Chapter 1 (Part 3)

After that, Cecilia lived cautiously, paying attention to Viscount Bucklew and his wife. However, she wasn’t an outcast or treated poorly in the household.  

Except for a few restrictions, like being barred from going outside the estate or debuting in society, her life was otherwise comfortable.  

Despite being disliked by Viscount Bucklew and his wife, Cecilia was able to live as a noble lady thanks to Rasilia.  

‘What about my sister? My sister should have one too!’  

Rasilia loved her sister more than anyone else, even knowing they didn’t share blood.  

So, if Viscount Bucklew ever brought a gift only for Rasilia, she would share it with Cecilia. If any servant disrespected Cecilia, Rasilia would immediately scold them, ensuring Cecilia didn’t suffer any disadvantages.  

In such a situation, Viscount Bucklew couldn’t openly discriminate against Cecilia. The Viscountess was no different.  

Thanks to this, Cecilia rarely experienced hardships. Whatever she did, Rasilia acted as her shield.  

Because Cecilia had received so much help from Rasilia, it was impossible for her to refuse her requests. She even thought she’d sacrifice her own happiness if it meant Rasilia could be happy.  

“Can’t you help me, Sister?”  

Rasilia’s pleading voice broke Cecilia out of her thoughts. Seeing her tear-filled eyes filled with worry, Cecilia pondered what she could do to help.  

“I’ll find out what kind of person Earl Beaufort is.”  

She wanted to do anything for her, but after thinking it over, the only thing Cecilia could do was investigate Earl Beaufort. If he turned out to be as good a man as the rumors suggested, perhaps Rasilia would change her mind.  

After Rasilia left, Cecilia immediately sought out the butler.  

“Rasilia wants to know what kind of person Earl Beaufort is. Could you find out about him for me?”  

“Of course.”  

The butler, looking confident, twirled his mustache and smiled. The very next day, he handed Cecilia a piece of paper with the results of his investigation.  

“From what I found out, Earl Beaufort is an excellent man. The Viscount didn’t choose him for Rasilia without reason.”  

“Thank you for looking into it.”  

Reading the report, Cecilia understood the butler’s words.  

As he said, Earl Beaufort was a flawless man. The only reason he was marrying late was because he had been too focused on his work.  

***

“I think he seems like a good person. He’s not lacking as your potential husband—except for the age difference, that is.”  

Cecilia relayed the butler’s findings to Rasilia.  

When noble families arranged marriages, they usually didn’t care much about age differences. However, since Rasilia seemed sensitive about it, Cecilia spoke cautiously.  

“I don’t like the age difference, and I don’t like that he’s a man Father chose. I’d rather he marry you instead. You’re only five years apart.”  

As expected, Rasilia showed no intention of changing her mind, even after hearing praise about Earl Beaufort. Instead, she made an even more difficult suggestion.  

“That’s not possible. If that were the case, Father would’ve proposed the match to me, not you.”  

Knowing that someone as excellent as Earl Beaufort wouldn’t be arranged for her, Cecilia let out a deep sigh.  

“That’s not fair!”  

Rasilia, looking indignant, suddenly paused. Furrowing her brows as if deep in thought, she suddenly exclaimed.  

“Wait… That could work. Sister, you should marry Earl Beaufort instead!”  

“Me, marry him?”  

Startled by the unexpected suggestion, Cecilia stammered.  

“Yes. The more I think about it, the more perfect you are. So, I want you to marry the Earl instead of me.”  

“That’s ridiculous.”  

“It’s even more ridiculous for me to marry the Earl. I have Dein, after all. So, please marry him in my place.”  

Rasilia’s dark expression brightened the moment she mentioned Dein’s name.  

“That’s not possible.”  

“Do you have a secret love you can’t talk about? If so, I won’t ask. But if you don’t have someone you like, I’d like you to grant my request.”  

Even though Cecilia firmly refused, Rasilia continued to insist on the absurd idea.  

“I don’t have someone I love. It’s just hard for me to disobey Father’s wishes.”  

Though she wanted to grant Rasilia’s request, Cecilia worried it might cause trouble for her.  

“I know it’ll be hard for you too. That’s why I’ve come up with a plan for you to marry the Earl!”  

Rasilia, looking confident, smiled as if to reassure Cecilia. Considering her usual behavior, Cecilia found it hard to trust her, but she decided to at least hear her out.  

“What should I do to help?”  

“Earl Beaufort is coming here next month to meet me. I want you to seduce him then.”  

“Seduce him? There’s no way I can do that.”  

Shocked by the unexpected suggestion, Cecilia’s eyes widened.  

She had no skills in seduction. She’d barely spoken to men, let alone seduced one. If she tried, she’d likely stammer awkwardly.  

“You’re more beautiful than I am. Can’t you just use your looks to seduce him?”  

Rasilia approached Cecilia and untied her ribbon. In an instant, Cecilia’s curly golden hair cascaded down to her waist. Holding the soft strands carefully, Rasilia spoke.  

“Look at this. Your hair is soft and shiny, like golden waves. My hair is the same color, but it’s not shiny, and my eyes aren’t as big as yours….”

Words of praise had suddenly turned into self-deprecation.  

“What are you talking about? Where could you find a lady as lovely as you? The Earl must have fallen for you at first sight during your debutante and proposed.”  

“No, objectively speaking, you’re more beautiful, Sister. If the Earl had seen you first instead of me, he might have liked you more.”  

“That’s not true.”  

Cecilia answered with a confident expression.  

Rasilia’s smile was so lovely it could melt anyone’s heart. Her voice was as clear and pure as jewels rolling on a silver plate.  

Her bright and radiant demeanor, which showed she had been loved all her life, looked far better than Cecilia’s relatively gloomy appearance.  

So, no matter how much Rasilia praised her looks, Cecilia thought it would be impossible to seduce Earl Beaufort with just that.  

“No, I think I’m right. I’ve met Earl Beaufort before, and he didn’t seem to fall for me at first sight or speak to me because he liked me.”  

Rasilia, however, thought differently. She didn’t believe the Earl liked her.  

“Maybe he was too shy to show it.”  

Rasilia shook her head.  

“That’s not it. If he liked me, he would have called me aside that day. But other than the one time we met at the debutante, I’ve never seen him.”  

“He could’ve been too shy to express it outwardly.”  

“Could he?”  

Rasilia frowned deeply, tilting her head in thought, then suddenly smiled slyly and changed the subject.  

“If you can’t seduce him with your looks, will you seduce him with your body?”  

“What? That’s ridiculous!”  

Using her looks was one thing, but seducing someone with her body was unthinkable for Cecilia. She rejected the idea firmly, and Rasilia began persuading her.  

“Wouldn’t it actually be good for you to marry Earl Beaufort? Didn’t you say yourself that he’s flawless?”  

To be honest, Earl Beaufort was out of Cecilia’s league. There was no way Viscount Bucklew would bring such a good match for Cecilia.  

So, even if seducing him with her body worked, it wouldn’t be a loss for Cecilia. The problem was that she didn’t have the boldness to do something like that.  

“I can’t do it.”  

“Sister, please! This is the first and last time I’ll ask for something like this. Just this once! Can’t you grant my request this one time? My life depends on it.”  

When Rasilia pleaded with tearful eyes, Cecilia’s heart softened again. She wanted to help but couldn’t bring herself to agree, as she wasn’t confident she’d succeed.  

To seduce a man… It was something she had never even considered before, leaving her utterly confused.  

“Please!”  

“Fine.”  

In the end, Cecilia had no choice but to grant her beloved sister’s request. She couldn’t resist her desperate gaze.  

“Really? Thank you!”  

Rasilia hugged Cecilia’s neck and jumped up and down on the spot. Though she had forgotten her ladylike demeanor, Cecilia still found her utterly adorable.  

Yes, for Rasilia’s sake, there was nothing I couldn’t do!  

Cecilia patted Rasilia’s back, vowing to take any risk for her. Even if she failed to seduce him, she resolved to somehow stop Rasilia’s marriage.  

However, despite her firm determination, one urgent problem remained.  

“By the way, Rasilia, do you really think I can seduce Earl Beaufort?”  

No matter how she thought about it, Cecilia felt it was nearly impossible for her to seduce the Earl.  

She had barely spoken to men due to her restricted life, let alone seduced one. Seduction seemed harder than arguing with the Earl.  

“Don’t worry about that.”  

Seeing Cecilia’s worried expression, Rasilia lightly patted her chest as if to say, “Trust me.” A sly smile appeared on her lips.