Before getting married, his mother arranged a meeting, insisting that he should at least see her face once. That was when he first met the child who had grown into a proper adult.

“Hello, Duke. It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I’m Hazel. I’ve always wanted to greet you properly, and it’s truly an honor.”

So pure and bright.

Though it was an expression he had never used before, seeing her smiling face, radiant as sunlight, made him realize it was the perfect way to describe Hazel.

With indifferent eyes, he carefully observed her.

Her eyes shone with a mysterious light like amethyst. Her silvery hair shimmered enchantingly. Her red lips chattered nervously, and her voice was filled with joyful excitement. Her cheeks flushed like peaches, and she carried the scent of the purple flower he always kept close.

For the first time in ages, he felt something sweet.

He wondered how something could feel so unreal.

“Mrs. Lawrence mentioned marriage, but how could I possibly become the Duke’s wife? I just came because I really wanted to meet you. But don’t tell Mrs. Lawrence I said this!”

She laughed, saying she felt like a villain plotting something.

He was sometimes curious. Why did people laugh, and how was it possible to laugh without calculation?

To him, laughter was like math. Lift the corners of your mouth, gently lower the corners of your eyes. Move your face according to the set rules, and you’d arrive at the answer.

Seeing Hazel’s innocent laughter, he finally understood. It was an expression that required happiness as its foundation. He realized he would never be able to genuinely laugh in his lifetime.

“The academy’s meals were good, but the food at the Duke’s house is just amazing! You might not realize it since you eat this every day, but the dessert is incredible! Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve tasted such luxury.”

Throughout the meal, Hazel expressed her admiration for each dish.

He simply listened, offering little reaction.

To him, food was merely a means of survival. Chew and swallow—that was all. There was a limit to expressing taste through learning, so he avoided dining with others.

If they got married, would he have to endure such lengthy impressions during every meal?

The thought already gave him a headache.

“As you know, if Mrs. Lawrence hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t be here. Luckily, one leg was easily fixed, but I want to help the other one walk soon. So I’m researching hard every day.”

She spoke about how lucky she was and how grateful she felt toward Mrs. Lawrence, even though it was Leopold who had saved her.

It didn’t matter that she didn’t remember; her determination to fix the leg he had crippled subtly bothered him. As he grew older, he sometimes thought his mother brought her troubles upon herself.

Childish as it was, her confident attitude toward healing felt like a rebuke to him.

“I definitely want to have kids when I get married. Maybe three? I’m confident I can raise them with love! What about you, Duke? Oh, but don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying this because I want to marry you!”

The word “children” disrupted the light-hearted flow of her one-sided conversation, and he could no longer take it lightly.

If his mother wanted it, this marriage would certainly happen. And the “children” Hazel spoke of would soon become a reality.

Leopold had no intention of having children.

Children were dreadful.

Children ruined lives.

Especially children with his blood; they were indescribably dangerous.

He didn’t want a monster like himself to be born. Perhaps his child would also brutally kill their father and plunge their mother’s life into hell.

He thought deeply.

He, who had no desire to create a family, and Hazel, who dreamed of children, could never coexist. He couldn’t go against his mother. In that case…

Leopold reached a simple conclusion.

He hoped she wouldn’t grow attached to him and would instead distance herself.

***

The marriage unfolded as Leopold desired.

He, who always wanted to escape, was bound by the name of family. However, since Hazel was a complete stranger, he concluded that it would be easier.

Like the plan his father had once mentioned to Peter, after she left, he intended to choose the most suitable person with even a drop of Lawrence blood to continue the family line.

Occasionally, he heard his mother’s nagging about heirs, but a single word—that his wife wasn’t ready—would silence her. She even lectured him to wait patiently until Hazel was prepared.

Being cold and dismissive was effortless.

All he had learned from his mother was hatred, so he didn’t need to put much effort into making his wife dislike him.

Though, in truth, his feelings were somewhat different.

The perfume Hazel wore on their wedding night was unbearable for Leopold, whose sense of smell was keen. Moreover, it masked her naturally sweet scent.

The words he used were easy to misinterpret, but Leopold had no intention of clarifying them.

On a day when his magic was raging and tormenting him, he stepped out onto the terrace to cool his head and was shocked to find Hazel there in such attire.

A slip that clung to her body and her bare skin glowing white were sights no one should see. If any employee had seen her, he might have quietly gouged out their eyes.

He hadn’t assigned her a personal guard because he didn’t want Hazel to form attachments or rely on anyone in the mansion.

On the other hand, he wasn’t fond of Jayden, who, despite not being blood-related, was often mentioned by her simply because they shared a childhood.

One day, reports came in about some rude employees who mocked Hazel’s abilities and questioned her lineage. They claimed that if they had been born with her talents, they too would be great healers.

But just as a raw gem doesn’t suddenly become a diamond, if she had been lazy in her studies at the academy, Hazel—whom his mother cherished so much—wouldn’t exist.

While he harshly punished the foolish employees, he also urged his kind wife to act with dignity. Of course, she was probably just hurt by it.

Leopold had many things he didn’t want to reveal. For instance, his lack of taste or the scars covering his body.

His past, which would undoubtedly provoke the sympathy of kind-hearted Hazel, only interfered with his plans. So he gradually reduced their shared meals and found excuses to delay sleeping together.

Unfortunately, the more he pushed Hazel away, the less she retreated.

Instead, he saw longing in her eyes—a gaze reminiscent of how he had looked at his mother as a child, and it unsettled him.

In the end, he only provoked Hazel further. He wanted her to resent and hate him enough to break free from the shackles of being his wife and run away.

However, being human, there were days when he was fickle.

“Duke, Madam is looking for you.”

“What is it about?”

“She said it’s nothing important.”

“Then tell her I’ll talk later. I’m busy.”

Normally, Peter would have answered affirmatively right away, but for some reason, he hesitated before speaking with difficulty.

“…Your birthday is coming soon.”

Was that such an important day? The exact date of his birth was uncertain.

A wave of fatigue washed over him.

Leopold’s birthday coincided with the anniversary of his father’s death, a day he endured his mother’s harsh punishment every year.

While others exchanged joyful congratulations, for him, his birthday was a hellish occasion he wished to ignore.

But recalling how Hazel had cried on her first birthday after they became a couple, Leopold decided to find his wife, with Peter leading the way.

“Oh… I didn’t really expect you to come.”

“Are you joking?”

“No, no. The weather is so nice today; I just wanted to take a walk with you!”

Perhaps anxious that Leopold might change his mind, Hazel hurriedly grabbed his hand.

Her soft touch made him acutely aware of his feelings. Her excited voice sent chills down his spine.

Though it was a short walk, his heart was greatly unsettled.

He wanted to distance himself…

From that harmless smile, from her innocence, and… from the face that seemed hurt by him.

Was he really pushing her away simply because he didn’t want children?

He pondered this anew.

Whenever Hazel looked as if she might crumble under his harsh words, he felt a wave of self-loathing. So he reconsidered his decision. A flicker of the fear he had buried deep within surfaced.

If she truly resented him for not being able to give her what she wanted… Despite a life filled with hatred, why was he so afraid of being hated by Hazel? Why did he not want her to hate him…

Could it be that he…

Realizing this felt like drinking saltwater, leaving him with an insatiable thirst.

He resolved not to delve further into his feelings.

“In the future, unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t report anything about Hazel first.”

Leopold pushed himself to a place where he couldn’t grant his wife’s requests. He constantly went to the border for small skirmishes and spent long periods as a diplomatic envoy in foreign countries.

Though he had grown in stature, this was how he found peace of mind. It allowed him to ‘inevitably’ refuse her requests.

His loyal employees did not report any news about Hazel.

It was disappointing but acceptable. They could simply drift apart like this.

She was capable and beautiful enough to start anew. She could meet someone from a normal family, unlike him, have the children she desired, receive abundant love, and live happily.

Now, everything was just returning to its rightful place, so with time…

“Duke, there’s bad news from the mansion…”

Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that some feelings never truly break.