***

Central Hessen Empire, Schwerin Ducal Residence.

The young master of this enormous mansion was silently glaring at a report in his ancestral office.

“…….”

The report contained information that the divine beast egg, which had been managed for hundreds of years at the Schwerin ducal family’s private estate in the south, was showing signs of hatching soon.

The birth of a new divine beast was such a significant event that it garnered attention not only from the temple but also from the imperial palace.

However, what was truly and rudely capturing Duke Schwerin Eric’s attention was the cheap weekly magazine partially visible beneath the report, with only its corner showing.

The headline of the hidden magazine read:

「The Natural Disaster of High Society, Lady Rabius

Repents After Food Shower at May Festival」

It was an article from a low-quality magazine that exaggerated worthless news for shock value.

Yet Eric had been unable to throw away this kindling, which he would normally have ignored, for a whole month.

The bitter connection he had formed with the protagonist of that ridiculous article was too severe.

“…Callia Rabius.”

***

During the time when Eric Schwerin was a young duke, he had never once calculated the possibility of becoming her lover.

“You all. You said you’d adore me if I wore white clothes.”

He had only watched from a distance and despised how she treated nobles from humble families like servants.

“This is truly the worst. Such thoughtless pranks at a banquet that also serves as a debutante for young ladies.”

“Hey, Eric. Lighten up. She is the Rabius Lady after all.”

“Whoever ends up marrying a woman like that, I already feel terribly sorry for them.”

“That’s true. She might be fine as a lover, but as a wife, absolutely…”

After having such pointless conversations with his friends, fellow sons of high noble families, he easily dismissed the name ‘Callia Rabius’ from his mind.

But when the elderly Duke and Duchess Schwerin departed from this world on the same day, the situation changed drastically.

Eric was the only child born late in life to the Schwerin ducal couple. Because of this, he had been receiving succession training since before he could even walk.

However, the process of inheriting the ducal title and shouldering the enormous family before even coming of age was by no means smooth.

Relatives tried to take over the ducal family’s business rights under the fine-sounding pretext of lightening the young duke’s burden.

Eric had to face the ugly side of relatives he had considered his allies until he was sick of it.

There were also countless swindlers approaching him, eyeing the duke’s wealth while taking advantage of his weak support base, to the point where he nearly developed a distrust of all humans.

Whenever he felt lost, Eric would remind himself inwardly. He was no longer a young duke who only needed to enjoy his rights, but had a duty to take responsibility for the Schwerin ducal family.

‘I will judge people carefully, but once I’ve reached a conclusion, I won’t back down.’

After establishing such a conviction and finding his balance as the head of the family, he was twenty-three.

The family elders, who had become more cautious of his temperament after a round of house-cleaning, began subtly suggesting an engagement.

They said he should bring in a mistress of the house and produce an heir to stabilize the family.

It was a reasonable suggestion, but when he saw the list of engagement candidates, he felt discouraged.

Most of the ladies listed as first priority were relatives of the elders. Their intentions were so transparent that he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

‘There’s nothing to gain except loyalty, and it might even lead to overstepping of authority.’

After evaluating them mercilessly, Eric looked at the lower-priority list.

They were ladies from families that wouldn’t be bad choices, but wouldn’t bring much benefit to the Schwerin ducal family either.

Setting aside his personal preferences and judging as the head of the family, Eric still found the selection unsatisfactory.

‘Considering that marriage is a union between families, this level is insufficient.’

It couldn’t be helped. Even including the imperial family, there were fewer than five families superior to the Schwerin ducal family in terms of wealth or power.

Since there was only the young Emperor, who had ascended to the throne through a family struggle, as imperial blood, there wasn’t even a suitable imperial princess.

In fact, even if there had been one, the Emperor, who was politically obsessed with strengthening imperial power, would never have given an imperial princess to the Schwerin ducal family, leader of the traditional nobility faction.

With a throbbing headache, Eric picked up the first-priority list he had thrown aside.

…There was exactly one candidate who wasn’t a relative of his vassals.

Callia Rabius. The only ducal lady in the Hessen Empire.

She belonged to the same nobility faction, was one year older, making her similar in age to him, and had recently broken off an engagement, leaving the position of fiancé vacant.

But the paper recording Callia’s personal details was soon mercilessly crumpled in Eric’s hand.

She was a woman who changed fiancés for fun.

She was the absolute antithesis of his ideal of a stable marital relationship based on trust.

“Damn it…”

Eric let out a deep sigh.

Calculating coldly, Callia Rabius would be the best marriage partner if one excluded her personal temperament.

She was currently the most noble-blooded woman in the Empire, and her family’s power and wealth were comparable to the Schwerin ducal family, lacking nothing.

Again, if only it weren’t for that temperament.

“……”

Eric Schwerin convinced himself.

‘You are not a young duke who only needs to enjoy your rights, but the head representing this family.’

Having resolved to enter a political marriage anyway, he had no expectation of feelings like love blossoming in the marital relationship.

As for Callia Rabius’s capricious and violent personality… if he let her indulge in luxury as she wished and threw parties for her, wouldn’t it be somewhat manageable?

Even without her dowry, the Schwerin ducal family had money rotting in abundance.

After the engagement, they would have heirs, and in the worst case, divorce would be acceptable.

Neither of them would have difficulty living their own lives if that happened.

The business relationship between the two families, which would be promoted through the political marriage, would continue to function reasonably well.

The Duke and young Duke Rabius he knew, were men who could distinguish between public and private matters.

Eric made his decision and sent a proposal to the Rabius ducal family.

Since the families were of equal rank and the parties involved had similar conditions, the engagement proceeded smoothly.

Even by Callia Rabius’s demanding standards, Eric Schwerin would have been flawless.

Appearance, social status, wealth, and everything else.

No, just one thing. She didn’t seem to like his personality either.

“Is it because you became a duke at such a young age? You’re the most disagreeable man I’ve ever met, Eric.”

“The feeling is mutual, Callia.”

That was the conversation they had while placing engagement rings on each other’s fingers.

Eric had no intention of bending over backwards in the name of gentlemanly virtue, as men from humble families typically did with Callia.

He expected that Callia Rabius, if she had any sense, would understand the benefits this engagement would bring her and would be able to compromise and get along reasonably well.

Or so he thought.

“Hello, Eric?”

“…Callia Rabius.”

“Ah, what an interesting expression.”

How should one react to a woman who not only boldly meets other men, but receives kisses from another man right in front of her fiancé?

What Eric felt seeing Callia was not jealousy but anger and fatigue.

Their engagement was not a personal dalliance but a contract between two families that required fulfilling obligations.

At least that’s what Eric thought.

“I’ve never thought I was an inadequate match for you.”

“That’s exactly your flaw, Eric. Look at these men. Unlike you, they’re docile. They know how to bow.”

“Callia. If that’s what you want, you should seek a servant, not a husband.”

He had considered her personality a minor issue compared to her bloodline and wealth.

But considering that her male entourage would likely continue even after marriage, she was clearly unsuitable as a spouse.

When he witnessed with his own eyes her hurling insults at the saint of the Celestial Temple, whom the Emperor was politically courting, and splashing wine on her dress, and at the imperial palace no less.

That’s when his judgment was confirmed.

“What saint? If you’ve come to beg, know your place properly.”

Whether through affairs or behavior that showed no consideration for others. She was someone who would ruin the ducal family.

Eric wasn’t a spineless fool who would enter a marriage that was clearly going to be the grave of his life.

It was an engagement undertaken solely out of responsibility and mutual interest, and based on his year-long observation of Callia, breaking it off was the only answer.

Having reached his conclusion, Eric made thorough preparations and headed to the Rabius ducal residence.

There, he met with Duke Rabius, completed all the necessary paperwork for breaking the engagement, and stood before his fiancée.

“Good morning. Have you been well-“

“The thought of spending my life with a woman like you makes me sick.”

Cutting off Callia Rabius, who was casually raising her hand in greeting, and showing such blatant contempt was all the result of careful calculation.

Common sense dictated that a man requesting to break an engagement should behave as courteously as possible to avoid hurting the other party.

But he knew that if he approached Callia with a humble attitude, she would seize the opportunity to refuse to break the engagement.

‘If I come on strong, she’ll obviously go wild with rage, but…’

He was prepared to have his hair pulled as the price of misjudgment.

With his resolve firm, Eric stared coldly at his fiancée with icy blue eyes.

Eventually, Callia met his gaze and asked with a bewildered face.

“Um, is cursing instead of greeting the new fashion in high society these days?”