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Episode 2
The original novel never mentioned anything like this.
“And what did His Grace say when he gave you those jewels? Surely he confessed his love to you, too, didn’t he?”
I need to get out of here first.
If I kept listening, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
I nodded absentmindedly and deliberately staggered a little.
The Duke had always kept it a complete secret that Enrica was a mage.
Because of that, people simply thought I stayed at home most of the time because of my weak health.
“Oh my goodness, Lady Wintersore! Are you alright?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I rode in the carriage for a long time, and I got a little dizzy…”
The Countess was overly curious, but she wasn’t a bad person.
She immediately looked genuinely apologetic.
“I’m sorry. I kept questioning you while making someone with poor health stand there.”
Doing my best to look pale and frail, I replied,
“No, Countess. But I’m afraid I need to rest for a little while.”
“Of course, go ahead. Oh, and one more thing…!”
It sounded like she was saying something else behind me.
But instead of staying to listen, I hurried toward the terrace.
“…Oh dear. I was going to tell her that His Grace the Grand Duke is attending the banquet as well.”
The Countess watched me leave and muttered to herself.
“Well, they’re going to be married. She obviously already knows. That was unnecessary meddling on my part.”
If the rumors have spread this far, then breaking off the engagement is impossible now!
My plan to somehow persuade the Grand Duke had failed before it had even begun.
With a miserable expression, I wandered in front of the terraces hidden behind curtains.
Why can’t I find a single empty terrace today?
People here.
People there.
Everywhere I looked.
Just as I finally found a terrace with no signs of anyone nearby and pulled open the curtain—
A man was standing inside alone.
He was incredibly tall.
I definitely hadn’t sensed anyone inside from outside, so I hurriedly apologized.
“Ah, sorry.”
“You may come in.”
The moment I heard that low, deep voice, it felt like my feet moved on their own.
Was it because his voice was so attractive?
Still dazed, I blinked and finally looked up.
If winter became a person, it would probably look like him.
It was a warm summer night with a gentle breeze.
Yet this terrace felt as though an icy snowstorm had just swept through it.
His eyes were deep, as if they were hiding countless stories.
A sharp nose.
Perfectly shaped lips.
His unreal beauty reached its peak in his icy blue eyes that seemed carved from frozen crystal.
I was absentmindedly watching the wind tousle his black hair.
Then winter itself smiled at me.
Hmm. Someone that handsome can’t possibly be a side character.
The moment I regained my senses, I became cautious.
He’s definitely not the male lead with blond hair and red eyes.
And he’s not the silver-haired second male lead either.
“Um… excuse me, but may I ask your name?”
“Ah.”
The man looked slightly surprised.
“You don’t know who I am?”
I carefully shook my head.
It seemed he had assumed I would naturally recognize him.
Honestly, wasn’t that a little too much self-confidence, no matter how handsome he was?
His expression became unreadable as he tilted his head.
Without thinking, I tilted mine to the left as well.
The corners of his lips twitched upward.
“I am… hmm… yes. Count Belbrington.”
The name meant absolutely nothing to me.
And somehow it sounded very much like an extra character.
Anxiously searching my memories, I cursed the novel’s illustrations for only showing the protagonists.
If I’d seen a face like that before, there was no way I would have forgotten it!
“I’m Enrica of House Wintersore. It’s nice to meet you.”
Well, maybe he really wasn’t a character from the novel.
Muttering that to myself, I looked around and noticed a wine bottle and two glasses behind him.
“Were you waiting for someone?”
“Who knows? Now that I think about it, perhaps I was waiting for you without realizing it.”
That smooth line came out instantly.
I couldn’t help laughing.
A kind, handsome man.
A pleasant banquet.
Now this felt like a romance novel.
One sip of champagne somehow became an entire bottle before I knew it.
The man with the gentle eyes seemed capable of casting a spell that made everything feel comfortable.
I had followed my personal survival rules strictly ever since transmigrating.
But in the end…
“I really don’t want to get married!”
“Oh, dear.”
I got drunk.
I could see two fingers.
Two moons.
And two handsome faces.
Ah, actually, that last one wasn’t so bad.
“Getting piles of jewels just feels stressful! If I could avoid getting married, I’d do anything… Why does it have to be me…?”
Thoughts I had never been able to tell anyone spilled out thanks to the alcohol.
“Why do you dislike that man so much?”
The man asked, looking slightly troubled.
Had my drunken rambling gotten too intense?
As I thought about it, I suddenly realized something strange.
This man had behaved completely differently from every noble in the ballroom.
He wasn’t annoying.
He was kind to me.
No, not just kind.
Ridiculously kind.
But the strangest thing was that even after hearing about my marriage, he wasn’t constantly asking questions about the Grand Duke.
Just now was another example.
Anyone who knew the Grand Duke wouldn’t have referred to him as simply that man.
“Count, do you not know who I’m supposed to marry?”
“Should I?”
The Count covered his mouth awkwardly before speaking.
Apparently, he was embarrassed about not knowing the latest gossip.
No way…
My face instantly brightened.
“No! That’s a huge relief! People have been bothering me about it all day.”
But how could a Count attend a banquet and not know the biggest rumor going around?
As he endured my puzzled stare, a strange expression crossed his face.
“I only recently returned to the Empire for business reasons… But more importantly, let’s go back to what we were discussing.”
Uh…
What were we discussing again?
“Enri, I’m very curious about why you dislike your future husband.”
I thought for a moment before gently shaking my head.
“I’m sorry. It’s really hard to explain.”
After all, how could I tell someone that a man I’d never met was going to kill me?
Anyone would think I was insane or paranoid.
The Count still looked reluctant to give up.
“Did you hear some terrible rumor about him? Was he rude to you?”
“Umm…”
I simply smiled awkwardly instead of answering.
Eventually, he backed off.
“But I truly do want to avoid this marriage. This is a really, really big secret.”
Taking a deep breath, I continued.
“If I can’t find another way, I’m honestly considering running away from the Empire entirely… Count?”
“Yes?”
“You dropped your glass.”
I blinked in surprise.
Crash!
Even as the glass shattered into countless pieces, the Count didn’t spare it a single glance.
He just stared at me.
Oh no.
I think he’s even drunker than I am.
“I’m sorry. I said something really strange.”
“Is there someone else you love?”
He interrupted me before I could finish.
For the first time, there was urgency in his normally relaxed voice.
Was he really that curious?
Confused, I answered.
“No.”
“So it’s not marriage itself that you hate? You’re not secretly against marriage in general?”
“No. If it wasn’t that person, I’d be perfectly fine with getting married.”
“And you’re saying you’d do anything to avoid this marriage?”
Even with my alcohol-slowed movements, I nodded several times vigorously.
He stared at me.
Then, for some reason, he let out a helpless laugh.
“This is difficult. Your feelings, and this situation. I never expected any of it.”
The black-haired man fell silent, deep in thought.
I felt uncomfortable.
Instead of enjoying the banquet, I’d dumped all my worries onto a stranger.
I never intended to tell him everything.
But it was too late to take my words back now.
Lowering my eyes, I regretted it a little.
Just as I was about to apologize.
“But it’s not as though there’s no solution.”
His voice suddenly sounded like a bell of salvation.
My heart pounded wildly.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
The words that left his slightly red lips came out low and steady.
“Then you should get married.”
“Count, were you even listening to anything I just said”
“To another man.”
“What?”
As if on cue, a pleasant breeze swept through the terrace.
His bright blue eyes followed my fluttering pink hair and curved warmly.
He bit his lower lip for a moment, looking slightly nervous, then continued.
“If you marry another man before the deadline, the problem is solved. There is no law in this Empire that allows someone to take the hand of a woman who is already another man’s wife.”
A contract marriage.
It was a trope I’d seen countless times in romance novels.
But I’d never once imagined trying it myself.
If I really married someone else…
I still hadn’t responded to the Grand Duke’s proposal.
Rejecting it now, after all these rumors had spread, would destroy the Wintersore family’s reputation.
But honestly?
That wasn’t my problem.
A loveless marriage wasn’t exactly appealing.
But when the only other choice left is death, any price starts to look sweet.
I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.
Wow.
Is this guy a genius?
