I was supposed to only be his partner for the ball. Instead, overnight, I became widely known as the fiancée of Nadir, heir to House Dorman.
“What the hell is happening?!” I demanded, forcefully slamming my hands on the table in front of an unfazed Nadir.
We were facing each other in his room, at the Duke’s mansion, where he’d taken me after the party. It was many times larger and more luxurious than the estate where I lived.
“What’s there to be confused about?” Nadir asked. “I told you. Everyone’s been nagging me to settle down.”
“Yes,” I said, “and I was supposed to get them off your back for the night, not—”
“I don’t recall ever saying that.”
The words died in my throat at the realization that he had not, in fact, categorically said that. So he’d tricked me!
Fool me once, shame on him, but fool me twice...
“You snake,” I muttered.
“Say what you will,” he replied flatly.
I wanted to punch him right in his nonchalant snout. Somehow, I managed to hold back.
“It’s still pretend, nothing more,” he said with a malicious smirk. “I’ll treat you well as my temporary fiancée.”
I wasn’t buying it. “I’m telling you, I can’t afford to participate in this little charade of yours!”
Bothering with this rich, single, noble jerk’s frivolous games would cost me my own chance at marriage. My family would be ruined.
“It’s not such a bad deal for you,” he pointed out with a laugh, as if he knew my every thought. “I told you—I’ll see to it that you’re rewarded.”
He had promised something along those lines before taking me to the ball, hadn’t he?
“I’ll settle your family’s debt,” he declared.
My eyes opened wide in shock. I’d figured he’d known about our debt, but never in a million years had I dreamed he’d want to pay it off.
Overwhelmed by this offer, I shakily asked, “D-Do you realize how much we owe?”
“Sixty million riel, no?” he asked. “It’s no meager sum, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” Nadir shrugged. “How did you manage to end up owing so much?”
“M-My father’s far too nice!”
The man was simply too kind, too gullible. Still, he was my beloved father. I did not want anyone ridiculing him.
While Nadir had said the amount was “nothing he couldn’t handle,” an ordinary person wouldn’t have been able to pay off even a tenth of it with a lifetime of work. Yet here he was, casually offering to settle such an outrageous sum.
“That...can’t be worth it,” I said.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he replied incisively. “In exchange for the money, you’ll be my fiancée. Then you can save your near-bankrupt family. An advantageous result for us both. Do you have any complaints?”
Nope. None at all. In fact, I was beyond grateful. Still, I couldn’t fathom why Nadir would go to such an extreme length.
I eyed him carefully, but his mind seemed made up. He was now decidedly ignoring me.
“Thank you,” I murmured. Nadir seemed pleased by this. “But...if you take me as your fiancée, you won’t be able to marry for some time. That’s not a problem to you?”
Nadir frowned in response, as if I’d just asked a silly question. “I’m not marrying just yet,” he replied, averting his gaze. “It’s not the right time.”
So he probably wanted to enjoy his life as a single, rich nobleman a bit longer.
I was at the edge of prime marriageable age myself, so if this pretend-fiancée game went on much longer, marrying at all would become a challenge.
Still, maintaining my family’s social status was my top priority.
Forgive me, father, mother. I might not be able to bear my own children. But I can adopt and give you grandchildren that way!
“Oh, also,” Nadir continued, “since Leticia took one of our best maidservants, we’re a bit short-staffed right now.”
What did that have to do with anything?
“Is that so?” I replied.
“She was truly an outstanding maidservant,” he said. “She not only attended to Leticia’s matters, but also handled the cleaning and other maid duties.”
Ah. So that was where he was going with that.
“Excuse me,” I cut in. “I should head home. My parents must be worried, you see.”
As I tried to leave my seat, however, he caught my arm and pulled me back onto the chair. Please. Please don’t say it.
“You do the household chores at your home, don’t you?” he asked.
“How did you—”
“It’s only natural I’d look into someone I’ll be faking an engagement with.”
And here I was, hardly knowing anything about him. The idea of him investigating me behind my back made me bristle, but I waited for him to continue.
“So you’ll be my maid, yes?” he asked.
“I don’t think so,” I said flatly.
He gripped my arm tighter. “You will, won’t you?”
“I will not!” I snapped, trying with all my might to get up and pull my arm away so I could flee.
His grip didn’t waver. What was he doing, clutching a maiden’s arm so forcefully?!
“I said no!” I repeated. “Pretending to be your fiancée is plenty!”
“That alone isn’t worth it,” he countered. “You said as much yourself.”
So he did think it wasn’t worth it for me to simply play at being engaged with him!
“This deal involves you pretending to be my fiancée while also working as a maid at my residence,” he stated. “If you don’t like it, you can simply back out.”
“Ugh...”
Of course I couldn’t do that.
Reluctantly, I sat back down and, in the lowest voice I’d ever used in my entire life, replied, “Fine.”
Satisfied, Nadir nodded. “We have a deal, then.”
One I wasn’t entirely pleased with, mind you.
As I sulked, Nadir produced a garment and threw it at my head.
“Hey! What—” I protested.
“Change into that,” he ordered.
The garment was a dress—a black-and-white maid’s uniform, in fact.
“You really do want me to work as a maid,” I said.
“I was quite clear about that, yes,” he replied.
Hesitantly, I held the maid outfit to my chest. “Where should I get changed?”
“The next room to your right from the door.”
Taking the dress, I left the room, and went into the neighboring room as instructed. In it were a bed, a desk, a single chair, and a small chest. It looked like a servant’s room, but was surprisingly spacious, almost as large as Nadir’s room itself.
“How odd,” I mused.
Normally, servants had much smaller rooms, much farther away from their master. Sleeping right next to their master’s quarters? Unheard of.
Well, I would’ve been there all night if I’d started questioning every little thing. Leaving my worries aside, I unfolded the outfit.