The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

Chapter 37: Joy Outside the Cage

About two months had passed since Glen began learning swordsmanship from Cardi under Harte's guidance.

The weather grew cooler, and leaves drifted down in graceful arcs.

As the seasons changed, Tina made several friends through regular gatherings. Glen, however, remained admired by young ladies from afar, without a single pen pal to his name.

Harte and Elphisia worried about Glen's reluctance to open up. Elphisia, in particular, made it almost a daily habit to peek around corners and observe Glen.

Lately, though, Glen's senses had sharpened. He occasionally glanced back, startling Elphisia. Despite only a few months of formal training, Glen's instincts had become razor-sharp.

Harte watched the tension between Elphisia and Glen, inwardly musing:

'It's impressive how skilled Elphisia is at hiding her presence...'

She sometimes amazed him. Despite Glen's extraordinary talent, he could only sense Elphisia's gaze as an unsettling presence. Elphisia was remarkable in many ways.

As night fell after such a typical day, a subtle change occurred in the duke's mansion.

Harte lay awake, his senses alert, while Elphisia slept soundly beside him. He detected three distinct signs of activity in the slumbering estate.

One was Harte himself.

Another was the duke, likely sensing the same.

The third was Glen, sneaking out on his secret excursion.

'That boy... sneaking out again at night.'

Harte noted this and nothing more.

Given Glen's character, he was unlikely to be up to any mischief on these nighttime walks. If Cardi had taught him well how to move, the chances of trouble were slim.

Indeed, Glen had always returned quietly before dawn, pretending to sleep.

As long as he followed the rules, Harte saw no need to interfere.

'Glen deserves his privacy. Meddling might do more harm than good.'

However, if Glen failed to return by morning...

Then Harte would have to step in.

It would surely be no ordinary matter.

So, Harte was more concerned about Elphisia than Glen's periodic escapes.

Despite the passage of time, the persistent distance between Elphisia and Glen worried him. As Glen grew and his voice deepened, along with the onset of puberty, Harte feared they might miss the chance to repair their relationship entirely.

'Why is she so cautious around such a kind child as Glen, when she's usually so confident...'

As his thoughts deepened in the night.

The small-framed boy once again scaled the walls of the duke's mansion.

---

---

Inside the attic of Viscount Peter's mansion.

A girl's welcoming voice rang out from the dim space that required stooping to enter.

"Glen?"

"Yeah, you're getting good at recognizing me."

"Well, you're the only visitor I get this late at night."

Echo's social circle was limited.

Her family shunned her, deliberately avoiding encounters. At most, she sensed the presence of her dedicated maid silently bringing meals.

Living this routine, she'd almost come to welcome her twin sister Rochelle's occasional visits to vent her frustrations for no apparent reason.

"Did you manage to tie the grass today?"

"No, I failed. It kept breaking apart after about thirty weaves."

"I wish I could help you."

"But you know that would be cheating."

"Cheating..."

Glen mulled over the word as he spread out carefully picked blades of grass on the floor. Echo smiled faintly at the familiar scent.

"Thank you again for today."

"It's nothing, really."

"Still, thank you. I used to be so anxious every time I went to pick grass. What if I got lost on the way back to the attic?"

"Has that ever happened?"

"A little... when I wasn't used to it yet?"

"Ah, I see."

Echo hugged her knees to her chest. She spoke softly, reminiscing about the past.

"I got scolded badly then. They said what if rumors spread. I didn't understand why it was wrong, so I just kept crying."

"That must have been tough."

"Yeah, it was. But I think it'll be okay now. If I get lost, I can just wait where I am, and you'll come find me at night, right?"

"I can't promise that yet. I can't sense presences as widely as the Director or the Duke."

Glen stated the facts humbly.

Meanwhile, Echo was curious about this "Director" figure. Whenever she talked with Glen, the Director always came up.

Other than that, it was probably the Duke.

More specifically, Yulian, Tina, Elphisia, and Flotia occupied portions of the conversation.

Honestly, she was envious.

Echo's only friend was Glen, but Glen knew far too many people.

Every time she listened to Glen talk about the people around him, her chest tightened, but her curiosity was undeniable.

"You really like the Director, don't you?"

"Of course! The Director is practically my hero. There's nothing in the world our Director can't do."

If the person in question overheard this, their jaw would drop at the exaggeration. But for Echo, whose world consisted only of the attic and Glen, she had no choice but to believe it wholeheartedly.

"Really? You said light beams come out of the Director's mouth before?"

"Uh... I meant, the Director could probably do it if they wanted to."

"And one sword swing causes an earthquake, right?"

"Yeah, that's definitely true."

"And the Director's the most handsome, perfect superhuman in the world?"

"Of course."

These weren't words Glen should be saying, considering he turned heads just by walking down the street. Anyone with proper eyesight would have interpreted it as blatant exaggeration.

Echo, unaware of these circumstances, viewed the "Director" as little more than a mythical creature.

So, she set aside her interest in this figure who seemed to belong in the realm of myths.

Instead, she cautiously brought up another name, her lips pursed.

"Say, you mentioned living with a girl named Tina?"

"That's right. We've lived in the same house for a long time."

"... Are you close?"

"Yeah."

"How close?"

"... Very?"

In truth, this question had become almost routine. It was a question repeated nearly every day.

'Glen has too many friends...'

At some point, Echo became acutely aware of this girl named Tina's existence.

According to Glen's descriptions, Tina was an incredibly cute, adorable girl with a bright personality to boot.

On top of that, she was incredibly strong, which Glen often expressed envy about.

With a girl like that by his side, Echo felt like a firefly dimly glowing beneath the full moon.

'How nice... for that Tina girl...'

She suddenly felt dejected.

Her motivation to weave grass plummeted, as if the layers of frustration and resentment had suddenly surfaced.

Her protruding lips showed no signs of returning to normal.

'I want to be like Tina...'

If Glen could have read her mind, he would have been utterly shocked by this notion.

Having experienced the harsh reality of the difference between species in a semi-forced way, Glen strongly objected to the idea of more beings like Tina.

But Echo embraced this wish, sighing as she voiced her inner thoughts.

"I'm jealous..."

"Echo?"

"How wonderful would it be if I could play with Glen during the day?"

Even as she expressed her wish, Echo hesitated. After all, she had never laid eyes on Glen.

If, by some chance, Glen's heart turned out to be similar to others when observed with her eyes... she might cry her eyes out from sadness.

The possibility of losing her first and only friend was high.

So, better not to observe at all.

To remain friends, even if precariously, she had to suppress her curiosity.

This was Echo's resolve.

"Um... Echo."

Just then, Glen called her name.

"Yes? What is it?"

"If you don't mind it not being daytime, want to play together?"

"Play? Where?"

"Anywhere outside."

Silence fell.

Echo struggled to find words. The idea of playing outside was one she had long since abandoned.

Was he talking nonsense?

Was it just empty words to give her false hope?

Echo became confused, considering various possibilities.

Finally, Glen calmly proposed to the visibly troubled Echo.

"I can take you outside. There won't be many people on the streets at this hour. Even if there are, I'll protect you."

"Really...?"

"I promise."

Glen's voice carried an unwavering resolve. Only then did Echo allow her hopes to swell, carefully voicing the wish she had harbored while weaving grass.

"Can I... walk on a street full of people?"

"That's how it should be normally."

"Can I run?"

"I'll run with you."

"What if we get lost?"

"We can hold hands as we go, can't we?"

"Hic..."

"E-Echo?!"

Tears leaked from Echo's closed eyes. Glen panicked, fumbling about until he bumped his forehead against a piece of furniture with a thud.

Normally, Echo would have checked on Glen with a concerned voice. But now, she was too overwhelmed with emotion to do so.

"Uuh... huu..."

Echo hiccupped, covering her face as if washing it.

"What... hic... what should I do? It's cheating... it's cheating... I haven't even woven the grass a hundred times, but my wish came true... huuh, sniff..."

Then, with a face that was unclear whether she was crying or laughing, Echo moved closer and grasped Glen's sleeve.

Finally, Echo's pretty features crumbled completely.

"Waah, huaaah...! Glen must be the 'Director'... You must be the most amazing person in the world... How can you do this without grass... uu..."

Echo cried.

She wailed, as if releasing all the sorrow and resentment that had accumulated over time.

Meanwhile, Glen was confused by Echo's reaction, which far exceeded his expectations.

"W-What? Director...! I'm... I'm not..."

"Hic! You must be the Director to me, Glen... Coming to see me every day, telling me fun stories, granting my wish, being my friend, everything... everything... I thought it was impossible without grass..."

"Echo..."

Glen suddenly recalled the time when he was destined to be sold as a slave. The Echo crying before him now seemed remarkably similar to himself back then.

His past self, who only knew the world as night, and Echo, who clung to superstitions alone in the darkness, were uncannily alike.

So, Glen lifted Echo, who was shedding tears like pearls, as if she were a princess. Feeling an unexpected sense of buoyancy, Echo's eyelids fluttered like dewdrops sliding off a grass blade.

Frightened by her own anticipation, Echo tightly wrapped her arms around Glen's neck.

This marked the beginning of their first outing.

As soon as they left the cramped attic, the chilly air caressed their lips. The fresh outdoor air, free from the scent of grass, pushed away their fatigue.

The two children soon stepped into an open landscape.

They exchanged only body heat as they crossed the walls of the viscount's mansion and set their small, precious feet on the sleeping bustling street.

"Hey, Glen. Where are we?"

"Hmm, this is where street performances happen every weekend. Many performers come here to earn money with amazing tricks."

"Wow... What kind of tricks? I want to see them..."

"..."

Glen lacked confidence in describing the tricks to Echo verbally. His expressiveness was too limited to explain such complex acts.

So he awkwardly changed the subject, draping his outer garment over Echo.

"It's cold at dawn, isn't it?"

"Actually... yes, it is. Thank you, Glen."

"It's nothing, really..."

While Glen felt embarrassed, Echo, now standing on her own two feet, beamed with joy.

"Glen, I want to run. Can you check if there are any obstacles?"

"Sure thing."

"Mmm, no. Rather, like you said earlier, holding hands while running would be safest, right?"

"That sounds good."

As soon as Glen agreed, Echo grasped his wrist with both hands.

"Let's go, Glen. Hurry!"

"E-Echo! We should run slowly! You might fall."

"You'll catch me if I fall, right?"

Glen scratched the back of his head at Echo's bold demand.

"Well, I promised, so..."

The girl's joy soared into the night sky over the dark and quiet street. With each step Echo took, her white dress fluttered as if it would touch the moonlight.

Glen silently hoped that Echo's happiness would continue.

Until someday when her delicate hands could completely let go of the grass blades, without fail.

---

---

When discussing the world's oldest profession, most would point to prostitution. Some might also compare spies to prostitutes in terms of longevity.

Spies exist everywhere. Like cockroaches that have normalized concealing their presence.

Therefore, it wasn't strange for demon spies to operate in human territory.

While their range of activities varied individually, their assigned tasks were largely similar.

Information gathering.

So, what kind of information would make the owners of said information lose their minds?

Someone concealed in the shadows rejoiced upon spotting the children walking the dawn streets.

"Found them."

As he inscribed concise letters on a note, he muttered with a voice tinged with ecstasy.

"To discover a Fragment and a Baskhill descendant simultaneously...!"

The man's actions were swift.

Flap!

A carrier pigeon took flight in the ripening dawn.

By the time the stranger had completely vanished, only the soft footsteps of a girl marveling at the world could be heard in the empty street.