Chapter : 06
Raeliana took out the most expensive and extravagant carriage in the family and headed toward the duke’s residence.
The reason she chose that carriage, which had only gathered dust ever since Jondain drunkenly bought it on impulse, was because it carried a very nouveau riche meaning—showing off that she was not some Cinderella.
The carriage passed along the winding riverside, went through the market streets, and entered the entrance of Royal Road.
The duke’s mansion was located at the very innermost part of Royal Road, where prestigious nobles lived near the royal palace. The massive estate displayed its enormous size, as if a mountain had been carved and sculpted into a building.
Raeliana was amazed once by the grand scale of the mansion and once again by the beauty of the perfectly maintained garden as she approached the entrance.
The carriage passed through the iron gates and stopped in front of the mansion. When Raeliana stepped down with the coachman’s assistance, the butler waiting by the door bowed politely to her.
“His Grace is waiting inside.”
Like all experienced servants, the butler guided her with an expressionless face. They passed through the corridor of the west wing on the first floor and arrived at the double doors directly across from it.
The butler grabbed the handle and knocked. From inside, the duke’s voice telling them to enter could be heard.
“Please go in.”
At the butler’s words, Raeliana carefully stepped inside.
The room seemed to be a study, with bookshelves filling the walls. Its two-story structure made it look like a small library.
Just as Raeliana politely lifted the hem of her dress to greet him—
“Your Grace, may the goddess—”
“Let’s skip the formal greetings between us.”
Noah interrupted her while gathering and organizing some documents.
‘Well, that makes things easier for me.’
Raeliana pushed away the slight discomfort she felt and straightened her back.
She glanced briefly at the chessboard placed behind him before turning her gaze back to Noah.
Noah guided her toward the sofa surrounding the coffee table and spoke.
“Sit there for now.”
Raeliana followed behind Noah’s long strides and sat down lightly, only placing the edge of her body on the sofa.
She put her bag beside her and removed her gloves. Noah watched her for a while before speaking first.
“Let’s talk about the royal seal.”
An arrogant tone.
“Very well.”
Seeing that Noah’s attitude clearly showed he had been born and raised as someone above others, Raeliana answered rather shamelessly.
“I understand you have been desperately searching for the royal seal.”
“And?”
“I know where it is.”
“I see.”
The duke nodded with an indifferent expression. Raeliana leaned forward.
“And the reason I am telling this to Your Grace is because… I believe Your Grace understands better than anyone else.”
“Because you want to make a contract with me.”
“No.”
Raeliana smiled faintly.
“Because Your Grace is the person who would fear me the most—the person who knows the whereabouts of the royal seal.”
“Hmm.”
The duke brought his interlocked hands to his mouth and smiled with interest.
“Why do you think that?”
The reason the duke feared this the most.
That was…
“Because Your Grace has the royal seal.”
A quiet silence filled the room.
He was the leader of the old aristocrats who shouted that the royal seal had to be found. No one would ever think that the seal was in his possession.
That was the greatest advantage Noah held.
A hidden move of the royal family that even the new nobles did not know about.
The fact that Noah Wynknight was not the head of the old aristocrats, but the king’s closest servant.
The only people who knew this were the duke’s household, the royal family’s closest confidants, and herself—the person who had come from outside the novel.
In the original story, the person who discovered this would not have been Raeliana McMillan, but the heroine. This incident was also what would have created the connection between the heroine and the duke.
If she had not been here, the heroine would have met the duke much later through the royal seal incident and fallen in love with him.
Unintentionally, she had become the number one obstacle interfering with their romance.
But that was still better than dying.
Raeliana desperately waited for some change to appear on his face.
Something like, ‘How did you know that?’
Or, ‘If you keep quiet, I’ll grant you something.’
However, unlike the duke in her imagination, the duke in reality showed none of the reactions she had expected.
‘Why?’
This was a weakness that could be fatal to him.
So why was he still wearing such a calm expression?
Raeliana anxiously rolled her eyes and fiddled with her silk gloves.
After a while, the duke finally spoke.
“Are you saying that seriously?”
Instead of answering in a way that would waste words, she simply smiled calmly.
She wanted to maintain the upper hand rather than cling desperately and say, ‘I’m serious. Should I swear on my grandfather’s name?’
Why shouldn’t she?
‘Because I’m the one holding his weakness.’
Noah crossed his legs and tilted his head.
“I played along with your words, only to find that it was a boring joke.”
“…What?”
What was he talking about all of a sudden?
Raeliana’s brows narrowed at his unexpected words.
“I think I misjudged you, Lady.”
‘What did you say?’
Raeliana felt as if she had been struck directly in the stomach.
“I only wasted valuable time.”
Noah clicked his tongue and looked down at his gold pocket watch.
“The deal is off.”
Noah’s sharp voice felt like a cold blade cutting into her.
“—!!”
For a moment, she almost lost her composure and broke her rhythm. The fingers that had almost moved to jump up immediately curled back together and rested on her lap.
‘Don’t get excited. He’s testing me right now. I can’t let him think I’m easy to handle.’
Raeliana calmly opened her mouth.
“I know there is a cemetery belonging to the duke’s family at 31 Vangelio Street. There is a grave there belonging to your deceased brother, ‘Robert Wynknight.’”
One of Noah’s eyebrows rose sharply.
“He is buried there, isn’t he?”
When she spoke confidently, Noah clicked his tongue.
“I cannot accept this any longer. Leave.”
Wait.
She had said this much, and he was just going to send her away?
That emotionless poker face showed no sign of embarrassment or surprise—not even after hearing her words.
Instead of biting her lips anxiously, Raeliana chose to smile.
Did he think she would lose?
“Then I have no choice. I will leave.”
She put her gloves back on and reached for the handle of the bag she had placed beside the sofa.
Yesterday, he had clearly removed his mask and reacted sensitively when the royal seal was mentioned. He had even obediently followed her sudden request.
Therefore, his current behavior was merely an attempt to gain control before the contract.
“Then I shall be going.”
She needed to appear relaxed.
If she showed desperation, that golden-eyed monster would immediately devour her and cook her however he pleased.
She walked toward the door.
