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Chapter 1
“Duke Keres, marry me.”
Just as a peaceful day was coming to an end.
At the words thrown at him by the unexpected visitor who had suddenly appeared, Edward Keres’s thoughts came to a complete halt.
He stared intently at the person before him.
Cecilia Graham.
There was no one in the Empire’s high society who didn’t know that face.
A lovely beauty with honey-blonde hair that seemed to shimmer like sunlight and brilliant blue eyes like pieces of a clear autumn sky.
At nineteen years old, the baron’s daughter had become the flower of high society through her beauty alone, with half the unmarried noblemen desperately courting her.
But they had never even exchanged proper introductions.
And yet she had barged in without warning, addressing him without a single honorific, and said…
“Are you joking?”
His visitor didn’t even blink.
“Did it sound like a joke?”
“…If you’re not joking, then this is certainly an unconventional proposal.”
“Don’t tell me this is your first one?”
His lips twisted slightly at the obvious provocation, but only for a moment.
Edward immediately realized the true reason why Cecilia Graham had proposed to him.
Very few people knew that Emperor Gerard II had decided to issue an imperial decree naming the nineteen-year-old baron’s daughter as his future Empress.
Edward himself would never have known had he not happened to glimpse the document while passing through the Emperor’s office.
He had no idea how she had learned of it, but one thing was certain.
She had no intention of marrying the Emperor.
Otherwise, she would never have proposed to a man with whom she had never even properly spoken.
‘She’s not foolish.’
It had not even been half a year since the Empress, beloved throughout the Empire as the compassionate and wise Mother of the Nation, had passed away.
The nobles would oppose it.
The people’s outrage would reach the heavens.
‘But if she refuses the Emperor’s proposal…’
Then the Emperor’s wrath would fall upon House Graham.
However, if she became engaged to another man before he even proposed, that would change everything.
The Emperor’s fury would no longer be directed at House Graham.
Instead, it would fall upon the unfortunate man who married Cecilia.
Few noble houses could withstand such wrath.
‘So that’s why she came to me… She calculated this well.’
Edward answered briefly.
“His Majesty will be furious.”
“Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”
“…”
Edward remained silent for a moment, studying her carefully.
Cecilia was neither the first nor would she be the last person to know about the complicated history between him and the Emperor.
However…
She was the first person who had openly offered him an opportunity to stand against the Emperor.
But why did it have to be her?
For some reason, Edward had always found her unsettling.
It certainly wasn’t because he had taken an interest in her.
His life had been far too dangerous for him to be captivated by a woman’s beauty.
And yet…
Watching Cecilia Graham smile brightly as though she were the happiest girl in the world while flitting through ballroom after ballroom had always left him strangely uncomfortable.
Because of that, he had eventually stopped attending any ball where she was expected to appear.
It was impossible to avoid her while attending the same events.
Cecilia Graham was simply too lively and sociable.
‘I should refuse. I should send her away immediately.’
But…
His tongue betrayed his mind and formed the words of its own accord.
“Are you prepared for what’s to come?”
“As long as I don’t become Empress, I’ll do anything.”
Cecilia looked desperate.
Utterly desperate.
As he quietly observed her expression, Edward found himself momentarily frozen in surprise.
For the first time in a very long while…
His heart was pounding violently.
Perhaps it was because it had been so long since he had met someone willing to oppose the Emperor alongside him.
If that was the case…
Perhaps stepping into the inferno he knew he would one day have to enter wasn’t such a bad idea.
It would surely be better with two people than one.
“I accept your proposal, Lady Cecilia.”
“…!”
Cecilia’s bright blue eyes widened with surprise.
To be honest, Cecilia had never expected Edward Keres to accept her proposal so readily.
They had crossed paths only once or twice at balls.
Each time, Edward had shown not the slightest interest in her.
To him, Cecilia had seemed little more than invisible.
That was why she had deliberately struck at his greatest weakness—
his hatred for the Emperor.
She had thought it might be effective, but judging by how quickly he accepted, Edward’s grudge against the Emperor ran even deeper than she had imagined.
Edward cleared his throat.
“We’ll have to marry as soon as possible. By next week, you’ll be the Emperor’s official choice for Empress.”
“…That soon.”
Fear flashed across Cecilia’s face.
Edward looked at her with quiet sympathy.
Truthfully, Cecilia Graham—
a baron’s daughter who had only just turned nineteen—
had done nothing wrong.
Could possessing beauty great enough to captivate an Emperor really be considered a crime?
She might somehow make him uncomfortable, but even that wasn’t her fault.
“An engagement… We have to announce our engagement first.”
Cecilia muttered to herself before stepping close to Edward.
A gentle, sweet fragrance, as soft and harmless as she herself was, brushed past his nose.
“Duke, would you be willing to cooperate with my plan?”
“Tell me.”
Edward found himself genuinely curious.
What kind of scheme would this bold and desperate young lady reveal?
Cecilia rose onto her tiptoes, but she was still nowhere near reaching his ear.
Before she could say another word, Edward bent his knees slightly, lowering himself to her height.
Her small, gentle voice brushed against his ear, leaving behind a lingering warmth.
“Would you mind becoming the laughingstock of society?”
A strange sensation tickled deep within Edward’s chest.
Perhaps that was why…
He didn’t hesitate.
“Use me however you wish.”
The very next evening after receiving Cecilia Graham’s proposal,
Edward made his way to the ball hosted by the Marquis of Entiang.
The House of Entiang was one of Edward’s countless enemies.
It was almost surprising they had invited him at all.
‘That’s fortunate.’
Edward smiled faintly.
If today’s plan had required involving one of his few friends, he would have felt uneasy.
If his prediction was correct, House Entiang would also incur the Emperor’s wrath.
With that in mind, he entered the ballroom without the slightest burden.
As though eager to display the wealth they had recently amassed through trade, the House of Entiang had decorated the ballroom in extravagant luxury.
Gold, crystal, and glass glittered from every corner, causing the entire hall to sparkle brilliantly.
It was the perfect stage for the performance he and Cecilia Graham were about to put on.
As Edward surveyed the ballroom, he quickly found the person he had been searching for.
Cecilia Graham was gracefully strolling through the hall.
Dressed in a pale rose-colored gown, she looked as delicate as a butterfly and as radiant as the morning dew.
Even if she carried out none of the plans she had devised today, her beauty alone would have become the talk of the evening.
The moment Cecilia spotted Edward, her eyes lit up.
Watching her walk confidently and elegantly toward him, Edward became certain.
The proposal was imminent.
She intended to propose before the ball officially began so that rumors would spread throughout the entire evening.
Right here.
Right now.
‘She’s going to propose before we even exchange greetings.’
Cecilia did not disappoint his expectations.
The moment she came within a few steps of him, she removed the ring from her left hand.
It was an expensive diamond ring, perfectly befitting the reputation of House Graham, whose baron was said to spare nothing for his beloved only daughter.
She boldly extended the ring toward Edward.
Her clear voice rang throughout the ballroom.
“Edward Keres, Duke of Keres… will you become my husband?”
