Chapter 4.
Desperate Deal
A brief silence lingered between the two.
Applin did not avert her gaze from Lucent and waited for his reply. Yet she felt a certain confidence.
She recalled what Edmond had told her:
‘I heard the bank manager endured many injustices before achieving his success.’
Each deficiency must have been a stumbling block. That was likely why he desired a noblewoman as his spouse. Understandable, yet somewhat pitiful. He must have struggled endlessly to survive in an unfair society. Perhaps because of this, Lucent handled everything meticulously, always taking the lead. So he would hire mercenaries quickly to save her father. Whoever had a goal, he would seize control.
“I do.”
Lucent answered with a calm tone.
“Then, bank manager, how much is your desire for me worth?”
“……?!”
Lucent’s eyes flickered briefly. He had scolded her for being naive, yet she had cleverly grasped a lesson. Her audacious act of testing him brought a smile to his lips.
“Every human has dignity. I believe it cannot be measured in money. Yet if you wish to convert my value into a monetary figure, I can tell you.”
‘So my question was vulgar.’
Even her tactful reproach pleased him. Despite the urgency of her situation, she calmly expressed her thoughts. This was a moment that revealed the true dignity of a noble lady.
“Offended, perhaps? I am a banker. In plain terms, I live by money. So it is habitual to quantify things numerically, but I am not ignorant of human dignity.”
“I understand.”
Applin smiled brightly at Lucent. Her hand lightly covering her mouth seemed a natural habit, not an intentional act of performance.
“My worth is 10 billion, no, 20 billion Sallings—perhaps even more. As you know, my maternal grandfather is the King of Monas, and my mother and I have succession rights. Moreover, I have been educated in the royal court with His Highness the Crown Prince since I was twelve. Not all noblewomen are the same, you see.”
Her confident tone shone like transparent crystal. Succession rights to Monas’ throne made her even more fascinating. Applin was distinctly different from any noble Lucent had encountered before.
“Hahaha—I feel like a vulgar man.”
“The Eastern sage said that the monster called self wounds itself with desire, anger, and delusion. Since you wish to have me, bank manager, you must pay the price for that desire. In money or in heart…”
‘The same goes for me…’
Applin gave a bitter smile.
Lucent felt both annoyance and fascination. He could not help but admire a woman who gracefully exposed and rebuked his inner thoughts. Though a subtle sense of inferiority struck him, his judgment and choice remained correct.
“I wish to marry Miss Applin von Hafen.”
There was no need for prolonged posturing disguised as negotiation. Confirming mutual desires was efficient. Yet Applin hesitated for a long moment.
“Can you save my father?”
Her voice was desperate, like someone surfacing after holding their breath underwater.
“A life is at stake. I will not make uncertain promises. But I will do my utmost.”
“And… I hope it appears to the world as a marriage for love. Not a deal…”
Once her separation from the Crown Prince became known, countless speculations would arise. Coupled with her father’s debt… her words brought their negotiation to a successful close.
“It is not difficult.”
No dishonor sold for money would occur. Even she would demand that.
This time, Applin asked what Lucent desired in return for marriage.
“Do you have any specific conditions, bank manager?”
“Three or more children. No divorce.”
Applin was momentarily stunned. Lucent’s terms allowed no deviation, no retreat, only forward progress. If marriage went smoothly, it would be fine—but blocking all alternative paths in advance felt unjust.
“What if trust between husband and wife breaks? If my husband takes a mistress even though I do not love him…”
For men in the upper class, having a mistress might not be a big flaw, but her circumstances were different.
“Are you jealous in advance?”
“Not jealousy, but to protect my honor. I hope such things never happen, but if they do, there must be fairness, or divorce.”
Lucent raised his eyebrows at her mention of fairness.
“If you take a mistress, I will too. A divorced woman loses succession rights to Monas. I want our children to retain theirs.”
‘Look at this.’
Like a cat trapped in a dead-end alley, she approached weakly… yet somehow seized control and spoke of fairness audaciously.
“Let the lawyers outside formalize the details.”
“Agreed. But…”
Applin spoke with a trembling voice, recalling a past proposal from the Crown Prince. In a spring garden in full bloom, he had knelt and offered a ring—now a distant memory, like a story from a childhood fairy tale.
Negotiating marriage terms like this, focusing only on gain, felt disheartening. She wished for a union with understanding and respect, if not love.
“Help me become a loved wife, a good mother. Family is very important to me.”
Lucent smiled faintly.
When he first targeted Applin and gathered information about her, the most surprising fact was that the von Hafen family’s bonds were strong. Unlike his own fractured family, hers was harmonious. He was obsessed with family because his had been lacking.
No matter the money, happiness could not be bought. He did not even expect happiness—he only hoped to avoid messy troubles from his mother and sister.
Lucent rose and gently helped Applin to her feet.
“I have high expectations for the family I will build anew.”
Indeed, this was a marriage whose value could not be measured.
Lucent’s large hand wrapped around Applin’s waist, drawing her close. His face approached as if to kiss her, but his warm breath brushed her lips like a storm before changing direction to her hand.
“……!”
A remarkably gentlemanly hand-kiss. A simple gesture, yet it felt like an affirmation of their completed deal, infused with respect.
Lucent supported her waist with strong arms, their eyes meeting as he smiled gently. Close up, his gaze was intensely sensual.
He did not mind the sweet scent of apple and rose from her. Though almost kissing, he remained poised. Yet now Applin in his arms gave him immense satisfaction. He held her small hand and tucked it into his jacket.
“……?!”
Applin was shocked by his boldness. Her hand hidden in his jacket, she could feel the firm chest of a strong man—broad, sturdy, and powerful. Her heart fluttered like a startled rabbit, yet Lucent remained calm and warm.
Like a soul drawn into a mysterious hall… a mystical experience. Though technically improper, Lucent had made it feel different, almost enchanting. Not the romance of a normal scene, yet her heartbeat raced.
Lucent gently set Applin down as if handling fine porcelain. Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, her forest-green eyes shining vividly.
“Applin, now there is no turning back.”
He was like a predator who had claimed his prize. His deep blue eyes and solid frame enclosed her like a steel trap.
“I know.”
His heart, long silent, throbbed. Finally, he would have Applin von Hafen, long cherished, as his wife. Applin confirmed the great deal of marriage with Lucent Blackcarson through their gaze.
