"I will make a Roadbell Vow."
"......!"
Marin's eyes widened.
'Roadbell Vow' was a special contract that only the head of the Roadbell family could use.
The condition of the vow is blood. The price is life.
Even if you are the head of the family, you are not exempt from losing your life if you do not keep the vow, so you should never make a 'Roadbell Vow' unless it is a very important matter.
It was information Marin had learned while investigating as a maid of Roadbell.
But to use it on herself now.
Could it be.....
Marin spat out as if chewing.
"If you're betraying the Young Lady again...."
"Protect Lucia."
However, the words that came out of the Duke's mouth completely deviated from her expectations.
Marin doubted her ears.
What did this man just say?
Lucia, Young Lady....
"I said protect her. So that no one dares to harm Lucia."
"Wh-why...."
Wasn't he the man who heartlessly ignored Lucia even when she was suffering so much?
But what is he saying now?
"Weren't you, did you not hate the Young Lady?"
As if representing her bewildered feelings, Marin looked at the Duke with shaking eyes.
The Duke looked at Marin with eyes that did not reflect anything.
Soon his lips opened.
"......That's right."
It was an answer to Marin's question.
But Marin felt that the answer was somehow unsatisfying.
Was it just a feeling?
It seemed like the Duke himself was dissatisfied with his own answer.
But she put such doubts aside.
Now is not the time to be concerned about that.
"But you're telling me to protect the Young Lady? Even using a Roadbell Vow."
"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. It's not difficult to find someone to protect Lucia even if it's not you."
"......Really, you're saying to protect the Young Lady? Is that all you want?"
"Am I going to have to repeat myself?"
"......"
"......I don't know what your real purpose is."
Marin looked down at her hands.
Dirty hands full of scars.
But if she could protect her with these hands, then....
"I will protect her."
A firm determination settled in Marin's orange eyes.
She said to the Duke as if declaring.
"So that no one dares to touch the Young Lady."
No one. Even if it's the arrogant and aloof man in front of her.
"Even if it costs my life."
It was virtually a declaration of war against the Duke.
There was no way the Duke would not have noticed that.
Now the Duke was the only savior who could save Marin from death.
She should be begging for her life, but what an attitude.
Usually, she would lower herself somehow and utter words of obedience to survive....
Marin did not do that at all.
Her orange eyes were only filled with the will to protect Lucia.
The Duke looked at her eyes, which were so pure that they revealed her inner thoughts, and curled up his lips.
"I like it."
At that moment, Marin forgot all the resentment she had been pouring out and blankly looked up at him.
She had infiltrated the Duke's mansion as a maid and constantly hovered around him and Lucia, but it was the first time she had seen him smile like that.
But what should she say.
'....He's like a different person.'
Even though he smiled, the cold and bleak atmosphere did not change, but what should she say.
'He's like a human.'
The more Marin watched him, the more she felt like he was some race other than human.
How can a human live with the same expression every day?
How can a human be so aloof?
There was only one moment when such a man changed his expression.
'Miracle Roadbell.'
The Roadbell Duke's precious youngest daughter.
Only in front of Miracle did the Duke show a smile.
Marin found that even more annoying. She preferred the expressionless face that showed nothing.
'That look is really the worst.'
As if he had cast some kind of magic, the Duke really loved Miracle.
Even when walking down the street with a blank expression, he would quickly smile and spread his arms when he found Miracle.
A smile and permission that were not allowed to anyone were as natural to Miracle as breathing.
The sight sometimes looked like a father who loved his daughter so much.
Marin thought so at first, too. That's why she found the Duke even more annoying.
But... the more she watched, the more she realized that something was subtly off.
It was clear that the Duke seemed to love Miracle very much, and he discriminated against Miracle and Lucia so much that it made her angry.
'Why doesn't it feel like there's any affection?'
Marin's intuition was much better than ordinary people because she had survived on the streets since she was born.
Marin could not feel any emotion from the Duke towards Miracle.
It was truly nothingness. But the Duke was smiling at Miracle.
'Bizarre.'
The sense of incongruity was so uncomfortable that Marin no longer observed the Duke.
After all, her goal from the beginning was Lucia.
But... what had happened in the meantime? The Duke was smiling at her?
It disappeared as quickly as a fleeting moment, but the Duke was definitely smiling.
Moreover.....
'He looked genuinely happy.'
Not the bizarre smile he showed to Miracle, but the Duke was smiling as if he was truly enjoying it.
What had drawn a genuine smile from him?
He wouldn't be smiling like that after hearing her resentful words.
Then could it be.....
'You really like my answer?'
But that's strange.
'You... hated the Young Lady.'
He was like that, so when did he change like this?
What had happened in the time when she had taken her eyes off the Duke?
All kinds of thoughts were mixed together, and Marin just blankly looked at the Duke.
The Duke, who had erased his smile in the meantime, lowered himself to Marin's eye level.
Then he took out a small dagger from his arms.
Then....
Swish.
He cut the tip of his finger.
Drip.... Drip.....
The Duke's blood droplets fell in front of Marin's eyes.
Marin was greatly embarrassed by the Duke's actions of suddenly injuring his own body.
"The Roadbell Vow is only made with the blood of the head of the family."
"......The blood of the head of the family...."
She muttered blankly.
She wasn't supposed to be thinking this in this situation, but.
'It's not blue.'
She thought his blood would definitely be a cold blue like a winter lake, but the color of the blood droplets that fell in front of her was a vivid red.
She realized once again that he was human.
"The only condition of the vow is one. No matter what, protect Lucia even if it costs your life. If you fail to keep the vow, the Roadbell blood that has seeped into your body will take your life."
Only then could Marin confirm that the Duke's words were all sincere.
The Duke was sincerely ordering her to protect Lucia.
'I don't know what his real purpose is.'
But that doesn't matter now.
The important thing is that she has been given the last chance to protect Lucia.
And Marin grabbed that chance with all her might.
"As much as you want."
"Also, this vow must not be revealed no matter what. Including Lucia."
Nod.
"Good."
The Duke put strength on Marin's chin.
Marin obediently opened her mouth.
Drip.
A drop of blood fell into Marin's mouth.
Gulp.
She swallowed the blood without resistance.
Soon Marin realized the abnormality in her body.
'It's hot.'
It felt like she had swallowed a flame instead of water.
The heat was soon hot enough to burn her whole body.
It hurts. It's painful. It feels like even her soul is burning.
Looking down at Marin, who was suffering from the pain, the Duke said indifferently.
"The vow has been made."
With those words, Marin lost consciousness.
And when she opened her eyes again, Marin was lying in a room.
The pain of burning her soul was already gone.
It wasn't just the pain.
The traces of torture that had dominated her whole body and the scars that had remained for a long time had all disappeared.
'Healer.'
Only a healer could not only save a dying body but also erase scars.
But the existence of healers is so rare that most families cannot obtain the power of healers.
But to find a healer and complete the treatment so quickly.
As expected of Roadbell. She was once again in awe of its power.
Marin clenched her fist tightly.
It's no use now. Keep your pity to yourself.
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