Making a Deal

She was looking behind Marquis Khan Wald, walking away into the opera stage. A hidden and specially crafted VIP room.

But suddenly, a girl with shiny brown hair stretched out from the box chair, waving at him. Este saw her father and wanted to approach him, but then she hid again in the dark area of the room.

"I'm so glad you kept your promise. I know you don't like opera, but since it's my birthday and there's a coming-of-age ceremony, I want to enjoy it with my dear dad here. Mother will also be here soon."

A dazzling beauty radiance with loose brown hair, she looks like she's stealing the show. The girl looked with a grin and grasped the Marquis' arm lovingly. The guards opened the door, and the two of them stepped inside.

Este, staring at them, turned around, her face looking pale at this moment; she showed no significant expression. The girl had fallen under the illusion. Even though that man was her birth father, Este had not seen his face for more than ten years.

Este was sure the man she was supposed to call a father didn't care about her situation. Now there's no way she would suddenly come close and reveal herself to be sold, whereas Este needs a ransom of eight hundred gold coins."

If a man like him still had that love in his heart, he would never have left her in such a dangerous place. Entertainment areas are locations where all sorts of lewd acts and fraud occur.

Este spoke severely of herself. She was in a state of confusion for now, whereas this girl would have to give Maeve an answer in a few days.

***

"What did you say?" shouted Maeve

"Give me a ten-year instalment tenor," said Este.

The woman froze with her mouth open with an expression full of astonishment. She couldn't even utter a single sentence. Maeve stared at the girl in front of her for a long time to see if she was joking. However, he started to get angry when he realised Este was serious.

"If you're playing, you better get out. I'm not free enough to joke with you right now," Maeve insisted.

"I am not kidding. Is anyone joking about their lives being at stake?" replied the girl raising her voice.

"So, are you serious?" asked the woman again.

"Yes. I'll pay you back when I get money with my wages. If I calculate the income from the work I can get a month, then I think I will be able to pay it off in ten," said the girl thoughtfully.

"I'm speechless. Why should I listen to your words in a situation where I can earn money instantly?" reprimanded the opera owner.

"You will get the gratitude and reply I promised. But on the other hand, if you refuse this offer, I swear I will give you a grudge and disaster that you wouldn't expect," said Este.

Maeve was silent for a moment. She saw the sharp gaze of the girl proposing a business deal with her. Este was no ordinary girl, but she was the illegitimate child of Marquis Khan Wald. Half of her body has a mixture of royal blood. Even if the bloodline was useless and unrecognised now, Maeve wasn't sure what might happen. Furthermore, this girl was brilliant and possessed courage that would not be easy to back down.

Maeve admits that something troublesome might happen later. After pondering, the woman spoke softly to the girl in front of her, "All right. I will accept your offer. But I have to be sure that you have thought about the interest because you will pay the money back over ten years, right? How about the interest system?"

The girl chuckled at that. She replied, "Let's say that the interest you asked for is my wages for working in the opera all this time. I paid you that much as a service for your kindness that has raised me. But shouldn't I also be paid for all the work I've been doing in the opera? Let's count all my sweat as the interest."

Seeing Este speak to her clearly as if she didn't want to lose money or increase the amount of debt, Maeve suddenly thought that she shouldn't have let this kid go from her side. However, Maeve vented her wish and nodded, thinking that she would be in danger if the girl returned to hold a grudge against her. The woman seemed to dote on this desperate child more than she thought.

"Well. I will accept your offer. Let's write it all down in a letter of agreement. That would be objective evidence of whatever we have discussed here. Let's also clear that if you can't pay back for ten years, which you have determined yourself, then whether you like it or not, you still have to sell yourself to pay back every single one of my coins," Maeve said firmly.

After checking the contents of the agreement she had written with Maeve, the girl still refused to sign it. She said, "I want to make more copies, please! I also need two witnesses. I will sign the two agreement letters with the signatures of two witnesses clearly stated."

Maeve laughs at the wit and courage of the girl who grew up in opera despite not having a good education; Este can learn to read and write and has manners, just like other children.

"Yes, I understand. I will find the witness you need. Once I get it, I'll call you when everything's ready. That's what you want, isn't it?" Maeve said.

"Okay. I would have started leaving this opera if I had gotten the letter of agreement. I'm going out to make money so I can pay you according to our agreement," Este explained.

**To Be Continued**