The work was only completed quite some time after this.

“I apologize for being late.”

“Not at all.”

Klen entered the reception room leisurely after thoroughly finishing his bath.

Melang and the guard showed obvious displeasure toward him, but Lavian maintained an expressionless face, keeping the same posture as before.

“So, what is your reason for wanting to see me?”

Klen asked while pushing back his damp hair that had fallen over his forehead. His pretense of ignorance while knowing everything was masterful. However, Lavian didn’t even notice this attitude of his.

“Well……”

Lavian parted her lips like someone feeling nothing, suppressing her emotions as much as possible, more conscious of those standing behind her than the person before her.

Klen thought she was beautiful but stiff, pretty but insensitive, like a porcelain doll without humanity.

He watched her moving red lips, uncrossed his legs, clicked his tongue irritably, and leaned his body toward Lavian.

“Are those two people behind you really necessary here?”

“Ah, they always accompany me. Please don’t mind them.”

At Lavian’s response, Klen let out a snicker. Not properly reading his intention, Lavian stiffened her shoulders and merely swallowed hard.

Watching this, Klen lightly rubbed his temple with his fingertips and pointed.

“I’d like them to leave. They’re bothering me.”

As Melang trembled and tried to step forward at his gesture indicating they should get out, Lavian calmly opened her mouth.

“I may be used to it, but not everyone is. Especially you, Baron, must be unfamiliar with this world, and I was inconsiderate. I apologize. Please excuse me.”

Klen, being male, probably wouldn’t understand the lives of noble daughters. Lavian worried about her mistake in not considering this and ordered Melang and the guard.

“Both of you, please leave.”

The moment Lavian’s command fell, the corner of Klen’s mouth rose crookedly.

‘This world, huh. What a sardonic choice of words.’

He inwardly repeated the word that greatly irritated him and watched Lavian’s behavior.

“How can you stay alone with an unrelated man! I cannot allow it.”

Melang was making a fuss as if something terrible would happen.

“Melang.”

But Lavian acted quite firmly with unwavering eyes and a sharp voice, without adding any words. Eventually, the two had to tuck their tails and leave the reception room with reluctant steps.

“Haah.”

Once the two had completely left the reception room, Lavian let out a very small sigh. Her body, which had been tense from being conscious of them, also relaxed.

Lavian actually didn’t want the employees to witness today’s business.

So she was inwardly grateful to him for providing an excuse to dismiss Melang and the guard.

Though her expression remained dry, Klen noticed her subtle change and inwardly snorted as he leaned his upper body against the backrest.

‘The porcelain doll has become human.’

“Now, back to the main point.”

“I won’t beat around the bush. Please marry me.”

At her words, which came out all at once unlike before, Klen thought, ‘What an interesting person,’ and asked in a mocking tone.

“Marriage…… Why should I marry you?”

“Wasn’t that why you visited last time? If you want to expand your business in the capital, it would be difficult in your current state.”

“Strictly speaking, I went to see the property. It was mortgaged to the bank. I thought I might try to acquire it if it came up for auction.”

He said, tilting his body crookedly.

Though his posture was crooked, his voice, devoid of emotion, reached her straight without distortion.

Lavian felt like hiding in a mouse hole from shame, but she firmly held the documents on her lap and elegantly picked up the teacup without showing her feelings.

While pondering how to properly deal with him, she suddenly thought of how to haggle over goods and decided to take a gamble.

“I see. I misunderstood. In that case, I came to the wrong place. I apologize for the intrusion. The tea was good. I’ll take my leave now.”

After moistening her mouth with the lukewarm tea, she rose briskly. A lofty dignity emanated from her entire body that seemed unbreakable by anyone.

It was as if this was the only self-respect she could protect.

Klen looked at the now-empty seat across from him and grinned.

‘So this is how you’ll play it? Still a haughty cat. Worth the money.’

Klen’s heart beat rapidly. It was just like when he smelled money and wanted to start a new business.

Having finished his calculations internally, he opened his mouth while looking at the empty space.

“What can you give me?”

“……”

Lavian’s feet, which had been heading toward the door, stopped. As the clicking sound of her shoes ceased, the reception room was enveloped in silence.

But soon, the silence was broken by the heavy sound of Klen’s shoes. His eyes, standing in front of Lavian with his back to the light, held an intensely deep color.

‘Huh?’

For a moment, Lavian felt a strange sense of déjà vu from the height difference looking down at her and his deepened eyes.

Klen put one hand in his pocket and lifted Lavian’s chin with his index finger. Her expression distorted very slightly at the touching body temperature and the faint scent of coffee and ink mixed with soap.

‘This feeling is……’

While Lavian traced a not-too-distant memory, Klen felt a strange pleasure at her subtly distorting face. For some reason, a mischievous feeling stirred within him.

“Aren’t you after my money? Let’s say I provide money. What can you give me?”

He mocked her, dropping the awkward formal speech he had been using until now.

Apart from having a striking appearance that anyone would desire, his sharp atmosphere, sensitive impression, and straight, clean-lined frame created considerable intimidation.

“……”

Lavian stubbornly kept her mouth shut and looked directly at him, casting a large shadow, gazing into his blue eyes, which were darker than before.

Though they shared the same blue eyes, the feeling was distinctly different. And familiar.

“……I find it somewhat unpleasant that you’re subtly dropping formalities like this.”

“We’ll be sharing a bed depending on your answer, and this much isn’t acceptable? No, I mean, is this not acceptable?”

“……I seem to be expecting too much. Do as you please.”

Lavian erased her flustered appearance by briefly changing the subject and organized her thoughts, which had nearly become a complete mess.

“If you tell me to do as I please, I will. Now, tell me. I need to gain something too. That makes it a fair deal.”

“Deal…… This is what my father wrote for me. I don’t know much about men’s circumstances. Please review it and coordinate with him.”

Lavian handed over the envelope she had been holding to him. Klen deliberately said, “Oops,” and received the envelope, taking a few steps back.

“You’re well-prepared.”

“I couldn’t come empty-handed for such a matter.”

“But this is from your father. I asked what you would give. Nobles are really good at ignoring people’s words.”

When Klen revealed his discomfort as if being difficult, Lavian made a small movement in her throat and said proudly with her eyes slightly raised.

“You would have me.”

At her bold retort, Klen swallowed his laughter, immediately turned serious, and asked with sharp, gleaming eyes.

“Are you worth the money I’ll be putting out? I’m not sure.”

“If the only legitimate daughter of the Elder family, who has strived to be honorable at every moment, appears cheap to you, then that’s the extent of your discernment.”

Lavian squared her shoulders even more and spoke cynically.

Being the only one to legitimately inherit the Elder family bloodline was the only thing Lavian could fully possess, and it was everything to her.

That was her pride and self-respect.

With that alone, she could stand firmly and nobly despite having such a father and facing these circumstances.

Even if it would be broken the moment this marriage was realized, at least for now, just for this moment, she wanted to protect that pride.

It was the only part that had survived after killing herself.

“It’s been a while. Someone judging my discernment.”

“Take your time to think about it. How good your discernment really is.”

As if no longer interested in conversing with him, Lavian was the first to look away from him and toward the door. It was an indirect way of asking him to let her go.

Klen smirked at her quintessentially aristocratic demeanor and stepped aside.

“Then, I’ll take my leave. I apologize for the intrusion.”

Lavian paid her respects with an elegant but indifferent expression that could have come straight from an etiquette book, then slipped out and closed the door.

Only then did the tension she hadn’t even realized she was holding suddenly release, nearly making her legs buckle. But she couldn’t show such a pathetic sight to others. She gritted her teeth and moved her steps nonchalantly, as she had learned all her life.

Just then, Ethan, with his distinctively swarthy southern complexion, came running with a strange sound.

“Stop right there!”

“Miss, be careful!”

Lavian briefly inhaled at the sight of the running man, then lowered her posture when she saw what was at the end of his gaze. A small white fluffy thing came running and jumped into Lavian’s hands.

“You’re……”

The kitten, small enough to fit perfectly in her hands, made purring sounds and rubbed its forehead against her. Her expression softened, drawing a bright smile.

Though its condition was vastly different, the heart-shaped fur pattern on its forehead and blue eyes clearly identified it as the kitten from the rain.

“Lady, please forgive my rudeness. I’m sorry for startling you.”

“It’s fine.”

“Since the master rescued this little one, it always escapes like this to find him. I apologize again.”

“It’s a cute little thing.”

Lavian shook her head saying it was nothing and carefully handed over the kitten.

“I’m truly sorry. Well then.”

Ethan carefully cradled the kitten in his arms, bowed his head again, and returned the way he came. Lavian watched the departing man, then turned her head toward the reception room. With her heart beating differently than usual, she stared at that place for a while.

“About your conversation, Miss……”

As Melang cautiously broached the subject, Lavian finally came to her senses as the words she had spoken to him rushed back.

‘Did I do well? I don’t think I was servile… but was I a bit rude? I might have been too stiff. What if I’ve ruined everything……’

She worried that her pretense of strength, meant to hide her nervousness, might have spoiled the matter. She was also trembling. But the water was already spilled.

As she moistened her dry lips with her tongue and turned her head, she narrowed her eyes at a small figure visible beyond the window.

‘Huh? That child is the one I saw at Marquis Batl’s residence……’

A dark-skinned child was carefully looking around with a curious face. A tall man who spotted him noticeably glanced around before snatching the child and quickly disappearing somewhere.

“Ah!”

The source of the déjà vu she felt from the faint coffee scent and deepened blue eyes became clear.

“Miss?”

Melang placed her hand gently on Lavian’s shoulder with puzzlement. Lavian controlled her expression and removed Melang’s hand.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go now.”

“Yes, but what happened with the discussion?”

Melang couldn’t contain her curiosity and repeated the same question.

Lavian considered the question in her mind and carefully pictured his existence.

‘If the baron was that person that night… there might be some hope.’

Since Lavian couldn’t make a fuss here or reveal her inner thoughts, she coldly answered while perfectly hiding her feelings, stained with expectation and tension.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

Lavian evaded the question and moved her steps.

Klen watched her from behind the reception room window as she walked toward the carriage with a noble bearing.

“She’s not too stupid, and she’s been raised innocently, so she won’t be bad to live with.”

Klen recalled the Elder final words before Lena interrupted. The father’s assessment of his daughter was harsh, sparse, and cruel.

However, he had to agree with the last sentence.

“She behaved much better today than at our first meeting. She might be tolerable to live with.”

He strode back to his workplace.

In his hand were the marriage transaction terms that Count Elder had written in detail.