Chapter 3

3

'Theodore Valentine...'

I was genuinely curious about him. I had never seen him in person because I couldn't even attend the debutante ball held in the capital. What kind of person was he, whom I had only heard about through rumors? Was he as splendid and charming as people said? If so, he would be even less suitable for me.

"Crazy bitch. Why are you dressed up like that? Do you think your half-decent face will work on that stone-hearted bastard?"

As I descended the stairs, Hessen, sitting on the banister, started his usual troublemaking. I glanced at him and checked my appearance.

The elaborate, rose-colored dress was brought by the maids this morning at my father's command. I dislike such overly decorated and low-cut dresses, but I couldn't defy my father's wishes.

Indeed, as Hessen said, my father seemed to expect that my half-decent face would charm Theodore Valentine. Was he suggesting I use my beauty to seduce him? I thought the chances of success were extremely low.

I smiled at the sneering Hessen. Since he had been picking on me since morning, I wanted to get back at him and tease him a bit.

"You think I'm half-decent too, don't you? How about it? Do you think I'll charm him?"

Hessen flinched. For a few seconds, he said nothing, then suddenly his face contorted in anger.

"Are you really crazy! Get back to your room. Where are you being so cheap...?"

"Father told me to go to the garden."

I ignored Hessen and walked past him. Hessen followed, huffing and puffing, and grabbed my arm painfully.

"Ouch..."

Hessen roughly turned me around and grabbed my shoulder with his other hand, almost crushing it. But then he suddenly let go, as if he had touched something he shouldn't.

The dress design exposed my shoulders, so Hessen's hand had touched my bare skin.

Hessen cursed and flexed the hand that had touched my shoulder, muttering.

"Shit, what are you going to do dressed like that? Meet that kid? Has Father already lost his mind...?"

"If you don't like me meeting him dressed like this, try convincing Father."

Hessen's face twisted at my words. His icy blue eyes glared at me, and I could easily read the deep sense of defeat and powerlessness in them. I mocked him a little, shook off his arm, and turned away.

Hessen didn't stop me as I headed back downstairs. The only sounds from behind were his angry curses and the sound of him kicking the banister.

Hessen was all talk but a coward who couldn't even properly defy Father.

I lingered in the garden near the main house's entrance for over an hour, as Father had ordered.

The sky was clear and the sunlight strong, but the air at the end of autumn was quite chilly.

I hugged myself, feeling the cold air drain my body heat, and regretted not bringing a shawl.

I wanted to ask a maid to bring a shawl, but there was no one around, as Father wanted me to meet Theodore Valentine alone.

It was ridiculous. He thought this person would be charmed by my face, which he had never seen before.

Of course, Father probably didn't have high hopes. He just put me on display in the garden like a sample of a product, hoping the customer might be slightly interested.

Rustle, rustle—

I crushed some fallen leaves with the tips of my shoes.

"...Are you going straight there? I think it would be better to rest a bit..."

A worried voice reached me then.

I paused, lifted my feet from the leaves, and raised my head. As I straightened my posture, a man and a woman came into view.

The woman with short red hair was in uniform and had a sword at her waist, clearly a knight. The man beside her...

"..."

I took a deep breath. It was a face I wouldn't forget even if I saw it once. The man was more beautiful than anyone I had ever seen.

His jet-black hair had a bluish tinge, and his eyes were as blue as lapis lazuli. His forehead and jawline were smooth and sharp, and the shape of his tightly closed lips was perfectly sculpted.

The man had a slightly irritable expression, which only made him more attractive. The red-haired knight called him "my lord." I immediately recognized who he was.

'Theodore Valentine.'

The Duke of Valentine, the man I was engaged to.

He looked very tired.

"I'm done resting. I'm going to Norpad Base. Carmen, come with me."

"Yes, my lord..."

As the knight answered with a sigh and bowed, Theodore Valentine's gaze fell on me. It was like an arrow shot in a specific direction, impossible to avoid.

The arrow seemed to pierce some part of my body. Our eyes met, our gazes intertwined, and my heart plummeted, sending a chill down my spine.

Suddenly, all the noise in the world stopped, and the colors faded. I held my breath involuntarily. The only thing I could see clearly was his blue eyes widening slightly.

His gaze was fixed on me as if glued. I couldn't look away from him. My heart, which had been silent and unexpecting, began to beat. The rhythm shook me.

The dazed Theodore Valentine blinked, and I exhaled deeply.

As I tried to calm my still racing heart, Theodore Valentine approached me. His steps were neither too fast nor too slow.

When he finally stood in front of me and glanced at my cold appearance, a strange sense of shame washed over me.

Before meeting him, I hadn't cared about my appearance. My heart suddenly changed. I wanted to avoid his gaze, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

My eyelids fluttered several times, trembling. I couldn't move, as if someone had tied me down. I looked up at him, who towered over me like a giant mountain.

He asked abruptly.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Excuse me?"

I couldn't think of a proper response and echoed his question stupidly.

I thought he would ask for my name, but Theodore Valentine just sighed and took off his coat, draping it over my shoulders.

His gaze moved from my head to my eyes. His initially complex expression turned indifferent, and his blue eyes were unreadable. He murmured in a flat tone.

"Silver hair, peridot-colored eyes."

"..."

"Lily Everett."

I didn't deny it. At that moment, a strange sense of foreboding made me blink. My heart was still beating, but an unpleasant note mixed in with the rhythm.

A cold wind blew, carrying the chill of autumn. His previously indifferent eyes turned cold, and a hint of hatred was visible. I couldn't say anything.

Theodore Valentine took a step back and said.

"That's not a good outfit for a walk."

"!"

His words sounded a bit mocking. Perhaps it was intentional. I felt my face flush and bowed my head. The coat I clutched reflexively was his.

"Let's go, Carmen."

"Yes..."

The red-haired knight glanced at me. I couldn't properly look at them and just stood there. I should have properly seen them off, but I couldn't do anything.

The horse carrying them galloped out of the Everett estate's garden. I just stared blankly at their retreating figures as they passed through the iron gate.

I learned what Theodore Valentine and my father had discussed that day well after 8 PM.

It was Hessen who brought the news. He barged into my room with a perfunctory knock, sat on the edge of the sofa, and sneered.

"Congratulations, Lily Everett. You'll soon be marrying the Duke of Valentine."

"..."

"That man will probably want to strangle your neck on the first night."

Hessen relished my misfortune. I felt a chill run through me as I clutched the hem of my dress.

As expected, my father had pressured Theodore Valentine into marrying me. In exchange for helping the Valentine family's estate, which was suffering from the appearance of cracks, he was essentially forcing them to bow and submit to Everett.

My father wanted to interfere in the Valentine family's internal affairs, and my marriage to Theodore Valentine was the stepping stone to achieve that.

If the two families were related, it would provide a legitimate reason for external involvement and allow for the sharing of assets, which would be a profitable deal for my father.

If it didn't work out, he could just discard me.

I was a tool raised for that purpose.

'Theodore Valentine probably has no other choice.'

The Delacroix, Albinis, and the royal family Lanciers, who had the power to help his estate, were already under my father's control.

Theodore Valentine must know this. He must know that the Everett family had done all the groundwork to subordinate him and his family.

Perhaps even the frequent appearance of cracks in the north...

No, that might be too far-fetched.

'But Father might do it. If there's a way, he would.'

"Father probably thought it was better to temporarily marry you and get Everett's help rather than let the north be devastated by the cracks."

Hessen sneered. I pushed aside the suspicion that had risen in my heart and looked at him.

"Theodore Valentine, that bastard, suddenly seems pitiful. He has to marry someone like you for the sake of his estate."

"..."

"But will that bastard just follow Father's orders? Once the situation stabilizes and he regains his power, he'll probably get rid of you first. You might die one day without anyone knowing."

After all, assassinating me without evidence would be easier than going through the complicated divorce process. My heart beat uneasily. I placed my hand on my chest. Why was I feeling this way? I shouldn't.

'Are you cold?'

Why did the face of the man who asked that question come to mind?

"Maybe you should beg me?"

"..."

Hessen, who had moved closer, grabbed my collar. Despite his still sarcastic smile, he looked like he was about to collapse.

I feigned a puzzled expression and blinked. Hessen tightened his grip on my collar and leaned in close, growling fiercely.

"Shit, don't act so innocent! Beg me! Beg me not to marry! Beg me to save you from a dog's death!"

I hid the sneer that threatened to escape and tilted my head in a dazed manner. Just as I was about to answer, the door opened with a bang.