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Chapter 12
“Rumors are just rumors. It’s quite unfair for someone like me, who has preserved my chastity and sympathy for my future wife.”
Calliope nearly spat out the tea she was drinking.
‘Chastity, my foot!’
He just found women approaching him annoying, that’s all!
Calliope was dumbfounded.
Even if nothing else, thanks to his ridiculously handsome face, women followed Leraije around like grains of sand on a beach.
She had personally witnessed more public confessions at the Academy than she could count on two hands.
Among those women were young ladies from prestigious families, daughters of wealthy merchants, and others of exceptional beauty.
It wouldn’t have been surprising if he had dated at least one of them. But Leraije never did.
At first, Calliope thought there was some special reason behind it.
If she hadn’t happened to overhear a conversation between Leraije and his aide, she might still be in the dark.
“Why don’t you date anyone, Your Highness?”
“Caring about someone is exhausting and annoying. I’m more comfortable alone.”
“But there are so many women who want to be with you! Don’t you think it’s a waste?!”
“Not at all. Why would I do something foolish like voluntarily shackle my own freedom?”
That kind demeanor he had shown earlier while gently rejecting a female student who had just confessed her feelings? Completely gone.
Beneath the warm appearance lay a cold indifference and calculated aloofness.
‘Still a virgin? Now that’s surprising.’
Anyway, Leraije’s so-called “chastity” was a blatant lie.
His performance was so flawless, it made Calliope admire his acting skills all over again.
Their conversation continued.
“By now, the Border Duke must have completed his investigation, don’t you think?”
“What investigation are you referring to?”
“That I have no romantic entanglements—with either men or women.”
Calliope widened her eyes. Leraije seemed surprisingly well-informed about the affairs of noble families.
And she wasn’t the only one caught off guard by his bluntness.
Archibald’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“I’m well aware of the Verdi family’s intelligence-gathering abilities.”
“Your Highness…”
“You were choosing a husband for your granddaughter. Of course you looked into it thoroughly. Isn’t that why you agreed to meet with me—because I passed your vetting?”
Calliope felt genuine admiration.
‘He’s handling this better than I expected.’
Usually, his smug attitude was irritating, but with their goals aligned, he was proving to be a very useful card.
“……”
Archibald stared at Leraije in silence for a moment before finally speaking.
“You’ve surprised me several times today, Your Highness.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I thought that after all these years I had developed good judgment of people. I suppose I was mistaken.”
“Grandfather, does that mean…?”
Calliope looked at Archibald with hopeful eyes. He smiled gently at the granddaughter he cherished more than life itself.
And finally, he gave the answer she had been waiting for.
“Yes, I give my approval.”
‘Finally!’
Calliope clenched her fists tightly. It had taken her thirteen tries to succeed.
“Thank you, Grandfather! I knew you’d believe in me. No matter what anyone says, the next Count of Verdi should be—”
“Hold on, Calliope. Don’t be so hasty. Marriage is still a long process.”
“…What?”
Calliope, rarely flustered, asked again in disbelief.
“Going from enemies to marriage is rather sudden. I don’t doubt you, but I want to make sure this isn’t just a fake relationship for convenience. Let’s take some time to observe.”
Archibald gave a meaningful smile, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
But Calliope, too stunned by the unexpected condition, failed to notice the nuance.
“But you said I just had to meet the conditions!”
“You once brought home a trashy man with an illegitimate child, remember?”
As Archibald’s sharp gaze turned toward Leraije, Calliope internally panicked.
‘I let my guard down.’
She had been so elated by her success that she had momentarily dropped her vigilance. But thankfully, she quickly recovered her expression.
“As I age, I find myself worrying about all sorts of useless things. I hope you’ll understand.”
“Of course.”
Calliope answered, biting the inside of her lip to hide her frustration.
“Soon enough, you’ll see that we’re sincere. And that Leraije is much more reliable than he seems.”
Archibald nodded with a satisfied expression, then made a suggestion to Leraije.
“Since you’re already here, would you care to join us for dinner?”
Leraije turned to Calliope, who nodded vigorously and mouthed:
‘Say yes—no matter what!’
They had only just gotten permission to date. The road to marriage was still long.
‘If we want Grandfather to acknowledge us as a true couple and allow the marriage, we’ll have to earn his trust.’
Luckily, Leraije picked up on her signal immediately.
“It would be an honor to join you.”
“Then I’ll have preparations made.”
“I’ll be delighted to wait.”
His formal speech, graceful gestures, and elegant smile—he looked every bit the perfect noble.
But as soon as Archibald left the drawing room, he slouched onto the sofa without a care in the world.
Then, with a triumphant grin, he wiggled his fingers at Calliope.
“Did you see that?”
“See what?”
“My stellar performance.”
Calliope gave a hollow laugh and sat across from him.
“How about becoming a stage actor while you’re at it?”
“Already considered it. You know my face is a gift, right? Not to mention my body.”
Coming from anyone else, it would’ve sounded like pure narcissism. But unfortunately, this was Leraije Dion Arenfreet.
Calliope, unable to deny it, grimaced and asked,
“And?”
Leraije grinned.
“Well, even for someone like me, juggling being Emperor and an actor would be kind of difficult.”
‘He’s still going on about that emperor nonsense?’
Calliope quickly checked the doors and windows, then frowned.
“I told you to be careful even as a joke! What if someone hears and misunderstands?”
The Verdi staff were generally tight-lipped, but accidents always happened when people got careless.
“I’m not joking, though.”
“You little—!”
Calliope clutched the back of her neck in frustration.
She had forgotten. This man, perfect only on the outside, was absolutely impossible to reason with.
“Anyway! Don’t even think about bringing that up again. If you say another word of nonsense, I’ll cancel the whole marriage and everything.”
She gave him a terrifying glare. It was practically a threat.
Of course, Leraije was not the kind to be intimidated by such things.
“If you cancel our marriage, who’ll take my place? Didn’t you say you wanted to become the Count?”
His tilted head and mocking tone were unbearably annoying.
“Hey!”
Calliope slammed the table in frustration.
“If you get executed for treason, there’s no marriage, no heir, no family, nothing left—got it?!”
Just as her anger exploded, there was a knock at the drawing room door.
“Lady Calliope.”
Harold bowed and informed them.
“Dinner is ready. If you head to the dining room now, you’ll be right on time.”
Calliope let out a soft sigh and rose to her feet.
As Leraije stood as well, he leaned toward her and whispered teasingly in her ear.
