Chapter 01
“Eil, become mine, won’t you?”
At the abruptly straightforward words, my hand tilted the teapot slipped.
I hurriedly tried to grab the handle, but his hand caught the pot first.
“Ah—Young Master!”
“I can’t do without you.”
Even while holding the scalding teapot with his bare hand, Riss continued speaking without so much as blinking.
“Eil, you said it yourself. Work and personal matters should be kept separate.”
His low, pleasantly calm voice flowed in lazily, and before I knew it, my gaze drifted toward him.
When I met his firm violet eyes, I suddenly remembered something he had said when we were children.
‘Eil, become mine.’
Back then, I thought it was just a childish whim of a young master speaking to a maid of similar age, so I answered like this:
‘Young Master, you should separate work and personal matters.’
But now, as an adult, this inscrutable young master was saying the exact same thing again.
As I slowly nodded, the corners of his lips curved into a neat smile.
“My work and my personal life… are all you.”
What was that supposed to mean? My chest sank uneasily for some reason.
As someone with 18 years of experience as an assassin, the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard from a target was “Please spare me, I’ll live honestly…”
“…That’s quite a funny joke.”
“I’m always serious, Eil.”
He brushed off my words lightly, his gaze following me—hot and lingering. I felt like a rabbit standing before a predator.
Instinctively sensing danger, I slowly reached for the small concealed knife at my waist—
“Did you know? I’m the richest person in the Empire.”
Huh…? Suddenly, what?
‘I know that too well, actually.’
Of course I knew he was rich, but why was he saying it himself like that?
I stared at him blankly, dumbfounded, and Riss met my eyes with an unchanged calm expression.
“Eil, you like money, don’t you?”
“Well… I suppose I do.”
It was true that whenever Riss had asked me something, I had often answered things like “because of money,” or “money is best,” or “I was paid a lot.”
But why bring that up now…?
“I’m richer than the Emperor. So like me too.”
The seductive words—whether joking or serious—flew toward me with brazen confidence.
That wicked young master had apparently decided to start seducing people with money now.
As a rule, an assassin must never be swayed by honey or sweets offered by a target. That is one of the basic principles of the profession.
I knew that. I really did… but—
“Hmm? Eil.”
Riss tilted his head slightly, giving a gentle eye-smile.
He looked as though he fully understood that I could not possibly refuse him this time.
My heart began to pound uncontrollably. Sensing that something had gone very, very wrong, I slowly bit my lower lip.
Honestly, if I had known the young master I served would grow up so dangerously, I would have killed him long ago.
‘How did it end up like this?’
He definitely wasn’t like this when he was a child…!
