WHM | Chapter 02

~Chapter 02~

On the day he received the order to get engaged to a noble lady he had never even seen before, Cedric Lowell couldn’t contain his rage toward the emperor.

How could they use the title he was supposed to inherit as a threat to force him into this?

“It’s actually a reasonable marriage,” said Cassel, his father’s former aide, now his own advisor.

Cedric finally burst out in anger.

“How is a marriage that completely ignores my will supposed to be practical?!”

“Even if she’s from a branch of the royal family, she has noble blood. And part of the rich Cassier estate left under the name ‘Eileen Cassier’ would come to the duke’s house.”

“It’s not like the dukedom is short on money.”

“The North is a land with very low productivity. Just one gold mine from the Cassiers could feed a small territory’s people for a whole year. If you can be generous with your subordinates, you’ll be able to secure your power more firmly.”

Cedric had been trained to be the heir since childhood.

He knew, logically, that everything Cassel said made sense.

“…But Father didn’t need to do that.”

“Who would’ve dared question the duke’s leadership?”

Cedric knew he wasn’t even close to his late father’s level, so he stayed silent.

Still… to be suddenly forced into an engagement like this?

He thought that vowing loyalty to the emperor would be enough to receive the signet ring and return to his land.

‘Cedric. You’ll be back soon, right?’

‘Of course. Stay safe while I’m gone. If you need anything, just tell the butler.’

If he had ever imagined spending his life with someone, he figured it’d be someone like Diana, who had been by his side since childhood.

He could never have imagined his future would be decided for him so suddenly.

‘Eileen Cassier must’ve told His Majesty she wanted to marry me. Otherwise, there’s no way I’d get this kind of order.’

The noblewomen he met at social events in the capital were all the same— openly trying to place their daughters as the future duchess.

At first, he replied politely to the many marriage proposals.

Now? He just tossed the letters straight into the fireplace.

‘Father wanted me to marry someone I love. Just like he did with Mother. That’s why there was no arranged marriage when I was a child.’

‘But the duke has passed away. The North without him is completely different.’

Cedric had lost his mother at birth.

His father, grieving, had spent most of his life on the battlefield—and died there, too.

To Cedric, raised on that story of deep love, marriage meant choosing to be with someone you truly loved and cherished.

“Young Master, you must understand— you’re now in a position where you have to make choices for your house.”

Cassel understood Cedric’s feelings, but the situation didn’t allow for emotion.

They needed to make up for Cedric’s still-developing leadership in another way.

‘Still, I can’t accept this. Even if it means going back to war, I won’t marry like this.’

Determined, Cedric made it clear—he would never go through with this marriage.

But later, when Cedric came at dawn to meet Eileen Cassier, determined to say so to her face, he was surprised and caught off guard.

He had expected her to be fussy and arrogant, like the other noble ladies he’d seen.

But the woman who calmly looked up at him without any change in expression… was nothing like that.

Eileen instantly took control of the conversation before Cedric could even react.

“Are you going to stand there forever?”

She picked a bench near the mansion and sat down, gesturing with her chin for him to sit next to her.

Cedric didn’t respond.

“…Do whatever you want.”

Eileen turned her gaze toward the mansion’s windows.

The quiet house was slowly coming to life.

Regardless of how it looked, Cedric Lowell—her fiancé—had come.

She needed to make it clear to everyone in the house that this engagement was real.

That’s why she deliberately chose this very visible spot—

‘So they’ll bother me less.’

She leaned on her hand and watched Cedric’s face, studying his reactions.

Cedric, clenching and unclenching his fists, looked flustered and unsure.

Finally, he found his voice.

“I’m never going to marry you.”

It was such a childish and flashy declaration—so predictable it was almost disappointing.

“I don’t want to marry you.”

He even said it twice, as if to stress how serious he was.

Eileen silently stared at Cedric, who was sneakily checking her reaction, and then replied in a flat tone, “I don’t plan on marrying someone who doesn’t want me, either.”

She figured that, as the sole heir raised in the North, Cedric would’ve grown up with a strong sense of family pride.

Even so, the current Cedric Lowell… was surprisingly simple-minded.

Especially from Eileen’s perspective—someone who vaguely knew the man he would become after going through many hardships.

It was clear he had come here with just one word in mind: “breakup.”

Before Cedric could argue again, Eileen spoke first.

“I don’t plan on getting married. I want to keep my wealth to myself.

Since we’re both still young, it’s only an engagement for now.

So just play along until the day you become a Duke. Then you can send me the breakup letter. Simple.”

“How do I know you’ll actually go through with it? How can I trust you’ll willingly end the engagement?”

“You sound like a kid. Do you really think every noble lady in the world chases after you just because you’re a Duke’s son?”

As expected, Cedric snapped.

“I’m not a kid!”

“You are. A future Duke shouldn’t get angry so easily.”

Eileen gave him a faint smile.

Cedric Lowell was clearly still immature.

Raised safely inside the North’s protective walls, he was far from being as sharp and hardened as the winter winds he’d one day face.

“I’m not interested in you, Cedric Lowell. I just want to live quietly for the next four years, then take what’s rightfully mine and leave.”

“…Seriously?”

“Honestly, it’s probably better for you to stay engaged for now. Just the idea of the Lowell family getting part of the Cassier gold mine could bring you more advantage than immediately becoming the Duke.”

It wasn’t much different from what Cassel had told him.

Cedric suddenly felt embarrassed about how immaturely he’d acted.

He finally realized how childish he had been—stomping around in frustration and suspicion.

And Eileen, sitting there with her legs crossed, calmly tilting her head as she looked at him— she seemed completely unfazed.

She continued in that same bored tone,

“Anyway, this is the Emperor’s order. It’s practically a generous offer that benefits both of us. If we refuse, we’ll just end up looking like we’re opposing the royal family.”

It was a silent question: Are you really going to put yourself in such a disadvantageous position?

Cedric had no choice but to agree.

“…Yeah, I know that much.”

“Good, then.”

A graceful smile spread across Eileen’s face as she reached out her hand.

“Let’s at least get along until the day we break off the engagement. No point in being enemies when we’ll be seeing each other anyway, right?”

“I’m not planning to get along with you.”

Even if she said she’d cancel the engagement later, who was to say she wouldn’t change her mind?

Cedric still doubted her, so he ignored the hand she offered and turned away sharply.

Or… he tried to.

Smack—

He had been standing too close.

As he turned quickly, his hand brushed against hers, making his rejection seem even more cold and firm than he meant it to be.

Startled, he instinctively reached out, but hesitated.

That cold, unreadable face of Eileen Cassier… suddenly looked genuinely hurt. There was a lonely expression that anyone could recognize.

“I’m s—”

“It’s fine. I get it. I understand that you’re frustrated and upset.”

Despite his pride, Cedric was about to apologize— but Eileen cut him off and stood up abruptly.

“I’ve said everything I needed to. It’s getting cold, so I’ll go back inside now.”

Only then did Cedric notice her thin shawl.

Her shoulders were trembling slightly in the chilly morning air.

She must have rushed out in a hurry because he insisted on meeting her early.

“Countess Cassier, wa— I mean, Ail—”

But he fumbled over what to call her.

And in that short moment, Eileen turned and walked briskly back toward the mansion without looking back once.

Cedric stood there, feeling like something had gone wrong— but he couldn’t bring himself to run after her.