I Was Hired by the Dark Prince for My Life's Worth - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 2. Wife… Angel?
‘…Is it really?’
I rubbed both my eyes again.
It was unmistakable.
The shape was exactly identical to the one Dai had shown me.
‘Could it be a trap…?’
Did he know I was coming and lay out bait for me?
The moment that thought crossed my mind, the Head Maid drew out a pamphlet that had been tucked beneath the Holy Contract.
Whoosh.
The Holy Contract slid carelessly aside as though it were nothing but baggage.
And nothing happened.
Even though my hand touched the contract directly.
“…….”
At least touching it was safe, then.
It felt unsettling, though….
Well, whatever.
It’s going well enough…?
‘Let me just try holding onto it.’
While the Head Maid was absorbed in the gleaming résumé, I surreptitiously pocketed the contract.
It went so smoothly it was embarrassing how tense I’d been.
‘Is this really all right…?’
Things are going too well—now I’m nervous about it!
I had the feeling that something was going wrong.
At that moment, the Head Maid set down her papers and smiled with satisfaction.
“Do you know how to polish porcelain?”
“Yes, I do know how.”
“Perfect timing then. We’ve been short-handed in that department.”
It meant I had passed.
Excellent!
I felt my cheeks flush as I nodded.
Now all that remained was to work diligently, meet with the fixer Dai, and hand over the Holy Contract.
“Thank you so much, Head Maid!”
As I offered an awkward smile and bowed, the Head Maid gestured for me to follow.
“Come along now. The Foundation Festival is nearly upon us, and time is pressing.”
“Yes, of course!”
I hurried after her at once.
We crossed the Imperial Palace in the quick, measured gait distinctive to practiced servants.
“During the Foundation Festival, we display the Imperial Family’s most treasured heirlooms throughout the grounds.”
“Across the entire Imperial Palace, you mean?”
“No, from the palace entrance to the Banquet Hall. Still, there’s quite a quantity.”
So we were heading out now to polish all of it.
‘How many could there be…? A hundred?’
I paused to estimate the number, then shook my head.
What did the number matter anyway?
It was work I had to do regardless.
“We have many delicate crafts and porcelain, so that section is usually understaffed.”
“I see…!”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
But privately, I was troubled.
Delicate crafts? Porcelain?
‘Isn’t that rather precious for a new hire who hasn’t even been vetted…?’
It seemed awfully vulnerable to theft.
The same sense of discord I’d felt when I discovered the Holy Contract crept across my cheeks.
I asked carefully.
“Um… but is it all right for a new hire like me to be put in charge of treasures? I could steal them, after all.”
“Are you a thief?”
“…No! I’m not!”
“Ha ha ha! I was only joking.”
Hic.
The shock had brought on hiccups.
I was patting my chest nervously when the Head Maid laughed heartily and clapped me on the shoulder.
“No need to worry about the Imperial Treasury. Everything’s protected by Holy Magic.”
“Holy Magic…?”
That power belonged exclusively to the Imperial Family.
A strength only the blessed could possess.
The Head Maid nodded.
“The moment anything steps even an inch beyond the Imperial Palace, it returns to the vault.”
“I see….”
“Anyone foolish enough to steal gets struck by lightning and roasted alive. I’ve seen it happen more than once.”
The Head Maid laughed loudly at the memory, as if relishing it, and moved on.
“…Hic!”
“You alright?”
“Yes, I just swallowed wrong… Hic! I’m fine.”
My cheeks flushed as I laughed alongside her.
‘W-well, of course…!’
Right, sloppy security—
The Imperial Palace would never allow that.
Now I understood why the Holy Contract never circulated outside.
“So all items marked Non-Export work the same way, then?”
“Of course. They wouldn’t have issued the restriction without good reason.”
Ah… I see….
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling tears threaten to spill.
This was practically a death sentence….
The Holy Contract in my pocket suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
I asked, clinging to one last hope.
“But couldn’t something like a Holy Contract just be used within the Imperial City itself? What do thieves do then?”
“Hmm? Ah, the Holy Contract. That’s one of the most misunderstood items around.”
Misunderstood…?
My hopes shattered in an instant.
The Head Maid chuckled and shook her head.
“There were so many petty criminals in the old days. Word got around that it was a magical contract that could bind someone with Holy Power—people came to steal it all the time.”
“…….”
I felt a chill run down my spine….
While I struggled to keep my expression neutral, the Head Maid continued.
“We ended up with plenty of slaves because of it.”
……?
“I-I’m sorry, what?”
“Using it binds the soul of the user to whichever Imperial Family member is nearest.”
What in the world….
I stared blankly at the Head Maid.
I’m sorry, what did you say…?
“Slaves?”
“It was designed to force criminals into labor service in the first place.”
“But then why call it a contract….”
“Do you only use every item according to its intended purpose?”
“…….”
Well, not exactly….
I had nothing to say, so I held my tongue.
I need to get rid of it.
I need to throw it away right now.
‘A contract that either strikes you dead with lightning if you take it outside, or enslaves you if you use it….’
It’s just garbage…!
I let out a small sigh.
I couldn’t begin to imagine how much of a fuss Dai would make once he learned the truth.
Ah, I don’t know.
Should I just burn this beautiful scenery into my memory—since I’ll never see it again…?
Chirp, chirp.
Leaving the twittering of birds behind,
I swallowed my tears and followed the Head Maid.
* * *
And so we arrived at the Imperial Treasury.
I began wiping the porcelain clean, working slowly and deliberately.
“What is she doing…?”
“The porcelain is glowing….”
“The Gold Crown too….”
The maids’ whispers brushed past my ears.
“Hmm-hmm―♪”
I hadn’t known work could be this easy, this joyful.
Compared to Dai’s antiques—which seemed to break if you so much as brushed away dust—this was a hundred times simpler.
Squeak. Squeak-squeak.
With each careful pass of the dry cloth, the treasures regained their luster, as though remembering themselves.
‘So beautiful….’
The splendor was almost intoxicating, enough to make me forget my circumstances entirely.
Who knew when I’d see sights like this again? I had to drink them in while I could.
I paused to glance around the vault.
Were all noble treasuries like this?
Pristine white pillars carved with intricate designs, polished marble floors gleaming underfoot, and treasures arranged with meticulous care upon individual pedestals.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
The Head Maid placed a hand on my shoulder with obvious delight.
“Work like this demands precision, yet you’re the fastest and most skilled I’ve seen.”
“You’re too kind.”
Praised for just this? It seemed excessive.
I flushed and waved my hand in protest.
The other maids, as though they’d been waiting for their cue, crowded closer with compliments of their own.
“Too kind, nothing! I’ve never seen anyone work as well as you do!”
“How are you doing it? Teach me, please!”
“Well, it’s….”
Before I knew it, they’d surrounded me and carved out a break in the day’s work.
We all settled down together, chattering away.
“You just arrived today, right? Then you’ve never met the Third Prince?”
“Huh? Oh, no, not yet.”
Truth be told, I’d rarely encountered anyone besides Dai in all this time.
The atmosphere suddenly grew lively with excitement.
“Really? How tragic! He’s devastatingly handsome!”
“Even to us maids, he’s kind as an angel!”
“No wonder they call him the Saint of the Empire!”
“Eeeeee!”
Oh, really…?
I nodded along dumbly, smiling.
What kind of person must he be, to inspire such devotion?
I found myself genuinely curious.
‘I wonder if I’ll get to see him?’
My time here was limited to today, but….
Still, being within the Imperial Palace itself, perhaps our paths might cross.
There was the Foundation Festival celebration to attend, after all.
‘I do hope I’ll get to see him!’
My heart quickened at the thought, and I found myself bouncing on my heels.
For several minutes afterward, we continued our easy conversation.
“…to witness such a thing, truly such an honor….”
“…by all means, if you wish to hear more….”
At some point, faint voices began drifting from beyond the storage chamber.
There was something strange about one voice in particular—a low, measured tone that cut through the chatter of the other maids with an almost crystalline clarity.
‘Hmm?’
I turned my attention toward the sound without thinking.
“Who is that, if I may ask…?”
As I tilted my head in question, the Head Maid’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just….”
It was difficult to explain.
A strange sensation traced the length of my spine.
It happened in that instant.
Creak!
Before I could even finish my answer, the Treasury door swung open.
‘Who is it?’
I was timidly craning my neck to peek when the Head Maid suddenly sprang to her feet and yanked my arm.
“Get up, quick! Hurry!”
“……?”
W-who could it be?
I was pulled upright by her strong grip as I tried to make out the faces of those entering.
When I lifted my head, a man filled my entire vision.
Soft cream-colored hair, pale brown eyes with just a hint of gold, a smile warm as custard cream.
‘…An angel?’
The Head Maid quickly pressed down on the back of my head.
“We pay our respects to the Empire’s Saint, Your Highness Ozwald Yurian.”
Ah…!
I blinked.
The person whose name I’d heard repeated endlessly until my ears were sore.
The Third Prince.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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