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Chapter 1
It was a day of relentless, pouring rain. Lauren was the sole heir to the late Baron Sears. Though she had been powerlessly stripped of the title upon the sudden death of her parents, her father had fortunately registered her name as the legal successor. Her uncle had ordered her to meet with the lawyer, review the list of left-behind assets, and stop by the bank.
Lauren let out a dry, incredulous laugh. Who in their right mind would retrieve assets knowing they’d just be robbed of everything? Her greedy uncle possessed a intellect far inferior to his ambition. And unlike his father, her cousin was clever enough, but so sickly and faint-hearted that he could never become a knight through legitimate means.
Lauren secretly sold off the few pieces of jewelry she had managed to hide away. Though the estate’s finances were modest, her parents had gifted them to her for her birthday. It pained her to part with the cherished items, but there was no choice. Her parents would surely prefer her selling them to survive rather than being forced into marriage as a wealthy old man’s second wife. After verifying the money in hand, she picked the safest-looking inn she could afford and checked in.
She had only one way to avoid being sold off. Dressing in the most valuable garment she owned, Lauren left the inn. Her sky-blue summer dress was a bit worn, but the fabric remained high quality and its color was still lovely. She hired a small carriage and set off toward her destination: the estate of the Duke of Liliwood.
The coachman made no effort to hide his displeasure. With rumors circulating that the current Duke of Liliwood was a vicious bloodthirsty monster, he was likely terrified that something terrible might happen to him in front of the ducal manor. Offering a gentle, reassuring smile, Lauren handed the coachman a generous tip. Only then did the carriage move, eventually leaving her behind in the rain as it sped off like an escapee.
Holding a massive, pitch-black umbrella borrowed from the innkeeper, Lauren hesitated in front of the ducal estate for a long moment. Though she had steeled her resolve when leaving, would the Duke truly listen to her proposal?
‘A vicious bloodthirsty monster, huh.’
It was a hard rumor to swallow, yet such stories never stemmed from nothing. What if he deemed her arrogant and drew his sword right then and there? As a man who had fought in the war, cutting her down would be trivial.
‘Dying is better than being sold off as an old man’s second wife.’
Setting her mind firmly, Lauren pressed the doorbell. Appearing from the distant entrance, the butler caught sight of her in the rain and tilted his head in mild confusion. Before long, however, he stepped out with an umbrella and unbolted the iron gate. She wondered briefly if this was a task beneath a chief butler, but in truth, it didn’t matter who met her.
“Greetings, my lady. Pardon me, but what brings you here?”
Even upon seeing Lauren standing in the pouring rain without a single attendant, holding her own umbrella, with the hem of her faded dress thoroughly soaked, the butler greeted her without a flicker of surprise. Lauren straightened her back, took a slow, deep breath, and finally spoke.
“I am here to see His Grace, the Duke of Liliwood.”
“His Grace, the Duke?”
Her response was evidently unexpected. Frowning slightly in brief thought, the butler chose not to leave her out in the rain, guiding her inside the mansion instead. Lauren followed quietly behind him. Just as she crossed the threshold, however, she stepped directly into an unseen puddle. Her faded shoes filled instantly with freezing water, squelching softly with each step. Ah, these are the only shoes I have that match this dress. It looks like they’re beyond saving now.
“Since you arrived without an appointment, I cannot guarantee whether His Grace will agree to see you. I will inform him of your visit, so please wait here for a moment.”
Escorting her into the drawing room, the butler lit the fireplace, served a cup of warm tea, and took his leave. Lauren couldn’t help but notice his eyes darting briefly toward her damp hem and soaked shoes before he left. His words were a silent courtesy—a quiet invitation to dry off her paper-thin, rain-drenched clothes and waterlogged shoes, both so ill-suited for the biting capital chill. The Liliwood butler is truly capable, Lauren thought, taking a sip of the warm tea.
A knock sounded on the door just as she drained the last drop from her cup. The butler returned to announce that his master was willing to meet her. Expecting to be led somewhere else, Lauren was startled when a man stepped out from behind the butler. She stood up abruptly. Aster Vail Liliwood. He was the master of this estate.
She remembered his face well, as the newspapers had drawn his likeness incessantly throughout the war. Frankly, it was a face impossible to forget—adorned with gorgeous golden hair that looked like melted sun and softly glittering green eyes. Yet the man standing before her now felt like a complete stranger. His once neat, handsome hair was grown out and left untamed, and his eyes had lost their brilliant spark.
Fitting for a war hero who had personally wielded a blade to command the front lines, the lean youth had matured into a full-grown man. Dressed casually in nothing more than a shirt and trousers without a care for formality, the fluid movement of his body was clearly visible beneath the fabric. Feeling her face flush for reasons she couldn’t name, Lauren looked down.
The Duke of Liliwood sank heavily into a long sofa and gestured, prompting the butler to serve him a cup of tea. “Sit,” he commanded, and Lauren instinctively sat back down. Used to giving orders, the man fixed his gaze on her. His cool green eyes swept over her as if probing the depths of her mind.
“I heard you wished to see me.”
A terribly low voice carried across to Lauren. His tone was as cold as his gaze. Lauren quietly took a deep breath and lowered her head.
“I apologize for arriving unannounced. I am Lauren Secreta Sears.”
Crossing his legs, he gave a slight nod. And? he seemed to ask. If she failed to win the favor of this rumored monster, she might lose her life. Though intimidated by the cold gaze of the Duke, Lauren refused to show any weakness, straightening her back to look at him directly.
“I have come here to propose marriage to Your Grace.”
A loud rumble of thunder echoed outside. A flash of lightning burst beyond the large window, illuminating the room in blinding white. In that split second, she caught the twisted smile playing on the harsh man’s lips—a truly terrifying sight.
She couldn’t back down now. Nor could she afford to look frightened. Lauren intentionally sat even straighter, looking him dead in the eyes. His green eyes, which had once sparkled with gentleness, now held a deep shadow as he returned her gaze. With a unreadable expression, he set his teacup down.
“Interesting.”
The Duke of Liliwood muttered in a low voice, leaning back against his chair. It was a relaxed, deliberate movement, reminiscent of a sated predator.
“Go on.”
One corner of his mouth twitched upward. Though it was just a faint smirk, the ominous pressure radiating from him intensified. For the first time in her life, Lauren realized that a mere glare could crush a person. The tea inside the cup she gripped tightly began to ripple. Unwilling to let her inner turmoil show, she placed her cup down as well. Biting her trembling lip tightly for a moment, she spoke once more.
“I am aware that Your Grace is being pressured into a marriage with the Imperial Family. And that you hold great displeasure toward it.”
The Duke crossed his arms. While his green eyes still emitted a threatening glint, he didn’t raise his voice or fly into a rage. At the very least, he seemed willing to hear her out. Lauren breathed a sigh of relief internally. It was only natural. The Imperial Princess currently linked to him in marriage talks was barely fourteen years old. No matter how great a war hero he was, he would surely despise being paired with a child, just as she despised being pushed toward a man twice her age.
“You’re not entirely wrong. Though I wonder where you heard that.”
Contrary to his notorious reputation, the Duke answered calmly in a low, even tone. Is this going well? Lauren glanced up discreetly to read his face. The smile at the corner of his lips had only deepened; no other emotion betrayed his thoughts.
“And?”
Apparently, that wasn’t enough. Lauren slowly inhaled a breath of air. She had prepared one more card, expecting as much. But what if even this failed to satisfy him? Feeling a flicker of anxiety, Lauren took a small sip of tea to steady her nerves.
“You will gain a highly capable administrator trained directly by the late Baron Sears.”
Setting down her cup, she placed a hand over her heart and bowed deeply. The Duke’s eyebrow raised in surprise. After a brief silence, his shoulders began to tremble as he lowered his head. Lauren glanced at him in confusion. Soon enough, he clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
“My apologies. That’s the most confident self-introduction I’ve heard since the battlefield.”
Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, the Duke offered an apology. Lauren, however, felt her pride wounded. Her father, the late Baron Sears, had held a modest title, but he was a highly capable administrator in the Imperial Palace—his name was not something to be laughed off. Still, seeing the Duke—who had felt so cold and fierce despite his young age—laugh like an ordinary young man his age felt strangely refreshing.
“I offer my sincere apologies. I had no intention of insulting the deceased. I am well aware that he was a remarkable official.”
The name of the former Baron Sears was familiar to the Duke as well. Right after the war against the western desert tribes, when achievements were being calculated, his name and his command had been entirely omitted from the records. It was painfully obvious who was behind it, so he hadn’t even bothered to protest.
Yet there was someone who had raised his voice on their behalf—arguing that if those who risked their lives were not rewarded, who would ever fight for the empire again? That man was none other than the late Baron Sears.
Since then, the Duke had found himself indebted to the Baron several times. While he might have been a thorn in the side of high society, he was a man who knew how to raise his voice against the powerful and embrace those beneath him. Above all, he was an excessively clean, upright administrator who strove to walk the right path. The Duke bowed his head toward Lauren.
“I mean it sincerely. He was a fine man. Losing someone like him is a massive loss for the Empire.”
The bloodthirsty monster of the battlefield… Contrary to his brutal reputation, the Duke possessed far more sense than she had expected. She hadn’t been killed despite showing her displeasure. In fact, he had apologized for his rudeness. He seemed far easier to reason with than she had imagined. Just as Lauren was feeling a sense of relief, the Duke straightened his back and focused his gaze on her once more.
“An administrator, you say. Capable minds for internal affairs are always in short supply. Especially in my case.”
He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the armrest of his armchair.
Lauren lowered her gaze to her teacup. The Duke was a hero who had made a name for himself in war. His army was not composed of knights raised by noble families, but ordinary soldiers from common backgrounds. Thus, he likely lacked people capable of managing administrative affairs. Had it been otherwise, his men would have claimed the rewards they rightfully deserved.
The Duke himself came from generations of wealth and might not care, but his soldiers were a different story. Her father used to sigh over a glass of liquor,
lamenting that commoners should never have their achievements demeaned simply because of their birth.
Lauren took a deep breath and raised her eyes. Sitting crookedly across from her, the Duke’s green eyes shone with an intrigued spark.
