Chapter 03
[The Eccentric Escapades of Lady Aileen Edgar!]
Lady Aileen Edgar of the Marquisate suddenly burst onto the social scene, making a dramatic impression.
She shocked everyone—and then even ensnared the powerful Northern Duke with her irresistible charm.
And now, she’s back at it again with more bizarre behavior.
Could she be sick of high society?
According to my sources, she not only rejected a marriage proposal from the Northern Duke but even sent a proposal first to the most avoided man in the empire—the Southern Duke!
That’s right—she sent it first, not the other way around!
Could this be the worst love triangle of the century?
Has the Northern Duke been overshadowed by the Southern one?
Just who will Lady Aileen end up marrying?
“…Is this how I should write it?”
A woman timidly adjusted her glasses, sneaking a glance at Aileen.
Aileen, expression as cool and composed as ever, took the manuscript and began reading. After a while, she nodded.
“Perfect. As long as it clearly shows that I’m being very forward with the Southern Duke, that’s all that matters. Now, this amount should cover it, right?”
“Um, but… how did you find out who I am? No one knows I’m the writer behind the gossip column. Y-you’ll keep it a secret, won’t you?”
Yes—this cowering woman in front of Aileen was none other than the anonymous writer of the Empire’s most scandalous gossip paper: Lady Antoine.
She had kept her identity a perfect secret ever since her first publication.
So how had Lady Aileen Edgar figured it out?
In response, Aileen gave her a sweet smile.
“Oh, I just have a knack for reading people.”
“…Reading people?”
“At social events, most try to stand out. But you? You just sat quietly, observing everyone. You come to every gathering, but you’re never interested in what I say—”
Her smile was gentle, but her eyes were razor sharp.
‘You think this is the first time I’ve dealt with someone like you?’
Aileen had long since mastered the art of spotting those who pretended not to care while secretly eavesdropping and spreading information.
‘I’ve had plenty around me. People who hang around like shadows at every party hoping to catch some crumbs of gossip—gathering intel with sugar-coated words.’
And in the modern world? Countless people had used her image for clickbait thumbnails, stirring drama with outrageous titles and racking up views.
She was sick and tired of it.
So spotting a girl whose eyes gleamed with the desire to expose someone else’s secrets? Easy. Easier than sipping cold soup.
“Lady Aileen?”
Oops. Almost said that out loud.
Aileen chuckled lightly and continued,
“So I had a feeling. That cute little lady must be the infamous Lady Antoine, I thought.”
“…I-I’m sorry.”
“Oh, no need to apologize. Thanks to you, I got my hands on some top-tier information.”
“Top-tier…?”
“Hohohoho! I mean about the Southern Duke!”
‘Why would that be top-tier…?’
Lady Antoine tilted her head in confusion. She didn’t understand why information about the Southern Duke was so valuable.
Aileen changed the subject.
“Besides, I love this kind of thing. Without gossip and rumors, how else do we survive this boring world? Let’s keep getting along. It wouldn’t hurt you to have a patron like me, right, Lady Ortega?”
“R-Really? You’ll be my patron?”
“Of course. I need to become very famous, after all.”
‘The more famous I become, the more I can accomplish.’
Aileen hid her dark ambitions behind a lovely smile.
While she was giggling to herself about her future plans, Lady Antoine spoke up, looking slightly downcast.
“But why are you so interested in the Southern Duke? I’ve actually been your fan for a long time, Lady Aileen Edgar. I admire you… I truly do. You’re so perfect. I hate having to publish something like this, about you going down to the Southern lands…”
Aileen, with a smile like an angel, gently gripped the earnest gossipmonger’s shoulders.
Then, with sparkling eyes:
“Don’t say that. You admire me? Then I admire you too. I want to be a bold woman who writes freely—just like you, Lady Ortega.”
“R-Really?”
“The reason I’m going to the Southern lands… I’ll tell you later. It’ll be our little secret. You can keep a secret, can’t you?”
“Yes…! Yes, of course!”
“Great. So you’ll publish this piece?”
“Yes! Just leave it to me! I’ll make sure this issue gets out. I’ll print thousands of copies to make sure everyone in the Empire knows that you chose the Southern Duke!”
Aileen nodded in satisfaction.
She was a master at handling people.
Manipulating Lady Ortega’s desire to be noticed—especially from behind her anonymous mask—was easy.
Acting indifferent, but driven by base desire… Aileen had met too many like her.
The fact that they were so transparent only made them easier to use. She was grateful, really.
Meanwhile, in the Southern Duke’s territory, inside the ducal estate—
Moonlight flooded into the dark room like starlight pouring from the sky.
A man sat by the window, gazing outside, when his secretary quietly entered.
“Your Grace, this is the gossip paper currently circulating in the capital.”
The man took the paper with his large, thick hands.
He read quietly in the dim starlight—until a certain line made the corners of his lips twitch into a faint smile.
“Aileen Edgar… she’s up to something interesting.”
The secretary watched him, looking slightly troubled.
“Um… Your Grace, are you really going to accept Lady Edgar’s proposal?”
He recalled all the conditions they had put in place to deter marriage—deliberately unreasonable terms.
No sane lady would ever agree.
And yet… this one had.
“She sent a proposal knowing full well the terms. As a man, I can’t pretend I didn’t see that challenge.”
He slowly rose from his seat.
A towering build, long limbs—
From a distance, he was clearly no “ugly man.”
“Send a reply. Tell her to come to the South and meet me in person.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Bathed in moonlight, the lower half of his face was revealed—
And his golden eyes gleamed softly.
‘Seriously? You could’ve at least warned me you were coming. Who just shows up unannounced like this?’
Early that morning, someone came to see Aileen.
And of course—it was the Northern Duke.
With a sharp glare and a triangular squint to her eyes, Aileen made her annoyance very clear.
He had arrived so early that the maids had nearly fainted in panic, waking and dressing her in a frenzy.
She hadn’t even been able to do her morning yoga.
So yes—she was in a wonderful mood heading to the parlor.
‘Let’s see how you like this.’
Before entering, she overheard her parents pleading with the Duke inside.
“Please, help her come to her senses, Your Grace…”
Ugh. Come to her senses?
You’re trying to sell your daughter off to her doom, for heaven’s sake!
“Sigh… my miserable life.”
With a dramatic sigh, Aileen swung open the door.
The Northern Duke turned toward her with a lazy smile.
“Do not worry, Marquis Edgar. Your daughter is simply confused right now. I’ll talk some sense into her.”
Oh please. Worried? Confused? Talk sense?
Aileen scoffed, crossed her arms, and spoke haughtily.
“You think this can be fixed by talking? I’ve said it before—I like ugly men. You know, the kind who look humble and have a gentle personality. The exact opposite of you.”
Her parents’ faces turned ghostly pale.
What had gone wrong with their daughter that she ended up with such bizarre tastes?
“It must be the jealousy of the goddess of beauty… She must’ve shot the wrong arrow and made her fall for an ugly man… I need to go pray at the temple.”
“Yes, dear. Let’s go pray together.”
After one last desperate look at the Northern Duke, her parents slowly exited the room, reluctant to leave.
Once the door closed and they were alone, Aileen kept her distance, arms still crossed.
The possessive lunatic Northern Duke was so overbearing that she couldn’t let her guard down for a second.
‘You never know when he’s going to wall-slam you into submission!’
And just as she thought that—
He moved.
The Northern Duke gave a small chuckle…
“…You’re driving me mad.”
And spoke the most Northern Duke-ish line imaginable.
