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Chapter 6
“First, the person must have a verified identity. That’s a basic requirement.”
Calliope leaned back leisurely on the sofa. That was only the beginning anyway.
“Second, the age difference must be within two years. Since minors can’t marry, only someone up to two years older would be acceptable. Considering the Countess’s situation, a husband who’s too much older wouldn’t be suitable. A wise decision.”
Agnes nodded and moved her eyes to the next condition.
“Third, the person must have graduated from the Imperial Royal Academy with excellent grades. That’s a reasonable expectation, but the difficulty level shoots up from here.”
Just receiving a diploma from the Academy was no easy feat. This would significantly narrow down the pool of candidates.
“How could our brilliant young lady possibly live her whole life with a dim-witted man?”
“He wouldn’t be able to carry a proper conversation with the Countess.”
Silvia and Harold nodded in immediate agreement. Agnes gave a small chuckle and read the fourth requirement.
“Fourth, he must be muscular and at least 185cm tall…”
Her voice trailed off.
Ahem. She cleared her throat and resumed, the tips of her ears slightly red.
“…with a muscular build over 185cm in height, suitable to be a member of the Verdi family.”
Anyone could tell this list was written by a doting elder with a soft spot for his granddaughter.
“The Verdi family has always been skilled in martial arts.”
“A man shorter than the young lady? Unthinkable!”
Agnes fully agreed with the others and moved on to the next item.
“Fifth, he must be handsome enough not to fall short next to Calliope Verdi.”
Agnes stared at the words on the paper as if trying to burn a hole through them. But the contents didn’t change.
She was Calliope Verdi, praised as a living incarnation of a goddess. How many men in the world could possibly match her dazzling beauty?
“It’s not just ridiculous—it’s infuriating.”
Calliope voiced what they were all thinking.
“A noble, young, tall, capable, muscular, and handsome man? Do men who meet all these conditions even exist?”
It was an impossible standard. Calliope shook her head.
“Why assume they don’t, Countess?”
“Exactly. You possess all those qualities yourself, miss.”
Following Harold and Silvia, Agnes calmly listed Calliope’s qualifications.
“You’re a noble, young, tall, beautiful, and intelligent woman who graduated at the top of the Academy’s magic division. You’re the future head of House Verdi.”
Silvia clasped her hands together and nodded fervently, her green eyes sparkling. Even Harold smiled in agreement.
“But as everyone knows, men like that are already married or engaged.”
“…”
“…”
“…Am I wrong?”
The demand was overflowing while the supply was woefully scarce.
“Everyone has the same taste. The good ones are already taken.”
Countless names of Academy classmates and seniors flashed through Calliope’s mind.
Then suddenly, one face popped into her thoughts.
‘God. Why am I thinking of him?’
Goosebumps prickled down her entire body as Calliope hurried to shake off the thought.
“Sixth. The final condition.”
With an exasperated expression, Calliope waved her hand as if urging her to get it over with.
“He must not be from a foreign country.”
After reading the last line, Agnes made a concise judgment.
“Hopeless.”
“Agreed.”
Silvia quickly tried to comfort Calliope.
“Don’t worry too much, miss. I’m sure we’ll find a good man for you.”
“If you need help, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll support you with whatever strength I can muster.”
Harold chimed in as well. Agnes pushed up her glasses and added,
“The conditions are strict, but not completely impossible.”
“That’s not comforting at all.”
“Have you forgotten who I am?”
Confidence returned to Agnes’s intelligent features.
Calliope stared at her aide for a moment, then curved her red lips slowly.
“Right. My aide is Agnes Milton.”
The embodiment of relentless persistence.
Even Calliope, who once tried to distance herself, had eventually kept Agnes at her side. That alone was a testament to her remarkable capabilities.
“I, Agnes, will find a husband for you even if I have to sell my soul.”
Even Calliope, used to flattery, felt a little embarrassed by the sparkles in Agnes’s eyes.
“Just do the job you’re paid for.”
Calliope replied nonchalantly. But Agnes was no ordinary opponent.
“You’re going to pay me well anyway, right?”
Agnes responded, her pure, bright smile an added bonus.
“I’m your person, Countess.”
There was something almost deranged in her sparkling eyes, and Calliope pressed a hand to her forehead.
I can’t beat her…
Watching this exchange, Silvia and Harold couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Thus ended the first (somewhat chaotic) meeting of the four.
The next day—
Silvia burst into Calliope’s office, looking pale.
“Miss! This is terrible!”
“What’s with the fuss so early in the morning?”
“Here, look at this article…!”
Silvia, her hands trembling, thrust a newspaper forward.
“It was published as a scoop at dawn. What are we going to do?”
Calliope took the paper and opened it.
“That face looks familiar.”
Agnes, who had been checking recent Academy graduates for the past three years, set down her pen and looked at the article with her.
“You’ve graced the front page for two days in a row. Congratulations, Countess.”
“That’s a rare feat, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. Thankfully, it’s a different photo from yesterday.”
“If they used the graduation gown photo again, that’d be tasteless.”
“But the photo doesn’t do your beauty justice.”
“They always pick the worst shots. Why not choose a nicer one for once?”
“Cut off their funding.”
“I was planning to.”
Calliope and Agnes chatted calmly, while Silvia nervously fidgeted.
“You two shouldn’t be so relaxed! There are reporters swarming outside the estate asking if it’s true.”
Silvia pointed to the bold headline, practically in tears.
[– Calliope Verdi to lose her successor title if not married within a year?! –]
The flashy red font made it so eye-catching, it could probably be read from 100 meters away.
[– What changed the Duke of Verdi’s mind? –]
[– The once unstoppable star, now on the verge of losing it all? –]
The article was full of speculation and fabrications.
Silvia’s eyes welled up with tears.
“How could they write such a malicious article about you? More importantly, how did they find out?”
“Someone must’ve tipped them off.”
Calliope replied indifferently, resting her elbow on the armrest and supporting her chin.
“To think someone benefiting from the Verdi family would do something so underhanded behind our backs! Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“Someone who gets jealous of my success, who rejoices in my misfortune, who can’t tell the difference between mine and theirs.”
Calliope’s usually calm lips twisted slightly.
“Baron Gilbert Roman.”
Agnes, who had suspected the same culprit, spoke up.
“Trying to undermine your reputation and position with such outdated tactics…”
“Cheap tricks, right?”
“Very. Even amateurs wouldn’t use this approach. In crude terms, it’s pathetic.”
“I agree.”
Calliope flicked the newspaper into the fireplace. Surrounded by magic, it landed perfectly in the flames.
A good firestarter.
“Thanks to my foolish uncle, the whole Empire probably has a new source of kindling now.”
Calliope mockingly tapped the desk with her fingers.
It didn’t take long to organize her thoughts.
“Since it’s come to this, I’ll make it a public issue and blow it up.”
Being dragged around wasn’t her style.
“I’m taking the initiative.”
Some credited her rise in high society to her looks, wit, or dancing, but those were just surface-level.
“If I publicly announce the conditions for my future husband, men will come running like ants to honey.”
Turning even weaknesses into strengths—that was Calliope’s true power.
“Contact every newspaper in the Empire.”
