The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

6 – The Devil Nestles in the Human Heart

It was the early evening when the sun was leaning.

“Greet them, Tina. And also, Julian.”

I introduced the imposing servant with a robust body, even at a glance.

“He’s today’s daily assistant given by the Viscount, Mr. Raymond.”

“Nice to meet you. Everyone.”

Mr. Raymond greeted somewhat stiffly. Upon that, Julian greeted without a twitch of his eyebrow, but Tina nodded timidly with a fearful face.

Mr. Raymond, a quite sensitive soul, seemed slightly hurt by Tina’s reaction.

“I have some places to attend today. If you need anything, just tell Mr. Raymond.”

“Understood.”

“Yes… Headmaster.”

“Exactly.”

I reassured Tina while patting her head.

“Don’t worry, Tina. No matter what you do, you’re stronger than Mr. Raymond anyway.”

Despite being called a daily assistant, Tina’s actual role was that of a temporary guard. However, it seemed impossible to subdue the half-dragon Tina with just one or two knights.

So, Mr. Raymond is expected to faithfully guard the house while I run errands for the Viscount.

Finally, I exchanged greetings with the children at the entrance.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Take care, Director.”

“Hurry back…!”

Yurian seemed unconcerned, having witnessed something before. On the other hand, Tina still had separation anxiety, which was disappointing.

“I should handle this quickly, after all…”

Even if it meant pushing the limits a bit for the waiting children.

Instead of the streets, I headed towards the rooftop of the orphanage, away from the firmly closed front door. I roughly sat down on the clear rooftop floor and stared at the starry sky.

Preparations were complete.

“We’ll settle this in a short amount of time.”

10 seconds.

It was a time limit decided on instinct.

The bare minimum line where the witnessing of the divine could be mistaken for an illusion in a place with many watching eyes.

To uphold this, it was more practical to quote miracles rather than building them through prayer.

“[When the mother opened her eyes and ears to the suffering of mankind, she knew of the good and evil that pervades the world.]”

Book of the Divine, Chapter 1, Verse 3.

Shrinking the already recorded miracles of the divine and materializing them.

That is the quotation of miracles.

As I recited the passage, brilliant golden particles covered the surroundings. The particles of miracles merged into an unattainable light for humans and shot up into the sky.

A chilly wind blew.

Following that, a dense darkness settled around, an oppressive darkness that seemed to reject consideration and respect.

Like a baby in the womb, surrounded by darkness, I opened my eyes to the literal eyes of the sky.

The massive eye hidden in the dark sky.

Immediately, countless pieces of information flooded in like a tidal wave.

There was too much to see.

And also, too much to hear.

“Yurian, when will the director come?”

“He’ll probably come in without me even realizing after sleeping for a night.”

Yurian and Tina’s conversation. It’s fortunate that they get along well even when I’m not around.

“How was business today?”

“Don’t even mention it. Apples aren’t popular these days.”

Just a simple conversation between merchants. There’s nothing to gain.

“There were a lot of people buying flowers today! It went well, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, keep the money as your allowance.”

Floti proudly boasts to her mother, smiling brightly. It was a heartwarming sight of a happy family.

“Phew, I’m tired.”

“You did well, dear.”

Just the evening greetings of an ordinary household. There’s still no worthwhile information to gather.

“Hm, ah, ugh, ah!”

“Hah… hah…”

This way…? Oh, I’m sorry.

“Do you like it?”

“Sigh… What are you asking… More than my husband’s… A lot… Ahh!”

What kind of sorry bastards are these sons of b*tches?

I’ve seen all of you. I’ll expose you all tomorrow morning, so prepare to receive divorce documents.

“It seems like the palace maid noticed. We should make a big move today and clean up.”

“Sounds good. By the way, a giant has arrived in the merchandise section.”

“A giant?”

You can look forward to it. It’s a whopping disaster…”

Thunk!

“Oh no.”

The flood of information that was rushing in suddenly and unexpectedly came to an abrupt halt.

The 10 seconds I had set in advance had passed.

But the harvest was sufficient.

I now knew that the illegal auction would be held today, along with the location, through my eyes and ears.

“Oh, I shouldn’t use this again. I end up forcibly knowing things I never want to know.”

I was once again impressed by the whims of fate. It seems even gods have their own ways.

Despite all the ups and downs, preparations were finally complete.

Pat, pat.

I tidy up and stand up.

Now that I know the plan and the base, it’s time to inform the Marquis.

Even if it’s concluded at this point… I can’t help but be bothered by certain elements.

“A product that can make a substantial impact…”

If it’s a product that could harm the Marquis, that would be troublesome. Finding a sponsor as influential as the Marquis won’t be easy.

Moreover, even if it’s just for Yurian and Tina, I need to make a bit more effort.

“After-service is undoubtedly better.”

Let’s go to the illegal auction house.

◇

Of course, no matter how discreet those with clandestine desires may be, those who externalize their desires are in the sewer.

In that sense, the criminals operating the illegal auction have excellent composure.

A location reasonably distant from the entertainment district.

It’s not entirely devoid of people’s footsteps, but at least it’s not a place easily approached.

In a location that seems to have taken full advantage of the borderline, there stands a neat mansion.

With ivy entwined on the surface, it appeared to be an abandoned house at first glance.

During the height of the auction, when it was deemed that no more people would enter, a middle-aged man with a kindly demeanor and a cheerful smile approached as I openly revealed my presence.

“Excuse me, but could you show me your voucher?”

“What?”

“If you don’t have a voucher, please turn back the way you came.”

I was quite surprised by the extremely polite words and attitude. And using an ambiguous term like “voucher” instead of an entrance ticket seemed rather clever.

At this rate, it’s hard to believe that the person engaging in such illicit business as an illegal auction is nowhere in sight.

So, I decided to take the opposite route.

“Who the hell are you?”

“…Me?”

“Don’t get in the way of the topic. Damn, do people really come here with their faces exposed? Can’t figure them out when they blatantly reveal themselves like that?”

“Well, you see…”

“Alright, first things first. Check your rank and name, punk.”

“Uh, it’s a bit awkward.”

Oh, goodness. My resolve is weakening.

Reflecting on the scammers from my past life’s kids’ cafe, I thought I could handle it well, but the burden of conscience is too severe.

I keep speaking gently, and they just don’t listen.

“I’m Park C, huh? With the boss! We eat together! Go to the sauna! Exchange those things! Well, everything!”

“…”

It was around the time he didn’t know what to do, and beads of cold sweat were forming. A young man, dressed similarly, revealed himself from beyond the stairs leading downstairs.

“What are you doing?”

He asked the man confronting the young man. In response, he took the young man to a secluded place and whispered.

“He’s causing a scene without showing the token. Seems like he forgot to bring it. What should I do about this?”

“Oh, it happens occasionally. Entering Arwel Palace’s territory is a bit tricky. That makes him more touchy. Anyway, how does he look to you?”

“In my opinion, he’s the ‘real deal.’ Every time this young guy opens his mouth, you can sense the vibe of someone who’s lived their whole life looking down on others. He really has no filter.”

“Just an average day around here.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I, I, those bastards who are not even worth a penny.

I hear everything. Even without the power of miracles, when the senses are heightened, this kind of thing easily enters the ears.

Contemplating the distinctly sinking feeling, I felt annoyed with those guys.

“Hey, you bastards, call the boss. Are you the only ones guarding the entrance?”

“Oh, yes. It’s just us.”

“Really? For real?”

“Oh, come on! Of course! Why would we lie to VIPs.”

I wonder how deep the VIP’s character has to be for this kind of operation to work.

Well, those guys who live by exploiting others are probably the same everywhere.

“Okay, got it. Come here for now.”

Snap, snap!

The two guys stood in a large formation, facing each other. They are conveniently lined up, so they will tie up nicely.

Without hesitation, I recited the proclamation.

“In the name of the Lord and the Holy Spirit, the chains of light.”

Immediately, golden chains wrapped around the two men in the empty air.

Shlak, shlok!

The guys who were caught off guard, without even understanding English, could only stare at me without being able to scream. Later, they realized the reality and started screaming frantically.

“You, you deceived us, you bastard…!!!”

“Wait, looking at what the Lord or whatever has done… Could it be, is he a person from the temple?”

“What? Isn’t it a trick? Is that lowlife really someone from the temple!? It doesn’t make sense!!!”

“Damn it, what the hell. Where is the janitor who put a rag in his mouth… Can a shrine be like this?!”

“These crazy bastards said someone used a rag for toilet paper. And it’s fine for criminals like you.”

I quickly covered my mouth with the prepared gag. As an I and F type of person, I easily get hurt by harsh words.

I haven’t taken the MBTI test, but it’s probably close enough.

After dealing with the entrance guards, I climbed the stairs leading to the second floor. As I walked down the corridor that led to the side path, a large door caught my eye. I immediately opened that door.

At that moment.

The scent of perfume that filled the air made me dizzy. Excited breaths and vulgar shouts were heating up the room.

In front of the lavishly decorated stage, people of all ages were seated wearing masks.

“If I can just send a signal to the marquis around here, it will be a complete success.”

Just as I was about to leave the auction hall.

The enthusiastic voice of the host, who had become even more energetic, grabbed my ankle.

“Finally, it’s time to present the main dish of this auction!”

Captivating the audience with theatrical gestures. It was certainly not the first or second time I had been in such a position.

With everyone’s attention focused, all the lights went out.

Then came the sound of wheels. More precisely, it was the reverberation of the iron bars with wheels being moved to the center of the stage.

Crash!

The lights were lit up in a narrow range, illuminating only the iron bars.

“This is a top-tier item among top-tier items! With black hair like the night sky and black eyes to match! And astonishingly, this boy possesses the same characteristics as the royal family of the fallen kingdom!”

“Wow… Wow…!”

“Unfortunately, he is currently undergoing education, so he is slightly injured… But he will recover quickly, given his young age, right?”

I felt a bit uneasy. To express it accurately, the state of the boy was extreme.

The rigid bloodstains on his face and neck were vivid. Even though it was certainly wiped clean, there was enough bleeding that it hadn’t been properly treated.

His forehead was swollen and his pupils looked very small, and his breathing was so intense that it could be seen with the naked eye as his chest rose and fell.

His body’s center collapsed, but he forced himself to lean against the iron bars and kicked the side where the villain leaned on, to regain his balance.

Tears fell onto the boy’s knees, who had become an object overnight.

Only then did I realize that I didn’t know the true extent of evil.

I never knew that one person could do this to another person.

It was an evil that I had never experienced before, even in my peaceful past life, or in the quiet and suffocating shrine of my current life.

“…”

I had to run to the marquis immediately.

I had to send in the punitive force and capture them all.

I had to hold these fugitives accountable for their crimes.

At that time, when my mind turned white with such thoughts.

Regardless of my will, my mouth was uttering the language of the gods.

“…… You did not mediate peace and reconciliation.”

And you also refused to turn your eyes to the Empress and the laws.

“… I simply sent down the sword.”