Chapter 6

"I'm sorry for being late, but please forgive me. I had a lot of paperwork that needed to be processed today."

Amelia was taken aback by the handsome man with a pleasant, deep voice—Logan.

His straight nose and lips, which seemed to be set in a displeased frown.

Standing a head taller than Amelia, who was shorter than the average woman.

At first glance, he appeared slender, but his posture and the way his clothes bulged in certain areas revealed a well-toned physique.

His silver hair, cut to a longer length, shimmered like a gem, and it looked soft to the touch.

And what caught the eye the most were his blue eyes, which gazed down at Amelia. They exuded a sharpness that felt like a keen blade, making one’s spine freeze just by meeting his gaze.

This was one of the reasons he was called the Tyrant Duke.

Amelia was rooted to the spot.

But it wasn’t because of his eyes.

For Amelia, who had lived a long time as a recluse, encountering a man as handsome as him was too much of a stimulus.

"…What are you spacing out for?"

"A, ah, I’m sorry…."

Amelia hurriedly knelt before Logan, who raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"My name is Amelia Haggle."

She announced this and performed a ladylike bow, a manner her mother had taught her, saying, "It will definitely come in handy someday."

Logan furrowed his brow even more at Amelia’s gesture and said,

"Let’s skip the formalities and get straight to the point about this engagement."

"A, yes…."

Encouraged by Logan, who took a seat, Amelia also sat back down on the sofa. It had been a while since she had sat on something so soft.

"Would you like tea or coffee?"

"A, um… whichever is less trouble, please."

"I’m asking for your preference."

"In that case… I’ll have tea, please."

Logan rang a bell silently and instructed the servant to bring tea and coffee. After the servant left, Logan turned to Amelia and said,

"To cut to the chase, there is no love in this engagement. I don’t expect anything from you, and you shouldn’t expect anything from me."

Amelia’s eyes widened at this unexpected opening statement.

"Let me start with the background. Originally, I didn’t need to get married. I’m better suited to dedicating myself to my work and the country rather than getting married. But as a duke, I have to consider appearances. The pressure from my advisors to get married has also increased. So, I had to get married, at least formally…."

Logan sighed, as if his soul had been drained.

"The young ladies who approach me at social gatherings are all troublesome. I can tell from my work that they are after my title and wealth, not me. If I married one of those parasites, it would definitely be a hassle in the long run."

Logan’s tone became increasingly unbecoming of a nobleman, as if he had experienced something particularly unpleasant.

Amelia felt a sense of empathy for him.

Her father, stepmother, and Erin were exactly that kind of people….

"So…."

Logan looked at Amelia intently and said in a serious tone,

"I decided to marry a young lady who, like me, has no interest in marriage."

He added, "That’s you."

"Thank you for explaining, Lord Logan. I understand your intentions."

Amelia was half understanding and half filled with new questions.

She understood why Logan had chosen her for the engagement.

It made sense that a competent-looking man like Logan would prefer work over marriage.

If he had to get married, it would be reasonable to choose someone who wouldn’t interfere with his life after the marriage.

Thus, choosing Amelia, who had no interest in marriage (or rather, thought it was out of her reach), seemed very logical.

She understood that much.

But….

"Originally, we…."

Have we met before…?

Just as she was about to ask, there was a knock on the door.

"Excuse me."

The servant entered with a tray of drinks, placed tea in front of Amelia and coffee in front of Logan, bowed, and left.

"Please drink while it’s hot."

"A, yes, thank you."

Encouraged, Amelia picked up her tea.

She glanced at Logan, who was sipping his coffee, and then took a sip of her tea.

"Ouch!"

She had sipped without checking the temperature and accidentally spilled the hot tea.

"I’m so sorry!"

She hurriedly tried to get a handkerchief.

Logan, seeing this, said, "What are you doing?" and stood up with a handkerchief in hand.

"That’s not right, Lord Logan. Your handkerchief will get dirty."

"It’s the handkerchief’s job to clean up messes. I know this is sudden and you’re nervous, but we are to be married. There’s no need for such formality."

Before Amelia could protest, Logan knelt beside her and wiped up the tea.

The word "married" made her cheeks feel suddenly hot.

To avoid Logan, who was looking at her seriously from close range, Amelia took a deep breath to calm herself.

A faint, sweet citrus scent wafted over, making her heart beat even faster.

(What am I doing…?)

She was completely inexperienced with men.

"Alright, that should do it."

"Thank you very much…."

She bowed her head timidly, and Logan’s eyes flickered slightly as he said,

"…You’re quite different from what I heard."

(That could be my line too…)

She didn’t say it out loud, but she truly felt that way.

—The Tyrant Duke.

He was rumored to be stern and merciless.

Indeed, his words were blunt, but he was fundamentally a gentleman, and a hidden kindness seeped through.

That was the impression Amelia had of him.