Chapter 6

It was Ethan Inglebert, famously known as the notorious libertine of Aerondo.

He was the head of the esteemed Inglebert Marquisate and, recently, the rising representative of Goldright, but his private life was so controversial that he frequently appeared in gossip magazines.

Ethan, smiling at the women surprised to see him, the Marquis Inglebert, took the large bouquet handed to him by his aide.

“You really clock in every single day.”

Since the day Yvonne Sellus settled here, the owner who brought bouquets and gifts every single day was scolded by Jayde.

“I have to come. Comforting a beautiful woman who’s heartbroken is a gentleman’s basic virtue, isn’t it?”

“I say that because you’re not actually comforting a heartbroken lady.”

“Oh, Jayde. Have you ever been inside my heart?”

“Do I really need to go in to know? After serving you for ten years, it’s obvious. Or did you eat something seriously wrong?”

Ethan, a noble who valued gentlemanly virtues and Jayde’s master, smiled as he grabbed Jayde’s shoulder, who shook his head, unable to understand what went on in his master’s mind.

“That’s just your opinion. Go have lunch nearby. This will take a while.”

Sending off his grumbling aide, Ethan walked toward the courtyard, thick with the scent of flowers. The grass, pressed by his high-end Duelshan leather shoes, rustled as it flattened.

Standing at the front door, Ethan glanced at his handsome face reflected in the window beside the entrance and curled his lips.

He was about to ring the doorbell, but carefully closed his hand and knocked briefly on the door a couple of times.

After a moment of quiet, the door opened and a woman with large, gentle, deer-like eyes peeked out.

“How are you feeling today, Lady Yvonne?”

Ethan, smiling as brightly as his golden hair, handed Yvonne a bouquet of roses. He also gave her the smile that drove women crazy.

But Yvonne, instead of immediately accepting the flowers, glanced behind Ethan to check if any reporters were present, then gently pulled the door open.

“Come in.”

The only man chosen by Yvonne among those who had courted her over the past week walked leisurely into the house.

“You came again today?”

Ethan, skipping over the bouquets filling the room, handed her the roses he brought.

“A beautiful lady is deeply heartbroken, so I thought I should comfort her.”

Ethan, smiling with his eyes, sat in the middle of the beige sofa as if it were his own spot, having worn down the threshold over the past week.

“It’s finally quiet. Even yesterday, all the young men in Aerondo, who didn’t even know you were here, crowded in.”

“Maybe everyone changed their minds after seeing today’s article? Isn’t that why you purposely distributed the photo?”

Yvonne, a little annoyed, handed him the newspaper, and Ethan raised his eyebrows as if he’d already checked it.

“I told you they wouldn’t come if they saw photos of us together. I didn’t want you to feel troubled.”

“You did it for me?”

“For multiple reasons.”

His gently curved eyes were mischievous yet attractive.

Yvonne looked at the man who spoke so briefly. Though it wasn’t their first meeting, they weren’t close enough to speak informally, yet his manner of speaking didn’t bother her—perhaps because of his naturally bright image.

If Carlisle was seen as masculine, with a robust build and striking, sculpted features, Ethan fit the description of delicate.

Having only seen men with expressionless faces, she felt the contrast more strongly with Ethan’s vivid expressions.

“I know you purposely leaked the photo. You hinted to the reporters to take pictures of us together to get rid of your competitors.”

“Ah. That’s a bit disappointing. Those guys could never be my competitors.”

Yvonne, feeling as if she glimpsed Carlisle in Ethan’s natural confidence—not arrogance, but a belief formed from living that way—asked,

“Can you stop pretending to worry about me and get to the point?”

“Well. Do you think I have another intention toward you, Lady Yvonne?”

Meanwhile, Ethan took the teacup brought by the maid and looked at Yvonne as he sipped his tea.

At his leisurely attitude, Yvonne asked, as if urging him to reveal his intentions.

“You want something from me. I know you’ve been subtly hoping I’d act a certain way.”

Ethan, who had quietly observed her over the past week, threw out his words as if it was nothing.

“You must resent your husband. Don’t you want revenge?”

Drawing the conversation in the direction he wanted was Ethan’s style—even if his intention was obvious.

But it was only because he let it be obvious. The other party felt superior for having figured out his intention—a kind of dependency.

Ethan rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward slightly. His gaze, looking directly at the woman who married without making use of her beautiful appearance, flickered with strange curiosity.

“Stop looking at people and speak honestly, Lady Yvonne. That way I’ll know if I should get involved or not.”

As his gaze lingered, Yvonne slowly began, fiddling with the slender bracelet on her wrist.

“For a while, I want you to pretend to be in a relationship with me.”

The gentle expression that had always lingered on Ethan’s face faded a little.

“You’re asking me to become the ultimate villain who seduced a friend’s wife.”

“You’re not the kind of man who cares about things like honor.”

Yvonne emphasized her point to the man who was now pretending not to know.

“You and my husband aren’t friends, partners, or anything.”

Did she see through it?

For a moment, a light silence separated them.

Ethan, smiling at her provocative tone, nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. Personally, I trust him as a friend, in business, as a worthy rival. All nonsense.”

In the political and financial world, Carlisle and Ethan were known as high-ranking nobles who graduated from the same military academy and shared a deep friendship. Although their companies were competitors, it was said to be a healthy rivalry that stimulated both sides.

But that was just a façade; in reality, their relationship was a bitter one.

“I never thought you would ask for such a favor, Lady Yvonne. If you meet with me, Carlisle will be quite upset.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

“For such a gentle lady, you’ve made quite a cruel decision.”

Ethan crossed his right leg over his left and leaned back comfortably.

“It’s a predictable story. The abandoned wife wants her husband to lose everything. But the fact that you are doing it is quite unexpected, Lady Yvonne.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not a very nice person.”

Ethan looked at her with a strange expression, even as she responded calmly to his voice, tinged with sarcasm.

The woman seemed different from the one he saw a week ago, that night.

The impression of Carlisle’s wife, seen in passing a few times, was beautiful but so lacking in expression that she seemed boring. Even if she caused some excitement, her nature and background were just those of a typical noblewoman.

But the woman in front of him now was neither typical nor like a paper doll.

It was as if she had truly come to life, her eyes shining.

“Can I ask something? Why me? You seem to think I’m a good guy because of that night, but as you know, if you get involved with me, the rumors that had finally died down will come back to haunt you.”

“I don’t care. I’m not looking for some grand revenge. I just want to ruin his reputation.”

Because I hated him so much.

The words, spoken almost to herself, were barely audible, but Ethan’s lips curled softly as they matched his expectations.

“If that’s how you feel, why did you correct the article? You could have left the ‘violent husband’ frame as it was.”

“……”

“People who get emotional and soften up are the most troublesome to deal with in business.”

At some point, all traces of a smile disappeared from Ethan’s face.

“The article about the violent husband, and the article about Aerondo’s men rushing to propose—those were all your work, weren’t they?”