Chương 29: Chapter 29 - Juggle The Haggle
" It sounds like a scam. "
" Too good to be true? Well, you may rejoice on my kindness. "
Faced with such a gracious offer, Zio who had been tricked many times in his past instinctually grows uneasy. If he were to accept the terms; Zio would probably work for her until his death. While actually, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for him considering the benefits which the girl promised, Zio is still unsure of himself.
Because the question is; how long will she keep up her promise? Nobles are snakes in human skin, and this girl is no exception for Zio. Thinking that they are of equal standing on this matter, Zio believes that he’ll just need to play the right card.
" Tempting, truly. But not good enough. "
" Wha- Huh?! What do you mean?! Be greedy and you'll skip this golden ticket! " The heiress of the Rennes family pounds the table in shock, almost spilling the expensive tea.
Her words were on the spot. Zio understands that he is currently being very demanding. However, there’s something else that he needed to tend to. It’s about his debt to the ones who had helped him a lot during his time in the sewer.
" There's two more people that I want you to look after. "
The lady of the mansion sits back on her bed, crossing her hands before her chest. The frilly, slightly-transparent bright red dress is highlighting her lady lumps, adding more beauty to her open-shoulder type. But in front of Zio, womanly charm of any kind is simply doesn’t work.
" Oh yeah? And who might they be? " She answered in an irritated tone.
" I want you to take in Bella and Stefany. They were- "
" Ah, those two. Your partners in crime, right? Don't worry, I already had something in mind. "
Her exceptional skill at sniffing information really left Zio wondering in amazement.
" Very well, Bella will be your medium. She'll handle the deals with our customers so you can just focus on your work. I presume she's familiar with the tricks of the trade. "
" Damn right she is. And what about Stefany? Surely Bella won’t go anywhere without her. "
" Hmm. I don't know this Stefany girl that much. What do you suggest? "
Unfortunately, Zio also didn’t know what to do with Stefany. He has only met her once after all. There's barely anything about her that is noticeable by Zio. Except for her relation with Ana. Thus, he thinks that it might be best to have her watch over his sister.
" She seems to be on a good-terms with Ana, why don't you let her stay here? Surely that blonde maid wasn't enough to keep a mansion this big all by herself. "
" Actually, she's not alone... But very well then, I see no harm in having an extra pair of hands. "
Zio’s request was accepted by the girl rather smoothly than he thought it would be. But of course, her demand is yet to come. Zio can only hope that it wasn’t anything too much to handle, although he knew that it is so unlikely to happen.
" Alright, my turn - In exchange for your request... " She takes a pause as she put down her tea.
" I will have you attend the High Academy. "
Silence fills the air for a couple of seconds, before Zio bursts into laughter. He laughs way too much until his wounds started to throb again.
" T-That was a good one! Well, it's my turn now! Here here, hear this out! " Zio tapped the table several times.
" Huh? "
" Justice is a dish best served cold, do you know why? "
" Um, I'm sorry? " The girl folds her eyebrows, confused by the sudden change of topic.
" Because if it were to be served warm, it would be justwater! "
Zio laughed his ass off again for the second time, leaving the girl to twitch her eyes, bamboozled. Until she suddenly sprayed him with water magic out of nowhere.
" Ugh... Hey! What are you doing!? " The water went straight into Zio’s mouth and slides down to his lungs.
" That was my question! Why are you suddenly throwing that bad and cringe joke out of nowhere?! "
" I thought we were exchanging jokes?! "
" I WAS DEAD SERIOUS! "
Zio really found himself wondering this time. How could she ask an anti-noble like him to throw himself into a sea of nobles? If she knows everything about him, then she should know the answer already; there’s no way Zio would agree with it.
" There's no way I would agree on that! I hate nobles with every part of my soul! Just as I hate you, you crazy girl! "
" Oh yeah?! Fine then! Let's forget about all of this! You and your friends will answer for the crimes you've committed! And I'll make sure that there will be no punishment any lesser than a public execution! "
All the sugar-coated talk was just a gimmick after all. Just as Zio expected, she's no better than any other nobles out there. This is no negotiation or whatsoever. It's simply a dictation. The thing that differs noble from any decent human is that they don’t accept no. And today, that lesson has proven itself once again to Zio.
" Alright! Alright! I'll do it! "
But there’s no room for Zio to go against it, just like every similar thing that has happened to him up to this point. Looking at his pathetic surrender, the queen of the mansion smirks. Then she bends herself over the table, closing her face to Zio.
" Heh, finally. You're a pretty stubborn wild dog, aren't you? I'll make sure to train you properly. " Her fingers lift Zio’s face, staring down on his eyes with a condescending look.
" Tsk. Just make sure you hold your part of the deal. " Zio shook off his head out of her hand.
She stepped back and pulling a string that is hanging on the side of her bed. *Cling cling* A sound of a bell came from outside the room as soon as she pulls the string. Apparently, it was her way to call her servants. It's surely pretty convenient, but in Zio’s words the word 'convenient' would be rephrased into: ‘truly fitting for a lazy-ass noble’.
The young lady combs her hair while Zio just sipped his tea, thinking that there might be no poison in it after all, or rather, he’s just simply thirsty as hell after the bath. After a few moments, a butler came in bringing a silver tray in his hands.
He was a tall old man and quite a dandy one from the way he looks.
" Thank you, Albert. "
" My pleasure, young lady. "
As soon as Zio heard his voice, a surge of obscure images and memories flooded his mind.
" ...Excuse me, mister butler. Have we ever met before? "
Unexpectedly, the butler glared at Zio with overwhelming murderous intent. *Trink* Zio immediately break his tea glass and point the serrated ceramic at the old man. If the old butler wants to start something, Zio will be ready. Or at least, he will take the butler to hell with him.
" What's with that look, huh? You wanna go? "
" Stop it, Zio! Albert that's enough, excuse yourself! "
The young lady comes between them to intervene. To tell the truth, Zio was glad she did. Because he doesn't think that he is in any condition for a brawl, especially against someone who clearly wants him dead.
" My deepest apologize, young lady. Now then, if you'll excuse me. " The butler leaves the room without saying anything. It was at this moment Zio remembered that he was the other guy whom he nearly killed back in the sewage.
" He doesn't seem to be so fond of me. " Zio chuckled.
" Nobody in this mansion is fond of you. "
" Well, whatever. I don't care anyway. "
Zio cleans up his mess afterward, collecting the glass flakes that are scattered on the carpet.
" It's okay, Julia will- " Zio brushed off the girl’s hand as she tried to stop him from tidying up the glass.
" Buzz off. It was my doing. "
Stupefied by his sudden change of attitude, the girl took a step back after witnessing the other side of Zio. After he finished cleaning up, she laid out a filled paper on the table.
" Here. This is our contract. "
Zio proceeds to read all the terms of the contract. It wasn't that much of a read but Zio feels the need to carefully interpret every single word in it nevertheless. Thus, he read it five times in repetition.
There are four main points of the contract;
1. Zio will exclusively work under her and shall act with the most good-faith to fulfill his obligation;
2. She will provide Zio with his needs and fulfill his demands exactly like they had discussed beforehand;
3. The contract shall last for five years.
4. And last, the contract can be terminated anytime as long as it is performed under the consent of both parties.
" The terms 'work' seems ambiguous to me... "
" Of course, that was intentional. I want full control over you. "
To blatantly stated her purpose right in front of his face rather than having her way with a dance of the words puts Zio slightly at ease although a little bit annoying. At least he knows that she’s a clear and an outspoken-type of person.
Zio sighed a little before proceeding to sign the contract as it is. There's no more room to negotiate any further this time. It's down to either take it or leave it.
Then, they seal it with our blood patched on the paper.
" Repeat after me; 'By the name of Vashuldor, The Primordial God of Oath...' " The girl guides Zio to recite the vow.
" By the name of Vashuldor, The Primordial God of Oath... "
" 'I, Fransesca Gissella Rennesia, pledge my fate to this seal...' "
" I, Marcio Leonardo, pledge my fate to this seal... "
" 'May those who lie shall be punished.' "
" May those who lie shall be punished. "
Zio can feel something from his body flows into the contract paper. It wasn't mana. It's something more ethereal. Something that he didn't know for sure.
"Ahh finally! I'm so tired right now, can you please leave me alone? " She stretched her hands, looking at Zio with one of her eyes closed.
" Cih. I feel even way worse than you do. "
" He... That's great to hear, now shoo shoo! "
Everything is done and settled. Zio feels very tired and sleepy with all of her babbling as he immediately lifts himself up and walks out of the room. But just before he leaves the room, he turned his body around and take a look at the girl once more.
" What? Leave already. " Said the girl in annoyance.
" Of course. Just planning to do that... But there's one more thing I wanted to ask. "
" Then hurry up and spit it out already. "
" Uh, what should I call you? "
She laughs upon hearing Zio’s unexpected question.
" Well let’s see... How about, 'Your Highness?' "
" Not happening. Even in a million years. "
" Ahaha, then call me anything you want. "
The reason that Zio asks her was because her name is way too long and too confusing for him to simplify. And now that she threw it back on him, he surely feels a little ticked off.
" Fine then. See you later, bitch. " Zio continue to walk out the room. But as he was about to open the door the girl shouts at him.
" Hey! Why are you being so rude?! "
" You told me to call you anything! "
She's muttering and grumbling to herself. Her hand is grasping her bedsheets in annoyance.
" G-Gissel! Call me Gissel, you idiot! "
" Alright, see you later, Gissel! " Zio opens the door and waved his hand, parting with the plum-faced girl behind him. Now, he wanted to go back to Ana. He feels that he has been away from her for too long, thanks to the spoiled young lady.
" CLOSE THE DOOR, ZIOO...! "
" Walk, girl! Put that blobbing legs of yours to work! "
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