Previously
Euclid and his assistant Delano discuss the suspicious haste and generosity of the Basilian family regarding the marriage. On the day of their meeting, Evgenia panics after waking up with a large blemish on her face caused by an over-enthusiastic skincare routine.
My heart was beating so fast I thought I might die, and my breath caught instinctively in my throat the moment the carriage came to a stop in front of me.
( ‘Finally…’ )
I widened my eyes, determined not to miss a single detail of my favorite character.
Disappointingly, the first person to step down from the carriage was a young man with green hair and an indistinct presence, clearly not the one I had been waiting for. He appeared to be Euclid’s assistant.
I couldn’t help but scowl in disappointment, which startled the man.
( ‘Oh no, get a grip on your expression!’ )
I hastily smoothed my features and tried to look gentler than usual. Right at that moment, someone lightly stepped onto the footboard at the front of the carriage.
Even from that simple motion, such an aura of elegance radiated outward that it made me gasp.
At last, Euclid appeared.
“…!”
Time—no, the entire world—ground to a halt that very instant.
I knew right away.
I had come all this way just to meet him.
( ‘Even if the world were turned upside down, even if time itself fell into chaos, I could never let go of him…’ )
That was why I had longed to come to this world, and in the end, here I was.
My mind was filled with irrational thoughts I couldn't even comprehend or explain with logic.
At the same time, an almost unbearable ache bloomed in my chest.
It was such a potent emotion that it felt like reuniting with a first love I had never actually had—a bittersweet longing.
I bit my lip to keep from crying for no reason. I couldn’t risk making a terrible first impression on Euclid.
Even so, I couldn't quite fathom why seeing him made me feel so sorrowful.
( ‘Ah, maybe this is regret.’ )
Regret that I hadn't met him sooner.
Until now, I had never truly understood the saying that people cry when they are overwhelmingly happy. Only today did I realize that was simply because I had never felt a joy so profound it brought tears to my eyes.
That was just how breathtaking it was to see my favorite character in the flesh.
‘He's perfect.’ My exact type.
Though I had pictured Euclid countless times before, none of my imaginations had come close to reality.
His golden hair shone with noble radiance, as if spun from pure gold. His golden eyes, like sunlight captured in an iris, paired with a high, refined nose and an elegant smile to complete the picture.
He was strikingly handsome—so much so that I doubted he could be the very same minor character whose description had been limited to an “elegant appearance” and “composed demeanor.”
( ‘How can someone this insanely gorgeous be just a supporting character?’ )
Even the male leads like Richard and the Crown Prince, whose striking looks were undeniable at first glance, paled in comparison to him. Euclid looked like a sculpture chiseled by divine hands.
When Euclid finished greeting the Duke, his gaze shifted toward me.
My mouth went dry, and my heart pounded like a drum right beside my ear.
Barely managing to keep my eyes open, I heard a smooth, melodious voice drift toward me.
Ah, how could a voice be so enchanting?
His tone tickled my ears as though someone were whispering on a gentle breeze. Instinctively, I closed my eyes before slowly opening them again.
His radiant golden eyes were gazing straight into mine.
For a while… or perhaps just a fleeting second, it felt as though time were flowing differently. We stared intently at one another.
The Duke, standing beside Euclid, cleared his throat, prompting me to respond.
Startled, I hastily curtsied.
When I lifted my head slightly, it was the Duke, not Euclid, who stepped forward with an emotional expression, staring at me.
‘What are you doing? I’m busy admiring my favorite character.’
I cast a slightly annoyed glance at the Duke, who flinched and stepped aside.
Euclid said softly, extending his hand, “It is an honor to meet you.”
Even though I had already encountered two of the story’s main leads, I had never experienced such refined manners. Hesitating, I offered my hand.
Euclid took it gently and bent low, brushing his lips across the back of my hand as lightly as a passing feather.
Startled by the unexpected gesture, I quickly curled my fingers, but Euclid had already let go.
The corners of my mouth, which had been about to curl upward, drooped instead.
( ‘He could have pressed down a little firmer.’ )
Or at least held my hand a little longer.
Once, merely catching a glimpse of my favorite character’s face was all I had wished for, but people are fickle, and greed truly knows no bounds.
Still, I could bear it.
I had only just met Euclid, and endless days with him lay ahead.
Surely there would be plenty of opportunities to hold hands, to live as husband and wife, to share a bed… Kyaa!
( ‘What are you thinking in broad daylight?!’ )
I was shaking my head and laughing at my own ridiculousness when I suddenly noticed the silence hanging over the room. Startled, I straightened my posture at once.
The Duke, who had been watching me with a baffled expression, cleared his throat and addressed Euclid.
As I stood there blankly watching their exchange, I snapped back to reality when Euclid mentioned going to change his clothes.
( ‘I need to check my face!’ )
Judging by Euclid’s reaction, everyone had made a mountain out of a molehill, but I still needed to see myself in a mirror.
The moment Delano entered the guest room to change clothes and catch his breath before dinner, he shut the door and let out a deep sigh, releasing all his built-up tension.
Before the lingering awe could fade, he began to speak excitedly.
Rodion was one of the empire's two ducal houses, and it had once been just as wealthy as the Basilian family. Delano had wondered how vast the difference between their estates could really be.
Yet the Basilian estate far exceeded anything he had imagined.
It was not ostentatiously gaudy; rather, the sheer elegance and splendor of the mansion’s architecture, from the tiniest detail to the grandest feature, was a feast for the eyes.
Delano shook his head in amazement. Strangely, though, there was no response.
When he looked over, Euclid appeared somewhat dazed.
Normally, Delano would have found this bizarre, but right now, he completely understood.
And it wasn’t merely because the Basilian estate was so lavish.
There was something far more shocking.
Delano blinked in shock, wondering if his ears had deceived him.
Yet Euclid, seemingly oblivious to Delano’s incredulous look, continued in a reflective tone, as though savoring the memory.
“Never in my life have I seen such beauty.”
He hadn't misheard?!
Delano’s jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.
If he hadn’t witnessed Euclid introduce himself to the lady with his own eyes, he would have assumed Euclid had mistaken the Duke’s niece standing beside her for the lady herself.
‘Could my lord’s taste run toward such terrifying women?’
No, that was impossible!
Delano hastily shook his head. He had no wish to doubt his master’s aesthetic standards.
To be blunt, her pale face had been eerie enough to send shivers down his spine, but he managed to phrase it as tactfully as he could.
At those words, Euclid’s expression stiffened.
He opened his mouth to reply, but the words seemed to fail him. Seeing this, Delano’s eyes widened.
( ‘Ah, the Duke must just be intentionally paying lip service to his future wife!’ )