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Chapter 10

Alexa looked toward them again.

"The maid?"

A man with short, tied-back hair tilted his head and spoke. Alexa blinked as if waking from a dream, then gasped, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh my."

The man nodded, as if naturally understanding her reaction.

"I apologize for startling you. We knocked repeatedly but got no answer, so we took the liberty of entering…"

She strode over like a bull and shoved them aside in an instant. The two large men were pushed back a step by Alexa's slender palms.

Looking as if struck by a fresh shock, the men exchanged bewildered glances—but neither could compare to Alexa's astonished expression.

"No!"

The fireplace, which had been dark and dead every day, was now blazing cheerfully as if revived after a long time. Beside it, an empty pile of firewood and scattered bottles lay about.

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you crazy! How much oil did you use?!"

Alexa spun around and shouted at the strangers. With her hands firmly on her hips, sparks flew from her eyes.

With the roaring fireplace behind her, Alexa looked like a judge from hell itself.

Leaning against the fireplace, she crouched down.

Now half-drunk, her eyes seemed about to close. The woman who had been raging about the oil was soon overcome by the warmth and drink, slumping to the floor and muttering.

"What should we do?"

Sasha Patrick, the blond with tied-back hair, spoke with a troubled look. Adrian Yulcan, arms crossed and frowning at her, also furrowed his brow.

This situation hadn't been part of the plan. Either take the money if it was there, or take the Ocelton necklace if it wasn't—just those two simple outcomes.

"Tsk. Can't exactly take her along for seafaring work."

Even if not at sea, there was plenty of odd work—but tasks requiring brains were better left to professionals. Even if they took her on as a low-level worker, it wasn't formal employment, she wasn't experienced, and hiring someone without an interview just because of money was out of the question.

Who knew what trouble might arise from trusting an unknown woman like this?

At his displeased tone, Sasha adjusted his glasses and continued.

"I think we should wait until she sobers up and talk to her properly."

"I'm perfectly sober. And I have something to say."

Alexa had straightened up and risen in an instant. Even so, her cheeks were flushed, and her long, curly hair had come loose in all directions.

Adrian let out a deep sigh and decided to hear her out—whatever drunken nonsense it might be.

"Go ahead."

"Deduct it from the debt—hic—deduct it."

"Deduct what?"

"The oil."

Alexa pointed at the still-blazing fireplace.

Adrian chuckled inwardly. So she wanted the cost of the oil—used without permission—deducted from the debt? He looked down at her with an intrigued gaze.

"How did you know we came to collect?"

A stranger had entered her house—yet she'd skipped all the basic questions like who he was, how he got in, why he was there, and immediately asked for a deduction.

"The only men who barge into our house—hic—are debt collectors. Hic."

Having come in from the cold, her hiccups wouldn't stop. Alexa pounded her chest and looked at him.

"Right?"

Adrian looked down at her silently, then turned his head as if she wasn't worth answering. After all, why bother with small talk when he was here to collect a debt?

"When is the baron coming?"

"I don't know either—hic."

"Fine, doesn't matter. Last time I saw, it looked like you handle everything anyway. A maid? I take it you're paying instead? I don't care as long as I get the money."

Her hiccups finally stopped. Alexa snapped her heavy-lidded eyes open and stared at him.

"And how much is that?"

Without a word, Adrian pulled the black Ocelton necklace from his pocket. No further explanation was needed—Alexa understood everything.

"You bought it?"

"Well, something like that."

"You took over the debt."

"……"

"Why?"

"Why should I explain? Especially to a maid, not even the baron."

"…Right."

"Anyway, I believe today is the deadline."

Alexa averted her gaze and looked at the floor. She fiddled with the two coins in her pocket.

Three nets from today's severance—ah, she'd bought liquor, so only two left. One hundred fifty borrowed from the dress shop lady, five earned from side work.

Far short—she kept fidgeting.

"So, what's your answer?"

"St-still, you have to deduct the oil."

Her voice shrank. Embarrassed, she pointed at the empty bottle lying on the floor with trembling fingers. She couldn't even bring herself to look up.

"Fine."

A low, sighing voice.

If you're going to be shameless, do it properly. She talked all calculating about deductions, but her actions were so flustered. He clicked his tongue inwardly.

He'd seen plenty of people who couldn't pay their debts, crying and clinging to his pants, pleading their cases. So why did he feel like he was the one doing something wrong?

In short:

'This feels awful.'

Adrian felt a knot in his stomach, as if he'd eaten something indigestible.

Well, even if it was cheap oil, they had used it without permission. He dropped the extraneous thoughts and decided to stick to the facts.

"I'll deduct the oil from the debt. Two bottles, about three nets, right?"

"What? Three nets? It should be five!"

"Who would pay five nets for this cheap oil? Is there any fool who'd buy it at that price?"

Alexa clamped her mouth shut.

She'd bought four bottles for ten nets. She kept pressing her burning face with her hands.

The static-filled dry air made her uncooperative curly hair puff up. She pulled it down.

"Choose. Of course, if it's five nets, no deal."

"I'll take it!"

Adrian looked down at her hasty answer for a moment.

'Bold personality, but not great with numbers, is she? From her expression, she seems to have overpaid for that oil. Whatever, the problem is always those unscrupulous merchants…'

Suddenly feeling his mood sink further, Adrian frowned again.

'Whether she takes a loss or not, what's it to me? Of course I wouldn't be in a good mood when I'm not getting paid.'

Lost in thought for a moment, he looked up at Alexa.

Then he paused. She had been staring at him for who knows how long.

"Is there anything else you'd like to buy?"

"What?"

"…As you can see, I couldn't get all the money together. Most of it, yes, but still short. And I'm truly grateful that you took over the debt—so essentially, you saved me from being sold off to that large man."

Adrian narrowed his eyes. Just as he wondered if the liquor had addled her mind completely, she quickly continued.

"Out of gratitude, I'd like to sell you whatever's in the house—very, very cheaply. That's also why I offered the oil deduction. There are some nice plates, a teacup set, and… anyway, how about you take some furnishings to make up the shortfall?"

He stared at her, at a loss for words.

So that was why she'd so readily lowered the oil price. Adrian let out an involuntary, dry laugh.

"You can keep the Ocelton too, if you like."

Thump!

"Oof!"

Alexa was startled by a heavy impact sound from the second floor and swallowed another hiccup that threatened to escape.

After a moment, silence returned, and Adrian glanced down at her.

Alexa quickly let go and stepped back. She had reflexively grabbed the hem of Adrian's sleeve.

"Ah—d-did someone else come?"

In the quiet house, Sasha Patrick's eyes flashed sharply. The man who had remained silent until now spoke up loudly and clearly.

"You said we could take this Ocelton instead of the debt?"

"Yesss."

Thump!

The moment Alexa answered just as clearly, the upstairs shook again.

This time she didn't grab Adrian's sleeve, but she couldn't help flinching.

'Did James sneak in upstairs?'

She briefly considered whether he'd reacted violently to the mention of taking the Ocelton—then dismissed it. He'd be too scared to even knock. Then was the old house collapsing?

Alexa's eyes darted as she ran through various possibilities.

"This is giving me a headache."

While Alexa was frantically turning things over in her mind, Sasha let out a deep sigh, as if he had some idea of the situation.

He gave the house a quick once-over, then looked at Adrian.

"I don't think this is a good idea. Don't buy that Ocelton."

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