CH 4

Did I say too much?

Because I was hasty, the words I said were abrasive.

If this was enough, this world would not be ruined, and I would not be forced to marry him.

Duke of Cassiar’s brows were slightly distorted, as expected. But, even if he frowned, I realized that his face was to my taste.

It would have been better to elevate this person above others if the ending wasn’t destruction, but that would be a shame.

“So, what’s your preference?”

“What?”

“Which part of me do you not like?”

With his poker face on, the Duke of Cassiar bent his body towards me. His flawless and beautiful face became clearer as the distance between us narrowed.

This was a face that surpasses all of my preferences.

In other words, he was just right!

However, it was no different from digging my own grave to convey my feelings. I had to pretend that I didn’t like him.

“First, those fierce leopard-like eyes! I prefer a gentle impression, like an obedient puppy.”

In fact, it was the Duke’s sharp eyes that I admired the most.

I pretended not to be interested in the Duke of Cassiar’s eyes.

“And what’s next?”

“Rather than black hair, I prefer mystical silver hair like mine. Dark hair makes it look darker, doesn’t it?”

I brushed my thick long silver hair boastfully.

Actually, my hair in my previous life was black.

I adore the quiet and desolate atmosphere! The best hair in the world is black hair!

“Certainly.”

“Yes?”

“It’s beautiful. Your silver hair.”

Even though he spoke casually, the Duke of Cassiar’s gaze was fixed on me.

Is that something you’re saying to entice me to fall for your sweet talk?

I was tempted to try to stop him.

Pull yourself together, Riel.

I shouldn’t be fooled by the Duke’s handsome face, let’s just imagine he was a stone.

The Duke of Cassiar was a talking stone. A beautiful stone that has been properly faced. 

Duke Cassiar fiddled with his comma-shaped bangs that were half turned upside down and made an expressionless face after hearing this story about my taste, which I actually spoke with a forked tongue. [1]

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention something important. I prefer the slicked back hair to the bangs down.”

“Slicked back hair?”

Duke Cassiar didn’t seem to understand what I was saying.

Of course. How could Duke know the words ‘slicked back hair’?

“My heart would pound if the bangs were pulled up instead of pulled down bangs.”

I kindly explained about the slicked back hair. In fact, I prefer lowered bangs.

I was glad the Duke was putting his hair back. If that was my cup of tea, my nose would be bleeding.

Anyway, no matter how badly Duke Cassiar needs me, he wouldn’t be offended if I said I didn’t want to marry him because he wasn’t my type.

My perfect victory was predicted.

You’re on your own now, and you have to end this marriage, Duke.

Duke Cassiar, as expected, ruthlessly ruffled his hair with one hand, most likely out of discomfort.

You’re not mad, are you?

Did I say it too straightforwardly?

I should have said it in a more vague way.  What if I get something bad as a result of this?

I crept like stray cats trying to escape whenever they saw a sign of danger.

“Like this?”

I looked up at Duke Cassiar, surprised by his voice, as I was trying to move as quietly as possible.

“This is to match your taste.”

Who are you? Are you an angel?

An angel with his bangs lowered stood in front of me, no, the Duke of Cassiar was staring at me strangely.

That’s my taste, Duke.

Is it possible for you to kidnap me now?

No. What am I thinking right now?

For a brief moment, he had such a good shot at my heart that I considered risking my life to marry him.

This was a risky situation.

At the end of the day, I was on the verge of falling in love with the world’s most handsome duke.

A question came to mind as I secretly sighed in relief.

The Duke could already kidnap me, according to the original story.

The Duke of Cassiar’s actions were strangely suspicious; he tried to match my preference as closely as possible, which was unsuitable for the role of villain.

I needed to be straightforward in this situation.

“Why are you disclosing such personal information to me? You treat me politely in front of my parents, and if you were the Duke, you could have taken me somewhere more convenient.”

I believed it was a scathing remark.

The villain’s decision to match my taste from head to toe must have been part of his plan.

He had a self-centered personality, and he even went to the trouble of pretending to be a nice person in front of my parents.

I almost missed the important part because I was preoccupied with the Duke’s appearance.

You cunning thug.

“You are right. If I make up my mind, it won’t be difficult to bring you to my mansion. I don’t want to be coercive, though.”

Duke, did you not drop your conscience somewhere?

I think you were coercive enough from the first meeting?

Duke Cassiar seemed sincere when he said that, and he hadn’t even started coercive measures yet.

Weren’t you going to lock me up in the Duke’s mansion if you had made up your mind?

“Then why don’t you just give up on me and go home?”

“It’s impossible.”

It was a serious suggestion, but Duke Cassiar shot it down with a single blow.

He was so adamant! You almost cut me!

You’re going to take me somewhere in the end.

Isn’t this a form of coercion?

“To tell you the truth, I’m mad because I can’t stand it anymore. Duke speaks as if you are speaking for me, but do  you realize that you are making others sacrifice for you? Isn’t it worth it to sacrifice my youth for the Duke’s sleep?”

Even the meekest person would eventually lose their temper. 

I wanted to say what I wanted to say confidently if I was going to be kidnapped by Duke Cassiar anyway.

With this, I was not sure if I’d be able to return to this mansion alive.

I was so resentful of the past at this point.

I didn’t have much time to spend with my family because I was so preoccupied with work. Simply because I didn’t have time for them.

Why do people have to go through it before they realize something is wrong?

I’m a complete moron.

It’s fine. It’s not yet over.

I tried to console myself by imagining a way to live like the heroine of another possessed novel I’d read. However, tears welled up as a result of the upheaval.

Why was I crying after saying it with relish?

It was pointless to yell at the Duke if I was being like this.

“Do you remember the people who were there on the day I first met you?”

“How am I going to remember all of those people? It was a holiday, and the street was packed.”

“Everyone there would have died if I hadn’t met you that day. Simply because of me.”

As he spoke those words, the Duke of Cassiar’s eyes looked forlorn, like a tree with only branches left in the winter.

His eyes were out of focus and seemed to have a heavy feeling of guilt that could not be easily erased, as if reminiscing about something. When I examined his face, it didn’t seem he was lying.

“It’s been a week since I’ve been unable to sleep. I was exhausted and taking sleeping pills didn’t have any effect, so I tried to drink excessively, but the more I drank, the more insane I became. I almost lost my rationality.”

Duke Cassiar shifted his gaze to me.

“Then you showed up, as if it were a planned meeting.”

Duke Cassiar was on the verge of a mana explosion the day I met him?

This was a story that wasn’t even told in the original.

I just found out for the first time. It dawned on me that the stories in the novel might not be representative of the entire world. Despite the fact that I was a character who didn’t not appear in the novel, there was a possibility.

Milter wasn’t even interested in Duke Cassiar, now that I think about it.

Maybe that was why the story about the Duke was based solely on surface rumors and sporadic encounters.

I might even be able to cure Duke Cassar if I get to know him well enough.

While I was organizing my thoughts, the Duke of Cassiar, who had been silent for a moment, spoke in a low voice.

“I don’t want any more innocent people to be sacrificed as a result of my actions. But that doesn’t mean I’m wasting your time. I am well aware that my proposal requires you to make a sacrifice.”

Duke Cassiar’s large hand grabbed my cheek as he strode over to me on his long legs.

As if to console me, his hand caressed my tears.

Was Duke Cassiar the kind of man who could comfort me?

Even now, Duke Cassiar did not resemble the villain I remembered from the novel.

Milter’s lover might have become Duke Cassiar if he had ever comforted her with this face.

Who wasn’t going to fall for it?

Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at him, who shone like a cartoon character.

“So I’d like to make amends in some way. It doesn’t matter if it’s about money, fame, or preference. Will you give me your power so that I can do whatever you want?”

I was well aware that the Duke of Cassiar was a vicious villain who haunted the main characters in the novel. But, at least for now, I felt like he was genuinely treating me.

“What I want is to avoid getting involved with the Duke as much as possible.”

“Do you want me to go to the Marquis’s mansion every day?”

Duke Cassiar’s brow was distorted by my straightforward remarks.

The villain was once again right in this case.

The romantic atmosphere of roses in full bloom had vanished as a result of this.

I had no intention of setting up a romance between Duke Cassiar and myself.

This was a survival game in which my life is on the line, so I must survive first.

Now I had to make a decision. Leaving Duke Cassiar alone in a yard without Milter was certainly risky.

And besides, it was a big deal if I turned down the Duke’s offer for nothing and let the Marquis go back and forth to the palace and run into a runaway.

“As you said, the marriage will be over if the Duke can sleep without me, right?”

“Yes. I’m not sure if there is such a method.”

The Duke of Cassiar’s concerns did not catch my ears.

If I thought about it, it was a situation where it was preferable to run into it rather than avoid it. Why did I always imagine myself being terrified and avoiding it?

“All right, I accept it. As the Duke said, there should be something to gain as much as what I sacrifice.”

For the time being, simply marrying the Duke of Cassar gives me a lot of benefits, such as elevating my status to that of a marquise and expanding the company’s market.

I’d lose my first marriage, but I’d never die as unjustly as Milter did if I married the Duke of Cassiar.

Of course, innocent people would not have to be harmed,

“Instead.”

As I clasped Duke Cassiar’s hand on my cheek, I smiled. 

If Duke Cassar can find a way to sleep alone, that is.

“There are conditions.”

I would be set free with wealth and honor.

──・・✧・・──

The following day, I went to the Duke of Cassiar’s. I arrived at Duke Cassiar’s mansion in the early afternoon.

“Do I really have to do this?”

The Duke of Cassiar, who appeared anxious, sat in a chair surrounded by a small gold decoration and stood in front of me, suspiciously looking at me.

“Duke, you must trust me completely. You made a promise to me. You will comply with all of my suggestions.”

At a glance, I could tell.

The Duke of Cassiar expressed regret for promising to fulfill my ‘condition’ within a day.

“I mean, isn’t this a little early? We haven’t even set a date for the wedding yet……”

I put my hand on Duke Cassiar’s chin and covered his mouth just as he was about to say something else.

“What’s so important about formality? The sooner the results, the better.”

I raised my lips and smiled at the Duke after subduing him with my gaze.

“So now it’s handed over to me. The entire Duke.”