Chapter 14

Fortunately, the two misunderstood Rivera’s reaction.

“Why are you so startled? Duke Bartman is a healthy man, isn’t he? So, it wouldn’t be strange to consider him as a romantic prospect.”

“Uh… Do you think Adrian and I suit each other?”

“Hmm?”

“What kind of response is that?”

Julia, seemingly unsure, looked innocently at Rivera as if she hadn’t heard anything, then turned to Cassilia beside her. Cassilia, with a look that said, ‘What do you expect me to do?’ replied bluntly.

“You act like you can handle everything yourself, but when things get tough, you throw it at me?”

“This kind of thing is your specialty.”

Cassilia was always cast as the villain. She sighed deeply and gave her advice.

“You always dump these things on me.”

Despite her complaint, Cassilia didn’t hold back her earnest advice for Rivera.

“Listen, Rivera. This might be hard to hear, but you and Duke Bartman don’t match. From a noble’s perspective, in terms of family, ability, and even appearance, Duke Bartman is too good for you. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes…”

A blade invisible to the eye seemed to pierce her chest.

“But that’s just from a noble’s perspective. If you set aside titles and social backgrounds, you and Duke Bartman actually suit each other.”

“…What?”

Rivera blinked, confused, as she listened to Cassilia.

“The Duke is only kind to you. Have you ever been afraid of Duke Bartman, even once?”

Rivera shook her head.

“There, you see? Duke Bartman is cold to people like us, but not to you. When he’s around us, it feels like our hearts freeze, but you don’t feel that coldness, do you?”

It was true. Adrian seemed like a completely different person when he was with others.

“That’s why I think you’d do well in a relationship with him.”

“Is that all?”

“Loving someone while being afraid of them is contradictory. Since you’re the only one who isn’t scared of him, maybe you’re the one meant to stand by his side.”

Julia gave Cassilia a thumbs-up, saying she was impressive, and suggested Rivera think deeply about it.

“We’re at the age where we need to start considering marriage. We can’t just date forever, so shouldn’t we carefully decide on someone we can be with for a long time?”

“I’ll think about it.”

***

The conversation she had with her friends that day lingered in her mind. Though she was only twenty-four, the idea that she was of marriageable age felt strange.

Still, she agreed with the notion of carefully choosing someone for a serious relationship.

‘Marriage still feels far off for me, though.’

Since overthinking wouldn’t solve anything, she decided to let it go and enjoy breakfast with her family.

‘If there’s one good thing about being reborn, it’s the food.’

The table was laden with dishes so delicious she never grew tired of them. Rivera eagerly ate her soup, thinking about how dining with Adrian often meant even better meals.

As she enjoyed the warm soup, she noticed a sharp gaze directed at her.

“Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?”

The Earl and Countess of Iaron exchanged glances, seemingly wanting to say something.

“Daughter.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to attend a marriage meeting?”

What did I just hear?

“You once said you wanted to build a happy family. Does that dream still hold?”

That was something she had said over three years ago. Seeing her parents bring up such an old topic, Rivera put down her spoon and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?”

After much deliberation, her parents handed her a letter.

“This arrived for you yesterday morning.”

The letter, which they urged her to read, contained a simple greeting followed by some rather incomprehensible words.

[It is with great regret that I must write to you through a letter. Even in the country where I was born, tales of your beauty have reached my ears, sparking my interest.]

‘Is this… a love letter?’

Rivera checked who the sender was.

“…The Crown Prince of Lenin?”

She had never met him before.

Rivera continued reading the letter, then rechecked it to confirm it was addressed to her.

It was indeed addressed to her, Lady Rivera Iaron, but she couldn’t help but wonder if there was someone else with the same name. The contents of the letter were so overly sentimental that they made her cringe.

[When I first saw your hair, dyed beautifully like the first bloom of spring, I thought I had fallen gravely ill. Sleepless nights became frequent, and when I called for a priest, I was told it was lovesickness. Unable to bear it any longer, I send you this letter, hoping to meet you. I cannot imagine a day without you and wish to spend my life by your side.]

As Rivera’s face twisted in discomfort, the Earl of Iaron spoke at the perfect moment.

“He says he wishes to marry you and will visit next week.”

“Is he crazy?”

Her mother raised her voice in shock.

“Rivera!”

“How can someone talk about love and propose marriage when we’ve never even met?”

“You used to say you liked all men.”

That was before Adrian came into her life. Things were different now. It had been a week since she started dating Adrian. They met daily, had no major arguments, and he hadn’t mentioned breaking up.

‘Honestly, I thought he’d break up with me on the seventh day, which is why I attended the party.’

She had gone to the party to confirm his intentions, thinking it would be too sad to be dumped via letter.

If he had suggested going back to being friends, she had planned to say she was relieved to end such a troublesome relationship and return to their previous dynamic. But one wrong word nearly led to disaster.

That night, when Rivera asked if their contract was still valid, Adrian took her to a secluded spot.

– Why are we here?

– You said you wanted to check if the contract was still valid.

– Then why are you taking off your pants?

Seeing his silent smile, she realized what he meant. While the contract hadn’t explicitly stated it, there was one thing he had desired: for her to fulfill his physical needs.

‘I thought I’d lose my mind that night.’

As the party neared its end, couples retreated to the garden to spend passionate nights together. Hidden among them, Rivera found herself trapped in Adrian’s arms, stifling her own sounds.

“Anyway, I’m not interested. Besides, I’m already seeing someone.”

“What? I heard you broke up…”

“How do you know that? No, that’s not the point. I’m dating someone else now.”

“How long has it been?”

“A week.”

Her parents exchanged glances before speaking again.

“Then just meet His Highness the Crown Prince once. He might be better than the person you’re seeing now. It’s not polite to refuse outright when a Crown Prince himself is coming.”

Rivera tilted her head, lost in thought.

“Couldn’t it be an impostor? It’s strange no matter how you look at it.”

Though she wanted to get married, she felt she had to avoid this match.

Having been betrayed by men over thirty times, she had become cautious.

“What’s strange about it?”

Did they truly not understand?

“Think about it. First, I’ve never been to the Kingdom of Lenin, nor have I met anyone from there.”

“Maybe he saw you somewhere. I heard he’s been visiting the capital often.”

“But he’s a Crown Prince, right? If he saw me, I would’ve seen him too. I don’t remember seeing him. Secondly, it’s all too rushed. I may like men, but I’m not desperate enough to talk about marriage on a first meeting.”

She wasn’t about to fall for a cliché confession of love at first sight.

Seeing Rivera’s firm stance, the Countess of Iaron tried to calm her down.

“Not everyone marries for love. Things can change after marriage.”

“Then why did you oppose Grandfather’s plans to marry you off to an ordinary man and have a child with Father after just one night…”

“Oh my, Rivera… How do you know that…!”

Ignoring her mother’s flustered reaction, Rivera pressed on.

“You married for love. Why can’t I?”

“Why don’t you like him?”

“For now…”

Feeling exasperated, Rivera showed her parents the Crown Prince’s portrait.

“He’s not my type.”

Judging someone by their looks might be shallow, but he didn’t seem like he’d be good in bed. How could someone look so frail, even in a portrait?

“If I hit him, he’d probably faint.”

Her married friends had told her that a man’s physical prowess mattered more than his wealth. They advised her to confirm such things before marriage since marital satisfaction largely depended on it.

Though she couldn’t say this to her parents, she wondered if she could ask the Crown Prince about his abilities before deciding.

“You shouldn’t think about hitting the next king…”

“It’s just a figure of speech. Besides…”

A responsible parent would investigate the man’s character before sending their daughter off.

“What’s his personality like? Since he sent a proposal, you must’ve looked into him.”

“His personality? It’s… good?”

Her father hesitated.

It wasn’t good. They hadn’t even met him. Yet, her parents were blindly pushing for the marriage.

There could only be one reason.

“Are we running out of money?”

“What…?”

“Are we so broke that you’re selling me off?”

Was I too blunt?

“How… how could you say that…”

So, that wasn’t it. Then what was the reason? Did he have some kind of irresistible charm that captivated my parents?

“We must’ve raised her wrong… How could she say such things…”

“…Dear!”

Seeing her parents on the verge of fainting, Rivera decided it was time to stop.

“Fine. I understand. I’ll meet him.”