Chapter 2 – Engagement (Part 8)

‘Might as well just hold the dinner in a mausoleum.’

Entering the dining room for dinner with the Duke, Elysia had to stifle a laugh.

It seemed like a banquet hall used for official dinners inviting several nobles, with the Duke already seated at one end of the long dining table and Elysia’s seat prepared at the opposite end.

Despite the massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, none of the lights were on, and only a few candles on the large table provided dim illumination. Shadows flickered across the Duke’s face with the candlelight.

The Duke’s black hair blended into the darkness of the space, and his famously beautiful blue eyes were shrouded in shadow due to the faint light. He seemed like the master of darkness.

As if the dim atmosphere wasn’t enough, the distance between their dining places was dauntingly far. In a crowded official banquet, the seat opposite the head of the house would indeed be the official place for the mistress.

‘But! This is our first dinner as an engaged couple. Shouldn’t we at least sit a little closer?’

Elysia didn’t necessarily want to become close to the Duke immediately. Still, she intended to make basic efforts, but with seating like this, even having a conversation was difficult, and she couldn’t see the other person’s face well.

‘Could this be the servants asserting their authority?’

Elysia thought it was possible that this was not the Duke’s instruction but rather the servants’ decision. Although she hadn’t known the Duke for long, despite being displeased with the proposal, he didn’t seem like the type to bother with such petty and trivial harassment.

The servant standing by Elysia pulled out her chair for her. Elysia sat down and looked at the plate in front of her. The smooth surface of the porcelain, undoubtedly a high-end product, had a fine gold pattern engraved around the edge like a thread. The utensils were also luxurious, with obsidian handles and gold and silver craftsmanship.

The table was a single slab of marble. Everything in the room matched the Duke’s reputation for luxury, but the overwhelming dominance of black and gray was the same as ever. Elicia was getting tired of seeing so much black. She suspected that even a castle built by the Demon King himself would be brighter than this. She couldn’t help but wonder if the late Duke had been a serious lover of all things black.

‘What if all the food is black too?’

While worrying about the color of the food, she was relieved to see a glass of red wine and a fresh green salad being served. She was so happy she almost wanted to cheer.

‘I thought I’d entered a black-and-white world, but at least the food looks normal!’

Just as she was about to start eating with relief, she glanced over at the Duke. He sat as still as a statue, barely even breathing, blending into the shadows. From a distance, he looked like a portrait of a supremely handsome man, painted by a master artist. However, it gave off the impression of a masterpiece that had been left forgotten in a dark corner of the artist’s studio because the client had died before paying for it.

On the bright side, being seated so far away had its advantages. She could pretend not to hear him if he said something she didn’t want to respond to.

“Thank you for accepting the proposal and adjusting to the tight schedule.” 

The Duke said. Unfortunately, since there were only the two of them and the silent servants, Elicia could hear him clearly, even though he didn’t raise his voice.

“I merely did what I thought was the least I could do as your fiancée, given your busy schedule. There’s no need to thank me.”

The Duke quietly looked at Elicia for a moment before continuing.

“When I came to propose, you seemed quite resolute, so I expected it would take more time to persuade you. What made you change your mind so suddenly?”

“I simply made a rational decision, as you advised.”

The Duke seemed about to say more but stopped, looking at Elysia. Elysia, thinking the Duke would continue the conversation, also looked at him. After a silence that lasted only seconds but felt like minutes to Elysia, the Duke blinked briefly and began eating.

It felt like she had already been overpowered. Elysia judged that the Duke would not initiate further conversation and quietly continued her meal.

Knowing that he was observing her as if evaluating her, she ate more gracefully than usual to avoid any faults.

‘No matter how hard you try to find fault, you won’t find any. Before regaining my past life’s memories, I received etiquette education and lived like a noble. Early education really is important.’

Even though she was confident in her etiquette, the atmosphere was such that she couldn’t tell if the food was going into her nose or mouth, so she thought she might need a digestive aid after the meal.

The two continued their meal in silence.

***

Aaron Hass was having dinner with his brother Ronan at the Haas family mansion.

“So, Father clung to Mother’s skirt out of nowhere, thinking she had fallen for the boatman. He said he’d die if she left him and made a scene on the rowboat, almost causing both of them to have a big accident when the boat capsized.”

The former head of the Haas Trading Company, the brothers’ parents, were on a world tour after retirement. The servant accompanying them sent regular letters reporting on the current country’s trade and items, along with updates on the couple’s well-being.

After Ronan read the letter to Aaron, sharing the travel episodes of their still-loving parents, Aaron, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly thought of the newly engaged Duke and grew quiet.

“Is our Duke doing well?”

Sitting in a plush, ornate chair and indulging in a lavish feast laid out on the large wooden table, Aaron spoke. The dining table of the Haas family, thanks to its color and material, gave a warm feeling despite its size. Compared to Aaron, who was relatively neatly dressed, Ronan, in an unbuttoned shirt like in the warehouse office, picked up a piece of ham with his bare hands and looked at Aaron as if asking what he meant.

“Brother, stop eating like a savage with your hands. Why are you doing that when there’s a fork right next to you?”

After eating the ham and sucking his fingers for show, Ronan ruffled Aaron’s hair with that hand and said,

“Let’s eat comfortably sometimes. Should I feed you with my own hands? Once you taste this brother’s touch, you won’t be able to get enough.”

“Ew, gross! Get your hands off!!”

Ronan, laughing heartily at his brother’s reaction, said,

“Why are you so worried about the Duke? He’s not a child. Stop worrying about him. Isn’t your Duke supposed to be super smart and capable?”

“Well, yes. But… I’m not confident in this area. Plus, since the Lady of the Serenze family initially refused the marriage proposal and then suddenly changed her mind, I’m worried she might change her mind again after seeing the Ducal estate.”

“The Lady of the Serenze family refused the marriage proposal?”

“Didn’t I tell you? The Serenze quasi-Baron sent a refusal reply, so I had to quickly prepare something for the Duke to take when he visited in person. Apparently, she expressed her refusal even on the day he visited. So the Duke was contemplating how to apply pressure, but then surprisingly, a letter of acceptance arrived a few days later.”

“That’s unexpected. Isn’t she the eldest daughter? When I visited their house for business, she seemed like someone who just went with the flow without much will.”

Muttering that, Ronan suddenly grinned and said,

“Interesting.”

Aaron felt a chill at that look. He knew all too well what that smile and those words meant.

“No! Absolutely not, Brother! Please, I told you not to take an interest in noblewomen. Besides, she’s going to be the Duchess of Grendel!”

“They haven’t signed the marriage contract yet. And there’s still six months until the ceremony. Who knows what might happen in the meantime?”

Aaron’s expression hardened as he angrily responded to Ronan’s words.

“Even if you’re my brother, I won’t stand by if you do anything to harm the Duke. There was a scandal during the late Duke’s time, and if you seduce her now, what do you think will happen? Not only will the Grendel Ducal house’s honor fall to the ground, but the Duke will live a life unable to trust anyone and be unhappy forever.”

Ronan looked at Aaron quietly, thinking. The Duke wasn’t a bad person, but unless his personality changed as rumored, there was every possibility he might follow the same path as the late Duke Grendel.

“What did I say I’d do? Anyway, since I regularly deliver supplies to the Grendel house, I’m bound to run into her eventually.”

“When you do, just greet her. No, don’t even greet her. If this engagement falls apart because of you, I’ll hate you forever.”

“Alright, alright. I have that much discretion. But are you a Haas person or a Grendel family person…?”

Watching Aaron grumble, Ronan smiled and resolved to visit the Ducal estate personally during the next delivery.