25. The Fierce Clash of Males

“Pardon?”

“It seems like something important, I’m curious.”

Despite seeming insignificant when he was dodging Katya’s crossbow previously, Gregory turned out to be quite perceptive.

It wouldn’t make sense to say they came out just to buy soap ingredients when she was so unwell.

Breaking out in a cold sweat while racking her brain, Alyona finally spoke.

“The Young Lady has been very interested in ancient languages and music lately, so she’s looking for a tutor.”

“And?”

“Since this perfume shop gets many noble customers, she came to ask them to help look for one. I told her I could come alone, but she insisted on coming herself to make the request. So I had no choice but to accompany her.”

Gregory and Olen nodded, completely fooled by her perfect lie.

“I see. She truly is kindhearted as they say.”

“Hurry and take her home. She needs to rest.”

“Then we’ll be going now.”

Smiling and bowing goodbye, Alyona got into the carriage and they departed immediately.

Even if the two men went into the perfume shop to ask questions, the perfumer was quite sharp and would play along.

Behind the departing carriage, Olen and Gregory were taking off their hats and making gentlemanly bows when they suddenly looked up.

The moment their eyes met, they both rushed to throw open the perfume shop door without hesitation.

They tried to enter simultaneously and got their shoulders stuck in the doorframe.

‘What’s wrong with them?’

The perfumer silently clicked his tongue in disapproval at the sight of this duo, their foolishness fueled by burning competitiveness.

After pushing past each other to enter the shop, the two suitors raced to the counter like they were in a running competition.

“Recommend the person I suggest!”

“No, recommend my person!”

“Pardon? What are both of you talking about…?”

“The tutor that Lady Bianca is looking for! Her lady’s maid just asked you to look into it, didn’t she!”

“…Oh, that?”

The perfumer, being well acquainted with Alyona, nodded along pretending to know.

Though he didn’t know why she had told such a lie, he planned to play along with them for now.

“There will be tutor interviews soon. I’ll find someone suitable shortly, so please recommend them to the ducal residence.”

“I’ll bring someone too! I know someone well-versed in ancient languages and music, please recommend them as well.”

“I understand what you’re saying. But this is my first time meeting both of you, your names are…?”

The perfumer wrote down Olen and Gregory’s names on paper.

He planned to write a letter to Alyona later asking what was going on and explaining their visit and requests.

“Then please help us find good candidates.”

The two suitors left with the perfumer seeing them off.

Their eyes met again and they snorted at each other before turning their backs and trying to go their separate ways.

“Hey, old man!”

At the familiar voice, Gregory deliberately ignored the direction it came from and suddenly walked right next to Olen.

“What’s wrong with you suddenly? Did you see someone you’d rather avoid?”

“Don’t look back! It’s Ivan, Ivan!”

Olen’s eyes widened at his whisper and he covered his face while walking quickly with Gregory.

But they were soon caught up to by the very person they wanted to avoid.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?”

Ivan sneered while grinding his teeth.

“When I sent out wedding invitations you treated me like royalty, but now everyone’s attitude has completely changed?”

Bianca’s suitors who had paid Ivan to marry Katya were all avoiding him now.

When Duke Smirnov sent notices to those who had received wedding invitations that the wedding was cancelled, it caused quite a stir in southern social circles.

Upon learning that Ivan had been jilted, Bianca’s suitors all quickly distanced themselves, afraid their role in arranging the marriage might be discovered.

“So now there’s nothing more to get from me?”

“W-we’ll find our own way, so please don’t acknowledge us anymore.”

“Right! Hasn’t our contract already ended?”

“Ended? How can it be over when you haven’t paid me and are keeping your mouths shut?”

Ivan approached with a menacing air, as though he were ready to grab them by the collars.

The elderly Gregory hid behind Olen who was young enough to be his son.

“T-that was supposed to be a success fee, wasn’t it? How can we pay a success fee when it ended in complete failure?”

“The Count is right about that. Since you got jilted, it all came to nothing so of course we can’t pay.”

“That’s…!”

While Ivan was sputtering, unable to retort, Olen and Gregory quickly got in their carriages and left.

It was an amicable exit despite their squabbling just moments before.

Ivan, unable to contain his anger at his clients’ despicable behavior, kicked a nearby vendor’s stand.

He actually had a lot of gambling debts.

Count Petrovsky had warned him this was the last time when he paid off his gambling debts before.

Adding that if he gambled again, he would be completely expelled from the family.

Ivan knew well that his father was not someone who went back on his word once given.

He had planned to pay off part of his debts with the success fee, but those plans fell apart when Katya escaped from the villa.

The repayment date was approaching but he was penniless.

And since he had already delayed payment several times, he couldn’t postpone it further.

To make matters worse, he had borrowed from a notorious loan shark known throughout the country — if he couldn’t pay back, he might get his wrists cut off.

“Damn it, what should I do.”

Ivan anxiously bit his nails.

***

“Alyona. Is this a threat or a plea?”

Katya asked, waving a letter from Ivan.

“What does it say?”

Katya threw the paper with an incredulous look.

The letter, which started with passionate declarations of love, got increasingly outrageous as it went on.

“He says he’ll beg on hands and knees to meet once. And if I don’t meet him, he’ll go to father and file a lawsuit? For marriage fraud?”

“Oh my, how can a person be so vicious?”

Alyona, who knew what Katya had endured at the villa from Bianca, shuddered.

“Give it here. I’ll burn it right now!”

“Wait. We should send a reply.”

“What? A reply to such an ill-mannered letter?”

“Yes. Just wait a moment. I’ll write one right away for you to send.”

“Are you sure that’s alright? What if he gets more clingy?”

“Don’t worry. I have a plan.”

Katya pulled out a quill pen with a meaningful smile.

***

The next day, Ivan entered the Duke’s residence humming after receiving Katya’s reply.

The letter said to meet here at noon today.

‘I knew it. Katya, how could you escape from me?’

Ivan believed she would eventually return to him.

Because he held the secret she so desperately wanted to hide.

He expected she would meet him if only to keep him quiet.

Excited at the thought of meeting her, Ivan entered the reception room with light, dancing steps, guided by the Duke’s butler.

His elation vanished without a trace the moment he saw the man sitting on the sofa.

“H-How is Your Highness here?”

Seeing Nikolai felt like taking a hard hit to the solar plexus.

Is this what it feels like when your heart stops?

Remembering being choked by him before, he unconsciously covered his neck, which made Nikolai click his tongue with a displeased expression.

As Nikolai frowned in displeasure, Ivan felt indignant.

Who should really be feeling upset here?

“The Duke’s residence is so spacious, yet this bastard and I must share the same space?”

“I apologize, Your Highness. The Young Lady said she has something to tell both of you together.”

“If that’s Tia’s wish, very well.”

At the butler’s words, Nikolai quickly became docile and his expression softened.

Ivan sat across from him with a deep scowl.

There he goes again, calling her ‘Tia’.

Family and close ones called Katarina by the nickname ‘Katya’.

But the Grand Duke shortened it further and naturally called her Tia.

Though she would shudder in disgust when called Katya by those not close to her, strangely she had no objection to this nickname.

Despite him being the ‘Bloody Grand Duke’ and it being an urgent situation, both the one being called and the one calling seemed oddly natural about it.

Jealousy welled up at what seemed like their special nickname.

“Fix your expression. You’re ruining my mood too.”

Nikolai, who had been watching the door, warned sharply as if his eyes could see sideways too.

“I-I just have a stomach ache…”

The cowardly man made an excuse no one would believe.

A few minutes that felt like eons to both men passed, as if time moved slower only in the reception room.

The butler returned with Katya.

“Katya!”

Ivan jumped up and shouted the moment he saw her, overcome with joy.

He did like Katya, but at this moment she felt like a savior.

After the butler left, Katya sat in the center between the two men facing each other.

“I called you both here today to accept one of your marriage proposals.”

“What? You mean His Highness the Grand Duke proposed to you?”

Ivan cried out in shock at Katya’s words.

“Wasn’t he just playing around with you?”

Veins popped on Nikolai’s forehead at those words.

Having never once acted like a playboy in his life, he was furious at Ivan for potentially making Katya misunderstand.

Was this his strategy to lower his rival’s standing?

Though it was a pathetic strategy, Nikolai found it so annoying and irritating that he considered actually killing him with poisoned tea.

“Tia, I am absolutely not that kind of person.”

He defended himself with a forced smile.

Katya winked as if she understood his feelings completely.

“Before deciding on my future husband, I need confirmation that you both truly love me.”

“Of course it’s true love! You’re my first and last love, Katya!”

“Enough to risk your life?”

She asked Ivan in a soft voice.