Chapter 5
Artiella looked at the lady with a puzzled expression.
The woman simply shrugged with a warm smile, as if nothing were strange at all. She still looked delighted.
“A… proposal?”
“Yes. His Grace is writing a marriage proposal to send to your family.”
“He knows who I am?”
“Not yet. He couldn’t finish it because he doesn’t know your name or your family. I believe he intended to complete it as soon as you woke up. He specifically asked for you to be brought to him.”
“You mean… me?”
Artiella pointed at herself.
“Yes, you.”
“I can hardly believe it.”
Neither can I.”
Artiella slowly nodded.
The lady immediately clasped both hands together and looked toward the heavens with tearful gratitude.
“To think our Duke would finally bring home the woman he wishes to spend his life with…”
He hadn’t brought her here.
She had barged in on her own.
And she certainly hadn’t come to confess her feelings.
“I truly thought His Grace would remain single forever.”
The lady’s smile only widened.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of suspicion.
This was pure, unconditional affection.
Does she not know I threatened the Duke with a sword?
…Wait.
Bardo!
Artiella instinctively reached for her waist.
Her sword was gone.
The clothes she’d worn yesterday had also disappeared, replaced by an ordinary nightgown.
“Your clothes were caught on the broken balcony railing and were torn beyond repair. Fortunately, you weren’t hurt.”
The lady looked apologetic.
Which only made Artiella feel worse.
I’m the one who destroyed someone else’s property…
“His Grace handled the situation quickly, and you seem remarkably sturdy…”
The lady paused.
“As for your belongings, His Grace personally gathered everything.”
Artiella’s eyebrows lifted.
Then he must already know who I am.
He must have been so flustered that he’d invented that ridiculous story for the servants.
His soul isn’t the kind that could harbor murderous intent.
Then Yusiel must have seen someone else.
I need to apologize immediately.
For suspecting him.
For threatening him with the Holy Sword.
For trespassing.
For destroying his property.
No wonder the Holy Sword had been furious.
Filled with remorse, Artiella turned to the lady.
“Where is His Grace?”
“In his office.”
“I’d like to see him immediately.”
The lady promptly tugged on a servant bell.
Two maids entered at once.
At her instructions, they quickly washed Artiella’s face, neatly tied her hair, and even found a dress almost identical to the one she’d been wearing.
Though they stole curious glances, they treated her with extraordinary care—
As though she were already the Duke’s fiancée.
The kinder they were, the sharper Artiella’s guilt became.
Dear God… once I return, I shall devote myself to severe penance.
While the maids straightened her skirts, she quietly traced a holy symbol in the air and offered a brief prayer.
“All finished, my lady.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, please don’t be so formal. You’ll be the mistress of this house soon.”
Artiella merely smiled awkwardly.
For the Duke’s dignity, she couldn’t explain the misunderstanding now.
Perhaps I should spend the whole night praying as well…
“Shall we go see His Grace?”
The head maid, Bailey, personally led the way.
As they walked, Artiella observed the mansion.
It looked nothing like the noble estates she remembered from childhood.
Most aristocrats filled their hallways with extravagant furniture and priceless decorations to flaunt their wealth.
This mansion was…
Almost empty.
More than that—
It was eerily quiet.
“The estate is very peaceful.”
Yesterday had been the same.
So was today.
“Ahem… there’s only His Grace to attend to. Everyone else is managing the territory. Once the future Duchess arrives, they’ll all return.”
“So His Grace prefers efficient staffing.”
But something else bothered her.
The mansion itself looked…
Unsafe.
Some holes in the walls had been covered with cloth.
The railings wobbled.
Even a display cabinet leaned slightly to one side.
Was this poorly constructed?
The balcony yesterday hadn’t exactly inspired confidence either.
The Lupel Ducal House controlled one of the Empire’s richest grain-producing regions.
They also owned a prosperous trade port, gold mines, and iron mines.
A family with such immense wealth…
Living in a house like this?
“He’s remarkably frugal.”
She spoke with genuine admiration.
“No wonder his soul is so pure and beautiful. I should learn from him.”
It was the very model of a devout life.
Yet for some reason…
Bailey’s eyes suddenly became misty with emotion.
“Is something wrong?”
“You nearly died falling from that railing.”
She smiled bitterly.
“To be honest… I thought you’d complain that we failed to maintain the estate properly.”
“Huh?”
Artiella blinked.
“His Grace warned me. It was entirely my own fault.”
I was the one trespassing, after all.
“But weren’t you frightened? You could’ve been seriously injured.”
“Oh, I’m not that fragile.”
Bailey gazed at her even more fondly.
“So His Grace was right.”
“He said you’d be the bravest young lady on the continent.”
Fortunately, they soon arrived outside the Duke’s office.
“Your Grace, I’ve brought the young lady.”
“Come in.”
Before opening the door, Bailey suddenly took both of Artiella’s hands.
“No matter what you hear today… no matter what happens… if your resolve begins to waver…”
She squeezed her hands tightly.
“Just look at His Grace’s face.”
“…Pardon?”
“Please… never abandon our Duke.”
…What?
“I really like you.”
Before Artiella could respond, Bailey opened the door, gently pushed her inside, and beamed.
“Please take good care of His Grace.”
Wait—
“What do you mean by—”
The door slammed shut behind her.
Artiella stared blankly at the closed door before sighing and turning around.
“So you’ve come.”
The Duke smiled.
“My lady… or perhaps I should say… Dame?”
He figured out who I am.
She immediately bowed deeply.
“I sincerely apologize for my rudeness yesterday. I will take full responsibility and compensate you for all the damages I caused—”
Then she suddenly noticed someone approaching.
She looked up in surprise.
Sparkle.
Sparkle.
A dazzlingly handsome face glowing with pure white aura had moved right in front of hers.
Is this… a face attack?
“Your Grace?”
“So…”
The Duke smiled just as beautifully as his soul.
“You truly intend to take responsibility?”
“O-Of course.”
“Then you mustn’t take it back.”
Is there something strange in this household?
Why did everyone start saying bizarre things the moment they saw her?
Still…
None of them seemed to have any malicious intent.
His soul really was beautiful…
I’d like to see it again…
What am I thinking?!
Flustered, Artiella hurriedly looked away.
The office was just as sparsely furnished as the rest of the mansion.
Only a desk.
A low bookshelf.
The high vaulted ceiling featured an impressive carving of the Lupel family crest.
Then—
Crack…
Dust trickled down from the stone carving overhead.
“Look out!”
Without hesitation, Artiella wrapped her body in aura.
She lunged forward, grabbed the Duke, and rolled with him toward the corner of the office.
BOOM!
A massive chunk of marble crashed down exactly where they’d been standing.
Dust exploded through the room.
“What is wrong with this building?!”
Brushing dust from her clothes, Artiella stood.
The Duke, however…
Remained lying on the floor.
His expression was strangely…
Despairing.
“Your Grace?”
“Are you hurt?”
His eyes slowly filled with tears.
“Please…”
“What’s wrong?”
A crystal-clear tear rolled down his cheek.
“Please… don’t abandon me.”
His clear eyes looked so desperately earnest…
That before she realized it, the words had already left her mouth.
“O-Okay.”
Kirien Lupel had lived his entire life beneath the shadow of misfortune.
His mother, misunderstanding his father, fled while pregnant with him.
The hardships of her escape ruined her health.
Not long after giving him a name…
She died.
Life in the orphanage was a nightmare.
“You cursed brat! We should never have taken you in!”
Staircases collapsed.
Attic roofs caved in.
Mysterious fires broke out without explanation.
Every disaster seemed to happen wherever he was.
Kirien.
The boy who brought death and misfortune.
Nothing changed after he entered the ducal family.
Even the father who had welcomed him…
And his kind half-siblings…
One after another, they met with fatal accidents or died from epidemics simply because they had been near him.
After that, the pattern continued.
Whether attending banquets…
Visiting the Imperial Palace…
Or participating in noble councils…
Disasters always followed him.
No one openly blamed him.
Instead…
He blamed himself.
He willingly bore all the guilt alone.
Eventually, he chose isolation.
When he was alone…
Accidents rarely happened.
Naturally, he never even dreamed of committing evil deeds.
He had to live as virtuously as possible.
Perhaps then…
God would show him mercy.
And it worked.
Once he reduced contact with others, the number of major accidents also declined.
At least…
The precious few people he still had managed to stay alive.
The only problem…
Was his absurdly beautiful face.
