CMLMF 03

Chapter 3

Unlike Duke Kaelard, who leisurely took his seat, Elledin hesitated before sitting down across from him.

Having been out in the open just moments ago, being in an enclosed space now calmed her nerves a bit.

“He really is a duke, right?”

She couldn’t help but question it.

She hadn’t gotten a proper look at him earlier in the chaos, but now that she was seated and could observe him closely, Duke Kaelard didn’t look like someone afflicted by a devil’s curse at all.

Among people with brown or black hair, his silver hair made him stand out wherever he went—his appearance alone was striking.

Beneath thick eyebrows, his sharp eyes glowed red, paired with a high-bridged nose and a chiseled jawline overlaid with lean muscle.

His shirt was slightly undone, revealing his collarbones jutting out prominently.

To Elledin, who until now had only seen counts and barons, Duke Kaelard felt like an entirely new species of man.

As she stared blankly at him, his red eyes suddenly flicked toward her.

Startled by the sudden eye contact, Elledin stiffened.

“Focus. There’s a reason I came here.”

She gave her head a small shake to clear her mind and then met Kaelard’s expressionless gaze.

“I know how to break your curse.”

“…The curse, you say?”

Kaelard’s crimson eyes locked onto hers.

Ever since his vision had deteriorated, he could no longer see the world properly.

He barely remembered that the sky was supposed to be blue, that grass was supposed to be green.

Kaelard briefly scanned the surroundings.

Everything still appeared as if painted black.

Objects like chairs and doors could be identified only because they were outlined in red. The problem was—so were people.

The faint red silhouette before him seemed to have shrunk slightly.

Since he couldn’t discern facial features or expressions, it was hard to grasp the other person’s condition.

“It probably doesn’t matter anyway.”

Whoever this girl was, she had come here wanting something from him. That much was certain.

But she wasn’t the person he was hoping to meet.

Kaelard sighed inwardly.

The reason he, who usually remained in the North, had started visiting this cathedral nearly every day was to fix his damned vision.

One day, his once-normal sight had suddenly broken—and it hadn’t returned. But he knew there might be a way to fix it.

“Is this really the right method?”

He sighed again.

Everyone knew the duke was showing up in the same place every day to meet the saintess.

As someone who could hear the voice of God, the saintess was known to loathe demons, so Kaelard had hoped she would come to him herself. But so far, she hadn’t.

“I thought if I could capture the saintess, I might uncover a clue… Still…”

Kaelard rested his chin in his hand, eyeing Elledin.

“…She’s interesting.”

Even though she wasn’t the one he’d wanted to see, she didn’t irritate him as much as he’d expected.

In fact, her voice was rather pleasant to his ears, which struck him as ironic.

“What do you want? Money? Fame? Power? Name it. Or do you want all three? You even dared to utter the forbidden word—‘curse’—in front of me.”

He smiled slightly and leaned in toward her.

What would she say next?

This wasn’t the first time someone had approached him this way.

Although most avoided him, there were always some who risked everything to get something from him.

Surely, this girl was just like them.

“….”

Elledin leaned back and bit her lip.

Now that she was about to say it out loud, the words wouldn’t come easily. As Kaelard smiled faintly at her, she turned her head and said softly:

“…Please propose to me.”

“…What?”

Kaelard blinked in disbelief.

Her words were so sudden and absurd that he was momentarily speechless.

But Elledin’s resolute expression showed she wasn’t joking.

At her boldness, Kaelard let out a brief scoff—and then burst into full-blown laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“I’m serious! Please take it seriously.”

“Ah… I’m sorry. It’s just too funny. But….”

Kaelard’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

“What if I don’t want the curse to be lifted?”

“…Excuse me?”

This time, it was Elledin who stared at him blankly.

She hadn’t imagined he might not want the curse broken.

Her pupils shook violently.

This was her only hope. If he rejected her, it would all be over.

The count would soon learn she had left the estate, and he’d come after her.

Elledin pressed her trembling fingertips together and spoke quickly, as if afraid to be interrupted.

“I’m not asking you to live with me forever. Just stay married to me for three years.”

Three years would be long enough to prevent the count from suspecting anything, and it wouldn’t be too much of a burden on the duke either.

“I promise not to get in your way or upset you. I’ll manage your estate perfectly. I’ll give you everything you want in return. Anything. Just… I don’t want to go back there.”

Her last words were barely above a whisper, but they were clear to Kaelard’s ears.

He wondered what could make her so desperate.

What could he gain by taking this woman as his wife?

“There’s no way she can lift the curse… But if word got out that I married a human, the saintess might actually come to see me.”

If that happened, it would be a massive step forward.

As silence fell over the room, Elledin bit her lip nervously.

If this didn’t work, she had planned to reveal that she was half-mermaid.

It might lead to the same tragedy her mother suffered, but it was better than going back there.

“…Alright.”

But to her shock, Kaelard nodded lightly and agreed.

Elledin gasped, looking up at him.

“R-Really?”

“I don’t repeat myself. Let’s draw up the contract now.”

He summoned a paper and pen from thin air.

Elledin held her breath. Magic without a mana stone or catalyst?

No wonder people whispered that he was cursed by a demon.

“Would you mind writing it for me? I… have trouble seeing.”

Kaelard handed her the contract and pen.

Elledin hesitated before taking them.

“I never heard he was blind. Is he testing me? Or… has the past changed?”

When she didn’t immediately start writing, Kaelard assumed why and spoke up.

“Writing simple words isn’t difficult. But when it comes to forms or contracts that need to fit within a set space, it’s harder without sight. It’s nothing dangerous, so don’t worry.”

He seemed to have misunderstood something, but now wasn’t the time to correct him.

Knowing she’d been out of the estate for quite a while, Elledin hurriedly filled in the form.

The contract stated that for the duration of three years, Elledin would be in a contractual marriage with the duke and fulfill all of his requests.

Once it was finished, Kaelard gave her a small smile.

“We’re done. Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

Elledin looked like she wanted to speak. She wasn’t sure if it was okay to say it, but she knew she’d regret staying silent.

She clutched her shaking hands.

“There’s something I’d like to ask…”

Kaelard gave her an encouraging look.

“Whatever it is, I’ll do my best. So… please don’t hit me.”

His brow furrowed at the unexpected request.

Not seeing his expression, Elledin paused, then continued:

“And please don’t throw things. If you’re going to starve me, just do it for two days… Don’t yell—no, never mind. I’ll be good in bed too. Just please… honor the contract.”

Just as Kaelard was about to ask what she meant, someone burst in with a loud crash.

“Elledin!”

Count Pure stormed in, furious, and grabbed her by the hair as soon as he saw her.

“I told you not to leave! Someone important is coming for you tomorrow, and now you’ve forced my hand!”

He raised his hand to strike her.

But Kaelard caught his arm.

Count Pure looked up in annoyance—then gasped and backed away in fear.

“…Duke Kaelard.”

“It’s been a while, Count Pure.”

Elledin didn’t even flinch at the assault, as if she were used to it. Kaelard naturally stepped in front of her.

Even when seated, he’d seemed large—but standing up, his broad frame completely shielded her.

At over 191cm, his towering presence was overwhelming.

The count shrank back, then glared sharply at Elledin.

“Let’s go home. We’ll talk there.”

He reached out to grab her—but Kaelard seized his wrist.

“You’re here too, Count? Perfect timing.”

Leaving both of them confused, Kaelard dropped to one knee in front of Elledin.

He pulled a ring from his magical inventory and gently slipped it onto her finger.

“Elledin Pure, will you marry me?”

Stunned, Elledin looked down at him. She never imagined he’d act so quickly.

The count was frozen in place.

Elledin glanced at him and, her voice trembling, replied:

“…Yes.”

The moment she said it, Kaelard rose and whispered into her ear:

“It looked like the situation was urgent. I’ll give you a better ring later.”

Elledin glanced at the ring on her finger. A pink diamond sparkled brightly.

A better ring than this? What does “better” mean to someone like him?

She blinked in wonder.

Then the count, seeming to snap back to his senses, shouted:

“What nonsense is this?! You’re marrying without parental consent?! Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Why is it nonsense? I’m serious. Is there a reason I can’t?”

“That… that is…”

The count faltered.

His rage, which had boiled over moments ago, began to cool under Kaelard’s icy stare—and he started to see things clearly.

Despite rumors of him being cursed and abandoned by the royal family, Duke Kaelard was still the only duke in the kingdom.

For the crumbling Pure family, refusing this marriage proposal was not an option.

More than that, there was no reason to refuse.

A baron like Brian, who merely offered to pay off gambling debts…

Or a duke, who could not only cover the debts but offer so much more.

The choice was obvious.