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.)