<Chapter 8
Of course, she hadn’t thrown out a random number. Riana had calculated the Droche estate’s budget in her head before suggesting that commission.
Keeping this high-level employment agency on their list would bring more benefits than losses.
“Please tell Madam Midas I look forward to working with her again,” Bastian said.
Riana signed the contract and smiled sweetly.
“I’ll be sure to pass on the message.”
She did deliver it — word for word. Madam Midas missed nothing.
A crescent moon now hung above the sharp roof of the ducal estate. It was time for Riana to begin her shift as the “Isolation Tower Maid.”
This job was exactly what it sounded like — being a maid for the Isolation Tower.
That meant caring for the person kept isolated — the Duke of Droche — a man who could lose control of his magic at any time and destroy everything around him.
‘No wonder the offer sounded too good to be true,’ Riana thought, recalling a clause in the contract:
Clause 18:
The Isolation Tower Maid acknowledges the risk of death while on duty and will not raise any claims afterward.
So that’s why the salary was so high — it was basically all hazard pay.
“You ready?” Bastian asked as she stood outside the tower, lost in thought.
He meant more than just starting work. Was she ready to resist the Duke’s flirtations?
Honestly… she wasn’t sure.
But when it came to surviving an unstable volcano of a man for two months?
“Of course, I’m ready.”
One thing was certain: she could handle the Duke’s magical outbursts.
Sure, he was powerful, handsome, and maybe the male lead, but he was still human. No way he’d have high expectations at night. He’d probably just sleep.
Riana flopped onto the maid room’s sofa, closing her eyes.
This job was ridiculously comfortable for the pay. Pure gold.
Creak.
The maid room’s slightly open door nudged wider. If it had been the Duke, he would’ve used the bell.
“Meow.”
As expected, it was the cat. Riana walked over and picked him up.
“You’re late. Guess you weren’t that hungry.”
“Too many stairs.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I didn’t wanna climb them either.”
She stroked his head, then moved her hand toward her lips, where a faint glow of magic gathered on her fingertips.
Though magic floated all around in the air, few could actually manipulate it.
Those who could cast spells were called magicians. Riana wasn’t one.
But she wasn’t just an ordinary person either.
Magic in the air was like water. Magicians could turn water into fire or stone. But Riana? She could stir up waves in it.
She couldn’t use spells, but she could gather, move, and disturb the flow of magic in the air.
‘Even I know that’s not normal, so I kept it a secret.’
She only used it to feed her cat, afraid it would drag her deeper into the story’s plot.
‘But this power… if the Duke goes out of control, I can protect myself.’
Controlling magical waves? Easy.
So yes, she was getting hazard pay — but she wasn’t actually risking anything.
“This is what they call ‘jackpot’ in some regions. Say it, kitty. Jackpot.”
Used to her nonsense, the cat just focused on licking the magic droplet.
Ding. The bell rang. The Duke was calling.
Riana’s pink eyes sharpened.
Killian Droche was calling for her.
“You should be resting…”
The moment she entered the study, Riana tried her best noble-lady-in-a-romance-webtoon tone.
It meant: Why are you staying up working when you’re already unwell and rich? Go to bed.
“Thanks for worrying. Have a seat,” he replied smoothly, gesturing to the red sofa across from his desk.
“Would you like some tea?”
She was hoping he’d say yes. She’d even read A Beginner’s Guide to Tea Blending for Professional Maids the day before.
But Killian smiled gently.
“All I need is for you to sit down.”
Was it possible to feel both warmth and pressure in a stare?
Apparently, yes. Killian’s eyes did exactly that.
“It’s uncomfortable looking up at you.”
He sounded so pitiful that Riana sat down without arguing.
“I have something to say.”
“And I’ve heard things… about you.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Seems like you have a thing for new maids.”
Word is, you flirt with them and then throw them out.
Killian didn’t deny it — in fact, he leaned in.
“I’ve never liked one as much as you.”
Riana narrowed her eyes further.
“I bet you said that to all of them. I’ll bet my cat on it.”
“Then I’ll bet the ‘Twelfth Keepsake’ that you don’t have a cat.”
“…What’s that?”
“The traditional engagement token of the Duchesses of Droche.”
…WHAT?!
Did he just low-key propose to a maid he met less than a day ago?
Riana sighed and gave in.
“I lose. I don’t actually own the cat.”
“Then give me ten minutes. You lost.”
It wasn’t like she had a choice. She needed the job until she saved 1,000 gold.
“If it’s an order…”
Even though she answered obediently, her attitude was clearly annoyed. She sat crooked, glaring.
Killian smiled instead of calling her out.
“I know you’re worried because of my condition. I understand why you’re cautious.”
Magical Excess Syndrome.
A rare and dangerous condition where a magician’s body pulls in too much magic.
‘That’s why he’s in isolation,’ Riana thought. One wrong move, and boom.
“But I promise. You won’t get hurt.”
“Not what the contract says,” she muttered.
Still, she could tell he was being honest — more so than when he said he fell for her at first sight.
Then, he stood and walked toward the window, speaking quietly.
“There is… one way someone like me can avoid hurting others.”
He said it flatly:
“I just have to die the moment I feel myself slipping.”
Riana’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean?”
“I know the signs. If I feel myself about to lose control, I’ll end my life before it happens. Magic without a host is harmless.”
She frowned.
She’d heard that only powerful mages could even get this condition. The world feared them — but it also needed them.
No one wanted the Duke to die just to protect a maid.
“Are you serious?”
Instead of answering directly, Killian smiled faintly.
“I lost someone precious because of this illness. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”
There was something sad in his eyes. Riana couldn’t look away.
They said mermaids’ tears turned to pearls. His seemed to have frozen into those beautiful blue gems in his eyes.
‘Wait…’
His scent — warm and masculine — had gotten a lot stronger.
She inhaled before realizing—
‘When did he get so close?’
He was right in front of her.
His blue eyes, now free of sadness, glimmered with amusement.
“Do I seem pitiful to you?”
Without thinking, Riana nodded slightly.
Immediately, he leaned in close enough that his breath brushed her ear.
“Then comfort me.”
His gaze slowly wandered across her face, stopping at her lips.
Riana saw it, too — his lips were smooth, sharp, with just the right hint of red.
His tongue slowly ran over them. Just once.
Her head felt fuzzy.
For the first time in either of her lives, she felt the dangerous urge to throw away reason and give in to something wild.
Gripping her fists tightly was a miracle of self-control.
“…It must’ve been hard for you,” she whispered.
Killian smiled.
“It was. I’ve never admitted that before.”
He gently cupped her cheek, and for a second — just a second — his eyes glimmered with a dangerous joy.
