Chapter 2 – Engagement (Part 4)

The Duke thought for a moment. The possibility that the other party might not want this was not part of his calculations, which was troublesome. Considering she had expressed her refusal, he pondered whether he should return and choose another candidate, but there was a possibility that others might react similarly.

No matter how powerful the House of Grendel was, it wouldn’t look good in the eyes of others if their marriage proposal was rejected. Therefore, the Duke didn’t want to repeat this experience. More importantly, he had neither the time nor the inclination to go through something like this again.

The Duke thought he could solve this proposal matter as he had solved difficult problems in the past: through reason, logic, and the power of the Ducal house.

However, the woman trembling before him seemed unable to make decisions for herself. In that case, subtly pressuring her by mentioning her parents might be a solution.

“Do your parents share the same opinion? Forming a connection with the Ducal house is not a bad thing. When considering the future of the Serenze family, it might be easier to make a decision.”

“My parents said they would respect my wishes. So please… find a lady from a distinguished family who matches Your Grace’s stature.”

“If that were my intention, I wouldn’t have proposed to the Serenze family in the first place. It seems your parents have no thoughts about their child’s and family’s future. There won’t be a better marriage opportunity than this. And you could use the Ducal house’s influence to prosper your family business. I can’t understand why you wouldn’t consider that.”

‘This guy, really…’

Unconsciously getting heated, Elysia forgot she was supposed to appear timid and fearful, and she raised her head to speak directly.

“My parents value their child’s true happiness over the superficial status of a marriage match. They wish for me to meet someone I truly love and live cherishing each other. I also dislike the idea of living in a place like the Grendel Ducal house, where I can’t even breathe properly and have to tread carefully with every step.”

Elysia’s eyes met the Duke’s directly. As if her earlier pitiful demeanor had been a lie, Elysia now glared at the Duke with eyes that seemed to spark with fire. The Duke stared intently into those eyes.

Seeing the Duke’s gaze, which seemed to pierce through her, Elysia flinched and realized her state, lowering her head again. She was frustrated at having been provoked and failing to maintain her timid act, but she needed to quickly refocus on her performance.

“It seems wiser to plan for the future realistically rather than clinging to intangible things like love and happiness. Since you seem unable to make the right judgment due to your lack of worldly experience, I’ll give you some time to think.”

Though he said that, the Duke left the ring and bouquet on the drawing room table and walked out, as if confident she wouldn’t refuse.

***

In the carriage heading to the palace, Aaron fidgeted restlessly, observing the Duke’s expression.

‘Did the proposal go well? Since His Grace didn’t have the flowers or ring, Lady Serenze must have accepted them, right? It’s impossible to tell from His Grace’s expression…’

As the Duke reflected on Elysia’s words, he thought it was absurd that someone else could utter such foolishness. It was only natural that the daughter of the Serenze family, who had been raised by the foolish teachings of the Serenze baron and his wife—emphasizing true love and happiness—would turn out to be equally foolish.

However, he was relieved to see that she wasn’t as timid as she seemed, given the way she glared when he insulted her parents.

The talk of love and happiness inevitably reminded him of someone. Seeing his reflection in the carriage window, the Duke involuntarily recalled his own childhood.

***

It happened when he was 10 years old. Young Cassius overheard the maids whispering as he went to visit his bedridden mother. Those maids probably didn’t know that people in the Ducal house had exceptionally sharp hearing.

“Madame still won’t eat or take medicine. She just keeps looking out the window…”

“Is she still… longing for him?”

“Quiet! Everyone’s already trying to keep it under wraps to avoid rumors. If the Duke finds out, there’ll be hell to pay.”

“Madame is pitiable. Anyone would fall ill marrying someone like the Duke. Sometimes, just entering this house makes me feel suffocated.”

“I feel the same. Madame needs a place to rest her heart. Staying in a place like this for too long would make anyone ill.”

He didn’t like hearing them speak so carelessly about his mother. However, he couldn’t muster the courage to confront them, as he recalled his father’s reprimand.

“How pathetic, letting the idle chatter of maids bother you, when you are the young Duke of Grendel. Are you using your youth as an excuse to not even uphold your dignity?”

Thus, Cassius hid behind a pillar to avoid the unpleasant conversation. Only after the maids had left did Cassius emerge from behind the pillar and head to his mother’s room.

His mother sat by the window, with the curtains half drawn, staring blankly outside. It was only when Cassius gently took her hand that she turned to look at him. Her face was a blur in his memory, leaving only a vague image of frailty.

When Cassius attempted to close the window, saying the wind wasn’t good for her health, his mother stopped him by holding his hand.

“…If you hadn’t been born into the Ducal house… here, …it would have been better… a hollow grave…”

From somewhere on her faintly distorted face, a teardrop fell. Perhaps it was because he disliked seeing her like that, but though Cassius remembered that his mother often cried, he couldn’t clearly recall her face.

A few days later, Cassius picked flowers from the garden and brought them to his mother. However, the maids who came out of his mother’s room seemed unfamiliar, as if they were new. It felt strange, as there wouldn’t have been the energy to hire new maids for his ailing mother.

His mother was still lifelessly gazing out the window, but she was very pleased to see the flowers Cassius brought. No, it seemed she was more pleased by the fact that Cassius had brought them.

“Did you bring this for me? These flowers feel so warm.”

The vague image of his mother hugged Cassius tightly and patted his head.

Sometime after that day, Cassius was again picking flowers in the garden, which was in full bloom. Then a large shadow loomed over him. Sensing someone behind him, Cassius quickly turned around…

The sensation of that shadow engulfing him and constricting his entire body made it hard to breathe.

“Duke?”

Aaron’s voice snapped the Duke back to reality. He must have dozed off briefly. The carriage was almost at the Ducal estate.

***

Elysia thrashed about on her bed. No matter how she tossed and turned, she couldn’t think of a solution.

“Ugh! How can I end this cleanly?”

Daisy fluffed the bed intentionally, pushing Elysia off it.

“Miss, I need to tidy the bedding, so please sit on the sofa for a moment.”

“Ugh… I’m so mad. He’s no different from that ambitious Baron. It’s like, ‘How dare someone like you refuse my proposal.’ He never imagined someone like me would refuse, just because I’m from a humble family and not noteworthy. Does he think I have no preferences or opinions? And what? If he wanted a distinguished family, he wouldn’t have proposed to me in the first place? Did he expect me to be grateful for being treated like that? Ugh, I’m so mad! So mad!! If he weren’t a Duke, I’d have slapped him until my hand hurt! I can’t take it. My parents told me to reconsider, but I’m going to tell them to send a definitive refusal letter. Daisy, where are they now?”

“I saw them go into the study together earlier.”

Elysia, wearing only her nightgown and a shawl, strode out of the room.

The study, which also served as Tobias’s office, was at the end of the first-floor hallway. The door was slightly ajar, perhaps for ventilation. The hallway was quiet, with no maids passing by at the moment.

“It seems… she might refuse, doesn’t it? I told her to think about it again, but…”

Elysia was about to enter but instinctively hid behind the door upon hearing her father’s voice.

“Yes. Honestly, I don’t think the Duke is a good husband either. From the way he proposed, it really does seem like Elysia said, that he’s not interested in her but thinks we’re an easy family.”

The Serenze couple was speaking in a serious tone that Elysia hadn’t heard from them before.

“I found it a bit unpleasant too. That business-like attitude, usually even the most prominent families meet several times to get to know each other… It felt like he was shopping for goods.”

“If she marries like that, Elysia likely won’t be treated well in that house. The late Duke was also notoriously cold and was rumored to have neglected his wife because he only cared about work.”

“I’d like to refuse outright again, but… considering he came in person after we refused by letter, it seems we’ve pricked his pride. If we stand firm, it might become difficult to do business in the capital.”

The couple fell silent for a moment.