Chapter : 06
“Miss Valley, please brighten your expression a little.”
“What?”
“Your face looks too gloomy. How can I dress you up properly when you look so scary?”
Since Edel had gone to the flower market, Rina’s personal maid was dressing Valley instead.
The most important thing was covering the bruise on Valley’s cheek from yesterday, but because of the maid’s rough hands, it only became redder.
And yet shamelessly, the maid blamed Valley instead.
When Valley glared at her in disbelief, the maid suddenly looked nervous and secretly glanced toward Rina behind her.
Rina sat comfortably on Valley’s bed with one corner of her lips raised mockingly.
“She’s not wrong, you know? If you keep making such a miserable face, what man would want to talk to you? Smile a little.”
Valley endured silently and simply waited for the dressing to finish.
The dress mixed calm sky-blue and fresh white colors, giving her a modest appearance together with pearl earrings.
Her light green hair was straightened as much as possible and braided thickly.
It was styling that would satisfy her family, not Valley herself.
A timid and frustrating appearance, like someone who couldn’t properly say a single word.
“That’s enough. Stop now.”
Valley pushed away the maid’s hand, which was deliberately touching her bruised cheek.
“This is your first time meeting a young master from another family. You need to make a good impression. After all, this is the first time someone has personally come to see you.”
The maid intentionally kept making comments to hurt Valley’s pride while continuing to poke at her face.
Rina simply watched with a satisfied smile.
Ignoring both of them, Valley quietly checked the time with her eyes alone.
Just thinking about facing Varteri made her heart uneasy.
In this life, she had carefully avoided getting involved with him, even during the Harmony Party.
But she never expected him to come directly to the estate.
Was fate really something impossible to avoid?
Anxiety slowly made her head feel heavy, but Valley tightly shut and reopened her eyes.
I already decided I would never submit to fate.
Looking directly at the maid, Valley asked,
“So? Do you think this face is good enough to greet a guest?”
“Yes. The styling I did suits you much better than what Edel usually does.”
Hearing the shameless answer, Valley stood up and looked not at the maid, but directly at Rina behind her.
“We’re receiving an important guest, yet you let your maid handle my appearance. You do realize that if anything goes wrong, all responsibility will fall on you, right?”
The maid, who had been acting arrogantly until now, looked shaken for the first time.
“I’m already the daughter our parents abandoned, but you aren’t.”
“What?”
“How do you think Father would react if he learned his trusted second daughter ruined everything?”
“What are you doing? Cover her cheek properly!”
Rina immediately understood what Valley meant and shouted at the maid.
Startled, the maid hurriedly reached toward Valley’s face again.
“Don’t touch me.”
Valley’s cold eyes warned that she wouldn’t tolerate even a single hair being touched.
Seeing such an expression for the first time, the maid’s hand froze in fear.
“Stay here and don’t move even one step. You know better than anyone what kind of punishment Father gives to those who run away.”
Leaving behind the trembling maid and glaring Rina, Valley headed toward the reception room.
“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Valley.”
When she entered the reception room, the disgusting Varteri was already sitting there.
He sat lazily on the sofa with his legs crossed as if he owned the place.
Even after seeing Valley, he slowly stood up with a relaxed smile.
“I’m Varteri Veburt of the Veburt family.”
His long red hair exposed his forehead clearly.
His smiling eyes looked overly forced, as if trying too hard to appear innocent.
Even the dimples on his cheeks made his impression seem better.
People’s opinion of Varteri was always the same.
An empty shell.
A noisy peanut shell.
Meaning he looked fine on the outside but was completely empty inside.
Fitting that reputation, Varteri smiled brightly even now and offered his hand for a handshake.
That was the same hand that had strangled Valley to death in her previous life.
Valley openly ignored him and sat down first.
Varteri clearly hadn’t expected to be refused.
He awkwardly looked at his rejected hand before calmly fixing his expression again and sitting across from her.
“Haha, you’re much shyer than I expected. Well, I actually prefer timid women over bold ones.”
His tone sounded like he was choosing an object.
Valley answered firmly.
“It’s not because I’m shy. I just didn’t want to touch you.”
A crack appeared in Varteri’s smiling expression.
“I’ll speak directly. I have no intention of marrying you, so please leave.”
There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation in Valley’s voice.
“……”
Varteri simply stared at her silently.
Then—
“Pfft… hahahaha!”
He suddenly burst into laughter as if he couldn’t hold it anymore.
He laughed while clutching his stomach, even wiping tears from his eyes before finally meeting her gaze again.
His yellow eyes were full of mockery.
“You’re amusing. Unlike your appearance, you actually know how to say things like that.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Ah, I see~.”
“Since the conversation is over, I’ll be leav—”
“Sit down.”
The moment Valley stood up, Varteri’s eyes instantly sharpened.
It was the real face she knew too well.
“I said sit down. We’re not finished talking yet.”
“I have nothing else to say.”
“So now you’re speaking informally too?”
“You were the rude one first. If you’re done, leave.”
“I’m not done.”
Varteri suddenly raised his hand as if he were about to strike her.
The moment she saw it, memories from her previous life flashed through Valley’s mind, making her body stiffen.
Noticing her reaction, Varteri bent slightly closer with an amused look.
“You’re under a very big misunderstanding, Miss Valley Priatin.”
“…What misunderstanding?”
“The misunderstanding that you have the right to give your opinion about this marriage.”
“What?”
“You may be the one wearing the wedding dress, but the one making decisions is your father.”
Varteri smirked mockingly.
“The date and bride price have already been decided. All you have to do is stay quiet and follow along.”
“……”
“Well, it seems like you want to resist somehow. But if you keep doing that, this might happen again.”
Still holding his raised hand, Varteri lightly tapped Valley’s swollen cheek.
When her parents hit her, it hurt physically.
But now, it felt like her pride itself had been struck.
“I arranged the wedding date as quickly as possible. Until then, take good care of your face. As a Grade 5, the only thing you really have is a somewhat pretty face anyway.”
After ending the conversation one-sidedly, Varteri turned to leave, then leaned close to Valley again and whispered beside her ear,
“Your rebellion today was cute because it was your first time. But if it continues, it’ll become ugly.”
“……”
“See you again, my future wife.”
Mocking her until the very end, he lightly patted her small shoulder before leaving the reception room.
Left alone, Valley bit her lip tightly while glaring at the door he had exited through.
“Did the conversation go well?”
As if waiting outside the whole time, her father immediately entered the reception room.
“He’s a man far too good for you. From now on, focus only on preparing for the wedding.”
“Then why even make me meet him? You had already decided the wedding date anyway.”
“He’s going to become your husband. Were you planning not to even greet him? Next time you meet him, be as gentle and obedient as possible. We cannot allow him to change his mind.”
“Because you can’t afford to lose ten thousand gold.”
The moment Valley accurately stated her bride price, her father frowned.
“Well, I understand why you’d be tempted. A Grade 5 noble lady has never been married off for such a large amount before.”
“That’s right. Nobody else in the world would pay such an amount for someone like you. So stop thinking about ruining this and behave quietly.”
It was the phrase her father said to her most often.
Stay quiet and obedient.
Valley smiled bitterly before nodding with a resigned expression.
“Alright. I’ll prepare well, just as you said, Father.”
“Of course you will.”
“But today, I wasn’t able to properly show Varteri respect.”
“What?”
“I tried to cover my swollen cheek somehow, but Rina’s maid kept touching it instead. Varteri even asked why my face looked like that…”
Valley placed a hand on her swollen cheek and frowned painfully.
“You’re saying Rina’s maid did that?”
“Yes. I asked her several times to cover it properly, but she refused to listen.”
“Hah. Someone who doesn’t even know her place has no right to stay in my estate. Throw her out immediately!”
Shouting angrily at the butler standing behind him, Father stormed out of the reception room.
Left alone again, Valley slowly sat back down on the sofa.
“If I pretend to prepare for the wedding and then disappear, both Father and Varteri will suffer even more.”
If the bride disappeared after the bride price had already been paid, her parents would have to return the money.
And Varteri would become a laughingstock after being rejected and would have to search for another bride.
It was a perfect chance to get revenge on both families at once.
But none of it would be possible unless she passed Wayne’s test.
“I’ll succeed no matter what.”
Valley clenched both fists tightly, her determination burning even stronger.
