Contract With the Unknown

The Archduke stared at Titania's face with his menacing aura, trying to frighten her as much as he could. Titania, who is now frozen still on her seat, couldn't say anything back. Her mind went blank due to the Archduke's sudden question. 'How did he know that,' is what she wants to ask.

"Tell me." The look in the Archduke's eyes grew more terrifying that it made her feel fear throughout her body. Nina didn't know why she felt like that when she was not scared of the Archduke.

"Answer me before I do something terrible to you." Titania was left dumbfounded. She couldn't believe how brutal this man was, but it was not the time for her to feel scared. If she really wants to escape from this place, she must first gather her courage to face this Archduke.

"I am… Titania." She stood up as she confidently said that.

Titania blinked a lot of times to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating because after she answered his question, the Archduke's eyes looked like they were starting to glow. Her body automatically trembles in fear as if it was on instinct.

The Archduke slammed his hand on the table as he glared at Titania. "Tell me a lie one more time, and I'll behead you right this instant." Titania backed away after seeing how angry the Archduke was after what she said. Her forehead creased as she stared back at the Archduke.

Titania didn't know what to say nor how to act. Deep inside, her frustrations are piling up, and she wants to explode. She didn't even notice that Astra and Blaze had left the two of them behind.

"Why are you asking me if you're not going to believe what I say?" Titania asked back while trying to hide her trembling hands. The room was filled with silence as the Archduke slowly walked towards the young woman while calming himself.

"Are you a sorceress?" Titania raised an eyebrow after hearing what the Archduke had just asked. She kept on thinking about how he ended up in that conclusion, which made her more confused.

"Did the Ravaryn sent you to spy on me?" The Archduke raised his voice which made Titania flinch. His face is getting scarier as he keeps on bombarding Titania with questions.

"Ah! Forget it!" Titania said out of frustration as she sat back down on the sofa and rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine! I am not Titania." The Archduke immediately unsheathed his sword and pointed it to the young fairy's neck.

"Calm down! I'm also not a sorceress or whatever." Titania said as she gently pushed the sword away from her neck.

"Why are you so hot-headed today? I thought you were an Ice King with your cold and distant attitude?" Titania placed her legs on the top of the table as she leaned her back on the sofa to make herself more comfortable. She looks like she gave up pretending to be the Fairy Queen before she could even start.

"I am not from this world," Titania said with a bored tone as she looked at her nails. "Believe me or not, I was sucked into this weird book, and then when I woke up, I was already stuck in this gorgeous and perfect body." The Archduke's face twitched after hearing what the young woman said.

"But you know what? This girl is fated to die by the hands of the Emperor." Titania didn't hesitate to say that because there was nothing for her to lose anymore. Except for her life and her freedom.

"I have read that once she gets caught by the Emperor, she'll be put back on that huge cage in the Emperor's chamber." Titania watched the Archduke's expression as she continued to say what she knew.

"I know your secret," Titania said as the corner of her mouth quirked up. 'I need to act boldly!' she told herself.

The Archduke went back to his seat as he smirked at her. "I have a lot of secrets." Titania was left astonished after seeing the Archduke smile.

'He's too handsome for his own good.' She retorted inside her mind. Titania shook her head to get back her focus. She stood up again as she fixed her dress. Titania casually said the Archduke's secret as if it wasn't necessary at all while she was still setting her dress.

After she was done with her dress, she looked up and saw the troubled expression of the Archduke. She covered her mouth as she tried to suppress her laugh. 

'It was too satisfying to see his emotionless face look scared and shocked like that,' is what she thought as she cleared her throat and fixed her expression.

She never expected herself to be such a naughty person. Making fun of others' suffering is not like her.

"In exchange for keeping your secret, I need you to protect me." She bravely said as she pressed both of her hands on the Archduke's desk with her brazen appearance and cheeky smile.

"How insolent." The Archduke laughed as he stood up and walked towards Titania. "Why would I do something like that?" He paused as he continued to walk towards her, and when they were standing in front of each other, he leaned down to Titania and said, "When I can just easily end you right now?" 

Titania backed away as soon as she saw the seriousness in the Archduke's eyes.

'He's really going to kill me!'

"Do you feel scared now?" The Archduke's mouth curved into a smile as he saw Titania's face turning pale. "How bold of you to threaten me. Now I do believe that you're really not from this world." He chuckled, which made Titania feel shivers down her spine.

'Think!' is what she keeps screaming inside her head as she tries to find a way to get out of this mess. It's too late to regret this now, but there must be a way for her to survive from the Monstrous Archduke's grasp.

"I'll help you!" Titania said out of nowhere. It's the only way she can think about it. She's planning to use the Fairy Queen's abilities.

Titania saw an amused expression on the Archduke's face. "Who said I needed your help?" He raised an eyebrow.

"If you really want to win, is this the time to reject more power?" Titania didn't yield and continued pushing her idea.

The Archduke touched her chin and lifted it up to look more closely into her eyes. "You sure have guts, Miss Fairy Queen." Titania showed a look of disgust after the Archduke said that with his stunning smirk. It would have made her fall in love if he didn't call her like that.

"And you're playing hard to get your grace." Titania faked a smile with her eyes twitching as she stared back into the man's eyes.

"Interesting." The Archduke said, and then he sat down on the sofa. 

"I'll listen to what you have to say. Go on." 

Titania sighed in relief as she sat down on the couch in front of the Archduke. She didn't expect to live after her look of disgust, but here they are.

"I'll help you with anything, but you have to protect me from the Emperor until I find a way to go back to my real world," Titania explained as she tried her best to convince this fearsome man.

"You already know that I am his loyal knight. So, how am I supposed to protect you from the man I get orders from?" Titania was once again dumbfounded. 'What is this guy talking about?' she thought as she looked at the man in disbelief.

"I think he'll never disagree with you, though."

The Archduke regained his cold expression. "You're right. But why would he let the woman he wants to marry remain beside a single man like me?" He looked at Titania, waiting for her to come up with an answer.

"I… I mean," Titania couldn't think about an answer. She never thought that far. It was an essential variable to her plan, yet she forgot about it.

If the Emperor knew the plans of the Archduke, it would ruin the whole story. She couldn't risk that, so Titania tried to think more clearly as she sipped tea on the table.

"Let's get married." Titania almost dropped the cup of tea because of what came out of the Archduke's mouth.

"WHAT?!" Before she could even react, another person appeared beside the Archduke like magic. It was Astra. He pulled the Archduke by his collar to get closer to his face.

"Are you insane? Sylvester! Don't get brainwashed by that Fairy girl." Astra exclaimed, which made Titania's forehead crease as she put back the cup of tea on the table.

"Excuse me, I'm not brainwashing him. He's the one who suggested marriage." Titania rolled her eyes and crossed her arm. But Astra looked at her grimly as he drew closer to her and flicked her forehead, thus made Titania whine in pain.

Titania glared at Astra as she placed both of her hands on her forehead. "Why did you do that?!"

"Because you're annoying," Astra said as he sticks out his tongue in front of Titania which pisses the young fairy more. When Titania was about to get up to beat Astra with all her might, she was tripped by the magician and made her body land on the Archduke's lap.

Astra began laughing so loud after seeing the two in that weird position, most probably because of Titania's failed revenge scheme.

"Stop it, Astra." The Archduke said as he lifted Titania up like a child holding her waist, which made Astra burst out in more laughter to the point that his stomach hurt. Titania, who is now raised into the air, wants to dig a hole where she can hide forever.

"You can put me down now," Titania said without energy which the Archduke immediately followed. She wants to punch Astra in the face but knowing that she's been misfortunate ever since she was born, she chooses to sit down quietly.

"Astra, leave us." Astra didn't want to obey the Archduke's command, so Blaze dragged him by force, leaving the two of them again in the room. The two were enwrapped with silence not until the Archduke chose to break it.

"I'll rephrase what I've said. Let's get engaged." The Archduke said.

"To be honest, you're not my type," Titania said, which angers the Archduke, and he was about to unsheathe his sword. 

"Chill! I didn't say that I'll reject the offer." Titania immediately explained before the Duke could even take his sword out completely.

"Let's make a contract," Titania said and made the Archduke get some paper and a pen. "In this contract, I will help you with everything you'll ask of me except for my freedom," Titania said, which made the Archduke's forehead creased.

"You didn't mention that before." He retorted.

"And now I have said it. Next, you have to protect me at all costs. Not until I find a way to go back, and until then, I'll help you succeed on your plans." Titania said as if she wasn't scared of the Archduke in the first place. 

They now looked all close, and they were getting along well.

"We'll hide this contract and make it look like we're getting married." She added. "But once one of us really did fall for the other, the contract will be immediately terminated. No more but's and no's." The Archduke raised an eyebrow after that.

"You don't have to worry. I won't fall for you," Titania reassured the Archduke. "And you can't fall for me either. I mean, you cannot fall in love with Titania."

"And why is that?"

'Because you have Cassandra.' She thought as she wrote all of the contract information on the paper and left the Duke's question unanswered.

"Do you know what it means to be the fiancée of an Alynthi?" Titania shrugged and didn't bother to look at the Archduke. It doesn't matter to her anyway. As long as she can survive, then it's a win for her.

"It means that you are willing to marry the devil." The Archduke smirks as his eyes glow, but the young woman doesn't say it because she is too busy writing on the paper. She's too serious about this. Who wouldn't if your life was on the line?

"So? It's not like we're going to get married for real anyway." The Archduke laughed after Titania said, which made her hands stop moving, and she looked up to see the man's face. 'Does he have a loose screw?' is what she thought with confusion on her face.

"You're telling me that you'll use me and discard me after you've reached your goal?" His eyes went dangerous, but it didn't affect Titania at all. There's nothing for her to fear anymore.

"That's the plan." She said as she showed him her brightest smile. "Here! Sign it now." She said as she gave the Duke the contract that she made.

"There are a lot of missing things here." The Archduke said, and then he began writing on the paper while Titania just looked at him with curiosity in her eyes.

"As my fiancée, you need to work on a lot of things." Titania flinched after hearing that. "First is your manner. A lady shouldn't act the way you did." She averted her gaze and didn't want to listen to him any longer, but the Archduke disregarded what she felt and kept on rambling about the things she hated the most.

"That's all. Now sign this." She saw the smirk on the Archduke's face as she signed the contract with tears in her eyes. She keeps telling herself not to regret her decision.

"Your lessons start tomorrow." The Archduke said as he rolled the contract and placed it on his drawer.

"Devil," Titania murmured to herself.

A long-suffering awaits our Fairy Queen.