﹡ ⊹ ⊰ Chapter 1 ⊱ ⊹ ﹡
Zachary Ivan Saunière.
All the members of the Imperial Family used the First Emperor's name as their middle name. However, the man in front of her took off the name of the First Emperor himself and was completely fine with it.
Now called Zachary Saunière, he looked at the woman in front of him with interest, and slowly took his chance to ask her.
"Now that you've come to the Grand Duke's manor as you wish, it's time for you to tell me why you've been tormenting me all day."
Adele's heart pounded at the low-pitched voice. She couldn't believe she had to negotiate or rather threaten this man from now on.
Countless words lingered in her mouth and disappeared, and even the easy task of lifting a teacup felt impossible.
But Adele did not hesitate to say the next words.
“Please marry me.”
Enoch, an aide who stood by Zach's side, stumbled, but his face didn't change much.
“So now the second daughter of that great Millium family is proposing to me?”
The black-haired handsome man had an expression so cold that it was hard to believe that he was the same person she saw smiling before now.
When Adele nodded, he put down the teacup he was holding, leaned back, and crossed his long legs. There was a strange sense of intimidation in that action that was as natural as flowing water.
“Are you not aware of the laws of the Empire?”
“Of course, I do.”
In the Hesenian Empire, a divorced woman could not become the Madam of another noble House. And the Grand Duke had no wife. It was, of course, out of common sense to have a concubine first when there is no main wife.
“It's quite absurd that there's a law making another man's wife into my wife.”
“I know, right. It's inevitable because it's the law.”
“That doesn't concern me…”
“You can welcome me first as your concubine if you want. You shouldn't be able to wait that long. As long as you promise me.”
“Madam, I have no intention of marrying a concubine or even a wife. I'm pretty innocent."
At the unsuitable words, Enoch coughed.
“All I need is the name of Your Grace, Grand Duke Saunière.”
“I couldn’t give my last name to just anyone......”
“But I'm a Millium.”
“Of course, you are. That's why you're allowed to come here of all people.”
A Millium turning up at the house of the abandoned member of the Imperial Family...
“You're going to promise me this Empire then?”
“Not to that extent. It is true that I have nothing to offer Your Grace right now. When we get married, I will go to the Grand Duke's fief. In that way, the Grand Duke will be able to stay in the capital.”
The Grand Duke was silent and only looked at Adele for a moment. His red eyes took on a deeper color, as if he was trying to gauge her thoughts.
"By the way…… Why me?”
“You know, the way I can get a divorce in the Empire…… is through an engagement from the Imperial Family.”
“It would be more convincing if the reason you proposed to me was for the sake of the future of the Empire.”
The young Grand Duke smiled as he looked at the speechless Adele. It was beautiful as if it had been painstakingly crafted by God, but his smile was as relentless as ice.
Adele read the meaning of rejection on his face. Her heart rushed, and she had to make another move.
“If I'll get you a million gold coins, you can build a Kingdom.”
“I know what you mean, but… I have no interest in a Kingdom where a woman's life is collateral.”
Adele lost confidence little by little as the reasons for his refusal gradually piled up.
“Besides, I have nothing to protect my woman against danger. I do have enough to build my Kingdom with my own hands. If it has to be built, that is.”
“You, your woman?”
“Of course, if we get married, won’t you become my woman?”
“But I said that I would go to the fief alone. I have no intention of becoming someone in Grand Duke’s life.”
“What are you going to do in that barren land? What does that benefit me?”
What he said was absolutely right. It was clear that she would be kicked out of this mansion without any significant result if she continued like this.
“I have many years of experience in managing a fief. I heard that the Grand Duke's territory is like an abandoned land.”
“If I get married, I will be planning to go to my territory and settle down there. Of course, I have no intention of divorcing my wife. Besides,...”
The man stopped talking and looked at Adele with a slow gaze.
“I don’t really need a wife right now.”
It was his clear manifestation of refusal.
Adele eventually realized that negotiations had collapsed at this point.
He was clearly the current socialite's favorite butterfly, and she was told he was also a man who hoped to stand at the center of the social world. So she thought it would be good for him if he had someone to take care of the abandoned estate while he was in the capital. So, therefore, wasn't this what he wanted?
Adele, driven to the edge of the cliff, stood up straight in front of the strangely provoking gaze.
From the beginning, this man felt like he was grabbing something inside her. He has the most handsome smile in the world, but his posture has always been sloppy.
He behaves without any deviation from etiquette, but his gaze is always downtrodden.
But the oddity didn't frighten Adele like Ethan did.
For some reason, she felt like she was being urged to keep going.
Adele lifted her head up and tilted her head slightly in imitation of him.
Now that the negotiations are over, it's time to threaten him.
“Grand Duke Saunière.”
When Adele called him, he smiled without answering. A little bit of curiosity in his eyes was Adele's only hope.
“You don’t know, do you? Your arm that is now holding the teacup, your leg that is arrogantly crossed over the other. It’s all thanks to me that you are able to keep them.”
Adele once again forced the opponent to pay back the life he owed. The life that the Imperial Family owed to the Milliums. She didn't want to go this far, but this was the only card she had up her sleeves.
Fortunately, the effect was good. For the first time, this handsome man shut his mouth. He pressed his lips and hung his head, then did not raise his head for a long time.
Huh? What is this? Is he holding back his laughter?
Adele leveled her head to his eyes and for a brief moment, saw him holding back his laughter. But when Zach raised his head, Adele realized that it was an illusion created by her own desperation. When she saw his serene, gloomy face, she unwittingly loosened her grip on her fist.
"Interesting."
"What?"
“Let me think about your proposal. And take it as positive.”
Adele wasn't the only one who was bewildered by his sudden change of mind. His aide also stared at the Grand Duke in shock.
“Is this because I saved the Grand Duke that you're in the mood to pay off the debt...... Is that it?”
“Because it seems that my choice is insignificant.”
“Still, I’m asking because I’m quite curious as to why you've changed your mind.”
Zach didn't answer the question, he just gave a shrug. He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin with his finger, then opened his mouth again.
“I also have a condition of my own.”
I figured as much.
Adele's heart pounded as she had nothing to offer at that word condition. The more she thought about what she could give, the more she grew impatient.
"So what is it...?”
“Just because we're married doesn't mean we have to love each other. The feeling of love doesn't go your way. Besides, I prefer loyalty over love.”
Adele stared blankly at the man who was quite unbecoming of him to speak the word love.
"Then…?”
“If ever I get married, I will not give a single glance, let alone my heart, to anyone other than my wife. So...”
“......”
“If you really meant what you said right now, it would be better to at least keep the man in your heart hidden somewhere else.”
After she married Ethan, several incidents caused Adele to soon learn that she had powers. But her insignificant ability only worked in a fateful love story.
It was no secret that Countess Debryan had a crush on her husband for a very long time, so it was no wonder this man knew about it.
While Adele felt frustrated, he got up from his seat and stood next to her as if he wanted to see her out. It meant there was no further conversation.
He said he was going to try to think about my proposal positively, but...... Is this considered a refusal, too?
But Adele did not hesitate. With trembling legs, Adele stood up with a firm expression and placed her hand on his arm.
When Zachary led Adele only to the door of the office and turned around, Enoch followed Zachary inside as well.
“What the hell was that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, why did you, who is someone I thought would never marry, suddenly change your mind?”
“I haven’t accepted it yet.”
“Didn’t you say you'll think about it? And positive at that?”
“Can I not even think about it?”
But Enoch had no intention of letting this pass.
"No. It's not that...... You must have a reason.”
He muttered to himself, but he wasn't expecting an answer. But surprisingly, the Grand Duke's mouth opened again.
"It was because…” Zachary paused suddenly and grinned again. Enoch, who was the most patient person in the world, anxiously waited for his master's mouth to open.
“Her legs were shaking.”
"What?"
“A perfect lady with an elegant face was throwing threats at me and yet her legs were shaking from nervousness.”
"…… That's your reason?”
“She's so nervous to the point that the end of her dress shook…… So cute.”
"Huh??"
Enoch couldn't keep his mouth closed because he didn't readily understand the unusual words that came out of the Grand Duke's mouth. While he was away from Academia, he wondered if the word cute had any other meaning, and he looked at the Grand Duke in surprise.
Meanwhile, the serious change in the Grand Duke's face only aggravated his confusion.
The Grand Duke did not confirm, but Enoch knew that he had made up his mind. So, soon, it was the turn of the Hesenian society to shake up the social circles of a scandal starring Duke Zachary Saunière, a social butterfly and the yet-to-be divorced Madam of the Debryan family.
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April 21, 2022
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