Chapter 1.1 – I Have Come to Get Married

“So, who are you, and why have you come here?”

A cold voice sliced through the air. The question wasn’t asked out of genuine curiosity. By the time she had been escorted to the drawing room, her identity and purpose would have already been relayed. 

Thus, the question was more of a challenge: “Let’s hear it from your own mouth.”

“I am Elena Bellacita of the Marquisate of Bellacita. I came because I want to marry you, Your Grace.”

As soon as her words ended, the Grand Duke’s perfectly sculpted forehead furrowed deeply. His face was like a masterpiece—beautiful and symmetrical. Jet-black hair that seemed to absorb the night sky and golden eyes that gleamed like sunlight. 

The man standing before her was indeed the Prince Helio in her memories, now the Grand Duke of Castia. 

No, he had matured and become even more manly than the image she remembered from five years ago. 

Her joy at finally reuniting with him was short-lived. The kind prince she had once known was gone, replaced by a Grand Duke who now gazed at her with a cold, piercing stare.

“Marriage? When did I ever say I’d stand in the rain? There seems to have been some misunderstanding. Or perhaps you’ve been dreaming.”

(T/N: The phrase “Marriage? When did I ever say I’d stand in the rain?” is likely a figurative expression rather than literally associating rain with marriage. In this context, the Grand Duke is sarcastically implying that he never expressed any willingness to endure something as inconvenient or uncomfortable as marriage, much like standing in the rain would be.)

She had come in response to the recruitment for candidates for the position of the Grand Duchess, but the Grand Duke acted as if he was hearing about it for the first time. 

She had already sensed something was off. When she first arrived and introduced herself, everyone had reacted in the same way—surprised. 

At first, she thought the message hadn’t yet reached the lower staff, but to think even the Grand Duke himself was unaware? 

How could he not know about recruiting someone to marry him? Was it possible I had been so desperate that I’d imagined the whole thing? 

…That couldn’t be true!

“It’s already late today, so you should stay here for the night and leave early tomorrow morning.”

While she blinked silently, the Grand Duke made the decision on his own. 

Wait, this isn’t how it’s supposed to go.

“W-Wait a moment! I came here after receiving an official decree from His Majesty about the recruitment for the Grand Duchess.”

At the mention of the decree, the Grand Duke’s brow furrowed visibly. He gestured toward the official document she had been carefully carrying, as though it were some strange artifact, and asked, 

“Is that the decree you’re referring to?”

“Huh? Yes.”

“Hand it over.” 

Snatching the document from her hands, the Grand Duke examined it thoroughly, flipping it back and forth as if appraising a counterfeit item.

‘Does he think it’s forged?’

The document bore the Imperial Family’s seal—something no one could dare replicate. 

She had anticipated that the recruitment might not have been the Grand Duke’s idea, given his declaration of celibacy years ago. But she hadn’t expected him to be completely unaware of it. 

The more he read, the deeper his scowl grew. 

“Ha, this is madness.”

“Pardon?”

Was he referring to His Majesty? Or… to me? 

Wait, did he just crumple the document bearing the Emperor’s seal? 

The decree she had planned to keep as a cherished memento was now crushed in the Grand Duke’s hand. 

The contents of the decree were simple: 

The Emperor, concerned for his younger brother’s solitude, had decided to recruit candidates for the position of Grand Duchess. Participation in the recruitment was entirely voluntary, left to the discretion of each noble family. 

Candidates would stay at the Grand Duke’s residence for three months and live alongside him. Afterward, the selection of the Grand Duchess would be entirely up to the Grand Duke of Castia. 

If a family agreed, they were to send their daughter to the Grand Duchy of Castia immediately. 

The decree had been sent to all noble families of Count rank or higher with unmarried daughters of marriageable age. 

She had trusted this decree and traveled for three days and nights in a carriage to get here. 

“So, you came all the way here with this, intending to become my wife? Am I correct, Lady Bellacita?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Please, feel free to call me Elena. Or Ellie, if you prefer.”

She smiled awkwardly. In situations like this, a smile was the best option. Surely, he wouldn’t send her away after she’d come all this way. 

“Go back.”

He was sending her away. 

“I apologize for the trouble, but I have no intention of taking a wife. As I said, you may stay the night, but…”

“That won’t do.”

Before he could finish speaking, she cut him off firmly. 

How could she return home after coming all this way, carrying her hopes and determination? 

“Your feelings on the matter are irrelevant.”

“I came here under the orders of His Majesty.”

“I will explain everything to the Emperor, so you should leave.”

“I’m staying.”

Her repeated refusal made the Grand Duke’s gaze sharper and colder. 

His beautiful yet chilling eyes sent shivers down her spine, but she met his gaze head-on without flinching. 

“You’re being rude. I’ve made it clear that I’m not interested, so how can you insist on staying?”

“It’s only for three months. It’s written in the decree, isn’t it? Candidates are to stay at the Grand Ducal residence for three months and live alongside you.”

Having read the decree dozens of times, she had memorized its contents by heart. 

If she gave up now, she would be sent straight back home. The only thing she could cling to was the decree bearing the Emperor’s seal. 

“After those three months, the decision regarding the Grand Duchess will be entirely up to you, Grand Duke of Castia. If you ask me to leave after three months, I’ll go without complaint. But not now.”

For five years, she had harbored a love no one knew about. 

When everyone else had turned their backs on her, his was the only hand extended toward her. She still remembered the warmth of that hand and his kind smile. 

The Grand Duchess recruitment was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her. 

The Grand Duke stared at her, seemingly at a loss for words. Just as he hesitated, about to say something, a servant rushed into the room. 

“Your Grace, an envoy from the Imperial Family has arrived.”

Did that mean the Emperor’s decree had just arrived? 

If it had come sooner, she wouldn’t have had to argue with the Grand Duke like this. Still, she was grateful for the timely reinforcements. 

“This is a message from His Majesty. I will now read it aloud.”

As soon as the envoy entered, he unfolded the letter and began reading its contents. 

The message matched the decree she had brought, with only two additional sentences at the end: 

“This decree is mandatory. Therefore, the Grand Duke’s refusal is not permitted.”

At that moment, she realized the envoy’s timing had not been accidental. 

The Emperor had deliberately timed the arrival of the first candidate and the envoy’s message to coincide. 

It was a clear message: the Emperor would not allow the Grand Duke any excuses to refuse. 

***

Helio let out a deep sigh after sending Elena away.  

He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even find the words to speak.  

Recruiting a marriage partner without even informing me—did my elder brother even think at all?  

He had already found the recent correspondence with his brother, Kailus, suspicious.  

At first, Kailus had written extensively about how adorable his wife was. Then, in the most recent letter, he had sent a long list of the benefits of marriage.  

Helio had assumed that Kailus, excited about the Empress’s difficult pregnancy, simply wanted to boast like a fool in love. He had ignored it, never imagining that it would lead to something like this.  

Asking him how long he planned to remain single had apparently escalated beyond nagging into outright wielding of power.  

‘Elena Bellacita, was it?’  

She was a bold young woman. 

Was she barely twenty?

She was too much of a woman to be called a girl, yet too much of a girl to be called a woman.  

Her lightly curled platinum-blonde hair framed large amethyst eyes. Her flawless, fair skin was accentuated by strikingly red lips.  

Bellacita. 

Upon hearing that name, something came to mind.  

‘If it’s Bellacita, then she must be that young lady from back then. Should I say she’s grown up quite a bit compared to before?’  

How many years had it been since then?  

Had she looked like that back then as well?  

He tried to recall her face, but no clear memory surfaced.  

However, those amethyst-like eyes—those bold, violet eyes that had stared straight at him—remained vivid in his mind to this day.  

Who would have thought that the little girl from back then would now come back to hold him by the ankle?  

“I came because I want to marry you, Your Grace.”

As the image of Elena, who had spoken so confidently with sparkling eyes, came to mind, Helio let out a dry laugh.  

‘To think she wants to become the Grand Duchess.’  

She had an innocent appearance, as if she didn’t know the ways of the world, yet she was dreaming a surprisingly audacious dream.  

Was it her father, the Marquis, who had sent her here? Or was this just a noble young lady’s idea of an amusing pastime?  

If neither, could it be that within that small head of hers, she truly harbored ambitions for power?  

Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter to him.  

Helio had no intention of indulging such vain desires. Not even for a moment.