Chapter 1: …………………………………………..
The Duke’s Dangerous Proposal
“Your husband-to-be has arrived. Please greet him.”
I blinked slowly.
Since dawn, the maids had been fussing over me, dressing me up, and now I had been summoned to the parlor because a guest had arrived. And that guest… was supposed to be my future husband.
I already knew my marriage partner had been decided… but why did it have to be him?
The man, sitting by the sunlit window in a refined navy suit, looked incredibly familiar.
He had dazzling blonde hair, ruby-like dark red eyes, and pale, sculpted features that gave him an overall striking appearance.
On top of that, his relaxed posture, light smile, and the aristocratic aura he exuded made it clear he was the master of this room.
“Delighted to meet you, my lady.”
I snapped out of my daze at his greeting and quickly grabbed the hem of my dress, bowing deeply.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Eloah Fin Yveris.”
“Rectarion Eden Nordian,” he replied.
I let out a small groan at the voice I remembered.
As I suspected… it really is him.
Rectarion Eden Nordian, Duke of Nordian.
He was a breathtakingly handsome man of impossibly high status—but that wasn’t the problem.
He was the person I absolutely needed to avoid in this world.
I don’t think he knows who I am yet.
As I tried to gauge his expression, the duke’s lips curled into a faint smile.
“I heard you ran away after receiving my proposal. I’m glad to finally meet you in person.”
“…!”
His joking remark made my shoulders tremble. Even my father’s face had gone pale—he must have been desperately hiding this from pride’s sake.
“D-Duke, Your Grace… that… that incident…”
“Oh, no need for excuses. Nordian’s intelligence network is quite renowned.”
He raised a hand, cutting off my father. His tone was soft, but there was a firmness that would let nothing pass.
My father, having lost control of the conversation, turned red. Clearly, he couldn’t argue as he normally would.
I had to admit, I admired the man just for that—he had dominated the conversation with words alone.
The young Duke of Nordian spoke again, still smiling faintly.
“Since you are here, my lady, I will not blame you for that. I’m merely curious about the reason.”
“Th-Thank you, Your Grace,” my father replied, as if finally catching his breath. The way he wielded words was impressive.
“I don’t mean to boast, but Nordian is a family of no small standing or wealth. Hm… I suppose my own appearance is acceptable as well… I am curious why you ran away, my future bride.”
After listing his self-praise, he added his own arbitrary title, which made me furrow one eyebrow.
“Please address me properly, and I will answer.”
“Eloah.”
My straightforward remark made my father growl at me.
The duke, however, smiled even more. Unlike his polite earlier smile, one corner of his lips tilted crookedly. His usually dry gaze had changed as well.
“Then I shall call you Lady Yveris, as you requested. After all, we are not even formally engaged.”
“You won’t be using any other title,” I said firmly.
“Oh? Does that displease you?”
He made an expression I couldn’t tell whether it was anger or amusement and shrugged his shoulders.
I closed my eyes tightly and dropped a bomb.
“Excuse me, Duke, but I do not need a non-magical husband.”
My extremely rude remark erased the smile from the duke’s face.
“Are you mad?!”
My father shouted as if screaming. My shoulders trembled at his roar, but I had already crossed the line.
Non-magical.
In the continent of Veles, every nation’s civilization was built on magic, and history had been shaped by magicians.
Royalty and nobility were synonymous with magicians, while commoners who could not use magic were called Notch in the old tongue—meaning “incompetent.”
Thus, a noble born without magic was considered a disgrace, and to say such a word to someone’s face was the ultimate insult.
He’s going to be angry, right?
I swallowed nervously. Provoking him was a gamble, but if he reacted violently and annulled this engagement, it would be ideal.
I might have to prepare for a few hits.
“Eloah Fin Yveris!”
Snap!
As I felt my cheek burn, the world flashed and my head was turned.
“Immediately kneel and apologize to Your Grace!”
His booming voice made my ears ring. My mouth tasted metallic.
Ouch… he bit down.
My tongue tingled. Even the back of my head stung, though I had expected him to hit me. Considering my father’s usual impatience, he had held back longer than expected.
“Not entirely untrue,” he said.
“Y-Your Grace…”
The Duke of Nordian was smiling radiantly, as if the sunlight had focused on him. It was the same smile that reminded me of that night, giving me a shiver. He tilted his head and simply looked at me.
“I never thought you would say that in front of me. Are you thoughtless, or do you dislike me that much?”
His dark red eyes narrowed as if judging my intentions.
I was the one who panicked. Any other noble would have been furious. Even if he had restrained himself, showing discomfort would have been normal.
But he didn’t seem angry at all. Only a hint of curiosity.
Thanks to that, my reckless provocation failed. At this rate, I would have no choice but to marry him.
That can’t happen.
If he discovered I was the intruder from that night, I would likely be imprisoned for life. The worst possible future felt imminent.
I racked my brain desperately.
“I haven’t even had my coming-of-age ceremony yet.”
“Hm. Your birthday is next month. You’re over sixteen, so engagement is possible; only the Emperor’s approval is needed.”
…How did he know my birthday?
“I’m clumsy with etiquette, so I would be a burden to you, Duke.”
“Then we will learn etiquette together. Ah, it would be good to practice dancing together as well.”
Practice together? Seriously?
I took a deep breath and delivered my final blow.
“I like women.”
“…”
He stared at me for a moment, then chuckled.
“It won’t produce any children, so I don’t mind how many lovers you have.”
This time, I was speechless.
This man was serious. He really intended to marry me.
This is troubling. Really troubling!
He shrugged and tried to persuade me as if it were no big deal.
“If you are scheming to escape, I advise you to stop. Lady Yveris, you likely have few choices anyway. You too are a Non-magical, are you not?”
“…!”
The sudden revelation of my secret made me gasp.
“Your Grace, that is…”
“No need for excuses. I already know.”
“Ah… I see!”
My father visibly relaxed, and I bit my trembling lips hard.
The Duke of Nordian’s dark red eyes met mine. No malice, which made me even more confused.
I had just received my own words back at me, and it was deadly serious. I could barely open my mouth after a few breaths.
“…I do have magical power.”
“I heard it’s so weak you can’t even use magic. Then, you are no different from a Non-magical.”
He knew even that.
Although it was public gossip that he disliked magicians, I hadn’t expected him to know my personal circumstances.
Did he even investigate me…?
I clenched the hem of my dress to maintain composure.
“Then why, knowing all that, did you choose me?”
“Simple. I must marry immediately, and you are the only daughter your father is willing to give me.”
“…Ah.”
I immediately understood the situation.
I had been sold to him.
Despite his perfect appearance and excellent conditions, the Duke of Nordian was the worst possible husband in the Empire.
The reason was simple.
The Nordian family was a centuries-old noble house, 400 years strong.
The head of the family wielded immense power, favored by the Emperor, with vast wealth from magic stone mines.
While envied by many, everyone avoided marrying into the family.
Because he was Non-magical.
Children of Non-magicals were likely Non-magical themselves.
No wonder my father wanted this so badly.
But for my father, who struggled to keep his composure, this was a golden opportunity: to sell his useless, Non-magical daughter to the Non-magical duke for a hefty investment.
Even though the Emperor had improved Non-magical rights, social perception was hard to change.
A noble born without magic was not considered truly noble. Even if kept out of pity, they were not respected.
The Duke of Nordian, Non-magical but head of a great house, was an unprecedented exception.
Some nobles had magical potential but could not use it; they were considered half-measures. Children with real magical talent—even illegitimate ones—were often chosen as heirs over them.
Thus, for someone like me, a Non-magical with no real options, choice never existed.
“….”
“I see you understand.”
The duke interpreted my silence as agreement.
“Today was just a meeting. I will return in a week to bring you home. Prepare yourself until then.”
With that, he stood, adjusting his white gloves as if his business was concluded.
“Already leaving? We are about to become family—shouldn’t you stay for a meal…”
“I have other engagements, so I must decline.”
Just as my father, realizing the deal had gone through, scrambled to escort him,
“Ugh!”
He collided with my shoulder, secretly grabbed my collar, and growled lowly.
“We’ll speak later. How dare you ruin things with such words…”
I could not help but tremble. My cheek still stung from the earlier slap.
“Hm.”
But just as he was about to leave, he stopped, turned to us, and smiled broadly—the brightest smile I had seen yet.
“Count Yveris, I believe I have fallen for your daughter at first sight.”
“…What?”
