I Thought I Didn’t Have Long To Live!

irm and purify, but I think there is a limit to the power of purification that Asrazan can hold in his body.
So… Until the left hand part is completely cleansed, there is no other place to cleanse.”

“Is that so.”

He lowered his long eyelashes and replied.
It seemed particularly pitiful to see him, so Lariette quickly grabbed his two hands.

“Don’t worry! I’ll take responsibility and fix it all before I die!”

“Before you die?”

“Um, I mean… as soon as possible!”

Lariette’s eyes twinkled with determination.
Asrazan silently looked at those tiny white fingers that held his two hands together.

“Ah! Sorry.
Are you hurt?”

Realizing the direction of her gaze, she let go of his hand in surprise.
It seemed like an idiot that she immediately forgot when she asked if he was in pain until just now.
Of course, it’s a strong grip to her but it was tickling for Asrazan.

Asrazan licked his lips as he recalled the figure of Lariette, who was holding on to his ragged hands.

“You…”

Asrazan shifted his gaze again and faced Lariette’s face.

A body that seems to be rotting and weathering at any moment, a terrible smell of death.
Even though there was no way she couldn’t be seen or felt, her face was just so bright.

“You’re not afraid.”

The voice of the maid who was talking about the monster Duke reverberated in his ears.
He had already been beaten and left the Duke, but the words were still in the air.

Aren’t I terrible? He wanted to ask this as well, but his pride did not allow him to go there.

“Is there any reason to be afraid?”

Asrazan licked his lips again, but didn’t say anything.
It wasn’t because he didn’t want to say it.
Because there were too many questions he wanted to ask.

Lariette continued to speak by folding her fingers one by one.

“Rumors of war demons? What kind of demon? You’ve barely won a losing battle, so it makes sense to spread rumors like that? They don’t know if you’re a national hero!”

It must be a conspiracy made by the imperial family because they are jealous of Kandel’s power.
Lariette mumbled dangerous words without fear.

“The best sword in the empire.
Of course, it’s not scary, it’s cool.”

“…….”

“And the curse.
This is also ridiculous.”

Lariette pounded her chest as if expressing frustration.
Asrazan had a trembling pupil, and he did not miss a single image of it and captured it in his view.

“You should be afraid of the person who cursed you.
Why are you afraid of the person getting cursed!”

Oops, I’m sorry! She screamed as if it had happened to her.
And bravely, she stretched out her hands to Asrazan’s face.

Slowly, with her fingers, the black neck pole slid down his chin.
Soon, a soft touch wrapped around his cheeks.

“Asrazan.
I’m not afraid of you.
Except for the fear that Asrazan won’t date me, I’m not afraid at all.”

Lariette’s declaration was so dignified that it even made him sad.

Asrazan met that straight gaze and bit the inside of his lip.

“… Let it go.”

“Oh, sorry.”

I’ve lost the atmosphere.
After making an excuse with a smirk, she quickly removed her hand.

As if waiting for her to let go of her hand, Asrazan got up from the sofa.
And then he hurriedly walked out to the exit of the office.

‘Hey, are you mad?’

Lariette licked her lips as she looked at his distant back.
She was so excited that she regretted that she went out too far.

Asrazan, who seemed to disappear without saying goodbye, stopped just before leaving the door.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.

“… Seven o’clock.
See you at dinner.”

“…..! yes!”

It was still a cold voice, but the words was what she had hoped for.

Lariette answered with a big smile on her face, excitedly.
I’m afraid he might not be able to hear her, who is leaving so quickly.

* * *

Asrazan had eaten alone since he was very young, so he was used to it.
After the death of his mother, the former Duchess of Kandel, no one was humbled with him.

Therefore, it was awkward for him to eat with other women.
He had mastered the etiquette so clearly and perfectly, but he was worried about entering the actual practice.

Maybe a new etiquette emerged after I finished studying the etiquette.
Even Lariette was five years younger than him, and Asrazan mainly dealt with the old man of the imperial family.

“Master, this….”

Halstein, a butler who had been working for the Duke of Kandel even before Asrazan was born, secretly handed him a book as he was changing clothes on his own.

Asrazan looked at the cover of the book he had received with an expressionless face.

“……?”

One of Asrazan’s eyebrows curled in disbelief.
Halstein just smiled and handed over the bookshelf by hand.

“Put away the useless thoughts.”

“What useless.
In the 27 years of serving the master, it has never been as useful as it is now.”

Asrazan lightly ignored his words and threw the book on the table.
He then concentrated on the closure of the shirt buttons he wore over the bandages.

The butler did not give up and opened the book himself and began to read the contents.

“Let’s see, it’s polite to take out the chair… Do you know all these things? I will only read the essentials.”

“Halstein.
Are you bored?”

“You have to keep eye contact while eating and look at each other with kindness and affection.
Don’t have those dead eyes like you have now.”

“Could the eyes of the corpse be alive?”

Asrazan muttered and then he put the long coat hanging on the hanger over his shirt.

“Aren’t you going to dinner? You don’t even need to wear a coat….”

Even if a cool spring breeze blows in the morning and evening, it was clear that it would be hot unless we had dinner outdoors.

But he ignored the butler’s words and left the room with his coat over his shoulders.

‘I’ll stop the smell of the corpse even a little.’

Lariette didn’t say a word about the smell from him, but he was even more concerned as it was a meal.
Even if she was upset and left first, there was nothing to say.

Asrazan fluttered the hem of his coat and walked down the hallway of the Duke of Kandel’s residence.
The servants who found him quickly bowed their heads, and some trembled in fear.

‘That’s a normal.’

He opened the dining room door with lifeless eyes like that of a dead fish.
A large door full of flashing decorations opened, revealing what was inside.

“Asrazan!”

The well-dressed Lariette stood up from her seat and called out his name.
She seemed to be very welcome as she knew that even the wind would hit him.

“Wizard, take a seat.”

“It’s not a wizard, it’s Lariette….”

She even wants a nickname!

 She sat down in her chair, still muttering at his behavior for not calling her name.

Even for a moment, Lariette hurriedly took out a piece of paper she had prepared.

“By the way, I would like to make some changes to the contract.
Can you see it?”

“Please give it to me.”

Do young people these days get to the point as soon as they sit down like this? Asrazan pondered for a moment, but could not find an answer.

“Honestly, I use that much purification magic, but I think the pay is a bit lacking.”

Lariette insisted in a confident tone, but with a slight glimmer, she looked into his eyes.

He accepted the contract carelessly because he didn’t think it was wrong.
Even if I asked for money to buy a small country,  he would give it to her.
But again, the contents of the contract were something he could not have imagined.

B will pay the cost accordingly.
However, the limit of the cost is set by A.>

Contrary to the idea that an astronomical amount was written on it, the revised contract was only puzzling.

Asrazan frowned slightly and asked a question.

“A request to go on a date means…?”

“Yeah, of course it’s a date!”

Failure to do so will result in termination of the contract! Lariette insisted naively.