Bala: The Duke's Contract Wife

The First Pawn

Gale escorted Victor and Rose to Victor's office in the main building. Along the way, the air between them was very awkward. Rose could see that Victor was having a hard time keeping a neutral face. Rose glanced at Victor's pants. Fortunately, his manhood quickly receded, otherwise it would be embarrassing. Especially when they would meet with the heads of Victor's military division.

"Don't look at it, Rose," whispered Victor suddenly, "It can easily get tense when you see it too much like that."

Rose immediately turned her face away, continuing to walk down the aisle. During the walk, she was careful not to touch Victor, fearing that a slight touch could be a trigger for Victor.

Luckily, Gale broke down the awkwardness between them. "Duchess, my wife invites you and of course, the Duke too, to dinner in our modest residence."

"Really?"

"Yes, I do. We want to thank you for your genero–"

Rose stopped walking. Gale and Victor stopped as well. Both men stared at Rose. Especially, Gale stared at Rose confusedly, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Gale," Rose opened his mouth, "I was only doing my duty as the Duchess. You don't have to thank me."

"Only?" Gale chuckled lightly. "Duchess. You almost sacrificed your life for me."

"From the start, I am the objective choice to be sacrificed. It is you who were willing to lay down your life for me that was the weird thing..." Rose only realized that her voice rose in the middle of her sentence. A rough blob suddenly appeared in her throat.

"Who said that, Rose?" asked Victor on a low note. His green eyes darkened.

Why does the man look angry?

"That's just logic, Duke–"

Seeing Victor's jaws hardened, Rose realized her mistake.

"Victor," Rose corrected herself while glancing at Gale. The girl was not used to calling another person with a higher position using his name in public. 'I'm not part of Maraina and just came here no more than two months ago. You also know for yourself that the Elysseria Kingdom sent me to mock the Montserra Empire."

Rose tried to explain her logic, but Victor's gaze only got even darker. Suddenly, Rose also felt the temperature around her became very cold. The girl hugged her own arm unconsciously. That was the first time Rose felt intimidated by someone. Not because she was afraid that the man would do anything to her, but because she couldn't understand the reason why the man was angry.

Not knowing irritated her. Ignorance made her unable to offer a solution for herself and others. Ignorance made her feel weak.

"Are you going to say that I should have just cut your neck off?" asked Victor, still in a low tone.

"Logically yes. But I meant that it should be my own problem. Even if you chose me to be beheaded from the beginning, I will still be able to find my own way out."

Victor was stunned to hear Rose's answer. The man was only staring at her for some time. Rose could still feel that cold aura. And Rose felt much smaller than usual in the presence of him.

"Was what I said last night mean nothing to you?"

Rose shook her head. Turning her memory about last night.

'I chose you from Gale for myself.'

When Rose didn't answer, Victor clicked his tongue in annoyance. The man stepped toward her and instantly Rose felt she was in slight danger. The girl stepped back. But soon she would run out of floor to step because her body was approaching the wall of the hallway.

Fortunately, Gale positioned himself between Rose and Victor. The old man stood upright facing his own master then cleared his throat. "Duke, Duchess, forgive me for bringing the conversation up like this. Just ignore the dinner request from my wife. We'd better get to your office, Duke. Others are waiting."

Victor gave Gale his intimidation stare. "Gale," growled Victor. A warning to the old man not to interfere with his affairs with Rose.

But instead of ducking down, the old man stepped forward, drawing closer to Victor's broad body, and whispered something. Rose couldn't catch Gale's whisper, but Victor was seen trying to calm down afterward.

Then after glancing at Rose once more, Victor pushed Gale's body with his shoulders and stepped towards their original destination.

Rose gawked at what just happened. While Gale suddenly laughed in front of her. When Rose gave Gale a confused stare, the old man said, "Look what you've done to the Monster."

Gale tried to end his laughter and regain his calm composure. "Duchess, to be honest, I didn't give up my life for you. I just wanted to keep the Duke happy."

Then Gale knelt with one foot in front of Rose. His hand took one of Rose's hand and kissed the back of her hand. "Anyone who can make the Duke like that, I would be happy to give my life for that person. You now have my loyalty, Duchess."

Rose, who still didn't quite understand what made Victor upset and why Gale looked happy, could only say, "You are... strange." But the girl didn't pull her hand. She let Gale give his loyalty to her, even though she knew the man's ultimate loyalty remains with Victor.

Having more allies is a good thing.

"I'll let you know when we can visit," Rose said finally. Gale responded with a nod and a smile.

After that, Rose and Gale caught up with Victor entering his office. Victor was already sitting at his desk. The cold aura was still felt around him even though it was not as gripping as before. No one else was sitting in the room except Rositta who sat on a chair in the middle of the room. The girl was already wearing another clean dress. Her skin and hair were also clean and neat.

Johan, and the rest of the Maraina military division heads stood scattered in the room. Johan's gaze was attached to Rositta, the man seemed to feel it was his obligation to look after the poor young girl. While the gazes of all others fell on Rose's figure, so did Rositta's gaze.

"I want to talk to the Duchess alone first," Rositta said when she saw Rose.

Rose glanced at Victor, the man put on a face that he didn't like what he was hearing.

"Whatever you want to tell me, you can tell everyone in this room," Rose said.

Rositta fidgeted her fingers. The girl looked unsure. But she finally sighed and said, "I want you to accept me as your disciple."

"What?"

"Accept me as your disciple." Rositta stood up from her seat and knelt before Rose. Rose was not the only one who was shocked, everyone in the room was also surprised by Rositta's words. "Teach me to be a strategist like you. One who doesn't have to rely on others. Who can stand on their own."

Her eyes glistened when she looked at Rose. "I just want someone to love me like family... But the truth is, no one's going to do that for me, is there?"

Rositta was talking about Count of Rozar. The girl was willing to be used by the count because she craved the affection of a father. Just like Rose used to crave Rendre's affections. As someone who had been through the same thing, Rose didn't want to lie to Rositta that everything would be okay. That was why she showed Rositta her memory. The sooner Rositta learns that such a man will never love her, the better.

"No," replied Rose coldly, "At least not to people like us. So stop crying. It's useless."

Rose's eyes captured Victor's sight. The man looked a little surprised by Rose's words. And Rose still couldn't understand why. Her words were facts. So far, no one had ever given care to Rose except her own mother. Even Rose's biological father did not want to visit her in the slightest.

"All right, I can teach you a few things," Rose continued, "But, make a deal with me."

"I will say the location of the next illegal children's auction," Rositta said quickly, "They change it all the time so you can never track it."

"That's not the only thing I want in exchange."

Rositta stared at Rose in confusion. Her tears have dried up.

"Rositta, if you want to learn, be my accomplice. I will ask you to be a spy at Rozar's residence and to draw the sympathy of Lady Corina. You see..." Rose circulated her gaze throughout the room. Rositta followed Rose's gaze. "In a year I have to fill this room with some trustworthy nobles as well. The Duke needs the help of nobles too, other than his knights."

Rose could see the knights under Victor averting their gazes to the floor. They obviously agreed with Mawar's statement. In a world where power is measured by ranks and titles, noble support means several times the support of knights. Although most of the knights came from nobles and aristocrats as well, most of Victor's knights had only the title of Baron or commoner. Victor, meanwhile, needed the support of several viscounts and even counts to make his standing solid.

"Ho– how can I attract the sympathy of Lady Corina?"

"Leave it to me to teach you that." Rose continued, "In exchange, I will guarantee your safety."

"We will guarantee your safety," Victor corrected Rose.

Rositta thought for some time before she finally nodded.

Rose smiled a little. The first pawn has been secured, now it's time to start an attack.

"Rositta," called Rose. "Now name one by one the origin of each child you have met at the auction."

Rositta began to mention the place where each child was kidnapped one by one. The corrupted count mostly abducted street children from the city market. Some were the result of the abduction of children from rural places of Maraina. But there were also children who were abducted from major cities.

A knight whom Rose knew as Kon went straight to the wallboard, where a map of the entire Maraina was pinned when Rositta spoke. Kon placed various red pins all over Maraina according to Rositta's words.

"Oh my God," exclaimed another knight named Quay, "They are concentrated in rural areas, especially in northeastern Maraina."

"Should we put more knights in these areas, Your Grace?" asked another knight named Ron.

"It's up to you," Rose said. Everyone looked at Rose again. "But look at the spread of the pins. Child abductions mostly took place in the areas of nobles who are in the same faction as Marquis of Ferinde and Count of Rozar."

"If you send knights now, the nobles will be aware that we've started sniffing their trails. They will cover their tracks and warn the other nobles involved."

"So what do we need to do?" asked Kon.

"Wait," replied Rose, "I just want to see the spread of the abduction areas to list who are the nobles most actively involved with Marquis of Ferinde's scheme for the illegal trade of these children."

"Then, what's your plan?" asked Johan.

Rose smiled. "Let's go to the auction. And catch them all in action."

"So, where is the next auction location?" asked Rose to Rositta.

"In the basement of Hotel Vereina."

"When's the next auction?" asked Rose again.

"In nine days."

"Good. Can you go back to Count of Rozar's residence and dig up information about his customers?"

"Um... Count of Rozar used to ask me to read telepathically what his customers wanted. I can create a list for you. But to go back to that house..." Rositta bit her lip. It was clear the girl didn't want to go back to being Count of Rozar's tool. "What am I supposed to tell that guy?" A fearful line appeared on her face. The girl was afraid of what the count would do when he finds out Rositta has spoken to Rose.

"Tell Count of Rozar that you found a couple from Elysseria looking for a child. Tell them that you heard they were talking about buying children in an auction, and you approached the couple to try to bring them as clients to Count of Rozar."

Rositta nodded. If the reason was laid out like that, of course, Count of Rozar would be more than happy to hear there is a new client.

"But... should I go back to that residence now?"

The girl's eyes looked at Rose hopefully.

"You can stay here for a day. Then go home before the count starts looking for you."

Rositta sighed with relief.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" this time Victor asked.

When Rositta shook her head, Victor unexpectedly said coldly, "Then everyone can get out. I need to talk to Johan and Gale."

Honestly, Rose was a little surprised by the expulsion. She tried to hold Victor's gaze back to see if the man was serious. But Victor didn't want to meet her gaze.

As a result, Rose followed Rositta and several other men out. Even when she closed the door, Victor still wouldn't look at her.

***

"So...," Johan said after the office door closed. "What's the matter, Your Grace?"

Victor immediately sighed. He dropped his forehead on the wooden table in front of him. Then he moaned violently while punching the table.

Shocked by Victor's reaction, Johan immediately stared at Gale as if asking, 'What's going on?'

"It looks like our Duke just learned that his feeling is one-sided."