Chapter 1.4

Miguel, who had taken a sip of the now-cold tea to wet his throat, spoke first. He thought it was actually for the best. If he wanted to convey his intentions, they would need time alone anyway.

Now, both of them were fully grown adults, and he believed enough years had passed to resolve their old conflicts. He intended to soften the sharpest spears aimed at each other.

Miguel’s voice broke the implicit silence, creating ripples like a whirlpool in the previously calm lake.

Lisael slowly turned her head towards Miguel, like a wooden doll’s neck turning, with her lips tightly shut.

It seemed she had no intention of using time and age as an excuse to melt away the thickly hardened conflict. For Miguel, the day their relationship twisted completely was a wound, but for Lisael, it was an abyss. An abyss that had plunged her entire life.

Of course, what Lisael had been holding back from spitting out since earlier was profanity. Lisael’s golden eyes, wide and bright, settled on Miguel’s face for the first time.

He looks like he’s worth his face. That was the reputation the ladies of the Southern social circle had about Miguel.

He seems frivolous. He must have complicated relationships with women. It was a preconceived notion formed due to his sharp features, despite his handsome looks.

Regardless of the truth, Lisael was well aware of the famous reputation regarding his appearance. In short, it meant he looked annoyingly handsome. Though the person in question probably couldn’t care less about the prejudices and infamy created by those who spoke recklessly.

But how could their views be so similar? Her first impression of Miguel was the same. Miguel was once her most cherished friend, who filled the void left by Benjamin, whom she held very dear.

She never dreamed back then that her relationship with this boy in front of her would freeze and twist so much. Lisael reached out to the bookshelf of memories, which had not been touched for so long that dust had settled thickly.

‘His appearance… is just the same as when he was young. Miguel Dante.’

“Marriage proposal? Of course, I know.”

For the first time, a smile directed at Miguel appeared on Lisael’s lips. The smile, lifting only one corner of her mouth, was a mocking sneer obvious to anyone.

The unexpected sneer tested Miguel’s patience, making him urgently recall the purpose of his visit to the Cherlin family. He was here today to reassure Lisael that there would be no forced marriage.

Ironically, Miguel himself was the only one who could save her from the dreadful punishment of becoming the wife of Miguel Dante, her lifelong enemy.

If she could just let out a sigh of relief, his duty for the day would be fulfilled.

“The esteemed Earl, blinded by wealth, and you brought up the marriage talks first, so there must be some filthy scheme. You demanded land… Did you secretly dig up the ground to find something in that dense forest? Or, could it be that your gambling debts piled up beyond control, so you even need a commercially worthless forest?”

Even if it was Lisael, or perhaps because it was Lisael, she could easily ignite his temper.

But he didn’t crumble easily. Just as Miguel was about to continue the conversation, calming himself with another sip of tea, his eyes met Lisael’s.

“Answer me, Miguel Dante.”

And once again, he found himself facing her cold, hateful eyes, which turned him into the most vulnerable bundle of wounds in an instant.

Her indifferent and icy gaze, as if no human warmth remained for him, forced Miguel to put his mask back on. To Lisael Cherlin, Miguel Dante had to remain a villain.

That was one of Miguel’s atonements for bearing the surname Dante. His tongue became sharp enough to wound the heart of the listener.

“You’re crossing a line, Lisael Cherlin. This is as far as I’ll tolerate for old times’ sake. If you don’t want to end up imprisoned for slandering a noble, you should be careful.”

Despite the Young Earl’s low warning, Lisael showed no hint of wavering or shock. As if it was only natural for such sharp words to come from him.

“I brought up the marriage proposal first… That’s a very unpleasant misconception. I’d rather be disowned and live recklessly than marry you.”

It was always only him who lost his composure.

‘Maybe that was… too harsh.’

On the other hand, Lisael merely sighed, maintaining her posture as unruffled as a swan on the surface of the water. While her gaze briefly rested on the table, Miguel punched his own mouth with his fist.

In truth, the mask of a villain was nothing special. It was just treating her as he would the nobles of the social circle, who, while creating envious rumors about him behind his back, were eager to catch his eye and smile. He was so absorbed that he failed to adjust his pace.

However, Lisael’s subsequent retort washed away all his self-reproach.

“I agree. I thought it would be better to run away in the middle of the night and beg Benjamin to let me be his maid than become your wife.”

“Why are you bringing up that bastard here?”

Miguel, unable to suppress his anger, lost his composure and snapped. Why would he be disowned and suffer alone, while she would run to Benjamin?

A maid, really. 

There was no way Benjamin, who harbored ulterior motives for Lisael, would leave her alone. It was a losing argument.

“Calm down. I said I ‘thought’ that.”

Lisael, lowering her gaze, soothed Miguel with a languid voice. Her resigned, expressionless face seemed almost serene.

“I intend to accept this marriage.”

“…What?”

“This marriage proposal comes with a contract condition. If I enter the Dante family, they will hire 30% of Cherlin’s unemployed as factory workers.”

‘You… even until the end….’

No further explanation was needed. That was enough. She hadn’t changed at all from the girl who cursed and pushed him away at the ranch 7 years ago.

From start to finish, the villagers, the villagers. Was she saying she would marry a man she’d rather run away from for the sake of Cherlin village? If they promised to employ 100%, she would probably offer her life.

“You haven’t changed. It’s chilling.”

This was not an impulsive remark, but a sincere one. A rebuke to a foolish woman who threw away her own life, nothing more, nothing less.

Without responding to her declaration-like acceptance of marriage, Miguel quietly left the place. Thinking about what feelings Lisael must have had to make that decision and say those words, Miguel’s heart ached.

Moreover, the fact that the sacrifice was marrying him made Miguel smirk with self-deprecating laughter, as if he had suddenly become the Beast from the fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

However, he couldn’t overlook the bitter smile on Lisael’s face, which seemed to have given up on everything. He was determined not to become a pit in her life. Even if it meant ceasing to be Miguel Dante and just becoming ‘Miguel’ today, he intended to express his firm intention to the Earl.

“I’m sorry. You’ve come all this way, but it seems you’ve made a wasted trip….”

Why do important conversations always happen with the door half-open? Miguel, who was heading straight for the front door, stopped abruptly at the voice of Cherlin coming from a room he passed.

“This is nonsense! It’s practically forced, isn’t it?”

“Sir Herais, it’s embarrassing, but please understand our decision. The girl has already accepted it.”

“I came with the Young Earl today just in case. Since he was closer to Lisael than I was during my absence, her feelings might have changed. But it was an unnecessary worry. Lisael didn’t even glance at that man! But are you saying you intend to marry her off to someone she despises so much?”

“Lisael’s will is already firm. So… I will pretend I didn’t hear about your desire to marry Lisael today. Please, leave now.”

‘What? Marriage?’

Miguel, who had been eavesdropping with his arms crossed and body leaning, widened his eyes at the mention of a proposal as if by a hammer.

Benjamin Herais, that snake-like bastard. Miguel expected he didn’t just come to exchange pleasantries with Lisael, but a proposal?!

Even after becoming a prominent figure in central politics, he intended to propose to Lisael, a commoner? Was he out of his mind? Was he intending to forcibly make her the wife of a Marquis and throw her into the social circle, which would be nothing short of hell for her?