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Chapter 8
“Ahem… Your Grace!”
At the butler’s voice echoing through the reception room, Bella quickly turned her head.
She hadn’t even noticed when he had arrived.
The butler was standing by the door, staring sternly at his master.
The duke, however, ignored him completely.
Instead, he simply continued watching Bella, as if carefully studying her reaction.
“So… Your Grace says you’re cursed?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“Cursed.”
Bella fell silent for a moment.
In the Arhen Empire, being cursed was considered an indelible stain.
If people heard someone was cursed, they avoided even going near them.
Most people hid such a thing at all costs.
Very few would admit it themselves.
The stigma was so severe that the Temple had even approved divorces solely because one spouse had become cursed.
That was how much the Empire feared curses.
And yet…
The very duke who protected the Empire was calmly declaring that he himself was cursed.
People already whispered that House Avalan was a cursed family…
But hearing the rumors…
And hearing the duke admit it himself…
Were completely different things.
Bella chuckled.
The duke’s expression instantly shifted.
His eyes clearly asked—
Why are you laughing?
Smiling, Bella replied,
“So Your Grace really is cursed.”
“…”
“Then I suppose we’re destined for each other.”
At this point, there was no way Bella would be frightened by something as ordinary as a curse.
The duke’s crimson eyes shook with disbelief.
“…Did you not hear what I just said?”
“I did.”
“I said I’m cursed.”
“I know.”
“And you’re still saying that’s fine?”
“Yes.”
“…Why?”
His voice became sharp.
Bella didn’t even blink.
“It applies to me as well.”
She smiled gently.
The duke’s face darkened.
No—
It twisted.
As though her calm reaction irritated him.
“It applies to you?”
“Yes.”
Bella nodded without hesitation.
“I’m cursed too.”
In a way…
It really was a curse.
If this life of hers wasn’t a curse, then what was?
Apparently, however…
The duke didn’t see it that way.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
As his eyes narrowed, the corners of his lips lifted into a smile.
He was smiling.
But there was unmistakable anger beneath it.
The overwhelming pressure radiating from him made Bella unconsciously swallow.
“I’m not joking.”
“…”
“I’m being completely serious.”
She truly was.
She had never been this desperate before.
“That’s why I’m proposing marriage while gambling with what little life I have left.”
Her unwavering voice made him hold his breath.
After a long moment…
He slowly let it out.
Almost as though he had encountered an unexpected problem.
“So…”
He finally opened his mouth after a long silence.
Just as he was about to continue—
“Ahem… Your Grace.”
The butler glanced at the pocket watch in his hand before cautiously stepping forward.
Leaning close, he quietly whispered into the duke’s ear.
“A considerable amount of time has passed.”
“Has it?”
The duke frowned as he looked toward the clock on the side table.
Bella did the same.
The butler was right.
Far more time had passed than she had realized.
It doesn’t even feel like we’ve talked that much.
She still hadn’t received a proper answer.
I can’t leave like this!
Panic rose inside her.
What if…
Like all the other noble ladies…
He simply told her to leave now?
That was the only thought running through her mind.
What do I do?
She bit her lip and looked straight at him again.
She had just decided she’d even kneel and beg if necessary—
When he spoke.
“It’s getting late.”
“…Pardon?”
“You should go home for today.”
He continued calmly.
“I’ll take some time to think about your proposal.”
For today.
I’ll think about it.
Bella’s eyes widened.
That sounded surprisingly positive.
No.
Don’t jump to conclusions.
Perhaps he had told every other lady exactly the same thing.
Maybe it was just an easy way to send them away.
Bella’s eyes gleamed.
She needed something more certain.
“Then…”
She asked carefully.
“May I take that to mean you’re seriously considering marrying me?”
“Hm.”
The duke stood up and slipped one hand into his pocket.
His expression had once again become cold and unreadable.
The confusion from moments ago had completely disappeared.
“I’m not the kind of person who makes promises lightly.”
In other words—
Don’t get your hopes up.
What should I do?
He wasn’t giving her any opening.
Just like his spotless appearance, his emotions seemed equally neat and controlled.
He didn’t leave even the slightest crack for others to exploit.
Bella’s mind raced.
If she pushed any harder now…
It might only backfire.
All she could do was trust fate and wait.
After coming this far because of fate’s strange tricks…
If meeting him truly was destiny…
Then they would meet again.
I have no choice.
In the end, Bella decided to retreat.
“For now…”
She smiled politely.
“I’ll wait for your answer.”
Of course—
She wasn’t leaving quietly.
“But…”
She smiled brightly.
“I’m sure you’ll come looking for me.”
The duke’s crimson eyes deepened.
His expression clearly said,
How arrogant.
Yet there was also…
A hint of curiosity.
Bella bowed politely before turning away.
There was no point lingering and making herself seem desperate.
I’ve done everything I could.
She had played every card she possessed.
Now all she could do…
Was wait and see what kind of flower the seeds she’d planted would bloom into.
Whatever happened—
She would accept it.
Leaving the room, Bella walked down the long hallway.
After a few moments, she heard footsteps following behind her.
She turned around.
The butler was walking several steps behind.
When their eyes met, he stopped and smiled awkwardly.
“I’ll escort you to the entrance.”
“Oh, that’s really not necessary…”
“It is His Grace’s order.”
Although his voice was gentle…
There was unmistakable firmness beneath it.
Bella closed her mouth.
Behind his kind smile lay remarkable stubbornness.
“His Grace is very considerate.”
More than I expected.
She swallowed the last part of that sentence before it escaped.
When she thanked him for the duke’s kindness, the butler’s expression somehow grew darker.
“Miss…”
He hesitated.
“I know it’s improper for a mere servant to say such things to a noble lady…”
He struggled to find the right words.
Then he spoke carefully.
“You’ll regret it.”
“…”
“You’ve heard the rumors that the Dukes of Avalan rarely live long lives… haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
Bella nodded.
She had only heard it yesterday from Evan.
“For some unknown reason, every heir of House Avalan eventually takes his own life.”
It wasn’t merely a family with short lives.
It was a family whose dukes all committed suicide.
A family wrapped in mystery.
“If you’ve come hoping to inherit the Avalan fortune…”
The butler looked at her carefully.
Bella laughed softly.
Money?
She didn’t care about that at all.
“I know.”
She smiled.
“I heard every Duke of Avalan ended his own life.”
“And that’s why people call your family cursed.”
The butler looked genuinely surprised.
Perhaps because she had spoken so casually about something everyone else avoided mentioning.
“Then…”
He asked quietly.
“Did you also hear what became of their wives?”
“…Huh?”
Bella blinked.
She hadn’t thought about that.
Every previous Duke of Avalan had died by his own hand.
Yet somehow…
The family line had continued until today.
The current duke wasn’t married.
And no one ever mentioned his mother.
It was almost as though someone had erased every trace of her.
What happened to the duchesses?
Bella looked at the butler with wide eyes.
He sighed, as if he had expected exactly this reaction.
After a long pause, he answered.
“They all died.”
“…”
“Some passed away only a few months before their husbands.”
“Others died years earlier.”
“But every one of them is gone.”
“…Why?”
“I’m afraid I cannot tell you.”
The butler firmly closed his mouth.
He had clearly been forbidden from discussing the cause of their deaths.
“In any case…”
He continued.
“House Avalan is that sort of place.”
“So you shouldn’t enter it lightly…”
“It only makes me more interested.”
Bella smiled.
Apparently he had intended to frighten her.
Instead…
He had only made her even more curious.
The butler’s face twisted.
His gray eyes practically said,
…That wasn’t the reaction I expected.
“Well.”
Bella shrugged.
“In the end, the choice belongs to His Grace.”
“All I can do now is wait.”
She smiled.
The butler studied her with a strange expression before opening the front door.
The evening sky glowed orange beyond it.
Outside…
The line of waiting carriages had grown even longer than before.
His Grace must be exhausted.
Thinking that, Bella took a step forward.
Then—
The crowd suddenly fell silent.
Dozens of sharp gazes turned toward her all at once.
Startled, Bella froze.
Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.
“Is that her?”
“Which family does she belong to?”
“I’m not sure…”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in high society before.”
The noble ladies looked at her with open hostility.
Without realizing it, Bella shrank back.
Why are they all staring at me like that?
Their eyes swept over her from head to toe, as if carefully judging every inch of her.
The attention quickly became uncomfortable.
She lowered her head to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes.
“It’s because…”
The perceptive butler quietly explained.
“You stayed with His Grace almost five times longer than any other young lady.”
“And…”
He added,
“I’m personally escorting you out.”
He explained that he had never escorted any other noble lady himself.
Bella nodded blankly.
She hadn’t realized such a simple gesture carried so much meaning.
“By the way…”
The butler looked around.
“Where is your carriage?”
“Oh.”
Bella answered casually.
“I don’t have one.”
“…What?”
The butler stared at her in surprise.
“Then… how did you come here?”
“I’ll just go out to the main road and hire one.”
“…”
“It’s fine.”
She smiled.
“I always do.”
So there was nothing to worry about.
Bella stepped outside.
The butler frowned slightly.
“You must be busy, so there’s no need to escort me any farther.”
“Well then…”
She waved lightly.
“I’ll see you again soon.”
With that, Bella walked away cheerfully.
“…Sigh.”
Watching her disappear into the distance, the butler let out a quiet sigh.
His work wasn’t over yet.
Turning around, he found himself facing a crowd of noble ladies glaring at him with obvious dissatisfaction.
He clapped his hands to get their attention.
“I’m terribly sorry.”
He smiled politely.
“But His Grace asks that everyone return home for today.”
Complaints immediately erupted from every direction.
The butler didn’t flinch.
Instead…
He smiled coldly.
“It is His Grace’s order.”
Those words carried enormous authority.
The crowd quieted—
But only for a moment.
Several young ladies immediately raised their voices again.
“Did His Grace choose that woman?”
“Is she the one?”
“N-No…”
The butler’s voice wavered.
He hurried to calm them.
“That isn’t what happened—”
But the ladies were already too agitated to listen.
“Who exactly was that woman?”
“Which noble family does she belong to?”
Their eyes blazed with fierce hostility.
