“Now, whatever should we do about this?”
“Unnie, look at all of it! There’s so much!”
…I know, right? Just what kind of clumsy idiot drops an entire basket?
I inwardly lamented the twins’ complete lack of attention to detail. It was certainly miraculous to find a basket of sweets so huge a child could barely lift it sitting right in the middle of a path, but the real issue was that this was a ducal castle crawling with grown men.
Even if I wanted to play along, I simply couldn’t. Hello, over there! Our Rose isn’t just any little kitten—she’s a just and clever kitten, you know.
“Unnie, we have to find who lost it, right?”
“Huh?”
Somewhere behind the trees, knights were surely choking back tears. Seeing my conflicted expression, Rose took the handle with both hands and heaved.
“Hup!” Watching her strain against a basket bigger than her whole body probably offered the knights some measure of comfort, but it wasn’t enough. To repay all that effort, I had to step in.
“Rose, it’s going to be very hard to find the owner. The castle is just too big.”
“…Really? But then…”
“All right. How about this? We hold onto it, and if the owner turns up, we give it back.”
“…Is that okay?”
“Of course. But in exchange, we get to eat ten percent. That’s just the law.”
A rough ten percent was still more than enough to keep Rose happily supplied for a month.
Overcome with joy at my permission, she fidgeted incessantly, her little feet tapping against the ground. Watching her mouth already watering, I swallowed a bittersweet laugh. How lovely it would be if I could laugh like that, but considering whom I had to face next, I couldn’t manage it. Gazing out toward the far end of the garden, I held back a sigh.
“Rose, Unnie has an appointment over there. Can you play here for a bit?”
“Huh? An appointment? Can’t Rose come too?”
“Well… you see…”
“Okay, Unnie. I won’t come. I’ll be good and stay right here.”
Quick on the uptake, Rose read my awkward hesitation and backed down on her own. When I moved the candy basket under the shade of a tree, she sat down neatly beside it.
“Unnie will be right back. Wait for me, okay?”
“Okay. But where are you going? Somewhere nice?”
Her innocent question as she rustled through the sweets brought a faint smile to my face. Leaving her alone made me anxious, but it was better than locking her up in a room. Besides, when it came to security, there was nowhere safer in the entire empire than this castle. It was guarded by knights who had conquered the continent, so she would be fine. Yes, surely she would be fine.
“Rose, you have to stay right there! Don’t wander off anywhere else, understand?”
Just in case, I shouted loud enough for the hidden knights to hear. Only after seeing Rose half-buried in the candy basket did I finally turn around, though my chest felt empty already. Clutching my skirts tightly, I stepped forward with grim resolve.
“You have arrived.”
Seeing Kiers in the garden, he exuded an easy composure that seemed entirely his own. Facing the rumored beast under the broad daylight felt ironic, yet strangely, my heart didn’t seize up the way it used to.
Dressed in formal black attire with his black mask in place, he set down his teacup the moment I took a seat.
“…Please, drink.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Keeping what happened last time in mind, I tried to stay as composed as possible and lifted the cup he indicated. The hot tea touched my lips, but with my nerves wound so tight, I couldn’t taste a thing. Instead, using the teacup to shield my face, I studied his mood across the table.
A mediation ceremony before marriage. That was the purpose of our private meeting today. If I had to compare it to something back in Korea, it was rather like the formal meeting between two families before a wedding. Usually, the elders gathered to greet one another and hash out dowries, wedding gifts, and various terms, but for someone being sold off to settle a debt, none of that held any real meaning.
“…I see you left Lady Rose behind.”
“Ah, yes.”
I glanced at him uncertainly, wondering why on earth he was suddenly asking after her. What business did he have with my sweet little sister? I instinctively shrank back, but there was another reason Rose couldn’t be here.
They called it marriage mediation, but it was really closer to divorce mediation. Since high noble marriages were political arrangements, one always had to prepare for the worst. For me, this was the golden opportunity to bring up alimony—and precisely the kind of scene I didn’t want my little sister to witness. It was hardly a pleasant affair. What kind of sister would drag her little sibling into a family court?
“…”
Biting my lip, I scanned him from head to toe. No matter how closely I looked, the man showed not a single opening. He casually crossed his legs and switched hands on his cup with relaxed grace, yet he looked fully capable of catching a flying sword barehanded at a moment’s notice.
…Was it because of the mask? Looking at the shape of his lips and jawline below his nose, I could almost believe the claim that he had once been an extraordinary beauty. I had mostly seen that utterly indifferent expression, but his lips were remarkably vivid for a man, harmonizing flawlessly with his sharp jawline. If only those lips could speak a few kind words instead.
“This is Philip, lawyer of the ducal house. Should you have any points you wish to adjust, he will record them separately.”
“Ah, yes. A pleasure.”
I had been staring blankly at his mouth when the sudden voice made my back twitch. How had I not even noticed another man was there? I belatedly offered a greeting to Philip, who stepped out from behind a pillar like a loyal shadow.
“…It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Elijah.”
Honestly speaking, if it came down purely to looks, this man Philip was far handsomer. Really, any man on earth would look better than a beast hidden behind a mask, so I had no idea why I had been staring at Kiers so intently.
I was never this kind of woman.
As an ordinary woman with an appreciation for handsome men, I felt momentarily flustered, but the sheer presence of the Grand Duke was beyond compare. I must have just been overwhelmed by his aura again. There was really no other explanation.
Focus, Rose’s unnie!
I had to handle this properly if I wanted to secure the funds to raise and educate Rose. I had spent three full days and nights riding in a carriage thinking of nothing else; I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
“Given how well-versed you are in the law, there is likely no need to labor over the basics, but since this is a marriage, Philip will briefly run through them.”
“I—I see.”
They say life is the real battlefield.
I had steeled myself, but having an actual lawyer involved made my palms clammy. Taking up the documents at Kiers’s order, Philip showed a flicker of curiosity before his calm voice filled the air.
“To avoid taking too much of your precious time, I shall address only the formal matters. As you are aware, regarding the marriage, the bride’s debt of one million gold will be deducted in full.”
“…”
Ugh, why start with that right off the bat?
I was preparing to ask for a plot of land, but hearing about debt forgiveness from the very first breath made my chest tighten. Besides, the sum was so staggering it barely felt real, stirring up a fresh wave of resentment toward my father.
How pathetic must I look to this man? Setting down my cup, I glanced at Kiers, but he looked as though he had heard nothing—well, his mask did, at least. I never imagined the day would come when I felt grateful he wore one.
“Furthermore, your primary residence will be this ducal castle, though you may relocate to the villas in Pelona and the capital, Hessen, during summer and winter.”
“…T-Two villas?”
Wow, two whole villas.
Just how rich was this man?
I had heard that a single detached palace used by high nobility was worth enough to buy an entire small village. For someone who had lived with five people crammed into a ramshackle cottage, the scale was completely beyond my comprehension. Seeing me looking thoroughly dazed, Philip smiled and shook his head lightly.
“There are two villas designated for summer and winter, and roughly ten more if one includes those in the conquered territories.”
“…Ah, yes. I see.”
If you don’t know, stay quiet. Even if you’re broke, stay quiet.
I took a slow sip of tea to wet my parched mouth. At this rate, asking any more questions would only make me look like a fool.
There was already a vast gulf between us—he was the male lead, and I was just an insignificant speck clinging to a minor character—but hearing about his wealth made me feel smaller than cosmic dust.
“Additionally, regarding the servants and household staff…”
The mountains are mountains, the waters are waters, and the North belongs to the Grand Duke.
That was roughly how Sir Philip’s words could be summed up.
What more could be said when every single thing existing in this land belonged to him? Even so, Kiers merely cast his gaze down in indifference, as though listening to someone else’s life.
Man, if I had that kind of money, I could look that aloof too. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’d excel at it.
“…Lady Elijah, what are your thoughts?”
“Ah, pardon? About… what?”
“Regarding the monthly allowance to be granted to the duchess.”
Wait. When did the conversation get there?
I straightened my back instantly. The droning words had barely been registering, so I hadn’t realized we had moved on to such a vital topic.
“An allowance?”
“I mentioned that two million gold will be provided each month. Of course, this amount is negotiable, so you may discuss it with His Grace—”
“…H-How much?”
Wait, hold on a second!
I clasped my hands tightly beneath the table and shut my eyes. Please, give me a moment. I feel faint. I knew I would receive funds to manage the household, but I never dreamed it would be such an astronomical sum.
“Phew…”
Just let me savor this sensation for a second.
It was shameless, but for a brief, fleeting moment, I actually considered playing dumb and settling down here for good.
Still, as always, an extra had to remember the virtue of knowing when to make an exit. If I grew too greedy, I might end up kicked out with nothing to show for it but tears and a sausage stuck to my nose instead of a piece of land.
“Yes. Please continue.”
“…Then I shall take it that you agree. As for the bride price, it will be prepared shortly by His Grace. Regarding the dowry and bridal gifts from your family…”
“Philip.”
For the first time, Kiers’s cold, stern voice cut him off. Realizing the order to stop as soon as the bride’s gifts were mentioned, Philip bowed deeply.
Honestly, there really was no need to go that far.
