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Chapter 03
Herina smiled at him teasingly.
“Did you just… say something? ‘Cute’…?”
Ares turned to her, wearing the expression of someone who had heard something he shouldn’t have.
Herina shrugged.
“Well, you see, I’m not even officially part of the Ducal family yet. If the marriage falls through, it’s the great House of Habinnet that’ll be in trouble, not me. My family’s nothing special anyway—would a broken engagement really be that big a flaw?”
Only then did Ares grasp what she meant and pressed a hand to his forehead to calm himself.
“What exactly do you want? I can’t reveal my current condition to the outside. If it’s known that the head of the family is in trouble, it could cause a huge ripple effect—not only for our family, but for our territory and even the Empire.”
Herina, letting out a soft hum, sat there calmly and smiled slyly.
“So, try asking in a way that makes me actually want to help. I’m not asking for a house or fancy clothes.”
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Ares covered his face with his hand.
“Well, I’d certainly be disappointed if that were the case. It’d be a big deal for the House of Habinnet. You’re right—there’s no one else I could ask. I really am the only one who can do this, aren’t I?”
As Herina continued to provoke him with that mischievous look, Ares finally bit his trembling lip and spoke, as if making a big decision.
“…Alright. I will.”
Herina rolled onto the bed with exaggerated gestures, twirling and playing with her ear as she replied.
“Excuse me? I can’t hear you.”
Ares’ face turned bright red as he shouted:
“Would it be easier if I just bought you a house or something? Tell me what you want. I’ll do everything I can within reason.”
Herina tilted her head and replied,
“If we’re going to marry anyway, I’ll enjoy everything the Habinnet family can offer. That’s hardly an enticing condition.”
Clenching his fists, Ares asked again,
“Why are you so fixated over a single request? Even if I ask, nothing will really change.”
Herina shook her head.
“No, it will. It changes everything.”
Rising from the bed, she walked up to Ares and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You’re getting help from me, and I’m helping you. That’s the relationship we’ve become.”
Before Ares could argue, she continued:
“It’s a debt you can’t repay. A debt to me that cannot be settled with a mere house or jewelry. Now do you understand the meaning behind the word ‘please’?”
Herina was asserting her position and control in this new relationship—ensuring she would have the upper hand with this inexperienced young duke.
“Now, try asking. If your pride won’t allow it, I’ll step back.”
She stepped back, pretending to give him space, but Ares’ prolonged silence made her anxious.
“For the sake of your family—what could be more foolish than letting petty pride ruin things for the head of the House?”
At her quiet words, Ares finally seemed resolute and spoke.
“I ask you sincerely. Even if this choice eventually binds my own feet, for now, you are my best option.”
Satisfied that it was enough, Herina smiled and extended her hand.
“Well, if you ask that much… what can I do? We’re married now. Haven’t you heard that married couples share a fate? I must help you, my little groom.”
She lightly tapped his shoulder to encourage him, amused by the way his lips trembled as he restrained his emotions.
“Go to the study. I’ll bring the wedding route and guest list to you.”
Leaving a dazed Ares behind, she exited the bedroom, smiling at the thought of how she could now manipulate him—and looking forward to it.
“Miss! You haven’t changed yet at this hour?”
Benny, the maid who had been standing by the door waiting for her masters, hurried over.
“Ah, yes. We’re kind of on fire right now. Oh, the Duke said he’s now a man belonging to one woman, so you only need the clothes brought to you.”
The Duke’s voice carried from inside, loud enough for her to hear. Benny, still puzzled, nodded.
“This feels like the perfect opportunity, doesn’t it?”
After soaking in a warm bath, Herina considered the situation.
“The Duke seems lost in this situation. Maybe I should leave him isolated—he’d depend on me more, and that would increase my influence in this House.”
She got out of the bath and admired her reflection in the mirror, smiling.
“Perhaps this is like a new mission given by the previous owner. The story says the protagonist gets younger the day before the wedding—otherwise, it makes no sense.”
Maybe the true protagonist of this book isn’t even him. Ares Habinnet was just a main character in a long fantasy series. Perhaps in this volume, she is the protagonist.
“A new protagonist…”
At that moment, having heard Herina’s words, Ares realized his situation, straightened himself, and headed for the study.
But the place he arrived at had long been converted into a storage room.
“Master, are you looking for something?”
A passing maid bowed and asked.
“Master, you say…?”
“Yes. If you’re looking for something here, I’ll send it to the study. What are you looking for?”
The space that used to be his study had become a storage room—an unmistakable piece of evidence.
“Move this and that to my study.”
Following the maid with a couple of books, he arrived at his late father’s office—the previous Duke’s workspace.
“This isn’t… my father’s… it’s my study…”
It was a moment when he could no longer deny the truth.
Only after finishing her bath and getting ready did Herina head to the study with the documents.
Knock, knock—
After knocking politely twice, she opened the door before receiving permission.
“Have you been waiting long? I came quickly because I thought you might be staring at the door.”
“You opened the door quickly, but it seems you leisurely did everything else first.”
Tsk. Whether in the modern world or this one, seventeen-year-olds seem to insist on having their say.
“Here. Let’s start with the urgent matter—the wedding route. We must hold the wedding, but we can’t let the guests discover that you’ve become younger. Adjusting the hall layout is the most rational solution.”
Herina referred to a wedding hall she had seen in her previous life. She described laying a carpet in the center for the procession, with tables arranged on either side.
Ares was a bit taken aback by this unfamiliar arrangement.
“Then where will the invited nobles enjoy the banquet? They’ll need a stage to dance, and a large hall to converse.”
“There won’t be one. Our goal is to hide your face. You’re not the Emperor; why would you be looking down from a podium?”
Ares shook his head, still unable to accept it.
“The nobles will resist. Especially the capital’s conservative aristocrats. They won’t welcome this new style of wedding. We need another plan.”
Herina firmly extended her palm to refuse.
“No. There is no other way. You know the nobility, right? Then you know what matters most to them: justification. We give them a reason to break tradition, and that’s enough.”
