Methods to Save the Villain Who was Abandoned by the Heroine

"I knew that the dirty dogs of Visenna were drooling over Yekart but—."

Sharkis cut off Ferze's words, with his face trying to convey that this was a misunderstanding.

"Ah, that was what Duke Eustia wanted. Not me. It was also under his orders that time I kidnapped your father."

Sharkis insisted on his innocence, but Ferze and Sharkis were both the same kind of villains to my eyes.

If I had to pick out a difference, it was that there was at least a potential for improvement for Ferze.

When I thought about it again, I was deluding myself.

I glanced sideways and saw that there were three copies of the contract.

It was difficult to get any more information from the sound of the conversation anymore.

When I turned my head slightly to look, Ferze was signing the contract.

Sharkis also rolled his pen over the contract and finished signing it as the representative of Duke Visenna.

Ferze, who was skimming through the contract that Sharkis had signed, spoke in a passing remark.

"So is that why you made my father cry?"

"Well, he was a soft-hearted fellow. What else could I, an innocent twelve year old child, do? I had no choice but to knock him out and bring him back with me as the Duke ordered me to do."

"I can't think of any other way he would have reacted, given that you presented him with a stuffed corpse of an evil monster."

I didn't pay much attention to what came after, since I already knew the story that followed.

Ferze, who had become the Archduke in his frail father's place several years after he rescued him, was unyielding.

As a result, the Visenna, which was let loose like a bull in a china shop until then, quieted down.

Then, I heard the conversation start mentioning me.

"This all sounds a bit shocking for a six year old fiancée to hear."

What? Fiancée?

My eyes were open wide at this news that I've never heard of before.

My head was already turned over toward that direction for a long time ago.

Apparently, this wasn't exactly a secret because he continued casually.

"I think the one who's shocked is you, not the kid."

"Anyway, is the kid even aware of her situation? Earlier, she was even fearless enough to look me straight in the eye. It seems there's a part of her that's even bolder than Rienna."

That was because I was being wary that you might suddenly take me away!

No, that's not what's important.

Engaged? With whom?

Ferze and Sharkis were staring right at me.

Judging from Ferze's narrowed eyes, he had already caught on.

It was too late to pretend that I was asleep again, so I yawned and got up as if I had just woken up.

I didn't forget to stretch my limbs.

I didn't really want to get up now. I wanted to listen a bit longer to the conversation.

I understand that I need to go to the Visenna to break my curse, but what's this about an engagement?

From their conversation, I guessed at why a fiancée might be needed.

After the engagement with Rienna was broken off, there was an order to enter into an arranged marriage.

Ferze was a threat to the Emperor and his throne, and to keep the Archduke in check, an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Ninase, a pro-emperor family, was ordered.

Before I could guess any further, Sharkis spoke with a subtle grin.

"You should have slept a little longer."

It was an incomprehensible remark.

What does that mean?

I looked at Sharkis with a wary glance.

It turned out his comment didn't mean much.

He mentioned something about the sight of me so deep in sleep that I didn't even notice my cheek being pressed to the bed sheet.

As the young master of Visenna organized his thoughts as he looked through the contract,  I heard an explanation of the contract.

The contract between the Visenna and the Yekart was simple.

The Visenna would break my curse that made me into a child, and in return would receive Karnen mine from the Yekart.

Karnen mine had been a major source of income of the Yekart territories for a long time.

Ores imbued with magic could be mined here, and special metal abyss that resists evil monsters could be found.

Abyss called the stone of abyss could be found in some other parts of Djibril, but because of their unstable landscape, the only place that could be managed by people was Karnen mine.

The reason that the Visenna had kidnapped Ferze's father, who was the previous Duke, was also Karnen mine.

It seemed rather unexpected to me that Ferze would hand over the mine so easily, considering that he refused to give in to any of their threats in the past.

Even if it's to help me, is there a reason that he has to bear such a heavy loss?

'Isn't this a little bit too grand for repaying his debt to me?'

Perhaps it's because it takes something huge like Karnen mine to move the Visenna's.

The curse that only the head of Vicenna could solve seemed to be a more serious problem than I thought.

'He's going to undo my curse, even giving away the mine in the process, but……'

But I have to become the grand duchess after the curse is reversed and I am an adult again.

It was a type of arranged marriage.

He can avoid the arranged marriage with Lady Ninace while repaying his debt to me.

He probably thought that it is much better to simply be in an arranged marriage with me, with whom he is already in a complicated situation, rather than finding someone new to enter into another contract with.

Whatever the case, as long as he is married to somebody, the Emperor cannot suggest a second wife or a concubine because of the Empire's monogamy law, and won't be able to bring up another conversation about an arranged marriage with the Ninace family.

There was the condition that my curse has to be lifted first, but 3 years seemed like more than enough time to resolve the curse.

He says it's as simple as being married a few years, get divorced and go my way……

After contemplating it for a while I finished signing the document with crawling letters.

'I wouldn't end up facing an untimely death during the 3 years with the Visennas, would I?'

Unfortunately, no one else could apparently undo my curse if it wasn't Duke Visenna who was a genius alchemist.

I couldn't decide whether I should be happy or sad that the Visennas agreed to reverse my curse.

Couldn't you have found someone other than the Visenna family?

I couldn't ask this question out loud as I couldn't blame him since I knew what trouble Ferze would have had to go through to undo my curse.

The Visennas were quite a proud bunch considering that they acquired their Duke status through unorthodox methods.

Visenna and Yekart.

It was not an easy thing to do to propose a contract first because of their hostile relationship.

And it certainly wouldn't have been easy to persuade the heinous villain who was second to none.

"I will relinquish the ownership of the mine once the contract has ended."

"Then will 30% of the mined ores be our share prior to the end of the contract?"

"That depends on whether you hold to the terms of the contract."

It seemed like the Archduke's loss to give up Karnen mine, no matter how I looked at it.

Did he want to avoid the arranged marriage that much?

"……"

"……"

It seemed as though they didn't have anything else to say to each other and silence fell again.

The problem now was that Sharkis was holding me in his arms very casually.

'Why is he holding me in his lap?'

If I wasn't mistaken, he seemed to think of me as some stray cat that he had brought home.

Whenever I nodded my head as I almost dozed off into sleep, he brushed my disheveled hair back, and patted my back.

It seemed that he was the only one who didn't realize that what he did made him seem even scarier.

"Hmm, this is rather amazing. Even my brother had refused to be held by me."

"……"

Ferze raised his eyebrows and showed his displeasure.

I wasn't sure why, so I decided to stay still.

When I didn't refuse being held in his arms, which were surprisingly quite comfortable, Sharkis shifted my position so that I could recline more comfortably.

It was a strange kind gesture.

I leaned on his broad chest with a somewhat awkward expression on my face.

Ferze seemed somewhat put off by this, but I decided to pretend not to notice.

Or it could have been just my imagination.

In any case, my speculation that I was being treated like an exotic pet was spot on.

Ferze, who was looking at me, said with an apathetic face.

"Ciel, I believe you understood since it was explained to you several times. I plan to do everything I can to repay you."

"Thank you."

I was just grateful that I wasn't simply neglected, and I looked at Ferze with a touched face.

"However, the temple may take some kind of measures. You stopped them from killing me, so there will be many who are wondering about who you are."

"Me?"

But my motto was to live as an invisible person.

I waited for Ferzee's answer as I felt increasingly apprehensive.

The reply came not from Ferze but from Sharkis who was holding me.

He said as he firmly pressed my cheek.

"It means dangerous things are going to happen to our little kiddo."

Our little kiddo? Me?

When I turned my surprised gaze to Sharkis, the handsome man who looked back grinned.

When I came to think about it again, his jet black hair and even his ruby-colored eyes which were considered ominous only looked pretty.

"That's why kiddo, that we are taking you to my family."

"M.. me?"

It was too early to be happy.

It wouldn't be such a bad idea if I were just seeking refuge for a little while.

The priests from the temple could visit the Yekart mansion saying that they've come to find the assassin.

Naturally, the temple was on the Saintess Rienna's side.

It would be okay if I were just staying there during that short while to avoid this, but the problem was……

"There wouldn't be a huge problem since the head of Visenna, Duke Eustia, has already agreed."

That seems like the biggest problem.

What if I went there just for a little while, never to return?

On top of that, seeing as Sharkis calls his father Duke Eustia instead of dad, I could easily guess what kind of relationship they had.

"Hey kiddo, Duke Visenna extremely hates waiting. So let's hurry up and prepare to go?"

Go where? Sharkis replied to my question with a smile disguised with kindness.

"North."

It seemed like it had just been moments ago that I heard him say this, but a week had passed and I was on a carriage heading north.

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