《Betrayal of Dignity》 Chapter 1 Episode 1 Chapter 1: An Illustrated Birch Tree Invitation The smell of roses permeated the air during May in Swan city, the capital of Swanton Kingdom. Although Aunt Talbot¡¯s house, where Alice and Chloe had taken up residence, was far away from the city centre, the scent of roses had managed to invade the house with the gently blowing spring breeze, ¡°I feel dizzy¡­ I must have smelt too much perfume in the dressing room earlier.¡± Alice announced wearily as she flopped down on her bed. If Verdier, her father, had seen her do such a thing, he would¡¯ve scolded her for being so unladylike. ¡°But how could you skip dinner? Auntie will be worried.¡± Chloe asked, concerned, as she opened the bedroom window. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she be happy to wash her hands of me?¡± ¡°Alice.¡± The sisters were well aware that Mrs Talbot, who absolutely detested guests, only took them in for the social season. It had been two years since the long war had ended, and the kingdom had finally found some stability. It was high time Alice found herself a nice groom. ¡°It will be better this way as I won¡¯t have to tighten my corset tomorrow morning. But sister, aren¡¯t your legs hurting? You had to run about for quite a while in search of the dressing room because that bloody horseman was mooching around.¡± Alice frowned when she noticed Chloe putting down her cane. Chloe smiled in return, hiding her left leg as it began to stiffen. ¡°If you¡¯re aware that I worked hard, you must be at your best tomorrow. You know you can¡¯t make trouble like last time, don¡¯t you?¡±¡± During the last social season as well, Alice had stayed at Aunt Talbot¡¯s residence. As she had just reached adulthood, and because of her striking beauty, Alice had been invited to over twenty parties. However, her third party at a Count¡¯s residence had caused quite a scene. She had drunk five glasses of Sherry, gotten totally hammered, caused a commotion, and returned unconscious on a servant¡¯s back. Her aunt had been taking an active stance in finding a groom for Alice and she was horrified to see such chaos unfold. Alice was labelled a disgrace, and that she would be hard-pressed to find a suitor who would possibly accept the Talbot family. ¡°It was so boring that I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Alice laughed, oblivious to Chloe¡¯s feelings. ¡°But I think it will be much better if I go with you this time, sister. I will dance with you¡± They had thought Alice wouldn¡¯t get any invites this year since last year¡¯s mayhem had created quite a buzz. However, just a month ago, an unexpected invitation arrived at the Verdier residence. How surprised their father, Viscount Verdier, was when they received an invitation with a birch seal. ¡°C¡­ Chloe. daughter. As far as I know, there is only one nobleman who uses a birch seal in the kingdom¡­ Am I wrong?¡± ¡°No. I think it¡¯s the invitation from Duke Tisse.¡±, ¡°Oh, God!¡± Her father, who had been away from church for a long time after her mother died, was looking for God. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Alice. You have to behave really well tomorrow.¡± It was a ball hosted by the duke and no one else. Damien Ernst von Tisse. The power of the young duke, the only son of the duke who led the great victory of the war and succeeded the family early due to the death of his father, was great. His territory is in the northern Tisse region, but the villa he had in Swan was rumored to be as beautiful as the royal palace. It was no exaggeration to say that there would be more roses in the villa than the roses in the entire city, which was given when his mother and current king¡¯s sister, Duchess, received gifts from her father when she was a princess. There were countless steps between the Duke of Tisse, the King¡¯s nephew, the war hero, and the Viscount, who managed a small estate in the countryside. One could think of it as the distance from the edge of a church steeple, the tallest building in the capital, to the ground. ¡°For the sake of kindness to the respected person who invited you.¡± It was a great honor to have been invited to a party where all of Swanton¡¯s high-ranking nobles were gathered, but Alice¡¯s face was only somber. ¡°Yes, Yes. All right. I¡¯ll dress up like a doll and go dance with all the men there, sipping lemonade instead of alcohol like a lady.¡± Chloe¡¯s heart, who was leaning against the window on the second floor under the shadow of the Birch tree, became a little heavy. As she approached her bed, limping her legs, Alice turned and looked at her. Chloe whispered softly as she arranged Alice¡¯s curly hair that ran down her beautiful forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alice.¡± Although she became an adult, she¡¯s a kid who likes running through the meadows more than attending formal parties. Chloe felt like she had placed a heavy burden on Alice, and she was hardly at ease. Maybe her father would feel the same too. ¡°What are you sorry about? If someone is at fault, it must be our Viscount Verdier, who loved our mother so much that he spent all his fortune on the hospital bills and failed to manage his estate.¡± Chloe gently patted Alice¡¯s shoulder as she pouted and calmed her down. ¡°It¡¯s not just our father¡¯s fault that there had been poor crops for three years. Typhoons and droughts are the domain of God. Even if he couldn¡¯t speak, he¡¯d be a lot more sorry for you now, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Even in this situation, my sister does not resent the father.¡± ¡°You should because we are family. That¡¯s obvious.¡± As Chloe gave a faint smile, Alice let out a long sigh. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know Chloe¡¯s heart that she was Alice. If it had been Chloe, she would have been militantly attending every party in the capital to rescue her family from debt and find a husband. Only if she¡­..could, ¡°When I see my sister, I think I should come to my senses.¡± Alice lifted her head which was buried, and sat down. She wrapped her arms around Chloe¡¯s waist and laid side by side on her bed, then blinked her eyes. ¡°Sister. But I thought I was going to marry someone who completely stole my heart.¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe a nice gentleman will come to the party tomorrow and steal your heart.¡± Alice chuckled as Chloe lowered her voice. She felt as if she had returned to her childhood, she giggled on the bed. ¡°I still can¡¯t forget the look on my father¡¯s face when checking the party invitation. It was as if he had been called upon by His Majesty the King, wasn¡¯t it?¡± It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re not a part of any political party, how influential or not these countryside nobles are; They will all tremble in fear when they hear Tisse¡¯s name Perhaps all the nobles who are considered to be the best will attend the party tomorrow, so it was only natural for the Viscount to be nervous at the invitation. Chloe didn¡¯t want to burden Alice any longer, so she gently brushed her hair. ¡°At first, I was bewildered because I wanted to know what Tisse had to do with our family, but I later remembered what Uncle Chester had said before.¡± ¡°What did Mr. Chester say?¡± ¡°During the war, our father gave up his castle to the duke¡¯s soldiers. He (Chester) complained that our property was wiped out because he (father) swarmed and treated injured and beggar-like people.¡± Chester, the butler, had a habit of lightening his mouth when he got drunk. He seemed to have said useless things to Alice, who was not familiar with the situation because she was studying at the monastery at the time. Well, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s not true, though. ¡°Yes. But father is grateful that he was invited because the duke did not forget that fact and remembered it.¡± Chloe sighed. Looking through the window, the deeper the night, the heavier her heart felt at the thought that tomorrow was getting closer. ¡°Sister. Actually, you don¡¯t want to go either, do you?¡± At the words of Alice who suddenly raised her head and asked, Chloe blinked involuntarily. She didn¡¯t think Alice was that smart. As expected, the sisters thought alike. ¡°I was reluctant because the rumors weren¡¯t very good.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t good? The mistress has given birth to one or two illegitimate children, but everyone says they were silently killed off.¡± ¡°Alice.¡± Chloe could also guess where the rumor Alice was talking about came from. Recently, it was clear that the capital had acquired gossip newspapers being published without the permission of the royal palace. ¡°His personality is a total mess, and if he sees something wrong, he¡¯ll completely lay down the nobility or whatever. There are overwhelming opinions that it would have been nice if he had died on the battlefield¡­.¡± Chloe¡¯s delicate hand finally covered Alice¡¯s squeamish lips lightly. ¡°Anyway, it is true that it was an undeserved invitation from our position.¡± ¡°But sister, why did you ask our father not to go?¡± Chloe paused and asked again with a nonchalant expression on her face. ¡°Did our father say that?¡± ¡°No. Uncle Chester.¡± Apparently, after several servants resigned, the butler seemed to lack people to chat with. ¡°Actually, I was surprised that sister said something like that, but it was even more surprising that father did not comply with that request. Father doesn¡¯t like sister leaving the house.¡± Viscount Verdier did not welcome Chloe, who had an injured leg after suffering from a fever, to leave the castle. It was all the more so after losing their mother due to illness. ¡°If possible, father respects and follows sister¡¯s opinion.¡± After their mother died, Chloe was also forced to serve as hostess of the castle in place of the heartbroken Viscount. Originally, her meticulous and calm personality was further strengthened due to the surrounding environment. ¡°When he said you weren¡¯t going to attend, I thought about it deeply and told to leave¡­.¡± Alice paused her speech for a moment, frowned and rolled her eyes. ¡°Father is more like a vicious matchmaker!¡± Chloe let out a small laugh and took Alice into her arms. She now holds her sister, who is now taller than her, in her arms, and she stroked her hair as her mother always did in her old days. ¡°Shall we just go home early tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Sheesh. I don¡¯t like it.¡± Alice muttered in her arms with a slightly tired voice. She was very tired as she had been dragged by her aunt for a long time today, putting on and taking off her dress several times. Chapter 2 NY Episode 2 TL: Jasmine A small round table was seen over Alice¡¯s shoulder. A card placed beautifully in the middle. When she saw the birch pattern on the stamped seal, Chloe closed her eyes tightly. The invitation to the party sent by the Duke was so simple that it was embarrassing to call it an invitation. There was no such thing called boring but a formal invitation that nobles deserve. It was just that the place and time of the party, and the name of the invited person were written. It was also true that he (Duke) was frowned upon at this attitude but he was well aware that there would not be anyone in the kingdom who had the courage to refuse this invitation. ¡°He must be more brutal now, right¡­.?¡± When Chloe muttered to herself, Alice lifted her head from her arms. ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Chloe shook her head in a hurry. Alice continued to speak slowly with her eyes half closed with a sleeping face. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not because of rumors. I don¡¯t like Tisse.¡± ¡°¡­.. Why?¡± ¡°After the duke¡¯s army left the castle in a mess, sister became very ill. I remember, when I came back home because it was vacation, but the castle was in such a mess and you were in severe pain, that father wouldn¡¯t even let me enter your room.¡± Uncle Chester said Lady Chloe, who was weak, must have been infected by the injured soldiers. To make matters worse, natural disasters began to occur that year, and the harvest of crops also decreased by one-tenth. So, the feud between Verdier and the Duke started from that time. ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t want to go? You were afraid that something unlucky would happen again if we got tangled up with Tisse.¡± After reaching her own conclusion, Alice managed to lift her eyelids, which were getting heavier, and looked at Chloe. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go to the party tomorrow and behave like a lady. So I need to find a groom enough to bend the nose of Duke Tisse.¡± Chloe smiled at her younger sister, thinking whether it would be possible to find someone comparable to the power of the Tisse family in the kingdom. ¡°Yes, I feel reassured because of you, Alice.¡± Alice muttered in a determined voice for a long time to surprise her aunt with the number of guests visiting for herself and fell asleep before she knew it. Chloe carefully stepped out of bed after confirming that Alice¡¯s breathing sound was deepening. A river breeze flowed in through the slightly open window. It¡¯s a summer night, but she was worried that Alice might catch a cold. After closing the window, Chloe sat with her legs stretched out in the chair and pounded her clenched thighs. Her legs hurted because she walked for a long time. She wondered if she should apply poultice, but she quit because it would be cumbersome to call a maid. (T/N: Poultice- a soft, moist mass of material, typically consisting of bran, flour, herbs, etc., applied to the body to relieve soreness and inflammation and kept in place with a cloth.) ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s not be afraid.¡± Unlike Alice, Chloe had never left Verdier castle except when she was young enough that her memories were faint. She tried not to show her sister, but it was natural that she was still nervous from the two days before arriving at Swan. As soon as her aunt looked through her trunk on the day of arrival, she urged her to go to the most popular dressing room in the downtown area the next day, saying there was no proper dress. ¡°Does he have any intention in marrying off his daughter?¡± The dress Alice wore last year still seemed new, but Mrs. Talbot openly scolded her, saying she was far behind the trend. As a result, they went around the dressing room five times to find dresses, and eventually bought a customized dress for young ladies who were unable to attend due to illness for a high price. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to dance, but as long as you follow Alice, you have to be formal.¡± As Mrs. Talbot said, Chloe was not happy to buy a dress for herself, who couldn¡¯t even dance. However, after being told that showing up in shabby clothes was not polite to the person who invited her, and she could not disgrace the person she was with, Chloe took out a gold coin from the pocket she was holding like a treasure. Chloe tried to hide the slight trembling of her paying hand, but in vain. ¡°I can see why the Viscount sent you two without an escort. Are you completely out of money in the house? It must be hard to go on a trip.¡± Mrs. Talbot¡¯s eyes were sharp. Verdier estate has been suffering from a series of natural disasters in recent years that have led to poor harvests. To make matters worse, the stock invested by her father plunged and the misfortune overlapped. Chloe knew about it. Still, she believed that they could overcome it by tightening the belt a little more, but the family¡¯s financial status was worse than expected. It was shortly after the Duke sent a party invitation that she learned of her father¡¯s hidden debt. (T/N: ¡°tightening the belt¡±: it means to reduce miscellaneous spendings and etc), ¡°I should have thanked him¡­ Right?¡± Chloe sighed quietly as she looked at the invitation she tried to ignore. Upon hearing the news in advance, the face of Mrs. Talbot, who was making a fuss as soon as the sisters arrived, came to mind. She had been hearing for nearly two days that it¡¯s an honor to be invited to the Rose Castle party hosted by Duke Tisse. Of course, Chloe had no intention to deny her words either. In the southwest of the kingdom, sending a party invitation to the daughters of the poor Viscount, who is a landlord of a small estate, can be seen as a consideration to pay back the debt during the war. It was not known whether Duke Tisse knew about Alice¡¯s incident in Swan last year. However, the fact that she was invited by him alone will raise Alice¡¯s reputation. Many nobles would be interested if it was known that she had a relationship with the Duke, and Alice was likely to meet a really good groom tomorrow. However, Chloe was anxious. Swan¡¯s summer breeze, which contains the scent of roses, left a strange residual feeling instead of freshness. She fastened the lock of the hinged window[1] and turned around. ¡°Look at the condition of your legs. Is it hereditary?¡± Her cane, which had been gently placed on the wall, fell on the floor. Chloe gently bit her lips as she saw the rolling cane. Even after a long time, she couldn¡¯t forget his cold voice. ¡°If you play by your emotions, you have no choice but to lose. Likewise, if you refuse to comply emotionally with orders, you can¡¯t win a fight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a war soldier, duke.¡± Chloe, who missed the basket, staggered up. The duke, who approached while stepping on the fallen petals, bowed his head and made eye contact with Chloe. ¡°The day a person is born, life itself becomes a war. Especially for people like you.¡± ¡°Even so, there is no reason for the Duke to interfere in my life.¡± ¡°Interfere. I¡¯m giving you advice, but seeing that you can¡¯t thank me, you must have been very twisted.¡± The Duke smiled at Chloe, who opened her eyes wide not to cry. He was beautiful as if God itself had made him, but his cold smile made her not want to see him again. Chloe for the first time understood that the devil is beautiful. Chapter 2: That winter. 3 years ago. A small estate in the southwest of the Swanton Kingdom suddenly became busy. It was because the 3rd Royal Army, which retreated from the war, stayed there to reorganize the battle lines. Viscount Verdier, the lord of the small castle, was willing to open the gates for the soldiers and commanders. The soldiers were very tired of the longer-thanexpected war and they were sensitive and rough because the battle was difficult. In the castle, the voices of the wounded soldiers were constantly being heard, and even those in good health would walk around the castle threatening their opponents with their half-beard faces. Verdier Castle had suddenly become a hospital and barracks while the Viscount provided supplies and food for them as much as possible. The Viscount had two daughters. Alice, his younger daughter, was studying at a monastery in Swan, the capital city, but his eldest daughter Chloe was ill and had never left the castle since childhood. With the Viscount trying his best to help the soldiers with his benevolent demeanor, Chloe also took on the role of nursing the wounded soldiers. The injured soldiers mistook her for a servant, and spared no effort in their mischief towards her, and sometimes uttered insulting words. When someone called her ¡°sluggy,¡± servant Gray, who was helping Chloe, grabbed the soldier by the collar. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Gray. Isn¡¯t that true?¡± Chloe stopped him not only because those who uttered sharp words were sick and sensitive patients but her mother emphasized to her until her death. ¡°It is the duty of a noble to help the poor and sick, Chloe.¡± Although she was uncomfortable, Chloe, who learned the qualities of an aristocrat from an early age, had learned how to hide the agitation of emotions and maintain calmness. ¡°Chloe, why don¡¯t you leave nursing to other servants?¡± However, when Viscount Verdier carefully spoke with a mixed face, she decided to follow her father¡¯s words. It was heartbreaking to see her father¡¯s expression noticeably darkened when he heard the soldiers were ignoring her. The army stayed in the castle for about fifteen days. Chloe spent the last five days quietly reading in her bedroom. The noise outside could not be completely blocked, due to which she was not able to concentrate. She would occasionally close her curtains completely and play the piano whenever she heard vulgar swear words about their enemies or erotic jokes that made Chloe¡¯s face flush red. That night. The first time she saw Duke Tisse was an exceptionally quiet night. Usually, it was normal to be noisy until the campfire of the barracks, which was lit at night to avoid the cold, went out, but for some reason, strange silence began to flow between the soldiers from noon. ¡°Attention, everyone!¡± Chloe, who was reading a book by the window, raised her head at the voice of someone shouting. When she slightly lifted the curtain and looked out the window, she could see someone walking out of the backyard of the torch-lit castle. [1] Chapter 3 Episode 3 TL: Jasmine ¡°Salute to the commander!¡± The wounded, who were bandaged here and there, also gathered up in lines and bowed to the man. It was the first time Chloe had actually seen the commander, who only walked in and out of the barracks with the wounded. The tall blonde man was dressed so neatly that it could be believed that he had just attended a ceremony at the royal palace. Chloe blinked quietly, and she secretly opened the curtains a little more. ¡°I heard the obituary of the commander of the 1st Army, who headed south this afternoon.¡± The place where it had always been noisy was quiet. The sound of cuckoos sitting on the tree was so loud that she could hear it. ¡°As everyone knows, the commander of the 1st Army of the Kingdom is my father, Duke William Von Tisse.¡± Chloe paused for a moment, then exhaled a little. Her hand holding the curtain trembled. ¡°It is said that the enemy had his head cut off, and hung on the wall,¡± There was no agitation in his voice announcing his father¡¯s disastrous death. In the five-year war, the man who went up to the commander¡¯s position was said to be twenty-two years old. Chloe was overwhelmed by the calmness of the man who was only three years older than her and held her breath ¡°Do you want to go back home?¡± The soldier who received a sudden question from his superior could not easily answer. The commander approached him and asked again, ¡°Does it mean you don¡¯t want to go back?¡± ¡°¡­..I want to go back!!¡± After hesitation, the soldier shouted loudly. ¡°Why?¡± The soldier answered the commander who asked the obvious question. ¡°My wife, who was pregnant when I set out, is waiting at home. She gave birth to our child alone, but I haven¡¯t seen my son yet!¡± ¡°I see. Do you want to go back too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!!¡± After being asked, the soldier raised his voice even louder. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It bothers me that I left my sick mother alone. Without me¡­she can¡¯t even move by herself.¡± ¡°I have to work so that my younger sibling doesn¡¯t get hungry!!¡± Chloe could also clearly hear the cry in the voices of those who were asked one after another. Chloe¡¯s eyes were also moistened. After hearing the story of the last soldier, the commander finally raised his voice. ¡°The reasons why we have to end the war and go back home are so full and overflowing, and I¡¯m no different It means the same goes for me, who has to pick up the gun without recovering my father¡¯s body, let alone having his funeral.¡± The sound of soldiers inhaling quietly as if swallowing tears came from here and there. ¡°Two days later, we will cross the mountain range again. We will raise our guns even if we are tired, injured, cold, and hungry. Is it for the country? No! It¡¯s to protect our precious people!¡± She had the illusion that the commander¡¯s words resonated throughout the castle. Chloe gently placed her hand over her chest, lub-dub, lub-dub she felt her heart beating hard and loud without realizing it. The man¡¯s words had the power to make the audience listen to him. ¡°Are you desperate? Do you want to go back?¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± ¡°How desperate are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m desperate enough to give my heart!!¡± The youngest-looking soldier shouted with a bandage on his arm. His face was a mess with tears. ¡°It is not God¡¯s will to win or lose the war. If we lose this war, it means only one thing! It would be a proof that they were more desperate.¡± ¡°No way!!¡± The soldiers now shouted with all their might. The sound of their shouts that they would fight to death shook the castle. ¡°I will not back down. I will not bring defeat to my soldiers. In the name of my dead father, I will add another flag of victory to the Tisse family. Not for the country. It¡¯s only for myself!!¡± It was dangerous for the commander of the royal army to say, but no one could object to him. It is because of the sincerity overflowing in his eyes and voice. ¡°No other commander is better than me. I¡¯ve been proving it every moment, and so will this time. I will do anything to bring victory to my army. Because that is Tisse¡¯s pride and dignity. So now it¡¯s your turn to prove the earnestness you told me.¡± Now the atmosphere between the soldiers has changed completely. Their eyes, full of despair and resignation, shone with a sense of victory. The voices of soldiers vowing to be loyal resonated from everywhere. ¡°This¡­Is it a speech¡­?¡¯ She had read books saying that a great leader is an orator, but she never actually experienced it. In this situation, there was one thing Chloe could definitely recognize. That person is serious. Chloe¡¯s two cheeks, which were always pale, heated up when she remembered it. Chloe was concentrating on him, unknowingly pulling all the curtains and opening the window. ¡°Let¡¯s go back home with the flag of proud victory in our hearts. People will praise the achievements of the great soldiers who have won the hardest battle, and your family will be honored for generations. I¡¯m sure, the same goes for me.¡± ¡°Uwah!!¡± The soldiers raised their fists up and shouted his name. Chloe stared intently as the man turned his head slowly, making eye contact with the soldiers, one by one. And ¡°Ha¡­!¡± He made eye contact with her. Chloe fell off the window in surprise at the sight of him exactly looking at her as if he knew the hidden audience from the beginning. She breathed heavily against the wall next to the window, but belatedly realized that she had not turned off the lamp light on the table and bit her lips. It was natural that the room lit in the dark would have looked bright. Chloe barely reached out her arm and closed the curtain, then limped towards the table and blew out the lamp. Darkness sank into the room, but her heart still pounded. Chloe sat carefully in bed. She raised her good leg first, pulled up her weak right leg with her arm, and lay down properly on the bed. One skinny and unsightly leg was revealed through the scattered poplin pajamas. Chloe lowered her clothes down, groomed her appearance, and blinked quietly in the dark. Outside, she could hear the soldiers moving vigorously. When someone brought a late meal, the noise changed even more loudly. Damien Ernst von Tisse. ¡°He is a great person.¡¯ It was Chloe¡¯s first impression of the commander. Even in crisis situations, he was a calm, strong man with energy that overwhelmed the audience. If it were, her. Could she have said that even after hearing the news that her father was killed? Ha. Just imagining her father¡¯s death made her shudder. She lied down with her eyes closed and tried to sleep, but she couldn¡¯t sleep at all. Chloe finally opened her eyes gently and stood up and sat back down. Outside the window, she could still hear soldiers talking along with the sound of burning a bonfire. That man probably went back inside the barracks. He¡¯ll be there trying to prove what he said. ¡°Please¡­.. help them win. So that soldiers can go back home¡­ To protect precious people¡­.¡± Evening prayers had long ended, but Chloe put her hands together again. And she prayed earnestly that everyone could return to a peaceful daily life Early in the morning the next morning. Chloe got up from her seat with a light heart. The sky was blue when she opened the curtain. The blue sky at dawn was also Chloe¡¯s favorite color. Darkness that embraces the brightness which is different from the night sky. Sometimes on a clear day where she could see the purple dawn in the sky, was beautiful enough to make her stop breathing and stare blankly. Squeak. Chloe prepared familiarly and hurried out of the room. It was troublesome when her maid Mary woke up, so she had to move quickly. After carefully passing the stairwell quarters where the weary servants were sleeping soundly, she passed the kitchen and exited the castle. The barracks were full of soldiers, so it was better to use the side road next to the stable. (T/N: stairwell- a shaft in a building in which a staircase is built.) ¡°¡­ Lady Chloe.¡± Next to the stable, Gray saw her and opened his mouth. It was a long time ago that Uncle Chester brought a child who was being beaten in the market. Gray¡¯s weakness was that he spoke less and woke up faster than anyone else in the morning. ¡°Hello, Gray. Good morning.¡± ¡°What are you doing in the forest early in the dawn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to pick some herbs.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a herb, I¡¯ll pick it up for you.¡± Gray looked at her and spoke politely. It was a long time ago that he spoke informally to Chloe and was scolded a lot by Uncle Chester, and now Gray was treating Chloe politely like a complete servant. ¡°Aye. Are you going to surprise me by picking the leaves of the silver bell flower?¡± Gray¡¯s face turned a little red as he remembered his past of picking poisonous herbs that resemble medicinal plants instead. ¡°I¡¯m not like that anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved, but I¡¯ll go there myself, Mr. Gray Wilson.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still dangerous. The weather is very cold.¡± Ahem, Chloe cleared her throat by looking at Gray hesitating with a face of concern. This was the reason why she woke up early without her servants knowing: The servants in Verdier Castle were too worried about the weak lady. In particular, the boy with black eyes in front of her, she added, ¡°Gray. Did you do all the homework I gave you?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Gray nodded. Chloe felt somewhat envious when she saw Uncle Chester¡¯s old vest, which had come down to his waist when he first wore it, sprung up. He is the same age as her younger sister Alice, both Alice and Gray grew up tall like young shoots, next to her. ¡°Homework, do you want to see?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. But can I take the test right now?¡± Gray stood there speechless, with a face flushed in red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chloe muttered as she walked past him, avoiding his gaze as if she was not confident enough to take the test yet. Even if you stay low now, when the dawn breaks you will have more chances to stand out ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back. It¡¯s a secret from others. Got it?¡± Chapter 4 Episode 4 TL: Jasmine ¡°¡­Lady Chloe.¡± Gray moved his lips behind Chloe, who opened the fence and walked slowly. Chloe turned around and looked at him with a cane on the ground. ¡°Yes, what?¡± ¡°Mr. Chester bought me a horse. It¡¯s in the stable right now. I¡¯ve been to the forest with it several times.¡± The reason why Chester, famous for being stingy, bought Gray a horse was probably to make him work more, but it was a good thing for him anyway. It was nice to see Gray, who was less talkative, talking a lot, so Chloe smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s great. Alice learned horseback riding, so you both can ride horses together later. I think she¡¯ll be relieved if you¡¯re next to her because she¡¯s clumsy.¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Nothing, have a safe trip.¡± Gray hesitated as if he had something to say but she headed to the forest, leaving Gray shaking his head behind. It was something to celebrate that Gray had a horse, but she couldn¡¯t help but be envious. It was not easy for her to go outside, let alone horseback riding, because her leg was uncomfortable. The servants weren¡¯t pleased to see her stumble and walk dangerously. She didn¡¯t want to bother servants who were noticeably nervous in case of an accident. It was the same for her father, Viscount Verdier, to worry about her. Alice, an active tomboy, has expanded her horizons by visiting relatives¡¯ houses from place to place since she was young, but all Chloe could do was stay quiet in the castle and concentrate on embroidery or piano. ¡­.she wanted to be a person of any use. Since her mother passed away last year, Chloe¡¯s desire has grown a little. In fact, the biggest thing she could do for her family as the eldest daughter of the family was to take the bride¡¯s class and marry a well-to-do aristocrat but for her who was incapacitated, she gave up on it early. Crunch. Ssk. Crunch. Sweat began to form on Chloe¡¯s forehead, who was moving forward with a cane. Just because her leg was uncomfortable didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t do anything as people thought. Chloe learned a lot about first aid from her tutor, Wharton because he was a doctor. Of course, it was for her mother, who had been lying in bed for a long time, but she was happy to think that this time it was of some help to the soldiers as well. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help them because of her father¡¯s concerns, but she wanted to give a small gift to the soldiers who will set out tomorrow. ¡°Oh, there it is.¡± Chloe took the morning dew and carefully picked out the shiny leaves and put them in the basket. It is an herb used medicinally because it has the effect of relieving inflammation when chewed and swallowed. While looking for herbs for the soldiers, she also picked wild flowers that she could see occasionally, When the gardener was sent out after her mother passed away last year, the flower decorations in the castle were completely reduced, making it seem that there were no more. So she felt better just by putting a fresh wild flower on the table that she picked up while taking a walk out secretly. ¡°Haa¡­¡± She was a little thirsty when the basket was half full. Just in time, a small stream hidden in the forest appeared. It was always a place where Chloe rested when taking a walk without her servants knowing. This mountain was a private property of Verdier, so no one could enter, especially this stream, which was a secret place only she knew. The small stream of water flowing cold throughout the four seasons shone under the starlight at night and the sun during the day. When she sat quietly and looked at the water flowing on the rock, she even felt like her mind and heart was being purified. The problem was that an unexpected guest, who she had never expected, took the place first. He stood in a spring so cold that hands would freeze even in summer. It was not deep, so the water reached only till the calves, But no one in their right mind would stand there in the current weather What on earth is he doing? Even if she turned around, she had no choice but to notice at once who he was. It¡¯s because of his perfectly organized outfit. Chloe carefully left without being caught by the commander. She was much lower than him, so she could not pretend to know him in the first place, the time and place were also not suitable for self-introduction. Besides¡­Intuitively, she had a strong feeling that he shouldn¡¯t be disturbed. Let¡¯s go back quietly. Chloe concluded and decided to disappear as soon as possible, but she tripped, perhaps because she was in a hurry. She managed to avoid falling, but the rustle of fallen leaves bearing the chill of early winter, and the sound of crumbling under her cane was unavoidable ¡°What?¡± A sharp voice caught her in the back of the head. Chloe closed and opened her eyes and slowly turned around with her cane. Last night, the commander, Duke Tisse, whom she saw from her window looked so gorgeous that she could not easily take her eyes off. But what made her feel more overwhelming than that is the cold and chilly energy emitting from his whole body. ¡°I asked you what.¡± Walking out of the water, he asked. Chloe, who was staring blankly at the water flowing down from his boots soaking the dry leaves, belatedly came to her senses and gave her greetings. ¡°The introduction is late. I¡¯m Chloe, Viscount Verdie¡¯s eldest daughter. Duke.¡± The moment she bowed politely, the strength in her legs was released because of her tightened body. She thought she was going to fall, but the duke was right in front of her. He held her tight and kept her from falling, but the problem was that he grabbed her so tightly that her arms felt numb. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Fortunately, he let go of her arm, and Chloe stepped back a little, giving strength to the hand holding the cane. ¡°Does Verdier¡¯s eldest daughter has a hobby of peeping at people like a rat?¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes widened a little wide. His eyes were unshakable when he faced her, who couldn¡¯t hide her unfair expression. ¡°Last night and now.¡± Chloe¡¯s lips trembled silently, trying to protest. ¡°I sincerely apologize if you¡¯re offended, but I swear didn¡¯t peek at the Duke or anything today.¡± ¡°Then it was yesterday.¡± Chloe¡¯s neat eyebrows gathered in the middle of her forehead as she lowered her gaze when the duke snorted lightly. She didn¡¯t run, but her heart beat hard, as if she had run. She never had a chance to meet another nobleman because she did not leave outside the castle. Do dukes usually use such rude speech to everyone? ¡°What are you doing here at this hour?¡± Finally, a question that can be answered properly came up. Chloe opened her mouth as calmly as possible, putting her other hand holding the basket forward a little. ¡°I was picking some herbs when I heard that you all were leaving tomorrow.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Chloe blinked a couple of times and then answered, ¡°For all the soldiers participating in the war.¡± The duke snorted a little and came closer. His eyes narrowed as he glanced inside the basket. ¡°Your effort is imaginary. Seeing you shoot yourself through a dangerous forest at dawn like this.¡± Chloe felt more and more strange. No. To be exact, it was right to say that she felt bad. The Duke once again threw unexpected words at Chloe, who said nothing. ¡°The immature Viscount seems to be infested with ambition. Did your father give you an order to seduce me by throwing yourself?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t stand it.¡± Chloe raised her face and raised her voice as she looked at him with trembling eyes. Last night¡¯s admiration for him disappeared like smoke, and only displeasure with the young and arrogant commander soared. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you took care of the injured, whose flesh was rotten and dirty pus was flowing? No matter how small a family is, it is too much for a noble lady to do. Furthermore, with that body.¡± She couldn¡¯t stand what he said at the end, while looking up and down at her, but it was his fundamental misunderstanding that made Chloe even more unbearable. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the status would be an obstacle to helping soldiers who went out to protect their families in the wartime. My late mother stressed that no matter how small a noble family we are, it is natural to help those in need as long as we are aristocrats. That¡¯s the demeanor of an aristocrat¡­.I learned¡± The Duke¡¯s blue eyes resembled the cold dawn light just before dawn. Chloe thought she could no longer like the early morning sky in the future. His perfectly symmetrical lips slowly moved upward in an arc. ¡°You mean it.¡± Chloe opened her eyes wide and looked at him. Her heart pounded like it was going to explode, but she hated it even more when he had a strange misunderstanding. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I believe in Young lady¡¯s belief that she wants to protect the pride of her noble family.¡± Chloe barely endured the urge to shoot at him, saying she didn¡¯t want much of his faith. Maybe Alice would have spit it out at him. However, the opponent was the successor for the Duchy of Tisse, no- he is the Duke of Tisse. ¡°Thank you for the trust.¡± When she bowed her head and greeted, the duke looked at her and slowly moved his lips. ¡°By the way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s greedy and a nuisance to do something beyond your ability?¡± ¡°Why would you say that?¡± No matter how much Chloe thought about it, she had never been greedy. She had tried so hard not to cause, inconvenience to others. Her lips trembled in resentment. ¡°For example, when Young lady was limping between them while treating the injured, could she talk about the demeanor of an aristocrat in front of me even if you know what kind of low-quality joke went on some soldiers¡¯ beds that night?¡± Chapter 5 Episode 5 TL: Jasmine Chloe¡¯s expression hardened. The cold early winter wind dug through her thin clothes. ¡°If the Viscount had heard that, what would have happened? If I were the Viscount, I would have blown the necks of the soldiers who insulted my daughter with a dirty mouth¡± The Duke did not stop talking even after confirming in front of his eyes that Chloe¡¯s face was pale. ¡°War is no joke. It is no longer a tool to satisfy Young lady¡¯s petty compassion. It is natural that the heads of those who witnessed a bullet hole in the forehead of a fellow soldier they were talking to just now are halfinsane. Should I give another example?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough now.¡± Chloe shook her head because her mouth became dry, but the Duke easily ignored her words. ¡°A woman walks through the forest like this at dawn when the darkness is still there. If anything dangerous happens, who should be responsible for it?¡± Chloe barely opened her trembling lips. Chloe wasn¡¯t such a fool that never thought about it. ¡°This forest has been Verdier¡¯s private property even before I was born. It means that it is a safe place where no unauthorized person can enter.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Safe?¡± The duke laughed at her aloud this time. His voice was like a cold winter breeze. The sky was turning purple behind the duke. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s safe¡­.!¡± ¡°I wonder how you could say that.¡± As soon as the duke took away her cane, Chloe¡¯s eyes opened with astonishment. What is he doing right now? As his shadow, one head bigger than her, covered her, instinctive fear flooded in. ¡°W, what are you doing?¡± The duke struck the ground with the cane taken from her. Chloe instinctively lowered her gaze and was surprised as if she would faint at the sound of an animal. Her cane was piercing exactly in the head of a large snake. The snake approached her with it¡¯s head raised, camouflaged it¡¯s body with the color of fallen leaves. The attacked animal twisted its body with its mouth wide open. She could see sharp teeth in that open mouth, and it was clear that something, Duk, duk Fell. Chloe was frightened and stepped back and eventually fell on the floor. The snake, whose body was pierced by her cane, was still moving it¡¯s body with all it¡¯s might just before losing it¡¯s breath. The sound of the snake¡¯s body sweeping the dry leaves was very vivid. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chloe tried to get up, but she couldn¡¯t. The cane was stuck on the floor stabbing the snake, and perhaps because of surprise, there was no strength in her body. ¡°H¡­ Help me.¡± Chloe managed to open her mouth to the Duke, who was watching her with his arms folded. ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t dangerous.¡± Chloe bit her lip as he gave back what she had said. No matter how high-ranking he was, this kind of treatment was not right. ¡°Then¡­ Please return my cane.¡± ¡°Young lady doesn¡¯t have hands? The snake is already dead.¡± As she swallowed her fear, glanced with cloudy eyes, the snake stopped wriggling and drooped. However, it was simply impossible for Chloe to take out her cane, Even if she crawls and barely grabs her cane, how will she deal with the dead body? Just looking at the eyes of the snake, with it¡¯s stretched tongue in its mouth, gave her goosebumps on the back and made her uncomfortable. Chloe touched the soil floor with both hands and stood up with all her might. The duke, who approached late, took out her cane and shook it once to blow the dead body. ¡°It¡¯s broken.¡± There was a crack in the middle of the cane due to hard force applied on it. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to use it until you get back to the castle.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Chloe turned her pale face away from the duke who gave her the broken cane. ¡°¡­Can you excuse me now? As the Duke said, I think should stop taking dangerous walks.¡± ¡°Seeing that you know how to be sarcastic, you have a temper. It¡¯s unexpected because you look different. It¡¯s fresh.¡± Chloe looked at him with a smirk, and unknowingly let out a cry and vomited out. ¡°¡­I want to give it back to the Duke.¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°It means that you can¡¯t judge the content of the book just by looking at the cover.¡± Her ribs are almost hurting because her heart was pounding hard. White breath spread one after another from the Duke¡¯s red lips. The sky in the east, which had been colored with deep purple, was now gradually brightening. The duke looked at her with a smile. ¡°Can I understand the heart of the Viscount, who made his sick daughter wander in front of me?¡± ¡°Duke.¡± ¡°He complimented you so much that his mouth went dry. If it weren¡¯t for the leg, you would have done well if he had sent you to the palace. With tears in his eyes.¡± Chloe rarely felt pure malice toward others as she watched the duke saying those words in a cold voice. It was the first time that she felt that she hated a person since she saw a maid secretly touching her sick mother¡¯s belongings in her childhood. ¡°Raise your skirt.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look at the condition of your legs. Is it hereditary?¡± She knows that her opponent is the duke and commander of the royal army, but that doesn¡¯t mean he can be rude to her in this way. Attacking the opponent¡¯s weakness means that he does not have the basic human principle. Chloe¡¯s voice, who barely opened her mouth, trembled thinly. ¡°Why¡­. are you being so rude to me?¡± Damian smiled brightly as he approached her one step closer. ¡°To ask a question and mistake it for an attack is a paranoid delusion.¡± Chloe¡¯s face was now pale and bloodless. Chloe really hated him. Her hands were sweating, and her heart was beating so violently that it couldn¡¯t beat any more strongly. ¡°Emotionally, you¡¯re going to lose. Likewise, you can¡¯t win a fight if you don¡¯t respond emotionally to an order.¡± Chloe opened her watery eyes wide and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not a war soldier, duke.¡± As he stepped on the fallen leaves, he bowed his head and made eye contact with her. It was the first time that the bright sun behind him felt so unwelcomed. Chloe wanted to hide herself in the dark if she could, She didn¡¯t want to show an expression of barely holding back tears. ¡°The day a person is born, life itself becomes a war. Especially for people like you.¡± His eyes, as smooth and cold as a grain of glass, slowly glided up and down her body again. She had the illusion that the snake that died earlier revived and wrapped around her body. Yes. This person was a golden snake. Chloe grabbed the skirt tightly so as not to fall. ¡°Even so, there is no reason for the Duke to interfere, in my life.¡± ¡°Interfere. I¡¯m giving you advice, but seeing that you can¡¯t thank me, you must have been very twisted.¡± She had the illusion that the color of the Duke¡¯s eyes seemed to be more mysterious. Even in the morning, his perfectly arranged blonde hair, aristocratic white skin, and clear lips were beautiful like works of art, but he was like a devil with the face of an angel. ¡°Thank you for your valuable advice to this humble hostess.¡± ¡°Now that I see it, your sarcasm is at a high level.¡± Instead of expressing that he was offended, the Duke showed his white teeth and laughed. Looking at him, Chloe took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I am not a subject enough to be sarcastic to the Duke?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re trying to disparage yourself, write it in your diary.¡± ¡°Duke, it¡¯s preposterous but can I tell you two things?¡± Damian looked at her as if he was having fun and nodded. ¡°Tell me, Chloe.¡± ¡°First of all, please return my cane that the Duke damaged to a new one.¡± ¡°I should have let the snake bite you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think a cane is a more powerful weapon than a sword.¡± Chloe straightened her back and gave a clear look to the long sword worn by the duke around his waist. The duke¡¯s eyes shone and moistened his lips with his tongue. ¡°As soon as I go back to the barracks, I will call in a carpenter to make the finest cane.¡± ¡°No. What I want to receive is a cane made of birch trees that grow in Tisse territory.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Duke looked at her with her eyebrows raised strangely. Chloe was a little startled by the strong energy that came out in an instant, but soon clenched her fist. Her palms were wet with tension and sweat. ¡°Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s a war going on?¡± The eyes of the Duke, who pronounced each syllable precisely, were proving that he was very uncomfortable right now. ¡°Can¡¯t you make it and send it to me after the war?¡± The duke stopped talking and quietly faced her. Chloe calmed down once again and continued her small but clear voice. ¡°Last night, the Duke made it clear. You will definitely win the war and come back. You will send the soldiers home, and that includes the duke himself.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Come back from victory, and send me the cane after returning to the Tisse territory.¡± In the morning sun, the badge in the duke¡¯s military uniform shone. Chloe felt the Duke¡¯s hand lightly grabbing her chin. Damian whispered to her, who was trembling with fear but tried hard to hide it. ¡°Should I give you something more amazing than that?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°I think Verdier, who is mad at me, would probably want something more.¡± ¡°¡­..What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I dared to get involved with one of his daughters, so I decided to go ahead and fight at the war front. He is gambling on this because he is sure that I could win this war and safely return.¡± Chloe couldn¡¯t take it anymore. After turning her head and getting out of his touch, she limped and stepped aside a little. Chapter 6 Episode 6 TL: Jasmine ¡°The second thing is brought up by the Duke himself.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°If the father had praised his child to the Duke, it would have been a pure father¡¯s heart. Even Hedgehogs are bound to adore it¡¯s children.¡± Ignoring the snorting duke, Chloe continued. ¡°Apart from my father¡¯s love for his two daughters, it¡¯s not so realistic that he forgot that Verdier is not a family to dare to compare to the Duke. Also¡­¡± Chloe swallowed her dry saliva once and said the next words. ¡°It¡¯s not only with the Duke that I don¡¯t want to get involved with, it¡¯s with all the other men.¡± The duke¡¯s eyes gleamed with dissatisfaction and elongated slenderly. ¡°I would¡¯ve told you to be self-deprecating.¡± Chloe felt a sense of exhilaration without reason. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to pop out of her throat. The fact that the opponent was a duke also felt unimportant. She just wanted to let him know that he was wrong. ¡°It is not demeaning to tell the truth as it is. The Duke has compassion for me, but he cannot define my life as unhappy.¡± ¡°Of course. Are you happy to live like that? Nothing will change in your life.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy.¡± Chloe did not hesitate to nod. Watching Damian¡¯s smile disappear very slowly, Chloe once again said, ¡°It is my happiness to live like this for the rest of my life, in this land where I was born, without changing anything and in peace. Duke.¡± ¡°Is it like that?¡± ¡°Yes. This is how it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± Tears formed in Chloe¡¯s eyes, but never flowed down. It was fortunate that the cold wind blew. Looking at her trying to hold back her tears with all her might and greet him politely until the end, the young duke smiled slowly. With the most beautiful and cruel face in the world. The day after Chloe fell after returning from a walk with soil and fallen leaves on her body when she came back after breakfast time, the army led by Duke Tisse regrouped and set out on the road. Groaning from her fever and chills, Chloe was grateful for one thing that she was ill and didn¡¯t have to see him off. The problem was that Chloe was seriously sick. Although grateful for the diagnosis that she did not have pneumonia, her father stayed up all night with tears every day, and Alice, who was studying at the monastery, had to go back without seeing her sister¡¯s face. It was from that winter that bad luck began in Verdier. Chapter 3: Reunion at Rose Castle Dakduk. Dakduk. Alice held Chloe¡¯s hand slightly in the carriage where the sound of horseshoe rang out. ¡°Sister. We¡¯re almost there¡± She seemed to have fallen asleep without realizing it. When Chloe opened her eyes, and smiled lightly at Alice as if she was going to see her errands. ¡°Wow. Sister must not be nervous at all. Right. Surprisingly, sister is much stronger than I am.¡± It was something she could say because she had no idea that Chloe had a nightmare last night. Chloe recalled the face that had been bothering her. The Duke¡¯s eyes, which were staring at her and smiling, were vivid. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t remember the Duke¡¯s face, and only the fragmentary image was clear. The red lips that smiled crookedly while looking at her, and the narrowed eyes that shone like the dawn sky. Things like the angle at which the golden eyebrows, which looked cold and arrogant, went up sharply were vivid. Chloe shook her head once to shake off the ominous image and looked at Alice. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be nervous about. After today, there will be a line of nice gentlemen who want to marry my pretty little sister.¡± ¡°Are you trying to immobilize people by saying this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Miss Alice.¡± While she was arranging Alice¡¯s hair, who was looking outside, the carriage pulled into the Birch forest road. A beautiful castle appeared in front of them after traveling for a long time on a brightly shining forest road with a lamp lit on branches. The doors decorated with vine roses opened wide for them. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is a castle that is used only for a season solely for entertainment of the duke.¡± When Alice sighed and laminated, Chloe warned Alice in case the coachman might hear it. ¡°Alice.¡± Alice closed her mouth with an expression that she knew. The carriages that had already arrived were guided one after another, and their turn finally came After taking a small deep breath, Chloe got out of the carriage where the door was open and clenched her cane. ¡°The two daughters of the Verdier family are entering.¡± At the guidance of the butler dressed up in a neat suit, Chloe carefully moved her feet with Alice. Following the luxurious red carpet, there was a banquet hall decorated with colorful marble that reflected her face The chandeliers stretched on luxurious walls and ceilings showed how luxurious the castle was. Each sparkling chandelier looked as if there were at least hundreds of candles in it. The voices of aristocats wearing the best dresses and tuxedos laughing and chatting was heard mixed with the band¡¯s performance. ¡°Ah, I feel like I¡¯m already losing my mind.¡± As soon as Alice whispered to Chloe, covering her face with a fan, someone approached and pretended to know her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you young lady Alice Verdier?¡± Alice slightly nodded as she learned, and then smiled and lightly gathered her eyebrows. She barely remembered the name of the familiar man pretending to know her, she sighed and smiled broadly. ¡°Count Cromwell. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Can I ask you to dance to the next song?¡± The other person didn¡¯t seem to remember the bad memories of Alice. Alice nodded after giving Chloe a slight wink. ¡°Of course. This is my sister Chloe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Count Cromwell.¡± ¡°I am honored to meet Miss Alice¡¯s sister. If you can dance on a song with me later¡­.¡± Count Cromwell lost his words as he looked down and watched Chloe, who took courtesy, holding her balance with a cane. Seeing him in a difficult situation, Chloe smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s fun enough to see beautiful people dancing. Thank you so much for thinking about me.¡± As the music began just in time, Alice and Count Cromwell walked to the center of the banquet hall holding hands. Chloe sighed in relief as she watched them slide and dance. Alice¡¯s commotion in the last social circle seemed to have faded in people¡¯s minds. She thought Alice, who was doing her first dance safely, would not be in trouble because she had other people to dance with. This is because she could already feel the eyes on them. Alice, who danced with her cheeks blushed in a dress, was lovely and beautiful enough to attract attention everywhere. Anyway, should she thank the Duke? After Chloe took her lemonade from a passing attendant, she began to organize the thoughts that had been running through her head. It was a matter of reunion with the duke. The best scenario Chloe could think of so far was that she didn¡¯t run into the castle¡¯s owner in this spacious banquet hall. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯ It was customary for the person who hosted the party to be greeted by the guest at least once. If the position of the invited person was higher than the position of the invited person, it was polite for Chloe to unconditionally visit him and express her gratitude. The second scenario was that Duke Tisse did not remember her, but unfortunately, it seemed unlikely It was even more clear when she saw her name on the invitation. Chloe breathed heavily, feeling her hands sweating on their own. Now she had no choice but to bet on the last remaining possibility. That the Duke wanted to express his sincerity purely to the Verdier family who supported supplies and food in the difficult battle. For that, Chloe was fully ready to bow to him. Chloe straightened her back and lifted her rocketshaped watch to check time. The party was already ripening, and it was approaching midnight. Alice had been away for a while with her permission after dancing for the second time with Count Cromwell. Count Cromwell¡¯s eyes, which asked if it was okay to talk to Alice for a while, were shining with favor. ¡°There were no bad rumors, and people seemed to be sincere.¡¯ Recalling his shy red cheeks, Chloe sighed softly. Even if it wasn¡¯t Count Cromwell, Alice danced with many men. It was easy to guess that the Talbot family would be busy welcoming guests from tomorrow. ¡®I must say I¡¯m happy. Alice didn¡¯t have the same crazy accident as last year and responded to men¡¯s leads with perfect manners. Above all, the owner of the castle, who made Chloe nervous throughout, was not showing up until the end of the party, whether it was unfortunate or fortunate. According to what she heard while staying in her seat for a long time, the duke usually didn¡¯t leave the room because he spent ¡®secret¡¯ time with women at parties held so far. Anyway, it was really, really fortunate for Chloe. It was when she relaxed a little and rubbed her stiff legs in a non-trivial way.. ¡°Oh my, he¡¯s the duke.¡± An unwelcome name rang in her ears, along with the murmur of the people. ¡°Your Excellency Duke.¡± ¡°Sir Duke.¡± Chloe¡¯s movement paused. She instinctively got up from her waiting seaf with a cane. The voices of the murmuring people seemed to be getting closer, and she heard a sharp voice that she could not forget even in her dream. ¡°If you can excuse me, may I ask you to dance?¡± Chapter 7 Episode 7 TL: Jasmine For a moment, Chloe had the illusion that she had traveled back in time to the forest at Verdier¡¯s estate rather than in the party hall with sparkling chandeliers. The Duke, with whom she reunited after three years, was in the same uniform as when they first met. It was natural for women to attend the ball in dresses and men in banquet attire without having to open the etiquette books. The duke was wearing the uniform of a soldier who had completed formal training and even with a sword, but no one could object to his attire. This is because power, by nature, includes the power to ignore so-called etiquette. ¡°T¡­.thank you, Duke¡± The young lady who had been asked to dance turned her face red and grabbed his hand. The person the Duke asked to dance was a young lady who had to stay in the waiting room all night, like Chloe. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Agnes Young lady.¡± Chloe trembled without realizing it when her eyes met with Damien, who was whispering in the woman¡¯s ear. Chloe saw his slightly narrowed eyes and his lips rising in an arc, and she had a feeling that all the positive scenarios she desperately hoped for were ruined from the time he came to the party. The duke must have remembered. As clear as she remembered. ¡°Excuse me.¡± As soon as the music began, Chloe carefully moved through the crowd. Since this happened, she had to find Alice as soon as possible. She had already missed the opportunity to greet the Duke once so it was better to mix with people as soon as the dance ends, thank them and disappear from the party. This is because the party was eventually going to end now. ¡®Where is she?¡¯ But the problem was Alice. Alice, who was supposed to be in the tea room with Count Cromwell, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Pardon me, Count Cromwell. But weren¡¯t you with my younger sister?¡± Chloe took the liberty to approach Count Cromwell and carefully ask him, who was talking to someone. ¡°Ah, Chloe Young lady. It bothered me to bring Miss Alice without an escort, so we talked for a while and parted our ways.¡± Talking alone with an unmarried woman for a long time was against manners. Chloe smiled to thank him for his consideration. ¡°Looks like I have missed her. Thank you.¡± ¡°Where did she go?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t find Alice on her way while coming from the banquet hall to this place. Chloe became nervous. As soon as she hurriedly grabbed the cane and turned around, a small sigh broke out from Chloe¡¯s lips. ¡°Ah¡­ Duke.¡± ¡°Miss Chloe Verdier.¡± Duke Tisse stood like a fallen tree in front of her ¡°I remember being greatly indebted to the Viscount that time. It was polite to visit him in person, but couldn¡¯t keep up to my schedule. Thank you for accepting the invitation.¡± Watching the Duke greeting her with perfect manners, Chloe also bowed her knees and officially took courtesy. ¡°I am honored to be invited by you. To the duke who returned safely after ending the war, my father is also deeply grateful as a citizen of the kingdom.¡± The last time she greeted him like this, Chloe stumbled out of balance in the forest. Even now, holding on with one foot requires considerable strength, but since that day, she has been training so much that she has convulses in her legs. A strange smile cast on the Duke¡¯s face as he stood silently looking at her gently raising herself after bending gracefully while holding her cane horizontally with her fan. ¡°Would you like to dance on a song with me?¡± Chloe¡¯s face hardened a little as soon as the Duke reached out his hand. It was not her illusion that the air around her suddenly changed. Chloe put off the calm Duke¡¯s astonishing proposal with a polite smile ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Duke. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m good enough to dance with his excellency.¡± ¡°Do I have to wait for my turn?¡± Chloe¡¯s neck heated up. There was no gentleman who would be rude enough to ask a lady holding a cane to dance with him in the ball. Except the one who malfunctioned. ¡°If not, I want to dance with you, so please don¡¯t refuse.¡± It was an attitude that showed a strong will to see her limping and her clumsy movements. Chloe then deeply realized that the duke had not changed at all. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the duke?¡¯ ¡°Can¡¯t he see the poor young lady holding a cane?¡¯ ¡®No way.¡¯ She seemed to feel the sympathetic look from the people on her. Chloe¡¯s eyes blinked quickly as if trying to hide shame and embarrassment. The opponent was the highest noble person, and Chloe was the one who had to bend and give in under any circumstances Chloe who was hesitating on how to decline the request, suddenly a man arrived behind her and spoke, ¡°Damien. Are you being mischievous to a lady again?¡± ¡°His Highness, the prince has entered¡± With the prince¡¯s appearance, everyone in the hall made way for him and took courtesy. Duke Tisse was the prince¡¯s maternal cousin, so his appearance was not strange. Only Chloe had a hard time enduring this situation where everyone¡¯s attention was focused. ¡°Look at that. Can¡¯t you see that pitiful face that looks like it¡¯s about to burst into tears?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not against etiquette to ask a beautiful lady to dance. And I bet she won¡¯t be the type to cry easily.¡± According to etiquette, the duke who knew both her and the prince should come forward and introduce her. This is because Chloe, who had a low status, could not greet first unless the prince allowed her, ¡°I apologize on behalf of my bad-tempered cousin. Young lady¡¯s name is¡­¡± Chloe looked into the Duke¡¯s eyes, who seemed unwilling to speak, and finally gave a small answer ¡°My name is Chloe, the eldest daughter of the Verdier family. Your Highness.¡± Chloe was even more anxious about Alice¡¯s absence at this moment. It was her negligence that she didn¡¯t think that His Highness would attend. By any chance ¡­. Is she having the same accident as last year¡­..? ¡°Cousin. It¡¯s not gentlemanly to torment a girl with a disability. You forgot all the basic manners because you were in the military for too long?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s not going to dance, there¡¯s no reason to attend the party.¡± The eyes of everyone were now more blatantly focused on them. Some of the people even gave Chloe an eye of sympathy. Duke Tisse was an outstanding soldier and he was also a proficient in royal politics. His specialty was to relentlessly step on those who did, not help him. The other people were probably thinking that the poor lady¡¯s family had done, something wrong. Chloe took a quiet breath, feeling as if she were standing barefoot on thorns, her neck was burning and she wanted to get out of here right away, but she had to endure this moment even if she had to go home and groan. ¡°With all due respect, your highness. The Duke seems to have taken care of me, who is incapacitated and become a flower on the wall.¡± The duke looked straight at her, and the prince was surprised by the unexpected reaction and laughed. The flower on the wall was a round expression for aristocrats who could not receive a dance request from anyone. In other words, it was clear that Chloe was skillfully refusing the Duke¡¯s kindness and using her words to raise him. ¡°You¡¯re a smart lady. Did you say Verdier?¡± Prince Johannes tilted his head slightly as he looked at her. ¡°Yes, Your Highness the Prince. My father, Viscount Verdier, is the lord of a small estate in the southwest of the kingdom.¡± ¡°I definitely remember inviting two people.¡± The silent Duke finally spoke, but it was not at all pleasant to Chloe. ¡°Oh. Really? I want to meet Viscount once. I wonder who raised his daughter so resolutely.¡± Chloe¡¯s face hardened a little. The other person the Duke invited was not her father, but her sister. However, the Duke was only looking at her as if he had no intention of resolving the prince¡¯s misunderstanding. Chloe bowed her head politely and hid her trembling voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness. I attended with my younger sister, not my father.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°She has never been invited to a party of this size, so she is dancing until her shoes wear out.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. If she looks like the young lady, she would have captured the attention of all the gentlemen in the hall, so it¡¯s no wonder.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± Unlike the Duke, Chloe deeply thanked Prince Johannes for treating her with a friendly speech. ¡°Then let¡¯s say bye later. First of all, I think I have to dance one song for the boring band.¡± The music resumed when the prince smiled and signaled. An exciting song to dance as a group came in, and nobles gathered around the prince and began to dance. Even though the prince disappeared from sight, Chloe could not relax. ¡°So where is your little sister, Verdier Young lady?¡± All the others went out to dance in pairs on the floor because of that only one person was remaining next to her. ¡°The castle is so wide that I cannot find her. If the Duke allows it, I will look for her.¡± ¡°Whatever¡± As soon as only the two were left, his manners disappeared. Chloe bowed her head to him and tried to leave, but she couldn¡¯t leave because the cane in her hand was already in his hand. The light snatching movement was so agile that it could not be noticed. Is he a robber, not a noble? ¡°Duke.¡± ¡°Chloe Verdier¡± The voice of the Duke reading the name engraved on the cane was subtle as if reciting a beautiful verse of a poem. ¡°Did you engrave your name because you were afraid someone would steal it?¡± ¡°Give it back, Duke.¡± ¡°Do you remember our promise? A secret promise about the cane.¡± Chapter 8 Episode 8 TL: Jasmine A fever rose on the nape of Chloe¡¯s neck. If she could turn back time, she would never tell him to compensate for the cane. He arbitrarily uses the word Tour¡¯ and his tone that binds him and her together is seriously burdensome. ¡°¡­If you¡¯re not going to give me a new cane, then return it. Please.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret, you¡¯ll get it later.¡± Chloe felt her mind getting more and more dizzy. The duke looked straight at her face and smiled. ¡°Right now, it seems that finding your younger sister is the first priority.¡± As long as the Prince knows Alice¡¯s existence, it means that she has to greet him. ¡°If she falls down while drinking somewhere else, she will be in a lot of trouble.¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes shook violently when the duke added wedge-like words. Holding her cane firmly in hand, the duke reached out his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I heard a report of seeing a woman jumping excitedly into the rose garden, which is off-limits to guests. I¡¯m sure it must be the young lady¡¯s little sister.¡± To be honest, Chloe thought the same. No one knew Alice¡¯s life better than herself, Alice is someone, who is overflowing with curiosity. But¡­ Is it really right to follow the duke? ¡°Don¡¯t do anything that will make you regret, Chloe.¡± Looking at the Duke¡¯s face whispering meaningfully to her, Chloe carefully placed her trembling hand on the Duke¡¯s arm. No matter how much she hated the duke, it was time to prioritise other things than personal feelings. Alice. Please, don¡¯t cause any accidents. While walking with the Duke¡¯s arms folded, Chloe received the most attention she had ever experienced in her life. The nobles, regardless of gender or age, did, not hide their curious eyes about the woman who was being escorted directly by Duke Tisse with polite manners. ¡°Am I walking fast?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rather, he was walking so slowly that it was making her impatient. She wondered if a baby learning to walk would walk this slowly. ¡°You have practiced to walk alone a lot, in the meantime¡± When the Duke bowed his head and whispered in her ear, his cheeks were burning and she had to shift her head back without realising it. ¡°Was it painful enough to die?¡± Chloe bit her lips and smiled. She got cramps in her calf, aching all night, while she practised walking without a cane. She wanted to pour hot tea on the duke¡¯s face, which summarises the days when she fell down with the table while getting bruises on her whole body in one sentence. ¡°It was hard, but thanks to that, my stamina has improved a lot. Thank you for the compliment, Duke.¡± ¡°Still the same.¡± ¡®The Duke too.¡± He smiled as he saw her swallowing the whisper, ¡°No but did you become more proficient?¡± Because the stairs began, the conversation between the two naturally ended. Chloe slowly walked down the stairs relying on his arm. The stairs were a high barrier for those with uncomfortable legs. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but it was much more stable to rely on people than to use a cane on the stairs. In addition, as if he had accurately grasped her shortness of breath, the duke stopped his steps from time to time, making her movement much more comfortable. Chloe walked down the countless stairs slowly arm in arm with him, while recalling the duke who was dancing at the banquet hall a while ago. When she thought of him, who was skillfully leading the young, lady, who seemed inexperienced at a glance, with perfect manners, she felt strange for some reason. ¡°The wind is blowing.¡± When he reached the middle of the stairs, the duke suddenly opened his mouth. Chloe, who stopped walking, looked up at him. She didn¡¯t realise it, but as he said, there was a breeze. Swan¡¯s Summer Night. The smell of the wind carried the scent of roses. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± In the shallow wind, several strands of Chloe¡¯s hair escaped and flowed down her neckline. Staring at it, the Duke asked her. ¡°Who decorated your hair?¡± She didn¡¯t feel it before, but his gaze had something that made her nervous. The explicit look at the slender neck revealed through the curled hair was burdensome. ¡°I did it.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± He added, looking at the hairs flowing down her neck as if counting ¡°I thought it was a mess.¡± Where did he learn to tease people? Chloe¡¯s cheeks turned red. If it weren¡¯t for the stairs, Chloe would have pushed him away and walked alone. The duke smiled silently, feeling the trembling strength in her hands holding his arms. Rose garden. Authorized personnel only. She saw a sign stuck in front of a small iron door surrounded by a rose vine. Chloe bit her lips feeling desperate. If she picked her younger sister¡¯s favorite word, it was ¡°prohibited.¡± No, to be exact, should I say that she loves breaking what is prohibited? ¡°I heard that a young lady in a green dress was running excitedly into this place.¡± Looking at the phrase on the sign, it was more likely that the Duke¡¯s words were not false. Just like a cat that could not calmly pass by the fish store, Alice would have entered here with the heart of hunting for treasures as if possessed. ¡°Shall we go in then?¡± The duke returned her cane, and Chloe quietly followed him into the garden. The inside of the garden was a place where it was obvious that everyone had put their heart and soul into it. ¡°It¡¯s like a maze, right?¡± The garden, which was decorated like a narrow promenade, had a wall erected on it, and on the wall, roses of different colours were blooming in separate sections. First red, then white, then pale pink. White again. Purple this time. It was a strange garden that seemed to have rules or maybe not. ¡°Royal families who have nothing to do, play hideand-seek in places like this.¡± The tone was sharp to say it was a self-help joke. However, it was more important for Chloe to find Alice than to pay attention to the Duke¡¯s words. As she turned around the corner, a wall of red roses appeared again. Is it the place that I passed by earlier? Chloe, who was frowning while thinking, stopped walking after finding something. ¡°Alice¡­!¡± Chloe covered her mouth with both hands as she saw Alice mingling with a man with black hair. ¡°Oh no.¡± She tried to block his view, but it was impossible. The duke, who came close to her back, clicked his tongue with a small laugh, and was clearly heard above her head. ¡°S¡­sister?¡± Alice¡¯s face, who felt their presence and turned her head, was in a mess (she had traces of aftermath of s*x). Chloe saw the man next to Alice with astonished, eyes. Who the hell is that man? ¡°Come on, come on¡­! If you are caught here, you will die!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I would care if I die right now.¡± As if he didn¡¯t care that someone was watching, the man smiled with an excited face at Alice. Chloe¡¯s eyes darkened even more. Who the hell is that man? Is he crazy? ¡°Please! Eddie!¡± The moment Alice called his name in a quiet voice, Chloe stumbled as her eyes became dark. Eddie was clearly the name of the gypsy young man Alice met when she secretly went to the festival in the neighbouring town, some time ago. ¡°We¡¯ll soon meet again, Alice.¡± After a brief murmur, the gypsy looked at Alice with sorrowful eyes, soon turned around and ran to the other side of the rose garden. ¡°Are you okay, young lady?¡± He supported her with his strong arms just before she fell because her legs were weak. The Duke¡¯s face was not visible, but his expression was accurately predictable. Chloe came to her senses when she heard his cold voice mixed with ridicule. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Duke.¡± She managed to move her dry lips. ¡°S¡­sister¡­ Eddie suddenly appeared, so I was so surprised¡­.¡± Alice¡¯s dress was messy as if she had rolled around on the dirt floor. Chloe closed her eyes and opened her eyes, feeling like her heart was falling on the floor. ¡°Be quiet, Alice.¡± Alice closed her mouth as she heard Chloe¡¯s voice, which was tightly lowered. What should I do with this? In a situation where it is not enough to bow and thank the Duke for being invited, Alice was found with an unknown man in the garden where it is prohibited from entering. How should I cover up my discovered sister? ¡°Duke.¡± Chloe raised her head first and faced Duke Tisse. Her eyes were filled with emotions that she couldn¡¯t put into words. The duke¡¯s eyes glowed, receiving her gaze. ¡°The sisters seem to have a lot to say, so I¡¯ll get going.¡± Chloe called the Duke who was about to leave in a desperate voice. ¡°Duke!¡± ¡°What?¡± He stopped walking and glanced at her. Chloe limped and stood in front of him, and bowed her head, deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°S¡­Sister¡­¡± Alice said in a voice that she didn¡¯t know what to do. Finally noticing the seriousness of the situation, she was stamping her feet unable to do anything, ¡°Alice, go back to the carriage right now.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Come on.¡± When Chloe looked at Alice and spoke with a serious face, Alice nodded. She showed courtesy to the Duke with a crying face, and then quickly passed by them. ¡°It¡¯s the two of us again.¡± The duke crossed his arms in front of her. Chloe felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and opened her mouth with a voice full of sincerity, giving her lips strength. ¡°Duke, I sincerely ask for your forgiveness.¡± ¡°Verdier¡¯s second daughter will be famous again. Every time she attends a social party, it¡¯s a scandal. That¡¯s also a skill.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell anyone. I sincerely ask for it.¡± ¡°Why should I do that?¡± Chapter 9 Episode 9 TL: Jasmine Chloe was at a loss for words when the temperature suddenly dropped at the sound of the scoffing Duke¡¯s voice. He continued to talk to the silent Chloe. ¡°I think you too know well that even if I punish your family for the crime of bringing in unauthorized people on the private property of the noble, there is no one to blame for me.¡± ¡°Duke.¡± Chloe finally realized that the situation was more serious than she thought. It wasn¡¯t a problem that Alice¡¯s marriage talks ended because it was known that she had a secret affair with an outsider at night. Damien Ernst Von Tisse was the king¡¯s nephew and third in line to the succession of throne. As soon as she realized that her family might disappear completely according to his decision, she had no choice but to act. ¡°Please forgive me. It¡¯s my fault that I couldn¡¯t take good care of my immature younger sister. Punish me on behalf of her. Duke.¡± Chloe knelt down. Her whole body trembled with fear, but just imagining Alice or her father getting hurt was suffocating. ¡°Please, I wish you for this.¡± The Duke slowly bent one knee in front of Chloe, who knelt at his feet, and met her gaze. Chloe¡¯s eyes, filled with tears, shone in the moonlight. ¡°What if you can¡¯t stand it?¡± The ill-fated relationship was clear. She had to take Alice¡¯s words more seriously that something bad would happen if she got involved with Tisse, but it was only a belated regret. Let¡¯s think. You have to think, Chloe. Chloe tightened her trembling jaw. There was no time to be confused. She had to end her hesitation. For Alice and her father. ¡°¡­The Tisse family values honor¡­. It¡¯s one of the most prestigious families in this kingdom.¡± The Duke¡¯s blue eyes again gleamed with excitement. ¡°So?¡± ¡°The commander who led to a great victory in the most difficult battle in the history of the kingdom, in the mountains of Cassia, was His Excellency Damian Ernst von Tisset, the only youngest member of the Tisse family and the first to receive a medal from the royal family.¡± ¡°Continue. With the honeyed words.¡± Chloe continued to talk without giving in to his ridicule. This is because it was the main topic from now on. ¡°The Duke said before going to battle in the Cassia Mountains that the soldiers who fought will surely return home and be honored. Do you remember?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± The duke looked at her with eyes that seemed to swallow her right away. Chloe felt that if things went wrong here, she could die. ¡°At that time, there was a small country lord who opened the gates and opened the goods in difficult times of war. Even if he did not fight in person, I think It must have been a great help to the soldiers who were exhausted at the time.¡± ¡°So, keep the honor of Tisse and return the favor?¡± The Duke¡¯s voice dropped a little. Chloe continued to talk to him as if she were praying. ¡°I just sincerely hope that you will give a little favor to my humble family.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to just invite your humble family to the gathering of the nobles who are called the kingdom¡¯s lords?¡± As the Duke bowed his head to her, the moonlight poured down on his arrogantly stretched nose. The man whispered cruelly as he saw Chloe¡¯s eyes staring at him filled with despair. ¡°You have to blame your younger sister for kicking away her luck. Is that all you have to say?¡± As soon as the Duke tried to get up, Chloe took the liberty of holding onto his feet. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°If you forgive me once, I will do anything helpful for the Duke. I will never forget it.¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes gleamed happily as if he had found his favorite prey. Chloe was finally able to realize that he was starting to show interest. He¡¯s definitely an evil person. He was a man who made people lie flat and enjoyed watching it. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, Duke.¡± Chloe nodded and once again felt that she would never mix with him just like water and oil. ¡°Chloe. Why are you doing this?¡± The duke asked her, clicking his tongue slowly. He spoke kindly as if he was sorry, but she didn¡¯t feel any sincerity in it at all, and the reason why it sounded more theatrical was because a pleasant light flickered in his eyes, No, the Duke didn¡¯t even have any intention of hiding it. ¡°Where is the noble lady who kept her head upright despite all the insults and humiliation? It doesn¡¯t suit you to give up your life and cling at my feet.¡± Each and every word pierced her heart like a dagger. Chloe choked up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Duke.¡± A disgruntled light flashed past the duke¡¯s eyes. He opened his mouth while looking down at Chloe who knelt down on the dirt floor with rose petals. ¡°The reason you bowed your head like this was because you were afraid that your younger sister¡¯s marriage path would be blocked. The last hope left for a debt ridden family is to make one of the daughters marry a competent nobleman and change their condition, so it¡¯s something I understand.¡± The duke asked again. ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter what happens to your life?¡± Chloe couldn¡¯t understand him asking such a question ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s my happiness to see my loved ones happy.¡± ¡°You can do anything for that?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s something I can do.¡± The Duke¡¯s gaze at Chloe became darker. While the sound of music was dimly heard from afar, the moonlight was slowly darkening. The Duke, who had not spoken for a while, spoke, ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± Chloe took her hand off from the leg of the man staring at her with a gaze which is far from fun, and slowly dropped her gaze down. Now her dress would have been as dirty as Alice¡¯s, but it didn¡¯t matter. Her head, silently waiting for disposition, was raised slowly. Chloe¡¯s body trembled when the Duke¡¯s hand touched her face, but she did not avoid it. She couldn¡¯t avoid it. It was because his hand in black gloves gripped and lifted her small face. Chloe swallowed dry saliva. He kept his eyes on her trembling lips and said in a voice that seemed to be blocked somewhere. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about what the young lady can do for me, so take the wagon and leave Swan right now and go back to Verdier.¡± ¡°I want to do that, but since His Highness said he wants to see my younger sister¡­.¡± Chloe stopped talking as soon as the Duke gave strength to his hand. Damien accurately uttered one syllable at a time as if warning her. ¡°From this moment on, if you do anything that catches the attention of not only Johannes, but any other men, you and your family will all die at my hands. My tolerance ends here.¡± His hand was still holding her face. Chloe did not make the mistake of shortening her own name by pointing out the blasphemy of the Duke who recklessly called the prince¡¯s name. The pulse in Chloe¡¯s neck was pounding rapidly. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he broke Chloe¡¯s small jawbone right now. (T/N- ¡°shortening her own name¡±: to lose her neck/family) ¡°Thank you, Duke¡­.Ha¡± His thumb gently pressed her lower lip. Chloe was now unable to utter a word. ¡°And there¡¯s one more thing to know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better not to come into a place like this with a man you can¡¯t trust.¡± The Duke¡¯s straight nose was close enough to touch her. His whispering voice was clear. ¡°This is a place where lovers are in a hurry to relieve their lust.¡± Chloe¡¯s breath, unable to say anything, trembled violently. The duke threw his wedge-like words as he saw her dark brown eyes tremble as if they were drenched in water. ¡°Unless you do it on purpose in the hope that a scandal with me will spread.¡± That was the end Chloe couldn¡¯t stand up for a long time even after his figure disappeared as he jumped up and walked out of the garden, but finally got up with a sign of relief when he was completely gone. She later realized that she didn¡¯t have her cane, but it didn¡¯t matter. She grabbed the hem of her dress and walked back the way she had come, dragging her legs. If she could just get out of the maze-like garden that someone had made right now, she thought it would be good to give her life to the devil. The carriage was already waiting for her at the front door. The party was on its way to the end. A night when fireworks embroidering the sky burst with a bang, bang sound. In the carriage passing through the Birch forest, Chloe held back her tears until the end, but when she found the rose petals attached to the skirt, she buried her face in her hands, Chapter 4: A Letter that I couldn¡¯t Send Dear Duke Damien Ernst Von Tisse, How have you been, Duke? It¡¯s already been three months since I came back from Swan, where the whole city was full of rose scent. Someone¡¯s saying that time flies like an arrow seems to be true. Verdier¡¯s estate is now full of greenery and the scent of the forest. Summers here, where I live, are notorious for their high temperatures, but being in the forest can cool it down for a while. Whenever that happens, I often recall the gift-like time the Duke gave to my family. My younger sister, Alice, is exchanging letters with a gentleman she met at the party that day. My whole family is delighted because he is a great gentleman with high character and virtue. I know that all of this is the result of the Duke¡¯s invitation and care for us, so as I ponder upon how to repay the favor to you, Duke, I have come to this point¡­ ¡°Oh¡­¡± After Chloe stopped writing, she raised her head and narrowed her eyes. Another failure. In her head, she definitely was going to write ¡®this moment¡¯ but instead what she wrote down was ¡®this point¡¯. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s nervous that her choice of words kept becoming extreme. (T/N: The author has implied meaning behind the use of those words. ¡®Point¡¯ seemed like it was driven to a corner while ¡®moment¡¯ is more neutral sounding. Ex: We¡¯ve come at this point or Why did we come to this point? compared to the idea of this moment¡¯ it means only up until that point so using this moment¡¯ means there is still a possibility of new things afterward.) Chapter 10 Episode 10 TL: Jasmine ¡°I¡¯m only wasting the paper.¡± Chloe sighed as she looked at the crumpled paper rolling around on the desk. She never had a hard time filling out a household account book or document, but writing a letter was a different story. Even more so, if the other person is not happy with it. ¡°Lady.¡± When Chloe turned her head towards the presence of someone, Gray was seen standing by the door. After the servants, whose salaries were overdue, left the mansion the horseman volunteered to serve the Verdier family. As soon as Chloe saw him carrying her own drink, her heart felt a little heavy. ¡°Thank you, Gray. I was already frustrated. Sit here.¡± Chloe looked at him after moistening her dry throat. ¡°What about Alice?¡± ¡°¡­She went out in the morning and came back a while ago. As soon as she returned she shut herself in the room without eating anything.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chloe nodded, swallowing a sign that exploded naturally. ¡°She¡­.didn¡¯t meet that gypsy, did she?¡± When Alice befriended a gypsy wandering with a band last winter, Chloe never imagined that things would go so seriously. She has no idea how the gypsy infiltrated the party which was organized by the Duke Tisse, while pretending to be a nobleman. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Gray added after hesitating for a moment ¡°Maybe not. Miss Alice is someone who has an idea about how the world works, too.¡± Chloe looked out the window, hoping Gray was right. It was after Count Cromwell, who Alice last danced at the party, sent a letter saying he would visit her soon. Chloe and Alice knew that there is a high chance that he would propose. ¡°How can you marry someone you don¡¯t even love?¡± Chloe bit her lip a little, reminiscing on Alice¡¯s brown eyes that were crying out. After shaking her head, a little, she murmured as if casting a spell to herself ¡°¡­Alice will definitely be happy.¡± He would have done this for anyone other than her, even if it were Alice¡¯s family. It was impossible to allow a relationship with a wandering gypsy without knowing his origin or future. ¡°The count is a good man and has a good reputation.¡± Gray called her quietly next to Chloe, who repeated several times as if praying. ¡°Lady.¡± ¡°¡­.What? Gray.¡± Gray looked at her for a moment and hesitated, and quietly opened his mouth. ¡°If Miss Alice gets married and leaves the castle, you will be very lonely.¡± Chloe smiled softly as she looked at Gray¡¯s face, which had a slight faint freckle. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Did I go overboard?¡± Gray blinked, looking down. When he first came to this castle, he was smaller than Chloe, but now seeing that he was much taller than Uncle Chester, Chloe realized that many years had passed. ¡°Yeah, you went overboard.¡± Surprised, Gray looked at her. His tanned nose became even redder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Chloe.¡± ¡°Why would I be lonely when I have a father and you.¡± Teasing a good servant was not Chloe¡¯s hobby. In particular, it was no exaggeration to say that Gray is her friend because he had been in the castle for a long time. Of course, it¡¯s something her father would be quite surprised to hear. ¡°Alice will go to the capital and have a good time, and soon a lot of pretty nieces will be born. The Count promised that he would send manpower to reclaim the territory, so the situation in our territory will improve soon, and then we will be able to pay you the ridiculous level of salary in line with the market price.¡± ¡°Lady, I can take any amount.¡± ¡°I know, Gray.¡± Chloe looked into his black eyes and said as if to confirm once more. ¡°Even when we had to let them go because we didn¡¯t have money to give to the servants, you tried to persuade them by giving them your share of money.¡± ¡°I have received a lot more from the lady and the master.¡± ¡°Nothing else, but I¡¯m sure I was your tutor.¡± Gray, who learned to write thanks to her, nodded shyly. The curly hair that covers his forehead a little still made him feel like a boy. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a master who causes worries for my servant, so stop worrying about me. Can you come here and read this letter? I¡¯ve been holding onto this all morning.¡± Only then did a smile bloomed a little on Gray¡¯s face at Chloe¡¯s words. ¡°If I can be of any help, I will.¡± ¡°I¡¯m writing a thank-you letter to Duke Tisse for inviting me to the party, but it looks like something is lacking.¡± ¡°From what I read, it seems to be just a polite, polite thank-you letter, my lady.¡± After reading the letter carefully, Gray made a questioning face, Chloe looked at him and shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± ¡°Why is that a problem?¡± ¡°Duke Tisse¡¯s personality is so eccentric that I have an ominous feeling that he will definitely find fault with whatever I send.¡± Because of that, she had hesitated to send a letter which she was supposed to send earlier. Watching Chloe bite her lip slowly, Gray felt a little different. It was unfamiliar because he had never seen her gossiping about someone before, but soon came to the conclusion that the opponent would have done something worthy of those words. ¡°If he is such an eccentric person, wouldn¡¯t he be even more displeased that you didn¡¯t send a letter.¡± Chloe thought so too, so she forced herself to grab the pen. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll send him a telegram after finishing it no matter what by this afternoon. Can you go out to the village later? I don¡¯t want to leave Alice alone.¡± ¡°Of course, lady.¡± Then, through the study, he felt Viscount Verdier¡¯s presence. Gray stood a little straight and took a step back immediately to distance herself from her. Viscount Verdier was a generous master to his servants, but that did not mean that he would let his child get along with a servant. ¡°You¡¯re here, father.¡± ¡°My daughter.¡± Viscount Verdier approached her with a face that could not hide his excitement. Chloe blinked quietly. Her father¡¯s expression looked very happy, but on the contrary, Chloe¡¯s heart was filled with unknown anxiety. When was the last time I saw my father¡¯s face like that? Something very unpleasant was about to happen. ¡°The Duke Tisse is coming to our estate for hunting.¡± Chloe realized that her uneasy hunch was just right, Viscount Verdier had the same face when he first received a party invitation from the Duke. ¡°What¡­ What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a lot of wild animals in the forest of our land? It¡¯s clear that he knows it¡¯s incomparable to the easy hunting of deliberately releasing and catching animals.¡± Now was the season for hunting. However, if you want to enjoy the high-end sport of hunting, there are many better castles than the countryside. Chloe¡¯s face grew even paler when she was convinced that the Duke was coming here on purpose. Could this unfortunate incident have been prevented if the letter had been sent sooner? ¡°Father, but we don¡¯t have enough room for guests in our castle right now.¡± Viscount Verdier also knew what she was worried about. Hunting was a male social gathering place, so there was a very little chance that the Duke would come alone. Viscount glanced at Gray, who stood silently, pretending not to hear anything. ahem. Viscount then cleared his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I still have that much leeway. And I¡¯ve been informed that the Duke even sent food and servants, saying that he would take the trouble for his friends while staying.¡± ¡°Father, then when will you¡­¡± Chloe turned her head and looked out the window at the sound of the carriage, which almost terrified her. Duuk duuk A fully loaded wagon was clearly seen entering the castle. ¡°I was told he was nearby, but it seems that the duke came sooner than expected.¡± Viscount Verdier smiled in vain while she alternately looked out the window with the telegram in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s natural for a man crazy about hunting to become impatient.¡± Viscount Verdier who had been immediately summoned by the duke and received the news, couldn¡¯t hide his embarrassment ¡°I should go out and greet the duke. Gray, go and gather the servants. Chloe, you bring Alice down.¡± Chloe put her hand on her forehead as she felt the heat on her forehead. Her eyes, looking out the window, shook with despair and anxiety at the same time. ¡°¡­Chloe, dear.¡± Taking the lead while sitting on a horse of excellent descent at a glance, it was Duke Tisse, whom she longed to never see again. The duke jumped off the horse and walked toward the gate. The eyes that looked up at her in the window made her feel as if she was just in front of him even at that distance. ¡°Daughter, are you listening to me?¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± Chloe got up from her seat, shaking her head in dismay. The letter, whose ink had not dried out, fluttered in the wind and fell to the floor of the desk, disappearing under the piano. The number of people in the castle of Verdier who lined up to welcome the duke was modest while the number of servants brought by the Duke was much greater. The Viscount welcomed the visit of Duke Tisse and congratulated him on the victory. While the Duke listened to Viscount Verdier¡¯s fatherlike praise, he just nodded and said, ¡°The number of servants has decreased a lot.¡± From the Duke¡¯s point of view, he may have said what he saw, but it was natural for the Viscount¡¯s face, who was in financial trouble, to turn red. ¡°Well, over the past few years¡­.¡± Chloe took a step forward before her embarrassed father told him the truth about the castle, and then opened her mouth slightly. ¡°The castle is in a cluttered state after the news of the arrival of the Duke was belatedly delivered. We will do our best to accommodate you without any inconvenience.¡± Chapter 11 Episode 11 TL: Jasmine ¡°Miss Chloe.¡± The Duke, who had never made eye contact with Chloe, slowly turned his head and called her name, Chloe breathed in briefly, and then bent down to show her respect. ¡°Yes, Duke.¡± ¡°I hope you keep your words now that you would do your best to accommodate without any inconvenience.¡± Chloe unknowingly raised her head and made eye contact with the Duke who went ahead with his instructions with a unique smile. ¡°Because nobles who do not know grace have no reason to hold titles.¡± Chloe didn¡¯t think she¡¯d receive a reply for what she said. She felt the air around her sinking heavily. As soon as she saw Alice¡¯s fist flinching standing next to her, Chloe pulled herself together. ¡°I am only grateful for the opportunity to repay the kindness I received from the Duke.¡± The Duke, who was staring at an anxious Chloe, who was trying to put a smile on her face, while feigning a smile he glanced at Viscount Verdier, who was not sure what to do at the moment. ¡°I see why you¡¯ve been bragging about your wise and beautiful daughter, Lord Verdier.¡± Chloe, who wore the best dress which was out of season to greet the Duke, heated up as the Duke moved one step closer while the sun burned at the top of his head. The summer in Verdier¡¯s estate was famous for its high temperature, but it was the first time the heat got into her. ¡°There is a second daughter who knows very well that it is better to keep her mouth shut than to gossip.¡± In midsummer, a cicada attached to somewhere in the poplar tree cried loudly as if laughing at her. The duke ignored Verdier¡¯s two daughters in his own way and immediately went hunting with his luggage. Alice regretted not rebuking Duke who was rude to her sister, but Chloe on the other hand, thought it was fortunate that the scene ended with this. In a situation where marriage talks with Count Cromwell were going back and forth in earnest, it was necessary to prevent Alice from being in a scandal by touching the Duke¡¯s mood. At noon, the duke¡¯s party went on a hunt and returned to the castle as the sun set over the mountains. The duke¡¯s attendant showed up carrying the reindeer on his shoulder, quoting that it was a gift from Duke to the Viscount. Viscount Verdier gladly thanked Duke for the hunted prey and promised that he would display it on the wall. However, Chloe immediately felt goosebumps on her forearms when she thought of seeing the poor animal passing by every day. Alice did not attend a dinner with the Duke, making an excuse that she was not feeling well. Viscount was worried that the Duke might be offended, but fortunately, he did not show any signs of displeasure, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not a serious illness.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Duke. We should thank you more for preparing such a great dinner, even though it was our duty to serve as the hosts¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Viscount Verdier¡¯s concern that he had to treat a distinguished guest was unnecessary. Among the attendants brought by the Duke was a chef dispatched, from Swan, and the wagon was plentiful with seasonal fruits to be used as desserts. Chloe had to admit the bitter fact that tonight¡¯s dinner was the best meal she had eaten in recent years. However, no matter how good the quality of the dish was, it was impossible to taste the food as the seats were uncomfortable. ¡°But Miss Chloe doesn¡¯t seem to like the food.¡± It was a question as if the owner of the castle and the guest had changed. Chloe quickly opened her mouth as she saw the face of the chef standing next to him hardened silently. ¡°No way. Maybe it¡¯s just a little bit of heat, I have less appetite these days.¡± ¡°Oh no. That¡¯s too bad.¡± The Duke said it out with a face which was not at all sorry. There were no unnecessities in his movement to accurately cut the new dish on the table after hunting. ¡°Ladies these days avoid the sun, but this problem happens even if they don¡¯t do too much outdoors.¡± Chloe took the glass of water to her mouth without saying a word, trying to keep her composure. Viscount Verdier spoke with a friendly smile. ¡°I think my daughter is probably nervous. Actually, she is a child who likes to go for a walk more than anyone. When she was a child, she fell asleep while reading a book in the forest, so there was a time when the servants of the castle were all dispatched. Haha. Maybe that¡¯s why she is so smart.¡± The Viscount started boasting about his daughter again without any malice. Embarrassed, Chloe smiled slightly and stopped her father, but the Duke continued the conversation instead of interrupting him. ¡°If it¡¯s true that she likes walking, she must know the geography of the forest very well.¡± ¡°Yes. In particular, the forest that leads to the mountain is not too much to call this child¡¯s personal garden. There was a time when she came back from the rain while taking a walk, but she still didn¡¯t stop going to the forest.¡± ¡°Did that happen?¡± As the Duke frowned, the Viscount Verdier nodded with a dizzy expression on his face. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m glad she didn¡¯t get pneumonia, I thought that she would be gone and be by God¡¯s side (dead). Also, she might have seen a snake while she was having a nightmare because she turned deadly pale and muttered nonsense¡­ Come to think of it, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Viscount, who had his eyes squinted, shook his head in a hurry after belatedly realizing that the period coincided with the time when Duke Tisse left after staying in the castle. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s how much she likes forests. She probably went in and out of the forest more than the caretaker. Don¡¯t you think so, Chloe?¡± When Chloe replied silently with a hard face and a smile, the Duke raised his voice as he looked at her. ¡°Good. Next time I go hunting, I will ask Miss Chloe to guide me on my way.¡± At the sudden remark, Chloe almost missed the glass of water she was holding. When she managed to hold the cup and put it on the table, Gray, who was standing next to her, handed her a napkin. Chloe moved her lips slowly toward him, who took care of her, knowing that the water had fallen on her skirt. ¡°Thank you, Gray.¡± The duke¡¯s eyes narrowed curiously, then returned to normal. His knife cut through the meat again without hesitation. ¡°Duke, I¡¯m worried that my daughter has a weak body and will become an interference. It¡¯s a shame, but she doesn¡¯t even know how to handle horses, so T¡¯ll put someone else as a guide or I can go there myself.¡± The duke, who chewed and swallowed the meat, emptied the glass at once and touched the empty glass with a knife. Tuk. The sound of silver utensils colliding with it rang sharply. The rude way of asking for drinks to be refilled was completely out of line with the high-level duke¡¯s table manners. The Viscount was bewildered, but soon he glanced at Gray. ¡°Come on.¡± The Duke looked at Chloe, lifting the glass that Gray had filled. ¡°I¡¯m curious about your intentions¡± The duke¡¯s expression was brutal. It was a question with a fixed answer from the beginning anyway. Chloe will go hunting with him tomorrow. She managed to open her mouth. ¡°It would be an honor, if you allow me to escort you¡±, ¡°Young lady will ride my horse together. Because I¡¯m not used to following someone.¡± Chloe was in a desperate mood. As if it had only been the eve of the storm so far, she feels even more afraid of the duke that is gradually tightening her. Is it just her delusion due to paranoia that a beautiful but poisonous golden snake seems to be licking its mouth while looking at her? Chapter 5: The Hunting Duke The morning of the hunting day dawned. After taking a deep breath hundreds of times in front of the mirror, Chloe held the cane in her hand. Unlike Alice, who is good at horseback riding with extraordinary athletic nerves, Chloe was one of the few people who never rode a horse. All Gray did was grab the horse and walk through the forest, but not hunting. Viscount Verdier, who initially showed signs of concern, seemed relieved after confirming the duke waiting for Chloe on a two-man saddle. It was also because he knew that the Duke had won the horse race competition he had competed in when he was in the Royal Guard. Chloe walked slowly toward the Duke looking down at her. The duke on the horse looked bigger and more arrogant today. Staring at Chloe as she walked slowly as if dragging her legs, the duke finally reached out to her. Chloe entrusted her wand to Gray, who was following her, and, using the duke¡¯s hand as a support, stepped on the stirrup with her strong leg. Climbing on top of a beast that is much higher than a carriage is also an uneasy situation, but the duke¡¯s grip on her hand was too strong. It was a moment when surprised Chloe almost tripped. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The Duke, sitting on the saddle, tilted his torso completely to the side, and then lifted Chloe and put her in front of him. Chloe felt as if she were a rag doll. The duke lifted her lightly, holding his center with only the strength of his lower body, and the sound of his breathing was not disturbed. ¡°Depart¡± That was the end of the word. Before Chloe, who had almost stumbled, could calm down, he kicked the horse on the stomach and ran forward. ¡°Hik¡­.!¡± Chloe, who instinctively grabbed the horse¡¯s mane, felt the duke¡¯s solid upper body behind her back. He drove the horse with Chloe in front of him and bowed down as if hugging her from behind. Entering the forest at tremendous speed, she had no time to appreciate the scenery passing by. Her heart pounded violently. This is too fast. ¡°D¡­duke¡± ¡°Should I go right or left?¡± The Duke¡¯s voice was heard right in her ears. She realized that the Duke¡¯s face was right next to her face, but Chloe couldn¡¯t move. Regardless of being afraid of falling, she was completely trapped in his strong arms. Comments from Korean readers They are just riding horse but it¡¯s sexy He is jealous of Gray¡­the duke is planning something while taking her out for a hunt¡­or am I just paranoid? TTTT I am seeing tsundere behaviour The chemistry between Chloe and duke is awesome Aww duke please do it in moderation Whatever it is, he is freaking worse than Gray!! Chapter 12 Episode 12 TL: Jasmine ¡°Duke¡­..¡± ¡°Should I go right or left?¡± Hounds were running in a row next to them. Chloe frowned in the wind and caught her breath. If it was a more comfortable road, they had to go to the left. This is because if they go to the right, they have to cross a shallow but wide stream. Just before Chloe opened her mouth swallowing her dry saliva, the duke turned the reins to the right at the crossroads. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± When the Duke¡¯s horse jumped vigorously over the stream, Chloe had no choice but to close her eyes. Her butt hurt from the shock from the saddle, but her fear was greater. ¡°M, mom¡­!¡± Words that didn¡¯t go through her head squeezed out from her vocal cords. The thumping hounds quickly caught up as they excitedly broke through the shallow stream. It was as if she heard the Duke laughing above the wind that was hitting her face. With the sound of horseshoe hitting the ground, Chloe¡¯s heart pounded hard with a thump, thump as if it would pop out of her chest. The duke did not give her time to be ashamed of shouting for her mother in front of him. It was a crossroad again. ¡°Which side is it this time?¡± ¡°Left¡­! To the left!¡± Chloe shouted loudly without thinking. Then the Duke¡¯s horse ran toward the left road at high speed, The speed of those who followed him in a row was also formidable, but the duke was incomparable to them. Only the hounds he led were barely chasing his tail. The duke, who found a fairly large deer, whistled a little and lowered his body further. Chloe was now completely crushed between the horse and his body as he grabbed the reins. When she buried her face in the soft mane of the horse, it gave Chloe an illusion that she had become the same part as the beast she was riding on. ¡°Haa¡­Haa¡­¡± His hand, clutching the reins, appeared right before her eyes. He always wore gloves that fit his hands, but today he was bare-handed. A dark vein protruded on the back of the beautiful hand holding the leather strap as if to control the running beast. Chloe couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his hands for some reason. She just felt that everyone would die regardless of whether they were humans or beasts if they were all caught in that hand. At that moment, as if knowing where her gaze was headed. Ssk. The duke¡¯s thumb brushed against Chloe¡¯s flushed cheek in the wind. It was a soft touch like a feather that didn¡¯t match his hand. Chloe¡¯s eyes narrowed, due to her heart that pounded as if it was about to come out of her mouth, and heat spread all over her body. Is it mercy right before killing her? As if a tickling, soft touch was a dream, the Duke¡¯s hand fell from her face. When he pulled the reins hard, the horse cried loudly and raised its front legs high. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­¡± In the wind, when Chloe lost the grip on the mane the Duke quickly held her tightly in his arms. When the horse stopped, the hound rushed as if it had been waiting. Just before breaking the beast¡¯s breath, the Duke¡¯s big hand covered her frozen eyes. Chloe¡¯s breathing was rough as if she was running wildly. The Duke buried Chloe¡¯s head on his shoulder, who could not breathe properly due to hyperventilation ¡°Shh¡­Chloe. Shh. It¡¯s over now.¡± Listening to the sound of hounds barking and the breath of the Duke in excitement together, Chloe was captivated by the feeling of being the target, not the subject of hunting. His words that said it was over was a perfect lie. On that day, the Duke freely released his hunting desires to her. When Chloe returned to the castle, her body was completely exhausted. Chloe slowly took her unwilling steps, holding a wellwiped tray in her hand, Is this how a prisoner on death row feels? As if representing her mind, the old floor cried with a squeak, squeak sound. The Duke, who hunted seven foxes and two deers, attacked the wild boar himself with a sword at the end. The angry beast tore his arm. The duke acted casually as if it was common, but for Chloe, who was worried about the hidden wound bleeding throughout his shirt, she considered it a mistake of his. Without being able to stand it, she spoke out loud at the dinner table. ¡°I will call the doctor as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.¡± ¡°Doctor? What¡¯s wrong, Chloe?¡± ¡°The duke was injured, father.¡± ¡°What!¡± Alice, who was next to him, calmly helped Viscount Verdier, who had his eyes wide open, then the Duke lightly replied that his arm was only a little torn. ¡°If it¡¯s not a big wound, my sister can sew it herself. Only if the Duke can endure the pain, because there is no anesthetic at home.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand Alice¡¯s desire to cause pain to the Duke. But it was ridiculous. ¡°Alice, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s summer, so there are cases of food poisoning every day, but sister always said that we shouldn¡¯t keep the only doctor in the estate busy for personal, reasons. That is why she learned nursing from Mr. Wharton to help out.¡± Alice¡¯s sharp words in a pungent voice were not wrong, but the Duke¡¯s injury could not be treated very lightly. ¡°Then can Miss Chloe take a look at my wounds? After dinner.¡± Even before Chloe could open her mouth, the duke said it out. She shook her head in panic. ¡°Duke. It¡¯s safe to call the expert in many ways.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you shouldn¡¯t harm the people of the territory to satisfy your personal greed.¡± I am screwed. Chloe realized that Alice had completely touched the Duke¡¯s mood. ¡°What do you mean by harm? That¡¯s absurd. Your Excellency, the Duke. Right now, Mr. Wharton¡­¡± ¡°When my soldiers stayed at the castle the other day, I was impressed with Miss Chloe, when she treated a soldier whose arm had been blown away, in the barracks. If it is your daughter, I think I can leave my wounds to her with peace of mind.¡± Viscount Verdier¡¯s face, who had a worried expression on his face, was full of pride. ¡°Do you remember that?¡± ¡°Of course. I remember everything that happened in this castle.¡± Looking at the Duke¡¯s face, who spoke meaningfully while looking at her, Chloe thought she should prepare the largest needle she had. ¡°You look like a prisoner waiting for the death penalty.¡± The best guest room where the Duke stayed was a little open. Chloe did not deny what he said, while pretending not to hear, she tried to approach him calmly. ¡°Show me your wound, Duke.¡± ¡°See it for yourself.¡± ¡°To do that, you have to lower your shirt.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have hands?¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes widened. She responded calmly to the duke, who was once again testing her own patience, while sitting half reclining on the bed. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but I¡¯m not married, so I can¡¯t touch a man¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how it should come out.¡± The duke smiled and stood up and threw his shirt off himself. I said to raise his clothes a little and see the torn wound, not completely throw it off. She tried to stop him, but the duke¡¯s movement was faster. Chloe¡¯s face reflected in the candle quickly heated up. ¡°I think you¡¯d better stop appreciating it.¡± Chloe rolled her eyes and lowered her hand to the silver tray. The wound on the forearm cut by the fangs of the sharp beast was unexpectedly deep. At this point, she understood that it had bled enough to make his clothes get wet. However, she didn¡¯t understand at all how he continued hunting and eating casually even after suffering such injuries. Maybe he¡¯s numb to pain? ¡°It can be painful.¡± As Chloe struggled to open her mouth calmly, pouring disinfectant into the wound, the Duke replied, ¡°Try to hurt me as much as you can.¡± Chloe was rather encouraged from the tone of voice that said the pain of stitching flesh was insignificant Trying to forget any sympathy she had for the patient, she began to carefully sew through his savagely torn skin. ¡°The family teacher was a doctor?¡± The duke spoke to her. When Chloe replied briefly, ¡°Yes,¡± he continued the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s what helps you live in this kind of place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve gained knowledge from Teacher Wharton, but I think something else has helped me, more in this situation.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Chloe replied briefly, poking a needle into the open wound without hesitation. ¡°Embroidery.¡± Pfft, the duke laughed, due to which his body shook. Chloe frowned as she saw blood leaking out and stopped the wound with a muslin cloth. ¡°It¡¯s the first time in my life that embroidery was considered a useful hobby.¡± ¡°My deceased mother said. There is nothing useless in this world. Even a single piece of grass or even a stone can be a wonderful piece of work from someone¡¯s point of view.¡± ¡°Your mother was an idealist.¡± ¡°¡­.. can¡¯t she be one?¡± ¡°I never said no.¡± Chloe realized that she overreacted and cleared her throat. Supporting his head with one free hand, the duke looked at her and continued. ¡°I just thought you wouldn¡¯t look like your mother.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Chloe Verdier is a realist. I can tell by the way you are doing this in my room right now.¡± Chloe tried not to look him in the eye. The reason why her heart began to beat again is because of the Duke¡¯s words that seemed to read her mind. This means that the Duke is very well aware of the fact that Chloe is forced to please him when she is unwilling. ¡°Does your sister still enjoy secret meetings at night?¡± Chloe¡¯s hand flinched and penetrated the skin deeply, She looked at him in surprise, but the Duke¡¯s eyes were calm as if he were drinking tea. She cleared her mind and quietly opened her mouth. ¡°Please don¡¯t speak. It can bleed a lot¡± ¡°Answer the question.¡± Comments from Korean readers Let me be honest, I hate Alice more than the duke ¡­she has an older sister who is still terrified of the incident that Alice caused. Alice of course can be grumpy towards the Duke but she should be responsible for what she did Woah, a hunting scene can be like this¡­.as expected of kimppa¡¯s novel¡­. He is not being rude¡­.but he is strangely sexy¡­.it is the power of kimppa¡¯s novel? The younger sister is good for nothing and knows how to cause trouble for her elder sister. She only has good face that¡¯s all Almost feels like they are having s*x om horse Chapter 13 Episode 13 TL: Jasmine Chloe struggled with her trembling voice. ¡°Since then, she has been reflecting on herself a lot. It is thanks to the grace the Duke has bestowed on us that the marriage talks between Count Cromwell and Alice are ongoing. Thank you.¡± ¡°If I had known that the price I¡¯ll get for shutting up would be losing contact for three months, I wouldn¡¯t have given you any favors.¡± Chloe¡¯s hands were sweaty when the duke said it. She wiped her sweat off her handkerchief because she thought the needle would slip at this rate, but the problem was after that. The missing needle fell on his chest. As soon as Chloe tried to pick up the needle, taking care not to touch the bare skin as much as possible, he held her hand. ¡°Let me go, Duke.¡± ¡°Answer.¡± Chloe bit her lips until it hurt and opened her mouth with all her might not to tremble. Her pulse rate increased in the hand that was grasped by him. ¡°I had written to the duke several times.¡± ¡°But I never got it?¡± ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t send it.¡± ¡°The level of lies is disappointing.¡± Her pulse beat faster and faster. She tried to pull out her hand, but the duke rather tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°Let me go, Duke.¡± ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± Her palms, drenched in sweat, rubbed more and more harshly. Chloe ended up raising her voice with a red face. ¡°I thought the duke wouldn¡¯t be satisfied no matter what letter I sent, so I wrote it several times and tore it apart!¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes shone bluish. After she made a loud noise, he was surprised by the reaction and asked back, facing her breathlessness. ¡°Why did you think I wouldn¡¯t be satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­.Because the duke hates me.¡± The Duke finally laughed out loud. ¡°Is that your conclusion?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like me, don¡¯t you? I am unbearably unpleasant, right?¡± Chloe¡¯s face, which spits out words that have not gone through her head, turned pale and then red repeatedly. ¡°Keep going.¡± ¡°I know someone can just hate it for no reason. You helped my younger sister, but you haven¡¯t heard from me since then, so you may have thought I was arrogant. But really, I hesitated because I didn¡¯t know what to give back to the Duke. I thought about how could express my sincerity but¡­..¡± The duke raised his eyebrows as if he were waiting for her to say something. Chloe actually prepared not only the letter. Chloe remembered the men¡¯s gloves in her bedroom. She cut herself to make his gloves, and embroidered the family crest, a birch tree, with the duke¡¯s initials, but did not have the courage to send them. It was the same with speaking out about the existence of his gift. What can she expect from a man who says that embroidery is the most useless hobby in the world? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please let me finish the wound treatment.¡± Before she could finish speaking, Chloe was swung onto the bed. She caught her breath at the sudden change of position. Through the open window, she heard only the mournful chirping of birds. The problem was that Chloe¡¯s body was lying on a needle connected to the thread, and the wound being pulled was very painful just by looking at it. ¡°Duke, if you do this, the wound will hurt¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± To consider what to regret, she had to go back a long time. To the mountain behind the river. No, was it the night when she opened the window as if possessed by the Duke¡¯s voice? Chloe couldn¡¯t take it any longer, lifted her face and cut off the thread that was dripping blood with her teeth. With lips dripping red, Chloe opened her mouth as if pleading with him, while sighing. ¡°Why is the duke¡­ being so rude to me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this an opportunity to be rude to a woman who came alone in the middle of the night without an attendant inside a man¡¯s bedroom?¡± Chloe was now burning red from the nape of her neck and to her breasts exposed above the dress. ¡°I just came to treat the Duke according to my father¡¯s order.¡± ¡°Is that all you wanted?¡± The conversation was again flowing in a similar pattern like a long time ago. The Duke must have been convinced that Chloe¡¯s father was struggling to connect her with him somehow. ¡°I understand the Duke¡¯s distrust of humans. No, I¡¯m trying to understand. On the battlefield, nobody would have trusted anyone.¡± Chloe took a deep breath and continued. ¡°But, Duke.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± Thump. Thump. Chloe thought her heart, which was beating too fast, might stop at this moment. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth toward him. ¡°It would be too much narcissism to think that every woman in this kingdom wants to marry you, Duke.¡± At the moment, there was silence between him and her. The Duke, who was looking at her with a strange expression that was neither angry nor in a good mood, finally burst into laughter. Chloe couldn¡¯t say anything. She couldn¡¯t move because he buried his face in her shoulder. ¡°Duke.¡± The Duke, who was smiling with his whole body shaking, raised his head with a smiley face. Is he crazy? Chloe swallowed her dry saliva as she watched him laughing as if he was out of breath even after hearing insulting words. Even if he didn¡¯t press her down on the bed, it was difficult for her to breathe, but the duke was getting closer and closer. ¡°Let¡¯s check if you¡¯re right or not.¡± There was no need to check. The evidence was right in front of his eyes. Whether or not he knew what Chloe was thinking, the Duke, who had a happy expression on his face, got up. ¡°The treatment is over. Go back now.¡± It was the most welcoming words she heard from his mouth today. After limping back to the room, Chloe grabbed the gloves that were gently placed on the table and tried to throw them into an unused fireplace, but quit. This is because she thought it was more foolish to take it out on innocent objects. Even though she changed into pajamas and lay in bed, her surprised heart showed no signs of calming down. It felt like she was drenched in a sudden rain shower in the forest. No, it wasn¡¯t like a shower, but it felt like she was lucky enough to have met a typhoon She thought for a while that the war should break out again and that the duke should participate again, but shook her head and prayed for self-reflection and lay down once more. She took comfort in her mind thinking about when Alice got married safely and the estate got stabilized, everything would return to normal. Waiting for her, who barely fell asleep after a long night of tossing and turning, was the news that could make not only the Verdie estate but also the entire Swanton Kingdom stir up. On the last day of the hunt, there was a heavy silence in the drawing room where the Verdier family gathered to see the Duke off. The bomb-like words brought up by the Duke were the cause. ¡°¡­sister, did the duke hurt his head while hunting?¡± Viscount Verdier broke the silence and pulled Alice, who opened her mouth seriously, then stuttered his words in embarrassment. ¡°D, duke. I¡¯m terribly sorry to tell you.¡± The Duke suddenly wants to marry Alice. What does that mean? ¡°My younger sister is already seriously engaged with Count Cromwell.¡± Chloe spit out the words like a thunderbolt in the dry sky and looked at the Duke who calmly raised the teacup with a strange look. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Haha.¡± ¡°My desire to marry Miss Alice Verdier remains unchanged.¡± Viscount Verdier¡¯s own voice, which was laughing awkwardly, was cut off. The duke¡¯s voice, which did not change in volume, could only be heard to mean that there was nothing wrong with Count Cromwell¡¯s proposal. In reality, it was clear that this was the case. There was at least no woman in this country who would not marry a duke who had royal blood flowing in him. ¡°Viscount doesn¡¯t seem to like me. Seeing you add unnecessary reasons.¡± Seeing the Duke raising his eyebrows, the Viscount raised his voice as he waved his hands. ¡°Is it possible? However, even if I like it, I can¡¯t help but listen to the will of my daughter.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Viscount nodded with a hardened face. The duke left for his villa located in a neighboring estate, asking for an answer within three days. Even before the dust that spread because of the duke¡¯s carriage disappeared, Verdier Castle entered a state of emergency resembling a wartime in an instant. ¡°I¡¯ve never imagined becoming in-laws with the duke¡­..¡± Complexity passed by the face of the self-composed person, muttering and walking around the study quickly. It was miraculous to marry the Duke, the most powerful man in the kingdom, but the problem was Alice, who still looked like an immature kid in his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t marry the person I want anyway, so duke would be better than a count.¡± Alice, whose mood swings have soared these days, shed thick tears. Apart from the problem of whether she would play the role of Duchess properly, Viscount was worried about what had happened to his daughter these days. It felt like a long time ago to see Alice smiling brightly. ¡°My daughter.¡± ¡°I know what I have to do, father. Even if Duke Tisse was so mad (crazy) that he proposed to me, shouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity that comes once in my life. But¡­¡± Alice suddenly stopped talking, covering her mouth like she got uncomfortable. Chloe thought she should calm Alice, who was getting emotional. ¡°Alice, go to your room and rest. You kept saying you weren¡¯t feeling well.¡± Chloe was also confused to see Alice¡¯s face getting thinner because she didn¡¯t eat anything these days. When Alice stepped down helplessly, Viscount Verdier carefully asked Chloe. ¡°Chloe, did something special happen between the Duke and Alice in Swan?¡± Her father seemed to be guessing that something had happened between Alice and Duke at the party that he invited. In front of such a father, she couldn¡¯t say that Duke caught Alice with a man of low status. Comments from Korean readers: Hmm¡­.is Eddie a royal with a hidden identity as a gypsy? The duke seems to know everything Because of that Younger sister the female lead is getting corned¡­gosh I hate that woman so much I think Alice is pregnant It¡¯s good that a younger sister is curious and has a lively personality but if it ends up making you pregnant that is irresponsible behaviour The duke seems to know the identity of the gypsy and is going to plot something to make the female lead cornered, my sixth sense is shouting!!!!! Chapter 14 Episode 14 TL: Jasmine ¡°Alice is a child who will be loved by everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, but marriage with the duke¡­ Of course, it¡¯s an honor¡­.¡± Chloe fully understood her father¡¯s mind, who was blurring the end of his words with a confused face. It was clear that he was under greater pressure, compared to Count Cromwell. ¡°Alice, she is my daughter, but since she was a child, she is so quirky and unusual. To be honest with you, this father is worried about whether she will be able to play the role of a duchess well. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if the Duke had Alice in his heart and cared for her, but if it isn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll get hurt.¡± Is it his intuition as a father? Chloe smiled, trying to reassure the concerned Viscount. ¡°First, let me talk to Alice for now.¡± ¡°Will you do that for me? She doesn¡¯t even want to make eye contact with me these days.¡± When she left the study leaving behind her bitter father, she saw dusk sinking through the window outside the dark castle. It was time for people to wrap up a tiring day. It was the usual time for Chloe to sit by the bedroom window and enjoy the sunset but she couldn¡¯t feel at ease these past few days. How can he propose to Alice? What is the duke thinking? Chloe looked at the sunset coloring the sky bright red and thought about what the hell was in that man¡¯s head, but could not find a clear answer. Alice, who was sitting blankly on the long sofa, raised her head at the sound of the door opening. Her sunken eyes were full of anxiety and concern, as if she hadn¡¯t slept. Chloe sat across from her, trying to suppress her tearful heart. ¡°Alice. Are you okay?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shaking her head, an immediate answer came back. What Chloe said was true when she said that not every woman in the world would want to marry the Duke. No, it didn¡¯t matter whether the other person was the duke or a count. This was especially true for Alice, who had dreamed of fateful love since she was young. It was clear that she felt miserable that she had to marry a stranger for the sake of her family. Chloe wanted to ease the burden on her younger sister if she could, but she felt resentful of her situation that she could not. ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter to Count Cromwell and tell him. If he knows who the other person is, he won¡¯t be able to say anything either, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Sister.¡± Chloe forced a smile while biting her lips painfully as she saw Alice looking at her with tears in her eyes. ¡°My pretty little sister, you¡¯re going to be the Duchess now.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯ve never wanted anything like that.¡± Long tears eventually flowed from Alice¡¯s eyes, who was whispering softly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I wasn¡¯t prepared for the future of getting married as if being sold for the sake of my family. I also know that the castle is on the verge of bankruptcy because our good-natured father has ruined the family. But is that my fault?¡± Chloe¡¯s heart ached with the bitter words. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Alice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my sister¡¯s fault, why are you sorry! Why! I¡¯m really upset, why me!¡± Alice frowned with her pretty face and eventually burst into tears. Chloe hugged her crying little sister and breathed heavily. The tip of her nose was red and her eyes were itchy. ¡°Okay. If you don¡¯t want to do it, don¡¯t do it, Alice. I¡¯ll tell father.¡± Alice did not know that their father¡¯s hidden debt was so huge that it couldn¡¯t be paid back even if they sold the castle. Chloe also came to know about the situation recently. However, there will be a way to overcome it somehow. Shepatted her younger sister on the back, who was sobbing sadly, struggling to suppress her stuffy heart. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, Alice. So don¡¯t cry. Huh?¡± ¡°I want to live with Eddie.¡± Chloe closed her eyes tightly and then opened them. She felt that she had to finally say what it must be said. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Alice.¡± Being angry will not solve this problem. Looking straight at Chloe, who looked genuinely sad, Alice whispered as if begging. ¡°I love him.¡± Chloe forgot for a moment as she watched Alice confess that she loves a gypsy man who has nothing, Alice said bitterly with an expression that she understood Chloe¡¯s feelings. ¡°I know. He¡¯s a stranger who we don¡¯t even know his lineage or origin. He is a gypsy who only has a charming face, a smooth mouth, and a reckless attitude ready to die while breaking into the Duke¡¯s private residence. But sister¡± Alice held Chloe¡¯s hand. Drip, drip Tears dropped, and fell on the back of Chloe¡¯s thin hand. ¡°I love a man like that. He is a man full of shortcomings, but I fell in love with him.¡± And that man loves her very much, too. Chloe was fully able to understand that gypsy¡¯s heart, who came to meet Alice in preparation for death, Because there is no one in this world who will not love Alice, who is pure and lovely and doesn¡¯t care about differences in status. ¡°Alice, listen to me. I just¡­ I am not saying this because you are my family.¡± Chloe was heartbroken, but she had no choice but to continue with difficulty. She didn¡¯t want to be a villain, but there is no way. ¡°Marrying Eddie may make your life unhappy. Even if you can¡¯t see anything now¡­ You might regret it after some time.¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s also my choice.¡± Chloe was speechless. Because she couldn¡¯t find anything to say back to Alice. How does it feel to love someone like that? Alice now might be having her fateful love, which she had wanted since her childhood. Deep in her heart, on the one hand, she felt great that Alice was able to throw herself away for the sake of her love. Chloe had never met such a person before, and she couldn¡¯t, so she even felt like cheering for Alice¡¯s love. However, it was a case if Alice was not her younger sister ¡°Alice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t worry about it. I decided to marry Count, and I even said harsh things to Eddie.¡± Alice continued with swollen eyes. ¡°Because I can¡¯t raise my child as an illegitimate child.¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes froze and her lips parted silently. ¡®What did I hear now? What did Alice say now? ¡°Alice¡­¡± ¡°I have Eddie¡¯s child.¡± Oh God. Chloe couldn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m scared¡­hik.¡± As soon as she saw the fear filled in Alice¡¯s sobbing face, Chloe hugged her strongly. Her heat was transmitted directly to her chest. Alice¡¯s trembling fear was only then fully conveyed. Alice has a child in her womb. A small life is with her. ¡°Sister, What should I do now?¡± ¡°Your sister will take care of it. It¡¯s okay, Alice, Everything will be fine.¡± Chloe stroked her back and repeated the words like a spell over and over again. It was the first time that Alice¡¯s body, which was much taller than her, felt so weak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, huu. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Alice. My little sister. I¡¯ll protect you. I will make sure that you and your child don¡¯t get hurt¡­¡­¡± Even Chloe, who comforts Alice, had no idea how to get through this situation. The important thing was that she couldn¡¯t hurt anyone who was precious to her. It was dawn when Chloe had put all her thoughts in order. Chloe made up her mind as she listened to the rooster crying and Gray pulling the horse¡¯s trough. She was going to meet her father before breakfast and convince him. Whether he was a count or duke, Alice will not get married, and Chloe will bring up the idea that it would be better to heal in a quiet countryside. It was true that Alice¡¯s body was noticeably thinner these days (though she never thought it was because of pregnancy), so she was sure to convince her father as well. Perhaps the problem was that they placed too much burden on Alice from the beginning. So it must have been retribution by God. The price of false selfishness. Bankruptcy was the most serious problem, but that too will be addressed one after the other. When it comes to money, if she bowed her head to her aunt, who was strict about money, and borrowed some, then put effort into clearing the land and building a waterway, even in the event of a natural disaster, the production of crops could not be lowered to the bottom. First of all, reasonably persuading her maternal aunt would be the biggest challenge, but Chloe wouldn¡¯t know without talking to her first. ¡°You woke up early, Chloe.¡± Viscount Verdier, who was reading a book, looked up and greeted her. Chloe grabbed the tray and sat down in front of him. If she walked without a cane, her limping would be more noticeable. No matter how many years passed, she couldn¡¯t get rid of her father¡¯s concerns. At one time, she tried not to show her limping, but it was useless. ¡°The thought of Alice becoming a Tisse made me worried, but also reassured.¡± ¡°¡­..Why?¡± ¡°Tisse is a family that values honor. At least I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll pick on Alice¡¯s personality or behavior and send her home. Because he knows how cruel it is to be labeled as a divorcee in the kingdom.¡± Her father seemed to have stayed up all night with another concern. Which is less shocking to father, getting a divorcee lable or a single mother label? There was no answer at all, but Chloe decided again to think only about Alice. Chloe clenched her skirt tightly and opened her mouth carefully. ¡°Father, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°About Alice¡­that.¡± Viscount blinked slowly. It was heartbreaking to see concern flashing across his face, but it was no longer an unavoidable problem. Comments from Korean readers: Later on, I don¡¯t want Gypsy Eddie to be called a prince from a neighboring country or a high quality noble. don¡¯t like the conclusion that a younger sister who lived her life as she wanted was better than Chloe, who cares for her family. That¡¯s too much of a father. You give all the responsibility to your daughters and you are irresponsible. Chloe must be having a hard time¡­ No matter how much I think about it, he didn¡¯t propose to the girl he likes. From a realist¡¯s point of view, Alice might look unhappy, but not only Chloe but also Alice is already making sacrifices. It is not a sin to be born with strong individualistic tendencies but to live in such an environment is already sacrificing from Alice¡¯s point of view. However, the difference is whether the sacrifice is superficially concentrated on more people family) or an individual depending on the propensity, and many readers seem to be on Chloe¡¯s side because Chloe is just apparently taking care of everyone (and being a FL), but in the oppressed environment, everyone lives sacrificing in their own way. Chloe¡¯s sacrifice can seem useful socially. So she gets less cursed at. However, as one commenter said, it is not natural for anyone to sacrifice. And no one forces Chloe to do it. If you don¡¯t want to sacrifice for more people (family), Chloe can work harder for her personal life like Alice. But Chloe can¡¯t ignore that because of her altruistic and realistic tendencies. I think it¡¯s right to admonish Chloe firmly about her sister¡¯s actions and tell her to find a childish way to deal with situations that are not her fault. (T/N: for readers who are confused about this comment, the reader is saying, that everyone makes sacrifices in their own way and the people who make sacrifices for many people (family) gets little less criticism, but the reader is also telling that Chloe should be taught how to scold her sister and not to find a childish way to get out of the situation. Also English readers, don¡¯t forget to tell your opinions too!), Alice is so selfish¡­ immature. Chapter 15 Episode 15 TL: Jasmine Knock, knock ¡°Master, Lady.¡± The faces of Viscount and Chloe turned at the same time at the sound of a hasty knock on the door of the drawing room. ¡°Gray. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Miss Alice isn¡¯t there in the castle.¡± ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± Viscount Verdier frowned and raised himself. Gray approached and held out a letter folded in half to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master. In Miss Alice¡¯s room, this¡­.¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Seeing Viscount Verdier¡¯s eyes trembling in despair, Chloe hoped that her anxious premonition would be wrong. No way, Alice. No. She stood up and read the letter in her father¡¯s hand. Dear father and sister. Father. I grew up seeing my father who loved his mother very much all my life. Looking at you two, I learned true love that transcends illness and death. Thanks to my parents who taught me and practiced those values, I try not to turn away from my heart any longer. I want to prove to myself that there is no one in the world who should not love. And I want to be proud of the baby in my womb. I will now abandon Verdier¡¯s name and just live as Alice. Dad, I¡¯m sorry. Never forgive me for being selfish. I¡¯m sorry. I hope I can pay this debt someday. I¡¯m an ugly daughter who doesn¡¯t have the courage to say it directly, but I want to tell you that I love you and I mean it. I¡¯m sorry and I¡¯m sorry again, your Alice. Viscount Verdier¡¯s eyes trembled and he collapsed helplessly. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Father!¡± Chloe¡¯s voice resonated in the old castle. Mr. Wharton, who came to visit in a hurry, left the castle only after telling Chloe several times that the Viscount had a high level of fatigue, so he had to calm down. ¡°Chloe. Dear.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here, father.¡± Chloe quickly approached and grabbed his hand. Her father, who was lying weakly in bed, looked so small that she wondered when he had become this frail. Chloe tried to nod as if nothing had happened to Viscount Verdier, who struggled to open his eyes ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Alice, dad. She¡¯s a smart kid. She¡¯s not going to do anything dangerous.¡± ¡°She is just reckless.¡± Viscount Verdier sighed deeply and saw Chloe. ¡°Did you know that?¡± Chloe hesitated for a moment and opened her mouth ¡°¡­it was vague that there was someone who Alice gave her heart to.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t tell me, it means you disagreed too.¡± The father continued to read his daughter¡¯s mind as it was. ¡°If you deeply disagree, and Alice leaves the house, that means he¡¯s a lousy b*stard.¡± ¡°No, father.¡± Chloe added in a small but clear voice. ¡°If Alice leaves the house despite my opposition, it means that man is a great person.¡± Viscount only sighed deeply with a frown and was silent for a moment. ¡°I trust her.¡± Viscount Verdier closed his watery eyes tightly, then opened them, and tightened his grip on her hand. Even now, it was the first time that his daughter¡¯s hand, which was so thin that it would break if held tightly, was so dependent. No. Maybe he didn¡¯t know that he had relied on her from a certain point without realising it. He feels like this happened because he left the marriage issue of Alice to Chloe and took a step back and waited. ¡°I have no face to see your mother in heaven.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that again, father. Didn¡¯t mother also tell father to come as late as possible?¡± Chloe smiled faintly after kissing the back of his hand. Viscount was proud and at the same time felt sorry for his eldest daughter who did not show tears in front of others. The only task left for him after his wife died was to see his daughters happy. It was the first time that he was so resentful of his inability to do anything properly. ¡°Everything will be fine. So, just focus on recovering, father.¡± To make matters worse, today, a valuable letter arrived from the royal family to the Viscount. The box that arrived with a telegram congratulating the precious relationship with Duke Tisse even contained a key made of heavy gold. If the marriage went as planned, it would have been an indescribable honor, but not in the present circumstances. ¡°What should I do with the gift from the royal family?¡± Viscount Verdier looked a few years older in half a day. Chloe swallowed dry saliva as her father¡¯s sorrow deepened. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Duke Tisse. If Alice politely refuses to accept marriage because she is sick, he will admit it. He needs heirs to continue the generations, it¡¯s not like he won¡¯t have common sense to say he¡¯ll marry a sickly Viscount young lady.¡± ¡°I must pray that he is a common sense man.¡± After seeing Viscount Verdier fall asleep after drinking medicine, Chloe quietly escaped from his bedroom. Instead of going to her room, she walked past the dark hallway and turned to the back garden. Her heart was stuffy, so she wanted to get some air. Chloe walked slowly to the place where the grass grew long because no one managed it. She could see the swings that she rode side by side with Alice in the past. She and Alice, who swung their feet vigorously and laughed excitedly before Chloe had a fever. ¡°Sister! If I jump higher, will be able to fly like a bird?¡± ¡°No, alice. You can¡¯t get hurt¡­.! Mom!¡± ¡°Ouch, Hing. People can¡¯t fly.¡± Sitting on the swing for the first time in a long time and listening to the grassworm crying silently, she realised that Alice was not in this castle. Since childhood, Alice had a personality that she had to do what she wanted to do unconditionally. Even if the end is covered with bruises, Alice eventually eloped for her love. There was also a bitter smile at the thought that it was a truly Alice-like ending. Ha, she sighed for a long time and looked at the stars in the night sky, and she noticed someone from behind. ¡°Gray?¡± ¡°You can catch a cold even on a summer night.¡± He approached carefully, covered her with a tihin blanket, and sat on the swing next to her. Chloe opened her mouth without taking her eyes off the star that embroidered the dark night. ¡°You¡¯re the one who closed your eyes, when Alice ran away?¡± Next to Gray, who was surprised and unable to say anything, she continued with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve known it since you brought Alice¡¯s letter. There¡¯s no way you could have entered her room without her permission, and Alice was so sensitive that she wouldn¡¯t let anyone into the room these days.¡± ¡°¡­I really can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Chloe smiled faintly while looking at his red nose. How uncomfortable must Gray¡¯s heart have been, who couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with her all day today because of guilt. ¡°Thank you for helping Alice, Gray.¡± ¡°¡­I thought you¡¯d be angry.¡± Gray looked at her with his eyes, as if studded with stars in the night sky. ¡°I don¡¯t think you would have done it comfortably. I¡¯m sure Alice appealed with tears. And you¡¯re especially weak towards crying people.¡± ¡°If you punish me, I¡¯ll take it sweetly.¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t tell my father.¡± Gray quietly blinked. On a summer night, the crying of grasshoppers was peaceful. As if nothing had happened. ¡°When Alice told me the truth yesterday, I comforted her that I would solve everything, but in fact¡­ couldn¡¯t think of a definite way. I wasn¡¯t sure what was right either.¡± Perhaps her confusion was conveyed to Alice as well. In the end, it was clear that Alice chose to run away at night while keeping everything a secret from Chloe. ¡°So I¡¯d rather thank you for helping her run away.¡± ¡°¡­ Lady.¡± ¡°Since the water has already spilled, I have to deal with it now, right?¡± There is no reason to worry anymore. It¡¯s true that there¡¯s a lot of work to be done in the future thanks to that. Gray carefully opened his mouth next to Chloe, who let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about anything weird, are you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t try to take all the responsibility by yourself. Then I the person who helped Alice¡­ Because I would look like a fool. If you¡¯d rather run away¡­ I¡¯ll help. I¡¯ll give my life to help.¡± Gray was definitely not dull. He didn¡¯t know for sure, about Chloe¡¯s plan, but he was surely aware that she was ready to sacrifice herself. Chloe smiled brightly at him. ¡°No. I¡¯m different from Alice. I can¡¯t live like that. So don¡¯t worry, Gray. I¡¯ll find a way for all of us to live. I¡¯m the only one who can take responsibility for Verdier right now.¡± Chloe¡¯s face shone brightly in the moonlight. ¡°You¡¯re the same as my family. You¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll definitely see you marry a pretty and nice girl.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting married.¡± Gray shook his head, sniffling. Seeing him blush, he seemed to be ashamed. Chloe grinned and continued to talk, as she looked at his eyes. ¡°Why? Babies that resemble your cilantro hair must be so angel-like and cute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to do it.¡± Chloe shook her head and laughed at him who is denying it. Gray wanted to be a servant of this house forever. So that he can live helping the master and the lady forever. That was the secret happiness he dreamed of. ¡°Nevertheless, don¡¯t make dangerous choices, miss.¡± Gray whispered belatedly, but Chloe didn¡¯t say anything. Turning back to the night sky, she was just seriously lost in thought. A meteor fell in the purple sky with a long tail. Comments from Korean readers: Am I the only one who hates her younger sister? And why is it such a shame to leave in search of happiness? And why is the female lead taking everything on for her younger sister? At this point, I think the duke knows everything. Oh it¡¯s really annoying, it¡¯s not even her fault, why is she sacrificing for her family? Why is she taking care of the troubles caused by her sister? This younger sister lolololol as more episodes are coming out, there is one conclusion! Very selfish It seems like Alice will break up with that man and come back alone with that baby¡± Maybe she wouldn¡¯t get along with that man Chapter 16 - Episode 16 Chapter 6: The Marriage Deal Episode 16 Chapter 6: The Marriage Deal The third day of the morning promised by the Duke dawned. It was the last day of the deadline to give an answer about the marriage proposal. Chloe prepared, to leave the house without hesitation. After greeting the Viscount, who had yet to get up from the bed, she left the castle leaving behind her father who was full of worries Duke Tisse had castles throughout the kingdom as if collecting them. One of them was a villa along the seashore, three hours away by carriage from Verdier¡¯s territory. Chloe gently rolled up the curtains in the rattling carriage and looked outside. It was already noon when the blue waves began to be seen on the right side of the wagon running along the mountain path. Duke Tisse¡¯s villa was located at the top of a steep cliff. Chloe gently held her sweaty hands in the running wagon that was slowing down. ¡°Did you make an appointment?¡± The butler, who appears to be the caretaker of the villa, asked her in a polite but distant tone. Chloe raised her head a little more, giving strength to the hand holding her cane. ¡°I¡¯m Chloe, the eldest daughter of Verdier. Please tell the Duke that I have come to answer the marriage proposed by him.¡± ¡°Please wait here for a while.¡± Chloe, who was left in a drawing room with nowhere to hide due to the bright sunlight, tried to shake off her tension. Squeak squeak. All the windows were wide open in the spacious first floor drawing room of the peaceful villa where she could hear seagulls crying from somewhere. Curtains were fluttering and blowing gracefully. Looking at the sea reflecting the sunlight, Chloe thought for a moment how wonderful it would be if all of this had been a dream. ¡°The duke has ordered you to wait for a while.¡±, Chloe, who was lost in thought at the butler¡¯s words came to her senses. ¡°While you¡¯re waiting, should I bring some tea and refreshments?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, thank you for your sincerity.¡± She didn¡¯t have an appetite and was worried that her hands would tremble and drop the teacup. After a long waiting time that overshadowed her refusal to drink tea and made her back stiff, the butler reappeared and guided her to the Duke. ¡°This way.¡± Contrary to Chloe¡¯s expectations that he would be waiting in the office or in the study, the butler guided, her to the balcony at the top of the villa. As she struggled to climb the stairs, the sound of the blue waves hitting the cliff greeted her first. It was a picturesque landscape, but that was not the problem. ¡°Did you like the marriage proposal to the point where you came directly to convey your consent?¡± Sitting on a long chair made of twisted rattan, the appearance of the Duke was not the attitude of a noble to welcome guests. His bare skin without a shirt was full of blazing midday sun, giving it a dark tea color. Like a cat enjoying the sun, she would believe the scene even if he was completely dressed up while drinking dirty water. ¡°I thought it wasn¡¯t light enough to be delivered in a letter.¡± He waved his hand as if to ridicule her polite manners by taking out her cleanest dress and carrying a hat and parasol. ¡°Did I catch an infectious disease?¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±, ¡°If not, come closer and talk. The enemy generals also sit at the negotiating table.¡± Feeling something swell in her heart, Chloe stepped close to him. Even though there was a white canopy tent where you could rest from the sun, the duke sat in a place where sunlight poured out without a single shade. ¡°Sit down.¡± Chloe frowned a little and asked back with eyes. This is because there was no place to sit except for the long chairs where he completely laid down his back ¡°Come and sit next to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you rejecting my order?¡± Swish. The strong sea breeze blew the ribbon of her awning hat beneath her neck. After swallowing her dry saliva, Chloe managed to sit down on the low chair as he commanded. She even felt the illusion that heat was being transmitted from the heated body of the man sitting next to her. ¡°The wound keeps opening up.¡± Chloe, who had been staring straight ahead, finally turned her head to examine the wound on his shoulder. When she was standing far away, she couldn¡¯t see because of her eyes getting dazzled by the sunlight, but when she looked closely, the wound was really red. ¡°Have you seen a doctor?¡± ¡°No.¡± When Chloe glanced up at him disapprovingly, the Duke picked up the medicine bottle he had placed next to him and handed it over to her. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, pour this.¡± The duke smiled at her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Duke have hands?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what your face wants to say.¡± She was bound to be embarrassed if she got caught. Chloe took her eyes off him and hurriedly took the medicine bottle. As soon as she poured the medicine, something simmered from the infected wound. Chloe, frowned involuntarily at the sight that was bitter to look at. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Tuk, Chloe put the medicine bottle next to her and opened her mouth after hesitation. ¡°It is not good if sweat gets into the injured area.¡± Beads of sweat dripped down from his shiny upper body. ¡°Even in summer, Tise Duchy has a pretty cool temperature, so I can¡¯t enjoy this kind of sunlight.¡± The Duke added, as if trying to see through Chloe¡¯s mind while she was struggling with why he bought her here. ¡°It¡¯s good because it feels like my head is all burned out.¡± Chloe couldn¡¯t wait to get to the point before her skin burned out. ¡°What is the reason for the refusal?¡± Is there really such a thing as mind-reading? The duke skipped all the procedures at once and asked the core of the problem. Chloe turned a little toward him and stretched her chest out. From now on, as the eldest daughter of the family, she had to solve everything. It would have been nice if she had been in a more formal place than here, but in fact, she¡¯s not in a position to argue about anything. ¡°Because there is a problem with my younger sister.¡± ¡°What problem?¡± The duke looked straight at her with his glowing eyes. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your sister¡¯s sudden death, she¡¯d have to get married.¡± Chloe struggled to catch her breath in front of him, who casually spit out the cruel words that came to his mind. She had already anticipated the fact that he was not an easy-going opponent anyway. ¡°Before I tell you the truth, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Ask.¡± Chloe opened her mouth without avoiding the Duke¡¯s gaze, which looked directly at his prey. ¡°Is it because of me that you want to marry my sister?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Duke asked with a puzzled face. ¡°I didn¡¯t like you, so you asked for my sister and offered to marry her.¡± ¡°I wonder how your thoughts stand out.¡± ¡°I wonder if you intend to get entangled with my family and destroy me completely.¡± The duke roared into laughter. Splash. Chloe did not even budge, listening to the loud sound of the Duke¡¯s laughter, along with the sound of sea waves hitting the cliff. ¡°It was like that for me, too. I¡¯m not eager to marry just any woman in the world.¡± The Duke raised his eyebrows and spoke out without hesitation. ¡°Isn¡¯t the young lady too self-conscious? I can¡¯t believe you thought I would marry a child of a low-ranking aristocrat who only had debt to harass a woman who was not even in good shape.¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Do you know that you¡¯re surprisingly funny?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chloe was serious at every moment, but she was even more serious at this moment. ¡°Do you love my younger sister?¡± ¡°There is no idealist around me who thinks that a noble marriage is based on love.¡± ¡°Then there is only one reason why the Duke proposed marriage.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The Duke must have something that he wants from marrying with our family. Something that¡¯s not easy to tell to others.¡± Splash. Once again, the waves hit the cliff hard, leaving white foam behind, and the wind blew hard. The loosely tied ribbon came loose and her hat flew somewhere. Watching Chloe¡¯s hair tickle her cheeks, the Duke spoke in a slightly lowered voice. ¡°Keep going.¡± The laughter on his face was completely gone. Chloe knew that this was a once in a lifetime adventure. But there is no other way but this. A rat driven on a dead end may not be able to kill a snake, but it may bite at least it¡¯s tail. ¡°If the Duke has to marry a humble family overcoming the prominent brides of the kingdom for some reason, I honestly think it doesn¡¯t matter who the other person is. No¡­¡± The last words she practiced inside several times came out a little slower and harder. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have an opponent with obvious flaws that no one would even notice?¡± The duke slowly raised his lips as he looked at her. Her mouth dried up instantly at the gaze of his shining eyes with curiosity. Chloe quenched her lips with her tongue without realizing it, and the Duke added, lifting his eyebrows. ¡°For example, you who can¡¯t use one leg?¡± Throb, throb. She had the illusion of a throbbing pain in the lower part of her leg that should have been numb. Chloe thought it was fortunate that she was blinded by the burning sun. Because she could give a reason to her distorted expression with contempt. ¡°If I couldn¡¯t use both legs, would it have been more perfect to become the Duke¡¯s bride¡­!¡± The moment the duke snatched the back of her head, it was dark in front of his eyes. What is this? It was after Duke bit her lip painfully that she became aware of her situation. Chloe trembled without closing her eyes and wondered that if the world would end, would it feel the same way as now? The moment her lips opened up on their own, the duke invaded her at will, her heart pounded hard as if it were going to explode. The inside of the duke¡¯s mouth that was felt directly was much hotter than the burning sun. She was suffocated and was about to faint. ¡°Breathe.¡± The Duke grabbed her head and whispered with a blazing look, pushing his arrogant nose on her cheek Only then did Chloe breathe heavily. However, the words didn¡¯t come out correctly. Her red wet lips trembled softly. Comments from Korean readers: No, why can¡¯t she be strict with her younger sister like she is so strong with the duke? I read it because it was fun even though it was childish, but I¡¯m getting disappointed. Oh¡­ What¡­ / was expecting that the female Lead is a smart character, but the more she goes, the more she can¡¯t lead the conversation, and it feels like she¡¯s digging her own hole. She said that not all women in the world, don¡¯t want to marry you, so he proposed to Alice, but he¡¯s the male lead. So, what do you mean to accept and move on? No matter how powerful the opponent is, the courtesy and law of aristocratic society are considered breathless, and was there really no change in that way? There were a lot of things that I was disappointed about in the rose garden incident and I¡¯m not sure if I should watch more. Chloe is so brave, I really like her. Look how she doesn¡¯t give in to the difference between heaven and earth, status difference) even when her leg isn¡¯t strong enough. That courage and sense of responsibility¡­.for a woman in the Middle Age, she is like a General. It¡¯s going according to (his) plan¡­hahaha I¡¯m really curious about the Duke. Oh my God, why did I hold my breath? I¡¯m curious at this point, since when did the duke have such a bad personality? Was he already like this when he was born? Or was he originally as soft and kind as a silk but what could have caused him to become such a nuclear waste? At this point, I think it would be more sensible if the female Lead¡¯s father was the enemy who killed male Lead¡¯s parents Chapter 17 Episode 17 ¡°W, What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Your words have a lot of thorns so I wondered if it was the same with your tongue. But it¡¯s the opposite.¡± The Duke grabbed her cheek with his big hand, rubbing her lips with his thumb, which he had just dominated. A tightly lowered voice tickled her ears. ¡°I want to find out if I can have a successor at this point.¡± Something exploded in Chloe¡¯s heart. She pushed him back as hard as she could, then slapped him hard on his unblemished, sculptural cheek. Slap. She heard a bursting sound like a wave clashing, but the duke didn¡¯t lift his eyes. Only one side of his white skin held a very slight redness. It wasn¡¯t until Chloe felt the palms of her hands on fire that she realised that this wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡°haa¡­¡­haa¡­.¡± The duke smirked at her, who barely breathed in wildly because she didn¡¯t know what to do in this ridiculous situation. ¡°Learn the basics of negotiations again, Miss Chloe Verdier.¡± When he rang the small bell, the butler, who was waiting somewhere, quickly appeared. Chloe tried to pull herself together and swept her lips with teary eyes. She didn¡¯t want to show a disheveled appearance, but her heart was still beating like it was going to explode, and she felt like she was about to collapse at any moment. ¡°The guest is going back. See her off well.¡± With a clear congratulatory order, Chloe left the villa as if running away, omitting a farewell of courtesy to the Duke. If she could run, she would run. Gray, who was waiting in front of the carriage, ran with a frown as he watched her approaching with a limp, and legs dragging. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Gray. Come on.¡± The returning carriage rattled exceptionally. As if she had a fever, her whole body was on fire. Chloe closed her eyes, feeling the same feeling as when she was seriously ill three years ago. The sense of despair of leaving her cane followed her again. *** Chapter 7: The Duke¡¯s Proposal As soon as she returned to Verdier¡¯s Castle, Chloe first washed her whole body. She still felt like she was having a fever all over. She asked Gray to put cinnamon and orange in the wine and boil it. It was fortunate that the ingredients that the Duke had airlifted while coming hunting were still there. Chloe drank a cup of hot medicine that had not yet been cooled down and lay down on the bed. Gray looked worried about Chloe, but he shut his mouth and stepped down without asking anything. Don¡¯t fall, Chloe. You have to get your head on straight. Chloe¡¯s body was surprisingly light the day after sweating, perhaps because she struggled to recall the memories of many years ago when she was sick. She finished a plate of breakfast after a long time, and in the afternoon, she began cleaning the old castle herself. Following the wedding celebration, the royal family even sent another gift. Chloe thought her prediction was not wrong. Currently, the kingdom¡¯s successor was proclaimed as Crown Prince Johannes, but it was the Duke of Tisse that was more widely known to the public. The royal family was delighted at the news that the Duke, who had already greatly expanded his power, would marry a weak family, not a noble lady with a prominent background. The Duke must also be most aware of that fact. After hearing that horses, cows and poultry were also arriving, she contacted the carpenter to fix the stable. It was right for her to take care of what she had to do now, even if she had to return it later. She also did not forget to take care of Viscount Verdier, who was still lying down. He was still weak, but he finally seemed to admit that his second daughter had fled for forbidden love while pregnant with a child. Anxiety about the future weighed harder on him than his resignation and pain. ¡°Chloe. What did you hear from the Duke?¡± To her father who asked cautiously, Chloe honestly didn¡¯t know what to say. It was the gamble of her life, but at the end, an unexpected and unfortunate event took place, and she ran away without hearing the duke¡¯s confirmation. In the end, nothing had been resolved, and she did not hear from the Duke even a week after the incident. ¡°It¡¯s clear that he is upset because his proposal got rejected. Of course, he would.¡± ¡°Wait a little longer, father.¡± Chloe put down the teacup and swallowed dry saliva. The last memory with him came to mind again. The dazzling sun that made her head throb. Her flying hat. His face smiling in the wind. Even the hot body temperature hidden in his lips, which suddenly approached her and dominated her like a beast. ¡°I am ready to get down on my knees.¡± Holding her father¡¯s hand, who was sullenly whispering, Chloe shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± It was the same for her who had her stomach burning with frustration every day. However, as days went by, only one fact became clear. It was the fact that if the Duke really wanted to make it as if nothing happened, he would have been the first to inform the royal family. ¡°Miss, you have a guest.¡± Chloe turned her face and looked out the window. Finally, the person she was waiting for arrived. Her heart quickly hit two beats. ¡°Tell him to wait in the parlour. I¡¯ll get ready and go down soon.¡± At Chloe¡¯s words, who didn¡¯t even ask who the other person was, Gray hesitated a bit, then bowed his head. These days, Chloe wears a perfect dress as soon as she wakes up at dawn, and her hairstyle hasn¡¯t been disturbed like a person who wants to go out. While dealing with things inside and outside the castle in an appearance that seemed to collapse soon, she sometimes looked out the window and sighed for a long time. It looked like her mind was half absent, and he was worried that she would collapse while busily moving around. ¡°Should I tell him to come back next time?¡± ¡°Guest? Who is it?¡± Gray cleared his throat a little when Viscount Verdier asked. ¡°It¡¯s Duke Tisse.¡± ¡°The time has come.¡± Viscount struggled to get up from the bed. Chloe grabbed her father¡¯s hand, who was about to get down on his knees, running barefoot at any moment. ¡°Father is sick, so I¡¯ll meet the duke.¡± ¡°No, Chloe. Still, asking for forgiveness myself¡­.¡± ¡°It was the Duke who wanted to get married. We don¡¯t have to ask for forgiveness, Father.¡± Chloe cut off her father¡¯s words with a trembling voice. At this moment, the same goes for her legs shaking due to tension, but she judged that it would not be good to let her anxious father and the Duke meet. ¡°Because unmarried women have the right to refuse a marriage proposal .¡± Of course, what she said was not wrong. However, to bring down a family whom the highest nobleman did not like, was an easy thing to do even with closed eyes. ¡°Well, but¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine father. Please wait a little bit.¡± Chloe hurried to her bedroom, leaving her father behind, who was still anxious. She didn¡¯t need anything else to prepare to welcome the guest. However, it was because there was something to deliver to him. ¡°You came now.¡± As soon as she saw the Duke welcoming her in the bedroom, Chloe froze there. ¡°Lady¡­¡± Gray, who showed up belatedly knowing that he(duke) had disappeared from the parlour he had guided, was speechless. Chloe closed her eyes once and opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not polite to enter a woman¡¯s empty bedroom, duke.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand it because I missed you, Miss Chloe.¡± Chloe tried hard to open her mouth, hoping that the old velvet sofa he was sitting in would swallow him up. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the parlour. This is my personal place, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right place to talk to the Duke.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll soon be in a relationship where we don¡¯t need personal space, but if it¡¯s comfortable for the young lady to keep a distance from me, I¡¯ll do it.¡± The shadow of the duke trudging from his seat covered her. It didn¡¯t take seconds for the duke to walk across her little bedroom. Thump, Thump as her heart pounded like beating the ribs, the Duke softly kissed her in the ear and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the delay in preparing a proposal.¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes wide open. The Duke asked, pleasantly watching her long eyelashes tremble. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± ¡°Duke¡­¡± ¡°Close the door.¡± Bang! The door of the bedroom was roughly closed with a bang in front of the motionless Gray. *** Chloe closed the door as if breaking it and followed the duke who returned to his seat and sat across from him. ¡°Would you like me to bring you some tea?¡± Lightly Ignoring her words, the duke nodded, ¡°Open it.¡± The red box on the table was an antique design decorated with gold. Chloe opened the box with trembling hands. What caught her eye was a beautiful jewel that made the small room feel bright for a moment. It was a necklace dangling with large diamonds, and earrings with diamonds that were splendidly crafted in the shape of drops of water. She had never seen such a splendid and beautiful jewel in her life. It was the same when her mother was still alive. ¡°It¡¯s a jewel that¡¯s been handed down from generation to generation to Duke Tisse. Originally, it was a tradition for my mother to deliver, but the former duchess didn¡¯t like this marriage very much.¡± The duke simply spoke out, referring to his mother like a stranger. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure she would. I understand.¡± ¡°Are you pretending to be calm or are you really not impressed?¡± Chloe decided to answer the Duke¡¯s question honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the duke will say, so I¡¯m afraid to freely make any other reactions.¡± The Duke looked straight into her eyes and threw the words like a wedge. ¡°I¡¯m proposing to you right now. Chloe Verdier.¡± *** Comments from Korean readers: I¡¯m enjoying it. It¡¯s so much fun ?? Damien, why are you so charming? It¡¯s not rated R19, but I¡¯m really excited. I think the writer has the best writing skills! It¡¯s sexy when a man kisses your ear¡­.f*ck Eventually, you¡¯re getting married for the sake of your sister, Chloe. Chapter 18 Episode 18 A dry proposal thrown out after a savage kiss. Listening to the driest proposal she had ever heard and read through the story books, Chloe suddenly recalled Alice. She suddenly wondered how hot the eyes of the man who told her to run away together must have been. ¡°Thank you very much for accepting my offer.¡± Leaving her thoughts behind, Chloe bowed her head to show courtesy. Whatever the reason the duke tried to marry her family, the fact that she was chosen as a bride instead in the absence of Alice was not so bad. No, now that the marriage talk with Count Cromwell has completely disappeared, it was also the only friendship line that came in the midst of a crisis. ¡°Thankful from the bottom of your heart?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chloe nodded as she watched him. The duke wasn¡¯t very satisfied with her face. ¡°How are you going to prove that?¡± The situation changed in favor of the Duke again. It wasn¡¯t unexpected. It was clear that the Duke wanted something through this marriage. Chloe calmly opened her mouth, while calming her mixed feelings. ¡°I will do my best to help the Duke do what he wants to do.¡± ¡°What do I want to do?¡± ¡°Whatever it is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t avoid it and tell me the point. What do you think I want?¡± He¡¯s a persistent man. He was a person who was good at pushing people to the point where they were suffocated. Chloe¡¯s head became complicated. ¡°Do I have to lick your dry lips one more time to open your mouth?¡± At the same time as the heat rose sharply on Chloe¡¯s neck, her lips, which had been only trembling, moved hastily. A slightly higher trembling voice squeezed out of her vocal cords. ¡°I think the Duke wants power.¡± It was a word that could be interpreted in many ways. Chloe continued, hoping that the Duke would not question her more deeply, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what the Duke is thinking because I¡¯m short-minded.¡± ¡°From this moment on, it¡¯s forbidden to speak that way in front of me. Because you¡¯re not short-minded.¡± The Duke added, staring at her as if to eat her up, ¡°I won¡¯t warn you twice.¡± Chloe was surprised and tried hard to hold back her body and opened her mouth again. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll divorce the Duke whenever he wants.¡± The Duke, who had been staring at her for a while, finally smiled quietly. She had the illusion that the air in the bedroom, where Chloe felt the most secure for the past twenty-two years, felt as if it were slowly breaking due the uninvited guest. ¡°You¡¯re arrogant, Chloe.¡± Chloe¡¯s dark brown eyes shook. ¡°You are so cheeky that I¡¯m getting angry.¡± No matter how hard she tried to keep calm, the arrogant person in front of her kept making her collapse. Duke Tisse was the one who lit the fire in her heart. That¡¯s why her whole body must be heating up again like this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it sounded like that, Duke. But please don¡¯t misunderstand my sincerity.¡± A mixture of resentment and anger swelled in her heart at the situation, where she could not shout at him to leave immediately. Tears welled up in Chloe¡¯s eyes. The duke looking at Chloe, who was struggling to hold back her tears, asked her as if interrogating. ¡°What do you really mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± It was to run away to the monastery as it is right now and live without seeing his face forever. The duke looked at her and said sharply, ¡°This will be the first and last time I give you a chance.¡± Chloe pressed down the flames in her heart. Thinking only of her father and Alice, she finally whispered to him, ¡°I want to be the Duchess.¡± Her lips trembled silently. The tears that were hanging heavily eventually couldn¡¯t overcome their weight and flowed down her soft cheeks. The Duke looked at Chloe for a moment, who was crying silently and finally pointed to the jewel box with his chin. ¡°Try it.¡± Glittering colorful jewels shone in Chloe¡¯s blurred eyes. Chloe grabbed the necklace with her trembling hands, biting the flesh in her mouth. The necklace with thicker diamonds than her two thumb nails combined was heavier just by holding it. Her hands were full of sweat when she barely put on the necklace after several unsuccessful attempts. ¡°The rest too.¡± Chloe held the remaining earrings at the Duke¡¯s command. The constant trembling of her hand as she tightened the screw was something she could not stop at will. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chloe bit her lips as she watched the colorful jewel sliding down on the hem of her dress. She stood up from her seat to pick up earrings reflecting the sunlight on the carpet on the floor. The Duke only watched her bend over and fall on the floor as the center of her foot, which was supported by one foot, was disturbed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Wear the rest¡± Chloe grabbed the earrings as she saw his well-wiped shoes flicker. She didn¡¯t have the power to stand up. However, she wore diamond earrings on her right ear with trembling hands. Only then did the duke, who folded his legs while sitting sideways staring at Chloe, who had the shape he wanted, got up. ¡°How does it feel to wear Tisse¡¯s jewelry?¡± Damien knelt down on one knee and looked at her. When Chloe, who couldn¡¯t look at his face, dropped her head down, his glove-clad hand lifted her chin up towards him. ¡°Answer me, Chloe Verdier.¡± Chloe barely spoke to the world¡¯s most tenacious man with a feeling of vomiting bitter medicine out of her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s heavy.¡± The duke slowly raised his lips as he looked at her. A strange face that¡¯s neither smiling nor angry. Chloe now knew that it was a look that came out when he liked her answer. ¡°As a duchess, it will be nothing compared to the weight you have to bear in the future. Do you still want to be my wife?¡± Chloe had no choice. The man who knows that the best wants to hear the same answer from her mouth several times. ¡°Yes. I want it, Duke.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chloe shivered as she felt his hand slowly touch her lips and finally reached the inside of her mouth. Whenever soft leather, which perfectly wraps his fingers like wax, swept her soft flesh, goosebumps sprang up all over her body. It was inevitable that the kiss they had a few days ago came to mind. The drenched glove finally slipped out of her mouth. ¡°Have you learnt about the basics of negotiations?¡± Damien exhaled in a very low voice. Chloe¡¯s neat eyebrows gathered in the middle of her forehead. He whispered, pressing his forehead against her, who was breathing heavily. ¡°At this moment, what do I want? Miss Chloe.¡± Chloe slowly kissed him, staring at the Duke who smiled meaningfully at her. It was her who started her, but it was the duke who will end it. In the bedroom where Chloe had felt the most cosy in her life, the Duke greedily took her lips and let them go. Chloe gasped like a person who ran. Her cheeks, which had always been pale, were red with blood. Her breath was disturbed, the headdress was on the ground, and her lips were messed up. ¡°Too much?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to lie.¡± When Chloe whispered, the Duke smiled satisfactorily. ¡°Practice well. It¡¯ll be even more burdensome in the future.¡± Feeling like a street prostitute, not a duchess, Chloe had to fight the urge to bite someone for the first time in her life. *** The Duke summoned Chloe¡¯s father along the way. Viscount Verdier, who appeared in the drawing room looking like he was about to collapse, held his breath several times as he heard the Duke announce his intention to marry Chloe in a dry but outspoken tone. The Duke fell in love the moment he first saw Alice at the ball he invited, hesitated about the difference in status that could attract public attention, but in the end he could not bear his love and came to the Verdier estate. Hunting was an excuse, and after meeting her again and confirming his heart, he thought marriage was the only answer. ¡°I belatedly learned that Miss Alice couldn¡¯t marry me, but I thought breaking up in this situation where the royal family came down to celebrate it, would have a bad impact on the Verdier family.¡± Chloe, who had prepared tea for her father and the Duke, felt the urge to pour hot tea on the duke, who was telling the perfect lie, and widened her eyes when she saw the gloves. It was only after that she discovered the embroidery on the black sheepskin gloves that stirred her mouth. Thief. Chloe clenched her fist next to the Duke, who touched her belongings, not to mention entering the lady¡¯s bedroom at will. ¡°I was lucky to have another great daughter.¡± ¡°Your excellency. But Chloe is¡­ As you know¡­¡± Viscount Verdier stuttered while looking at his daughter¡¯s eyes. The duke grinned at the Viscount, who couldn¡¯t keep up with his words. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that whatever you¡¯re concerned about can¡¯t be an obstacle to me. I¡¯m on my way back from Miss Chloe¡¯s bedroom.¡± Clatter. The sound of the surprised Viscount Verdier dropping the teacup rang loudly in the parlour. Chloe¡¯s face, which had barely calmed down, heated up red. The duke lifted the teacup with a graceful hand, completely ignoring her protesting look asking what the hell he was talking about. ¡°I was belatedly impressed by the beautiful heart of Miss Chloe, who even prepared a gift for me. It¡¯s not only the duty of a gentleman to pretend not to know the heart of a lady, but it goes against the family tradition that I have been taught.¡± * * * Comments from Korean readers: Ah¡­ Only if this novel was R19¡­. Ah¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s okay to make this man roll in regrets a few times¡­.I wish he wasn¡¯t the male lead. I¡¯d rather¡­.the real male lead would appear and get rid of this bastard. My heart is pounding with tension Male lead why are you talking like that? Kimppa¡¯s tension technique level is on a different level I can¡¯t even breath Chapter 19 Episode 19 The duke was acting abominable by showing the pattern of gloves on purpose. Viscount Verdier recognized at a glance that it was Chloe¡¯s embroidery. This is because she once gave the same gift to her father. ¡°Ah¡­ Chloe. Oh my god. This father didn¡¯t even know that¡­¡± Chloe was embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to do when she realised that Viscount Verdier was looking at her with a mixture of sadness and complex emotions. Father, no! It was clear that her father had a ridiculous misunderstanding that she had the Duke in mind from the beginning. ¡°I think she¡¯ll become a great duchess.¡± ¡°I will guarantee that!¡± Viscount Verdier jumped up from his seat and opened his mouth with a serious look as if he were taking an oath. ¡°My daughter is a wise and virtuous child, and she will be a duchess respected by everyone. I can bet everything I have on it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a statement where I can feel the sincerity regardless of how much or how little you have.¡± Seeing the duke nodding his head half-heartedly, Viscount hesitated for a moment. It was clear that the Duke took his words as insignificant sugar coated words The wrinkled face became more serious and the voice became more solemn. ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have much, but if I can make my daughter happy, I¡¯ll give the Duke everything I have. I can even give my life.¡± Caw, she felt like she could hear the bird crying ominously. Chloe already felt the jewel of Tisse on her body getting heavier. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°The bad taste of taking people¡¯s lives is probably something that can barely be used in war.¡± The Duke tilted his head with his legs crossed and looked at him over the teacup. Chloe thought that if the devil denied himself, he would have exactly that kind of face. ¡°Can I have the forest that is Verdier¡¯s private property and the mountain that leads to it?¡± When he asked for a land that was not useful enough, Viscount looked puzzled. ¡°But the soil is barren and the trees are useless there¡­¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a place that Chloe loves.¡± The Duke looked at Chloe with a face like the romanticist of the century. ¡°It¡¯s where everything started.¡± He narrowed his eyes and smiled. Chloe vowed not to go to the forest again if she turned back time, but it was only a belated regret. *** ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Chloe. You are so beautiful that people can¡¯t take their eyes off you, my daughter.¡± Viscount Verdier shed tears as he looked at Chloe who had finished dressing up. Ever since he got older, he couldn¡¯t control the tears that flowed from time to time. However, he was convinced that no one would blame him even if he shed tears today. ¡°How happy would your mother have been if she were alive?¡± ¡°It was for Alice, but I think it¡¯s awkward because I wore it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Chloe?¡± Viscount approached her and held her hand. ¡°Claire prepared this dress for you. I prepared something else for Alice, who was a fool.¡± (T/N: Claire is the mother) ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the piano. She almost fainted when she saw her(Alice) play the keyboard with her toes.¡± As Chloe smiled softly, the Viscount shrugged his shoulders a little and smiled. What was her mother thinking as she prepared the wedding dress for her daughter, who had a sick body? In the end, today was the day when her wish came true. ¡°Anyway, as of today, you¡¯re the Duchess of Tisse. You¡¯ll do great, my daughter.¡± Chloe took a deep breath and smiled more brightly at her father. ¡°Chloe. You should be happy¡­..¡± In the end, Chloe tried her best to hold back her tears in the arms of her father, who was crying like a child. She could not cause any more worries to the Viscount, who was heartbroken over Alice¡¯s affair. ¡°You have to go out now.¡± It was only after Gray urged her with a low voice that Chloe struggled to come to her senses. ¡°You look great today, Gray.¡± As it was an important day, the servants dressed up in the best clothes. She smiled at Gray, who had his hair neatly trimmed, but his expression was not very bright. Gray, who has a similar personality to Chloe and has a meticulous aspect, may have noticed her disturbed mind. ¡°Prepare two more handkerchiefs. Because I¡¯m afraid my father will burst into tears.¡± In front of the servant, her father, who was trying to protect his dignity, came to his senses with a hmm, hmm, and a dry cough. Chloe grabbed her father¡¯s arm and slowly began to walk toward the garden (T/N: backgarden). The wedding was held in such a small manner that it was considered humble considering the status of the Duke of Tisse. It seemed like father was the only one who believed in the Duke¡¯s words that he wanted to get married as soon as possible. However, because Chloe also don¡¯t want to invite all the nobles of the kingdom to hold a grand wedding, he comforted her that it wasn¡¯t a bad thing In front of the old fountain, where young Chloe sat on a bench and watched the stars, they promised their marriage before the gods. When the priest asked if he would do his duty by his side forever even in the face of adversity and hardship, the duke replied that he would do it without hesitation. After Chloe answered, the bride and groom faced each other. It was a sunny summer day with dazzling sunlight. Until the spring of this year, when she was invited by the duke and headed to the ball, Chloe could not have imagined that such a situation would come to her. ¡°Now the bride and groom make a promise to each other with a kiss before God.¡± Chloe lost her chance to avoid his gaze as Damien, who slowly lowered her head, looked at her with a piercing gaze. Her heart beat fast because she thought she would be sucked into his blue eyes. The tension intensified the moment she remembered the last scene in the bedroom when she kissed him. For a moment, she was afraid that she couldn¡¯t predict his behavior even though she thought he wouldn¡¯t act like a beast unless he intended to humiliate her in front of others. Chloe¡¯s eyelashes fluttered and slowly opened with the feather-like kiss. The duke¡¯s perfect lips drew an arc and moved upwards mischievously. While avoiding his gaze, as if asking what he was expecting, someone started scattering flowers. As soon as the groom and bride had to walk together along the altar, Chloe¡¯s body moved. A small cheer was heard all around. ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Duke, Duchess!¡± Chloe was the only one who was going crazy as young children dressed like angels walked with her on the altar where they were sprinkling flowers. ¡°Please put me down.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to finish it quickly, do you?¡± As he buried his face in the bride and whispered softly, Chloe¡¯s face turned red. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she put her neck on the duke¡¯s arm, and the duke kissed her forehead again with a satisfied expression on his face. ¡°Good job, Chloe.¡± The applause and whistling of guests who were ignorant of the truth grew louder and louder. It was beyond imagination, but they were like a pretty good match. *** After the wedding, it was a moment when the small countryside was excited with joy. As soon as the wedding was over, it became known that the Duke left for Swan, the capital city, alone, and each person he met became headlines. ¡°I knew it. I don¡¯t know what the Duke¡¯s weakness was when he got married, but wouldn¡¯t it be natural that it wasn¡¯t a marriage because he liked it? Well, he hasn¡¯t spent the first night and just left.¡± ¡°A duke who fell in love with the poor noble family lady who has an injured leg. The novels that my wife reads would make more sense than that.¡± ¡°Hey. If you¡¯re at a bar, drink up and leave.¡± The young man sitting at the table next to him banged his fist on the table, and the drunkards shut their mouths. This was because he belatedly noticed that he was a servant working in Verdier¡¯s castle. Gray, who could not pretend not to be ignorant of the rumors that were being heard, became increasingly uncomfortable. ¡°Take a break, miss. It¡¯s dinner time soon.¡± ¡°Huh? Has it already been that long? I think there are more than one or two areas that need to be managed.¡± Chloe, who had her head stuck on the desk, stretched out as she watched Gray put oil into the lamp. It was only natural for her eyes to get dim as she stared at papers full of numbers all day. ¡°How¡¯s the village? You went today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bar, it¡¯s an inn, it¡¯s crowded with humans, and there¡¯s no place to sit.¡± Chloe smiled at Gray¡¯s words that sounded somewhat complaining. ¡°People are relaxed because they expect a bountiful harvest.¡± The ruthlessly hot summer increased the harvest of sugarcane, a specialty of the Verdier estate. It was natural that the more noisily the people gathered in the village after the hard work, the more lively it was. It was such a grateful thing that jobless people for over the years slowly left the village and and it became quiet ¡°Why do you look so down?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± As Gray shook his head in a hurry, Chloe blinked at him. No matter how she looked at him, she didn¡¯t think he was fine. ¡°If you have any concerns, tell me, Gray.¡± ¡°Miss¡­Are you fine?¡± Chloe blinked innocently as she saw Gray, who had difficulty talking about it. ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°How about sending a telegram to Swan?¡± Chloe realized what Gray was worried about and smiled lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been writing letters to the duke.¡± In fact, it was more of a report on what happened in the castle than a letter, but Chloe was sending letters to the Duke once a week without any exceptions. ¡°But¡­¡± Chloe also knew why Gray was blurring his words. While she has sent more than ten letters so far, no reply has been received from the Duke. *** Comments from Korean readers: I think there is something in that land. To be honest, I still think Alice¡¯s actions were far worse than the duke¡¯s. The duke¡¯s attitude is just arrogant but Alice¡¯s accident¡­.And there¡¯s a limit to letting your dad and sister clean up the elopement because they are family. There are limits. Be afraid of karma, it will come back to you No, he left immediately after the marriage and there was no letter!? Don¡¯t regret it later, Duke. Chapter 20 Episode 20 ¡°I see what you are concerned about. But there¡¯s nothing to blame him for being busy.¡± At first, Chloe also thought that the conduct of the duke, who had never contacted her after leaving the bride behind on her wedding day, was a mess. But she changed her mind later. It was a marriage that proceeded without love anyway, but she thought it would be much better if he kept her at her home and treated her as if she was invisible. And time will solve the problem of people whispering. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve been busy since the wedding, so I don¡¯t have time to pay attention to useless things.¡± ¡°Is it useless?¡± It was unintentional, but it seemed that her words were sharp again. Chloe soon realized that she had made a mistake and waved her hand. No matter how comfortable she was with Gray, she didn¡¯t need to cause any concern by telling her subordinates that her marriage was useless. ¡°Maybe the Duke gave me some time to take care of things. You know how busy I am dealing with wedding presents that are flooding in because I suddenly became the Duchess.¡± Chloe smiled broadly as she saw Gray¡¯s expression dissipate a bit of concern. ¡°Furthermore¡­ The letter I¡¯ve been waiting for has already arrived. Today.¡± ¡°What letter?¡± ¡°Look. It¡¯s no fun if you find out sooner.¡± Chloe got up from her seat, limped toward the bookshelf, and took out a hidden letter envelope. Gray¡¯s face, which recognized the sender just by looking at the handwriting, brightened up. ¡°Did Alice send you a letter?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Can I read it too?¡± ¡°Sure. Here.¡± The letter was short, but it was clear that Alice was doing well. Alice¡¯s chattering voice seemed to be heard from it. ¡°I¡¯m the happiest in the world right now, Gray.¡± Chloe was sincere. Her younger sister¡¯s well-being was confirmed, and her father¡¯s health has improved noticeably these days, so her life is bright. The faces of people in the estate have brightened up with whom she had grown up since birth, the cleaning of old dust and the repair work in every nook and cranny of Verdier Castle was in progress ¡°I hope to live like this forever ¡° ¡°I wish we could be just like now, miss.¡± Chloe smiled face to face with Gray as before. It was only later that day, their peace was broken. Chapter 08: The Scandal. Was Duke Thisse¡¯s passion impossible to extinguish even by marriage? Our war hero, who surprised the entire kingdom by welcoming the lady of humble aristocratic family as a bride, is reportedly spending a sweet time with Marquis Isabella in Swan. In the top bedroom of the Rose Castle, the candle never goes out, and the poor bride was left in the countryside for three months after the wedding¡­. ¡°I¡­May I bring you some tea?¡± The owner of the tailor opened her mouth with a trembling voice towards Chloe. She never thought that the gossip paper that delivered Swan¡¯s news would be here. After carefully reading the rumours one by one, the duchess folded it finely and put it back on the table. ¡°No, I¡¯m done with the tea. I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s an interesting newspaper, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve actually seen it.¡± The ¡®Red Veil¡¯ was a gossip magazine published secretly without the permission of the royal family. It was fun to read because most of them ridicule the private lives and affairs of nobles, but it is strictly forbidden in the royal palace. ¡°I¡¯ll burn it right away. Duchess.¡± When Deborah, the owner of the tailor¡¯s shop, bowed her head, Chloe waved her hand. ¡°No way. If it is something that will be destroyed by fire, I have a lot of memories that I want to destroy.¡± Deborah looked at Chloe as she spoke calmly even in this situation and bit her lips tightly. Chloe, who is younger than her daughter, looked determined with a smile on her face. ¡°I think you are done measuring, so I can go now, right?¡± ¡°What? You haven¡¯t even picked out the fabric and design yet¡­.¡± Chloe shook her head with a light smile and held the cane in her hand. ¡°I want you to take care of it. I think an expert would be better than me.¡± Ding. The door opened and the Duchess disappeared, leading with her uncomfortable legs. Deborah leaned back, staring intently at the newspaper lying on the table. The newspaper, which contains the rumor of the Duke and Marquis Isabella, on the front page, had the image of the two which was drawn very carefully. They were looking at each other from the balcony of the rose castle. Marquis Isabella, who is smiling seductively, had a high headdress that showed how much money she invested on her hair, and the duke was unable to take his face off her voluptuous chest under the dress. ¡°Anyways, men ruin the country because of their lower body!¡± Deborah clicked her tongue loudly and thought she should give the poor duchess the most beautiful dress. She was sorry to Chloe, but the dull-colored dress she was wearing was an old-fashioned style that has been centuries away from the current trend. Even if she changed her clothes a little, her pretty face must have stood out a lot more. ¡°Look at the skills of a rural hard-worker!¡± Deborah was once again determined to take this opportunity to splurge on the money that would come out of the duke¡¯s pocket. Her hands were busy choosing the finest fabrics that fit well with Chloe¡¯s fair face. *** ¡°Miss, I think you¡¯d better go back to the castle.¡± ¡°My schedule is not over yet. I have to meet Mr. Wharton and talk about opening a hospital, and look around the waterway and windmills.¡± Gray chewed his lips as he looked at Chloe in the carriage with a pale face. It was after he also read the ¡®Red Veil¡¯ published this morning. While Chloe, who entered the tailor¡¯s shop, was choosing clothes, a little boy selling newspapers ran down the street with excitement. The paper, which was printed with the face of the Duke and a strange woman, was torn into small pieces and thrown into the drain, but the anger was not relieved. ¡°¡­people may feel uncomfortable meeting you.¡± ¡°People would be more anxious if the Duchess is swayed by low-quality rumors. Let¡¯s get going.¡± Gray was unwilling, but he had no choice but to ride the horse. Chloe, who was struggling to smile, closed her eyes as soon as the carriage door was closed. Her heart pounded unpleasantly and her stomach churned. She wanted to go back to the castle right away. A pitiful and poor bride. In a state of recuperating in the countryside. The Scarecrow Duchess who got married with the careless Duke of Tisse. A bird that can¡¯t fly because her leg is broken. The words in the newspaper dug into her heart one by one like broken pieces of glass. Her slightly wet eyelashes trembled and lifted upwards. She couldn¡¯t forget the profile of the Duke buried in the breasts of Marquis Isabella. Why does he make me bear this humiliation? Leaving for Swan, the capital, the last thing Duke Tisse said to Chloe was to ¡®Fulfill your duty as a Duchess¡¯. As long as she had married him, Chloe also intended to faithfully follow his words. She did her best to maintain her position as the Duchess in order to make her marriage look flawless, but when she saw that the Duke was living like a rascal in the capital, she was filled with unbearable shame and anger burned in her heart. ¡°Haa¡­¡± Autumn has already passed, but her body has a fever. As she passed through the graveled road, her back was hurt by the rattling carriage. Chloe bit her lips tightly and raised her head. In fact, if I think about it, it was a marriage with no expectations from the beginning. So, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine. Chloe, who got off the carriage, checked the agricultural waterway with her usual face. ¡°If you have any difficulties, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡± ¡°Thank you, Duchess.¡± A farmer bowed his head with a sweaty face. ¡°The Duchess¡¯ face is different from what I saw in the newspaper!¡± Someone hastily shut the mouth of the young child who was shouting. ¡°Oh, right! She had a high head like a bird¡¯s nest and a mole on her cheek!¡± When another child raised his voice next to him, the peasant, whose face was shriveled, bowed his head repeatedly to apologize. Chloe smiled bitterly and walked back without any response. She heard someone giggling behind her, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to look back. She felt like she was going to get angry at a child who did nothing wrong. She really hated the duke who made her feel this miserable. *** As the butler entered the study, Damien, who was standing by the window, turned his head. After work, having a drink and organizing the day was like his regular job. The butler carefully put down the alcohol that Damien ordered and was about to leave, but Damien suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Are there any letters from Verdier?¡± It was only then the butler realized that he had forgotten and hurriedly bowed his head. ¡°No, it arrived when Mrs. Isabella visited today, but it was too late, so the delivery was delayed until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Bring it.¡± In a hurry, the butler hurried to the front door where the letter was kept. The reason was that Marquis Isabella visited immediately after the letter arrived. ¡°Haa¡­.I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking.¡± The frequent visits to the capital of the Duke Tisse began immediately after the war ended. Thanks to this, the almost empty Rose Castle was filled with aristocrats and businessmen who wanted to line him up. ¡°What are you doing with the letter without even replying once?¡± In Paul¡¯s 20-year career as a butler, Duke Tisse was the first owner to be so mysterious. Damien chuckled when he returned to the study and handed him a letter. ¡°Put it down there.¡± ¡°Yes, duke. Then please take a rest.¡± ¡°Who said you could leave?¡± The butler was nervous at the sharp voice and swallowed dry saliva. Chapter 21 Episode: 21 ¡°Do you have anything else to ask for?¡± ¡°Who said you can ask questions?¡± The butler¡¯s lips were shut. Damien slowly approached and made eye contact with him. Damien¡¯s hand fell off after tapping his shoulder once. ¡°Paul.¡± ¡°Yes d, duke.¡± Paul stuttered involuntarily. ¡°I respect talented people more than anyone else. But the opposite is different.¡± The appearance of the Duke, who shared his opinions while sharing a glass of wine with businessmen and the person in front of him looked different to the extent that they could not be said to be the same person. ¡°Let¡¯s do things right in the future.¡± Damien¡¯s lips moved upward in an arc, but his eyes were not. The butler could tell it from his feelings that his master was now warning him for the first and last time. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± *** Chapter 09. Damien Damien read the letter, which had been read quickly, slowly, once again. Chloe¡¯s letter was no different from what she had sent so far. Her handwriting was neat and the use of words was appropriate. There was no agitation anywhere in the content of reporting what happened in the territory and expressing gratitude to the Duke. At first glance, it seemed like a lot of rhetoric (especially in the part that praises Damien¡¯s work), but even so, her personal feelings were extremely restrained and soulless. Except for one part. He shed a small smile as he opened the office drawer and dropped the new letter into the pile of letters. The end of numerous letters she has sent so far has always ended with the same name. ¡°Chloe Verdier.¡± Damien leaned against the window and smiled low. It was in this regard that she provoked him. The envelope of the letter clearly stated Duchess of Tisse, but the signature at the end of letter, Chloe had never written her last name¡ªTisse Damien glanced at the newspaper a while ago, which the Marquis Isabella, who had visited him today, left. The ¡°Red Veil,¡± which featured himself and Isabella on the front page, probably made a savoury profit. What did Chloe think when she saw this? Perhaps she felt ashamed. Since she lives with dignity and norms, did she cry because she couldn¡¯t stand this embarrassment? No. As usual, he must have held back the tears with his eyes wide open, like a spoonful of cream mixed with sweet chocolate. She didn¡¯t even know that¡¯s what stimulates humans like him even more. Damien felt the taste of alcohol on the root of his tongue getting deeper and deeper. It was clear that the table of the person who exaggerated the appearance of him and Isabella would be abundant today. The story of the marquise, who became famous thanks to her dead husband who left a great fortune, and the young and capable duke, was a convenient device to attract people¡¯s interest. Palang. Demien turned over the newspaper and checked the back page. There was also a clear article about the recent scream in the basement of the royal palace. There was also a rumor that the maid and servants were dying with all their blood drawn. No one openly read the third-rate gossip that he was funding. But at least all the aristocrats he knew kept this newspaper secretly in their homes. After the war, farmers and merchants who had managed to make ends meet actively welcomed the provocative news of high-ranking people. The royal family had officially announced that those who print this newspaper will be severely punished for spreading unconfirmed rumors. He was also well aware that the reason for not conducting a large-scale search was that Damien occasionally leaked news that suited the taste of the royal family. Tuk, tuk. Demien thought of Chloe, his fingers were tapping on the desk where the newspaper was spread out. He wondered what she was thinking. If he could understand the sequence of thought processes going on in her tiny head, he felt like he could do anything. ¡°I think the duke wants power.¡± That woman, who always avoided or lowered her gaze, occasionally looked straight at him and threw out a few words, this made something boil intolerable in his stomach. He snatched the sheepskin gloves that were neatly placed on the table with his hands. Blue veins popped up on the back of his large hand as he clasped the glove, which got completely crumpled by his hand. Whenever he thought of her, he had an urge to grab something. If he could, it would be best to grab her, but he felt like she would break if he grabbed her a little too hard. No. She would rather bend but won¡¯t break easily. Demien recalled the moment when he first saw her. When he had to retreat with a lot of injured soldiers, it was the day he managed to find one of the local landlords who were guarding. At night when the moans of those dying in the barracks continued, Chloe was at the bedside of a soldier who was fluctuating from death. He still clearly remembered what she said while holding the hand of a soldier who was calling his mother in a confused mental state in the face of death. ¡°My son. My proud son. Your mom loves you a lot.¡± Chloe dared to play his mother for the dying soldier. It was absurd to think about it now, but what made him even more speechless was the fact that the soldier, who was wandering between life and death, endured the night and eventually woke up. ¡°Crazy.¡± It was surprising enough to make him swear even now. Damien once again confirmed that human mental strength can exceed the limits of the body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to pass.¡± That night, the woman who was busily passing by Damien, who had come to inspect the barracks of the wounded, looked young enough to think that she was barely over twenty. She was also visibly limping with her leg, even with a cane. It was then that strange emotions hit his stomach. He was annoyed with that woman. He was annoyed that she offered to help others with a physical condition that would not be strange even if she was mixed with the wounded, and the calm expression on her face even in an unwelcome situation offended his heart. A few days later, when he saw her again in the forest, the reality of the strange emotion became clear. If her hand holding the basket had not trembled, Damien would not have been convinced that she was afraid of him. He became a little thirsty when he thought of Chloe, who never showed tears even if her voice was filled with tears. Damien knew he had a thorough insight into her nature. At the same time, he was newly aware of the fact that he felt a hunting instinct for that kind of human being. For example, an upright type who does not seek sympathy no matter how much you step on them. He remembered the small bedroom that looked just like her. The piano, which is old but not a single dust had settled on it as if it had always been swept and wiped. When he recalled the crime novel that lay side by side with a book of the ascetic philosopher on the table, he involuntarily started to laugh. The old cloth doll, sitting quietly on the bed, was probably given to her by her dead mother. The patterns of curtains, bed blankets, and cushions on the sofa were slightly different in color, but the embroidery format was completely consistent. A room where there was nothing without her touch. It was a small world that seemed to abbreviate Chloe Verdi¡¯s life. In the room, the woman would have made a small deviation by playing the piano and reading criminal novels quietly while studying the conservative philosopher¡¯s thoughts. She would have embroidered in a place where the sunlight came in and covered her small world that is filled with her own traces. What did she think while embroidering Tisse¡¯s pattern on his gloves? Damien recalled the most pleasant memory that took place there. The appearance of her trembling and kissing him with contempt while shedding tears silently was one of the most enjoyable memories he had ever experienced. The time when I felt a similar feeling was when I stabbed the heart of the enemy commander who shot me a few years ago. But his little pleasure won¡¯t last long. He was originally a person who was good at objectifying himself. He¡¯ll get tired of seeing a woman kneeling down and begging five or three times. But it didn¡¯t matter. He has already gotten enough from this marriage. The water flowing down from the barren mountain in the forest, the private land of Verdie, was gleaming strangely. If the source of the placer was a mine, it was a pity for Viscount Verdier, who was suffering from debt, but it was also the fault of that man who did not recognize the gold in front of him. He has never failed to do what he intended. The same goes for marriage. Damien opened his hand slowly and saw the glove crumpled inside. He moistened his dry lips with his tongue when he imagined the woman staring at the white birch pattern while embroidering the stitch one by one. She had a characteristic of slightly opening her lips when she concentrated. Next time, he thought he should lock her in the room and make her sew all day long. After she runs out of pieces of fabric to sew on, he might as well have her embroider his body. Recalling her careful breathing as she stitched the wounds torn by the beast, Damien gently closed his eyes and then opened them. It was his last generosity to Chloe Verdier who left without spending the first night with him. It was a consideration not to break her small body. *** Comments from Korean Readers: You married the lady of a humble family, wanted to reassure the royal family but it was for the gold buried in that land!!! You thief!!! Male lead is so sick!!!! Lol the comment section is funny I¡¯m blown away by the comments. Regrets? Revenge? Please I want it Chapter 22 Episode 22 He grabbed the gloves back and headed for the bedroom. Tomorrow was the day of an audience with the king, who had not appeared in public for three months. A pleasant excitement enveloped his body as he thought he was one step closer to the moment he had been waiting for. *** In front of the king¡¯s bedroom located in the deepest part of the palace, Damien stared intently at the tightly closed door. Three months ago, the condition of the king who collapsed while eating was highly confidential, but judging from the circumstances in the royal palace, it was certain that his condition would not be very good. ¡°He says to come in.¡± The servant appeared and guided him in a cautious manner. Damien strode into the bedroom, where the scent of death was deeply cast. ¡°Damien. Come here.¡± The King raised his hand with a more emaciated face than when Damien returned from the war and had a personal audience with him last time. Watching his bony hands move weakly, Damien instinctively felt that he probably had fewer days left to live than he thought. It was questionable whether it would be possible for him to fill half a year more at the longest. (TL/N: ¡®fill¡¯ meaning ¡®live¡¯) ¡°It¡¯s not long before God calls me in his arms.¡± (King) Damien spoke in a tone that was not mixed with emotions, neither positive nor negative about what he said. ¡°The reason why you ordered me to enter the palace is because you have something to ask me to do.¡± The king laughed a little. His nephew was much better than his father. He could be so cold-hearted that he accurately judged the situation in the war and eventually gave victory to the kingdom. It is also true that he wished his son Johannes to resemble at least half of his cousin Damien. But now he felt fortunate that a talented man like Damien was next to the prince. ¡°Even if I leave, I believe you will serve John well.¡± Johannes¡¯ military force, whom he raised as his successor, was inherited from his maternal line. There was a secret known to very few that he(Jhon) was ill, and it was also something that was kept a secret until his death. ¡°Damien, promise me. You will ease the burden I put on that poor child¡¯s shoulder. Swear before God that you will serve the king with all your allegiance, as you have always done.¡± Damien looked down at the king lying on the bed, and finally opened his mouth slowly. ¡°If there is a king I can serve, I will.¡± The wrinkled king¡¯s eyelids throbbed. ¡°¡­..It is a loyal duty to serve because he is the King. Damien.¡± ¡°Then the future of the country is bright.¡± Demian bowed his head and whispered while looking into his eyes. ¡°A country ruled by a crazy king.¡± ¡°You ¡­. You bastard¡­!¡± Damian¡¯s hand covered the king¡¯s mouth. The servant behind the curtain could not enter until the king¡¯s order was given. The moment his astonished eyes collided with Demian¡¯s blue eyes, the king immediately grasped the truth he had been hiding. ¡°Even if the prince has no blemishes, it is impossible to guarantee whether I will be able to serve him or not. When I bow to someone worse than me, bitter water comes up from my stomach.¡± Damien¡¯s grip was enormous. He thought it would be enough to crush his chin right away, but the king tried to pull himself together. It was only a belated regret that he should have removed the sprouts when he was young. (T/N: to kill Damien when he was young) ¡°It is true that I fought on the battlefield with my life on stake for the sake of my country.¡± Tisse¡¯s son, who enlisted in the army at a young age, devoted his loyalty to the country, and financed the royal palace with huge amount of taxes¡ª grew up as a poisonous snake with a deadly poison while the king was relieved. ¡°Because it¡¯s my kingdom.¡± Even as he uttered the dangerous word¡ª rebellion out of his lips, he didn¡¯t move a single eyelash. Damien loosened his hand, but the king was shocked and could not say anything. ¡°The one who sits on the throne should be qualified, right? Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Since when¡­ when did you have such greed?¡± The old king couldn¡¯t understand. Damien¡¯s father, the predecessor Duke Tisse, was a loyal person. Marrying the king¡¯s sister also largely attributed to the fact that he was a soldier with a strong professional spirit. Who is the one who instills such impure thoughts into his son? His sister, Damien¡¯s biological mother was weak and had never expressed her interest or greed for power. Damien answered to the king, who looked at him with an unbelievable expression with his trembling eyes. ¡°Since I was born.¡± Only then could the king properly recognize the existence in front of him. Damien¡¯s instinct was that of a trampler. No one had educated him like that, but he was born that way. If he could turn back time, he would have killed Damien, when he was a fetus, and removed it. The king, who realized that it was already too late, had a belated fear in his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re done with your questions, may I step down, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Damien¡­.!¡± Damien, who was about to turn around, stopped when the king hurriedly called his name. The king carefully spoke to his nephew in an earnest voice containing his last hope. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t do anything to hurt John. He¡¯s your blood, Damien. So please, about his safety¡­..!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see blood, your majesty can make wise judgments.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I am telling you that you can acknowledge the prince¡¯s flaws and appoint me as the new heir.¡± Damien enjoyed watching the blood accumulating in the king¡¯s eyes. It was a very interesting experience to watch the moment when all hopes turns into despair. In other words, it was only a desire as a father, not as a king of the country, to establish a person who was not qualified from the beginning as the successor. ¡°That kind of insult¡­To Johannes¡­ Are you telling me to do that to my son with my own hands¡­..?¡± ¡°It is the right decision as the king of a country, not as the father of a son.¡± The king was able to intuitively feel how long Damien waited for this. The current situation with the nobles of parliament who all are honouring the young duke¡ª the old and sick king lying in bed and waiting to end his life, while the immature and weak prince who relies on the duke for everything. ¡°I could convene a meeting of parliament and punish you for treason, Damien.¡± Damien smiled at the king who had drawn out his last card ¡°Then you¡¯ll see what real a treason is.¡± Seeing the king¡¯s lips quivering, Damien bowed his head to pay his respects, and then stepped down. The king couldn¡¯t calm down and trembled even when his servant, who was called by Damien, came and looked at his (king) safety. I¡¯ll let you see your son¡¯s neck first in the guillotine. Demian¡¯s ensuing whisper penetrated the king¡¯s brain and echoed. Chapter 10. The Train to Tisse In the winter when the cold wind passed through the tip of the nose, Verdier estate was crowded with workers from outside. The construction of railroad on the mountain was not a scale that could be completed in a day or two, and as is always the case where people gather, the city was slowly but steadily expanding due to active commercial transactions. The fact that the Duchess of Tisse, who had been married in the summer, had been living on her estate without her husband for nearly half a year was not a big deal anymore. This is because inns, restaurants, and bars were always full, and farmers were also busy with their jobs during the off-season. Viscount Verdier, who had cleared out all his debts, was also busy. It was his job as a lord to mediate the conflicts between the existing residents and outsiders*. Although his financial ability is a bit lacking, the Viscount, who has a knack for mediating his subordinates, seemed energetic after a long time. (* The people who came to work on the railroad) ¡°Father.¡± Chloe carefully entered the parlour attached to the study. As if he had told the servant in advance, there was tea and high-quality cookies, which he apparently had prepared for her. ¡°I bought it on my way back from Swan¡±. That¡¯s something to be grateful for, considering there is a time when they are worried about what they would wear and eat. Chloe crunched and bit the soft butter cookies. The sound of wood crackling was heard in the fireplace. How long has it been since I am able to drink tea with my father on a quiet winter night? ¡°It¡¯s really good, father.¡± Chloe is finally back in her daily life. ¡°I hugged it all the time in the carriage just in case it gets broken.¡± It was a happy time that she desperately protected. ¡°You have been busy every single day, Chole¡± ¡°You look well. It would be good if you take care of yourself¡± ¡°For that, we should reduce the snack first.¡± Chloe smiled after seeing the Viscount getting better. Seeing her father who was relaxed enough to joke around, she was deeply relieved. Last summer, when the unfortunate things occurred one after another, she was really worried about him. ¡°I should show a very weak figure until the wretched Alice returns.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t, she will be fully reflecting.¡± Chloe smiled a little more and looked at him. She didn¡¯t tell her father yet, but Alice and Chloe were secretly exchanging letters. Alice begged Chloe and her father for forgiveness and told them not to worry, as she is living a life where there is nothing lacking now. The letter¡ª written in a tone where she confidently said that she would soon see Chloe again, was of the highest quality paper and smelled good. ¡°Where is she living and what is she doing¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She is unpredictable, but always lucky, father.¡± Chloe¡¯s words comforted him because her words were true. Although both sisters suffered from the same fever, it left an indelible wound on Chloe¡¯s body, whereas Alice rose bravely. When she was studying at the monastery, she had an eccentric personality, and despite many accidents, she was not kicked out of school and graduated safely. *** Comments from Korean readers: Although the male lead here is cold hearted, I thought he could be just a kind- hearted tsundere but after reading this episode I realised he is just a greedy and a bad guy¡­ I feel sorry for the female lead I think the gypsy is a big shot¡­.I hate you Alice Where is Alice? ALICE KIDNAPPED BY THE MALE LEAD, IS IT!??? Is Alice really lucky to meet a high quality gypsy with true love??? Damien isn¡¯t that bad man!! Don¡¯t call him like that!!! Chapter 23 Episode 23 Even though during first debut, she was drunk and messed up, it was good that returned to society the following year by receiving an invitation from a duke. ¡°Kicking all that luck and going through a hard road with her own feet.¡± Chloe smiled softly as the Viscount pressed his temple and shook his head. ¡°Wait and see. Alice will happily ever after, overshadowing the worries of my father and I.¡± The Viscount looked at Chloe with deep affectionate eyes. Chloe put down the teacup and patted her thighs with a thump, thump sound as if her legs were hurting. ¡°Put your legs on the sofa, Chloe.¡± ¡°No, father. It¡¯s fine.¡± Chloe quickly lowered her hand and straightened her posture. Correcting her posture is a result of learning from a young age, but it was only natural that it sometimes looked pitiful. ¡°¡­father.¡± Chloe blinked as she watched Viscount carefully place her legs on the stool. Since she couldn¡¯t use her strength on one leg, she had to put too much strength and pressure on her left leg. As the days got colder, her muscles stiffen faster and she felt tired. ¡°Chloe.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Viscount sat close to her and began to massage his daughter¡¯s stiffened legs. Taking off her shoes, the Viscount hesitated at his words, while rubbing her calves, ankles and feet. ¡°In my eyes, Alice and you are still my young daughters.¡± Chloe saw the Viscount who wouldn¡¯t make eye contact with her. Did something happen in Swan? Chloe started to get a little worried as she recalled the face of her father, whom he loved like his child, saying that he had bought delicious snacks from the capital. ¡°In the eyes of parents, all children are like that. Maybe even when I become a grandmother, I will still look like the young Chloe to my father.¡± His own eyes were reddened to see Chloe soothing him with a friendly voice. ¡°I know. You have now become a decent duchess, and you should have gotten out of my arms sooner.¡± Unlike Alice, who kicked herself out for her happiness, Chloe knew well that she was a daughter who couldn¡¯t. It is said that there are no sore fingers by biting her ten fingers, but that¡¯s why he loves Chloe so much. ¡°I want to live in this castle with my father and servants, forever.¡± Viscount Verdier didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t read the capital¡¯s gossip. It was Chloe who persuaded her furious father and stopped him from sending a telegraph to the Duke immediately. She managed to prevent him from contacting the Duke with a serious persuasion that it would be funnier to respond to third-rate newspapers that write ghost stories or nonsense stories for fun. ¡°The duke also said that it is his duty to be by his majesty¡¯s side.¡± The Duke sent a dry reply to the letter the Viscount Verdier had written after thinking about it for three days and nights. The fact that the king was lying on a sickbed was a fact that all the nobles knew, so it couldn¡¯t be added as an excuse. ¡°Yes, but it seems that his Majesty has finally recovered his health.¡± ¡°¡­..What?¡± Chloe raised her head and blinked. Suddenly, an uneasy feeling crossed her heart . ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. Don¡¯t you think so? Chloe?¡± ¡°O-of course. It¡¯s a good thing. Father.¡± It was blasphemy to not to rejoice at the news that the sun of the Kingdom had regained his health. Chloe hurriedly drew a cross and offered a brief prayer, but her heart was beating rapidly. The official reason why the Duke left for the capital was because his Majesty was in poor condition, which allowed her to continue staying in Verdier, her home. ¡°Chloe.¡± The Viscount smiled with his teary eyes as he pulled out a letter from his arms ¡°I met the duke in Swan. I bought the letter myself before he was about to send you a telegram.¡± The cold wind shook the window of the parlour. The nail-sized moon was foretelling that the night would be very long. Chloe tried hard to smile and read the letter. It was the first letter she received after half a year, but the moment she saw the letter, she felt as if she could hear his voice. Chloe swallowed her dry saliva, recognizing that his face, which naturally came into her mind, was much clearer than her memory. ¡°It was the first time we met in person since the wedding, but the Duke knew everything that happened in our territory.¡± That¡¯s because Chloe sent a letter close to the report once a week. ¡°It means that even though he was physically away, his mind has been caring about the place where you are.¡± Chloe was not strong enough to correct her poor father¡¯s happy illusion. As soon as she nodded, the Viscount opened his eyes wide and spoke. ¡°After meeting him¡­ I also asked straight-forward about the terrible scandal. I am your father, no matter what anyone says.¡± ¡°F- father.¡± With a solemn expression on his face, the Viscount smiled and embraced her in his arms. ¡°He swore on Tisse¡¯s name, and said he had never done anything against his sacred marriage obligations.¡± Chloe closed her eyes once and opened them. The Duke and this marriage was far from sacred. As far as she knew, he was a shameless man who would be proud of himself even if he had had an affair with every woman in the capital. Chloe could easily guess how much her weak-hearted father would have thanked him. He might have held his hand and shed tears. How much did the duke sneer while watching her father begging him to take good care of his daughter? ¡°It¡¯s time to let you go happily.¡± I don¡¯t want to go, father. Chloe swallowed her heart and gave strength to the arm that was holding him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father.¡± The duke¡¯s handwriting flickered in her blurry vision. The perfect handwriting, scrawled without hesitation, gave the illusion that it was piercing through her insides *** On the day of leaving, Chloe did not cry in front of her father. Viscount Verdier burst into laughter asking why did she packed so many luggages, saying there wouldn¡¯t be any shortages in Tisse but he eventually burst into tears in front of the servants ¡°Gray. Take my daughter safely. Please.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, master.¡± Tisse Duchy was a long distance from the capital Swan, to the north by train for two days. After arriving at Swan¡¯s railway station, where people came and went busily, Gray opened the door of the carriage and asked carefully. ¡°Lady, would you like to stop by the Rose Palace?¡± The villa where the duke was staying was right in front of the railway station. Chloe looked at Gray and shook his head. ¡°No. Let¡¯s leave right away.¡± Looking at Chloe¡¯s swollen eyes, Gray no longer asked anything. He helped Chloe board on the train, unloaded all her luggage from the wagon, and transferred it to the cargo compartment. After temporarily leaving it in a carriage in front of the railway station, a ticket inspector called him up when he got on the train. While checking the ticket, he glanced at him and asked. ¡°You¡¯re Gray Wilson?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Go to first class. Your owner paid you a fortune and changed the ticket. Looks like you¡¯ve met a generous owner. Or a very wealthy one.¡± Only then did Gray realize that his seat had been changed from third to first class. Gray put on his hat and hurriedly opened the first-class door where Chloe was waiting. ¡°Lady.¡± ¡°Yes, gray.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a cargo compartment.¡± Chloe smiled lightly and beckoned him. ¡°There will be plenty of time to be alone in the future.¡± When she reached Tisse estate, Gray had to return back. Then Chloe will really have to start a new life as a Duchess with strangers. ¡°I want to travel with you during this journey.¡± Chloe hardly slept during the two-day trip. Gray could not tell what thoughts were passing by the duchess¡¯ head, who was quietly blinking with an unknown expression. With a honk, the train ran toward Tisse, the last stop. The place, which seems to have already reached the peak of winter, was a white landscape with snow piled up all around. Snow piled up on birch trees that stretched high toward the top to receive even a little more sun, and every time a bird flew, the snow flew quietly. Chloe fixed her gaze over the window where she felt the cold air. The birch trees of Tisse, from which she had asked the duke to make her cane, stretched endlessly in the great forest. In the train running briskly with the seemingly never-ending forest on either side, Chloe thought of Duke Tisse. The vastness of a different dimension from Verdier and the bitter cold of the north that seemed to freeze everything. The land where the duke was born was indeed a place suitable for him. And now, this will be the place where she will spend the rest of her life. The huge snowy landscape seemed to herald her marriage in the future. In this cold and lonely land, will I be able to do well? Chloe bit her lip, hiding her pale face behind the veil on her hat. ¡°We have arrived, miss.¡± Chloe took a deep breath and stood up. It was the moment for her to face the inevitable reality. While the Tisse¡¯s winter breeze caressed her face coldly. *** Chapter 24 Episode 24 Chapter 11. Side Story 01 (T/N: the pov shifts to a new character¡ª Weiss) A barracks temporarily placed in the front yard of an old castle that looked desolate, fluttered in the wind. Vice Commander Weiss opened his mouth heavily as he watched the commander examining the map with a calm expression. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The young commander¡ªwho had been Weiss¡¯ military academy classmate¡ªbut now became a superior, raised his head with an expressionless face. ¡°What?¡± It was surprising on the one hand and sad on the other hand to see his old friend who had no change in behavior even after hearing that his father was taken as a prisoner by the enemy. Weiss shook his head quickly, hiding his gloomy expression. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°What is the condition of the soldiers? ¡° Damien asked while looking at the map in front of the swaying candlelight. After a few days, the attack had to be resumed. If the weather gets colder, it becomes difficult to cross the mountain range. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you, but it¡¯s not that good.¡± The seriously injured were treated to some extent, but there was a bigger problem. ¡°Their morale is down. It seems that the news from the southern camp has already spread.¡± Fear was the greatest enemy in any situation. The fact that the army led by the war hero Duke Tisse was struggling¡ª was enough to dampen the morale of the soldiers. Damien slowly raised his head and opened his mouth. ¡°I want to drink something hot.¡± Weiss quickly walked out of the tent and gave a brief order, and the tea was ready soon after. Weiss sat face to face with his superior drinking tea silently and thought about what to say. Should I pray for peace for the deceased? Weiss had never thought that there would be a situation where he had to comfort Damien. This is because the path Damian¡ªwho was born with no shortcomings from birth¡ª has always been on a solid road. Until war broke out. ¡°Weiss.¡± Damien broke the silence and finally opened his mouth. ¡°Why don¡¯t you loosen up?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re dying won¡¯t make my father come back alive.¡± Weiss, who had his fists pressed tightly to his knees, bit his lip. Damien was not optimistic enough to hope that Duke Tisse, who was captured by the enemy, could return. ¡°If you look at it, it¡¯s not that sad. There¡¯s a saying that the most honorable way for a noble is to die in a war to protect their country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°My father will probably keep his honor until the end. And the same will be true for me, who has to follow suit.¡± Weiss finally drank the tea in front of him at once. He became sentimental in the wartime situation and felt that he still had a long way to go. ¡°I¡¯ll correct it. I apologize for your concern.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it hot?¡± Damien smiled quietly, shaking his shoulders with a ridiculous expression. Belatedly feeling the swollen roof of his mouth, Weiss shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a bit dull at first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Weiss, who was loyal to Damian, a classmate from the military academy, was not the type of person who could be manipulated from behind. Damien looked at him and spoke calmly. ¡°Weiss. I have no intention of dying in this war.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Apart from my respect for my father, I haven¡¯t finished my work yet.¡± Damien lifted the iron cup as if holding a wine glass and took a sip. Considering that even his appearance was dignified, he was undoubtedly a nobleman. ¡°After the war, I¡¯ll go where I belong.¡± Weiss¡¯s eyes widened a little and shook, but Damian¡¯s gaze was resolute. As Weiss saw Damian¡¯s face looking straight at him, he knew he hadn¡¯t misunderstood his intentions. ¡°By all means.¡± ¡°¡­ Commander.¡± ¡°I hope we¡¯ll still have a good relationship then.¡± Damien whispered as he stretched out his body and leaned back on his chair. ¡°To do that, first of all, winning this damn war is the order.¡± Looking at Damien who was very calm, it was hard to see him as a person who spoke of treason, Weiss tried to guess from when he had been thinking like that. Perhaps it was much longer than he expected. ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying that to me, Commander?¡± ¡°It means you¡¯ve been chosen by me.¡± Damien looked at him and smiled. ¡°So rejoice. I never miss the one I choose.¡± While the wind outside the barracks was getting rougher, it was then when he heard the sound of piano playing somewhere. The sweet-sounding music didn¡¯t match the current situation at all. Piano during the war? In addition, the scales of some keys shook as if the instrument had been out of tune for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± When Damien turned his head, Weiss stood up from his seat. ¡°I will check¡­¡­ In a moment¡± After walking out of the tent, Weiss looked up at the place where he could hear the piano sound¡ªA place where dim lights flicker in the old castle¡ªThe sound of music came from the window on the second floor. The noise made by soldiers who were camping with sleeping bags laid on the unmanaged front yard slowly decreased. The soldiers who were tired of the war, who did not know when it would end, were looking at the place where the sound of music played as if possessed. Both the young soldier kneeling while burying his face in his hands, and the old soldier with a bandage on his arm were silent and said nothing. The moonlight was mysterious and the night was dreamlike, to the point where he wondered if this had ever happened from the time he had been running nonstop since the war began. ¡°That¡¯s Verdier¡¯s first daughter.¡± Weiss, unaware that Damien was behind him, took a step back in surprise. ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she the same person who treated the soldiers among the wounded? Chloe Verdier.¡± Weiss nodded, thinking when did Damian remember her name. ¡°Yes, I was bothered by harsh words among the soldiers, so I cautioned the Viscount.¡± ¡°Certainly obtrusive.¡± ¡°¡­..Should I tell her to stop playing?¡± ¡°Leave it.¡± When Damien said something unexpected, who would have ordered him to do so, Weiss asked without realizing it, ¡°Should I leave it?¡± ¡°Yes. If you stop it now, there will be a riot.¡± It was clear that the piano performance on the moonlit night was definitely comforting the tired soldiers. ¡°Instead, confine her so that she doesn¡¯t get out of that room during our stay. It means don¡¯t make her stand out, Weiss.¡± ¡°Yes, Commander.¡± Weiss had no idea that she would later become the Duchess of Tisse. Just looking at Damien¡¯s eyes staring through the window on the second floor, he only hoped that the poor girl would not offend the Duke¡¯s heart any longer. (T/N: Weiss¡¯ pov ends here) Chapter 12. Duchess¡¯ Duty. Birch Tower, located on the northern border of the kingdom, was used as a reconnaissance tower to defend the kingdom¡¯s borders in the distant past. Since Damien¡¯s great-grandfather, Count Tisse, was promoted to Duke, the tower continued to expand to become a mansion, and after more than 100 years, it was finally transformed into a beautiful Birch Castle. The architectural style of the white brick castle resembled that of Swan, the capital of the kingdom, but only the pointy tower, the turret in the center, and the cogwheel-shaped balcony wall at the top of the castle remained intact, showcasing the original purpose of the castle. ¡°It¡¯s bigger than I thought. Miss.¡± To enter the castle, one had to pass through the two gates built on the birch forest path one after another. Finally, looking at the Birch Castle unfolding in front of him, Gray whispered softly. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Chloe spoke softly. The carriage they rode had no wheels and roof, so it had a structure reminiscent of a giant sled, but it had the secondary function of being able to feel the surrounding landscape vividly, apart from the original intention to prevent it from slipping in the snow. A sled-like carriage passed through the castle¡¯s garden. The lawn of the snowy garden was neatly mowed, and there was a large fountain in the middle. The naked body of the sculptured man carved in the middle of the frozen fountain was beautiful and dynamic, but Chloe felt like she was getting cold and buried her face into a thick coat. In front of a beautiful snowy castle, the carriage and a cart carrying her luggage finally stood one after another. ¡°Welcome, little madam. I¡¯m Eliza, the maid and the acting butler.¡± Eliza, who stood upright, bowed her head. Several keys jingled from her waist. Chloe immediately guessed why only one servant came to meet her in the huge castle, which has more than 150 bedrooms, except for a study, drawing room, library and tea room, piano room, and various hobby rooms. ¡°Her Ladyship is waiting for you.¡± She was not being welcomed. It wasn¡¯t unexpected. Chloe smiled with a little red face frozen by the wind. ¡°Thank you for the warm welcome.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone organize the luggage.¡± After Eliza glanced at Gray standing next to her, she spat out in a hard voice. She meant to send him back because he isn¡¯t needed anymore. Even if she (Eliza) didn¡¯t rush, it was time for Chloe to let him go. Gray had to leave right away to catch the return train on time. ¡°Can you bring some warm tea and food for my servant? He did a great job in serving me on the way here.¡± ¡°Sure. If he waits here for a while, I will guide the little madam and order another maid to deliver the food.¡± Chloe lifted her head and made eye contact with Gray one last time. Snowflakes flew and landed on his head. Concerns flashed in Gray¡¯s good puppy-like eyes. Chloe endured the tears with all her might. Don¡¯t make Gray worry. She could not make him say that she cried when Gray describes Chloe¡¯s last appearance to her father, who would only be waiting for her news. ¡°Lady.¡± ¡°Thank you, Gray. Be careful when you go.¡± Chloe eventually turned her head first. Parting was one of her least favorite things, but now she had to do it maturely. Chapter 25 Episode 25 Click. Clack. Chloe walked along with Eliza, who was ahead. Silent tears flowed down on the cold gray brick floor. The reason why the inside of the castle felt eerie was not just because it was winter. ¡®Lady¡­¡¯ Gray stared at Chloe¡¯s back for a long time, walking along the maid who was reminiscent of a witch. Chloe was walking hard with her cane so as not to fall behind Eliza, who was walking quickly. The wise and sweet lady, who had always been on Gray¡¯s side, never looked back until she disappeared into the castle. But when she turned around the corner, he couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that her side face, which was peeking out, was terrified. *** ¡°The Madam is in the chapel.¡± Eliza spoke quietly. The long hallway inside the castle was even more splendid than the castle¡¯s exterior. Candles were illuminating the wall with portraits of previous dukes, wives, and family members; the furniture was of the highest quality, as if all the precious things of the whole kingdom had been collected. It was midwinter outside, but it was so warm inside that she couldn¡¯t guess the season. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how much it would cost to have all the fireplaces lit up in a castle of this size. It seemed unlikely that Chloe would ever be able to calculate the number in her life. ¡°We have arrived, Ladyship.¡± Inside, a calm, slightly high-pitched soprano-toned voice was heard. ¡°Come in.¡± Chloe walked cautiously into the chapel where the door was open. The moment she met Damien¡¯s mother for the first time, it was inevitable that the hands holding her cane were sweating. ¡°You must have had a hard time coming a long way.¡± ¡°The greetings are very late. My name is Chloe. Thank you so much for sending the carriage to the station.¡± ¡°Can you raise your head, Chloe?¡± Chloe, who had been keeping a low profile with her eyes down so far, slowly raised her head. The Duke resembled his mother a lot. Princess Priscilla, the eldest daughter of the previous king and the wife of the previous duke, was such a beautiful person that rumors spread in the kingdom. ¡°You¡¯re pretty.¡± Mrs. Tisse smiled gracefully at her. ¡°I thought you would be thin.¡± Chloe was a little embarrassed by the unexpected words that followed, but hurriedly bowed her head to show courtesy. ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡°You are like the first deer Damien caught when he was young. I don¡¯t know if you know, but he likes to hunt. He¡¯s been a genius since he was five.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chloe smiled calmly, pulling the corners of her trembling lips. This is because she thought it would be better to just smile calmly when she had nothing to say. ¡°You probably never had a chance to see it, right?¡± Contrary to Mrs. Tisse¡¯s words, Chloe had felt Damian¡¯s hunting instincts pierce her bones. ¡°You don¡¯t know how dynamic and graceful the child is when he hunts.¡± The moment she remembered the scene of him running on a horse while wielding a whip, the hair on the nape of her neck stood up even though the fireplace was burning warmly. As Chloe just nodded, her words grew longer and longer. ¡°He does everything so well that his parents don¡¯t have to talk to him separately. There will be no one who disagrees that he is the best groom in the kingdom.¡± The same applies to the princess who was busy bragging about her child. Seeing the indescribable pride on Madame Tisse¡¯s face, Chloe gently affirmed. ¡°It¡¯s an honor for both me and my family.¡± ¡°Do you have huge assets hidden? Or are you holding on to the weakness of the royal family?¡± As the curious question followed. Chloe hesitated for a moment and soon replied, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but as far as I know, that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Then did Damien really pick you as his bride? Why?¡± Priscilla¡¯s face was full of questions. Chloe swallowed dry saliva and took a deep breath. Appearance was not the only thing the Duke and his mother resembled. ¡°It¡¯s true that you¡¯re a little pretty, but hunting a wounded deer is not his hobby, because he prefers to play around with a beast that he could kill.¡± It was the same that they had the talent of stabbing people with a smiling face. In addition, Mrs. Tisse was a little talkative. ¡°When he recently returned to Birch Castle, I saw my son¡¯s face for the first time in a year. But he didn¡¯t even have a cup of tea with me and directly asked for the family jewellery just because he wanted to propose? You know that it takes more than twenty hours from Swan to here by train, right? He took the jewelry as if stealing it and left for the road again. How I felt when I heard that the bride he chose was a daughter of a humble aristocrat who has a crippled leg, and the family is from a rural area where no one heard of and is on the verge of bankruptcy¡­¡­¡± She, who had been talking nonstop, put her hand on her chest and exhaled for a long time because she was out of breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he was crazy,¡± Chloe once again thought that she wouldn¡¯t really get along with Madam Tisse. She felt like she was being hit by verbal arrows in front. ¡°Was it curiosity? That kid sometimes enjoys the thrill.¡± However, unlike Damien, Priscilla seemed to treat her without malice, but to be honest, she was even more afraid of that. Chloe tried to calm down and struggled to open her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Duke chose me, but I don¡¯t think he chose such an important thing of marriage out of curiosity.¡± Priscilla nodded, making eye contact with Chloe. ¡°Right.¡± Chloe spoke carefully to Priscilla, as if she were reading a book whose contents were completely unimaginable by looking at the cover. ¡°The duke told me to fulfill the duties of the duchess. So I¡¯m going to take care of him as well as I can and strive for the prosperity of Tisse.¡± ¡°You must be smart.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Chloe, unable to rejoice at the sudden compliment, blinked. Priscilla put her hands on her chest, and she nodded as if she knew now. ¡°Demien likes to have smart people around him. Wouldn¡¯t he be hated by the royal family if he treated people unconventionally, regardless of their status? But he would do it if the person¡¯s skills were good when he was in the military¡± As if she had come to her own conclusion, Priscilla looked at her with eyes, which seemed to be enlightened. ¡°I¡¯m getting help from Eliza, but really, managing this huge castle is too hard for me alone. That¡¯s why he chose someone who would be perfect for this kind of work.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± She felt like she was losing her mind. ¡°You can¡¯t go out and play because your legs are uncomfortable. You are the perfect person to work as a secretary at a desk.¡± Chloe¡¯s face turned red and then the blood disappeared repeatedly. Did the mother and son plan together to harass her? ¡°I like you. First of all, your face is pretty, so I think my jewels will look good on you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re smart, so I think you¡¯ll help me manage the castle well. As expected of my son, Duke Tisse. He¡¯s a filial son who values his family the most in the world.¡± After wrapping up the last conversation saying how she is proud of her son, Priscilla personally led her to the dinner table. Chloe had to listen to Duke Damien Ernst von Tisse¡¯s perfection as she ate the food that filled the table. After dessert was over, she thought she could write the Duke¡¯s autobiography. ¡°Haa¡­¡± Chloe followed the maid who guided her to the bedroom with a candle in her hand, and only then could Chloe have time to think alone. On the wall of the hallway, portraits of the previous Duke of Tisse and his family were hung. Seeing pictures of Priscilla pregnant with her child, her moments with the predecessor, who died in the war, and Damien¡¯s childhood picnicking with his mother, Chloe realized what she had expected before coming here was wrong. Because the Duke¡¯s character had been so twisted, Chloe implicitly assumed that his home environment must have been strict or rigid. ¡®It¡¯s definitely a bit odd, but¡­¡¯ It was clear that Madam Tisse loved her son. When she thought it was really amazing that humans could become strange even though they were loved and raised without lacking, the maid stopped. ¡°This is the place.¡± The duchess¡¯ bedroom was attached to the Duke¡¯s bedroom with a door in between. According to the schedule, the duke will arrive here a week later. After getting ready to sleep, Chloe approached the window and gently rolled up curtains. She quietly looked through the snowy window, the red roofs over the Tisse estate were covered with the snow. An unfamiliar landscape. Looking at the scenery of Tisse, which she had to get used to now, she turned her head toward the wall she had been trying to turn away from. Her eyes met with the duke in the portrait hung on the red wallpaper. It was probably drawn when he was in military school. Did the evil tree (ego, arrogance) sprout from the beginning? He must be about seventeen, but the confident boy¡¯s expression seemed to have reached the height of arrogance already. Whenever she made eye contact with the Duke in uniform, she felt bad. She whimpered and climbed onto the chair. She removed and turned the heavy portrait upside down, causing the centre of gravity to be shifted and it almost fell down. Barely turning the picture upside down again and lying on bed, she jumped up again while thinking about what to do tomorrow morning. A maid came to greet her in the morning, and when she saw the portrait of the castle owner overturned, and informed Mrs. Tisse, Chloe didn¡¯t want to imagine what would happen after that. Eventually, Chloe put the portrait back to its original position and lay down on bed, catching her breath. His face, with a subtle smile in the portrait, seemed to be really laughing at her, so she pulled her duvet over to the top of her head. Chapter 26 Episode 26 ¡°What is it, Chloe?¡± Priscilla, who was drinking tea while being served by Eliza beside the sunny window, looked up and saw her. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Come here and sit down.¡± Seeing her walk carefully with her cane, Priscilla concealed her confusion, and she blinked at Eliza. ¡°Eliza, please go and help her walk.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay to do it alone.¡± After refusing her help, Chloe slowly walked on the fleece carpet and sat in a chair. ¡°As soon as you got here, you locked yourself in the study and I was so surprised that you didn¡¯t go out for three days. I can see the resemblance to Damien in that way. Even that child doesn¡¯t notice the dawn when he concentrates on something.¡± Chloe opened her lips while looking at Eliza, the maid, who poured tea into her cup. ¡°Would you mind leaving?¡± Priscilla smiled and waved her hand. ¡°Eliza has been the maid of this house since I gave birth. Without Eliza, this house wouldn¡¯t function, so there¡¯s nothing she can¡¯t hear. Tell me. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chloe hesitated to answer for a moment. Because she couldn¡¯t do this in front of the main character of the topic she was trying to bring up now. Moreover, if the story is not something pleasant to talk about. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not familiar with everyone in this castle yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be out, ma¡¯am.¡± Priscilla frowned when Eliza, who is quick-witted, tried to escape on her own. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to go out. What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird?¡± After taking a deep breath, Chloe secretly wiped the sweat on her hand. Priscilla was with Eliza or her other maid almost all the time except for the time she slept. Chloe was able to meet her personally on the first day, the first and last meeting at the chapel. ¡°I thought about whether I should say something, but I think it would be right to say it.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk about so much with me?¡± Chloe, in fact, has been agonizing over the past three days. There were times when she thought it would be better to wait for the duke to arrive at the castle. Until she got a telegram from him this morning. The short letter looked like a warning letter to her. No, this was a warning, needless to say. She didn¡¯t want to do anything to be scolded by him. Chloe finally opened her mouth with a determined look. ¡°There¡¯s a hole in the finances of the castle.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Eliza, pour me some more tea.¡± Priscilla furrowed her beautiful eyebrows and laughed as if she was dumbfounded. There was no change in Eliza¡¯s expression as she held the teapot. Chloe calmly opened her mouth again. ¡°Money is definitely leaking through that hole.¡± A person who could read the ledgers would notice it if they looked a little carefully. It wasn¡¯t until the predecessor, William, died during the war that someone began to play tricks on the finances of Birch Castle. It coincided with the departure of Mr. Floyd, who served as the attendant and butler, as well as the manager of the castle, and Eliza, the maid of honor, who took on the role of butler. ¡°Maintaining a castle of this size is not easy.¡± Priscilla shook her head as if it was insignificant. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s why more meticulous management is needed.¡± But the ledger Chloe saw was far from meticulous. The amount of money spent on unknown sources also increased. ¡°It is not clear where the money was spent, the sum of taxes collected from the people of the land is not correct, and the wine quantity in the warehouse is different from what is written. I¡¯m suspecting there is a double ledger book. There was no count of the silver candlesticks and utensils..¡± Chloe shut her mouth when Priscilla quietly raised her hand. ¡°Eliza, please leave for a moment.¡± Chloe swallowed her dry saliva, conscious of Eliza¡¯s earthy face. Unfortunately, Priscilla had left all the finances of this castle to her and it was evident that she didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to talk about that when we¡¯re alone?¡± Priscilla furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her with a tired face. Instead of expressing resentment, Chloe eventually bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think we should fire Eliza, the maid, and Robinson, the stables keeper.¡± ¡°What about Robinson now?¡± ¡°He must have used a wagon to get things out. There was no way she could handle it alone.¡± Priscilla sighed, pressing her temples with both hands. ¡°Eliza was next to me when I gave birth to Damien, and Robinson managed Birch Castle since his father.¡± ¡°That is why, all the more, their infidelity is unforgivable.¡± Whenever Chloe connected her words with a small but clear voice, Priscilla¡¯s face gradually turned worse and worse. ¡°Eliza is the oldest servant of this family that I picked myself. We can¡¯t discuss her dismissal carelessly.¡± Priscilla gently bit her lips as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with a handkerchief. Chloe found out that Priscilla was also hurt by the infidelity of her close servant. Chloe guessed that she, who left Swan and married in the far north, would have not much to rely on, but she could not pretend not to know even after seeing the injustice clearly in front of her eyes. Moreover, if she notices that after the duke returned, the infidelity of her servants has gone far beyond her knowledge¡­¡­. Chloe didn¡¯t want to imagine after that. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve relied on Eliza for a long time.¡± ¡°Is it just about relying? When William died, she was a grateful person who stood by me, worried that even my only son would return as a dead body.¡± ¡°If she had respected your heart, the maid, Eliza, she would not have been able to touch the wealth that amounts to a fifth of a year¡¯s worth of management expenses behind her. So I can¡¯t forgive her even more.¡± Chloe calmly continued to talk, carefully gathering the eyebrows. ¡°Once a hole is formed, it gets bigger and bigger. If we let this go, the infidelity of servants will increase, and that is never good for Tisse.¡± Far from being persuaded, the longer Chloe spoke, Priscilla became more and more upset. Originally she was someone who reacted emotionally when her own opinion was refuted, and the problem was that Chloe didn¡¯t have enough time to get to know her. ¡°Why do you bother telling me so much about it?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been more upsetting if I had arbitrarily fired your beloved servant?¡± ¡°¡­You have a side that makes people a little tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Priscilla looked at Chloe, who quietly apologized, with an unhappy look on her face as Chloe pointed out the faults. ¡°Besides, what is the name you are calling me? You¡¯ve just got married, but it¡¯s as if you are a stranger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Then will you allow me to call you mother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s awkward.¡± Chloe looked at Priscilla, who turned her head away, then closed her eyes for a long time before opening them. This short time with her felt more tiring than the past three days when she was buried in books in the study. ¡°Go out. When Damien arrives, I will discuss this matter with him. Damien can¡¯t be cruel enough to throw out his nanny himself.¡± Chloe blinked quietly for a moment and thought she was delusional and Priscilla must have another son with the same name. ¡°I have no appetite. Have dinner alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send the meal to your bedroom.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t want to eat with me, but if your health declines, the Duke will be very worried.¡± Priscilla finally raised her voice toward her. ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay quiet for a while without answering?¡± Chloe was at a loss as to whether she should answer ¡°yes¡± in this situation, or whether she should keep her mouth shut. Neither of them seemed to be able to satisfy her, so she quietly bowed her head, and Priscilla beckoned to her tiredly and ordered her to go out. It was good to hear. *** At Birch Castle, it had already been four days since the Duchess had dinner alone. It was after Priscilla started eating in her room. ¡°Do you need anything else, little madam?¡± The servant, who served the meal, asked her from the side. It was polite, but the hardened tone could not be hidden. Chloe shook her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll call you if I need anything, so you can go out.¡± She wanted to be comfortable while eating. The stuffed deer heads and shotguns hanging all over the reddish dining room were already making her uncomfortable, so she didn¡¯t want to add anything to it. ¡°Of course.¡± Chloe moistened her throat with a glass of water, feeling her dry mouth. On the day she accused Priscilla¡¯s maid and stable keeper about their infidelity, rumors seemed to have already spread among the numerous servants of Birch Castle. The servants whispered quietly every time she passed by, and someone sighed openly behind her limping. Chloe tried to be more confident every time, but it was not easy to endure the soaring loneliness. ¡®I should write a letter tomorrow.¡¯ Chloe missed Verdier Castle, which she had left. She wanted to hear her father¡¯s laughter, and she wanted to see Alice. She also missed Gray, who always appeared quietly when she was in need. Chapter 27 Episode 27 Crackle, crackle. In the huge dining room left alone, the fireplace blazed and the sound of wood burning was heard. How long should I live like this? The Duke was scheduled to arrive tomorrow, but it was obvious that his presence would make her feel more uncomfortable, let alone help. Chloe pondered for a moment whether the Duke or his mother would be more difficult for her to deal with. She stared intently at the dried meat on the plate and the cooled vegetables, and muttered, poking a fork into the pigeon beans. ¡°Both of them are hopeless.¡± The people of Tisse seemed to have an outstanding talent in making others uncomfortable. Both Duke Tisse, who pushes people with obvious intentions, and his mother, who forgets what she just said as if flipping her palm, are the kind of people that Chloe finds difficult to deal with. Chloe shook her head to shake off her thoughts, then regained her composure and concentrated on eating. It was when she thought that holding on was the best defense she could have and sliced through the tough meat with all her might. Bang. The heavy door opened and the candle on the table swayed at the sudden gust of the wind. The embarrassed maid urgently spoke to her. ¡°Little Madame, we received a message saying that the Duke has arrived. Come on, get ready¡­.¡± The moment Chloe, who was holding a fork and a knife as if fighting a large piece of meat in front of her, gathered her eyebrows in the middle of her forehead, a man one head larger than the maid came into her view. ¡°Long time no see.¡± When the maid walked away, startled, Chloe could now clearly see Damien. Unmelted snow fell from the collar of the black coat. ¡°Wife.¡± ¡°Duke.¡± As soon as Chloe, who belatedly came to her senses, jumped up from her seat, Priscilla¡¯s surprised voice followed. ¡°Damien, my son. What¡¯s going on without a message? I heard you weren¡¯t arriving until tomorrow afternoon.¡± Priscilla was not prepared for the sudden appearance of her son. Damien smiled as he lightly hugged her, who was in her indoor clothes. ¡°I came a day earlier because I missed my mother.¡± ¡°Oh my, stop saying such frivolous words.¡± As she waved her hand, Priscilla¡¯s face was full of a bright, lily-like smile. ¡°I¡¯m hungry because I came here in a hurry, but I want to eat first.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s understandable. My son, wasn¡¯t it hard to come here?¡± ¡°Not at all. I probably drank all the alcohol in first-class..¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Chloe¡¯s neat eyebrows, seeing Damien joking with Priscilla, gathered a little more in the center. At a glance, they looked very close to each other. Of course, she already knew that Mrs. Tisse loved her son terribly. However, Chloe, like any well-educated gentleman in any family, felt some betrayal from the Duke who treated his mother so normally and affectionately. I can¡¯t believe a person who knows how to smile so kindly can be so dark inside! ¡°Tell Mrs. Dutton to prepare the food. Hurry up with the Duke¡¯s favorite dishes.¡± ¡°No. I think there¡¯s enough food already, so just bring another set of dishes.¡± The moment the duke ordered the servant, a momentary silence flowed in the red dining room. While all the servants were watching, Priscilla hurriedly broke the silence. ¡°S-son. This table is not ready yet.¡± ¡°No way. The duchess appears to be eating already.¡± Priscilla had no time to make excuses when she saw the lame table. The duke sat at the end of the long table, which seemed to take ten steps to walk from end to end, and clicked his tongue toward Priscilla. ¡°Mother, please sit down too.¡± ¡°Damien, I wasn¡¯t going to eat dinner because I had no appetite.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to skip meals?¡± Damien shook his head and clicked his tongue. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I care about your health. Come on.¡± Priscilla could no longer speak and was forced to sit next to the Duke. When the servant, whose face turned gray, brought out two sets of tableware, the meal began with a strange atmosphere. ¡°Wife, did you feel any discomfort while I was away?¡± The Duke took the food in the center and opened his mouth to Chloe. ¡°No. Not at all.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The stuffed head of the beast on the wall behind the duke and the two shotguns that intersect around it went well with him as if they were one body. Chloe swallowed a dry saliva, feeling that it was a sight that could tell anyone who the owner of this castle was. ¡°Everyone is so kind that I¡¯m comfortable¡­.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Chloe was speechless. This was because Damien, who was cutting and chewing meat attached to the bone, threw away the knife. Chloe froze on the spot. ¡°Call the doctor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you want me to say it twice?¡± When the servant took a couple of steps back in surprise, Priscilla opened her eyes wide and asked him. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Damien? Why are you calling for Mr. Brown all of a sudden at this time of night?¡± ¡°As Tisse¡¯s doctor, he didn¡¯t take good care of my mother¡¯s health, so I am going to call him and kill him right now.¡± ¡°Son, I¡¯m fine! What are you talking about!¡± Priscilla strongly denied and shook her hand, but Damien¡¯s face only became more and more serious. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my mother ate this kind of food and didn¡¯t complain. Is it possible without having any serious problems with your sense of taste?¡± After Damien wiped his mouth with a napkin, he got up roughly and picked up a shotgun hanging from the wall of the table. Priscilla got up abruptly, her face turning pale, and she could barely speak. Her index finger that was lifted trembled. ¡°There is nothing wrong with my sense of taste, Damien. Put that gun down unless you plan to catch an innocent person.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± The Duke asked with a clear voice as if to confirm by looking at his mother. ¡°Does mother know that this meat is ignorantly tough, the vegetables have dried up, the soup has been made a day or two earlier, and the wine of this low-quality has never been on the Tisse¡¯s table in her life?¡± The Duke¡¯s expression was careful. Regardless of everything else, Chloe was so surprised that the shotgun hanging on the wall was not just a decoration but could be used right away, that she was frozen speechless. Of course, she wasn¡¯t the only one surprised by the duke¡¯s folly. ¡°Y-yes. Damien, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with the table.¡± ¡°Bring Mrs. Dutton.¡± Finally, at Damien¡¯s command to call the chef, Priscilla closed her eyes tightly and opened her eyes. Even to her, the table was shabby enough to make Damien angry. After Eliza¡¯s infidelity was revealed, Priscilla deliberately turned away from Chloe. The servants who followed Eliza were initially displeased with the new Duchess, and the mood worsened when rumors spread that Eliza and the stable keeper would be fired because of her. She never would have imagined that the result of knowing the conflict and pretending not to know would lead to such a tragedy.. ¡°Were you looking for me, Master?¡± Mrs. Dutton, the chef who was called for, looked like she didn¡¯t understand anything. The duke gestured towards her as he motioned to the food on the table. ¡°Put it in the fireplace, the whole plate. Everything.¡± Mrs. Dutton followed his order without hesitation. The shabby food on the expensive silver tableware went into the large fireplace. ¡°Why is the cooking like this?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why the food to be sent to the poorhouse is here.¡± ¡°Poorhouse?¡± Damien¡¯s eyes shone sharply at the words of food to be sent to the vagrants and addicts on the street. Mrs. Dutton still looked at him with a look of injustice, and the servants serving food couldn¡¯t even look into his eyes. ¡°I-I have sinned to death!¡± ¡°Son, Damien.¡± Priscilla tried to calm him down, but in vain. Damien looked at the servants who were frozen like ice, and raised his lips crookedly. ¡°You dare ask to live after insulting Tisse?¡± The servants fell on the floor in groups and bowed their heads. Among them, there was a young maid who shed tears in fear. It has been days since she played pranks on the duchess¡¯ table, but the duchess had not complained about anything. They had deeply respected the maidservant, Eliza, who was strict but attentive to the servants. When she heard that the new duchess had falsely accused Eliza, she felt like she was taking out a studded stone with a rolled stone. At first, she changed one or two foods lightly, but when the duchess was silent, she crossed the line without realizing it. ¡°Duke.¡± The protagonist of the quiet voice was Chloe, who had been observing the situation without saying a word. Damien looked at Chloe, whose eyes were filled with fear and anxiety. ¡°Wife.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one meal. Please generously forgive the mistake of changing the food.¡± Damien shook his head, facing Chloe, frowning as he looked at her. No. No way, Chloe. Don¡¯t try to overlook it. ¡°It was food for the needy.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what people eat anyway?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that meals are a place to confirm the honor and wealth given to us as nobles?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame, but I¡¯ve never had that much honor and wealth, so I didn¡¯t feel unhappy or strange about this meal.¡± Chloe looked straight into his eyes, trying to clear her trembling voice. As soon as he appeared, she felt uncomfortable, but she didn¡¯t want to witness a mass death here. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, Duke. So, please, put your anger aside.¡± ¡°If the Duchess¡¯s tastes are of such low quality, I think the problem is a little more serious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± As she whispered, holding back her contempt, Damien slowly opened his mouth in a clear voice. ¡°I had definitely asked you, Wife. To fulfill the duty of the Duchess.¡± Chapter 28 Episode 28 Chloe looked at him silently. Damien continued, looking happily at the resentment and anxiety that filled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand the meaning of those words, so let me tell you. It means that in my absence, you have the same duties and rights as me. It is an insult to me to chew and swallow this kind of food. Since we decided to dictate Tisse¡¯s surname, it seems that even most nobles should know that with common sense.¡± At Damien¡¯s sharp words, Priscilla and the servants¡¯ faces all had similar expressions. The Duchess, who had done nothing wrong, was able to bear his arrows, but everyone¡¯s head might go flying instead, so no one opened their mouths. ¡°¡­ Duke.¡± Finally, as Chloe swallowed dry saliva and looked straight at him, Damien gestured arrogantly and nodded. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°As the Duke¡¯s companion and the hostess of Tisse Castle, I would like to ask you sincerely.¡± Priscilla¡¯s eyebrows gathered silently between her forehead. It was true, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. Since the previous duke died, the owner of this castle was Damien, who had inherited the title. This means that Chloe, who is married to him, is the de facto hostess of the castle and has more decision-making power than Priscilla. Contrary to Priscilla¡¯s crumpled expression, an interesting light flashed through Damien¡¯s eyes. ¡°As the hostess, the first request you make to me is to rescue the impudent servant.¡± ¡°Yes, Duke.¡± Chloe was using the shield for the first time. ¡°Will you please release your anger and give them one more chance? A chance to make sure you show me what a great Tisse dinner is.¡± There was silence for a moment in the dining room filled with tension. Damien, who had been silently looking at her, finally turned around and hung the shotgun on the wall, and breathless sighs of relief flowed from here and there. But no one could fully relax, neither could Chloe. ¡°Wife.¡± At the end of the spacious mahogany table, Damien stretched out his arms to her. What are you doing now? Damien smiled beautifully as Chloe narrowed her eyes. ¡°Come here.¡± Her anxious foreboding was correct. ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡°Instead of granting your request, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to receive an award like this?¡± Chloe¡¯s tiny lips trembled. The duke was just waiting for her with his arms outstretched. Chloe reached for the cane that was on the table, and then walked towards him one step at a time. The duke¡¯s table was very long, and Chloe could not walk quickly. Everyone in the room clearly saw Chloe limping and walking towards Damien, and he looked at her as if she was the world¡¯s most adorable prey. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I can¡¯t help it.¡± Damien finally embraced the Duchess, who had finally come to him, and whispered as he hugged her in his arms. Everyone blushed at the sight of the Duke kissing Chloe¡¯s soft hair affectionately, and leaning his head down and whispering sweetly as he put his lips on her cheek. ¡°But now that we have more urgent matters than waiting for a new dinner, let us defer your request to tomorrow morning, my love.¡± No one could see Chloe¡¯s astonished face, as Damien put his large hand in Chloe¡¯s soft hair and pulled her closer. ¡°Can I tell you a secret?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°None of the shotguns on the wall are loaded, Chloe.¡± Chloe was the only one who heard Damien whispering to her like a devil whose voice was mixed with laughter. ¡°I really enjoy the moment when you are forced to come to me with a crazy expression that shows hatred.¡± Chloe sincerely wanted to learn how to put gunpowder in a shotgun no matter what. If it was now, she really thought she could shoot someone. *** The duke¡¯s wish, who wanted to take his bride to the bedroom immediately, did not come true. Because Chloe, whose face was red to the neck, insisted that the meal should be over no matter what. Mrs. Dutton rolled up her sleeves as if she had been waiting, and showed off her skills by constantly serving food that Damien was satisfied with. Chloe had to savor every bite during an embarrassing evening to put what she had said into practice. After eating dessert, she wondered if she would be free now, but the Duke suggested socializing time with the family that hadn¡¯t been gathered for a long time. Sweet champagne was delivered to the living room decorated as a personal space, and Priscilla talked with Damien with a relieved expression as if everything was well. Chloe played the piano during that time. To be precise, it was an order disguised as the Duke¡¯s suggestion that she should play the piano. Chloe didn¡¯t refuse, she agreed. She didn¡¯t even know that it was probably for this moment that she had worked hard to learn the piano for her sick mother. Chloe started playing with deep gratitude that she did not have to talk to these two people of the Tisse family. ¡°It¡¯s a song of light on a moonlit night.¡± Next to Priscilla, who bit the biscuit and said it, Damien smiled silently. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a great performance?¡± ¡°It is, but¡­¡± Enthusiasm was instilled in the performance that began to speed up. The piano sound, which defied Priscilla¡¯s expectations for a sweet and gentle nocturne, resounded powerfully. ¡°You¡¯ve brought someone so wild to be your bride, Damien.¡± ¡°Yes. Mother.¡± Damien put the glass to his lips as he watched Chloe play while pedaling with her strong legs. The melody ran quickly. Damien wiped his lips with his tongue as he watched Chloe continue to play unstoppably as if she had no intention of overhearing their conversation. Running Chloe. The figure of Chloe running to death to escape from him naturally came to mind. Damien thought for a moment what it would have been like if she had strong legs. Would she have been here now? Damien was very curious about her running away face. But even if Chloe¡¯s running miracle happened, it seemed that what he could see was not her face, but her back. It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°¡­She would have run away.¡± ¡°Yes? What?¡± Damien opened his mouth slowly to Priscilla, who sat next to him and blinked innocently. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the handmaiden since before, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That is¡­.¡± Priscilla hesitated to speak, but finally opened her mouth, pretending to be calm. ¡°Anyway, I was going to tell you when you came. In fact, Eliza made a small mistake.¡± ¡°Why? Did my wife catch her stealing the castle¡¯s expenses?¡± Priscilla looked at Damien in shock, but he tilted his head at an angle and just fixed his gaze on Chloe, who was playing. ¡°How did you know that? If¡­ Have you heard anything from your wife already?¡± ¡°My wife and I haven¡¯t had time to be alone yet, Mother.¡± Damien smiled and gave her a sneaky glance. ¡°Then how¡­.¡± ¡°When I asked you about how my wife was doing at the table, didn¡¯t mother say that the Duchess had been buried in the ledger all this time? The reason I turned a blind eye to Eliza knowing that she wasn¡¯t very good was because she was pretty good at pleasing you, mother.¡± Damien finally looked at Priscilla and clicked his tongue as if it were a pity. ¡°It seems difficult to pretend not to know unless someone reveals it.¡± ¡°Damien, but Eliza and Robinson have been in this house before you were born.¡± ¡°Was there another unclean person? Haha. It seems that Birch Castle has become a den of thieves while I was away.¡± Priscilla was left speechless as she watched him raise his eyebrows as if it was absurd. As soon as the performance was over, Damien slowly clapped his hands. Chloe put her hands down on the keys, breathing heavily like a fast-runner. ¡°It was a wonderful performance. Duchess.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Chloe was not at all pleased with Damien¡¯s praise who was whispering something secretly with his mother throughout the performance. The night was getting deeper, and Damien opened his mouth to Chloe, who was hesitant about how to show her intention to leave. ¡°It seems my mother is heartbroken that she has fired some of her old servants herself. I guess we¡¯ll have to go to bed early today.¡± It was one of the most pleasant words she had ever heard. ¡°Have a good rest.¡± Chloe greeted Priscilla quietly and Priscilla politely greeted her back, while Damien also greeted his mother in a friendly way. ¡°It will be a long trip to the southern villa tomorrow. Good night.¡± ¡°Villa¡­ ?¡± When Priscilla asked a question in bewilderment at the situation in which she did not agree at all, Damien gently took her hand. ¡°I¡¯m back from a long absence, so Birch Castle will be crowded for a while, but my mother doesn¡¯t like to have guests come and go. The troublesome work that is left for the Duchess now is to rest. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°Damien¡­¡± Priscilla and Chloe¡¯s eyes widened at the same time. Damien spoke naturally. ¡°If you wish, I will attach the two servants who have been fired. But I don¡¯t want to recommend it. They are too cunning to understand the nature of my beautiful mother.¡± Chapter 29 Episode 29 ??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?????©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?? Priscilla finally let out a long sigh as she watched her son speak with eyes full of sincere concern. ¡°You really¡­ It¡¯s because you¡¯ve been worrying about me too much since you were a kid.¡± ¡°¡±What am I supposed to do with being born like that? Mother,¡± ¡°People don¡¯t know how sweet the Duke is.¡± Looking at Priscilla, who smiled as if she couldn¡¯t help it, and Damien, who smiled back at her, at a glance, Chloe felt as if she had a glimpse of the reason for this family¡¯s harmony. Damien and Priscilla must have had a special talent for being self-centered in everything. Chapter 13. Solitary in the Bedroom When she returned to her bedroom, she finally realized that a long day had come to an end. It was when Chloe, who prepared herself and changed into pajamas, put on a head wrap and was about to lie down on the bed. ¡°Little Madame.¡± The small voice of the maid, who had helped her, was heard again from outside the door. Am I missing something? Chloe struggled to raise her body which was already laying down on the bed and spoke softly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The maid, who came in with the door open, opened her mouth politely, trying to hide her hesitation. ¡°The master asks you to go to his bedroom for a while.¡± Chloe turned her head to look at the cream-colored door that connected the two bedrooms with her neat eyebrows gathered between her forehead. The owner of the bedroom, behind the adjoining door, seemed unwilling to let her sleep. ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± It was when Chloe hid a sigh and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± When the door swung open and Damien appeared, the maid and Chloe¡¯s heads turned at the same time. The maid quickly bowed her head when she saw the duke in a loose, single gown, and Chloe sat up on the bed, clutching the duvet tightly. ¡°It¡¯s a time when we don¡¯t have to be polite to each other and dress neatly.¡± Her nape, which was exposed over her beautiful off-white lace nightgown, heated up. ¡°T-then I¡¯ll get going¡­.. .¡± The maid, who looked younger than Chloe, with a bright red face disappeared immediately. It must have seemed that Chloe and the duke were in a good relationship, but she was in a position where she could not resolve the misunderstanding. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming, Duchess?¡± Chloe bit the flesh in her mouth while looking at Damien, who was leaning back against the opened door, before speaking. ¡°I am going now. Duke.¡± As she reached for her cane, his low voice caught her again. ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t prepare your face and just come.¡± Chloe turned and looked at him. The thick eyelashes were pointed upwards. Damien asked again as her eyes glared at him in silence. ¡°Can¡¯t you get out of bed without your cane?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not easy. I will fall over and over again.¡± Legs without strength below the knees could not support the body. The duke acted as if he had to hear that fact directly from Chloe¡¯s mouth, and was satisfied. ¡°Would you like that?¡± ¡°It would be cute.¡± Chloe ignored his ridicule and grabbed her cane as if snatching it. Damien stared intently at her as she walked into his bedroom, and the door shut as soon as Chloe entered his room. Only after the heavy door slammed shut, Chloe was able to peer into Damien¡¯s bedroom for the first time. The wallpaper was dark blue, and golden-colored insignias were here and there, adding a colourful feeling. Even her room couldn¡¯t be said to be glamorous, but at first glance one could tell that the antique furniture here was the work of the best craftsmen. ¡°Sit down.¡± With his back to the blazing fireplace, Damien gestured to her. Tadak tadak. Chloe floundered and sat down on the long chair opposite him from the one-seater. The sofa, reminiscent of a long quince, had little usability. Chloe struggled to open her mouth, feeling the soft velvet brushing against her bare legs under her pajamas. ¡°It¡¯s late at night, do you have any urgent business with me?¡± ¡°What urgent business do you think there will be between a couple this late at night?¡± Chloe blinked quickly and swallowed dry saliva. She was worried that the thing she wanted to put off as much as possible would happen tonight, so her neck was stiff and her heart was racing. ¡°I want to give you a reward because it seems that you have been faithfully fulfilling your duties as a Duchess.¡± ¡°I have done nothing¡­¡­¡± ¡°You removed Ellie and Robbie out of my sight.¡± ¡°¡­ Did you know about their infidelity?¡± ¡°Corruption is annoying. Especially when you have to close your eyes even if you know it.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand why I turned a blind eye to it.¡± Damien, who accurately grasped Chloe¡¯s heart, grinned. ¡°Honestly, yes.¡± (Chloe) ¡°I love my mother.¡± (Damien) Damien burst out laughing out loud this time at her, who was speechless again. ¡°Is that so surprising?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± ¡°You looked surprised,¡± Chloe felt her hands were sweating and grabbed the hem of her pajamas once and let it go. To be honest, he was right. The reason he overlooked the servant¡¯s infidelity was because he loves his mother. She couldn¡¯t believe he is the one who can make such an unreasonable choice. ¡°My mother is innocent and fickle, but she is the one who gave birth to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± (Chloe) ¡°Isn¡¯t that quite good too?¡± (Chloe) Chloe thought that the Duke¡¯s reason for calling her to this night wasn¡¯t just to brag, but the Duke remained silent for a moment after he spoke. ¡°You don¡¯t accept it.¡± (Damien) ¡°You¡¯re not very pleased with my compliments, are you?¡± (Chloe) ¡°It depends on the situation.¡± (Damien) What the hell are you talking about? Did he forget that whenever I was polite and complimented him, he always humiliated me for sugar coating? ¡°This is a private time between the couple.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking what you think of my appearance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Duke, but are you kidding me right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Chloe couldn¡¯t understand the Duke¡¯s whim, but she decided that she had to say something to finish this quickly. ¡°Princess Priscilla¡¯s beauty is well known to all the people of the kingdom. In addition to giving the duke the external beauty and outstanding abilities, I could clearly feel her love for her son¡­ It was very surprising.¡± ¡°Chloe.¡± He crossed his legs and put a splendid smile on his face again. ¡°You think you¡¯re very good at talking.¡± Damien continued the conversation without holding back his laughter. ¡°Wrong. It¡¯s all over your face.¡± ¡°Then I will have to work harder in the future.¡± What Chloe uttered in a low voice was the courage that she managed to pull out of the stomach. Damien looked at her and finally got up. She lifted her head and looked at him as he held out something on the bed to her. ¡°I thought I should give you something much better than a cane that you lose every time.¡± Chloe looked at him as he held it in her hand. The long object, in the shape of a palm-sized tree with a small iron, looked heavy at a glance. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an orthosis. If used properly, you can walk comfortably without a cane. It will take some time to get used to it.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Try it.¡± Chloe didn¡¯t move and just held on to the brace that the Duke had given her. She barely opened her mouth only after he gave his order again. ¡°Later.¡± ¡°Do it now, Chloe. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to see it.¡± All Chloe wanted was a cane. Even that, it was just an impulse uttered because she longed for the Duke and his army to return safely from the war. ¡°Thank you for the gift. But I think it¡¯s up to the recipient to use it.¡± She didn¡¯t know how to use unfamiliar objects, and she hated showing herself limp and falling in front of him. How much does the Duke have to dig into her weaknesses to be satisfied? ¡°Did you have a secret affair with that servant in first class?¡± Chloe¡¯s face flushed with blood from the cold, unannounced shots fired at her. ¡°What are you talking about now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking, if it¡¯s your intention that you dared to bring your favorite servant into my estate even while changing his seat on the train.¡± How the hell does he know that? Chloe frowned and asked him, ¡°¡­ Did you assign someone to watch me?¡± ¡°With Tisse¡¯s name, information flows in from all directions, even if you don¡¯t want it. There are people who dare to ask for money by saying things that are not true, but looking at your face, it seems to be true.¡± Chloe bit her lip and turned to face him. ¡°Gray is a faithful servant who has served our family since childhood.¡± ¡°Eliza was the woman who breastfed me, but she stabbed my family in the back.¡± She wanted to raise her voice in front of the duke saying that this was a different situation, but he would refute asking what was the difference between the two. ¡°I¡­¡­. beg you to stop insulting me.¡± Chloe¡¯s breathing heated up. It was unfortunate that she was being misunderstood. Damien tilted his head and looked at her as if enjoying her reaction. And slowly opened his lips. ¡°I saw a worker at the train station who handled horses terribly. He looked like an outsider, but he couldn¡¯t help but stand out because he looked straight at me boldly.¡± Chloe¡¯s dark brown eyes shook wildly. No way. Is Gray still here? Without going back to Verdier¡¯s estate? ¡°Looks like he has settled in here. He can¡¯t stay at Birch Castle, so he decided to protect his madam from the train station? He has great chivalry.¡± Chapter 30 Episode 30 ??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?????©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?? If it was Gray¡¯s personality, it was possible that he could not easily leave because he was worried about the lady, but he was not reckless enough to make Viscount Verdier worry because of that. If so, did Gray really stop working at the Verdier Castle and come back here? Chloe wanted to go to the train station right now to see Gray and ask him what was going on. It was also followed by concerns about whether he was adapting well in this city where he doesn¡¯t know anyone, or whether he was working under harsh treatment because he was so quiet and doesn¡¯t complain. ¡°Why, right now, do you want to run to the train station and have a tearful reunion with the servant?¡± The Duke sneered at her as if he had looked into her mind, and Chloe breathed in a short breath. She could bear the sarcasm, but she had to prevent the Duke from having any misunderstandings about Gray and her. ¡°Duke,¡± Chloe spoke in a hurry, and Damien buried his upper body deep on the sofa. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve neglected your duties as a Duchess and insulted me.¡± Damien pinpointed Chloe¡¯s concern once again. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Chloe von Tisse.¡± Chloe¡¯s small shoulders trembled unconsciously when her name was called. In the kingdom, adultery by women was a reason for divorce. She could swear that she had done nothing wrong to undermine the prestige of the Tisse family, but she couldn¡¯t help but be nervous in front of her husband, who was quite unpredictable. The man who could not tolerate even her slightest provocation raised his lips with the most generous expression in the world. ¡°Walk. In front of me.¡± Chloe finally put an end to her hesitation and Damien looked intently as she lifted her nightgown with her trembling hands, and he stared at her bare, white right leg which was like a dry branch. He didn¡¯t say a word to her, and just looked at her as she struggled to put the strange object on her knee, as she struggled to tighten the screws of the loose orthosis. At last Chloe, who succeeded in putting on the braces, stood up. She took a difficult step toward Damien, who was still sitting there like a picture. He opened his mouth slowly as she staggered and dragged her legs. ¡°Lift up your clothes so that I can see it.¡± Chloe did what he said. There was nothing more to hide in the situation where her legs had already been exposed. No, rather, as if to show more, she rolled up her skirt and lifted it up to her knee. Rattle. Rattle. The Duke¡¯s sharp eyebrows gathered between his brows. He didn¡¯t hide his gaze. The sight of him observing her gait with a rattling brace on her bare legs made him look like a beast preying on his prey. The leg with the fixed orthosis was as heavy as hanging a stone. Moreover, with each movement, the screw tightened and dug into her skin, which was terribly painful. Chloe doubted that the Duke had created this object to torture her. ¡°Hik¡­.!¡± Eventually, she fell to the floor. The carpet, a mixture of beautiful tapestries and fluffy fox fur, could not relieve the pain. It was inevitable that a small groan burst from Chloe¡¯s lips. The duke finally came to her. Instead of holding her hand as she struggled to get up, he held her skinny ankle in his hand. The hunter¡¯s hand, with bulging blue veins, slowly reached her calf and her braced knee. Following his hand, the screws loosened one after another. The reddened skin was revealed. ¡°Let me go,¡± Chloe barely whispered, and finally there was a pop and the brace was released. Chloe breathed heavily, feeling free from the shackles. Damien looked at her and asked in a dry tone. ¡°What was the most uncomfortable thing?¡± Chloe¡¯s tiny jaw tightened. She wasn¡¯t so naive as to ask for sympathy from him, who was cruel. But she was so tired of him saying what he had to say, regardless of her pain. ¡°¡­It¡¯s something I don¡¯t need.¡± ¡°Once you get used to it, it will be the other way around. It will take some time and effort.¡± Why on earth is he doing this to me? Chloe was not accustomed to changes. To be honest, just having to bear the weight of the duchess was suffocating. Nevertheless, she doesn¡¯t understand why he tries to knock her down and trample her like this, who is struggling to adapt to this reality. The brace fell to the floor, but the Duke¡¯s hand remained on her skinny leg. He made an interesting expression as he watched Chloe¡¯s neat eyebrows twitch as he moved his hand over her bare leg. ¡°It¡¯s just a problem with the bones, but it seems like you don¡¯t have any feeling at all.¡± ¡°Duke. Please. Please stop now.¡± When Chloe sincerely asked him, Damien finally removed his hand that was measuring her legs. Then he put his hands under Chloe¡¯s arms and raised her easily. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Chloe hurried to find her cane and clutched it. She even had a terrible urge to strike him with her cane, if she could. ¡°Then good night, Duke,¡± It was the moment Chloe greeted with blurred eyes and approached the door of the connected bedroom. Her body swung lightly. Trapped between the thick door and Damien¡¯s body, Chloe raised her trembling eyes to see him. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Are you still not done insulting me? Damien tilted his head and looked at Chloe, who bit her lips tightly. ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Damien smiled faintly at her as she responded without any hesitation. Then he raised his hand and gently swept away the tears around her eyes. ¡°Yes. Whining like a child doesn¡¯t suit the Duchess.¡± When Damien tasted her tears from the tips of his fingers, her heart pounded like it was going to explode. Chloe couldn¡¯t hold back her trembling voice and ended up bursting out. ¡°The Duke is like a devil.¡± ¡°Have I not shown you the real devil yet?¡± She seemed to be trapped in Damien¡¯s eyes, which was like a lake of unfathomable depth. Chloe raised her voice, clenching her fists to escape from him. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you show it to me forever¡­!¡± Her words were interrupted by his lips. Chloe¡¯s long eyelashes trembled. Damien didn¡¯t even give her a chance to close her eyes. His sliding hand gripped her tiny hand tightly. ¡°How does it feel to kiss the man you called the devil?¡± Her heart beat fast and she couldn¡¯t breathe. Her lips were dry and her tears were about to burst. ¡°It¡¯s unpleasant.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± ¡°It¡¯s unpleasant¡­..!¡± Damien kissed her deeply again. Chloe belatedly realized that it was a question with a definite answer. ¡°Asking you again. How do you feel?¡± Damien asked, placing Chloe¡¯s hand on her chest as her wet lips barely fell. The pounding heartbeat under her thin pajamas passed through her hands. ¡°My heart is beating.¡± ¡°Go on,¡± ¡°Beating fast. It¡¯s beating hard as if I¡¯m running.¡± ¡°Does your body heat up as if you had thrown a fire into your stomach? Do you feel like your heart is going to pop out when your blood rushes through you and you can¡¯t control your breathing?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Chloe nodded without denying his words, which represented her feelings because it was an intolerable discomfort that she had never felt before with anyone. Instead of getting angry at her words, Damien smiled contentedly. ¡°Then may I go now? Duke.¡± ¡°Of course, Duchess,¡± Damien stretched out his arm and opened the door. ¡°Good night,¡± Chloe ran to the bedroom and closed the door as hard as she could and bolted it. She had the illusion of hearing Damien laugh behind the door. Chloe jumped up and flipped the portrait hanging in the bedroom. It was the only timid revenge she could do under the current circumstances. Chapter 14. The Deepening Winter A week has passed since the Duke returned. Except for the first day, he fortunately didn¡¯t bother Chloe any more. Just like Chloe did, he stayed in the study room and looked at the past books, and after finding out the dynamics of the castle, he sent a telegram to gather businessmen and nobles from all over the kingdom. Although the status of the people with whom the duke was associated was different, everyone was well-educated, quick to grasp the situation inside and outside the kingdom, and did not hide their assertions. ¡°I have heard that a railway will be built in the Verdier estate. Now it will develop rapidly.¡± ¡°Maybe? It¡¯ll take a long time.¡± Damien affirmed lightly, cutting the meat with a knife. Chloe couldn¡¯t do anything but sit silently to his right and smile like a doll. A man with red curly hair spoke in a southern accent and lowered his voice. ¡°Did you give your wife an extravagant wedding present, Duke?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I am amazed when the Duke sometimes shows such a human side.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± At dinner, whenever there were intimate conversations, Chloe felt like a thorn on the side, but it was her duty as a hostess to entertain guests, so she couldn¡¯t leave hastily. ¡°The Principality of Carter is terrifying. They have declared the end of the war, but we never know when they will hit the back of our head.¡± ¡°We can take advantage of our geographical advantage to join hands with other countries and attack them again at any time, so we¡¯ll have to strike them in the end, Duke.¡± Chapter 31 ??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?????©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?? ¡°What do you think, Wife?¡± Damien suddenly asked Chloe for an opinion. The eyes of the gentlemen who were seated were naturally focused on her. Chloe smiled after wiping her lips with a napkin. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about politics or diplomacy because I am an outsider.¡± As if they didn¡¯t expect much of an opinion, Chloe spoke as soon as the gathered people turned their gaze away. ¡°But I know that everyone is tired of the war.¡± A quiet silence fell on the table. Damien raised the glass and gave her a wink to continue. ¡°If we conquer the Principality of Carter, it will be good for the people in the end. ¡°Winning or losing a war is something no one can predict. It is true that Swanton won the war against the Principality of Carter, but we cannot be sure that their fighting power is always weak.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°If they ever ask other countries for aid, the situation will get out of hand. As Earl Weiss said, Principality of Carter is a country that can take full advantage of its geographical advantage as an island nation.¡± ¡°You have a wide knowledge, Duchess.¡± Weiss gave a little admiration, and Chloe smiled politely. ¡°You praise me too much.¡± ¡°In this situation, does that mean that we should just wait and see that the Principality is summoned? They have already started raising tariffs on imported goods from our kingdom.¡± Damien asked Chloe again. ¡°I see..¡± ¡°Any opinions on that?¡± It was like a tenacious question. It was not uncommon for a lively exchange of opinions to take place in the presence of the duke, but Chloe was burdened by this situation where everyone at the table was focused on her. ¡°I¡¯m just being careful about giving my opinion on conversations between those with a high status.¡± ¡°Is there anyone who has a higher status than you in this place besides me?¡± Chloe grabbed the napkin and let it go, then took a breath. If the Duke was going to disgrace her in public, she had no intention of being docile. ¡°I think it would be ideal to have a peace treaty with the Principality of Carter. The Principality will also be spared from the dangers of war, which would be a good proposition for them.¡± ¡°Promises are not always kept. It breaks more often than not.¡± ¡°You just have to make it unbreakable.¡± ¡°How?¡± It was as if only the Duke and Duchess were left at the table. While everyone held their breath and listened to their tense conversation, Chloe opened her mouth. ¡°A marriage alliance is probably the strongest.¡± If you bind the royal family and share bloodlines, you will be in a situation where you cannot betray each other. But Damien looked at her and shook his head. ¡°It is said that there is the only son who can inherit the Principality, but we are in a situation where we cannot properly understand his identity because he has hidden it, and there is no princess in the royal family.¡± Chloe gave him a look of incomprehension. ¡°Isn¡¯t Prince Johannes there? There are three unmarried princesses in the Principality of Carter besides their son who is the next heir.¡± Damien tilted his chin, then finally grinned. As a signal of that, laughter erupted again on the table. Chloe couldn¡¯t figure out why everyone except her was looking at each other and smiling meaningfully. ¡°It is terrifying to even imagine. Marrying the prince. A catastrophe is about to happen.¡± ¡°Rather, the Principality of Carter might be furious and attack us instead.¡± ¡°It is not that there is no profit. Ordinary people might think that way, so we can use it in reverse.¡± The feeling that something was being ridiculed made her feel worse. Chloe struggled to clean up her expression and continue with the rest of her meal, but she grew increasingly convinced that the Duke was trying to disgrace her. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s clear that the Duchess doesn¡¯t read ¡®The Red Veil¡¯.¡± Chloe¡¯s face hardened a little. The first and last time she saw the gossip newspaper, ¡®The Red Veil,¡¯ was in Verdier¡¯s dress shop. As she remembered the faces of the duke and his mistress filling the front pages of the newspaper, her heart began to churn. ¡°Weiss, do you think that is an appropriate topic now? I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you.¡± Someone who remembered the Duke¡¯s scandal belatedly spat it out, but it was already spilled water. Damien took another drink and asked her. ¡°No, I am curious. Have you ever read ¡®The Red Veil,¡¯ Wife?¡± ¡°Only by chance.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Damien raised his eyebrows, showing interest. ¡°But what was written there didn¡¯t really resonate with me. It¡¯s just provocative news from third-rate gossip. A true nobleman in this country would not read such a low-level article.¡± Chloe answered with a harmless and calm expression. It was fortunate that no one saw her hands trembling as she gripped the napkin under the table. ¡°I guess I married the last true nobleman in this country?¡± Damien burst out laughing. The atmosphere at the table, which had been tense for a while, returned to the starting point again as he smiled as if he was genuinely happy. ¡°Once again congratulations on your marriage, Duke.¡± ¡°I think you can see why the Duke rushed to get married. I was all nervous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stare at your old boss¡¯s wife and shorten your life, Weiss.¡± ¡°After a bullet went through my temple in war, I never stared again.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha.¡± Chloe couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and stood up. ¡°Dessert is a little late. I¡¯ll have to go out and check on it.¡± The moment she left the banquet hall, the smile completely disappeared from her face. Chloe¡¯s stomach was churning and she wanted to empty out everything she ate. She felt like an idiot for forgetting that people who were close to the duke would have implicitly known the existence of his mistress. She knew that infidelity was rampant in aristocratic society. But¡­. The duke, who called himself to a place full of people who knew the truth, and the duke¡¯s friends who praised her while feigning ignorance were all the worst. She had a good impression of the Duke¡¯s friends, but it was also a misunderstanding. ¡®¡­ How long will it take before I become dull?¡¯ Chloe saw a servant pulling a cart full of dessert. She had a useless imagination that the moment she walked down the hallway it would never end. *** It was midnight when Chloe noticed the quiet commotion in the castle. Someone was sobbing in the hallway. A voice that seemed to comfort her followed. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside, Eliza. If the master knows, you won¡¯t be safe!¡± ¡°I have dedicated my whole life to this family¡­ !¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chloe opened the door and saw Eliza¡¯s face covered in cold sweat. Her hair, which was always neatly trimmed, was in a mess. After the dismissal was decided, she was due to leave the castle in a few days. ¡°My grandson has a fever and is faint. He¡¯s speaking nonsense. Please let me see the family doctor, little madam.¡± Chloe didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°You need to call the doctor right away.¡± ¡°What? Madam, but we cannot call for the physician without the master¡¯s orders¡­ .¡± A small spark flashed in Chloe¡¯s eyes as she looked at the hesitant servant. ¡°Are you planning to disturb the Duke¡¯s sleep this late at night? Or have you forgotten that I am the hostess.¡± ¡°I will call for him right away, Lady.¡± After the servant hurriedly disappeared with a surprised expression, Chloe hurriedly opened the closet. Inside were her numerous luggage bags, organized by size. ¡°Can you help me?¡± Eliza, who scolded her for having brought twelve luggage bags from Verdier, stood dazed and hurriedly approached her. ¡°Please take out the blue bag at the bottom.¡± Eliza pulled out the blue luggage bag with great force. As Chloe untied the knot on the leather bag, another square bag emerged from it. Chloe grabbed the bag and picked up her cane. ¡°I¡¯m going to see the child until the doctor arrives. Go ahead, Eliza.¡± ¡°M¡­ Madam.¡± ¡°Fever is a race against time. Hurry!¡± Eliza lived in the private huts of the servants gathered in the woods behind the castle. Chloe came out with only a woolen coat over her thin nightgown. Chloe, who had fallen several times in the snow while walking fast to keep up with the urgent steps of Eliza, bit her lips tightly. ¡°M¡­ Madam.¡± ¡°Eliza. Can you pick me up?¡± Eliza knelt before her without hesitation. With the slender Duchess on her back, Eliza ran with superhuman strength. By the time Chloe and Eliza¡¯s bodies were covered with snow, they managed to reach the hut. The child¡¯s condition was serious. He looked like he was about five or six years old. His whole body was trembling from the cold, but his forehead was hot like a ball of fire. Chloe took off the wool blanket that the child was holding with his small hand, and then began to take off his sweat-drenched clothes herself. ¡°Co¡­ cold¡­ cold¡­ !¡± The pale child cried while clenching his teeth with his dry lips. ¡°Son, Charlie¡­ !¡± Eliza screamed in surprise, but Chloe didn¡¯t hesitate to undress the child. Chloe opened the bag she brought with her, took out two different colored vials, opened them right away, and poured them on the child¡¯s lips. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­ !¡± When she grabbed the coughing child¡¯s nose and had him drink the whole vial, the child struggled and screamed that he was going to die. Chapter 32 Episode 32 ??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?????©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?? ¡°Madam!!¡± ¡°Go outside and open your eyes! The fever needs to be lowered, now hurry!¡± ¡°I will not forgive you¡­ . If anything happens to the child, I will not forgive you!!!¡± Eliza¡¯s wrinkled eyes filled with tears mixed with anxiety, anger and sadness. Chloe looked straight at her and muttered in a low but clear voice. ¡°You¡¯ll get your resentment later, so if you don¡¯t want your child to be crippled like me, do as I say for now.¡± Eventually, the child vomited and drank three vials of medicine before he calmed down. After blocking the wind in the room, Chloe took off the child¡¯s clothes and wiped him thoroughly from forehead to toe with a towel soaked in cold water. Eliza burst into tears as she watched the little Duchess wipe the child¡¯s soiled back. ¡°Madam, if there is anything I can do to help¡­ .¡± ¡°It is even more dangerous if an older person has a fever. You go out.¡± Chloe said it was dangerous and kicked Eliza out of the hut. When the doctor finally arrived at the duke¡¯s residence in a wagon that was moving at a frenzied speed, the child¡¯s body temperature had returned to normal. The attending physician, who was almost dragged in by the servant, saw the Duchess and bowed his head belatedly. ¡°Hello, let¡¯s take a look at this child.¡± The attending physician had not yet fully grasped the situation, but carefully looked at the child¡¯s condition. It was the first time in his life that he personally visited the servant¡¯s residence and made a house call. But he could not refuse, as it was the Duchess¡¯s order. After careful examination of the child, the attending physician came to one conclusion. ¡°The Duchess did a good job.¡± What Chloe gave the child was the same medicine that the doctor had. Moreover, it seemed to have prevented the heat from rising to the head as the fever was lowered with the right first aid. ¡°If it was a little late, something big could have happened. You should thank the Duchess.¡± Eliza looked at Chloe with tears in her eyes. Chloe shook her head at Eliza, who whispered her thanks, and then looked back at the doctor. ¡°Let me watch the progress from here until dawn. ¡®Cause I¡¯ll be with you¡­ .¡± Creak. ¡°Y-Your Excellency the Duke.¡± With the sound of the hut door opening, everyone except Chloe and the sleeping child bowed their heads. Eliza, who was banned from entering the castle after being ordered to fire, and Tisse¡¯s doctor, who did not move without the duke¡¯s order, all swallowed dry saliva. ¡°Please close the door, Duke. It is very windy.¡± As Chloe broke the silence, the Duke glanced at the child lying on the bed. The child, who had fallen asleep quickly, looked like Eliza, who shrieked in her dying voice. ¡°Come out.¡± The subject was not clear, but it was clear who he was ordering. The duke left a word and turned around. ¡°Oh, Your Excellency the Duke¡­ I am¡­ .¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come out, stay here.¡± Chloe quietly grabbed the doctor who was frightened and took a step forward. She spoke in a calm and firm voice. ¡°I will take the responsibility, so you take care of the patient until the end. It is Tisse¡¯s family who have dedicated their lives to Tisse.¡± Thick tears flowed from Eliza¡¯s eyes. Chloe pretended not to see her tears and followed the Duke. Just before dawn, snow was still falling in the dark sky. *** Birch Castle lived up to its name as a birch castle, with a long forest path running through the trees. Chloe was walking slowly through the thick forest of white, dry trees she had seen on the train. ¡°Eliza should have left two days ago as planned, but she said she couldn¡¯t leave because the child was ill.¡± Munch*.The sound of snow being stepped on under her feet could be heard quietly. Chloe continued, walking away from the unanswered Duke. (* The sound when you step on snow) ¡°It is said that the money stolen from the castle was spent on gambling debts by the father of the boy who left for Swan, that is, her son.¡± Munch. The duke¡¯s clean leather shoes left footprints in the snow again. Chloe wanted to distance herself from him by walking as slowly as possible, but it was impossible. Because the duke stopped every two steps and waited for her. ¡°It is the adults who have sinned, not the children. Because I didn¡¯t want to disturb the Duke¡¯s sleep¡­ I called the doctor at will. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Chloe.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± A white breath escaped from Chloe¡¯s red-open lips. Damien let out a low sigh without taking his eyes off her lips. ¡°I never questioned you. So there is no need to make excuses or apologize.¡± Chloe swallowed dry saliva. As he said, the duke didn¡¯t question her, as she pricked herself and made excuses. ¡°No owner likes to see a corpse outside of his house. Especially if it¡¯s a child¡¯s corpse. In the end, it¡¯s a good thing.¡± Well, it would have been better not to listen to the duke¡¯s next words, but that was the kind of remark it was. Chloe shut her mouth and walked towards the castle, thankful that no one was hurt anyway. Munch. Munch. It was especially quiet in the morning when it snowed. The amount of times it snowed in Verdier could be counted on Chloe¡¯s hand. Chloe took a deep breath and left footprints in the white forest everywhere. The cold winter air flowed into her body, but she felt refreshed rather than cold, probably because she had done a great job. ¡°I heard you wrote Eliza¡¯s letter of recommendation.¡± It was Chloe who was speechless this time. Damien paused next to the silent Chloe. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­ Madam Tisse said she couldn¡¯t use it at all.¡± ¡°My mother is the type of person who gets angry a little later.¡± That didn¡¯t mean Chloe had to write a letter of recommendation. Especially if it¡¯s a servant who commits injustice and gets kicked out. Damien swallowed a smirk and raised an eyebrow towards her. ¡°What I want to know is if you had any reason to help her. Not only the job, but also her kin.¡± Chloe clenched her cane and looked at him. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Yes. Reason.¡± Looking at Damien¡¯s expression, which was really curious as to the reason, Chloe gave the answer. ¡°She seemed to need help, so I helped.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go round and round, speak in a way that is easy to understand.¡± Chloe eventually became furious and raised her voice. ¡°There¡¯s no way someone who¡¯s worked at Birch Castle all his life can get a letter of recommendation anywhere else. And there was no other reason for the urgent situation of the child being sick.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that Eliza was the one who instigated the servants to harass you, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No.¡± She knew that but that didn¡¯t stop Chloe from helping her. ¡°Did you want to relieve the guilt of having Eliza fired? Chloe would be lying if she said no. However, Eliza¡¯s crime was so heavy that it would have to be brought to trial. Damien threw a barrage of questions on to Chloe who couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Pity for her son losing all of his money gambling?¡± Chloe took a step back, but the distance narrowed again. Damien¡¯s eyebrows went up crookedly. ¡°Or is your compassion for your servants that deep in the first place?¡± As if not to give her a chance to escape, Chloe finally opened her mouth as if to sigh as she faced Damien who was pushing her into a corner. ¡°Can the Duke give a clear reason for all his actions?¡± ¡°For the most part.¡± Flutter. Flutter. Snowflakes fluttered in the black winter sky without dawn. Damien stared intently at the sight of snowflakes flying across Chloe¡¯s face with the coat¡¯s hood on. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t.¡± White breath spurted out of Chloe¡¯s tiny lips. She also did not know her own heart. It may be one of the reasons the Duke has listed, or maybe all of them. One thing is certain, every time she comes out like this, she wants to run away. ¡°Why do you keep¡­ . I don¡¯t understand why the Duke keeps asking me difficult questions.¡± ¡°Then what do you do when you want to know someone without asking?¡± ¡°Just¡­ .¡± Chloe looked at Damien and took a long breath. ¡°It comes naturally.¡± If you quietly observe a person, there is always something you can see even without questioning them. Chloe¡¯s assessment of the duke alone was enough to fill a notebook. ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest answer I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± Damien laughed a little at Chloe. Whether he did or not, Chloe eagerly held out her cane, hoping he wouldn¡¯t ask any more difficult questions. Damien, who had glanced at her like that, spat out in a calm tone. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of hiring Gray Wilson for the vacant stables manager. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad offer for him as he¡¯s living like a mayfly at the train station as a casual laborer.¡± Chloe¡¯s steps stopped. It was Robinson¡¯s vacancy since he was fired along with Eliza. Chloe looked at him with half-opened lips involuntarily. Gray is¡­ Can you come to this castle? ¡°I¡¯m curious about your opinion.¡± The duke asked her with an expressionless face. Chloe swallowed a dry saliva, trying to understand his intentions, but couldn¡¯t read his poker face aside from his soft smile that she could paint right now. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the Duke¡¯s authority to hire servants?¡± ¡°There may be an exchange of opinions between the couple. Moreover, he is a servant who has worked for Verdier for a long time.¡± ¡°Gray will do just fine.¡± Chloe advocated for him, but Damien was prodding her out of habit. ¡°Do you want to keep him by your side?¡± Chapter 33 Episode 33 ??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?????©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?? ¡°¡­ He is a trustworthy person.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I can assure you on my name that Gray is a servant who will never betray you.¡± Even in a situation where the Verdier family was on the verge of collapse, he was a servant who kept his position by refusing his pay. His loyalty could not be doubted. ¡°Guarantee it under the name of ¡®Tisse¡¯.¡± The duke¡¯s eyes lit up and he repeated her words. Chloe could clearly see what he wanted to confirm. As if emphasizing that the marriage is based on interests that do not contain any kind of affection, he must be suspicious of the duties and qualities of a duchess in her. Chloe clenched her fists and opened her mouth with a determined expression. ¡°I can swear in front of my deceased mother that there was nothing inconvenient between him and me that would concern the Duke.¡± ¡°It must be very sad for Gray Wilson to hear this now.¡± ¡°I clearly said no.¡± The duke spat out at Chloe, who was furious with a frown on her face. ¡°Kiss me.¡± ¡°What?¡± A fluttering snowflake stuck to her gaping red lips. Damien narrowed his eyes and continued speaking. ¡°Prove that your heart is as pure as the snow that is falling now. Then I¡¯m willing to hire him. The pay is ten times what he received at Verdier Castle.¡± ¡°Duke. I have no desire to kiss the Duke now.¡± ¡°Then the poor servant will soon have to catch the train leaving Tisse.¡± ¡°Is there any reason he has to leave?¡± ¡°Are you sad?¡± ¡°Wherever Gray settles, it¡¯s up to him.¡± ¡°The more my wife annoys me, the more certain he will have nowhere to go in Tisse. Unfortunately, in this kingdom, the duke¡¯s authority takes precedence over the servant¡¯s freedom.¡± Something hot rose from Chloe¡¯s chest. How could a person be like this? Is the duke secretly researching her to abuse her? ¡°¡­ Do you enjoy tormenting me, Duke?¡± Chloe let out a trembling voice, but Damien didn¡¯t budge. ¡°It was not my intention to torment you, but I¡¯m sorry that it was painful.¡± The beautiful pythonic man revealed to her his pure white fangs. ¡°I think you will know what kind of kisses I like from experience.¡± ¡°¡­ I do not know.¡± ¡°Try. That¡¯s what you¡¯re good at.¡± The definition of kissing as a sacred act of soul to soul meeting has long since disappeared from within Chloe. It¡¯s because of the savage man right in front of her eyes. ¡°Please lower your head a little.¡± The Duke bent his chin slightly, looking happily at Chloe, who struggled to muffle her voice. Chloe lifted herself to the tip of her toes with one strong foot, but it was still not enough to make eye contact with him. ¡°A little more.¡± ¡°Do you have no hands?¡± Chloe was now at the limit. Damien laughed silently as she defiantly tapped her cane and threw it into the snow. A person who is getting angry with all their might would only grow more upset when someone is laughing in front of them. ¡°My hands are fine, Duke.¡± Chloe¡¯s shaky hands clasped tightly against the collar of Damien¡¯s shirt inside the coat. ¡°My lips?¡± Here it is, you devil! Chloe pulled him in with all her might and brought his haughty lips to hers. The venomous snake opened its mouth as if to welcome the prey that came into its feet. Snowflakes that had fallen on her face melted and her face became wet. Chloe closed her trembling eyes, biting her lip as Damien grinned and hugged her. Thicker snowflakes flew against the background of the whitishly bright sky. In the distance, the bells of the chapel began to be heard faintly. Damien slowly released her only after the bells ringing in the quiet city struck six times, and the echo had disappeared. ¡°The effort is praiseworthy.¡± The hood was stripped, exposing her flushed red cheeks, and her hair was completely messed up. Damien whispered, clutching Chloe¡¯s hair, who was breathing heavily with her mouth open. ¡°The hottest kiss you¡¯ve ever given is for someone else.¡± His voice was hoarse and husky, and her blue eyes were dark as if swallowing her. ¡°Are you feeling so good and dirty?¡± Chloe collapsed on the floor at the edge of the birch grove. As she looked at Damien¡¯s back, leaving her behind and moving away, Chloe felt as if her whole body was on fire. She was sitting in the snow, her body trembling, but she didn¡¯t feel cold. She must have been ill. Chloe von Tisse will probably die early. Because of her legal husband and no one else. *** Chloe paused the pen for a moment. She was forced to write nice words about an unwelcome person that her right shoulder, which she had given so much strength to, was stiff. No matter how much she was trying to reassure her father, she had a small concern that he might be suspicious because the exaggeration might have been too much. ¡®No. Father will be delighted.¡¯ Chloe felt her shin throb and frowned slightly. The pain of walking in front of him with the brace the Duke had given her a few days ago was still vivid. What kind of expression would Father make if he knew this? Whew. Her thoughts came to an end when a blizzard raged and her windows rattled violently. After she put down her quill, she walked over to her window to draw the curtains.. ¡°Go back carefully.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± At the entrance, Chloe saw Gray speaking to the guest. A smile spread across Chloe¡¯s lips. As if he noticed her gaze, Gray suddenly raised his head and looked towards her. Chloe happily took off the latch and opened her hinged window.. Gray was startled, and hurried to the flower bed. ¡°The wind is as cold as ice, Miss. Please close the window!¡± ¡°Yes. Be careful not to catch a cold, Gray.¡± ¡°Yes, milady.¡± Gray pressed down on his brown woolen hat and nodded his head. Chloe looked at him and smiled. He didn¡¯t really want to have long conversations. The fact that Gray, who was more like her family than a servant, was in this castle made her feel a little relieved from her loneliness. The day Gray was formally hired as stable keeper and entered Birch Castle, Chloe almost burst into tears when she saw his face again. ¡°Then goodbye. Good night.¡± Chloe said a brief goodbye and closed the window. Gray waved his hand at her, then ran quickly across the garden. Chloe returned to her desk with a smile on her face and began to scribble down the refreshing words. **** Chapter 34 Episode 34 ??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?????©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?? After folding the letter and putting it in an envelope, Chloe checked the time. The pocket watch was pointing to midnight. As she wrote in her letter to her father, it was true that every night she had to meet the Duke alone. Although it was a secret that Chloe didn¡¯t like that time very much. ¡°The master is waiting in the game room.¡± ¡°The guests?¡± ¡°The last guest just returned.¡± He must have been the guest Gray had just sent off. Damien never missed time to meet her no matter how late the business was. Because of that, Chloe couldn¡¯t get ready to sleep until he fell asleep. ¡°Duke.¡± Chloe announced her presence, but Damien grabbed the cue without looking at her. Wearing a black shirt and pants, he felt colder and more distant today, perhaps because of his dark clothes. ¡®¡­ Will there ever come a day when the distance with the duke will be reduced?¡¯ Tak! Chloe woke up to the sound of a white ball made of ivory hitting a red ball. The red ball quickly crossed the spacious table and disappeared into the hole. ¡°If the game isn¡¯t over, can I wait a little bit and come back later?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fun to be alone.¡± Again, with a light sound, the blue ball quickly rolled over the edge of the table where she was. Damien walked over to her, taking out the chalk and rubbing the cue.. As he stretched out his arms toward Chloe, she was startled and unknowingly backed away. A little while ago, her heart was beating rapidly, startled by the aftermath of him approaching as if he could touch her face. ¡°Do you know the rules of snooker?¡± (Author¡¯s note: snooker-A kind of billiards) (T/N: snooker- a game played with cues on a billiard table in which the players use a cue ball (white) to pocket the other balls (fifteen red and six coloured) in a set order. Billiards- a game for two people, played on a billiard table, in which three balls are struck with cues into pockets round the edge of the table, with points scored by cannons, pocketing an object ball, or cannoning the cue ball into a pocket.) Damien asked, returning the blue ball that had fallen into the hole to its place. Chloe pretended to be calm and shook her head. Because she wanted to give the impression that she knew nothing and she didn¡¯t want to bite the tail of the conversation.. No one came after her husband¡¯s questioning, and Chloe wanted to end her unwelcome meeting with him and return to her room. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Damien lowered his chin slightly and took a stance. ¡°What I just hit is a 10-point play.¡± Lie! Chloe, who opened her eyes wide, almost made a sound out of her mouth. Damien¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply as he carefully aimed the ball, and the white ball moved quickly along the wall of the table. Tak! Tak! The three balls that collided in a row completely disappeared into different holes. Damien spoke again with a face without any remorse. ¡°This is 30 points. Isn¡¯t it perfect?¡± If Viscount Verdier, the father of Chloe, a master snooker player, had seen it, it was likely that his neck would hurt from his rising anger. Chloe frowned at the duke who didn¡¯t blink an eye as he played his ball one ball at a time, completely ignoring the rule of putting them in order. Is it okay for a person who attends the parliament to discuss the country¡¯s affairs to be so carelessly deceitful? ¡°The ball is going well today. I will score over 100 points soon.¡± Chloe¡¯s lips, which had been crumpled in dissatisfaction, finally opened. ¡°Duke. You kept on fouling. It is a mistake.¡± ¡°You said you didn¡¯t know the rules.¡± Damien again aimed the ball again, scored it into the hole on her side, and exhaled. ¡°Are you lying?¡± Red. Blue. Black. Pink. The colorful balls went straight into the hole in the corner of the table where Chloe stood. Rumble rumble. Every time she heard the sound of the ball falling, Chloe¡¯s mouth was dry for no reason. ¡°Did you have a good night with the young stable manager?¡± Rumble. After putting the last black ball in, Damien got up. As he rearranged the balls on the spacious table, Chloe realized that this room was not far from hers. The windows were all in one direction, meaning the Duke might have heard Gray and her brief conversation. ¡°Did you turn to exercising your right to remain silent on difficult questions?¡± ¡°¡­ Why did you tell me to come? If you want to check the relationship between me and the servants, I¡¯d say it¡¯s okay. Not just Gray, but other servants as well.¡± ¡°Take the cue.¡± Chloe looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but Damien gestured to the wall,as if he had no intention of overturning his orders. Today, the Duke seemed intent on tormenting her with this. ¡°Take the cue, Chloe.¡± Chloe took a deep breath and looked at him. ¡°Would you like to play a game with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What are the conditions?¡± Damien looked at her and smiled at her. ¡°Conditions?¡± Chloe uttered the words the Viscount Verdier had always emphasized. ¡°I don¡¯t play games without a bet.¡± A low laughter echoed through the spacious room. ¡°Ah, Chloe. You always surprise me.¡± Chloe bit her lip as she looked at the duke smiling happily like a child. ¡°Am I funny?¡± ¡°Very.¡± ¡°What is funny?¡± Chloe defiantly raised her head. ¡°With an innocent face who has never even bought a ticket at a horse race, she puts bets on billiards like a ravenous man.¡± Damien came up to her and met her eyes. ¡°What is the bet? Do you want anything from me?¡± His eyes filled with interesting light. It wasn¡¯t a good situation for Chloe at all, but she thought she had to say something. ¡°Please stop calling me out in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°What if I have a business?¡± ¡°You can do it when the sun is up. This is not the time when all the servants are asleep.¡± ¡°What if I win?¡± Chloe paused for a moment. Damien laughed softly again. ¡°Have you never thought about the possibility of losing? This is going to be crazy.¡± Chloe looked at him seriously, thinking whether the Duke would laugh at her or not. ¡°What does the Duke want if he wins?¡± ¡°What I want is something you have.¡± Chloe blinked a couple of times and gave him a slightly puzzled look. ¡°As the Duke knows, I don¡¯t have much.¡± ¡°Does that mean that there was nothing but dust in the twelve luggage bags that occupied the entire space of the freight train?¡± Chloe grabbed the cue stick instead of the cane and glared at the Duke. ¡°Of course not. I just thought I didn¡¯t have what the Duke needed.¡± ¡°What did you hear?¡± Her precious luggage bag was full of essential items. In addition to the vials that saved Eliza¡¯s grandchild Charlie just a few days ago, the diary pack she had been keeping since she was a child, the colorful embroidery threads and fragrant stationery that her mother bought for the first time, quills, incense candles her father bought at Swan for her, the doll that she played with since she was a child. There was not a single thing that Damien wanted to take away. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after the game is over.¡± ¡°As you like.¡± Damien nodded his head and gave her her turn. Chloe thought she would never look after him. In the name of Verdier. *** The white ball that rolled smoothly hit the target colored ball accurately. After scoring the goal, Damien watched Chloe carefully as she took the next angle. He noticed that her small lips were partly open as she concentrated throughout the game. ¡°Foul.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right!¡± At Damien¡¯s whisper, Chloe¡¯s eyes widened. She was moving so carefully to avoid making a mistake, but it was a foul. Does the duke have eyes on the back of his head? ¡°I was wrong.¡± Damien calmly shrugged his shoulders and hid a smile. He knew for a long time that this woman always manages to surprise him, but this was, frankly, more than he expected. Chloe was prudent, and once she had made a decision, she had the determination to hit him daringly. He wiped his dry mouth with his tongue. As Chloe walked along the wide table limping, staring at the ball, he seemed to be out of sight. Eventually, only the last two balls were left. Damien was two points ahead of the score, but Chloe had the last chance to attack. If she scores two balls in a row, the game goes back to her victory. If that happens, he won¡¯t be able to see her any more at night. If he doesn¡¯t agree to the terms of the bet, she won¡¯t want to play any games with him anymore. ¡°Chloe.¡± Damien suddenly called her name. Chloe said yes, without looking at him. ¡°Did you know that the basis of this game is to win by leading your opponent¡¯s mistakes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chloe listened to him with one ear and blew it out through the other, busily calculating the angle in her head. After sweating hard on her hands and dusting them with rosin, she finally settled down. As a child, when her legs were weaker than they are now, Viscount Verdier taught Chloe, who was depressed because she couldn¡¯t go outside, to play billiards. ¡°The play in this small table is unbelievably diverse, Chloe. So is our life. None of that was decided from the beginning. So it¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°My¡­ life?¡± ¡°Your life too. My dear daughter.¡± Chloe couldn¡¯t go out, but has learned all the hobbies that can be done indoors. Neither her father, who taught her to play billiards while discussing her unpredictable future, would have imagined that she would become the Duchess and have to deal with her ill-tempered husband. It was when she gave her last aim, as she smiled faintly as she recalled her father. ****