“Come in.”

A low, irritable voice came from beyond the thick door. The lady politely pulled it open.

The heavy wooden door swung smoothly without so much as a creak. Inch by inch, the view inside the room was revealed.

“Please go in.”

Madam Mastis gave a slight nod toward Hailey. She stood by the door handle, making it clear that Hailey was meant to enter alone.

After a brief hesitation, she stepped forward, unable to resist the silent urging.

The room, lined with navy silk wallpaper, exuded a heavy atmosphere as it blended with the dark wooden ceiling.

By the window stood a mahogany desk in a deep reddish-brown hue, and before it, a table and a sofa were arranged. A deep crimson carpet covered the floor, while two bookshelves occupied an entire wall.

Click.

The door closed behind her.

“……”

Hailey’s shoulders flinched slightly. The sudden isolation from the outside world sent a strange tension through her.

Standing at the entrance, she slowly surveyed the room. Her gaze moved past the armchair, the couch, and the carpet, finally settling on the man seated at the desk.

And in that instant—

“!”

Her breath caught, and her eyes widened.

The man sitting with his back to the large window slowly raised his head. A pitch-black shadow loomed there. Hailey swallowed dryly without realizing it.

It took her a moment to register that what she was seeing was not a void but a person wearing a black velvet mask.

It was not as grotesque as the rumors suggested. It was not terrifying to the point of making one’s knees buckle.

But it was, without a doubt, bizarre.

Hailey forced herself to maintain composure as she observed the man before her.

The only features visible beyond the mask were sharp, silver eyes and a firmly set mouth. Not a single strand of hair was exposed.

The Man in the Iron Mask.

Suddenly, that story came to mind. If she remembered correctly, it was about a mysterious man imprisoned in Paris.

But the person before her was no mystery. He was Duke Tayton Gunner—otherwise known as the Cursed Duke.

What lay beneath that mask? Was it truly a cursed face, as the gossips claimed? Or perhaps—

“……”

Hailey’s thoughtful, pale green eyes slowly drifted downward. Only then did she take in the man’s attire.

Having just returned from an outing, he was dressed in a business suit. His jacket had been neatly hung on a coat rack, and beneath a fitted gray vest, an ascot tie in the same shade as his eyes rested against his chest.

Seen this way, the velvet mask no longer seemed so out of place. With a bit of imagination, one might mistake him for a noble attending a masquerade ball.

At the same time, a cold, assessing gaze traced Hailey’s figure. His long, almond-shaped eyes held a hint of arrogance.

It was only then that Hailey exhaled the breath she had been holding and belatedly offered her greeting.

“I am Hailey Salmon, daughter of Baron Salmon. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Gunner.”

“Honor, is it?”

A voice laced with mockery rippled through the stagnant air. With just that one phrase, an eerie chill spread.

Tayton did not take his eyes off Hailey’s face—not for a second. As if he were searching for even the faintest trace of hidden discomfort.

Then, after a moment, he subtly furrowed his brows.

People who saw him for the first time—especially women—always fell into one of two categories.

There were those who, frightened by the countless rumors, couldn’t even look at him properly.

And those who, no matter how hard they tried to mask their expressions, failed to completely hide their disgust.

Typically, the former were women of lower status, while the latter were of noble birth.

A matter of degree, perhaps—but no one had ever fallen outside those two groups.

After all, to the world, he was the cursed monster duke, an object of fear and revulsion.

But this woman—she was neither.

Judging by her appearance, she should have belonged to the first group. Yet, strangely, there was no fear in her pale green eyes.

Nor did she look at him with disgust.

If anything, there was surprise—and perhaps a touch of tension.

“……”

That was all.

Tayton scrutinized her face once more, as if he might have overlooked something. His sharp gaze flickered over every detail.

But now, even that initial surprise had faded. She was simply looking at him, a faint smile on her lips.

Smiling?

Was she fearless, or simply naive? He couldn’t tell. Either way, it didn’t matter to him. Both were equally irritating.

He had always despised nobles. Among them, he despised women even more.

No—that wasn’t quite right.

Rather, it was they who despised him.

So, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Hatred should be met with hatred, contempt with contempt.

He had never placed hope in anyone. He had never expected anything from anyone.

That way, at the very least—he could never be hurt.

“You must never show your face to anyone. Remember my words, Tayton.”

His father’s voice lingered in his ears. Perhaps those very words had been a curse. A curse that had bound him for life.

Tayton leaned back in his chair, letting out a bitter sneer.

“Well. I wonder if you’ll still think it an honor three days from now.”

The Duke seemed to be placing a bet on three days.

Hailey concealed her bitterness and curled her lips into a faint smile.

She had no ambition to win the Duke’s favor. She had no desire to use his connections to dominate high society. She certainly wasn’t greedy enough to see this as an opportunity to secure wealth.

Humans are creatures of learning. She had long since realized that money and promotions meant nothing. In this world, nothing is more important than life itself.

A life of simplicity, of safety, of passivity… what else?

Her goal was to live as though she barely existed. And if, by any chance, she fell out of the Duke’s favor and was cast out, she would leave quietly, wearing a dejected expression.

After that, even Baron Salmon wouldn’t find it odd that she had changed. Just like the eight noble heirs who had been expelled before her, he would assume she, too, had been deeply scarred.

Yes, that would do.

Even as such impertinent thoughts crossed her mind, Hailey maintained her smile, standing like a picture of composure.

At that moment, Tayton rose from his seat. Grasping the cane beside his desk, he slowly began to walk toward her.

Thud. Thud.

“…”

Hailey quietly observed the Duke as he limped forward. Perhaps she was slightly taken aback.

The smile that had lingered on her lips disappeared, and in its place, the Duke let out a thin sneer—a smile so cold it stung at the fingertips.

“I suppose you haven’t heard that I have a crippled leg.”

Hailey’s gaze shifted slowly. Her eyes met the Duke’s in midair, and in that instant, she realized—

He had stood up on purpose.

He had intentionally shown her this sight. There was only one reason for that: to gauge her reaction.

How cruel.

Hailey once again looked him straight in the eye. His silver eyes gleamed from behind the mask, his lips curled at an angle, his body tilted slightly, his hand gripping the cane, his limping leg.

And the Duke silently endured her gaze, or perhaps he was waiting for another emotion to appear in her eyes. Fear, or perhaps disgust.

His personality must be cursed. How else could someone be this petty?

With an unshaken expression, Hailey finally spoke. Her eyes rested on his cane.

“If I offended you, I apologize, Your Grace. I was simply wondering whether the gemstone on the handle was a real diamond. I must have stared without realizing it.”

Pause.

Tayton came to a sudden halt. As if entirely unprepared for her response, the amusement vanished from his eyes.

“Diamond?”

Muttering incredulously to himself, he clicked his tongue softly. Then, with a swift turn, he walked back toward his desk.

Disappointment dripped from his voice like cold sarcasm.

“I heard that Baron Salmon’s finances declined after sending his son to the royal academy. Seems the rumors were true. For a baron’s daughter to covet another’s jewel… I also heard that without Count Landers, you would be worrying about your next meal.”

“I wouldn’t say I coveted it, but…”

Hailey began to respond absentmindedly but trailed off when the Duke, now seated, waved his hand dismissively. A clear signal for her to leave.

“For the sake of the impoverished Salmon estate, I suggest you endure for at least another day. Ah.”