Chapter 8

Lucretia looked straight into the depths of the hood, gazing at Lamirio.

Deliberately meeting his gaze as he tried to avoid her eyes, Lucretia asked, "Why did the conversation about convalescence go wrong? That was not the intention of our family, the Ceravalle Dukes. Please explain."

"Well, about that..."

Lamirio nervously pulled down his hood, trying to maintain a gentle tone.

"Things were quite sudden, you know. You had just had your engagement broken off, and I thought you might be a bit flustered. I thought it would be better for you to take some time to rest and then think about it."

"I am not flustered at all."

"But there's no need for you to marry someone like me. After a bit of a break, you could return to the capital and make a comeback."

Lucretia listened in silence, surprised by the unexpected turn of events.

"I've been broken off six times already. If you, the seventh, say, 'There was nothing between me and the Ugly Duke,' it would probably be accepted without question. Not to boast, but I am innocent..."

"What are you doing!"

Suddenly, a slap came from the side, hitting Lamirio's head. The man who hit him whispered, "That's vulgar, Your Excellency." Lucretia, who clearly heard this, felt a bit awkward.

Lamirio cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, no matter how long you stay in this territory, it won't tarnish your record. Rest assured and take your time. I... well, I'm a bit tired. I want to pretend you're my fiancée for a while and rest..."

As he spoke, Lamirio seemed to be inadvertently hurt by his own words, and his voice wavered as if he might cry.

—He's quite sensitive.

Lucretia began to like Lamirio for some reason.

"I won't go back."

Lucretia said clearly. She wanted to meet Lamirio's eyes, but the hood and black glasses prevented it. She wanted to see his true face soon.

"I came to this land as your wife. I feel you are a wonderful person."

As she spoke, Lucretia realized she was wearing a veil that hid half of her face.

Thinking that such a thing would not convey her sincerity, she pulled it off to reveal her true face.

"If you don't like me, I will go back. But if you have no complaints about me, please proceed with the engagement."

—Show me your true face too.

Lucretia leaned forward with this thought, staring intently at Lamirio, but he never took off his hood.

"...I understand. Let's discuss this again. For today, I have other plans, so that's it. I'll assign one of my butlers to take care of you. Relax in your room and let us know if you need anything."

Lamirio said brusquely and left with his aide.

That was the end of Lucretia's first meeting with Lamirio.

***

Lamirio quickly returned to his study with his aide, Bosco.

He closed the heavy walnut door to prevent eavesdropping, checked the surroundings, and then whispered to his aide.

"...Is this a marriage scam?"

His aide, seeing his master in a near-panic state, blinked and asked, "Why do you think so?"

Lamirio raised his voice emotionally.

"Because it's too convenient! Did you see her true face!? She wasn't just a fairy, she was a goddess!"

"She was a beautiful young lady."

"I was shocked! Who would imagine that the real person would be more beautiful than the portrait!?"

She was a pale girl with silver hair and moon-like pale golden eyes. Her skin was as white as snow. Her unreadable gaze made her seem like an innocent doll.

She wore plain, unremarkable clothes to hide her striking appearance and a veil over her face.

Her beautiful silver hair, neatly tied and covered by the veil, looked like an old woman's white hair. That's probably why Lucretia was given the dishonorable nickname 'White-Haired Lady'.

"Hmm. It's a relief that she meets your standards, Lord Lamirio."

"That's not good, there's a big problem!"

Lamirio was thoroughly excited.

He was prepared to accept any girl, but this was unexpected. He had no plan for dealing with a beautiful girl.

"A flawless beauty is forcing me to marry her, saying I'm a wonderful person! Me, the Ugly Duke! I've never seen such a convenient fairy tale, even in a cheap play!"

His aide looked up to the sky with a polite but insincere gesture.

"You've become so distrustful of people... how pitiful."

"Stop that fake sympathy. Anyway, something is wrong with her. She's definitely hiding something. The world doesn't work in my favor like that! I won't be fooled!"

His eyes, hidden behind tinted glasses, had a dark, twisted look, typical of someone who has been repeatedly oppressed by the world.

The six times he was jilted, which were the subject of jokes, had deeply hurt him each time. Being laughed at by society had caused him even more damage, and his self-esteem was in tatters.

"What's going on? Is the Ceravalle family that desperate for money? Did they order her to make a match with me? There's no way a beauty like her would consider me, right, Bosco!"

Bosco, the aide, made a hand sign as if in prayer.

"It's a terminal condition. My condolences."

"Shut up! Just wait and see. I'll definitely expose her true identity..."

Lamirio muttered.

"Dig deeper into the Ceravalle family. Check if they are in financial trouble! And investigate her background! She might be a spendthrift!"

Bosco said, "Understood," and left, and Lamirio sighed.

"What is she thinking? That I'm wonderful? Does she think I'll be fooled by such transparent flattery...!"

He had been deeply hurt, and his face under the hood was red up to his ears, but he was unaware of it.

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