Chapter 29

A deep sigh escaped as the door clicked open.  

“Your Highness, there’s a report from the border… Oh, are you here, Lord Meyer?”  

“It’s been a while.”  

When Jeffrey gave a proper salute, Enoch gave a half-hearted nod.  

“Did you perhaps not sleep well?”  

“Do I look like I didn’t?”  

“Well, yes. You don’t look too well.”  

At Jeffrey’s tactless reply, Enoch frowned, and Theodore let out a small laugh.  

Of course, he wouldn’t have slept well. How could his mind not be a mess when he still couldn’t let go of a one-sided love he thought he’d forgotten?  

Theodore chuckled, looking at Enoch, whose face was twisted miserably, and Jeffrey, who seemed utterly clueless about the situation. Finally regaining his composure, Theodore spoke.  

“You mentioned a report from the border?”  

“Ah, yes. Lord Bayern has submitted an urgent report. A few rebels are stationed there. Since their numbers are small, they’ve decided not to engage in combat immediately and are monitoring the situation. A messenger has been sent for confirmation, and I’ll report back as soon as we receive word.”  

“Understood. You’ve worked hard. Now, leave us; I was in the middle of a conversation with Lord Meyer.”  

Jeffrey gave a sharp salute and exited the office. Theodore then turned his gaze to Enoch.  

“You don’t need to worry. I won’t send you to the border.”  

“I haven’t said anything yet.”  

Enoch’s growling tone carried weight, but Theodore shrugged as if accustomed to it.  

“I know you’ve worked hard for a long time, and there’s plenty to do for your family. Once you settle down, I’ll have an easier time as well. That’s all.”  

It was true. The more stable the Meyer Marquisate, the stronger the foundation for the Crown Prince’s support.  

And Enoch knew well that the common definition of a “stable family” came from marriage.  

Marriage.  

It would be nice.  

Really, really nice.  

Incredibly nice.  

…But only if she wanted it too.  

Right now, marriage wasn’t what mattered to him. Marriage could only be discussed if their relationship progressed.  

Even though they’d shared physical intimacy, it couldn’t be said that their relationship had advanced. True progress in a relationship required mutual assurance that they were part of each other’s future.  

“Well, it doesn’t seem like she completely dislikes you.”  

At the sudden comment, Enoch narrowed his eyes.  

“If she disliked you, she wouldn’t have entertained you in the first place. The fact that she’s engaging with you means she has some interest, doesn’t it?”  

The implication was that he should hold onto hope. However, Enoch’s expression darkened even further.  

She’s engaging with me because she’s interested?  

What if she’s simply too afraid to refuse the Meyer Marquisate outright? No, that possibility was highly likely.  

From the moment of his birth, Enoch had been surrounded by wealth, including numerous mines, and his words alone could determine someone’s fate.  

He was well aware of the power he held. That’s why he couldn’t help but fear—what if Hazel wasn’t openly rejecting him but simply couldn’t?  

While Enoch could be certain that Hazel Hoover had a place in his future, he couldn’t be sure the reverse was true.  

Feeling a heavy sense of gloom, Enoch swallowed a sigh and stood up.  

“I’ll take my leave now.”  

“You’re leaving already? Has it even been a few minutes since we started talking?”  

“It’s already been an hour. If you keep chatting instead of working, Lord Walter might collapse from overwork, Your Highness.”  

As Theodore genuinely expressed his regret, Enoch looked him straight in the eye and issued a warning.  

“I’ll handle my own matters, so don’t concern yourself with anything.”  

Whether it ends in failure or success, it’s all my responsibility.  

* * *  

Hazel stared blankly at the “bad luck banishing stick” lying before her.  

It was truly terrifying at this point. When she returned to her hometown, it hadn’t followed her, so she thought she was finally free of it. But now, it was back again.  

“…What am I supposed to do with this?”  

She glared at the cursed object as if it were her sworn enemy and let out a deep sigh.  

No good ideas came to mind. Ignoring it as if it didn’t exist wasn’t something she was capable of doing.  

But anyone would feel stressed if they came home exhausted from work only to find this thing neatly placed by their bedside!  

She wanted to scream, but the neighbors would bang on the walls, silently demanding quiet if she made any loud noise. So Hazel could only clutch her head in frustration.  

Still, she couldn’t just keep holding onto it.  

One way or another, she needed to head to work. Hazel placed the object on her bedside table for now.  

With a frosty glare, she looked at the cursed object. 

This damn thing is the reason I’ve been through so much trouble.  

Of all people, why did it have to catch Enoch Meyer’s attention…?  

Something called the “bad luck banishing stick” should drive away bad luck, but instead, it seemed to attract it like a magnet.  

Just thinking about the memory made her head spin, and Hazel sighed deeply as she grabbed her bag.  

I need to get to work. If I stay busy, I’ll forget all about that stick.  

Having resolved to move on, Hazel left her house.  

“Why does today feel so unlucky?”  

Her day was unusually bad. She nearly tripped over a stone, got startled by a bird suddenly flying overhead, and even missed a public carriage.  

Letting out a deep sigh, Hazel boarded the next carriage that arrived.  

Even though she had only missed one carriage, the next one was so packed with people that she could barely move.  

Finally arriving at the Academy, Hazel tidied her messy hair and thought, ‘I need to make more money and find a place closer to the Academy.’

Though she was the daughter of an Earl, she wasn’t in a position to hire a maid. As a result, she had no choice but to live in a place farther away.  

With the money she had, she could barely afford a single room near the Academy.  

Hazel greeted the students who said hello to her with a bright smile. She quickly shook off her fatigue and maintained a proper, upright posture. After all, she had to set an example for the students.  

While Hazel was fulfilling her role as a professor of general education and literature, someone called out to her.  

“Oh my, Professor! You dropped this!”  

Hazel instinctively turned around and locked eyes with a noblewoman holding something.  

…Huh? Why is that here?  

A thought flashed through her mind as Hazel hastily opened her bag. It felt strangely empty, as if something had fallen out.  

Moreover, the object in the noblewoman’s hand looked all too familiar. Its slender, curved body extended gracefully, with something attached to the bottom…  

She felt the blood drain from her face.  

If a noblewoman was at the Academy, she was undoubtedly related to one of the students. There was no doubt about it.  

And now, the cursed object had been revealed. She couldn’t even begin to fathom why it was in the noblewoman’s hand.  

“I-I’m so sorry!”  

With a pale face, Hazel approached the noblewoman and snatched the object from her hand.  

She knew better than anyone that her actions were against etiquette, but she couldn’t help herself in this situation.  

Her heart pounded violently, as if it would burst.  

If the noblewoman realized I was a professor and reported this to the dean…!  

It would be over.  

Nothing else crossed her mind. Hazel’s thoughts were a jumbled mess of negativity.  

On the verge of tears, Hazel repeatedly bowed her head, apologizing profusely to the noblewoman.  

The noblewoman, who had been quietly observing her, gently placed a hand on Hazel’s shoulder and said,  

“Sometimes things like this happen when you’re busy. Don’t worry too much. Your bag just happened to open.”  

“Thank you so much, Madame…”  

While the noblewoman spoke casually, as if it were no big deal, Hazel was utterly flustered.  

It wouldn’t have been strange for the noblewoman to reprimand her for carrying something so suspicious-looking, but instead, she smiled kindly and reassured Hazel.