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Episode 3
Unlike Duke Keilard, who sat down calmly, Eldin hesitated before sitting across from him.
After being in an open space, entering an enclosed area made her feel a little more at ease.
Is he really the duke?
A pure, honest doubt crossed her mind.
Earlier, everything had been too chaotic for her to properly look at him, but now that she was seated and observing him closely, he didn’t look like someone cursed by a demon at all.
Among people with brown or black hair, Duke Keilard’s silver hair shone brightly, making him stand out anywhere.
Under his thick eyebrows were sharp eyes with red pupils, a straight, prominent nose, and beneath his clean jawline, tightly packed muscles.
His collarbone jutted out clearly from beneath his loosely undone shirt.
To Eldin, who had only ever known men like her father and the baron, Duke Keilard felt like an entirely different kind of existence.
As she stared at him absentmindedly, his red eyes suddenly turned toward her.
Their eyes met, and Eldin flinched, her shoulders stiffening.
Focus. You came here for a reason.
She lightly shook her head, pushing away stray thoughts.
Looking straight at Duke Keilard’s emotionless gaze, Eldin spoke.
“I know how to break your curse.”
“…The curse, you say.”
The duke’s red eyes fixed on her.
His vision, which had deteriorated some time ago, no longer showed the world clearly.
He could no longer clearly remember obvious truths—like the sky being blue or grass being green.
Fernan casually looked around.
Everything still looked pitch black.
Objects like chairs and doors were distinguishable by red outlines, but the real problem was that people looked the same.
He could see a flickering red silhouette, slightly hunched.
Because he couldn’t see appearances clearly, it was hard to judge a person’s condition.
Does it even matter?
Whoever this person was, it was obvious she wanted something from him.
The person he wanted to meet wasn’t her.
The duke sighed inwardly.
The reason he, who usually stayed in the north and avoided the capital, came to this cathedral almost every day was to fix this damn vision.
What had once been normal had suddenly broken one day and never returned. Still, there was one possible way to fix it.
Is this really the right way?
He sighed again.
The reason rumors had spread about him appearing in the same place repeatedly was that he was waiting to meet the Saintess.
Since she was someone who heard the voice of God and despised demons, he hoped she would come find him herself—but she never did.
I thought catching the Saintess might give me a clue… but still.
The duke rested his chin on his hand.
His gaze turned back to Eldin.
…How strange.
Even though she wasn’t the person he wanted, he didn’t feel particularly annoyed.
In fact, it was ironic how pleasant her voice sounded to his ears.
“What do you want? Money? Fame? Power?” he asked.
“Go ahead and say it. Do you want all three? You even dared to use the word ‘curse,’ which is practically taboo to me.”
Duke Keilard smiled faintly and leaned his upper body toward Eldin.
What nonsense would she say next?
In truth, she wasn’t the first person to approach him like this.
Although most people avoided him, there were always a few who risked their lives to come ask for something.
She was probably no different.
Eldin leaned back slightly, nervously pressing her lips together.
Now that she had to say it out loud, the words wouldn’t come easily. Seeing the duke smiling calmly, she slowly turned her head and spoke.
“…Please propose to me.”
“What?”
The duke stared at her, dumbfounded, his mouth slightly open.
But Eldin’s unwavering expression made it clear she wasn’t joking.
At her boldness, the duke let out a short laugh, then burst into laughter, leaning back.
“Hahahaha!”
“I’m serious! Please think about it carefully!”
“Ah… sorry. That was just too funny. But…”
Keilard asked playfully, his eyes gleaming.
“What if I don’t want my curse broken?”
“…What?”
This time, Eldin was the one who looked stunned.
She had never imagined he might not want the curse gone.
Her pupils shook violently.
She had come all this way clinging to this one hope—if she was sent away now, everything would be over.
Soon, the count would hear she had gone outside and come to drag her back.
Pressing down her trembling fingers, Eldin blurted out her words in a rush.
“I’m not asking to live together forever. Just… please stay married to me for three years.”
Three years would be long enough for the count to stop suspecting anything, and not too burdensome for the duke.
“I won’t draw attention to myself or upset you. I’ll manage your estate perfectly. I’ll give you everything you want. I’ll do anything—anything at all. Please… I don’t want to go back there.”
Her last words were barely more than a whisper, but they rang clearly in the duke’s ears.
Why was she this desperate?
Curiosity stirred.
The duke fell into thought.
What would he gain by taking this woman as his wife?
There’s no way she can solve the curse… but if it’s known that I married a human, maybe the Saintess will come looking for me.
If the Saintess came, that alone would make it worthwhile.
Silence settled between them.
Eldin bit her lip anxiously.
If this didn’t work, she planned to reveal that she was half-mermaid.
It might repeat the same tragedy her mother faced, but it might still be better than going back.
“…Alright.”
For some reason, the duke nodded and replied lightly.
Eldin gasped, lifting her head to look at him.
“Really?”
“I don’t repeat myself. Let’s write the contract now.”
The duke pulled paper and a pen out of thin air.
Seeing magic performed without a mana stone or tool, Eldin swallowed hard.
So this really was someone rumored to be cursed by a demon.
“Please write it yourself. My eyesight isn’t very good.”
He handed the contract and pen to Eldin.
She hesitated as she took them.
I’ve never heard that the duke couldn’t see well. Is he testing me? Or did the past change?
When she didn’t move the pen, the duke assumed the reason and spoke.
“I can write simple text just fine, but writing within specific boundaries, like on documents, is difficult when you can’t see well. It’s not dangerous, so don’t worry.”
He seemed to have misunderstood something, but now wasn’t the time to correct him.
A lot of time had already passed since she left the count’s estate, so Eldin hurriedly began writing.
The contract stated that during their three-year contract marriage, Eldin would do everything the duke requested.
Once the contract was finished, the duke smiled and asked,
“Now that the contract is done, is there anything else you’d like to say?”
Eldin’s lips parted slightly. She wasn’t sure if she should say it—but if she didn’t now, she would regret it.
She clenched her trembling hands.
“There’s something I want to ask……”
The duke looked at her steadily, signaling her to continue.
“Please… don’t hit me.”
At her absurd request, the duke’s eyebrows furrowed.
Not seeing his expression, Eldin paused, then spoke again.
“And please don’t throw things at me. As for starving me… two days is enough……. And yelling—no, never mind. I’ll do my best in bed too. So please… keep the contract properly.”
Just as the duke was about to ask what she meant, the door burst open with a loud bang.
“Eldin!”
Count Pure stormed in, panting with rage, and immediately grabbed Eldin by the hair.
“I told you not to come outside! Someone important is coming to take you tomorrow—how do you expect me not to raise my hand now?”
He lifted his hand as if to strike her.
At that moment, the duke firmly grabbed his arm.
Count Pure looked up irritably, then gasped and stumbled back.
“…Duke Keilard.”
“It’s been a while, Count Pure.”
Seeing Eldin standing there without resistance, clearly used to such violence, the duke naturally stepped in front of her.
He had already been large even while seated, but now that he stood, his body completely blocked her view.
At 191 cm tall, his massive frame radiated overwhelming pressure.
The count flinched, then glared fiercely at Eldin.
“Let’s go home first and talk.”
As Count Pure reached toward her, the duke caught his arm.
“Well, since the count is already here, this works out nicely.”
Leaving the confused Count and Eldin behind, Duke Keilard knelt on one knee in front of her.
He pulled a ring from his magical inventory and slipped it onto her ring finger.
“Elldin Pure, will you marry me?”
Eldin stared at him, stunned. She never imagined he’d act this quickly.
The count froze completely at the sudden proposal.
Eldin glanced at her father, then answered in a trembling voice,
“Yes.”
As soon as she spoke, the duke stood and whispered in her ear,
“Things seem urgent… I’ll give you a better ring later.”
Eldin looked at the ring on her finger.
A pink diamond sparkled brightly.
Something better than this? What counted as “better” to this man?
She blinked.
Regaining his senses, Count Pure shouted,
“What nonsense is this! Marriage without a parent’s consent? Don’t joke around!”
“How is this a joke? I’m serious. Or is there a reason it can’t happen?”
“Th–that is…”
The count fell silent.
Under the duke’s cold gaze, the anger boiling in his head slowly cooled, and he finally saw the situation clearly.
Despite rumors that he’d been abandoned by the imperial family because of a demon’s curse, the man before him was still the only duke in the country.
For a crumbling count’s family, refusing such a proposal was impossible.
There was no reason to refuse at all.
Between Baron Brian—who would erase gambling debts—
and the duke—who could not only pay off those debts but demand even more.
The choice was obvious.
