Chapter 4
A black luxury carriage with a lion emblem entered the front gate of the Nine Marquis family.
When it stopped at the mansion entrance, the door opened, and Hayden slowly stepped out.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
The Marquis Nine and his wife, who had already been informed, came out to greet him with smiles.
“It’s been a while, Hayden.”
“Indeed, it has.”
Hayden also exchanged a brief greeting with his close friend, Theo Nine, the young marquis.
“Welcome.”
Julia Nine, who had been excited since morning after hearing Hayden would come, greeted him shyly while holding the edge of her skirt.
“Thank you for the warm welcome.”
“Come, come. Let’s not stand outside. Please come in, Duke.”
The Marquis Nine and Hayden walked side by side, followed by the Marchioness, Theo, and Julia.
Julia secretly glanced at Hayden as he talked with her father, wishing—
“I hope I can have some time alone with Duke Roeln today…”
The Marquis Nine and Hayden entered the study and began discussing business. That was the main purpose of today’s visit.
Knock knock—
Their conversation stopped when someone knocked.
“Come in.”
At the Marquis’s words, Julia entered gracefully, carrying a tray with tea and light snacks.
“Please have some before you continue.”
She spoke shyly as she approached them.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Julia placed the plate of cookies first and set down the teacup in front of her father without issue.
But when placing Hayden’s cup—
“Ah! Hot!”
“Julia! Are you alright?!”
She accidentally spilled a little tea on her hand.
Startled, she grabbed her right hand. The Marquis quickly stood up and checked her wrist anxiously.
“F-first, wipe it…! No, cold water! No, a doctor!”
As he panicked over his precious daughter, Hayden sighed inwardly.
The Marquis was good in every way—except when it came to his daughter.
Hayden noticed a neatly folded handkerchief on the tray and handed it to Julia.
“Use this first.”
“Thank you, Duke.”
Julia shyly took it and pressed it to her hand.
Watching them, the Marquis smiled inwardly.
“They really look good together.”
He recalled the time Julia, at seventeen, had shyly asked him to arrange for Duke Roeln to escort her at her debut.
Back then, he had confidently told her to trust him.
But Hayden had firmly refused.
After many requests, almost begging, Hayden finally accepted—
“This will be the first and last time.”
At her debut, Julia had been extremely happy.
But the Marquis had felt uneasy.
He had thought Hayden might like Julia.
But now—
“He doesn’t look like a man in love…”
Hayden’s face was too expressionless.
Then, the Marquis’s eyes fell on the handkerchief.
There was a small embroidery.
The Roeln family crest.
“Just as I thought!”
He almost burst into laughter.
A handkerchief with a family crest was not given lightly.
It was only given to someone special—a woman of interest, a lover, or a wife.
“So he’s been hiding it all this time!”
The Marquis grew excited.
“The rumors were true! He will propose when Julia becomes an adult!”
He watched Hayden closely.
Still expressionless.
But—
“That must be his personality…”
The Marquis convinced himself.
“He must like her.”
He decided—
“I should create an opportunity… or bring it up myself.”
At that moment—
“Father, I will take my leave now.”
The Marquis stopped thinking and looked at his daughter.
They looked perfect together.
“Alright. Go to your room and get treated. We can’t have a scar on your beautiful hand.”
“The Duke said it likely won’t scar, but I should still see a doctor. You heard him too, right?”
“Oh? I must have missed it. Duke Roeln, it won’t scar, correct?”
“Yes. There is no need to worry. But she should still see a doctor.”
Hayden answered calmly.
But inside—
he was slightly annoyed.
Julia had interrupted an important discussion and wasted several minutes over something minor.
It clearly wasn’t serious.
“It would be better if she left now.”
“Listen to the Duke. Go rest. I will come after I finish speaking with him.”
“Yes, Father.”
Julia covered her mouth shyly and left.
The Marquis looked again at the handkerchief.
“It’s certain. Absolutely certain!”
He felt thrilled inside.
If he had known the truth—
that the handkerchief came from the tray Julia brought—
his face would have turned pale with embarrassment.
Putting another family’s crest on a handkerchief without permission was extremely improper.
But the Marquis assumed it belonged to Hayden.
After all, Hayden handed it to her.
Unaware of the misunderstanding, the Marquis was filled with excitement at the thought of gaining the Empire’s most eligible bachelor as a son-in-law.
“Duke, since Julia prepared this, let us continue while enjoying some refreshments.”
Hayden took a sip of tea.
And confirmed once again—
“There will absolutely be no scar on Julia Nine’s hand.”
The next day, Ivenne revised the contract, sealed it with security magic, and headed to the First Knight Order.
“Did I come too early?”
Hehe. I came early because I was thinking about the Duke’s snacks.
Humming happily at the thought of eating them again for the second day in a row, Ivenne walked toward the entrance.
And there—
“What the—?!”
An unexpected guest had arrived before her.
