Chapter 11

Evan had cherished Selina in his heart for a long time. The first time he saw her was when she was working as an aide’s attendant.

One day, while he was having a meeting in his office with the administrative aide, there was noise outside the door.

“How dare you try to enter the Duke’s room!”

“Just a moment, I really have something important to say!”

A clear voice caught his attention. Evan, who usually had no interest in others, found himself intrigued for the first time.

“Ah, I said no!”

Bang!

Finally, the office door opened, and a woman with pink hair, styled up, appeared. She stood tall and looked Evan straight in the eye. Evan was endlessly drawn into her lake-like blue eyes. It was his first encounter with Selina.

“What is it?”

In response to his question, the woman handed him a document. Her jaw was tense with nerves, but she showed no sign of backing down.

The administrative aide, upon checking the document, became visibly flustered and tried to divert the Duke’s attention.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. This girl is inexperienced…”

“Is the welfare fund for the territory’s people lacking? I’m sure I allocated enough in the budget.”

Evan’s face grew cold as he checked the contents. The aide, familiar with Evan’s cold nature, hurriedly waved his hands.

“N-no, that’s not it…”

Selina reported in a firm voice.

“The budget proposal submitted to you and the actual welfare funds being used are different, Your Grace. I think you should check it yourself.”

“……”

The moment their eyes met, Evan felt uncontrollable emotions. It was as if someone had grabbed his heart tightly, a rush of powerful sensation. Though she was still young, she was capable of making precise judgments. Her clear, bright eyes showed that without any filter.

“What’s your name?”

“Selina Bellure. I’m serving as the administrative aide’s attendant.”

Looking closely, Evan saw her fingertips were trembling.

‘She must have needed a lot of courage to come here.’

He wondered if he should comfort her, but just then Selina handed him another document.

“To better understand how the budget is allocated, what do you think about streamlining the administrative system?”

Evan immediately looked over the report she had prepared herself. It was so well done, it was hard to believe she had just graduated from the academy.

Afterwards, he immediately dismissed the administrative aide who had worked with him for a long time. He had no need for subordinates who made the territory’s people suffer. And he assigned Selina as his new aide right away.

When people opposed the appointment of someone with no experience, Evan coldly retorted,

“Are those who didn’t even notice the corruption in any position to speak?”

At that, everyone fell silent.

Selina was quite capable, handling even difficult tasks with ease. The only problem was that she worked too hard.

She skipped meals, worked late as if it were routine, and would return home late at night.

Since Evan had already grown fond of her, he hoped Selina would take care of herself. So he enforced it: making her work by his side, eating meals together, and insisting she leave work on time for her health.

Everyone in the ducal residence, including the butler, noticed the Duke’s feelings. Who ever heard of a boss taking care of an employee’s meals?

But unfortunately, Selina alone was unaware of Evan’s emotions.

He found himself liking Selina more and more. He couldn’t bear not to look at her. So, whenever she checked documents, organized the desk, or ate… he would always secretly watch her. Making sure Selina never noticed.

* * *

Selina wore a thoroughly bewildered expression after hearing Evan’s story. The two of them were chatting over tea in the garden.

During their conversation, Selina had asked Evan when he started liking her, and Evan shared his feelings from their first meeting up to now.

“You mean you were looking at me without me knowing?”

“Yes, I was always busy avoiding you first, afraid our eyes would meet.”

“But you were always glaring at me!”

“What…?”

Evan’s ears turned red. Seeing him flustered with embarrassment, Selina spoke as if she couldn’t believe it.

“So I thought you hated me!”

“There’s no way I could ever hate you.”

He explained himself, truly feeling wronged. His intense gaze had been love, not hatred. Realizing that all her past sorrow had been a misunderstanding, Selina laughed out loud.

“Then why did you go to the Osborne Dukedom? And with a ring, at that.”

“Osborne? Ah.”

Evan smiled softly.

“The Osborne Dukedom has been in charge of magic stone craftsmanship for generations. They’re said to be among the best in the Empire, so I entrusted them with it, but I didn’t like the cutting. I needed to propose to you as soon as possible.”

“A proposal…?”

“I’ve been waiting since the day we became one. I want to marry you as soon as possible.”

Evan took out a small box from his pocket. When he opened the case, a ring set with a pink magic stone appeared. The shimmering color was so beautiful that Selina couldn’t take her eyes off it.

“I’ve placed a spell on the ring. So we can mark each other.”

He stood from his chair and knelt on one knee. The eyes with which he looked up at Selina were utterly sincere.

“My beloved Selina, I will devote the rest of my life to you.”

Please accept me.

Selina’s heart fluttered at Evan’s proposal. She was already looking forward to the days they would spend together. Her eyes, moist with emotion, curved beautifully.

“Yes, I’d love that!”

Evan and Selina looked at each other and smiled radiantly. Soon, the ring was slipped onto Selina’s finger, and the two, overcome with happiness, shared a kiss.

With the gentle breeze, flowers in the garden danced all around them. It was a blessing for the Duke and Duchess.