SWGMBWD CH 08

Ehem. Your Grace!”

At the voice echoing through the reception room, Bella quickly turned her gaze. A butler was standing by the door. When had he arrived? He was staring at his master with a stern expression.

But the man who had just revealed that he himself was cursed paid no attention to the butler. He simply continued staring intently at Bella, as though watching for her reaction.

“Your Grace is cursed?”

“Yes. Cursed.”

He nodded.

Bella fell into thought for a moment.

In Argen, a curse was regarded as an indelible stigma. Normally, when people heard that someone was cursed, they avoided even going near that person. That was why people usually hid such things rather than admitting them willingly.

The stigma was so severe that the Empire had even permitted divorces through the temple on the grounds that one’s spouse was cursed. The Empire was extremely wary of anything related to curses.

And yet, the Duke who protected that very Empire was apparently cursed himself.

‘Of course, people do whisper behind the backs of the Avalan family, calling them a cursed bloodline…’

But hearing the man himself admit it was an entirely different matter.

Bella gave a small laugh.

At once, the man’s expression changed. His eyes seemed to ask why she was laughing.

With a sweet smile, she said,

“So Your Grace is cursed.”

“……”

“Then I suppose we’re destined for each other.”

There was no way Bella would be frightened by something like a curse now.

The man’s eyes wavered rapidly, as though he couldn’t believe what she had just said.

“Did you not hear what I said? I told you I am cursed.”

“Yes. I heard you.”

“And you’re still fine with it?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

His question came sharply.

Yet Bella didn’t even blink. Of course she didn’t.

“Because I’m the same.”

She smiled sweetly as she said it, and the man’s expression gradually darkened. No—twisted. It seemed her calm reaction was displeasing to him.

The overwhelming pressure emanating from him made Bella unconsciously swallow hard.

“I’m not joking.”

“……”

“I’m quite serious too.”

She truly was serious. She couldn’t remember ever being this desperate.

“That’s why I’m risking what little time I have left to live by proposing to Your Grace.”

At her firm declaration, he held his breath.

Then, a moment later, he quietly and slowly exhaled the breath he had been holding.

As though he were troubled.

“Then…”

He remained lost in thought for a long while before finally opening his mouth. Just as he was about to say something—

“Ehem. Your Grace.”

The butler standing behind him glanced at the watch in his hand before cautiously approaching. After checking his master’s mood, he leaned toward the Duke’s ear and whispered,

“A considerable amount of time has passed.”

“Has it?”

The Duke glanced at the clock on the side table and frowned.

Bella did the same. Indeed, quite a lot of time had passed.

‘It doesn’t feel like we talked that much.’

She still hadn’t even received a proper answer.

‘I can’t leave like this!’

Growing anxious, Bella fidgeted restlessly.

What if he told her to leave right now, just as he had apparently done with the other women?

That was the only thing she could think about.

‘What should I do now?’

Bella bit her lip as she pondered, then looked straight at him again.

She had just reached the conclusion that she had no choice but to get down on her knees and beg if necessary when—

“It’s getting late. You should return for today.”

“…Pardon?”

“As for your proposal, I’ll take some time to think about it. For now, go home.”

Her eyes widened at the words for today and I’ll think about it.

Still, this was a fairly positive response.

‘No, no. I mustn’t jump to conclusions.’

Perhaps he had said the same thing to the other young ladies. Maybe he was simply trying to placate her so he could get rid of her without any trouble.

Bella’s eyes gleamed.

She needed something more definite.

“Th-Then, may I take that to mean you will seriously consider marrying me?”

“Who knows?”

He rose from his seat and slipped his hands into his pockets before giving her an evasive answer.

Whatever embarrassment he had shown earlier was gone. His face had once again become as expressionless and cold as ice.

“I’m not the kind of person who makes promises carelessly.”

It was essentially a warning not to get her hopes up.

‘What should I do?’

He didn’t even leave her the slightest opening. Just as cold and immaculate as his appearance suggested, he seemed to have no emotions to spare.

That only made Bella more anxious.

Her thoughts raced.

If she kept clinging to him here, it might have the opposite effect. There was nothing left to do but trust fate and wait.

She had come this far because of the petty tricks of a narrow-minded god. If meeting him truly was fate, then somehow, they would eventually be brought together.

‘It can’t be helped.’

In the end, she decided on a tactical retreat.

“Then I’ll look forward to hearing good news.”

Of course, she wasn’t leaving without saying one last thing.

“But Your Grace will definitely come looking for me.”

She smiled confidently.

The Duke’s red eyes darkened.

His expression seemed to say, How dare you be so presumptuous.

Yet there was also a hint of interest mixed into his gaze.

Bella bowed politely and turned around.

She didn’t want to leave even the slightest trace of lingering attachment behind and put herself at a disadvantage.

‘That’s enough. I did everything I could.’

She had done all she could.

Now, all that remained was to wait and see what kind of flower the seeds she had planted would bloom into.

She would simply accept the result calmly.

Bella left the room and walked down the long corridor.

Then, upon hearing footsteps following behind her, she stopped and looked back.

The butler was following at a reasonable distance.

When their eyes met, he stopped and gave her an awkward smile.

“I’ll escort you to the entrance.”

“No, there’s no need…”

“It is His Grace’s order.”

There was a forceful undertone hidden beneath his gentle voice, so Bella fell silent.

Despite his kindly smile, the man clearly possessed quite a stubborn streak.

“His Grace is a very considerate person.”

More than I expected.

Bella hurriedly swallowed the unnecessary words and smiled sweetly.

At her thanks for his consideration, the butler’s expression somehow darkened.

“I… I know it is presumptuous of a mere servant like myself to say this to a noble lady, but…”

He hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure how to begin.

Then he cautiously spoke.

“You will regret this.”

“……”

“Have you heard the rumor that most of the Dukes of Avalan die young?”

“Yes. I’ve heard.”

Bella nodded.

She had heard it from Evan just yesterday.

—For some reason, the heirs of the Avalan family supposedly end their lives by taking their own lives.

It wasn’t merely that they died young.

The heirs of the family had met mysterious ends, and the clan was surrounded by secrets.

“Perhaps you came here because you have your eyes on the Duke’s fortune…”

At the suggestion that she might be after Avalan’s wealth, Bella gave a small laugh.

Money?

She couldn’t care less about that.

“I’ve heard that all the Dukes of Avalan ended their lives themselves. That’s why people call them a cursed family.”

The butler’s eyes widened in surprise.

Perhaps he was shocked that she spoke so casually about something that was normally difficult to mention openly.

“Then have you also heard what happened to the wives of those Dukes?”

“Hm?”

Bella paused at his question.

Come to think of it, she had never considered that part.

The previous Dukes of Avalan had all committed the strange act of ending their own lives.

And yet, strangely enough, the family line had continued to this day.

The current Duke had no wife.

And there was no information anywhere about the current Duke’s mother either.

It was as though someone had deliberately erased her existence.

‘What happened to the Dukes’ wives?’

Bella blinked her large eyes at the butler.

As though he had expected this reaction, the man let out a deep sigh.

After a moment, he finally spoke.

“They all passed away. Some died only a few months before their husbands. Others passed away several years earlier. Every one of them left this world.”

“……”

“Why?”

“I cannot tell you that.”

The butler’s lips firmly closed.

He explained that there was an order of silence regarding the causes of their deaths, and he refused to say anything more.

“In any case, that is what the Avalan family is like. So I advise you not to approach this with a light heart—”

“That makes it even more intriguing.”

It seemed he had intended to frighten her.

Instead, his warning only piqued Bella’s curiosity even more.

At her response, the butler’s face twisted.

His gray eyes seemed to say,

Wait… That wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Well, I suppose the choice will ultimately be His Grace’s.”

Bella smiled sweetly.

For now, there was nothing she could do but wait.

The butler stopped at the entrance and looked at her with an odd expression before opening the door for her.

The sky outside had already turned a reddish hue.

A long line of women was still waiting outside the door.

If anything, the line seemed even longer than when she had entered.

‘The Duke must be exhausted too.’

Bella was about to take a step forward when the murmuring crowd suddenly fell silent.

Then dozens of sharp gazes descended upon her.

Startled, Bella stopped dead.

Whispers soon spread throughout the crowd.

“Is that the woman?”

“What family does she belong to?”

“I’m not sure… I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in high society…”

Bella instinctively shrank back under the women’s hostile scrutiny.

‘What’s going on? Why are they staring at me like that?’

Their eyes traveled over her from head to toe as though they were assessing her.

Bella quickly became uncomfortable.

She lowered her gaze to the floor, hoping to avoid making eye contact.

“They’re probably doing that because you spent the longest time in the reception room.”

The perceptive butler quietly offered an explanation.

“Compared to the other young ladies, you were there for nearly five times as long.”

“And I personally came out to see you off.”

He added that he had never personally escorted any of the other ladies out.

Bella nodded awkwardly.

She hadn’t realized that being personally escorted by the butler carried such significance.

“By the way, where is your carriage?”

“Oh, I don’t have one.”

“…Pardon?”

The butler looked at her in disbelief.

“What do you mean? Then how will you get back to the estate?”

“I’ll just go out to the main road and catch a carriage.”

“……”

“It’s fine. I always do that.”

She told him not to worry and stepped out of the mansion.

When Bella said that he must be busy and that this was far enough for the escort, the butler’s brows furrowed.

“Then I’ll see you again soon.”

Regardless, Bella gave him a light farewell and cheerfully walked away.

“Haaa…”

The butler watched her retreating figure and let out a small sigh.

He still had something left to do.

The butler turned around.

A group of young ladies were glaring at him with expressions full of dissatisfaction.

He clapped his hands to regain their attention.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid everyone will have to return home for today.”

His announcement immediately drew protests from all around.

But the butler didn’t even flinch.

Instead, he wore a cold smile.

“It is His Grace’s order.”

His Grace’s order.

Those words carried tremendous weight.

But even that effect lasted only briefly.

Several young ladies raised their voices, clearly unable to accept the situation.

“Was that woman chosen just now?”

“Surely that’s what happened?”

“No, that’s not—”

The butler’s voice trembled with embarrassment.

Sensing that the situation was about to get out of hand, he desperately tried to calm everyone down.

But—

“Who on earth was that woman? What family does she belong to?!”