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Chapter 19
“I heard Count Sinkere nearly collapsed from grabbing the back of his neck when he heard about his eldest son being carried off with stomach cramps.”
“Hm.”
“The new Lady seems like quite the interesting person.”
News from the merchant guild quickly reached the Duke of Ibernum.
The aide, secretly impressed by the fresh and unprecedented methods Evely had employed, glanced at his lord’s face.
‘At a glance, he looks like he’s listening with his usual blank expression…’
But the aide, who had served the duke for a long time, didn’t miss the subtly satisfied look in his lord’s eyes.
‘When His Grace suddenly proceeded with the engagement to Lady Sinkere, I thought it was just to keep her under direct watch. But was there genuine emotion behind the official reason he gave?’
The romance currently stirring the social circles was, without a doubt, the love story between the Duke and his fiancée.
A man and woman from rival families who fell in love at first sight. Despite opposition from their families, they risked loss for love and promised marriage!
‘I thought it was a fabricated excuse, but looking at His Grace’s expression…’
He didn’t just accelerate the engagement preparations as a cover for the sedative scandal. His expression only changed when the Lady was mentioned. Something wasn’t normal.
‘Is it finally spring for our Duke?’
For the first time, the perfect Duke showed a human side.
Despite his suspicions of the Lady as a vassal of Ibernum, the aide was privately thrilled about the Duke’s budding romance.
Given his lord’s transcendent physique, there was no real danger to his life, so he only hoped that someone so burdened would finally find some peace.
‘So our Duke’s romance is real!’
The aide recalled when the Duke first mentioned the Lady of Sinkere.
From the special instructions to make sure she had everything she needed to stay comfortably away from her abusive family, to placing someone ahead of time in her merchant guild—now all those past actions took on a new light.
Just as he was replaying those memories with growing fascination, he realized the Duke’s crimson eyes were silently staring at him.
“Do you have more to report?”
“No, sir.”
“Then you may go.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
Startled, the aide raised his voice unnecessarily and retreated.
Click.
Once the office door closed…
The Duke turned to review some documents, as usual. However—
“……”
For some reason, he couldn’t move past the current page. Instead of text, an image kept flickering before his eyes.
It had never happened before.
Unable to concentrate, he set the documents down and pressed his fingers firmly against his eyes.
As darkness filled his vision, a scene rose vividly in his mind.
“What, do I look prettier now? Can’t take your eyes off me?”
The door had opened to signal the start of the engagement ceremony—and through that opening stood his radiant contract bride.
With an unreal kind of beauty, her playful, fairy-like words brought her to life and pulled her toward him.
‘Thanks to that, I avoided standing there gaping like a fool.’
He had never once imagined being rendered speechless by someone. He hadn’t even prepared for such a possibility.
He had simply been swept along.
During the ceremony, he regained some composure, though that was for another reason.
‘Because I noticed the empty seats of her family.’
Evely Sinkere.
Now Evely Ibernum, had been glancing around anxiously during the engagement ceremony, clearly searching for her absent family.
‘Though they weren’t worth her concern.’
She had casually mentioned earlier that they likely wouldn’t come, but her pale pink eyes had betrayed the hope she still held.
Even after the ceremony, her eyes had wandered to the entrance, as if expecting someone to arrive late.
Even he—who was not her true partner—had found himself feeling indignant on her behalf.
‘And those bastards were only scheming to take from her during that time.’
Her so-called family didn’t even attend the engagement, but the very next day, they had ambushed her merchant guild.
He didn’t particularly pity her. But… he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
‘That’s all it is.’
That was the reason he visited her room the night before.
The reason he kept wondering if tears had trailed down her cheeks.
A learned moral obligation to check on someone in a pitiful state. That’s all.
The Duke rubbed his chin, quietly replaying last night’s events—uncertain even to himself why he had acted that way.
After the engagement banquet, he could’ve just collapsed into bed from exhaustion.
Instead, he’d knocked on the room next door.
He wasn’t her real lover, just her partner on paper. So what had compelled him?
‘Did I want to confirm she was okay?’
When the door opened, she appeared. Fortunately, her face was dry.
He remembered feeling somewhat relieved at that.
‘Pointless behavior.’
Unfamiliar emotions made him awkwardly touch the corner of his mouth.
And as the next memory followed, he—though alone—subtly covered his eyes, as if embarrassed.
‘It’s only natural to dress according to the setting.’
Even as he tried to scold himself, the heat reddening his ears refused to subside.
She had been in her bedroom—of course she’d be in loose clothes for sleeping.
They’d run into each other around the estate before, but he had never seen her in such loungewear.
Was she really a fairy, as she looked during the ceremony? Her nightgown…
It had fluttered like dragonfly wings.
The Duke’s neck flushed red again at the memory of her in that filmy gown.
“Hoo.”
He exhaled heavily and tugged at his collar, as if blaming it for the stifling air.
Still, he’d kept it together until that point.
Even though they had signed a marriage contract, both knew it was a business transaction.
So, like strangers, he had calmly averted his eyes from her casual attire and fixed his gaze on the teacup she handed him.
At that moment, he still had his reason.
Her soft pink eyes had curiously watched him, so he’d brought up a conversation topic and used the chance to settle the matter of how she should address him.
“Then… Sir Kyle?”
He had faltered slightly when she pronounced “Kyle” for the first time, but his mind still held steady.
The real problem was—
“I’ll be in your care from now on.”
As she said that and held out her hand…
His contract bride, knowing nothing, naively reached out, and Kyle steeled himself.
He recalled the time she had visited his office and grabbed his hand unexpectedly. He made sure to hide any visible reaction.
‘Though it was no use.’
When her hand touched his…
The feeling of her bare skin was on an entirely different level than what he had vaguely prepared himself for.
The sensation that spread through their joined hands was indescribable.
Her small fingers barely resting on his, the curve of her palm fitting perfectly—he didn’t want to let go.
‘I don’t want to be apart from her for even a second.’
That thought came naturally.
It was the first time in his life he’d felt something so addictive.
He wanted to stay connected forever. No—he wanted more. An overwhelming urge took over.
He had only let go—
“Uh, Duke? …Duke!”
—when he noticed her soft expression had begun to tighten in discomfort.
Realizing that he had gripped her delicate hand until her fingertips turned white, the Duke slowly released her.
Letting go of her hand was agonizing.
Feeling her glance at him with subtle confusion—
He blamed it on alcohol, though he hadn’t drunk enough to feel any effects.
His monstrous body wouldn’t react to such weak substances.
‘If I was drunk… it was on her.’
That insane thought made his shoulders twitch.
Brushing back a strand of dark hair from his forehead, the Duke tried to banish the lingering thought.
‘…Though she didn’t seem to notice anything.’
Last night, though even ten barrels of alcohol couldn’t intoxicate him, just a single handshake had made him feel lightheaded.
With her innocent face, she had no idea how much she’d shaken him.
Still lost in the dreamy sensation that had loosened his body, he hadn’t registered her words. He had only memorized the shape of her small, plump lips.
Recalling her words after they finally registered, it had gone something like this:
“Since we’ll be spending a year in a contract marriage, I thought we should set a few ground rules.”
“……”
“First, about myself. I, Evely Ibernum, pledge to remain a model duchess and not cross any lines as long as I bear this name.”
Even though he sat there dazed, offering no nod or reaction, she spoke on cheerfully and with ease.
“If there’s anything you’d like from me, Duke, please let me know. I’ll do the same if something comes to mind later.”
“……”
“Oh, and just in case… Even if we share a bedroom for appearances, we won’t be having a physical relationship, right?”
That’s when he finally snapped out of it—probably because the statement was so absurd.
