The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 17

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Eldest Daughter Walks the Path of Flowers Episode 17

Then Lord Russel raised both his hands.

“Fine. I’ll get straight to the point. Radis, come to the Russel Manor.”

After finishing those words, he seemed to expect some kind of reaction.

However, Radis’s expression remained unchanged.

“The manor? Why?”

“I did some investigating about you. Most people don’t even know that someone like you exists in the Tilrod Family. And the few people who do know you all described you the same way: ‘A completely unwelcome burden who receives no respect.’ Some even said you don’t seem like their real child.”

At the mention of not seeming like their real child, Radis’s eyes wavered slightly.

However, she still maintained her expressionless face.

“…So what?”

“Moreover, recently you even went so far as to interfere with the eldest son’s Academy admission out of despair over your situation, didn’t you? If that’s the case, being in this house must be like sitting on a bed of thorns, so I’m giving you an opportunity.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“Before I say whether I like it or not, I’m asking why.”

Radis uncrossed her arms and, while facing Lord Russel, propped her chin up with one hand.

Her attitude was as if she were discussing someone else’s business.

“Seeing how restless my parents are acting, you obviously talked about money. And not a small amount either. But why would Lord Russel go to such lengths to take me to the manor?”

Eve Russel was surprised.

Very much so.

The girls her age that he knew weren’t like this.

They wouldn’t even leave their rooms unless they were dressed perfectly like porcelain dolls, and no matter how much it was within their own homes, they wouldn’t walk ahead of men.

They certainly wouldn’t bring someone to such a shabby backyard for a conversation.

But what surprised him most of all was Radis’s attitude.

Despite being the daughter of a humble family without even a title, she appeared completely unintimidated before the marquis, Eve Russel, who owned more than half the territory in the southern part of the empire.

He realized his expectations had been wrong.

Eve Russel had thought taking Radis would be a simple matter.

If she was truly a girl who received no respect at home as his investigation suggested, he had expected that when such an opportunity came, she would either burst into tears and eagerly grab it, or look up at him while fidgeting shyly and nod her head, or perhaps tremble in fear and follow him out.

However, Radis was extremely calm.

“Let me ask again. What do you expect from me in return for giving me this opportunity, Lord Russel?”

Eve Russel made a humming sound and bent down to peer into Radis’s face.

“…The more I look, the more I can’t understand.”

His voice was low and smooth, and hearing it up close made her ears tingle.

Suppressing the urge to shiver, Radis asked.

“This household and me?”

“I’ll add one more thing. The 3rd Prince’s taste.”

“…?”

“Do you remember him? Olivier Arpend.”

“Olivier…”

Radis’s eyes widened slightly.

Because something clicked.

The initials embroidered on the handkerchief, O.A.

Seeing her expression, Lord Russel nodded and said.

“Yes, he helped you when you fell. Of course, that was gentlemanly behavior, but I felt it was somewhat different.”

Eve Russel’s lips twisted slightly, forming a mocking smile.

“Do you think you were the first or second woman to fall in front of the 3rd Prince? I’ve seen dozens myself. Of course, the 3rd Prince handled each situation gentlemanly, but with you it was a bit different. How should I put it, I could feel goodwill.”

At his words, Radis had to struggle to manage her expression.

‘O.A… So that was Olivier Arpend.’

Olivier.

It was a name that suited him perfectly.

His silver hair that sparkled in the moonlight and his amethyst-like violet eyes…

Seeing Radis’s cheeks take on a slight, really very slight blush, Eve Russel’s smile deepened.

“Don’t you want to meet the 3rd Prince again?”

Radis saw the sinister smile that appeared on Eve Russel’s lips.

Really, it was like heaven and earth compared to Olivier’s smile.

That difference brought Radis back to her senses.

“You’ll let me meet him again? Don’t tell me, is that your purpose?”

“That’s right.”

“You expect me to believe that? You’d spend money to take me to the manor just for something like that?”

“It’s not just… something like that!”

Suddenly Eve Russel’s voice rose a tone.

“Do you know what kind of person the 3rd Prince is? There are rumors calling him a moving porcelain doll, a breathing marble sculpture, a glass doll that gets wound up on the back every night. No, no. Why are you nodding? It’s not because of his appearance. It’s because you can’t feel any emotion from him at all. And most importantly, he has no interest in women! Even after his coming-of-age ceremony!”

Radis’s mouth opened slightly.

Not because she was surprised by those rumors about Olivier, but because she was amazed by Lord Russel delivering such a passionate speech over such a trivial matter.

It seemed that contrary to his cold first impression, Lord Russel was quite a hysterical person.

Eve Russel covered his mouth slightly with one hand and whispered low.

“There are even rumors that he likes men.”

Radis opened her mouth wide and brushed her ear with her hand.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Do as you please. I thought that might be the case too until now. I even thought about whether I should unbutton my shirt. But then I witnessed that scene. I’ve been watching the 3rd Prince for quite a long time, and it was the first time I saw him smile. It was truly an amazing smile.”

Radis stared intently at Lord Russel.

“By any chance, do you… like men?”

“Even though we just met, may I hit you?”

“No… But what does the 3rd Prince smiling have to do with me? His, Ol… Prince Olivier was just… kind to me. That’s all it was. There was nothing else besides that.”

Olivier.

Even that name felt too sweet, making it difficult for Radis to properly pronounce his name.

Lord Russel straightened his body and crossed his arms with a snap.

“That’s for me to judge. Anyway, I’ve revealed everything. If the 3rd Prince felt even the slightest bit of goodwill toward you, he’ll be very happy when he meets you again. Plus, the people who were worried that the 3rd Prince might like men will be relieved. That alone makes it worth taking you. More than enough.”

“I can’t understand how nobles behave.”

“Don’t try to understand. You just need to choose. Whether you’ll come along nicely, or be dragged by my hand.”

“What if I refuse?”

A somewhat cruel-looking smile appeared on Lord Russel’s lips.

“Do you think your family will leave you alone?”

At his words, Radis slightly frowned.

He was right.

Margaret would never let such an opportunity slip by.

If Lord Russel offered to pay money in exchange for taking Radis, Margaret would try to send her to the manor even if she had to tie her up.

‘I wanted to leave this house, but I don’t want to be sold off to this strange guy.’

Radis leaned against the fence and let out a small sigh.

“What…”

Lord Russel muttered.

“Why are you sighing?”

Suddenly Lord Russel grabbed Radis’s shoulders.

Startled by the unexpected contact, Radis looked up at him.

Lord Russel spoke in a sharp tone.

“Nothing good will come to you from staying here. Give up your expectations. Abandon them before they abandon you.”

“…!”

“Seize the opportunity when it comes.”

“Is this… an opportunity? Being sold off?”

“What’s wrong with being sold? If you’re upset about being sold, then you sell yourself too!”

“…!”

Lord Russel spoke quickly in a voice tinged with coldness.

“Let’s make a contract. Think of it as something like a retainer contract. I’ll pay you 100 million rupens per year. Since you’re 16 now… the minimum contract period will be 2 years for now. Until you turn eighteen and have your coming-of-age ceremony, the Russel Marquis will take charge of your person.”

Radis’s eyes widened.

“What did you say?”

“Too little?”

“No, no! It’s not too little. Wait, but why? Why are you doing this? You could drag me away without such a contract, couldn’t you?”

“I could forcibly drag you away, but that’s not what I want. I need your voluntary cooperation. And for that, money is no object.”

Seemingly quite satisfied with Radis’s reaction, Lord Russel abandoned his impatient demeanor and waited for her answer with a relaxed attitude again.

Radis’s eyes rolled around.

100 million rupens.

In two years, that would be 200 million rupens…!

With that money, she could buy an entire cherry farm and still have money left over.

It was too large an amount to feel upset about being sold for money.

‘A cherry farm!’

Radis’s shoulders regained a little, just a little bit of strength.

‘With that money… I could grow cherries as much as I want in the Pioneer Settlement!’

It was the moment when her gloomy future instantly transformed into a cherry-colored one.

Radis stared intently at her employer, no, Lord Russel, and asked.

“Are you… serious?”

“Of course I’m serious.”

Suddenly, it seemed like a sparkling halo was shining behind Lord Russel’s head.

The magic of the words “100 million rupens” was tremendous.

Radis, who had struggled with even a single copper coin throughout both her lives, had to exert all her strength not to fall to her knees before Lord Russel.

Lord Russel gazed steadily at such a Radis and said.

“I don’t make meaningless proposals. Don’t make me say it twice. I need you.”

Radis looked up at the dark-haired man before her and agonized.

While it looked like she was being sold, the contract conditions couldn’t be better.

Anyway, to escape the Tilrod Estate, Radis, being a minor, needed a place to stay and someone to become her guardian.

If only that was fulfilled, she was prepared to willingly work as a servant of the Extermination Troops, no, even as a maid.

But such good conditions!

‘This is really absurd, but in its own way… isn’t this an opportunity?’

Radis, who had been lost in thought while biting her lower lip tightly, finally opened her mouth.

“Alright. I’ll… make that contract.”

A satisfied smile finally appeared on Lord Russel’s lips.

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