5. The Beginning of Misunderstanding

Once all procedures were completed, Luciella was placed in Enoch’s hands. Like she had become an object.

Even that moment was unpleasant, but Enoch didn’t show it and carefully helped Luciella into the carriage. He also climbed in after her.

Soon the carriage departed toward the estate. Enoch silently observed Luciella quietly.

‘She must have been very frightened……’

First he planned to take her to the estate and provide her with a comfortable bed and food. Looking at Luciella’s gaunt forearms, Enoch had to suppress his distress. Luciella’s body was so emaciated it seemed it would break if he grasped it. She looked exactly like a dried tree branch.

Before long the carriage arrived at the estate.

“Did you return safely, Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

The moment Enoch got out of the carriage, he removed the mask covering his face. Then Luciella, seeing his face, showed considerably surprised eyes.

For a moment Enoch tensed up, thinking she might recognize him. Enoch’s heart began pounding—thump, thump.

He stopped respectfully in front of Luciella and bowed his head while speaking.

“I will formally introduce myself, Your Highness the Princess.”

Harboring a very small hope, wishing Luciella would recognize him.

“I am Enoch Walter, master of the Walter estate.”

But soon he realized this was merely his delusion. The Luciella before his eyes only looked confused and bewildered.

Enoch swallowed a bitter smile when his expectations were crushed.

‘Right, there’s no way she would remember.’

It’s fine, what matters isn’t something trivial like that anyway…….

Enoch tried to console his disappointed heart and carefully took Luciella’s hand like she was fragile glass. He intended to leave a brief kiss on the back of her hand. This was the typical greeting method of nobles.

But the moment Enoch gently grasped her hand and bowed his head, the small hand coldly withdrew and disappeared.

“Ah……”

Then she stared at Enoch with an unpleasant, displeased expression. Flustered, Enoch furrowed his brow and stared at Luciella with an incomprehensible expression.

He couldn’t grasp what kind of behavior this was.

“It’s dirty……”

Luciella said that while slowly backing away.

Enoch’s mind became confused.

‘Dirty? What’s dirty?’

Could she mean I’m dirty?

He tried to act like nothing was wrong, but it wasn’t easy. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

After receiving the title of marquis, Enoch had been rejected for greetings this way by several high-ranking noble young ladies at banquets and gatherings he attended. Simply because he was of common birth.

But he had never imagined Luciella would also reject him for the same reason as those women.

He felt like his heart was sinking to the floor with a thud. Shame made his blood run cold.

After deciding to bring her here, he had thought of numerous scenarios, but he could say with certainty this case wasn’t among them. Enoch looked forlornly at his hand left alone in the air and muttered.

“I see.”

He withdrew his hand and spoke.

“You must be tired. I’ll guide you to the room where you’ll be staying.”

Even during this, Luciella offered no apology or explanation. She only glared at Enoch with meaningful eyes.

“Head maid.”

Enoch called the head maid who was standing at a distance.

“Guide Her Highness to the room she’ll be using.”

“Yes, understood.”

Enoch stood still and blankly stared at Luciella’s retreating figure following the head maid. Then he too moved his steps toward his own bedroom.

He felt sick to his stomach the entire way.

* * *

Returning to his bedroom, Enoch was lost in thought for a long time.

Though he had rashly brought Luciella from the auction house, he was at a loss about how to protect her going forward.

Judging from the conversation between Sejef and his group, Sejef would surely covet Luciella. Though it was unclear for what reason he had put her up for auction…… there was definitely some sinister purpose.

That’s why Enoch had to keep devising solutions.

‘Is marriage really the only way……’

Right, no matter how grand a duke he is, if Luciella becomes a marquis’s wife, he won’t be able to touch her anymore.

Even before the coup, he had heard news that Luciella was looking for a marriage partner. That meant Luciella herself had been consistently thinking about marriage too.

Having judged this way, Enoch organized his thoughts and closed his eyelids.

When day broke, he planned to visit Luciella and propose marriage.

* * *

“You’ve come.”

When Enoch opened the door to Luciella’s room and entered, she greeted him sitting upright on the sofa like she had already expected his arrival.

Despite her shabby appearance, Luciella emanated an inexplicable dignity proving her royal birth.

Slightly flustered, Enoch frowned a little.

“Do you like the room?”

“……It’s far too good for me.”

“Too good…… I’d like to ask why you think that, Your Highness the Princess.”

Luciella’s expression was subtle when she said it was too good. She seemed very uncomfortable with this situation. Whether she couldn’t hide her inner thoughts, her discomfort was blatantly visible on her face.

“Ah, don’t you know. This kind of room is too much for a sla, slave……”

Was her pride hurt? Luciella, who called herself a slave, stammered her words. She couldn’t even finish speaking.

“A slave…… Do you think you’re a slave sold to me, Your Highness?”

“……Isn’t that obvious.”

For that, Luciella’s behavior was far from that of a slave. Just the fact that she remained sitting upright on the sofa without getting up to greet him when Enoch entered the room showed this.

“I’d like to ask which slave can live in such a room and sit face-to-face with the head of household for a private meeting.”

He hadn’t intended to find fault with her. Luciella seemed startled by Enoch’s words.

“Ah, sor, sorry……”

Luciella awkwardly stood up offering apologies and fidgeted restlessly. Her pale cheeks were dyed bright red.

Enoch became displeased, feeling like he had played some nasty prank. He felt like he had become the same level of human as Sejef.

“I didn’t say that to chase you from the sofa.”

So he hastily added those words.

“Please sit back down.”

Enoch muttered in a low voice.

“I didn’t bring Your Highness here to do such filthy dog-like behavior.”

While saying this, Enoch thought of Sejef and his group. Naturally the filthy dog-like behavior part was emphasized.

“Then why on earth……”

Luciella asked while carefully watching Enoch’s expression.

‘Why on earth……’

Enoch’s mind was complicated, not knowing what to say first.

To protect Your Highness.

He wanted to say that if he could. But Enoch knew all too well that if he, who had no friendship with her, said such things, it would only backfire.

‘If only she remembered me. Then everything would have been easier……’

But contrary to his wishes, it seemed unlikely Enoch would surface in Luciella’s memories.

Enoch wanted to ask. Do you remember the knight who fed fish with you long ago? Do I remain in your memories?

But he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He didn’t need to think long about how ugly this question was.

‘She must have forgotten completely.’

Maybe she would be creeped out asking if he still remembered just those few days.

Thinking this way made Enoch’s mouth bitter. He who had been continuously lost in thought finally organized his complicated mind and spoke.

“Marriage.”

Unlike the numerous thoughts that had passed, it was a simple, clear, and straightforward statement.

“……What?”

Sure enough, Luciella asked back with a face that didn’t understand.

Enoch met her eyes and drove the point home once more.

“I would like Your Highness to become my wife.”

It was a slightly slower and gentler voice than before. Like he was trying to explain to a child.

“Wh, what on earth are you saying right now……”

Even though she must have heard properly this time, Luciella asked back again with a foolish face. She was blinking with her round eyes opened even wider.

“Exactly what I said.”

Enoch gave a concise answer. Still, Luciella said nothing more.

She only moved her plump lips that had fallen open a few times with a dazed expression. Her silver eyes rolled around busily here and there. She seemed busy thinking about something.

‘Right, it would be sudden.’

But thinking about it, this was a deal with no loss for her.

Enoch didn’t rush her. He thought Luciella would accept this marriage after thinking briefly. Her current situation was clearly one where she had nowhere to go. To maintain the same peaceful life as before, Enoch believed without doubt she would gladly accept the marriage.

Silence settled in the room.

Still, Enoch was relaxed. He sat leisurely with crossed legs, admiring the face of Luciella lost in thought. Even though Luciella wasn’t dressed in a gorgeous gown like before, she was just as beautiful and elegant as then.

How much more time had passed like this?

“I know what you’re thinking.”

Finally Luciella opened her mouth. Enoch nodded as if to say go ahead and continue.

“But I cannot accept.”

And Enoch froze in shock at Luciella’s firm rejection.

‘She’s rejecting it? Why on earth?’

Enoch could not understand this situation at all.

Bert Kingdom had already fallen and all the royalty had been executed. If Luciella returned to the kingdom, she would surely end up on the guillotine just like her blood relatives.

In such a situation, he found it absurd what she could be thinking to reject this proposal.