♥ Chapter 10 ♥
“Come in.”
A voice came from inside after someone knocked on the door.
The head butler opened the office door and stepped aside.
After giving him a polite nod, I walked inside.
The first thing I noticed was how bleak the office looked.
There were no flowers, no potted plants, not even a single painting on the wall. It was truly an empty and lifeless room.
And in the middle of that dark office sat a man with ash-gray hair and golden eyes that looked like amber.
Aden Ripton.
He looked up from the document in his hand and turned his gaze toward me.
His eyes looked calm and emotionless, but there was a faint hint of caution in them.
He was naturally on guard against such an unexpected visitor.
Aden stood up.
“You must have had a difficult journey.”
I politely returned his greeting.
“May Hermonia’s blessing be with you. My name is Sierra Brilloksen. It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace, Grand Duke.”
Unofficially, we had already met under unpleasant circumstances.
But officially…
This was our first meeting.
For a brief moment, Aden remained silent as he studied me.
Perhaps because others were present, he returned my greeting in the proper manner.
“Please, have a seat.”
He casually waved his hand, dismissing the knights who had followed me and the head butler who had guided me here.
Once the door closed, the atmosphere around Aden slowly became colder.
“You certainly have a talent for surprising people, Lady.”
He walked toward the large window behind him.
Pulling back the heavy curtain, he opened it.
Loud voices immediately came from outside.
The soldiers were probably untying the ropes around the wagons.
“There are eight wagons in total! They contain grain, medicine, clothing, alcohol, luxury food, and various other goods!”
As the covers were pulled away and the supplies were revealed, murmurs spread through the crowd.
It wasn’t even half of what I planned to send.
But because everything was stacked high on the wagons, it looked like an enormous amount.
After looking outside, Aden glanced at me before turning around.
Our eyes met.
I gave him a small smile.
Aden narrowed his eyes as he looked at me.
Now…
He was probably going to ask what all of this was.
While I was thinking about how to answer, he suddenly asked something completely unexpected.
“What kind of tea do you like?”
“Tea?”
I quietly stared at him.
He simply waited for my answer.
Ah…
So he was being polite.
But then I remembered how empty the castle had been.
Was he actually going to make the tea himself if I accepted?
There was no maid waiting nearby.
There wasn’t even a small tea room attached to the office.
That meant…
He would have to do it himself.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
When I shook my head, Aden didn’t insist.
Instead, he walked over and sat down.
Leaning back in his chair, he quietly looked at me.
Silence filled the room.
As if trying to read my true intentions, Aden never looked away from my eyes.
I met his gaze without hesitation.
After what felt like a long time, he finally spoke first.
“Can you explain now? What are those supplies, and why did you suddenly come to see me?”
“They’re a gift. Don’t you like them?”
Aden let out a dry laugh.
His eyes slowly moved from the table back to me.
“A sudden gift… It certainly caught me by surprise. But I can’t say it’s a bad thing. Especially if these are supplies we actually need.”
“I’m glad they can be of help.”
I smiled.
A look of curiosity appeared in his eyes.
Before he could ask another question, I spoke first.
“I know it must seem strange for me to suddenly arrive with all these supplies, but I don’t have any hidden motives. I’m giving them to you because I wanted to apologize for what happened before. So… please accept them without suspicion.”
“What happened before…”
A small smile appeared on his lips.
Looking at me with interest, he spoke.
“Last time, you claimed you hadn’t heard anything. It seems that wasn’t entirely true.”
His voice was as sharp as a blade.
“So… you heard everything?”
“Not everything. Only part of it. But does that really matter? What’s important is that I’m standing here with the supplies Your Grace needs.”
He straightened his body and leaned back against the chair.
His chin lifted slightly.
He looked proud…
Almost arrogant.
Yet somehow, it suited him perfectly.
“Lady Brilloksen… what is it that you want?”
“I don’t want anything—”
“If you’re about to tell me that you want nothing, then I won’t respond to any proposal or request you make after this. So… choose your next words carefully.”
He was a difficult man to negotiate with.
But that was only natural.
A young Grand Duke who had ruled such a harsh land would naturally doubt everything.
I looked quietly into his eyes, blinking a few times before speaking again.
“For the past few years…”
His eyes narrowed.
I continued.
“I heard that Ripton has not been receiving supplies from House Vozbon. I also heard about the contract between House Vozbon and House Ripton.”
“And?”
“I also learned that Your Grace is engaged to Bellietta because of that contract.”
I paused and carefully watched his expression.
His golden eyes never wavered.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
After a brief hesitation, I continued.
“I believe the argument between you and Bellietta in the garden that day… was because of this contract.”
Aden leaned back slightly, silently telling me to continue.
“Because Bellietta refuses to honor the agreement, the contract has fallen apart. As a result, the goods both sides were supposed to exchange have remained undelivered for years.”
“And?”
“I don’t know about House Vozbon… but Ripton would struggle if it lacked basic supplies. That’s why you were trying to persuade Bellietta. Am I right?”
“Go on.”
He stood up and walked toward his desk.
I watched his broad shoulders.
Picking up a single sheet of paper, he leaned against the desk and looked at me.
I narrowed my eyes slightly before speaking.
“Your Grace…”
At the sound of my slow voice, his eyes changed.
“Don’t you need supplies?”
Just as he had smiled before…
I smiled as well.
His brows slowly drew together.
“I’ll supply them.”
“Why?”
“Nothing special.”
“I suppose you could call it charity.”
“For charity… that’s quite a lot.”
“My father always taught me that if you’re blessed with great wealth, you should give generously.”
I smiled again.
His eyes were like those of a wild beast.
They searched deeply, trying to uncover my true intentions.
I met his sharp gaze without looking away.
After a long silence, Aden finally spoke.
“You’ve spent enough time on the introduction.”
“Tell me what you really want.”
“It’s simple. Like I said, I’ll provide Ripton with all the supplies it needs every year. If you need anything else, just ask. I’ll bring it to you. High-quality iron, strong steel… I can even provide equipment for your soldiers. I’ll send blacksmiths too.”
“The condition?”
“It’s simple.”
I raised my hand and lightly pressed a finger against my chest.
Watching him tilt his head slightly, I spoke clearly.
“Choose me.”
“What?”
“And always choose me.”
“Even if someone stands beside you and speaks badly about me… even if they try to tempt you… choose me.”
“And whenever I need you… come to me.”
“That’s all.”
As he tilted his head, a few strands of his gray hair fell gently.
But his golden eyes never wavered.
He thought quietly for a moment before looking directly at me again.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
“Should I make it even simpler?”
I lifted my chin and straightened my posture.
Then I boldly spoke.
“Break your contract with House Vozbon and take my hand.”
“I’m a woman who never disappoints the people who trust me.”
“And I never break my promises.”
I didn’t want to hide my true intentions.
Even if I wanted to use this man for my revenge…
At this moment, I was completely sincere.
The Ghost Grand Duke with the golden eyes.
“Be my man, Aden Ripton.”
Silence filled the room.
His golden eyes remained fixed on me.
His head was still tilted slightly.
His lips were pressed into a straight line.
The atmosphere around him was cold.
He really was like a ghost.
No…
Perhaps calling him a monster suited him even better.
From his point of view, my proposal must have been shocking.
I never expected an answer today.
Even if he rejected me now…
I planned to continue sending the remaining supplies and slowly persuade him.
Even if Bellietta had already won him over…
It didn’t matter.
If it meant bringing down the giant tree called Aden Ripton…
I would even make an axe out of diamonds if I had to.
Figuratively speaking, of course.
“Do you dislike my proposal?”
Even after I asked, he said nothing.
His eyes remained fixed on my face.
Without realizing it, I clenched my fist.
I felt that looking away would mean losing.
So I stared back without even blinking.
Finally…
Aden opened his mouth.
“I don’t understand.”
“Do you need a reason?”
“No. Anyone can invent countless reasons.”
“I don’t need formal excuses.”
“I only want to know whether you truly understand the meaning of what you’ve just proposed.”
“Do you really think I would make this proposal without understanding it?”
His eyes narrowed again.
Still leaning against the desk, Aden slowly walked toward me.
Then he held out the sheet of paper he had been carrying.
I looked down at it before raising my eyes to meet his.
“What is this?”
