Chapter 1.2

The first morning at the Grand Duke’s residence had dawned.  

If it had been any other day, she would still be wandering in her dreams at this hour. She always woke up late and enjoyed brunch in her pajamas while lounging in bed.  

But today was a special day, more so than any other.  

It was the day of her first breakfast with the Grand Duke.  

Having woken at the crack of dawn, humming a tune as she prepared, she was already seated at the dining table, waiting.  

According to Anne, the maid assigned to serve her personally, the Grand Duke always ate breakfast alone in this dining room at precisely 8 a.m.  

Now, there were only about ten minutes left until 8 o’clock.  

With each tick of the second hand, her heart beat in rhythm.  

Would I even be able to eat properly? 

She couldn’t afford to be so nervous that she would drop her fork.  

Her chest thumped.  

When would he arrive? 

She hoped he would come soon.  

The exhilarating wait stretched on, and finally, as the short hand of the clock pointed precisely to eight, the Grand Duke’s figure appeared at the far end of the dark corridor leading to the dining room.  

Dressed in a white dress shirt paired with black pants, he kept his eyes fixed on a white piece of paper, as if working even while walking.  

Without realizing it, she opened her palm and shielded her eyes.  

‘Ah, they say a halo shines when someone’s too dazzling. He’s brighter than the morning sun!’  

Even in his casual attire, the Grand Duke seemed to radiate light.  

Just as she was about to lose herself in admiration, a young man suddenly appeared from behind the Grand Duke.  

And the halo that had been illuminating the Grand Duke naturally shifted to follow the man.  

…There really was light behind him.  

No wonder… it was so bright.  

The man holding the bright lantern and following behind the Grand Duke was named Dean Chase.  

He was the Grand Duke’s aide and had been the first person to greet her yesterday when she arrived, even before the Grand Duke himself.  

With long silver hair and silver-rimmed glasses that suited him perfectly, he had an intellectual appearance. At a glance, he looked every bit the elite.  

“Elena?”  

Once again, it was Dean who noticed her first.  

At the sound of his voice, the Grand Duke’s eyes lifted from the documents and met hers.  

For a brief moment, she saw irritation flash across his previously expressionless face. Quickly, she stood up and greeted them with a bright smile.  

“Good morning, Your Grace. And to you as well, Dean.”  

“What are you doing here?”  

It was obvious she had come to the dining room to eat, but the Grand Duke clearly wasn’t asking because he didn’t know.  

So she feigned ignorance and replied, 

“Well, I came to have breakfast too.”  

“The servants would have guided you to a different dining room.”  

Though it didn’t seem to work.  

“Well, yes, they did. But I wanted to eat with you, Your Grace.”  

She tried to sound as cheerful and lively as possible, but even that didn’t seem to work.  

Judging by his expression, it looked like frost might form at any moment.  

“I believe I told you that you were only permitted to stay. Didn’t I also say to keep to yourself and leave quietly?”  

“Hmm. Technically, you said, ‘Take care of yourself and leave.’ For what it’s worth, I have an excellent memory.”  

Hmph. There’s a clear difference between staying quietly and taking care of yourself. Taking care of yourself ultimately means I can do whatever I want.  

Her triumphant expression seemed to leave him dumbfounded. He let out a scoff, his face filled with disbelief.  

“Ha, right. That’s what I said. But I also think I mentioned that I absolutely despise anyone invading my space without permission, didn’t I?”

That was true. She hadn’t expected “my space” to include the dining room as well. But if you think about it, was there any place in this castle that wasn’t considered his space?  

“Of course, I remember. I’ll just eat quietly right next to you.”  

However, the one who falls first is the one who loses, and since she was the one at a disadvantage, she had no choice but to lower her stance.  

“You won’t even notice I’m here because I’ll be so quiet. Isn’t eating alone too lonely?”  

She looked up at him with pitiful eyes, like a stray cat.  

At this point, he should have been compelled to reluctantly give her permission, but…  

Just when she thought his silence might mean agreement, the Grand Duke abruptly turned his body away without a word.  

“Dean. I’ll have breakfast in my room this morning.”  

He spoke to Dean, who stood beside him.  

“Yes, I’ll have it prepared right away.”  

Without sparing her even a glance, the Grand Duke coldly strode away.  

***  

“Seriously, can’t he even have a meal with me? He’s so harsh.”  

In the end, she finished her meal alone in the empty dining room.  

“Honestly, what kind of person acts so petty over something as simple as sharing a meal?”  

Isn’t it normal to start breaking the ice and building a relationship by eating together, talking, and getting to know each other?  

“And Dean, too. Couldn’t he have said something to help? ‘Yes, I’ll prepare it right away.’ Ugh, and then he just scurried off.”  

Back in her room, she vented her frustrations aloud, though it was ultimately just talking to herself.  

She had initially thought about pushing forward with confidence, but her efforts had been thwarted from the very beginning.  

To be fair, she could understand the Grand Duke’s attitude. A stranger suddenly appearing and proposing marriage was bound to leave anyone bewildered.  

‘Well, it’s not like I expected everything to go smoothly from the start.’  

She hadn’t expected the Grand Duke to fall for her at first sight or anything so convenient.  

So.  

‘I’ll just have to try harder!’  

That was the resolution she had made just three days ago.  

“Your Grace, how about taking a walk for a while?”  

“I’m busy.”  

“Your Grace, I happened to come across two theater tickets.”  

“I don’t have time.”  

No matter what she suggested, he was always busy.  

How could someone be so consistently unyielding? 

It was, admittedly, impressive.  

No, no, that wasn’t the point.  

There was even a time when Dean, perhaps pitying her for being rejected at every turn, stepped in to help.  

“Your Grace, I’ve prepared some warm tea.”  

“Ah, Lady Elena. This is perfect timing. I was just about to suggest His Grace take a break myself. Your Grace, how about pausing for a moment to rest?”

“Yes, I am tired. I should rest for a bit.”  

“Wow, really? Then, how about some tea—”  

“What are you doing? Everyone, leave. I want to rest quietly by myself.”  

This kind of exchange repeated itself over and over.  

Was I going to waste three months without accomplishing anything? 

Anxiety crept in.  

‘This won’t do.’  

What should I do…  

She really didn’t want to resort to it, but now it seemed there was no other choice but to use that.  

“Heh. Hahaha.”  

Thankfully, no one was around. If someone had seen her grinning to herself, they might have been startled.  

It wasn’t as though she hadn’t anticipated this.  

She had prepared for moments like this.  

With determined steps, she walked over to the wardrobe against the wall. Swinging the doors open wide, she pulled out a large pink bag that had been tucked into a corner.  

“I’m sure I put it here somewhere… Found it!” 

After rummaging through the bag for a while, she finally pulled out a small shopping bag and held it triumphantly above her head.  

Inside the shopping bag was an item worth a staggering five million crang, practically begging her to pick it up.  

‘With this…’  

A small book with a brown cover bordered in gold.  

Just before leaving the capital in her carriage, she had stopped by a secluded antique shop in a quiet alley on the outskirts of the city.