Chapter 15

Translator: Nabi

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Chapter 15

“Lady, please turn your head slightly to the left. Yes, that is perfect.”

To be honest, what the maid exclaimed over and over was none of my business.

I really hope this all ends soon.

“What kind of earrings would you like? What do you think about this? Or, this? The sapphire will go well with your blue eyes…”

“Do whatever you want.”

I continued bluntly. “It is better for you guys to do it all yourself. Don’t you guys know a lot better than I do?”

​​“Still, your taste is important.”

Another maid tried hard to appease me, but obviously, it was not enough. I wiggled my fingers and toes hard. Right now, those were the only two things I could freely move.

“Anything is fine, so just release me quickly…”

“Please just wait another ten minutes.”

“Lies.”

As expected, the three maids only let me go after an hour.

“….!”

My appearance seemed to be a success in its own way, predicting from the maids’ facial expressions.

“Lady, look over here!”

A maid pointed a mirror at me.

“That is enough.”

I cut the conversation short.

“I heard Lord Cassius was waiting for me. Lead me to the drawing room.”

When I finally opened the drawing room door, Cassius Brudenell, leaning against the furniture in a languid and alluring posture, caught my eyes.

His eyes widened as he opened his mouth.

“…Evelyn?”

I did not answer.

Because I am in a position where my parents semi-forced me, so at least, I wanted him to know that I never liked this.

However, the next moment, I could not keep my silence.

“You are so beautiful.”

Hearing that, I stared intently at Cassius in amazement.

“What… I beg your pardon?”

Evelyn Garneid was, by no means, ugly.

In fact, she even appeared to be a shrewd beauty.

Although knowing that Cassius’ obsession was Ophelia, his words only sounded like teasing. Besides, Cassius did not answer my question.

Instead, he strode towards me.

“Wh—what are you doing?”

My voice rose by itself as I slowly took a step back.

Whatever was in his head, I refused to get close to the physical distance. All the more so considering what happened at our first meeting.

“Evelyn.”

Cassius called me again in a soft voice.

“I just wanted to pay tribute to your beauty.”

“What…”

No matter how much I stepped backward, there was not much room to escape from the closed room. Before I knew it, Cassius came close enough that I could hear the sound of his breathing.

And, he…

“….!”

He grabbed my right hand and lightly kissed the back of my hand.

At that, goosebumps swelled up.

I quickly removed my hand and stared at him.

“Now, what are you doing?”

I became more confident than I was at Duke Brudenell’s villa.

No matter how much he was the heir to the Duke, this place was Count Garneid’s. That meant that Cassius Brudenell would not go wild on an official visit with eyes everywhere.

In any case, isn’t he in the position of visiting Evelyn’s parents and coming to congratulate her on the engagement?

…Well, it seemed to simply be my wishful thinking.

“I cannot even kiss the back of your hand. My fiancée is so cold and heartless like ice.”

Cassius paused for a moment, then spoke in a soft tone.​​“…But, that is good, too. You have to take a risk to pick the flowers that bloom on the ice wall.”

I was so surprised that I widened my eyes again.

Now, I see that things are moving much faster than I thought… And, that was what Cassius Brudenell had intended!

Instead of asking stupidly what ‘my fiancée’ meant, I checked to see if my judgment was correct.

“My parents have already… I guess Lord Cassius must have given the permission.”

“That is right.”

He nodded his head.

‘Damn it.’

I uttered a curse word inside.

Until now, my parents had never tried to force my marriage against my will. It was because I was able to break up my marriage within three days of being engaged to men of low status, half-faced, and docile in nature.

But, betrothed to the heir of the Duke of Brudenell?

The story changes.

I’m going to end up being Mrs. Brudenell…

* * *

‘Beautiful…’

Cassius thought as he gazed at Evelyn’s quivering lips.

Evelyn Garneid doesn’t know how beautiful she was.

‘Of course, she would not know.’

Because her world strangely revolved around an illegitimate child named Ophelia.

Though he fully understood the feeling. Because his world also revolved around the single purpose of acquiring Evelyn.

Obviously, Evelyn Garneid did not want to marry him.

But, it did not matter.

He knew all of her taste.

As long as she becomes Duchess of Brudenell…

Everything Evelyn has longed for will be in her hands.

Cassius was genuinely pleased when he received reports that all Evelyn Garneid wanted was an extravagant and lavish life. It was because nothing was easier for him than wealth and power.

‘Though they said that she had gotten a little weird lately.’

It started last half year.

Evelyn Garneid no longer bought expensive items like before. However, her extravagant habit was still evident enough that she spent a lot of money to get rid of the pond in the garden, simply because she did not want to see it.

Originally, Cassius Brudenell had no intention of taking over the family quickly, because he was far more free to act as the Duke’s heir.

Regardless, to get what you want, you have to pay a price—

Like the Countess of Garneid.

It was a fact that Evelyn had no idea about, but the Countess of Garneid and her husband were quite hesitant about the marriage proposal.

‘I know I am asking you more than we deserve, but Evelyn is much weaker than she seems, and I am worried she will be surprised if this is happening so suddenly.’

Cassius recalled their first reply.

The Countess of Garneid knew Evelyn’s personality better than anyone, and she seemed worried that things might go wrong if she got engaged immediately like this.

Though fortunately for him, it was not too difficult to persuade them.

After promising two mines as a huge engagement gift in the name of ‘Cassius,’ not the Lord, the Countess of Garneid began to fret about having an engagement ceremony right now.

Gazing at the documents, which showed signs of hastily signing, Cassius raised a corner of his lips.

In such a hurry, the Countess did not even bring up the idea of meeting in person, and immediately sent a letter of consent along with various engagement documents.

The day will come when Evelyn Garneid will be completely in his hands.

* * *

“…Lord.”

I took a deep breath.

It was not easy, but I had to convince Cassius to break the engagement somehow.

“I don’t want to marry you.”

The corners of Cassius Brudenell’s eyes curled softly.

“I know.”

“….”

The answer was so brazen that I had nothing to say. Eventually, I managed to open my mouth as I rubbed my forehead, which was starting to throb.

“Your habits are worse than what you let on. Is it the family tradition of Duke Brudenell to marry a woman against her will?”

In fact, the love story of the current Duke and Duchess of Brudenell was desperate.

The Duke’s, who had fallen in love with her at first sight, marriage proposal the Duchess, who was originally from a poor baron family, also appeared in several novels.

“Evelyn, sooner or later, you will want to marry me.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Cassius grabbed my right hand.

I reflexively tried to pull his hand away, though I was unable to move as I was caught in his tight grip.

“Evelyn.”

He then called my name in a sweet voice.

“Tell me everything about you. What you want and what you don’t want…”

I glared at him with my eyes tightened. What the hell is he talking about all of a sudden?

“I will become your perfect ideal type.”

…Oh, my God.

At that, I was dumbfounded and just stared at him blankly.

A strange longing flashed in Cassius’s eyes.

I was certain… That longing was definitely for Ophelia, not me.

To him, I am just a bridge to her. My ideal type or such things, it was just the nonsensical babbling is probably in order to get Ophelia into his hands.

Because that was Cassius Brudenell’s mindset— If you want to achieve what you want, you have to get it by any means and methods!

“Lord Cassius.”

I cleared my throat.

No matter what his true intentions were, he said that he would become my ideal type. I do not know how faithful he would be to those words, but I can’t do anything without trying.

“A man who asks my intentions before asking my parents.”

“I will do that in the future.”

As much as he nodded with a serious expression, he seemed to agree with what I was saying.

But, I wasn’t fooled.

Because each of Cassius’s words hid the blades behind them.

“And, I like men who keep their promises.”

“Didn’t I do as I promised…?”

Hearing my words, he pretended to be naive and tilted his head.

‘….’

I was speechless for a moment at the blood-cooled brazenness.

“You promised not to approach my family.”

“Oh, you mean that.”

Cassius narrowed his golden eyes and smiled.

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