Chapter 12
Thanks to leaving the Duke’s estate with plenty of time to spare, even after taking a slightly longer route, we arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence without being late.
Passing through the main gate—which looked nearly twice as large as the Duke’s—and crossing the wide and splendid garden, a grand mansion came into view that was overwhelming just to look at.
“Welcome, Duke Celeste, Lady Celeste.”
As I stepped down from the carriage, my vision was filled with people from the Grand Duke’s household who had come out to greet us. We walked between the rows of lined-up servants and arrived at the entrance, where others were waiting.
‘Lucious. And… the Marquess of Calvino.’
Our lovely Lucious was, as always, beautiful and dignified—but perhaps it was just my imagination, he seemed more rigid than when we last met. It wasn’t just Lucious; a heavy air of tension pervaded the entire atmosphere of the Grand Duke’s estate.
Even without being told, I could guess the reason. It was probably the man standing to Lucious’s left—the Marquess of Calvino.
It seemed he was trying to assert dominance from the start. The sharp glare he directed at me and Edwin was enough to reveal what kind of man he was, even without exchanging words.
His slightly protruding cheekbones, sharp jawline, and tightly closed, thick lips conjured up the image of a deep, commanding voice. I could practically imagine what kind of remarks would come from that mouth.
Ignoring the intense stare, I turned to Lucious as he slowly approached. His dazzling golden eyes sparkled again today.
Ah, how healing. How could someone destined to be my husband be so pretty? After looking at a stern older man, seeing Lucious felt like seeing an angel.
‘Even though he’s your maternal grandfather, you look nothing like him. Not the hair, not the eyes, not the features… Maybe Lucious takes after the former Emperor? Or perhaps his mother, the Crown Princess?’
I knew from the original story that the former Emperor had black hair and red eyes. Lucious’s brother and the current Emperor, Rayel, also had black hair. And he was said to have inherited the red eyes from the former Emperor.
So these brilliant golden eyes must have come from his mother, the Crown Princess. But since I’ve never seen her, I couldn’t confirm.
Still, since the man who’ll be my husband is this beautiful, that’s more than enough.
“Welcome, Duke. And… Lady Celeste.”
His gaze at me was filled with joy. Please, don’t look at me with such sparkling eyes—my heart won’t survive it, dear husband-to-be.
It was such a shame I couldn’t call him “husband” just yet since we weren’t married.
As he passed Edwin and looked at me, his voice betrayed a bit of longing. I could tell he was wondering if he could call my name. But given the setting, he probably thought better of it.
Still, that gentle voice was enough. Just being able to meet Lucious again made me happy—there was nothing to be disappointed about. We’ll be calling each other’s names plenty from now on anyway.
“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Grace. And a pleasure to meet you, Marquess Calvino. I am Tiana Quinn Celeste.”
“…This isn’t our first meeting, but still, it’s good to see you, Lady. I am Egon de Calvino.”
The Marquess, who had glanced at Edwin, turned his gaze to me at my greeting. The sharpness of his stare felt like it was striking my cheekbones. You’re practically drilling a hole in me with that stare, Marquess.
I held his gaze without flinching. He exhaled through his nose, tilted his head slightly, and turned his body.
“Let’s not stand around. We should move elsewhere. I suspect this will be a long conversation.”
And with that, he promptly headed into the mansion.
Trying to assert seniority, huh? Even though he’s the lowest-ranking person here apart from me. Lucious remained still, yet he walked in first as if he owned the place. I couldn’t help but dislike him.
If he weren’t Lucious’s grandfather—or rather, my future step-great-grandfather—he would already be on my bad side.
Even if he’s a grandfather, how could he treat Lucious, who holds a higher rank, with such disregard?
What a contradictory man. His behavior screamed selfishness.
Just by looking at him, I could already imagine how he usually treated Lucious.
He must have tried to dominate his only grandson. Seeing how cautious Lucious was around him, it was obvious how much influence the Marquess had over him. Clicking my tongue inwardly, I stepped into the mansion.
At the Marquess’s suggestion, we were guided into a spacious drawing room.
Though he had arrived first, the Marquess at least respected the seating arrangement and sat not in the highest seat but in the one immediately to its right.
Is he advertising himself as Lucious’s right-hand man or something? The pompous way he sat made it hard to keep my expression neutral.
Lucious took the seat of honor, Edwin sat opposite the Marquess, and I took the seat next to Edwin. As soon as I sat, the Marquess, maintaining a stern tone, spoke first.
“Lady Celeste, considering you were in such a serious accident, you look surprisingly well. Ah, but since you lost your memory, I suppose you’re not entirely normal? Still, your physical condition seems fine. I guess there wasn’t much to worry about?”
His gaze, which swept over my body, made it clear he wasn’t pleased with this situation.
Is this man picking a fight the moment we meet? All right, bring it on.
Openly belittling someone to their face—how impressive. I felt my carefully maintained expression stiffen and bit the inside of my lip.
Calm down. Don’t lose your cool already. If I back down now, I won’t even get the chance to bring up what I came to say. Let’s treat this like a mosquito bite.
I’ve lived through enough battles and storms with people like you. Do you think I’d flinch at something like this? Not a chance. This is only the beginning, so brace yourself.
Meeting the Marquess’s annoyed stare, I smiled sweetly. His eyebrows twitched. The smirk faded from his lips, and just as he opened his mouth to speak again, I cut in first.
“Thanks to the gracious help of the heavens, I wasn’t seriously injured. I believe I’m able to sit here today because of the Marquess’s concern. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you. And I apologize for the worry I caused.”
I wasn’t fine because of his concern, but thanks to heaven’s luck and my family’s devoted care.
I wanted to say that straight out—but I couldn’t, so I gave a roundabout answer.
Even if his concern was no more than a grain of rice, I still acknowledged it. He must have been anxious, wondering if the engagement would fall through.
Even if he didn’t show it, the way he openly ridiculed me suggested he had been extremely worried.
Now that I appeared healthy, he probably thought everything had been blown out of proportion. What petty sarcasm.
Caught off guard by my unexpected reply, his lips—just about to say something—pressed tightly together. He stared at me, then spoke in a slightly softened voice.
“…So your condition really has improved. I’d heard you lost your memory and weren’t the same person anymore. I was quite concerned.”
“Sounds like you heard some strange rumors. It’s true I lost my memory, but only partially. It doesn’t interfere with my daily life.”
“…So it seems. Quite different from the rumors.”
“Rumors tend to spread inaccurately and lose their credibility.”
“Are you implying I believed the rumors too easily?”
“You merely considered them as a possibility. I understand you didn’t have time to verify them, as word came late.”
“Hmph…”
“The Duke’s household was in chaos, and we couldn’t stop the rumors from spreading in time. We take full responsibility for that.”
“Do you have a solution in mind?”
Finally willing to listen, the Marquess adjusted his posture. Meeting his sharp gaze, I glanced at Edwin, who gave me a nod.
Smiling softly, I continued.
“The reason we requested this meeting today is to discuss that very matter. We have a solution to proceed with the engagement safely.”
“A solution? Even now, society and the aristocracy alike are saying it’ll be impossible to carry through with this engagement. Are you saying there’s a way to turn the situation around?”
“Of course. In fact, this crisis can become a blessing in disguise.”
“…Let’s hear it, then. This solution of yours.”
He seemed intrigued by my confident tone. With the stage properly set, it was time to get to the main point.
Everyone in the room focused on me. The intense gazes made me a little nervous, but thanks to Lucious’s gentle look, I calmed down.
Clearing my dry throat, I slowly began.
“To suppress the existing rumors, we must spread an even stronger one. And this time, it must be a highly credible rumor.”
“What kind of rumor?”
“That Lady Celeste, despite the major accident, is perfectly fine. That she lost her memory, but her physical condition has improved—and in fact, she’s even better than before.”
“You think that alone will solve things? A rumor is still just a rumor. If we cover this up poorly, it’ll only cause more backlash.”
He looked skeptical, almost disappointed, but I responded with a calm smile.
“I don’t intend to resolve it with rumors alone. We must provide evidence. And that evidence can come from all of you in this room.”
“…What do you mean?”
“We’ll create a situation that serves as proof—something vivid and believable, so people will see it not just as a rumor, but as truth.”
“Go on.”
Pleased by the growing attentiveness, I smiled at the urging Marquess, then took a sip of my now-lukewarm tea. It tasted a bit bland.
I frowned slightly from the lack of flavor and reached for the honey dish on the table—just as someone pushed it toward me.
Turning my head slightly, I saw Lucious slide the dish from his side of the table toward mine. How considerate.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“…It’s nothing.”
When I smiled at him in gratitude, our eyes met, and he replied in a small, embarrassed voice. His ears flushed red, but he didn’t look away—he seemed genuinely happy.
With a cheerful heart, I added a little honey to my tea. After stirring and sipping it again, the taste was just right. Perfect—this is how sweet it should be.
With Lucious by my side and my sugar levels restored, I was ready to proceed—though I couldn’t help but notice Edwin and the Marquess watching me and Lucious with curious, slightly odd expressions.
