Chapter 25
At this moment, it was the last thing she wanted to imagine.
‘If I take too long to answer, he might think something’s off.’
To hide the sweat pooling in her palms, Erica subtly clutched her skirt hem and then let go, glancing briefly at Sebastian’s face.
He looked stern and cold — but maybe he wasn’t really like that.
If he were truly ruthless, he wouldn’t have bothered wondering what would happen to her if she got caught.
That meant, if he sensed that things were too unfavorable for her, he wouldn’t accept her proposal.
‘Still, I have nothing to lose.’
Erica calmed her trembling heart.
Even if Sebastian didn’t accept her offer, she sensed that he was more likely to pretend he never heard it.
The problem was, that wasn’t enough to satisfy Erica — and that was the real issue.
Sebastian didn’t pressure her to answer.
He simply waited, red eyes never once leaving her face, as if silently saying he would wait until she spoke.
Finally, Erica’s lips parted hesitantly.
“If I get caught… won’t I be punished?”
Then she smiled.
A little foolishly, a bit naive.
But… the truth was, she wouldn’t get off with just a scolding.
Erica could feel the hard bead in her throat pressing uncomfortably against her windpipe.
Only the real daughter of the Marquis Blanche might get away with something like that.
As for her, a mere nanny’s daughter? She would be killed without a doubt.
So…
“I don’t want to get caught.”
Erica declared softly but clearly.
Sebastian’s gaze, which had momentarily drifted, returned to her.
“And that’s why I won’t get caught.”
She didn’t avoid his eyes. Instead, she emphasized her desperation again. The red pupils rippled as if struck.
Erica had no idea what part of her words moved Sebastian’s heart.
But whatever it was, if it worked — it was a lifeline she had to grab.
‘There’s no Bonfiju, and the new observer hasn’t arrived yet. I need to wrap this conversation up now with the young duke.’
While Sebastian stood motionless, listening quietly to Erica, he suddenly moved.
He ran his fingers through his tousled hair, pushing it back and let out a deep sigh.
“Phew…”
He looked like he was lost in thought.
“Honestly, I don’t understand. Why would you turn your back on your biological father, Marquis Blanche, and try to ally with me?”
Just saying their relationship wasn’t good wasn’t enough to justify it.
As Erica clenched her fist tightly, her nails dug into her tender palm.
Her breath caught, forcing her to exhale through her mouth. Again, the bead at her throat scraped uncomfortably against her windpipe.
Was it her guilty conscience?
Erica felt as though the discomfort was a warning directed at her.
Even though she knew there was no way Sebastian would discover the bead, she reflexively bit her lips.
How much truth could she reveal?
And how much did she have to lie?
It was so hard to calculate.
Her mind told her to stay calm, but her emotions kept surging.
That’s why—
—That’s why she blurted out something dangerously close to the truth.
“I don’t want my life to be mortgaged off anymore.”
“…What?”
“Father never once asked my opinion about this marriage.”
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heart pounded violently, as if it would shake her entire body. But her voice remained calm.
“Father is controlling. If it’s for the glory of House Blanche, I’ll always be treated like a pawn.”
Well…
Sebastian silently agreed.
He knew full well what kind of man Jonathan Blanche was.
Even though he supposedly adored his only daughter, he prioritized the family over blood.
Even a complete outsider like Sebastian could see that — of course this little girl in front of him would know it too.
“I’m young now, so maybe it can’t be helped… but I don’t want to live like that as an adult.”
At some point, Erica had been staring down at her toes.
Continuing to look at the floor, she kept speaking, and then slowly lifted her head again.
Her mouth was dry.
From the beginning, she’d been a little afraid to look Sebastian in the eyes.
Every time their eyes met, those clear red pupils made her feel like he could see straight into her soul.
But this time — she couldn’t avoid it.
She had to show him her resolve and her sincerity.
So she braced herself and met his gaze.
“That’s why I’m preparing now — a way to escape from my father.”
Sebastian didn’t scoff at the idea.
Instead, he listened as seriously as she spoke, and then asked,
“Are you saying you want to sever ties with the Blanche family?”
“Yes.”
Without hesitation, Erica nodded firmly.
“So that’s what this is about… That’s why you said all that nonsense earlier.”
Now finally understanding the full context, Sebastian nodded slowly.
“So think of this proposal as an alliance between just you and me.”
“An alliance…”
Sebastian repeated the word Erica had used, mulling it over with a small laugh.
That laugh wasn’t as sharp as before — and Erica didn’t find it entirely intimidating.
“What exactly does this alliance mean to you?”
“First, please give me information that’s safe for me to know. Then, if my father contacts me, I’ll pass the message to you right away.”
In other words, through the orders Marquis Blanche gave Erica, Sebastian would be able to track what Jonathan Blanche was interested in at any given time.
Sebastian almost wanted to hum.
‘Smart.’
His red eyes held a faint smile.
His soon-to-be bride seemed to have more potential than he’d thought.
Her proposal wasn’t bad at all.
He could control the timing and flow of information.
That meant he held the power — and could shape the situation however he wanted.
There was no reason to waste time pretending to hesitate.
“Alright. I think it’s a good proposal.”
At that, Erica’s face brightened with relief. She had been waiting anxiously for his answer.
She jumped up and bowed deeply toward him.
“I-I’ll do my best.”
Then she carefully touched her neck. Thankfully, it didn’t hurt.
The tension drained from her body.
‘That’s one weight off my chest.’
Now she had a clear sense of how to move forward.
As long as no one discovered she wasn’t the real daughter of Marquis Blanche.
That gave her much more freedom.
Erica quietly savored this small, hidden victory.
Even though Sebastian hadn’t said anything about her earlier suggestion — to divorce before the coming-of-age ceremony — the fact that he agreed to the alliance meant he probably had a positive view of it too, right?
As she lifted her head and looked at him again, Sebastian awkwardly cleared his throat.
He avoided her gaze for the first time and said,
“Earlier, when I said you should live here like you were dead… I take that back. Do whatever you want. If there’s something you want to do, go ahead.”
He scratched his cheek awkwardly as if embarrassed to take back his words.
Before talking seriously with Erica, Sebastian had never even considered changing his mind.
He had only wanted her to live quietly, without bothering him. As long as she did that, he was willing to endure this marriage he didn’t like.
But after reading the sincerity in her desire to escape the Blanche family… he softened.
She was just a child who wanted to live her own life. Did he really need to be so harsh?
“…Huh?”
Erica stared at him in surprise, clearly not expecting those words.
“You look like you’re wondering why I changed my mind.”
“…Yes.”
“No need to overthink it. Think of it as compensation.”
“Compensation?”
“Yeah. One way or another, we’re stuck in the same boat for the next nine years, right? Divorce—”
Sebastian abruptly stopped.
‘What’s wrong with me?’
He couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt irritated.
His steady breathing subtly shifted into something sharper.
“Your Grace? Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah. No, it’s nothing.”
If Erica hadn’t asked, he might have stayed like that for a while longer.
Barely clinging to reason, Sebastian spoke again in a rough voice.
This time, he deliberately left out a certain word.
“When you become an adult, whether by your own will or not, you won’t be able to return to the Blanche family.”
“Ah…”
Sebastian let out a deep sigh as if confirming a suspicion.
“Just as I thought. You… haven’t thought at all about what comes after that, have you?”
