I Was Hired by the Dark Prince for My Life's Worth - Chapter 45

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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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Chapter 45. A Strange Party
The maid’s tone was curt, but that was fine.
Not everyone in the Imperial Palace was kind.
In fact, maids with that sort of temperament were common enough.
What bothered me more was the content of what she’d said.
“He said it was urgent?”
“That’s right.”
“…And you have to avoid people’s eyes while doing it?”
I pressed my lips firmly shut.
Wasn’t that strange?
Yurian’s portrayal of a Saint was meticulous.
It meant he never let slip a single word that could seem even remotely suspicious.
There was no way he’d give such an order to a maid whose face he didn’t even know….
And yet.
‘What if, just what if, it’s real…?’
That small kernel of doubt kept snagging at me.
What if something had happened involving the Second Prince, and that’s why he grabbed whoever was nearby and sent for me?
The events from just moments ago flickered through my mind.
That voice saying he was disappointed.
That face, cold and hardened.
…….
I didn’t want to disappoint him again.
“All right, give me a moment.”
I closed the door.
Then I scribbled a note across a napkin.
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Your Highness,
You’re supposedly looking for me urgently… Is this a scam or kidnapping?
I don’t think I should go, but I’m still worried there might be something wrong with you.
After all, you are important to me….
I hope you really did call for me.
If this is a kidnapping, please come rescue me.
Actually, you don’t have to. I’ll escape on my own.
I’ll be back soon.
—Vanillin—
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…This should be enough, right?
After all, Your Highness can locate me anyway.
I drew a deep breath, opened the door again, and followed the brown-haired maid.
“Let’s go.”
* * *
Clatter, clatter.
I sat in an old, window-less carriage, fidgeting with my fingernails.
…Was I really being duped?
When I asked why I had to take a carriage if we were going to meet the Second Prince, the maid hesitated for a moment before snapping at me.
“Don’t you know that? You’re his personal attendant. Both of them went to the Party. That’s why we’re taking the carriage.”
Sitting in a carriage headed toward an unknown destination left me uneasy.
And that sliver of possibility—the slim chance it was real—kept me from bolting and running.
“Is it still far…?”
“We’re almost there.”
Creak.
The moment those words left her mouth, the carriage slowed and came to a stop.
Through the window, an enormous Mansion came into view—newly built and splendidly appointed.
“Go on inside.”
The brown-haired maid pushed open the iron gate with the ease of someone familiar with the place.
Creeeeak—
The instant the gate opened, a thick fragrance wafted in.
It smelled like flowers, like alcohol—some nauseating blend of the two.
I instinctively wrinkled my nose.
“Your Highness is here? That can’t be right…….”
“Go on inside.”
“…Ugh!”
A stumble.
Pushed forward by the maid’s hand, I crossed the threshold.
The interior revealed itself in all its gaudy, decadent splendor.
Lighting the color of dark wine.
Ornate crystal chandeliers and carelessly scattered clothing, wine glasses, cigarette smoke so thick it blurred my vision….
And masks.
Everyone wore a mask.
My heart sank.
“Wait—what is this place…?”
I turned to demand an explanation from the maid.
Click.
Without a word, the door shut behind me.
“Wait!”
Clack, clack!
The handle wouldn’t budge.
It was locked from outside.
‘This is madness.’
Could Yurian actually be here?
Or was this truly a kidnapping?
Without any explanation, I could only flounder in confusion.
I bit my lip hard.
Either way, standing still would get me nowhere.
‘First… I need to hide my face.’
Everyone was already casting sidelong glances at me—the only one unmasked.
I scanned the room quickly.
What caught my eye was a White Cloak draped carelessly over a nearby table.
After a moment’s hesitation, I snatched it up and pulled it down over my head.
Drawing the hem forward to cover half my face, I finally felt a measure of relief.
Deep shadows fell beneath my eyes.
‘So… should I look for him?’
I took a steadying breath and began to move.
If Yurian was here, I needed to find him quickly and help. If this was truly a trap, I needed to escape just as fast.
Either way, confirming his presence—or absence—came first.
Gripping the cloak tightly, I threaded carefully between the revelers.
“Pardon me….”
“…….”
“I-I’m just passing through!”
If Yurian were here, he’d surely be in some corner, trying to avoid notice.
A Saint wouldn’t belong in a place like this anyway—he’d be hiding, staying out of sight.
With that reasoning, I circled the Mansion. But Yurian was nowhere to be found.
Once. Twice.
As frustration mounted at his continued absence, someone seized my wrist.
“Where are you going?”
“……!”
I jerked my wrist free on instinct.
“I’m looking for someone.”
“Here?”
The man laughed.
“Strange. People come here to forget, not to find.”
“…….”
Though it seems some do come searching…..
I pushed his hand away, head bowed low, and moved on.
‘This is bad.’
Something had been wrong with my body for a while now.
At first I’d thought it was just nerves….
‘I need to leave. Fast.’
But with each passing moment, the sensation only grew worse.
My breathing came in ragged gasps.
The edges of my vision blurred.
My heart raced without reason, and my breath grew hot and labored.
‘I’m burning up…’
I wiped the back of my neck.
It felt as though I had a fever.
Or more precisely—as though I were intoxicated.
Though I hadn’t drunk a single drop.
That was when a noblewoman passing beside me laughed.
“The drug’s taking effect nicely.”
“…….”
Was she speaking to me?
When I turned back with unfocused eyes, the others tittered as well.
“How adorable—is this your first time?”
“Look at her flushed face.”
A drug.
My heart hammered with alarm.
I instinctively drew in the air around me.
The thick scent of perfume mingled with alcohol and tobacco, and beneath it all, woven through like a thread, was something disturbingly sweet.
“…Surely not.”
I pressed my nose and mouth shut with my sleeve, but it was already too late.
Strength drained from my legs.
What had been one chandelier became two.
“Hahaha.”
“Are you all right?”
A single voice split into two, and two voices multiplied into three.
My vision swam dizzily.
“Ugh…”
I staggered backward, my body reeling.
I thought I might be sick.
My breath caught. My chest felt tight.
Something was wrong.
‘I should never have come…’
Even as I thought something was amiss, the fear that Yurian might be in danger drove me forward, and I surrendered to it.
Since when had we grown so close?
It was nothing but a contractual arrangement.
Thud—
My legs finally gave way beneath me.
My body collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
“Well then… pardon me while I pass through.”
In that moment, the crowd parted.
From the gap emerged an enormous shadow.
Tap, tap—the heels of his shoes rang against the floor.
Black gloves and a black shirt, a loosened necktie, and a cigarette wedged between his fingers.
And eyes half-lidded and drowsy.
“I suppose I’ll have to take this with me… troublesome as it is.”
“……!”
Before I could resist, he hoisted me onto his shoulder.
I made a feeble attempt to struggle, but it was useless.
The surrounding nobles voiced their complaints playfully.
“How unfortunate, really.”
“We found her first. The host cutting in front of us like that.”
“If you’re so aggrieved, host your own Party.”
I blinked, struggling to gather my scattered wits.
A solid shoulder, the sharp scent of alcohol, and the brisk, astringent smell of cigarettes.
“…Your Highness?”
I mumbled without thinking.
Even though I knew it couldn’t be Yurian, fear made me say it anyway.
“Looking for the Third Prince, are we?”
The man asked in a languid voice, devoid of warmth.
“I’m afraid you’ve been deceived. The Third Prince isn’t here.”
He pulled out a fresh cigarette and pushed it straight between my lips.
A small sound escaped me.
“So I’d appreciate it if you’d play your part quietly as bait.”
Something strange brushed against my tongue.
His warm fingers gripped my chin, tilting it upward.
“It’s made from medicinal herbs, so bite down properly.”
A scratching sound—
The cigarette between my teeth caught fire as a match struck.
A gloved finger traced slowly down my cheek.
“I can’t have you damaged. You’re the star of tonight’s Party, after all.”
His mouth curved in a smile, but his eyes remained cold and distant.
“Breathe in deep. Or you’ll die.”

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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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