“This is the Esperanza Duke’s estate… isn’t it?”

The woman paused.

She had been unfolding the clothes to help me change but stopped and turned to look at me.

After a brief silence, she finally spoke.

“Yes. The Duke instructed me to bring you to him as soon as you woke.”

Hearing those words, I couldn’t help but clench my fists at my sides.

‘We made it.’

The moment I confirmed we were at the Esperanza Duke’s estate, I felt all the tension in my body begin to release.

But I couldn’t relax just yet. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and steadied myself.

‘This woman must be one of the Duke’s servants.’

The woman expertly helped me dress, adjusting the oversized sleeves and straightening the wrinkles in the fabric. Her precise, practiced movements suggested she held a high position among the staff.

After finishing, she stepped back and asked, “Is everything comfortable?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Thanks to her, I managed to dress quickly despite being unfamiliar with the clothes.

The belt was a lifesaver—without it, I might’ve looked like I was wearing a curtain when meeting the Duke.

As the woman gave my outfit one final inspection, I seized the chance to ask what had been weighing on my mind.

“Could I ask about Paul… the knight who came with me? Is he alright?”

“He has been treated but remains unconscious. You’ll be able to see him later.”

A sigh of relief escaped me.

Thank goodness, he received proper care.

Though it pained me that he hadn’t regained consciousness, knowing his life wasn’t in immediate danger brought some comfort.

The woman opened the door and gestured for me to follow.

“Come. I’ll take you to the Duke.”

“…Alright.”

The room I had been in was already luxurious, but the estate itself was on another level. Even the hallways and staircases were adorned with elegance, with no detail overlooked.

As I followed the woman up the stairs, I repeated to myself, ‘Don’t make a mistake. Do your best—for Mom.’

I hurried after the woman, crossing countless hallways, until she stopped in front of a door.

Knocking politely, she announced, “Your Grace, I’ve brought the guest.”

“…Ah, come in.”

A low voice faintly seeped through the door.

The elderly woman gave me a slight nod before opening the door for me.

The elegant wooden door swung open smoothly, without so much as a creak.

As the door opened, and I locked eyes with the person I had been so desperate to meet—

‘…Ah.’

Strangely enough, I was overwhelmed by his intimidating presence and felt an urge to turn around and flee.

‘Gasp.’

For the first time in my life, I saw eyes of a chilling blood-red, staring at me like prey.

Compared to that gaze, even the wolves that had chased Paul and me through the forest seemed warm and gentle.

At that moment, I realized how difficult it was to capture someone’s aura and appearance in mere words.

The image of “Jack Esperanza” described fleetingly in the novel was nothing like this.

The man’s face, tilted slightly as he looked at me from behind his desk, could only be described as “terrifying.”

His black hair fell neatly over his pale, straight forehead. His sharp eyes and the crimson irises beneath them seemed to embody the word “predator.”

For a moment, I saw the wolves from the forest superimposed over him, and I almost stumbled backward.

But I bit the inside of my cheek and barely managed to hold my ground.

‘I can’t show fear.’

Whether it’s a beast or a person, showing weakness only invites them to devour you.

Let alone in this situation, where I needed to propose a “deal.” I couldn’t afford to leave a weak impression on someone I needed to treat me as an equal.

A deal, after all, is something that occurs between two equals. It cannot succeed if one party is seen as merely receiving charity.

Fortunately, it seemed my thoughts and actions had left a somewhat favorable impression on the Duke.

The menacing glint in his red eyes softened slightly, replaced by a flicker of interest.

“…Hmm.”

The Duke’s previously expressionless face shifted as the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

He finally rose from his seat and gestured toward the elderly woman behind me.

“You’ve done well. Leave us now. Make sure no one approaches this area.”

“Understood.”

The elderly woman bowed deeply, then exited the room, closing the door behind her.

The Duke stepped out from behind his desk and gestured toward a sofa in one corner of the room.

“Sit. You are a guest, after all. I can’t very well have you stand while we talk.”

“…Thank you.”

Though his tone carried a subtle edge, I pretended not to notice and approached the sofa.

However, as I was about to climb onto the sofa, I froze in place.

‘…It’s high.’

Perhaps because it was designed for adults, the black velvet sofa reached up to my waist.

I could climb up by lifting one leg first, but doing so would make me look like a child. I hesitated, unsure of what to do.

“Ah, hold on.”

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind me, and before I could react, I found myself being lifted into the air.

‘Ack.’

Too startled to even let out a proper sound, I blinked once, and the next thing I knew, I was seated on the sofa.

The Duke removed his hand from my waist, shrugged lightly, and took a seat across from me. He frowned slightly.

“My apologies. Lucian climbs up just fine, so I did it out of habit.”

His genuinely apologetic tone surprised me. Tilting my head in curiosity, I let out a small smile.

‘That’s a relief.’

Though he seemed somewhat blunt and cold, he didn’t appear to be rude or arrogant.

‘If he were, he would’ve been portrayed as a villain alongside Marquis Diarmuid in the original story.’

Since my plan, if successful, would mean my mother would have to live as his wife—at least on the surface—I had been worried about his personality. But it seemed I could breathe a little easier.

I took a moment to compose myself and organize my thoughts.

In the meantime, the Duke poured tea from the pot on the table and pushed a cup toward me.

“So.”

The sharpness that had momentarily disappeared from his face returned.

He looked at me with a guarded gaze, making no effort to hide his suspicion.

“Who are you? As far as I know, Marquis Diarmuid has only one daughter. Are you some hidden illegitimate child?”

Hearing his words, I paused, my hands wrapped around the warm teacup, and marveled inwardly.

‘As expected of the Duke’s household.’

After Paul had brought me here, he had lost consciousness, and I hadn’t said a single word about myself since waking up.

Moreover, according to Paul, the knights who came to retrieve my mother and me had deliberately refrained from wearing badges that identified them as belonging to the Marquis’s household, in case of an ambush.

Even if they had searched Paul’s belongings, it wouldn’t have been easy to determine which family he served.

Yet here he was, accurately mentioning Marquis Diarmuid by name.

‘Well, Gilbert’s group did pass through the capital gates under concealed identities on the same day. They might have investigated from that angle.’

Since there was no reason to hide the truth from him, I spoke candidly.

“No. I’m Gretel Diarmuid’s daughter.”

“…Gretel Diarmuid? Isn’t the Marquis’s daughter still unmarried?”

“Officially, yes.”

“Hmm…”

The Duke’s eyes narrowed.

He fell silent, as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth, before clicking his tongue.

“Well, it’s none of my business.”

He muttered quietly before leaning back against the sofa and crossing his legs.

Adopting the very posture of a “predator,” he spoke in an indifferent tone.

“Before I send you back to the Marquis’s estate, I’ll ask out of courtesy. Why have you come to see me?”

His gaze made it clear he had no expectations of me.

But it was precisely that lack of expectation that would work to my advantage in this negotiation.

Meeting his gaze head-on, I replied in a clear voice.

“To be frank, I know that Your Grace has no intention of getting married.”