Chapter 1 – Arrange Marriage (Part 5)

From the first time they met, Killian had looked at Sophia with such a cold gaze, it was like walking on thin ice. If he had looked at other young ladies the same way, they would have run away.

At first, she couldn’t understand his gaze, but once she realized he was from the Loden family, it made sense.

The strange thing was that his gaze towards Sophia was particularly intense. His gaze towards Annette wasn’t that harsh.

How much does he dislike me to look at me like that?

Sophia tried to ignore Killian’s gaze. But after realizing that he smiled to hide his sharp intent, she could no longer ignore it.

She thought this because she had accidentally witnessed him cutting down a person without hesitation.

On her way to meet her brother Liam at the royal palace, Sophia had once seen Killian by chance. It was a brief encounter, so he didn’t see her, but she could never forget what she saw.

It wasn’t an ordinary scene she witnessed. She saw him executing a heinous criminal on the spot.

Killian’s sword pierced the criminal, blood splattering, yet his expression remained unchanged. That image was so chilling that it was seared into Sophia’s memory.

She could never forget the way he smirked after dealing with the man.

The criminal’s wrongdoing was significant, and he deserved punishment, but the restrained movements and merciless demeanor reminded her of the devilish figures described in childhood fairy tales, associated with the Loden family, and it only intensified her fear.

Her brother Liam insisted that Killian wasn’t entirely heartless, but Sophia thought that was wrong. To her, he seemed like someone who wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed with a sword.

So, Sophia naturally found Killian frightening. To the extent that she thought his smile was just a clever mask for such cruel emotions and thoughts.

The strange thing was that this cold demeanor seemed attractive to other young ladies, and Killian was quite popular.

No matter how polite he was, the sheer intimidation he exuded made it difficult to converse with him, yet whenever he appeared at a banquet, young ladies would rush to him.

‘I am currently on duty and cannot engage in personal conversations.’

‘Kyaa!’

Even with just a single word, the young ladies screamed. His restrained and elegant demeanor seemed to melt their hearts.

He was the object of envy for many women and was known for not paying attention to any woman, except one.

That was the lady he had a crush on, Lady Aeri.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Sophia, but now it was different. If he became her husband, she would be marrying a man who held another woman in his heart.

“Surely Killian Loden won’t be my husband?”

Killian was currently away from the capital. So it was more likely that the second son would be Sophia’s marriage partner, but she knew nothing about him, so she couldn’t be sure yet.

Having finished reading about Killian, Sophia turned the page of the report. There, she found the name Clive Loden.

“What kind of person is he?”

Clive Loden rarely appeared at banquets, so Sophia had never seen him nor heard anything about him.

So the decision of whether her husband would be Killian or Clive depended on what kind of person he was.

Without much expectation, she slowly read the investigation about the second son. There wasn’t much written, but he could be summed up in one sentence.

The greatest playboy in the kingdom.

Unlike Marcus, who was busy preparing to become the head of the Loden family, and Killian, who was active as the Captain of the Royal Knights, it was written that Clive did nothing.

“Is this for real? Is he really just lazing around doing nothing?”

Unable to believe what she read, Sophia looked at Emily with disbelief.

“Yes. According to the investigation, that’s what it says.”

Emily shrugged her shoulders with a look of disbelief as well.

It was rare for the son of a duke to become a wastrel. Especially since Duke Loden, known for being strict and rigid, wouldn’t just let his son idle away.

Yet, if he was indeed idling, it meant he was a cast-off child.

“A good-for-nothing wastrel… It’s this man. My prospective groom.”

The eldest is trash, the second is a playboy, and the third is a madman…

Having read the entire report, Sophia was convinced that the man she would marry was Clive Loden. He was the most suitable to be offered as a sacrificial lamb to the Dveshi family.

***

“Your marriage partner has been decided. It’s the second son, Clive Loden.”

A few days later, Duke Dveshi informed Sophia of her marriage partner with a somber expression. As expected, the Loden family had put forth Clive as their sacrificial lamb.

“I knew it!”

Annette, standing next to Sophia, reacted first. She also seemed to have thought it would be Clive, as she gave Sophia a pitying look.

“Sophie, are you alright?”

Duke Dveshi also looked worried.

“I’m alright.”

No matter how much she said she was okay, a cloud hung over her family’s faces. The one with the worst expression was Raymond.

He hadn’t been informed earlier to avoid any issues, so he only learned about the marriage today and was furious.

“How can they marry you off like this! It’s my fault. I should have held on longer, but blinded by jealousy, I ended up causing you harm!”

“No, it’s not just because of you. If the relationship with the Loden family remained bad, it was something we would have had to face eventually. So I think it’s better for me to sacrifice for the peace of the Kingdom.”

Sophia had to say things she didn’t mean to comfort Raymond, who looked apologetic. Annette also looked sorry, perhaps finding Sophia’s forced smile pitiable.

“I’m sorry. If it were Lord Marcus Loden, I could have married him, but I can’t help it.”

“I’m really okay. There’s no need for all of you to look so gloomy.”

Sophia wasn’t fine at all, but she had to keep saying she was fine. She hated the idea of her presence making the atmosphere at home worse.

“I’m sorry for giving you such a burden.”

No matter how much she said she was fine, her family’s expressions didn’t improve at all.

With the partner decided, the next steps proceeded swiftly. The next day, Sophia had to be summoned before the king with a man she hadn’t even spoken to.

Honestly, she wanted to meet Clive wearing a black dress that gave off a mourning vibe, but since she had to appear before the king, she couldn’t do that. She had to make at least some effort in her appearance.

Having no desire to look pretty, Sophia chose the plainest dress she had.

Her steps felt as heavy as a wet garment as she boarded the carriage after getting ready. If she hadn’t held onto Duke Dveshi’s arm, she might have stumbled.

With his help, Sophia boarded the carriage and stared out the window until they reached the royal palace. The duke’s expression was so dark that it wasn’t a situation for conversation.

The fast-moving carriage gradually slowed, and when it stopped, she saw another carriage arriving from the opposite direction also stop. It seemed the Loden family had arrived at the royal palace at the same time.

With the coachman’s help, Sophia got out of the carriage and carefully watched the people getting out of the opposite carriage. Duke Loden stepped out with light and elegant steps, followed by a young man with a heavy gait.

So that’s my future husband.

Ignoring the glaring contest between Duke Dveshi and Duke Loden, who seemed ready to pounce on each other, Sophia focused on the man standing next to Duke Loden.

From his not-so-gentle appearance, it seemed he was indeed from the Loden family, but Clive looked nothing like his father.

Starting with their different hair colors, black and brown, their facial features were also different. If they hadn’t been introduced as father and son, one might think they were strangers. 

In terms of attire, Duke Loden was impeccably neat from head to toe, but Clive was not. His unruly, curly brown hair did not match his black tailcoat at all. In short, his attire was so unkempt that he couldn’t be seen as someone coming to have an audience with the King.

Given Duke Loden’s meticulous and strict nature, Clive was likely either a stubborn man or a child abandoned by the Duke. Sophia nodded, thinking it was probably the latter. When Clive caught her eye, he winked with one eye.

“…”

What on earth?

Sophia was at a loss for words at the sight of a man who seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere between the Dveshi and Loden families.

She tightly shut her mouth, turned her head away, and ignored the man’s wink. Then she followed her father into the palace.