By Hook or by Crook (2)
The morning after the party, Amethyst overslept as usual, but today the one waking her up wasn't Yellie, it was Count Lohikin.
"Amethyst, Amethyst! Wake up, quickly! Did something happen yesterday?"
"Mmmm, ten more minutes…okay five more."
"Amethyst! Duke Skad is waiting in the drawing room. Wake up right this instant!"
'Duke Skad ?!'
The anxious and desperate tone of the Count made her sit up.
"What's that ass doing here?"
"Ass…what?! Where did you learn to say such a thing! Ahem, anyway do get up. Did something happen at the party yesterday?"
"No, nothing happened…oooh!" Realization dawned on her.
'Right. I told him to come over himself if he had business with me. And he really came? At this early hour?'
"Father, I will get ready first. Yellie, come and help me get dressed! Anything simple. It'll take too long to wear the complicated ones. We can't keep him waiting when he came all the way here."
Count Lohikin left the room unable to say anything else as Amethyst was acting so casually. He went to keep the duke company while she got herself ready. After all, It was rude to leave the duke unattended.
Thankfully, Yellie was quick with her hands and Amethyst was now ready without a moment's delay. She opened the door to the drawing room and entered. The duke was leisurely seated on the sofa reading today's newspaper, standing behind him was Gen. Opposite him was Count Lohikin who was anxiously glancing at his form.
The Lohikin household was able to sustain a fortune and status of a noble household but they were far off from the influential and powerful royal family.
Above all, even though the Count was working in public office and frequented the Imperial palace, he was not in a position where he could have a direct audience with the Emperor or the Duke of Skad. That was done by his boss, the Treasury Secretary and Vice Minister.
How could he not be anxious and covered in sweat when such a guest was in his house, sitting in his drawing room, reading a newspaper? To make things worse he was called the 'Bloody Duke.'!
As he was secretly glancing and appreciating the presence of the duke, Amethyst entered the drawing room.
"Oh my, Duke Skad, I'm flattered by your visit."
"Lady Lohikin, Good morning."
After exchanging greetings, Gen asked the Count for a private audience. Reading the room, the Count Lohikin agreed and left the room with Gen gratefully.
When only the two of them remained in the drawing room, Amethyst spoke first. "Why are you here so early in the morning? It can't possibly be because you wanted to see me."
"Perhaps I did want to see you, Lady Lohikin." The duke smiled in his most charming way. He was in a hurry to sign the contract with Amethyst, so he had to please her as much as he could.
Amethyst struggled to hold back a snort. She easily ignored the duke's smile and got to the point.
"Oh, is that so? Then why didn't you let me know beforehand? I would have bathed and gotten ready from dawn and waited for you, Duke Skad."
A frown formed on the duke's head but quickly disappeared.
'She doesn't lose out. She's different from the other young ladies. She kind of reminds me of someone.' The duke shook his head as he thought of Belice and her snappy tongue.
"You must not be very bright. I believe I told you yesterday that I will send a carriage over."
"Oh, was I supposed to say 'thank you so much!' and follow you just because you sent a carriage over? I've never met you in my entire life; why should I trust you?"
"Hey, what do you take me for? I'm sure my rumors are not that bad!" was Alexcent's defense.
"Rumours? Anyways, I'm sure you have an objective. What do you want?" She didn't know a single rumour about the duke. If it was something irrelevant to her life, she had no reason to find out.
"Lady Lohikin, let me offer you a proposal. One that we can both gain benefit from."
"Which is?"
The duke looked around as if to hint that this was not the appropriate location. "It's difficult to talk about here. I will send you a carriage tomorrow. Come to my mansion tomorrow and I'll tell you then."
"And what if I refuse?" She said haughtily.
The duke then smiled once more, before saying, "Then it'll end up like this. Gen!"
Gen and a group of armed knights of the duke must have been waiting outside, as they suddenly barged in the room.
"Escort the Lady. Now." He ordered. By hook or by crook, he would get her.
"Yes, Your Highness."