#3.

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Only then did Jeffrey feign surprise and respectfully bow.

“I’ll escort you right away, Miss Ellin. Please follow me.”

He politely ushered her inside, ashamed of his frivolity in comparing her to the count’s daughter based solely on appearance.

‘The atmosphere is different today too.’

Ellin carefully stepped inside and took a small, nervous breath.

The hall that had been splendid yesterday now felt like a solemn museum.

“This way. Please watch your step.”

Jeffrey observed her carefully as they climbed the arched central staircase.

Suddenly receiving such treatment, she felt awkward.

After walking for some time down a corridor lined with red carpet and large windows, he stopped.

Knock knock.

After a perfectly balanced knock, neither too hard nor too soft, he entered first.

Shortly after, the butler emerged and opened the door wide for her.

“Please come in.”

“Thank you.”

A while after Ellin entered, the sound of the door closing politely was heard.

Her heart, which had maintained composure until now, began to beat faster again.

After steadying her breath, Ellin quietly observed her surroundings first.

Like a scholar’s study, one wall was fitted with massive bookshelves, while the other side resembled a hunter’s room with hunting trophies and shotguns hanging on display.

Reports and documents were neatly arranged on the desk.

The office smelled pleasant—heavy yet clean, like trees in a forest.

It contrasted with her father’s office, which had pipe ashes scattered everywhere and a musty odor.

“You kept your promise well.”

Ellin’s shoulders flinched when she heard the duke’s voice.

He emerged from somewhere adjoining the office, holding a crystal glass.

The duke seen in broad daylight gave a different impression from what she had seen yesterday.

“Sit over there.”

His face and voice, devoid of emotion as if meeting a negotiation counterpart, were cold and dry.

“Yes.”

Ellin sat neatly on the sofa and looked at him across from her with determined eyes.

She had been troubled the whole way here, but meeting him actually calmed her mind.

She didn’t know what he would bring up, but some kind of faith activated within her that he wouldn’t say anything unreasonable.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

His tone changed as if bringing up a serious matter.

“I need someone to marry. As soon as possible.”

The words flowed so casually, as if he were saying he needed to go to work now.

Ellin blinked slowly once.

In fact, she didn’t quite understand what he meant.

“I looked into a few things about you. Seems like you’re having a hard time. Your brother is also unwell and in the hospital.”

When Eddie was mentioned, Ellin’s closed lips finally parted slightly.

“You…… investigated me? Even my…… brother?”

Whatever his purpose was, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

“I apologize if that upset you.”

The duke rose from his seat and walked to his desk.

Ellin followed his movements with bewildered eyes.

“After looking into it a bit, it seems you’re in as difficult a situation as I am.”

While speaking, he handed her something like a report.

Quickly scanning through it, Ellin couldn’t believe what she saw.

The report contained detailed information about her family, family relationships, her deceased mother, great-aunt, and even Viscount Mackenzie.

Even private details about how Royce had liked her in the past.

The next page was even more shocking.

It described how Eddie was unwell and hospitalized at the church hospital, including the hospitalization process and his attending physician’s situation.

‘Why go this far……!’

Even for a duke, why would he do this to her?

Ellin was perplexed.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

With her mind blank, the words just tumbled out.

“Is this some kind of revenge for that night? What do you plan to do with this? No one would be interested in my unfortunate family history.”

Her current situation was already overwhelming, and she couldn’t understand why the duke was acting this way toward her.

“I hope you’re not misunderstanding.”

The duke sat back down on the sofa across from her.

He leaned his large upper body forward as if making a proposal and interlaced his fingers.

“Honestly, at first I was just curious about your boldness in running away from me, so I looked into you.”

Dominic spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.

“I already apologized for that……”

“It seems like you’re in a situation that’s difficult to overcome alone. I can help you.”

Before Ellin could finish speaking, his businesslike face stared directly at her.

His eyes, cold enough to give chills, stared so penetratingly that Ellin felt she might shrink and disappear.

She had never felt embarrassed in front of anyone before, but the duke’s gaze somehow made her feel shabby.

Why did her worn dress and tattered gloves look so pitiful to her eyes today?

Perhaps because he already knew about her miserable situation.

Her reality was starkly exposed under his gaze, and she couldn’t suppress the feeling of shame.

‘So, how does he plan to help the poor me? Does he want to give me charity?’

She felt like even the little dignity she had left was thrown to the ground.

“If you marry me for just one year, I’ll help your brother receive the best treatment at the Royal Hospital.”

Ellin felt like she’d been struck on the head.

“After a year, we’ll divorce cleanly, and I’ll pay you the maximum alimony. Probably a much larger amount than you can imagine. If you want, I can even give you a mansion or villa. Enough for you to live with your brother.”

“……”

A moment of silence passed.

Understandably so, the duke’s words were so shocking that Ellin was speechless.

A home just for her and her brother Eddie. Sufficient financial freedom. And even the opportunity to receive the best medical treatment.

He was offering to do everything she had always dreamed of.

If she would just be married to him for one year.

The fact that marrying him was also one of her many wishes was a secret she would take to her grave.

Probably the most difficult wish to come true.

‘Wait. What am I thinking right now?’

Even amid all this, she still held onto a thread of reason, so Ellin organized the duke’s words in her mind.

‘So he’s offering me tremendous compensation in exchange for a one-year contract marriage?’

He opened his mouth again with a relaxed expression, seemingly having anticipated her reaction.

“If you don’t like it, I have no intention of forcing you. I’ll give you time to calmly think about what choice would be best for you.”

And he added:

“Whether you marry an old drunkard, or cut ties with your family and live while nursing your brother with difficulty. In my opinion, this option seems better, but that’s entirely your choice. I’ll wait for your answer.”

When the duke was about to rise from his seat, Ellin hastily spoke up.

“No need to wait. I won’t have a fake marriage for money.”

The duke lightly sneered at Ellin’s words.

“And marrying an old man isn’t for money? Oh, is that a real marriage?”

His words stabbed Ellin’s heart like a dagger, but she pretended to be fine and stood up.

“If you’ve said everything you wanted to say to me, I’ll be leaving now.”

She bowed her head slightly and walked out of his office with determined steps.

No further words were heard from the duke afterward.

When she opened the office door, the butler was waiting in the corridor.

He treated her with the same politeness and skill as before.

“I’ll escort you to the entrance.”

There was a hint of puzzlement in the butler’s eyes as he looked at her.

“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Ellin gave a slight smile as if she was fine and followed him.

Even while heading to the entrance, the butler turned around several times to check if she might twist her ankle on the stairs or suddenly collapse.

Ellin declined his offer to take her home by carriage and left the mansion on foot.

Her mind was too complicated, and she needed to organize her thoughts.

After walking aimlessly, she eventually reached the central street where many carriages and people could be seen.

Passing by an ornately decorated clothing store, she saw her reflection in the mirror and wondered.

‘Beautiful ladies would be lining up for him. Why would he make such an offer to me?’

“I need someone to marry. As soon as possible.”

“After a year, we’ll divorce cleanly, and I’ll pay you the maximum alimony.”

‘I must be the only person desperate enough to accept such a ridiculous offer.’

A bitter smile crept onto Ellin’s lips.

While blankly staring at a ruby brooch displayed on purple velvet, she felt something strange behind her.

Turning around, she noticed people walking on the street whispering to each other or murmuring while looking at her.

She felt a bit embarrassed, wondering if she had been staring into the high-end clothing store with a foolish expression.

Quickly moving on, similar incidents continued to happen.

Two ladies walking on the opposite side stared at her intently,

And a young woman in a passing carriage craned her neck to look back at her.

‘Is there something on my clothes?’

Checking her appearance, she found nothing unusual.

“Ellin!”

Just then, Charlotte ran out from a hat shop.

“Charlotte.”

Pleased to see her, Ellin smiled, and Charlotte grabbed her arm, leading her to a less crowded part of the street.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

When Ellin asked with curious eyes, Charlotte replied in a somewhat excited voice:

“Is it true?”

“What?”

Ellin was bewildered.

The people she met on the street earlier, and now Charlotte too.

Something was definitely happening around her.

“From the party yesterday!”

“If it’s about me leaving in the middle of the party……”

“No! A rumor has spread that you were alone with the duke on the terrace. And that you two looked very intimate and secretive.”

Charlotte spoke rapidly while keeping her voice down, seeming even more excited.

“What nonsense……”

She was about to say it was nonsense, but then remembered what happened on the terrace last night.

‘Could someone have been watching?’

It was a quiet place shrouded in darkness, and she naturally thought she was alone with the duke.

If someone had witnessed the two of them, even by chance, it was a scene that could easily raise suspicions.

‘Ah! Could it be!’