“A pledge?”

“What else? We agreed to marry our children if we had sons and daughters. Let’s tell her she can choose her husband when Audrey grows up.”

“I don’t remember making such a promise. Do you have proof?”

“You really… Did you study law just to backstab your friend?”

But Count Kevelson changed his stance later.

Once he actually had a daughter, he didn’t want to give her to anyone.

He has maintained his denial consistently for the past 20 years.

Of course, this was the first time Audrey had heard this story.

“…There was such an arrangement?”

“Yes. It became a non-event because your father suddenly denied it.”

“Ah.”

“It would have been so nice if you had married one of our sons, Audrey.”

“…!”

Marriage? With Claude Oppa?

Audrey’s head turned sharply. Her eyes were full of resentment as she looked at her father.

‘Why on earth did you do that?’

Count Kevelson, who had unintentionally become the villain, subtly avoided his daughter’s gaze.

“I suppose it came to mind because Claude is of marriageable age now.”

“What? M-m-marriage? Already?”

“My goodness, what do you mean by ‘already’? If anything, it’s late. Feeling this won’t do, we’ve been looking for suitable young ladies.”

“…!”

Audrey felt her heart sink.

‘What should I do?’

She hadn’t known the Emilton couple was concerned about Claude Oppa’s marriage.

Could it be that sudden marriage news would come soon?

She was about to lose Claude Oppa before even properly trying!

Audrey’s heart raced with urgency.

‘Father, do something! Please…’

Count Kevelson, who had been deliberately avoiding the topic, could no longer pretend ignorance.

His only daughter’s gaze was too piercing and desperate.

He reluctantly added a comment with a disgruntled face.

“Ahem. My daughter is an adult too… More than promises and such, well, the feelings of the individuals involved are more important.”

“My. What a change of heart? We’d obviously be delighted with Audrey. Wouldn’t you, dear?”

“Of course.”

“…!”

The Emilton couple’s response was better than expected.

Audrey felt like she was walking on clouds.

In her heart, she had already crossed the walls of the Emilton estate and formed a happy family long ago.

Now all that remained was Claude Oppa’s answer.

“Claude, what do you think?”

Claude, who had quietly put down his wine glass, smiled kindly.

“Audrey is too good for me.”

“W-what!”

Audrey hurriedly objected, afraid he might reject her.

“Too good? I think this is very, very appropriate…!”

“Audrey. Aren’t you seeing me in too positive a light?”

Claude laughed playfully. But Audrey couldn’t laugh along and just fretted by herself.

Unaware of her feelings, Claude whispered affectionately.

“Audrey should meet a much better man than me. Someone who will love and cherish only you for life.”

“……”

“When you find such a man, you must bring him to me. Understood?”

Audrey stubbornly kept her mouth shut.

‘Meet a good man?’

Where in the world could there be a better man than Claude Oppa?

Was this just a roundabout way of telling her to stay single for life?

No, his head was surely filled with nothing but Emilia.

The image of the two of them walking together in the duke’s backyard kept coming to mind.

‘…This won’t do.’

Audrey felt increasingly urgent.

She couldn’t just watch him go to Emilia like before.

***

‘This should be perfect.’

Derek prepared to welcome Dodori today as well, with a vase full of flowers.

He moved yesterday’s clipped article to a more visible position.

Now all that was needed was for Dodori to arrive.

─Rumble rumble.

‘Finally…!’

Soon, the familiar sound of wheels was heard.

Along with that sound, Duke Frith’s heart began to pound.

The disappointment from yesterday had long since melted away like snow.

‘Should I put it here? Or here?’

Derek wavered, trying to decide on the final position for the vase.

In the end, he placed the vase slightly forward and quickly sat down as if nothing had happened.

At the same moment, the door opened and Dodori entered.

“…Hello.”

“You’re here.”

“……”

Unlike yesterday, a plain outfit.

A face without makeup.

Light pink hair carelessly let loose.

Sighs erupt every three seconds.

It couldn’t be explained in words, but somehow she looked different from usual.

As if she were someone driven to the edge of a cliff?

‘Dodori is truly a chameleon.’

Derek unconsciously clutched the area near his heart.

Yesterday, she captured his heart with her glamorous appearance, and today she was melting his heartstrings with her sorrowful charm.

If this wasn’t a chameleon, then who could be called one?

He was already looking forward to what charm she would use to manipulate him tomorrow.

‘Haah…’

Just as Duke Frith was about to be completely immersed in Dodori’s charm, he sensed a hesitant movement.

It was Dodori’s maple leaf-like hand.

“Um, I have something to tell you.”

“…!”

His mind suddenly became clear.

‘Dodori? To me? Something to say?’

Could it be that she was finally going to say what he had been waiting for?

That she had finally realized his sincerity, so let’s clear all misunderstandings and start dating properly?

Derek’s heart began to race with anticipation.

After fidgeting with her hands for a while, Dodori carefully began to speak.

“You said you liked me, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“…Then, well.”

Derek was ready to say yes at any moment.

Dodori just needed to speak.

‘Go on.’

Her adorable lips finally parted.

That brief moment when breath turned into words felt as long as eternity.

“Could I borrow some money?”

“Yes-, what?”

“I’d like to borrow some money. I have some gambling debts… My father doesn’t know. I’m really sorry to ask you this.”

“……”

Derek’s face was colored with disappointment.

These weren’t the kind of words he had expected from Dodori.

But he felt a pang in his heart, thinking how desperate she must have been to ask him.

“How much?”

“Ah, well, about… two hundred thousand gold?”

“Will that be enough?”

“…!”

Audrey was startled.

Two hundred thousand gold was by no means a small amount. Yet somehow this man seemed ready to open his safe immediately.

‘T-this is strange? I was told I’d be dismissed right away if I brought up money…’

Wondering if the amount was too small, she subtly tried to increase it.

“Ah, with interest, it’s five hundred thousand gold. Because I foolishly used high-interest loans…”

“Five hundred thousand gold.”

Duke Frith, who had been muttering to himself, suddenly left the office with quick steps.

As if it wasn’t even worth responding to.

Left alone, Audrey finally breathed a sigh of relief.

‘I see. The amount needs to be large!’

Those cold eyes looked down at her.

That was clearly a gaze full of contempt and disgust toward a gambler.

‘I should have done this from the beginning.’

A sense of relief washed over her, having finally been completely dismissed by Duke Frith.

Just as she was about to take a bite of victory chocolate…

“I have something important to discuss.”

He suddenly appeared holding a thick law book.

“As you know, five hundred thousand gold is quite a large sum. So it’s not easy to transfer it all at once.”

“…Yes.”

“I also considered gifting a building, but for you to fully own the sales proceeds, it would take at least ten years. Taxes are separate.”

“What?”

…What was he talking about?

Could it be that he was really going to lend her that money? An enormous amount that could build another duke’s castle?

‘Why go this far…’

Duke Frith laid out everything he had investigated with a very serious face.

That even if he chose to pay on her behalf, the amount was so large that it would require imperial review.

That would naturally delay the repayment timing, which was concerning.

He didn’t have the slightest doubt about the dubious gambling debt.

“However, there is one solution.”

Duke Frith hesitated, unable to speak easily.

The way his ears, face, and nape turned bright red was quite suspicious.

“Under imperial law, if we become… spouses, all problems would be solved.”

“…!”

What, what nonsense is this!

Audrey felt like she might faint at any moment.

In her inadequate attempt to cut off Duke Frith’s affection, she was about to be caught by the ankle instead!

Who on earth would marry someone just to pay off their gambling debts?

But Derek drove in the wedge as if he had made up his mind.

“You and I, we just need to get married.”

His large hand became moist with tension.

His cautious demeanor as he checked the other person’s reaction after dropping a bomb was uncharacteristically careful.

‘Is it now?’

All that remained was a formal proposal.

Derek didn’t care what reasons or excuses were attached to their marriage.

Gambling debt? What did that matter?

What was important was the fact that he could walk through the rest of his life with Dodori.

For their entire lives, until the day they closed their eyes forever.

T/N: I’m not sure if I’d want a man like Derek in real life, but I ADORE this disaster of a man with my whole heart! He’s out here plotting with flower encyclopedias, staging fake work emergencies, and casually offering to marry someone over made-up gambling debts without batting an eye.

The way he turns into a complete puddle around Dodori—going from intimidating war hero to “is my flower positioned at the optimal romantic angle???”—is absolutely sending me. This man will literally research legal loopholes just to have an excuse to propose!

By far one of the best MLs I’ve ever read. The combination of his cold, serious exterior with his hilariously overthinking, romance-novel-reading interior is PEAK comedy. Derek deserves a spot in the ML Hall of Fame! ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡