.”
“…..Cu-curse ?”
“Normal people…How do I put it? They can’t look directly at my face, especially these eyes. It captivates them and makes them act strangely.”
If someone else were to say something like this, it would probably be met with laughter or skeptical glances.
But when a man with an unusual, perfectly handsome appearance says it, the credibility is different. It’s easy to imagine people losing their composure when they lock eyes with him.
For example, if someone were to say that merely being smiled at by him could leave a person feeling flushed, as if they had consumed alcohol, she would be more than convinced..
In fact, even Elma has experienced a strange sensation.
‘So, that’s why he always covers his face with a cloth…’
Come to think of it, the first time they met, he had turned his back to the opponent he was fighting. Was it because his face was exposed after the cloth was cut, so he wanted to avoid being seen?
The reason the opponent left quietly might have been because they knew that looking directly at his face would not end well
And she knew why he was trying to hide his face, especially his eyes, first thing when his eyes met Elma’s.
“Even though you saw my face under the moonlight yesterday, you didn’t react in a way others might. You didn’t cling to me, try to force me down, or suddenly undress. Instead, you treated me normally. You even fixed this cloth for me. It’s the first time someone other than my parents has done something like this… That’s why I don’t want to end it here. I want to know more about you.”
“Um…. Well…”
“I don’t want to bother you. If you don’t have time today, I won’t bother you any further. But I want to see you again. But I want to see you again. It can be here or at your home, wherever you like. Even without any excuse, I just want to talk. Is that okay?”
“I-it’s troublesome. Even if you say that…”
“It’s troubling. But, it’s not impossible, right?”
“U-ugh…!”
Elma belongs to the Tarcoza family. Unauthorized actions are not allowed.
So she decided to settle the matter as calmly as possible and pretend it never happened. She went along with having a cup of tea with that in mind, hoping that it would help resolve this matter.
However, unexpectedly, the other party shows no signs of giving up. And although Elma was a little more assertive when it came to the lost item, she was basically an obedient slave of the Tarcoza family. She wasn’t accustomed to firmly saying no.
Moreover, she was told something completely unexpected, and didn’t know what to do.
‘I can’t do anything I want without Father and Carolyn’s knowledge. But… What should I do? I don’t know. Ah, I thought if I could help a little when you seemed troubled, we could both end it on a good note. It’s just that I’m not used to doing unfamiliar things. Besides, with Lathy…’
Suddenly, Elma had an idea. A clever plan to change the course of this situation.
However, for some reason, there was a memory of a similar situation from yesterday.
‘Stop it, you should consider this carefully.’ Somewhere in her head, her calm self was warning her. But at this point, she was in a mild panic, unsure of what to do.
On top of that, if she comes home late, her father will punish me severely. She had to somehow break free from the hand holding her. Forcing her way out was impossible, as evidenced when she was brought into the shop moments ago.
In that case
‘…Now, there’s no other choice!’
“Lathy….”
“Hm ?”
“Do you have Lathy with you right now?”
“Huh? No… I got it as a gift yesterday… Ah, but it’s not from a strange person.. No, he’s definitely a weirdo, but… Anyway, that’s not important. So, what about Lathy ?”
“If you could prepare it again… this time, a whole basket. If you can have it ready today—”
‘I’ll meet you again.’
The words gradually became smaller and smaller, and by the last part she couldn’t get them out. Despite starting to speak on a whim, hearing the words with her own ears made her keenly aware of how strangely she was expressing herself.
‘However, lathy is a luxury item that is out of season. Moreover, at this time when the sun is setting, there is no way he will be able to prepare a full basket by the end of the day. That’s why… if it’s just a coincidence from yesterday. Saying such absurd things, a person like that should be disillusioned…’
Clutching the apron with numerous patches, she thought about how she had finally met someone who didn’t yell at Elma. Honestly, this decision was tough.
However, considering the Tarcoza family, it probably wouldn’t be wise to get involved with unfamiliar people any further.
Especially now, with Carolyn’s debut into high society approaching.
However, Elma should not forget. That the man in front of her was someone who almost always exceeded her expectations.
“Do you really like that so much?”
“It’s not for me. There’s someone who needs it.”
“Hmm. Well, in any case, if it helps you, I’ll get it ready.”
“Eh, yes… that’s right, but…”
“Alright. Let’s see what we can do.”
‘Why aren’t words like “impossible” or “shameless” coming out…!?’
Elma is deeply shaken by her partner’s positive attitude, as if he is facing something completely achievable.
“However, if I were to prepare a whole basket… I can’t do it right away. Is it for today? Where should I deliver it?”
“Um…I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for me to mention this, but that—”
Elma felt a sense of crisis and thought it would be better to take back her word now, but it was too late.
“Where’s your house? Is it that haunted mansion?”
“Um… yes, at the mansion. Certainly, I live there, but …”
“Then it’s settled. Just in case, I’ll leave this with you again. I’ll exchange it for Lathy”
She instinctively caught the item thrown at her, and Elma almost screamed. The ring, which she thought she had returned, was once again in her hand.
The man quickly walked inside the store while Elma was panicking. At the entrance, he stopped one last time.
“If I can bring Lathy by today, you’ll be my friend. It’s a promise, okay?”
He is now hidden again, but I can sense that he must be smiling under his mask. After he was out of sight, Elma suddenly came to her senses. She regretted a lot of things, but it was already too late.
‘Why did it end up like this—!?’
Extra – come to think of it, I don’t even know the name yet!
“Um… the bill…”
“It’s already settled ? When you came in, he said no need for change. Despite his suspicious appearance, you have a good boyfriend, huh!”
“No, it’s not like that! I don’t know him!”
“………… Eh?”
Hi, If you like the novel, please let me know by leaving a rating or review for this series Novelupdates (?? ? ??)
Translated by : Cutae30