# Chapter 40: 40
Feeling hurt by what she said to herself, Radis turned her back to the mirror.
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to him that Marquis Russell's decision had been a complete mistake.
However, because of a brief illusion, the Marquis had already suffered a great loss.
It was clear that Yves Russell had already paid a considerable amount to the Tilrod family.
He even had a very nice room prepared for her.
And more than that, he said that he would be her guardian until she came of age while signing a huge contract involving one hundred million rupees a year.
—This is not right. Isn't this like scamming a stupid person?
It was especially unfair of Yves Russell to act as Radis' guardian for two years until she reached adulthood.
“What is the difference between Huber Cradium and me?”
He got goosebumps thinking that he was on the same level as that criminal.
"As insensitive as I am to kindness... this is not right. I don't think this is a place I can stay. I was too blinded by the favorable terms of the contract. If I was going to find a tutor, I should have gone to the Roschilde family. If I had gone there, I would have at least been able to pay for my own meals."
Radis paced nervously by the window, then, after seeing a carriage entering the mansion's gates, he left his room recklessly.
There weren't many people in that neighborhood.
He walked down the hall and found a maid who was about to enter a room to clean it.
Radis approached her and asked her.
—Excuse me, where is the Marquis' room?
The maid, who seemed to be around Radis' age, seemed very surprised by his sudden appearance.
She even exclaimed softly, "Oh my God!"
Radis took a step back because he felt sorry for surprising her.
After settling in, the maid in front of her spoke to her in a friendly voice.
—The Marquis' room is right above, in the center of the upper floor.
-Thank you.
Radis, who had advanced recklessly again, turned to ask where the stairs were.
Then, through the open door, she heard the other maids whisper.
—Oh my God, I told you!
-Alright?
—Oh, seriously…
Radis's face turned white and he hesitated for a moment before quickly returning.
So she didn't listen to what the maids kept saying to each other.
—...where did that smile suddenly come from? It's cheating if you suddenly talk to me with that face! Did I sound weird?
—It's right ↑ above ↑ in the center ↑ of the upper floor ↑
—Kyaaa, Melody! Don't copy me!
Not listening to the conversation, Radis had no choice but to think that the maids were gossiping about her.
It's always been like this after all.
The Tilrod house was full of people gossiping about her, either behind her back or directly to her face.
So she knew how to deal with gossip.
The best thing was to pretend that I didn't even hear them.
I guess people have already heard of me.
Radis wrapped both hands around his cheeks and noticed that they were a little hot.
"Tilrod's annoyance. Has word spread that I interfered with David's admission to the academy? It's natural to be curious as to why someone like me came to the Marquisate. And once they find out that I can live in such a nice room... it's natural to dislike them."
Radis, walking recklessly once again, found a ladder in the middle of the hallway and climbed up.
To add to the anxiety of being in an unknown place, Radis felt infinitely discouraged at the thought that the people on the farm were not happy with her presence there.
—I will tell Marquis Russell that the contract must not go forward. I'll ask if I can stay here for a few days. In exchange, I will tell you that I will return all the money you paid to the Tilrod family in installments over a few years. I will go to the Rosilde family home and request to join the subjugation squad. That's all I'm good for.
Radis stood in front of the Marquis' room with his shoulders slumped.
Then he knocked on the door.
The door was so thick that I couldn't hear anything clearly going on inside, but it seemed like there were people talking inside.
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Soon, someone approached the door and opened it.
—...Radis?
—Marquis Russell…
Today he wore black again.
After returning from his trip abroad, he had not yet taken off his cloak, and was even still wearing his black hood, showing almost only his chin and lips.
After seeing her pale lips, only three words came to mind.
“100 million rupees.”
The effect of those magic words was enormous.
So Radis stood there, almost on the verge of breaking the contract, thinking about how his willingness to serve him had returned, even if the conditions were not as good as they were now.
Valiz