Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 17
Chapter 17
His gaze met mine. For a moment, I saw a flicker of bewilderment in Ricardo’s eyes. Bewilderment? Why? As soon as the thought crossed my mind, Ricardo turned his head. “My apologies for my late return. I just crossed paths with Kelliard Hazel. Did he come looking for me at the commander’s office?”
“Yes.”
“I failed to attend to him. My negligence.”
Ricardo Div. The cursed firstborn of the Divfamily, stripped of his right to inherit. Unlike Ray Kewind, who relinquished her claim, Ricardo never even had the chance.
He was never truly accepted as a member of his own family, merely ignored and abandoned. It was said a horrific, cursed mark appeared on his body at birth, and to conceal it, he kept his skin covered as much as possible. His shirt was buttoned to the very top, and his hands were perpetually gloved.
‘It’s not as if Ricardo actually killed anyone.’
Even though he was called cursed, it was Ricardo himself who suffered. His skill was acknowledged only in swordsmanship, yet it remained obscured, buried under the weight of that single word: “curse.”
Soon, the prepared carriage arrived. I grasped my skirt, about to step inside, but stumbled. Ricardo swiftly reached out, catching and steadying me.
“Thank you.”
I leaned on him, gripping his shoulder. As my hand made contact, I felt him flinch.
“…You’re welcome.” His voice was strained. Feigning ignorance, I held his gloved hand to regain my balance.
“Sir Div?”
I could feel Ricardo’s gaze, heavy with unspoken words. At the sound of his name, his lips parted slightly.
“My lady, I apologize, but your hand…”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
I released his hand. While I maintained my composure, Ricardo’s face hardened. The coldness he’d directed at me in the commander’s office was gone, replaced by a look of fear and apprehension.
“No, I apologize.”
“Why?”
“….”
“You were only helping me. There’s no need to apologize.”
“But I…”
Ricardo looked down at his own hands, trembling subtly beneath the pristine white gloves. Why such fear, hidden behind a layer of fabric?
“Do I frighten you?”
“…Because of the rumors of the curse?”
He gave a bitter laugh. His eyes revealed a complex tapestry of past pain, resentment, hopes, and disappointments.
“The rumors may be true. If you touch me, you too…”
“Me too?”
“…The curse could spread.”
“Rumors are just rumors.”
Ricardo stared at me, his expression desolate. Unfazed, I took his hand again and climbed into the carriage. He flinched, but didn’t pull away.
“Even if it were true… you wouldn’t harm me.”
I didn’t believe in curses. Besides…
“One more misfortune in this world won’t cause it to crumble.”
Becoming Amelia was perhaps the greatest curse of all.
Releasing Ricardo’s hand, I said, “Thank you.”
“Lady Amelia.”
As I settled into the carriage, just before the door closed, Ricardo spoke my name. The fear and negativity from moments before had vanished. He wore the same gentle smile as when we first met.
“Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Ricardo Div.”
Just as Ray Kewind had done, Ricardo lightly kissed the back of my hand.
“I hope to be of service to you.”
I responded to his kind words with a smile. The carriage door closed, and we departed.
“Haah…” The tension suddenly dissipated.
“Should I consider this a good thing?”
I had only gone to the banquet to prevent Bashar’s poisoning, yet I ended up meeting all the candidates. Though entangled in a troublesome affair… it seemed to be escalating. As if I attracted trouble wherever I went.
I leaned back and slowly closed my eyes.
***
I rested my cheek against the cool surface of the bar table, my face pressed against the cold metal of the bars. The chill was strangely comforting.
[Amelia, aren’t you cold?]
Slinky’s worried voice reached me. It slithered from my sleeve and nuzzled its snout against my face.
“I’m fine. This is perfect for me right now.”
Ten days had passed since my visit to the Imperial Palace. As if by magic, nothing had happened. Yes, that was something to be thankful for. The frustrating part was that Luke, that scoundrel, seemed to have caught on to something and had become elusive. Oh, of course, I had held a magnificent burning ceremony for the paper with Luke’s information.
[Are you really okay? You seem to be overdoing it lately.]
Slinky peered at me with its small, black eyes, his concern evident. A soft chuckle escaped me at his genuine worry. He cared for me more deeply than my own family.
“I’m fine. I’ve gained something from all this, after all.”
After settling the wages for Tepine and the other servants, my savings had dwindled. I’d been desperately gathering information day and night. The problem was, Ronen was proving difficult to find.
I raised my hand and tapped rhythmically against the bars.
“If I’d known, I would have made an appointment.” It seemed our schedules were constantly clashing. But if I made an appointment, I often found I didn’t actually need anything from him. That’s why we often met without prearrangement, simply exchanging pleasantries before parting ways.
[Huh?]
Slinky suddenly straightened up, staring intently into the shadows of the iron bars. A hissing sound followed.
Thud. Simultaneously, the door creaked open, revealing a figure cloaked in a deep robe.
“Ronen!”
“What is it, Mel?” Unlike my eager greeting, leaning forward with both hands on the bar, Ronen’s voice remained calm.
“You’re late.”
“Did we have an appointment?” he asked, a light laugh escaping his lips as he approached, stopping at his usual spot across from me.
“It’s been a while, Mel.” Red eyes gleamed from beneath the shadows of his hood.
Moonlight briefly illuminated the fine lines around his eyes. His gaze flickered downwards, landing on Slinky, who was still perched on the bar.
[Eek!]
Startled by his attention, Slinky flinched and quickly slithered into the folds of my sleeve.
[Don’t like his stare! Don’t know why, but I don’t like it!]
Slinky grumbled, hidden within my robes. He could complain freely, knowing Ronen couldn’t hear him. This was the first time Ronen had gotten a clear look at Slinky.
“Unusual pattern,” Ronen commented.
“Hmm?”
“Your knight,” he clarified, a subtle curve playing on his lips. He was talking about Slinky.
“You think so?” I’d seen so many different kinds of snakes that Slinky’s pattern didn’t strike me as particularly unusual. If anything, they were rather inconspicuous.
“So, what brings you here today?” Ronen asked, returning to his usual demeanor after the brief exchange.
“I have information to sell, and another request.”
“Oh?” He extended a hand, a pale palm emerging from the darkness of his robe. It was a clear invitation: information first, then business. I smirked, retrieving the folded notes containing the gathered information. I handed him the stack, and he withdrew his hand.
I waited patiently as Ronen reviewed the information. His expression remained unreadable, but he always offered a fair price.
“These are good,” he finally said.
“Of course they are.”
After his brief assessment, Ronen scribbled a number on a piece of paper. “I can offer you this much.”
It was more than I’d expected. Enough to cover the staff’s wages for several months.
“And the price for the additional request?” I asked. The problem was the new information I needed from him. I usually had several requests, so I knew this one wouldn’t be cheap. I braced myself for the figure, but his response surprised me.
“Since you’re a regular, I’ll handle this one for free.”
“You will?” I raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on my lips as he nodded.
“You’ll regret this.”
A soft chuckle echoed in response, as if to say, try me. He wouldn’t go back on his word now. I was grateful, but it felt almost too good to be true. Still, I couldn’t afford to submit only one request. I needed the information as quickly as possible.
“Is it something you couldn’t handle yourself, Mel?”
“I could, but I’m not confident about the details.” My snakes had their limitations, and the amount of information I needed to gather was extensive. It was more efficient to go through Ronen.
“Tell me about it.”
“I need to know Luke Randy’s weaknesses. And his current location.”
“I heard he visited Chairman Randy’s villa. I’ll look into his weaknesses.” Ronen’s response was immediate.
So that’s where Luke had been hiding. Chairman Randy’s villa, located on a secluded island, explained his recent absence. He must have gone to see the Chairman, his grandfather, who often resided there.
