Chapter 1

A dark night, a quiet corridor.

It was so silent, as if an entire floor of the mansion had been emptied. Only one room echoed with suspicious sounds.

“How does it feel?”

“Ugh, mm…”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

A man, biting his lips in pain with his legs spread, and a woman poking at him below with slender fingers.

“Do you feel anything different?”

“How could I suddenly… feel something like that…”

No matter how one looked, this was not a normal marital relationship.

The woman frowned, spreading her two fingers that were inserted beneath the man.

“That’s strange. The book definitely said it was here…”

The man, startled by her odd behavior, could stand it no longer and yanked her hand away. His face twisted in discomfort.

“Are you kidding me? You expect me to believe this?”

“You have to believe me. You agreed to accept my help.”

She pressed his chest, knocking him back, her expression showing she wasn’t bothered at all by his irritation.

“Don’t you want to fix your premature problem?”

“Ugh…”

Defeated, he bit his already battered lips, then quietly spread his legs once more.

How had he ended up going along with this woman’s antics?

It was already too late to wonder where it all went wrong.

***

“No!”

A loud voice rang out, echoing even beyond the window. It was hard to believe such a voice came from such a small body. Earl Andes froze for a moment at his daughter’s fierce spirit.

“Absolutely not!”

The Andes Earldom’s only daughter, Lurua Andes, seized the opportunity to firmly refuse once more. No matter what her father said, if she didn’t like it, she didn’t like it.

And for good reason—an engagement, suddenly?

“Lurua, there’s nothing else I can do. This is your last chance for a match. All the other men withdrew their proposals, saying they couldn’t handle you.”

“Tell them all to run away. I don’t care, I still refuse.”

She turned her head sharply, showing she didn’t want to talk anymore.

Lurua Andes, the lovely and stubborn lady.

She was always known by that one sentence.

Her soft, wavy pink hair resembled spring flowers, and her large blue eyes, set in a round face, were piercing yet sweet. But even with such a lovely appearance, her bizarre personality could not be hidden.

No one knew who she took after, but her ways had been peculiar since childhood.

Climbing trees or sliding down stair railings was just typical tomboy behavior, as long as the servants chased after her to prevent the precious lady from getting hurt.

But when she returned to the mansion, her dress torn and covered in scratches, having tamed a wild animal that had invaded the garden, people finally realized she was extraordinary.

As she grew, her dangerous antics lessened, but stories of her throwing wine glasses at young men who asked her to dance still circulated.

Fortunately, she never had major conflicts with other ladies, so her reputation in society wasn’t completely ruined.

Earl Andes sighed at his stubborn daughter. He knew better than anyone that no one could stop her.

“At least tell me why you hate marriage so much?”

“I wouldn’t be free. People would nitpick my behavior, I’d have to take care of the family, and I’d have a lot more to do.”

“So you know your behavior is a problem.”

“More than anything, I couldn’t stand some nobody acting like my husband. Men don’t want to live getting hit by their wives, right?”

“…….”

With Lurua, that was certainly possible.

“Can’t I just not marry and live with you forever?”

“My dear daughter…”

She looked up at the Earl with sparkling eyes.

Like a cat about to pounce, her eyes shimmered, and the Earl sighed again.

“I know you don’t really mean that.”

“Tsk…”

“The Marquis won’t try to control you. He’s known for not caring about women, so he probably won’t demand much besides basic duties.”

“Then why would someone like that marry me?”

“I wonder myself… but he’s not a shady character. I investigated your future husband thoroughly.”

Lurua frowned openly, showing her displeasure. She thought her stubbornness would make her father call off the engagement, but he was more resolute than she expected.

The Earl continued, undeterred.

“The Marquis of Peraize is a good match. Not just his family, but he himself isn’t worthless. I think he’ll suit you.”

“How do you know he’ll suit me when I haven’t even met him?”

“You’ll meet him soon. I’ve invited the Marquis to the mansion to discuss the marriage.”

“When is that?”

Just then, someone knocked on the door. The voice that followed belonged to the butler.

“Master, the carriage from the Marquis of Peraize has arrived.”

“Now.”

Lurua was convinced she’d inherited her personality from her father.

***

Even seated in the drawing room, she wore a sullen expression. It was clear she disliked the situation.

“Fix your face. This is your first meeting with your future husband.”

Lurua didn’t even respond. The Earl sighed for the third time that day.

Soon, a knock came at the drawing room door.

“Master, the Marquis of Peraize is here.”

“Ahem, show him in.”

The door opened, and footsteps approached. Lurua, still slouched, glared at the opening door.

But as soon as she met the man’s eyes, she sat up straight in surprise.

The first thing she saw were his long, well-shaped legs.

Her gaze traveled upward—narrow hips, a body that looked solid even under his clothes, broad shoulders, and finally… his face.

Right, seeing his face made her doubt her own eyes.

‘…What is this?’

His sparkling silver hair was neatly styled, half swept back. His sharp eyes gave off a dangerous vibe, and his amethyst-like pupils shone coldly.

His skin, as white as carved marble, had a faint pink glow.

Overall, he was an unrealistically handsome man with a cool impression. Lurua almost rubbed her eyes, thinking there was a halo behind him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Earl Andes.”

“Thank you for accepting my sudden invitation. This is my daughter, Lurua.”

The man’s gaze turned to her. She just stared blankly at his face.

“So, you’re the one who will be my fiancée.”

His low voice was pleasant to hear.

“I am Dandel Peraize.”

He extended his hand for a handshake, but she still didn’t respond or speak.

The Earl, thinking his daughter was angry, gave an awkward laugh and tried to explain.

“My… daughter is a bit shy, she must be nervous.”

“…I see.”

Fortunately, Dandel didn’t seem offended and withdrew his hand. The Earl glanced anxiously at her, then sat down and began the conversation.

From then on, it was mostly her father and Dandel talking. She’d been brought here to meet the Marquis and had no part in the engagement negotiations.

Thanks to that, Lurua could sit quietly and admire his face.

The more she looked, the more impressive he was. Her father looked uneasy seeing her so quiet, but she didn’t notice.

When the discussion turned to the engagement date, she finally spoke for the first time since entering.

“Is an engagement ceremony really necessary?”

“Lurua…!”

The Earl called her urgently, as if his worst fears had come true. But what she said next was completely unexpected.

“Let’s just get married right away.”

Her father was dumbstruck. Dandel, too, looked at her in surprise. Lurua glanced at the two men with a shameless look, as if wondering what the problem was.

The Earl’s face soon changed to one of disbelief.

Dandel Peraize was the first to recover. He set down his teacup and spoke in a composed voice.

“…If the lady is comfortable, I don’t mind skipping the formalities.”

“Then it’s settled.”

A few more things were discussed, but after those words, Lurua fell silent again. Instead, she watched Dandel’s face with passionate eyes. She couldn’t get enough of looking at him.

She was looking forward to married life.

***

The wedding proceeded rapidly.

With both parties’ agreement, the engagement ceremony was skipped, and the marriage was pushed forward at unprecedented speed. Lurua could barely wait. Not only was she impatient by nature, but she also wanted to live with Dandel as soon as possible.

After he left that day, her father asked what she was thinking. The look in his eyes said he was worried about what trouble she might cause.

She still remembered his dumbfounded face when she answered that it was love at first sight.

Well, she was never predictable. Since she led the way to marriage without protest, her father ought to be grateful.

If her match hadn’t been the Marquis of Peraize, the engagement would have taken forever. Lurua thought about this as she soaked in the warm bathwater.

The wedding and reception were all finished, and now the newlyweds had only one task left.