CH 5

Men’s Speculation

***

“What? You’ve already found a marriage partner for Lucrezia?”

Falco was surprised to hear that Lucrezia had already gotten re-engaged and had left as if exiled.

“That’s right! And it’s to that famous Ugly Duke!”

Rosa laughs loudly.

Falco felt sorry for Lucrezia.

“What a terrible thing….”

“Why? Isn’t he the perfect partner for my sister! Nobody wants a woman who’s always gloomy, right?”

“That may be true, but…”

But Falco didn’t even hate Lucrezia, so he didn’t want her to be unhappy.

“I knew it, Falco-sama thought so too!”

Falco absent-mindedly thought of an idea.

‘I think I’ll go visit Lucrezia after a while to comfort her…. She must be sad because she was forced to marry a creepy, ugly man.’

Lucrezia’s face is not so bad, much like Rosa’s. She’s a great person to play with without any repercussions.

Falco is blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and good-looking, so he’s sure that if he’s a little nicer to her, Lucrezia will certainly fall for him.

‘Rosa, who is cute and soothing, is his wife, and Lucrezia, who is dark and boring, is his mistress, but only for her body. Wouldn’t that be great?’

For the time being, Falco decided to wait for his reunion with Lucrezia while keeping Rosa company.

***

Ramilio Pastore, the “Ugly Duke”, paced restlessly back and forth in his room.

After all, he had just recently broken off his engagement for the sixth time.

‘I don’t think any woman wants to marry me anymore.’

Just as he was feeling weak, a seventh marriage proposal came in.

The letter from the Duke of Serravalle said, [My family is descended from the brother of the previous king, and I have given my daughter a good education, and she is well educated enough to be a princess. However, since her fiancé changed his mind to her younger sister, I no longer need her. I am looking for anyone who will take her.]

Ramilio felt sympathy for the daughter of the Duke.

He himself had been the victim of six absurdly broken engagements, so he understood the feelings of those who are abandoned.

The girl must have lost her confidence.

He was prepared to accept any daughter, but…

Today, a portrait was sent from the other party.

Without a second thought, he unwrapped the cloth protecting the canvas and was so surprised at the picture.

The portrait depicted a beautiful young girl, with silver hair, looking like a large, blooming rose.

Portraits are often portrayed in a beautified manner, but her beauty was so astonishing that he thought it was an exaggeration of her beauty. Even an actress in need of publicity material would have their portraits painted with a little more modesty.

“…… Isn’t it a scam?”

Even Bosco, Ramilio’s close aide, mumbled unintentionally.

“The locals call her by the nickname “The White-Haired Lady”. Could it be that some swindler has teamed up with a prostitute and is trying to sneak in by pretending to be the daughter of a royal family?”

“The duke’s explanation was that her younger sister was more attractive, but there is no flaw in the person herself.…..”

“I find that hard to believe. If it were true, he wouldn’t have to send a letter of invitation to such a rural area, but would still be sought after by other aristocrats.”

“You think so too? I’m actually beginning to think it’s a scam myself.”

The portrait was that wonderful.

If “The White-Haired Lady” was half as beautiful as this portrait, Ramilio must be a very lucky man. After six broken engagements, he could boast with pride that he had finally married a goddess.

However, reality is not that sweet. Ramilio was a bit familiar with the harshness of the world because he had suffered so much because of his looks.

“….Let’s go at it a little more carefully. Gather more information.”

“I think that would be better.”

He ordered his aides to find out more about the daughter’s personality.

He sent people to the Illuminati Kingdom and waited.

When they gathered up rumors about the “White-Haired Lady”, they found that the story of how she broke off her engagement with the marshal’s son was circulating with a trail of rumors.

They said, “There seems to be something wrong with her mind.”

“The marshal’s son is tired of dealing with the white-haired daughter and has fallen in love with her beautiful sister.”

“When the engagement was broken off, the white-haired daughter went crazy with jealousy and almost killed the marshal’s son and her father.”

“Unable to suppress her jealousy of her sister, she used to pick on her every day, criticizing her manners and bullying her severely.”

However, there were also those who regretted her absence.

Apparently, she was favored by the Marshal and his wife for her linguistic abilities, and from early on she was in and out of the court, even assisting in diplomacy as an interpreter. They couldn’t probe deeper into the matter, as it seemed to involve state secrets.

‘It’s all just gossip and rumors, isn’t it?’

After reading through all the rumors circulating, Ramilio became increasingly sympathetic.

He, too, had been given the humiliating nickname of “Ugly Duke”. He has seen firsthand how gossip can be laced with outrageous lies and slander. There were nights when he couldn’t sleep because of the rumors that Duke Pastore was responsible for the bizarre murders that were taking place in the territory.

‘The “White-Haired Lady” herself is probably a bright girl. She must have been hurt by the mindless slander.’

“It seems that the story of the broken engagement and the search for a new engagement partner for the white-haired lady is true.”

“It would seem so.”

“And the letter is authentic too, no doubt…..”

“It is possible that the portrait was just painted too beautifully.”

If that’s all there is to it, there is no problem. Even Ramilio had a hard time with his looks. He doesn’t have any intention to complain about the duke’s daughter’s appearance.

Ramilio thought about it for a while and came to a conclusion.

“For the time being, I think I’ll go ahead and ask for a marriage proposal.”

“That sounds good. Celebrating the cancellation of the 7th engagement will be exciting.”

“I hope you won’t assume that it’s going to be annulled.”

“I hope you won’t be discouraged by the fact that she is a beautiful girl.”

“Don’t be silly, there’s no way I would be discouraged now. My offer is just to liven things up, so to speak. If my presence can add even one more suitor in line, she’ll feel better.”

Bosco looked at him with an indescribable expression.

“What, did I say something strange?”

“No. However, I pity the thought that if even a fraction of this kindness had been conveyed to the young lady, she would have been married by now.”

“Shut up, you!”

He said it in a not-so-pitying tone, so Ramilio became annoyed and forced to end the conversation.

Although he had asked for her hand in marriage, from the beginning, he had not expected to be chosen.

So when he later received news from the duke that she had “already left for his territory”, his mouth was agape.

He wasn’t sleepwalking. No matter how many times he reread the letter, it says so.

[The rumors that have been circulating in the court have caused my daughter to have a mental breakdown. I have decided that it is in her best interest that she be sent for medical treatment as soon as possible. Please take care of the rest.]

There was also a plausible reason.

However, it was too insane.

It was insane to send her when they have not yet exchanged any kind of engagement agreement.

In extreme cases, what would they do if Ramilio was a pervert with a bizarre hobby? Wouldn’t it be too late if something happened to his daughter?

And the fact that this message was delivered so fast means that she will arrive within a few days.