Chapter 1.3

“Are you listening?”  

When he raised his head at the question, her gray eyes were fixed on him.  

“I was just thinking—”  

“Please marry me.”  

Her sudden words left his mind blank.  

“…What did you just say?”  

“If you’re willing, I’d like you to marry me.”  

“…”  

“That’s why I came to see you.”  

Why us, why now, why suddenly, why on earth?  

Unfinished questions swirled in his head.  

Luette chose the most polite one to voice.  

“Why?”  

“Do you dislike the idea?”  

“It’s not about liking or disliking. I’m asking for your reason. Someone like you, who could marry anyone if you wanted, has come all the way to this remote villa to propose marriage. Why?”  

Even with her parents deceased, she was still a member of the Heston family. Moreover, her mother, Adeline Anglier, had been a noblewoman from another country, leaving her with a considerable inheritance.  

Her father’s honor, her mother’s wealth, and her own decent looks.  

Aside from being slightly past the typical marriageable age, she was the perfect bride. If she wanted, she could marry anyone she chose.  

Ah. Could it be the rumors of her mental illness that kept proposals away?  

There were whispers that Solnia still lived with the Dowager because there were no suitable matches. Some said it was due to her mysterious madness, while others blamed her accident for affecting her mind.  

It wasn’t something that concerned him. Their ties had been severed ten years ago, so whether she was mad or not, it was merely a passing thought.  

He certainly hadn’t expected Solnia Heston to show up at this peaceful villa and start spouting strange words.  

Luette scrutinized the woman sitting before him.  

Even so, why?  

Why me, and not Evan Ikleit?  

“I need to marry. And I feel you’re the perfect person for it.”  

“…”  

“And I believe I’d be the perfect partner for you as well.”  

Her bold response made Luette stifle a laugh. Whatever her situation, the way she declared him to be the perfect match, as if choosing an object, was amusing.  

“It seems you’re under quite the impression.”  

“…”  

“I’m sorry, Miss Solnia, but you’re not a suitable marriage partner for me.”  

Luette spoke with the same warm and charming smile he had often given to many other ladies.  

Solnia bit her lip, unable to continue speaking.  

“It’s unfortunate, but it seems the only thing we can discuss is how we’ve been in the past.”  

“One year.”  

“…”  

“One year is all I need.”  

Her already red lips turned an even deeper crimson, as if they were filled with blood, before she finally spoke.  

“We’ll marry, and then divorce after a year. Mutually agreed upon, cleanly.”  

Her voice, somewhere between firm and desperate, continued.  

“After the divorce, I’ll give you as much of my inherited wealth as you’d like.”  

“Wealth?”  

“Yes, wealth.”  

Luette stared at Solnia without blinking.  

Solnia Heston met his gaze with the same calm and composed look she had when she first entered the room.  

Marriage. One year. Mutual divorce. Inheritance. Contract.  

The words she had spoken broke down into fragments and lingered in his ears. 

What on earth was she talking about? 

“My late parents left an inheritance in my name. It’s currently under my grandmother’s ownership.”  

Julietta Heston—Dowager Heston—had lost her husband early and multiplied her remaining wealth by investing it in various ventures.  

The Dowager, known for her keen eye for investments and people, was now one of the wealthiest individuals in the Kingdom.  

As a child, Luette had met Dowager Heston a few times. She had been endlessly kind but never seemed like someone to be underestimated.  

“As you may know, I can only inherit my parents’ wealth once I reach adulthood.”  

“…”  

“And I must be married to do so.”  

At last, the situation began to make sense.  

A hasty marriage, living together for a year, inheriting her parents’ wealth upon adulthood, and then a natural divorce under some pretext or another.  

It was an adorable scenario. In cases of mutual divorce, the woman’s assets would remain entirely hers.  

“That’s why I need to marry.”  

Solnia grew slightly more impassioned as she spoke. Her voice gained strength, and she leaned closer toward the table.  

“I need you.”  

“…”  

Up close, her face revealed the passage of the past ten years.  

Her once-round features had softened into perfect lines, but her gray eyes, staring directly at him, pulled him back to the past.  

The garden of the Heston Earl’s estate, bathed in warm sunlight. The sickly sweet scent of flowers vibrating in the air, almost overwhelming. A cool breeze on an early spring day.  

‘Listen carefully, Luette Carter Trovill. I have no intention of marrying you, I will never intend to marry you, and I will die without ever intending to marry you.’ 

‘Who said I wanted to marry—’  

‘I’m talking here.’ 

‘…’

‘Most of all, I… I…’  

What had she said again?  

In any case, the voice that had growled those words, stepping closer as if to ensure no one overheard, came back to him.  

‘I despise you.’  

A chuckle escaped him. That’s right. Solnia Heston had said that. She had said she despised him.  

And now, just as she had done back then, Luette looked down at her.  

“If you’re in such a rush to marry, why not just pick anyone?”  

“I can’t marry just anyone.”  

So, it was better to marry the man she once despised than just anyone?  

Even now, her insistence on maintaining standards was quintessentially Solnia Heston.  

“Why me, specifically?”  

“Because it would be the most natural choice.”  

“Because of the past marriage discussions between us?”  

“Yes. And because you’d be the cleanest person to part with afterward.”  

“…”  

“I need a husband who will agree to divorce.”  

For some reason, her gray eyes sparkled as she said those words, drawing a bitter laugh from him.  

If she was determined to find a husband who would divorce her, then yes, she had chosen him over Evan Ikleit.  

“I’m honored you think so highly of me.”  

With that, Luette stood up. He ran a hand through his thick black hair and returned to the desk where he had been working.  

He had entertained her long enough. The fact that he had tolerated her this much was something Solnia Heston might not even realize.  

In any case, Luette had no intention of getting caught up in such an absurd scheme.  

“Miss Solnia, the marriage discussions between us were little more than a joke between our parents.”  

“…”  

“And as I’ve said before, I have no intention of marrying you.”  

Whether it was marriage, a contract, or anything else.  

As he sat down at his desk, Luette unfastened the cuff buttons of his shirt sleeves.  

“I’m sorry, but you should look for someone else. Someone like—”  

It was just as the stiffly pressed fabric of his cuff released with a rustling sound.  

“You’ll need me, too.”  

“…”  

“Someone like me.”  

Solnia spoke as she stood up. While he rolled up his sleeves, she had already adjusted her bonnet and picked up her handbag, looking ready to leave at any moment.  

“I heard you need to marry to secure your position as heir. Isn’t that why you’ve been appearing in social circles?”  

She had done her homework. Luette let out a bitter laugh.  

“Someone who can resolve a troublesome issue neatly, help you fulfill your duties, and then disappear.”  

“…”  

“You need someone like that.”  

There was no hesitation. Her steps, clicking against the floor as she turned and walked away, held not a trace of regret.  

“Think about it. I promise you won’t find a better match than me.”  

With that, Solnia left.