Chapter 07
“Are you feeling better now?”
The man sitting across from me nodded, looking oddly pitiful as he glanced at me for cues.
When I stayed quiet, he seemed like he wanted to ask something, so I adopted a polite listening posture.
Before long, a subdued voice spoke.
“Then… how do you… know my name…?”
You’re a noble. It’s not strange for your name to be known, is it? Don’t tell me the curse prevents you from even saying your name?
Come to think of it, people always called him the Northern Grand Duke. I’d never actually heard anyone say his name out loud…
After rolling my eyes for a moment, I decided to just brazen it out.
“Is there anyone in this country who doesn’t know you?”
Even if I’d only remembered his name a week ago after overhearing it in a café.
I worked as a maid for the Count Winthilia family, but I wasn’t close to the other servants because I was treated differently.
I was too close to the master’s family to be treated like an ordinary maid, but not officially adopted either—and the fact that I was still a commoner made things awkward.
So most people kept their distance and only spoke to me when necessary. I belonged nowhere. I mostly chatted with the older staff now and then.
That was probably why I’d never heard much about Solard before.
As I thought about it and looked back at him, I noticed his blank gaze was fixed on my hand.
“Hm?”
When I moved my hand, his eyes followed. I waved it experimentally, and his head subtly turned after it.
“Do you… want to hold hands?”
“N-No! That’s not it.”
What? Why so serious all of a sudden?
I eyed him suspiciously and moved my hand again. His gaze continued to track it, and his ears had turned faintly red.
“A cat…?”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Your mouth says no, but your body says yes. Isn’t this exactly like shaking a cat toy and watching a kitten pounce?
Is this why they called you a white baby kitten? That’d be living up to the nickname perfectly.
I’d never actually pursued his route, so I didn’t know his personality in detail. He was more innocent than I expected. I’d be grateful if he didn’t get scammed someday.
“Did you happen to hear what I said earlier?”
“…A deal?”
Ever since meeting me, the Grand Duke’s emotions had been on a roller coaster. But after saying that word, he seemed to calm down a little.
“Yes.”
“If it’s something I can do, I’ll do it.”
Excuse me???
It was absurd enough that he’d suddenly become calm, but his answer came far too easily. My head filled with question marks.
“Why is that the only thing you remember? What about what I said before that?”
“Whatever it is… it’s fine.”
“No, how can you trust someone this easily?”
The moment he answered like someone completely ignorant of the world—when I’d literally approached him intending to take advantage—my inner meddlesome Korean busybody spirit sprang to life.
“I haven’t even told you the terms! What if I scam you?!”
But my outburst was met with a bewildered reply.
“…I’d be grateful if there were even someone who would scam me.”
Ah…?
What on earth is wrong with this curse?
Even so, does it make sense that he can’t even be scammed? Hey! Game developer! Come out here! Come out!!
As I nearly grabbed the back of my neck in frustration, Solard calmly asked,
“So… what do you want me to do?”
You just said you’d be grateful to be scammed, and now you’re asking what you should do? I was at a loss.
And yet, my honest mouth quietly spoke my true intention again.
“Marriage?”
I said it earlier. Marriage.
I looked at him firmly, but he stared back as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“…?”
Marriage?
Yes, marriage.
His eyes, full of confusion, fixed on me.
Was he shocked? Horrified? With that mask on, I couldn’t tell.
No… maybe it was more than that.
When I was under too much stress, I sometimes did strange things—like a high school senior right before college entrance exams. And thinking about it now, this felt exactly like one of those moments.
When I met his eyes again, searching for some kind of answer, my mind abruptly cooled and cold sweat trickled down my back.
Uh…
Did I just mess up again?
Silence filled the carriage, leaving only an awkward atmosphere.
As the point of no return loomed, my sanity slowly returned.
I carefully retraced my thoughts. What exactly had I just said?
The more I thought about it, the more despair flooded in.
Finally, like someone making a confession, I clasped my hands together and squeezed my eyes shut.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that…! Your curse doesn’t work on me, so I thought I’d try to seduce you…!”
The more I talked, the stranger the situation sounded. This is not salvageable, you idiot…
“I mean… it didn’t seem like there was anyone else who’d marry you, so I approached you… I just wanted to try sleeping on a bed made of money at least once…”
I rambled desperately in an attempt to explain, but the more I spoke, the more I felt like I was exposing myself as trash.
“……”
Look, if I’m going to make excuses—I at least expected a flustered “Oh my!” type reaction, even if I wasn’t the heroine.
But you reacted so strangely that I blurted out “Will you marry me?” right off the bat. Sob.
I muttered inward excuses to no one in particular.
This verbal diarrhea was making me dizzy.
Have you ever seen a romance fantasy where someone proposes and then immediately makes a confession like this?
No, right? It’s my first time too.
What am I even doing?
“I’m sorry. I think I lost my mind for a second. Let’s just pretend this never happened—”
As I kept rambling urgently, something suddenly felt off.
Why is there no reaction?
In a situation like this, shouldn’t he at least look at me like I’m trash? Or show disgust? Something?
But there wasn’t even the sound of breathing.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Your Grace?”
His eyes, fixed straight ahead, were unfocused. He didn’t move.
A sudden unease crept over me.
Excuse me, I just proposed and then confessed everything. Say something…
Tentatively, I brought a finger under his nose.
Oh my god.
“Your Grace! Breathe! Your Grace!!”
Mom, he’s not breathing. Sob.
Have I ever seen a sunfish this fragile…?!
A distinguished elderly gentleman, perfectly suited to the term “romance gray,” let out a deep sigh.
“This is worrying.”
The servant standing beside him nodded and quietly followed behind the butler, Eloi.
Lately, his greatest concern was that the prestigious Artensia family, with its long history, might no longer be able to continue its line.
“Whew. He must have skipped another meal. Stop by the carriage and bring something simple he can eat.”
Solard had suddenly disappeared, claiming he had personal business. Eloi and the accompanying servant, Gillein, were on their way back from lunch.
It worried him. Solard having “personal activities” was practically unheard of. The master’s schedule was usually managed by the butler.
“It would be nice if he at least informed me… hm?”
Approaching the carriage, Eloi blinked.
The curtains were drawn, so it was hard to see—but the silhouette reflected in the window did not look like Solard’s.
Sensing something odd, Gillein met the butler’s eyes, nodded once, and drew his sword.
And beyond the opened door—
“Eek!”
“Hm?”
Solard lay there as if dead, while a woman supported his head on her lap.
After taking in the scene, Gillein sheathed his sword. It didn’t appear dangerous.
Or rather—wasn’t the one in danger that young lady?
“Huh?”
Eloi blinked repeatedly at the completely unexpected sight.
What on earth is this situation?
“I-I’m not a suspicious person! I think there’s some misunderstanding!”
The woman, pale as a sheet at the sight of the drawn sword, cried out tearfully.
Gillein opened and closed his mouth awkwardly, looking at the butler—but Eloi was in no state to respond.
After staring back and forth between Solard and the woman, Eloi unconsciously shut the carriage door.
“…Hm?”
He stood there blankly for a moment, then opened it again.
“…?”
Even Gillein began looking at him strangely as he repeated the action several times.
With a sigh, Gillein pushed the butler aside, pulled out a notebook, wrote something, and held it out to the unknown woman.
—We apologize. It is rare for an unknown person to enter this carriage, so we were startled. May I ask what relationship you have with His Grace?
The neat cursive swayed slightly as the woman’s pale straw-colored hair fluttered.
“Ah… no, that’s understandable. I’m sorry for the intrusion. As for my relationship with His Grace…”
Her faint blue eyes briefly scanned Solard’s face. Her expression, which had been somewhat dazed, tightened slightly.
“Well…”
“…?”
“I suppose I’m someone who’s currently making a move on him…”
Gillein pointed at the Grand Duke with trembling eyes. This man?
“I proposed… and he fainted…”
The woman bit her lip, covering her face with both hands, muttering “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” in a muffled voice.
Normally, people would flee in disgust just from making eye contact with Solard, let alone touching him. Even Eloi and Gillein, who had a special relationship with him, found it hard to treat him like an ordinary person. And yet—she proposed?
Just who was this woman?
As Gillein stood there stunned, Eloi shoved him aside, eyes wide, hands trembling.
“Miss… what did you just say?”
“Ah, well…”
Perhaps thinking he’d misheard, he pressed urgently.
“Miss?”
“…I proposed.”
“Gasp.”
In the dark carriage, with curtains drawn, it almost seemed as if a halo shone around her.
A small young lady with common straw-colored hair—someone you might pass by in any alley—suddenly looked like a saint.
Thank you, God. Or perhaps she is God…
“…!”
“W-Wait? Sir! Sir!!”
Eloi collapsed backward.
If the servant hadn’t rushed to catch him, he would have hit his head. Yet tears streamed down the butler’s face as he smiled.
Eloi Cezar, butler of House Artensia. Age 68. He had achieved his life’s greatest wish.
It had been the one concern he could never let go of. If only Solard would marry—he could die without regret.
While Gillein and the woman exchanged bewildered glances, Eloi simply closed his eyes blissfully, overwhelmed with happiness.
