The Unspeakable Contract

Facing Philip’s request, Rhine’s choice was…

With a look of utter bewilderment, Rhine thought, ‘What choice do I even have? They even thoughtfully prepared the letter of appointment for me! My vacation just began and it’s already over. Thanks a lot!’

‘Question: As a formal manservant, how should one serve the Young Miss?’

‘Answer: Be tempted by white stockings, be pressed beneath her skirt as a human cushion, have your privacy stripped bare and measured at length, have your diary flipped through and be mocked as a small fry…’

‘Boys, when you’re out and about, you absolutely must protect yourselves, or you’ll end up like Rhine, a pitiful young man treated like a girl, abducted into a noble household to be manhandled by an abominable Young Miss.’

‘As if!’

Rhine curled his lips, already clutching the letter of appointment in his chest pocket that morning, and steeled himself to knock on the culprit’s boudoir door.

‘If she doesn’t open the door, I’ll just keep stalling. One day at a time, that’s my motto. I really trust you, so please don’t open the door…’

Creak. The wooden door opened decisively, revealing the Young Miss standing dazed at the doorway, her hand still on the doorknob.

Rhine, who had just lowered his head, preparing to leave, found his gaze frozen on the girl’s exquisite, alluring bare feet.

“Wait, wait, wait—what’s happening? The door opened? Audrey…” Rhine’s thoughts raced. ‘I didn’t look, oh no, I can’t look up. Ugh, just one glance then. A glance doesn’t count as looking, right?’

His eyes climbed from her soles upwards: long, smooth, fair legs; a slender, graceful, captivating waist; a youthfully rounded, alluring backside…

In previous, unfortunate initial encounters, Rhine had always been forced to endure all of this. Now, actively appreciating them, the impact on the young boy, whose heart had not yet awakened to romance, was truly extraordinary.

Continuing his upward gaze—barely concealed by the translucent white nightgown, the girl’s stomach was perfectly flat; moving further up, his eyes reached the captivating undulations he had so longed for, as a sweet fragrance seemed to emanate from her ample curves. Framed by her mature collarbones, she exuded an even more sensual charm; one strap of her nightgown had slipped down her delicate, fragrant shoulder, creating a sweet and innocent contrast that was utterly irresistible.

The noble Young Miss, still bearing a touch of morning grumpiness, had her messy gray hair casually draped over her shoulders, uncombed. It wasn’t until Rhine found himself uncontrollably scrutinizing her breathtakingly beautiful face, unadorned by makeup, that sleepy-eyed Audrey, rubbing her eyes, realized their gazes had met.

She had thought it was the maid who had come to tend to her! A blush of shame crept up Audrey’s delicate earlobes, and her azure eyes betrayed a fleeting moment of panic as she tried to conceal herself.

“Young Miss, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my leave now~”

“No, you cannot leave.”

Half a head taller than Rhine, Audrey grabbed his hand with a grin. The die was cast; a predatory glint unconsciously emerged at the corner of her eyes.

‘Even if it meant sacrificing her dignity as a Young Miss, she couldn’t let the meat at her mouth escape! Besides, he had already had his fill of eye candy, so wasn’t she allowed to collect some interest back?’

Audrey attempted an over-the-shoulder throw, but this time, Rhine was ready. Having practiced swordsmanship for nearly three weeks, he nimbly stabilized his lower body, and the maneuver failed. Undeterred, she shifted to a different hold—a shoulder throw. The unexpected move caught him off guard, and he was hoisted and thrown into the room.

The door was swiftly closed by Audrey’s jade-like foot.

Poor Rhine, his first entry into a maiden’s boudoir was utterly devoid of ceremony, and he was once again thrown to the ground by a grappling technique.

Three minutes later…

Tied securely to a chair, his hands bound behind his back, Rhine, utterly devoid of the will to live, resignedly allowed Audrey to massage his shoulder and neck from behind.

“Why a massage?”

Such a wholesome turn of events made him somewhat uncomfortable.

“Don’t ask so many questions! Tell me—what exactly was your intention in knocking on my door today?”

“What intentions could I possibly have? What value could a little girl like you possibly have? If I had intentions, why wouldn’t I go bother your father? Am I lusting after your body?!”

“…Ahem. Did you just say something rather outrageous?” Audrey’s hands paused for a moment, and she spoke, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“Something outrageous?”

“Still playing dumb? It seems it’s time to put my ‘Great Memory Restoration Technique’ into practice.”

Donning an outer skirt, Audrey scurried towards her wardrobe, leaving Rhine utterly bewildered and tied to the spot, wearing an expression of utter confusion.

Looking around, Audrey’s boudoir resembled a small library, with various bookshelves lining the walls and a dazzling array of manuscripts neatly spread across her desk.

Rhine squinted, focusing his gaze. Each book on the desk bore a distinctive title:

‘3D Dissection Diagrams of Crayfish’

‘Male Human Anatomy’

‘Elementary Potionology’

‘Magical Creatures’

‘Postpartum Care for Dairy Cows’

‘The Fallen Young Master Becomes the Noble Miss’s Exclusive Beloved Manservant’

‘What on earth did she study every day?’

After a while, Audrey carefully returned, carrying a basin of white swan feathers, and then retrieved a small, spiky board from under her bed.

“These are the torture devices you spoke of? This is child’s play. They’re far from what I’ve seen: like driving heated needles under the fingernails, water dripping on the forehead, or slowly shaving off toenails piece by piece with a blunt knife…”

“Hmph, hmph. Pain-based torture is outdated. You’re about to experience a brand new form of torment.”

Without a word, Audrey gently pressed a button, and the board, fixed in the chair’s grooves, extended its restraints, locking Rhine’s calves and rendering him completely immobile.

The corners of her mouth curved upward as she slowly, inch by inch, peeled off Rhine’s black stockings.

“Your feet are so fair, tsk-tsk, not even a single leg hair can be seen~ How strange. If I hadn’t personally confirmed it, I wouldn’t believe you were a boy… Uh, why, why is there a fragrance? Did you intentionally apply scented soap? Shameless!”

‘Who’s shameless now?!’ Rhine’s integrity and sense of shame wrestled within him, suppressing the urge to strike her down. Yet, a strange, unknown excitement welled up within him.

‘Well, I’m just curious what she’s going to do next,’ he rationalized. ‘It’s not like anything serious will happen. Let her play for a bit.’

“Tell me, what exactly are your intentions?”

Like children playing house, Rhine naturally cooperated by flatly denying everything.

“Then, don’t blame me for not holding back.”

Audrey swallowed, then lifted his tender sole and tentatively extended a feather—

“Eep!”

“Did you just… make a very cute sound?”

“You must have misheard.”

“Oh?” Audrey winked mischievously, continuing to tickle him with the feather, clearly amused.

“Eep! Ah, woe! The Black Dragon’s claws, how sharp and keen! A perilous path, a most tragic scene!”

“Hmm~ What are you saying? Say it again for this young miss to hear.”

Audrey cupped her smooth cheek, looking up at Rhine’s unyielding face from below, his little pearls (tears) stubbornly swirling in his eyes.

‘How could someone be so adorable?’ she mused. ‘Doesn’t this pitiful look just make me want to bully him even more fiercely?’

She donned a resolute expression, grinning sincerely as if making a prior declaration to Rhine:

“Bear with it; Big Sis is going all out now.”

The effeminate young man’s body was naturally more sensitive than an average person’s. As large clusters of feathers were brushed against his precious, vulnerable soles, Rhine’s eyes glazed over, forming swirling vortexes.

‘He’s done for!’

Rhine’s mind went blank, his body convulsing as he babbled incoherent, dramatic verses from old plays, his composure utterly shattered by the relentless assault.

After tirelessly ’tilling’ below for several minutes, the incessant cries from above gradually subsided.

Strands of saliva stretched from his moist red lips, staining his manservant uniform, and his calves were still twitching and jerking.

Rhine, utterly devoid of the will to live, turned his head to the side, as if his soul had left his body, letting Audrey do as she pleased.

‘It’s over,’ he thought. ‘It’s all your fault.’

Knock, knock, knock. A rhythmic knocking sounded from outside the door.

“Young Miss, may I come in?”

‘Ah, the maid for my hair has arrived,’ Audrey realized.

“Please wait a moment; I need to get dressed first!”

Audrey frantically tidied up the mess, whispering into Rhine’s ear:

“Hey, get up for a second; someone’s coming in.”

Rhine remained unresponsive, as if his internal program had crashed.

“Good heavens, I have no choice but to resort to this.”

With a sudden heave, Audrey lifted him, chair and all, and shoved him wholesale into the spacious wardrobe, then kicked all the feathers under the bed before calling to the maid waiting outside the door.

“Come in.”

Creak. The wooden door opened, and the elegant Young Miss sat quietly before her dressing mirror, beautiful as a fairy stepping out of a painting.

“Good morning, Young Miss.”

“Good morning.”

Audrey nodded slightly, and without another word, the maid patiently began to style her smooth gray hair.

This tranquil and harmonious scene was suddenly broken by a rumbling commotion emanating from the wardrobe.

“Young Miss, is there something in the wardrobe…?”

“Don’t mind it. It’s just some small animals I bought from the market.”

“Understood.”

“Mmph—mmph—”

“Uh, Young Miss, are you certain they’re really just small animals, and not… something else?”

“I said they are, so they are.”

‘What’s the big deal? Aren’t humans animals too?’ Audrey thought.

The maid obediently refrained from asking further. After finishing Audrey’s hair, she respectfully exited the room.

As soon as she was gone, Audrey quickly pulled open the wardrobe door, a hint of playful reproach in her expression.

“I told you to be quiet! Don’t…”

Boom! Before Audrey could react, Rhine, like a fierce tiger, pinned her to the ground. His face flushed crimson, he gasped, exhaling misty white breaths.

“Woman, you are playing with fire.”

The tables had turned.

“Ahem~ A boy’s desires are troublesome, aren’t they? Such transgressive behavior during puberty can be understood, but—”

Audrey suddenly kicked her leg out towards Rhine’s crotch, then, with a nimble grappling move, flipped him onto the large bed.

It had to be said, Rhine was truly light. As a human sandbag for training, he was a perfect match.

“How can a servant be above their master?”

Rhine, curling into a protective ball, raised his hands in a gesture of swift and total surrender.

“No, no, no, you win. Let’s stop here for today; I confess.”

“Confess what?”

He shakily rose from the bed and pulled the frilly envelope from his handkerchief pocket.

“Sigh, this is the manservant’s letter of appointment your father gave me. You just need to sign it, and it becomes a formal contract.”

“It’s covered in your saliva.”

“Clearly, that’s your fault, alright?”

“Let’s air it out and see if it’s still usable.”

Audrey silently avoided the saliva as she opened the envelope. After a quick glance at the letter of appointment, she pressed her lips together and remained silent for a long time, that unspeakable melancholy seemingly returning to her willow-like brows.

For Rhine, a master-servant contract was nothing more than a scrap of paper; as an outlaw, he naturally had little to worry about.

But for Audrey, this contract was a solemn agreement, a ten-year commitment.

Rhine didn’t expect her to sign her name at all, because, ultimately, they were both the same kind of people—the kind who would rather be alone than get too entangled with others.

It wasn’t until his pupils constricted as he watched the girl pick up a quill and inscribe elegant handwriting in the signature area:

Audrey Merlin

“Ahem—”

The unfathomable Young Miss returned to her usual high spirits, holding the letter of appointment and proclaiming loudly:

“Effective immediately, Rhine Green shall serve as my formal manservant, braving fire and water for my great cause! And Audrey Merlin, as an excellent master, shall defend Rhine Green’s rightful privileges within the Norman Empire!”

“Wait, how did you know?!” Rhine asked, startled, and tried to cast a spell to prevent future trouble, but no matter how he urged it, his soul instinctively resisted the casting.

The starry eyes of the Young Miss playfully winked at him.

“It’s a secret.”