Chapter 73
Who’s Caught in the Trap? (1)
Clack.
Noel closed the carriage door and sat down, while Elluciana tapped the window by the coachman’s seat to signal the start. Slowly, the carriage began to move.
After a short while, unable to bear the confinement, Noel spoke first.
“Lucy, tell me the truth. You were going to leave me behind, weren’t you?”
“No.”
“Really not?”
“Yes.”
Elluciana, flipping through her order ledger and scribbling diligently, replied curtly.
Noel hesitated for a moment, clearly not expecting such brief answers. But soon, a sly smile appeared on his face.
“Well, fine. If you say so, I’ll trust you. But you do realize we haven’t even properly introduced ourselves yet, right? Don’t just look at the ledger—look at my face for a change.”
“…….”
“Lucy.”
Noel called her again, but Elluciana kept her lips tightly pressed together, refusing to answer.
Just as he was about to call her name once more, Elluciana slammed the ledger shut and looked him straight in the eye.
“Sir.”
“Why are you staring at me like that? …It makes a person flutter.”
“Flutter… Huh. Well, I am feeling quite fluttery too.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. And I’m also quite looking forward to it.”
“Looking forward to… what exactly?”
Her blunt answer made Noel’s ears flush slightly. Just yesterday, he had been cold and aloof, and now he seemed completely relaxed. Whatever she was looking forward to, it made his heart flutter for no reason.
“You’ll do well today, won’t you?”
“Do well… at what?”
“Temporary work. Can you handle it without any mistakes?”
“Temporary… work?”
Noel asked, puzzled and sounding foolish. A faint crease appeared between Elluciana’s brows.
‘What is with that indifferent reaction? Just last night you were begging me to take you along, and now your mind has changed?’
Her mouth dropped open in sheer disbelief, then she seemed to calm herself, as if reaching a conclusion.
‘Well, it’s for the best. Noel was nothing but a surplus laborer anyway.’
Elluciana spoke with a much lighter expression.
“If you want to turn back now, tell me, Noel.”
“No. I can handle the temporary work just fine.”
Noel’s determined answer made a deep crease form between her previously smooth brows.
“Today we’re going to the Eragost family estate. You know the Eragosts, right?”
“Yes.”
“There must not be a single mistake. Even if you meet a young lady you know at the banquet, do NOT hand her flowers like last time.”
“When was that anyway? Are you still bringing it up?”
“This matter is very important to me, Noel. So if you’re not confident, turn back now.”
Scratching his head awkwardly, Noel replied:
“Don’t worry. I’ll do well. Without mistakes.”
“Good, Sir… or rather… El. I’ll trust you just one more time.”
“Huh? Did you just call me by my nickname?”
Noel’s face lit up with visible joy, a bright smile spreading across it. She had used his nickname to avoid saying his real name, yet he was so happy. Elluciana briefly wondered if she should take back her words.
‘He’s not the type to leave just because I say so. He’ll cling no matter what.’
And who knew what absurdities might happen then.
‘Alright, let’s just get through today safely.’
Elluciana tossed a dark object from her chair toward him.
“Don’t get the wrong idea—put this on.”
“Giving me a present? Wow—what’s the occasion? Huh? But what is this? Clothes?”
Noel, about to jump up from his seat, seemed ready to bounce with excitement, but Elluciana answered firmly:
“It’s work clothes. You can’t go around bragging that El is the heir of the Marquis of Klaus. Today’s workplace is a noble estate, so you need to cover that flashy face as much as possible.”
“…Haha, I see. I thought it was something else.”
“Stop dawdling and try it on quickly.”
Noel awkwardly smiled as he unfolded the black robe she had thrown.
“Haha. Just looking at this robe… it seems too big.”
“Not at all. It fits perfectly. It needs to be big enough to cover that proud face of yours.”
“…!”
Noel fiddled with the oversized hood, looking dismayed.
Upon arriving at the Eragost estate with four baggage carriages, Elluciana was guided inside by a servant.
Surprisingly, Noel decided to stay with the baggage carriage.
He looked a bit comical in the oversized robe, but better that than exposing his face.
“Are you Lucy, the branch manager?”
“Yes, I am Lucy of Fragrant Garden.”
The servant stared at Elluciana’s face briefly, then nodded.
“There is a change in the order.”
“…A change? It’s a bit inconvenient to alter a contract on the day of the order.”
The servant scoffed lightly.
“Our young mistress requested decorations for the hall. She’ll pay double the usual rate, so please do it.”
‘…Hah!’
Elluciana frowned slightly. The request wasn’t inherently difficult.
She had dealt with noble whims before and probably even transported the supplies just in case. This was within the realm of expectation.
But something about the way the servant said it felt off.
‘Does he think I’m some naive fool who’ll do whatever he says?’
Elluciana’s expression turned very troubled.
“I’m sorry, but whether you pay double or triple, I can’t accept that request.”
“……”
“The contract only required the delivery of goods.”
The servant, momentarily flustered, maintained a composed expression.
“May I take that as your refusal to comply with our young mistress’s request?”
“It’s not a refusal, the contract—”
“Understood. I’ll report it to her.”
“Wait, hey!”
Elluciana’s intuition screamed that something was wrong as the servant simply turned away.
‘What the heck! This isn’t right. Is he planning to trap me from the start?’
Her blood pressure spiked instantly.
Strictly speaking, there was no issue with leaving. The contract had been fulfilled with no complaints.
But she knew very well that the contract was just a minimal safeguard for appearances.
If a noble family’s polite request was ignored by a commoner florist… and if they later coordinated a boycott?
‘It would be over.’
Building a reputation is hard; ruining it is easy.
And if the noble family intentionally sought to ruin her, the backlash would be substantial.
She and the owner, Tricia, would bear the full brunt. Elluciana urgently called out to the servant.
“Excuse me!”
“Yes? Do you have something to convey?”
“We’ll take care of the decorations at Fragrant Garden, just as requested.”
“Then so be it.”
“……?”
Elluciana reached out toward the servant, dumbfounded. Such a sudden reversal… wasn’t it?
At that moment, the servant mischievously handed over the contract. Elluciana realized she had been outsmarted.
‘I thought too much.’
She swallowed a bitter laugh, utterly dumbfounded.
“This is the place.”
Arriving at the banquet hall, the servant stopped, and Elluciana followed suit.
The central hall of the Eragost estate, Ruber.
True to a family that valued connections, the banquet hall was extraordinary in scale.
“Hmm. Can I take a look around?”
“Yes, please.”
Ignoring the curt reply of the servant, Elluciana slowly surveyed the interior.
White marble pillars and floors carved in antique style. The arched ceiling made the space appear even larger and grander.
‘Fortunately, it’s all white. Matching the colors won’t be difficult.’
Checking the time roughly, she tapped her chin with a finger.
Banquets usually started at early evening and ended around midnight.
But this time, the Eragost young lady had scheduled the banquet for midday.
‘The tables are already set.’
Since not a single maid was in sight, expecting any help from them was pointless.
“It’s wider than I thought. Uh—should I also decorate the second-floor terrace?”
The second-floor terrace of the Eragost estate protruded in a semicircle, perfect for drawing attention.
‘Is this where the welcoming speech will be?’
If the young lady wanted to be noticed, this prime spot wouldn’t be ignored.
Elluciana’s guess was correct; the servant nodded.
“Our young mistress instructed us to pay particular attention to that area.”
“I see. Any other precautions?”
“No. None.”
Elluciana forced a small smile and let out a frustrated sigh.
