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“Your intuition doesn’t feel right?”
“Yes.”
“Uh… hmm…”
It was strange. Lucius speaking so decisively, and saying he felt uneasy? Could it be that he sensed something? But he couldn’t have met the young lady of the Even Marquis yet.
“Lucius, why do you feel that way? Is there something unusual about the young lady of the Even Marquis?”
“Not so much unusual as… after I heard from the steward about her earlier, I started thinking. She seems clever and capable, and the way she’s using the Even Marquis like a puppet makes me think she’s no ordinary young lady.”
“I thought so too. That’s why I feel I need to know more about her and prepare. She’ll interfere again in some other way soon, and we can’t just sit idly by.”
“I understand. That’s why you thought of cooperating with the steward, or rather, with Elam. It could be a good alternative. But… this time, I want Baron Evitt to handle it, and I’d like you to stay out of it, Tiana.”
“Huh? No, that’s a bit…”
He wanted me to leave it to the baron and step back? Did he mean he didn’t want me involved this time?
But I couldn’t. The young lady of the Even Marquis—or rather, that vessel—is targeting me and trying to ruin Baron Evitt and the capital branch. Since she knows I’m a foreign investor and also a vessel, she won’t stop her interference.
‘I understand why Lucius is worried.’
The intensity of her actions would only increase, not lessen. If things go wrong, she could attack me directly. I’ve been staying under the radar so far, but once things start moving, if her plans don’t succeed, she’ll have no choice but to act herself. I couldn’t just do nothing.
“I can’t, Lucius. This is important to me. My investment is at risk because of the young lady of the Even Marquis. We’ve managed so far, but if she confronts us properly, it could get difficult. Then Baron Evitt would be in trouble.”
“Then I’ll assign someone to assist the baron. You just relay the plan and step back.”
“Lucius… why are you so worried? Have you met her personally?”
“I haven’t. I just have a bad feeling—an instinct. I don’t want to meet her. I don’t want someone like that approaching you.”
His hands tightened around my shoulders. His face was furrowed, golden eyes full of concern.
In the original story, he was poor at expressing emotions, hyper-aware of people’s actions and feelings, and overly sensitive. Naturally, he constantly observed and analyzed others. To protect himself, he had to discern who was approaching him with hidden intentions.
‘Thinking about it, Lucius’ unease and bad feeling toward the young lady of the Even Marquis may be instinctive.’
He grew up under the harsh pressure of the Marquis of Calvino and was intimately familiar with duplicity. That made him extra sensitive to similar people.
It was a sad, heart-wrenching reality. He had no one to lean on.
‘What should I do?’
I couldn’t ignore him, worried like this. But I couldn’t step back from this matter either. I had to persuade him—but could I?
Seeing his determined eyes and firm grip on my shoulders, my resolve wavered, but I couldn’t back down this time. This wasn’t just about the matter at hand—it was about not letting Lucius slip away. I couldn’t afford to step back.
“I understand your concern, Lucius. But I want to handle this. No, I have to. Because…”
“Because the young lady of the Even Marquis isn’t targeting Baron Evitt and the capital branch… but you, Tiana?”
“…! How did you…”
I was startled. I hadn’t expected him to say that. How could he possibly know? Even with what I heard from Elam, it should’ve been impossible.
Seeing my confused expression, he slowly lowered the hands on my shoulders, held both of mine, and continued.
“I have eyes and ears. Someone even warned me that she could be a threat.”
“What? Who?”
“That… His Majesty…”
“Rey… His Majesty?”
Rey had warned Lucius about the young lady of the Even Marquis? When? Does that mean he knows she’s a vessel? How?
‘What on earth is going on?’
In the original story, Rey and the young lady of the Even Marquis barely had any contact. Even if he had returned in time, he shouldn’t have known that she had become a vessel.
My head spun with confusion. How could I untangle this and find the right solution? I couldn’t stop sighing.
“Are you okay, Tiana?”
“…Lucius.”
Seeing his concern, I couldn’t hide my mixed feelings. If he had learned about her from Rey first, he must have investigated—but why stay silent until now?
From Lucius’ perspective, stepping in may not have been easy. Even if suspicious, condemning her without proof would be difficult. Moreover, being the Grand Duke, acting directly could attract attention and cause worse consequences.
‘But still… I wish he had told me.’
I understood he hid things out of concern for me, but it felt a little hurtful that he hadn’t shared the warning from Rey. It felt like he was putting a barrier between us. That hadn’t happened before.
“Let’s discuss that later. For now, let’s focus on the young lady of the Even Marquis.”
If Rey personally warned Lucius, there must be information only they shared. I lacked that information, so this discussion had to wait. First, I needed to persuade Lucius, then I could address it properly later, whether confronting Rey or otherwise.
“If you know about this, I can’t step back either. I won’t stay out of this. I’m the one best suited to deal with the young lady of the Even Marquis.”
“It would be enough for Baron Evitt to just have a plan. You don’t need to intervene, Tiana.”
“You mean just make a plan for disrupting the capital branch and watch from behind? What if she becomes active socially? She could rally the Emperor’s supporters and other ladies, causing problems. If multiple offensives happen, Baron Evitt would struggle to respond. Especially with the social circles. Alexandra will support us, but she’s already busy.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Since the Even Marquis family is rising, their young lady will soon become central to the Emperor’s faction. To stop her, key figures from the noble and neutral factions must act. And as you know, Lucius, I’m currently the central figure among the nobles.”
I wasn’t rushing in recklessly. I understood the danger. But as a vessel myself, I was the most capable of dealing with another vessel.
No matter who she is, I could anticipate her modern-mind tactics.
And another reason.
“As the Grand Duchess, your wife, I cannot stand by while social order is disturbed. The Empress’ position is vacant, and the Crown Princess is present, but there’s no need to show her a mess. We can handle it ourselves.”
“Hmm…”
“As the only Grand Duchess of this Empire and your wife, I want to do my best. This was the first business you trusted me with, using your precious budget. I don’t want to fail, for your sake. So trust me again.”
“Tiana…”
I didn’t want him to think I wasted the budget he entrusted me. It was an enormous sum; even spending personally, I couldn’t use it all. So I wanted to use it meaningfully—for us, for both of us.
I had chosen the first project as a welfare program for both commoners and nobles, to help change Lucius’ fate. To shed the “villainess” misconception, we first had to remove the false image. My welfare project would inevitably affect Lucius’ image positively, so it was a good strategy.
‘But if that vessel takes over my body again, I won’t be able to change Lucius’ fate.’
I didn’t yet know the vessel’s true goal, and I couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t turn him into a villain like in the original story. I couldn’t let my body be taken again.
“Ha… fine. I yield. But promise me—you won’t overexert yourself.”
“I promise. Absolutely.”
“And we’ll double your guards from now on.”
“Understood. It might be a bit suffocating, but I’ll endure it for you, Lucius, worrying about me.”
“Really… I can’t stand you sometimes.”
With a long sigh, he softened his expression and lifted my hands, pressing a kiss to the back of one. His golden gaze held me firmly, refusing to let go.
Don’t worry. I’m the one who can’t resist you.
I’ll never let someone as lovable as you become a “villain.”
