Chapter 10

“If you’re good enough to send your daughter to a guy who has bad hand habits, how about me?”

Anton thought he had misheard the words that he said naturally.

It was ridiculous and absurd that the words he erased immediately from his head became clear when he saw his smiling smug face. Anton’s face grew redder.

“This…… damn…….”

Words could not come out of his mouth properly and dispersed. He seemed to have difficulty controlling his rising temper.

‘You’re nothing more than just a lowly jerk!’

A hot fire lit up in his stomach[1]. It became the starting point, and a thunderous shout erupted from deep within.

“How dare you! How dare you!”

Anton reached out to strangle Dane. His bloodshot hands trembled in anger. Dane was nonchalant as if expecting this reaction.

The hand that stopped in front of his face could no longer come closer and curled up. No matter how he said he was born, now he was a man of the emperor. And Vergo is standing behind him.

Dane leisurely watched Anton’s bloodshot figure.

‘I heard he’s quite polite, but I don’t think so. Ah, it’s because he is in front of a vulgar guy.’

Suddenly, he remembered the woman who stubbornly refused to hold his outstretched hand. If he had forcibly held her hand at that time, would she have been angry with that face? He can’t imagine it because she always has her eyes down and he can only see her calm figure.

Liv’s face overlapped Anton’s. With her face red and a frown on her face, she yells at him.

‘Damn it, it’s serious. Very.’

Dane sighed briefly.

He’s been like this ever since he got into the carriage with her. He was troubled because everything seemed to be about her. The desire, which he had been forcibly holding back by stubbornly turning a blind eye, was so uncomfortable that he wandered from place to place like a horse that had been loosened since that day.

Dane got up roughly from his seat, sweeping his face at his ridiculous appearance to the point where he could laugh. This is enough.

“I’ll leave for today. See you next time.”

“What are you!”

“You might as well think about the suggestion I made again.”

There was only one thing he wanted. If it doesn’t go his way, he’s going to take it by force. So please choose the easy way. Dane sincerely prayed.

“Damn child! You’re not going to stop there?”

Dane opened the reception room door and walked out. The butler standing in front of the door immediately entered the reception room. He can hear the relentless sound of breaking and crushing.

Dane glanced at the closed door and walked forward. The rigid footsteps of military boots echoed through the corridor.

After passing through the passageway with several meaningless paintings, he came to the stairs that Liv had climbed. No one had climbed the stairs, and the water trails from Liv were still there.

As Dane moved his gaze along the water stains, Liv’s figure, who was walking up the stairs holding the hem of her skirt, followed like an illusion. The stains that continued one drop at a time disappeared behind the wall at the end of the stairs.

He feels anxious because he can’t have the food he wants to eat the most and little by little, his sorrow is eating him away. Unfortunately, however, the space he was allowed today was up to here.

He finally stepped inside the mansion he had always looked at from the outside, but instead of being satisfied, he was left with only regret. There was no end to human greed.

He forced his feet off the ground and left.

“Count Rayleigh, what the hell are you doing! There’s no way!”

It had been less than three days since Dane had visited Ragnell’s mansion.

The study door burst open with the butler’s urgent voice. It was an unscheduled visit, but Anton stood up to greet Rayleigh as if he had already expected it. As he entered the study, his face was full of anger.

“I heard that Dane had visited here.”

“…….”

“For what reason did he come here?”

“I don’t think there’s a reason to tell you every little thing about my family.”

Rayleigh quickly noticed that Anton’s attitude toward him had changed strangely. With fierce eyes, Rayleigh gritted his teeth.

“Baron Ragnell, what the hell are you doing with me?”

“Count Rayleigh, as you know, our family is going down. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I was well aware of that fact. That’s why I cling to you with the feeling of grasping at straws.”

“……”

“But I don’t think I can send it to you for my daughter’s happiness.”

“What’s the point of doing it now?”

“Didn’t I tell you? For my daughter’s happiness.”

“Stop talking nonsense and be honest.”

Rayleigh looked at Anton with glaring eyes. He had a completely different face from his harmless appearance. He took off the mask he had been wearing for so long.

“How much did that bastard say he would give you?”

Rayleigh grew annoyed at the sudden change.

All the scandals involving Rayleigh were true.

No nobleman would give his child to a violent man. Only Anton tried to hand over his daughter even after hearing the scandal. For Rayleigh, who had no marriage partner, this marriage was an opportunity that could never be missed.

Rayleigh also liked Liv quite a bit. He had to try not to frown every time he saw the scar, but he really liked the face on the other side without the scar.

It was enough to cover it with something, whether it was hair or a pillow. She was a country bumpkin who knew nothing, and even had a docile personality, and she seemed to accept everything he did. So he chose Liv.

He was the gentleman who rescued the poor woman whom no one wanted. Everyone would praise him for being great, and he would be able to rebuild his reputation that had fallen to the bottom.

Everything was perfect.

“How much did you pay to hand over your daughter to a back alley bastard? I’ll double the price he said.”

“He said he’d give me everything.”

“What?”

“He said he would give it all.”

“Hahahaha!”

Rayleigh started laughing as if he had heard something very funny.

“You believe that? What happened to your head?”

However, Anton’s expression didn’t change, and Rayleigh’s expression slowly hardened.

“On what grounds do you believe that?”

Anton brought a document that was lying on the desk. Rayleigh snatched the documents.

‘Dane…… Ragnell?’

It was written that Dane would have the surname Ragnell and that within five years all his property would belong to the Ragnell family.

Rayleigh’s hands trembled. Crazy bastard. He’s out of his mind. Otherwise, there was no way to write this ridiculous contract.

However, the contract in front of him is not false.

‘You’re going to hand over all your property to Ragnell? To get a woman with a hideous face that no one wants, either?’

It’s ridiculous. Such an absurd contract could not have been real. Rayleigh threw the contract on the desk like trash and left.

Anton lifted the contract that was lying helplessly on the desk.

A few days ago, a letter arrived in front of him. The sender was Dane.

He remembered the unpleasant feelings of the day and thought about tearing it apart, but he was curious about what he had said, so he opened it.

The contents written in powerful handwriting were simple and clear.

Instead of getting Ragnell, I’ll give you all of mine.

He found out what he meant by reading the enclosed contract.

Is this what it means to catch someone off guard? Anton had to swallow his dry saliva, holding a contract with an unbelievable content.

“Lady Ragnell!”

Rayleigh climbed up the stairs. The maid who was cleaning the second floor looked at him with surprise.

“Where is Liv?”

“The Lady is out. Maybe in the lake…….”

Rayleigh stepped roughly down the stairs.

When he arrived at the lake on horseback, he could see Liv. Liv sat looking at the lake. Rayleigh got off the horse and called Liv.

“Liv!”

Liv looked back. Her eyes widened when she saw Rayleigh running towards her.

“Carl?”

He hastily hugged Liv. Liv looked perplexed and struggled with her arms.

“W, what’s wrong with you?”

Liv was confused because she had never held hands with him. Liv reached out and pulled him away.

“What’s the matter?”

Rayleigh just stared blankly at Liv’s face. All he could trust was this woman’s heart.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes? That’s…… All of a sudden…….”

“As soon as I saw you, I fell in love at first sight. That’s why I came to Hale every day to see you.”

“…….”

“We have a lot in common. Don’t you know too? So marry me. We will surely live happily. I’ll make it that way. I will dedicate my everything to make you happy.”

His eyes were filled with eagerness. He wasn’t kidding, he meant it. Liv was troubled by the sudden proposal.

“I have…… I have never thought of you like that…….”

Rayleigh hurriedly grabbed Liv’s forearm. Liv frowned at the heavy touch.

“Do you know what your father is up to?”

“Yes?”

“He is trying to sell you off to a lowly man.”

“What do you……”

“Dane, that bastard made a deal with your father. On the condition of marrying you.”

‘I don’t know what he’s talking about. Marriage……’

Liv only looked up at Rayleigh with a dazed face.

“Your father is going to send you to that guy. A delicate woman like you doesn’t fit in with a guy who came from the back alley. You’ll know from the rumors too. The fact that his father sold himself in the back alley. Where do you think his blood came from? You’ll never be happy if you marry him! That’s why!”

“Stop! Stop!”

Liv roughly removed Rayleigh’s arm and lowered her head. It was uncomfortable to hear Dane’s rumor coming out of his mouth anymore.

“Please stop…… Say no more.”

“Liv…….”

“I…… I’m so confused right now…… I need to go today. Let’s meet next time.”

“Liv!”

Rayleigh reached out to Liv again, but Liv flatly rejected his hand.

“Don’t follow me!”

Liv felt uncomfortable with Rayleigh’s hands. She didn’t want to hear anything.

She started running without caring about her appearance. She was going to go back to the mansion right now and hear for herself how this happened.

Liv, who returned to the mansion, hurriedly opened the door to the study. It was a place she had never opened on her own since she was hated by Anton.

Anton sat down in his chair, letting out a ragged breath and watching Liv come in. From his calm appearance, Liv knew that what Rayleigh had said was true.

“How could you do that!”

Liv shouted at Anton in a screaming voice.

But he had already decided everything.

TL Notes:

[1] A hot fire lit up in his stomach is used to describe someone who is ready to do something with passion and determination. In this case, his anger rose to the highest point that he has no regard for his face (pride) anymore and is ready to say (do) anything.