Chapter 1 – Part 5

“I don’t have any recommendations, and I don’t have any experience working as a housemaid.”

“The job mainly involves basic household chores, so there won’t be a need for any special training, and we’re giving priority to those with some sort of status. This place is just a middle ground, and the decision on hiring will be made by noble families anyway.”

As if rejection wasn’t an option, the employee thrust out what appeared to be a letter of recommendation from an employment agency. Liese accepted in a daze.

“The pay is incomparably high compared to sewing work. Please consider it. We are looking for a temporary worker, not a live-in maid, so it’s easily manageable as a side job.”

‘A high salary’. Her gaze naturally fell onto the letter of recommendation and the undeniable offer.

It was addressed to the Duke of Balthasar del Bachmann’s residence.

***

Bachmann was a lively and romantic city.

The central train station was always bustling with people coming and going, and the Mellir River flowing under the clear sky captured the attention of passersby.

Near the square with a grand fountain, there was a pointed clock tower and buildings with crimson roofs stretching into the distance.

The city, absorbing the warm currents of the western region and the refined architectural styles of the northern part, had no unattractive areas.

Duke Balthasar’s residence was situated at the highest point there; it is not an exaggeration to call it a majestic mansion.

The view from the duke’s office in the center of the mansion’s main building was especially spectacular, with tall windows that let in the romance of the city.

Inside, Marcus observed the city with indifferent eyes.

Sitting at a large ebony desk, occasionally puffing on a cigarette, he tilted his head slightly towards the window. His face looked extremely boring to anyone who saw it.

“Look at this. It’s a pink envelope!”

A man’s laughing voice caught his attention. Marcus cast a glance towards a coffee table a few steps away.

Trevor, his fellow cadet and a long-time friend, held up one of the stacked letters.

“It’s from Lady Dawson. Can I read it?”

“As you please.”

Marcus, with a dry tone, raised both legs onto the desk.

Despite the papers fluttering messily to the ground as he did so, he paid no attention and continued to smoke.

Trevor, with an expectant face, tore open the envelope. Sitting with a comical posture, he adjusted his voice.

“My dear Duke Balthasar, I hope you have arrived safely in Bachmann. My heart still lingers on the last night of the victory ceremony. Phew”

Adding a tone of amusement while reading, Trevor couldn’t hold back a chuckle. He turned to Marcus with a playful expression.

“Seems quite straightforward from Lady Dawson. What kind of magic did you use on that quiet lady to make her send scented letters even from a piece of paper?”

“Maybe she had a wonderful night.”

“Didn’t you give her a night to die for before that?”

Marcus took a long drag on his cigarette, exhaling a lazy stream of white smoke instead of answering. His impassive gaze didn’t even reach the letter in Trevor’s hand.

“Just tell us, Marcus. What on earth did you do?”

“Did what?”

There was a certain sarcasm in the ending tone. Trevor gave me an exasperated look.

“Come on. Look at this. She can’t forget the last night for some reason.”

The way he whined, clutching the pink letter, was almost pathetic. Eric, sitting across from Trevor, clicked his tongue sarcastically.

“Stop exaggerating. Even if he tells us, there’s nothing you can make use of with that.”

“My reputation may be like this, but I am the third son of an Earl. I am especially popular with ladies who want to roam freely… you know?”

“I don’t know. Marcus and you may have different cards, but are you on the same level in the game?”

“I don’t think Lady Dawson finds the game too difficult.”

A sly smile appeared on Trevor’s face.

“Anyway, it seems like she has fallen hard for you, Marcus. I could tell by the way she clung to your arm and rubbed her chest against you until the last day of the party. Poor Haley Dawson, she’s got a lot on her mind thanks to that insensitive duke.”

“I don’t think Marcus chose his partner on the basis that as long as she wore a skirt like yours, it was a well-thought-out decision, because if it wasn’t for her, every lady in the capital would be pouncing on him like dogs.”

“Are you the spokesperson for the Duke, or what?”

Eric shook his head at Trevor’s outburst.

The office was then filled with Trevor’s loud voice as he continued reading the letter. Eric had to discreetly check if the Duke was uncomfortable with the situation.

Marcus, still with his eyes lowered, continued to gaze out of the window.

Ever since the terrible war had come to an end, the Duke had seemed strangely dull. He should be celebrating the fact that he had just laid down his heavy burdens and received a medal of honor, but was he bored?

In the sunlight piercing through the glass, Marcus’s hair sparkled like strands of bright golden sand. His pupils contracted, making his striking azure eyes radiate a subtle shade. Even Eric, who had observed the Duke longer than Trevor, couldn’t help but admire his appearance.

On the day Marcus returned to Bachmann, receiving the acclaim of the citizens and then casually returning to his estate through back alleys, it was a moment that somewhat justified his actions.

It was hardly worth the hassle of dealing with the hordes of people who were thrilled to see him in uniform, with his eye-catching features and burly frame. The Duke of Balthasar was the center of attention at the capital’s triumphant ceremonies throughout the week.

Eric’s attention was drawn back to the stack of letters on the coffee table.

“Have you found a partner for the upcoming event?”

Marcus still had his eyes fixed on the window when Eric casually inquired.

“Summer parties are approaching. Everywhere I go, people talk about it. Do you have someone in mind?”

“Are you going to bestow another honor upon Lady Dawson?”

Trevor, interrupting as he picked up another letter, inserted himself into the conversation. Eric glanced at him with a disdainful look.

“I suppose this season’s partner is special. It’s the first formal event since the war’s end.”

There was a superstition that couples formed during such events could last for a hundred years, especially during a summer gathering that lasted for three months.

As a publicly accepted belief, the three-month-long summer conclave was overflowing with nobles eager to make connections with the children of prominent families. Even Eric, who recently succeeded in his title, was troubled with partner selection. Marcus, who had long established himself as a Duke, had no need to mention his situation.

All the letters occupying the office were written with the intention of becoming Marcus’s partner for the upcoming social season.

As the host of the event in Bachmann, the attention was naturally on the young Duke. As a heroic, unmarried aristocrat who had announced his victory loudly, he inevitably attracted the attention of all participants.

The partner for this social event could be implicitly considered a candidate for a future engagement.

“Well… even if you just put a dot on the reply, a woman would come running to be your partner. Isn’t that right?”

Trevor, smirking, turned to Marcus again. Marcus, whom they expected to dismiss the comment with his usual indifference, surprisingly responded.

“If you only choose predictable actions, life becomes dull.”

“Oh… Is that what Lady Hailey Dawson is like?”

“Anyone.”

Marcus picked up a crystal ashtray and tapped his cigarette. In the breeze coming through the open window, his lush blonde hair fluttered. Eric, sensing that Marcus had something on his mind, spoke up.

“How about gathering at the club for lunch this weekend? I’ve prepared some Belport Mountain whiskey. We can have a drink with fellow comrades and play cards.”

Trevor, showing excitement, clapped his hands.

“That sounds great! Is there anything more enjoyable than sipping a solitary drink at the gentleman’s club while gambling? It would be perfect if there are lovely ladies as well.”

“Stop it. If the Earl learns about your disgraceful behavior, he might just resign in disgust.”

“He won’t know until you tell him. Will the Duke join us for such a lively daytime event?”

With the expression of someone lost in thought, Marcus opened his mouth.

“I’m afraid I’ve got a prior engagement and can’t join you.”

“Come on. If you’re not there, how will we have fun betting?”

“Didn’t you beg me not to involve you in gambling just the day before yesterday?”

“Hehe. With you around, the ladies swarm like ants to a honey pot.”

Chuckling unabashedly, Trevor rubbed the bridge of his nose and stood up, then picked up his lighter and lit the end of Marcus’s cigarette.

After gladly taking a puff of smoke, Marcus casually slapped Trevor’s thigh in front of him. Startled by the unexpected violence, Trevor jumped up.

“Why did you hit me?”

“Don’t act all foolish in front of me.”

Marcus ordered in a monotone. Trevor, looking dumbfounded, reacted a beat late.

“What else is there to do in front of the general other than act foolish? Besides, I’ve been discharged from the military!”

A merciless kick was delivered again. Trevor rolled on the floor in agony.

“Don’t whine like a child.”

Under the stern reprimand, Trevor quickly stood up and retreated. He raised one foot, walking away with a stiff gait as if he had been hurt. Tears seemed to be trickling down his face from the pain.

Marcus’s expression softened a bit as he watched Trevor’s ridiculous antics. Eric sneaked a smirk at the satisfaction of secretly seeing someone get beaten by that arrogant personality.

Of course, Trevor deserved the beating for his actions… He even got hit in the military whenever there was an opportunity.

Anyway, the explosive temperament of the Duke, who might lose his temper and kick someone out for the slightest mistake, was also a problem. The unpredictability of when and where the Duke’s judgment would go wrong was even more troubling.

‘I feel sorry for the young lady, who’s going to be the Duke’s partner, because she’s going to have a hard time dealing with his unruly personality if she’s stuck with him for the entire social season.’

In a situation that didn’t concern him at all, Eric silently wished luck to the young lady, whose face she couldn’t picture yet.

He bowed his head in silence, not wanting to give away his thoughts. No one was immune to being pounded by a man whose whims could be anything.

Exhaling cigarette smoke, Marcus leaned back in his high-backed chair. Trevor, who was hopping around in pain where he was hit, was pitiful enough to be worth a momentary glance.

Marcus’s gaze turned back to the window. The dazzling sunlight was coloring the Mellir River far away.