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Chapter 1 (Part 1)
There were a few facts in the Edvain Empire that anyone would know unless they had been living under a rock.
One was that Grand Duke Alec, the Emperor’s older brother, was unbelievably handsome.
Another was that the strawberry cake from the 127-year-old Luna Bakery tasted like something from heaven.
And the last was the close friendship between the Hartwell Count’s family and the Dalton Ducal family.
In other words…
“My goodness, Beatrice! You look absolutely stunning today!”
“Mm. Thanks for coming even though it was so sudden.”
“Of course I had to come! It’s your wedding, after all! Honestly, we’ve all known this would happen between you and Senior Clyde.”
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, everyone accepted the marriage between Beatrice Hartwell and Clyde Dalton, who had been friends for years.
Even though the two people who constantly insisted they were absolutely not like that had somehow rushed into marriage within a single month.
Looking at her friend, who claimed she had known from their Academy days, Beatrice forced a lifeless smile.
“…Really?”
“Of course! You were in different departments and different years, but you showed up around each other so often that everyone thought you were in the same department.”
That was only because the airheaded Clyde Dalton kept leaving his assignments in her room.
“And at the graduation party, you ended up going together too, right? There were rumors everywhere that you were secretly dating.”
That was…
Because she had forgotten the date and failed to find a partner in time.
Even now, she could clearly remember Clyde’s irritating smile when he asked what kind of sincere offering she had prepared before asking him to be her partner.
‘The frustrating part is that I had to give him Luna Bakery’s limited-edition cake…’
She had waited months to buy it.
Yet that stingy jerk had eaten the entire thing by himself without giving her a single bite.
Still, this wasn’t something she could bring up at her wedding.
Suppressing the truth that was rising all the way to her throat, Beatrice strengthened her smile once more.
“Ah, really.”
“When Senior Clyde escorted you out, all our suspicions became certainty. Some girls even cried, you know. They’ll probably cry today too. No, actually, now that it’s official, they might cry even more.”
“…Really?”
She honestly couldn’t understand crying out of jealousy.
As Beatrice nodded quickly, her friend shrugged as though it were obvious.
“Well, even if he’s only the Duke’s second son, Senior Clyde is handsome. Capable too. And hardworking.”
“…Mm.”
Handsome…
‘If only they knew.’
That the person responsible for a significant portion of Clyde Dalton’s praised appearance wasn’t just the Duchess.
‘Every time I went for skincare treatments, he’d steal my whitening packs and scented oils. Of course his skin shines.’
And hardworking? Hardworking?
Beatrice wished every citizen of the Empire could see him rolling around on a carpet, pouting and whining that he didn’t want to work.
Then nobody would be saying things like this.
“Ugh, I don’t want to write this report…”
“What does that have to do with me? And why are you saying that in my room?”
“Bea, can’t you write it for me? Please? Pretty please?”
“Get out.”
“Get out? I’m shocked, Bea. Did I raise you to be such a cold-hearted person?”
“What are you talking about? You’re only one year older than me. Get out.”
Recalling a scene she had seen only a few days ago, Beatrice barely managed to maintain her smile.
At that moment, a light knock came from the door.
It was her eldest brother, Ian.
“Bea, it’s time.”
“Ah, already?”
“Yeah. Already.”
Why did it feel so fast?
Ian watched his younger sister gather up her dress before turning to greet her friend.
“Thank you for attending despite your busy schedule, Lady Susanna.”
“Oh, come on, of course I’d come! If it’s time, hurry up and go, Bea! Good luck!”
Leaving behind her excitedly waving friend, Beatrice took her brother’s hand.
Standing in front of the wedding hall doors.
Seeing his sister’s strangely sulky expression despite her smile, Ian chuckled and lightly tapped her shoulder.
“What’s with that face?”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
“I thought you’d be grinning from ear to ear after practically throwing yourself on the floor in front of the family insisting you were going to marry Clyde.”
“Ah, that’s…!”
Beatrice instinctively tried to argue.
But she quickly shut her mouth.
Not because she had nothing to say.
The doors had opened, and it was time for the bride to enter.
Seeing the obvious nervousness on his sister’s face, Ian laughed softly and held out his hand again.
“Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
Though the wedding had been arranged in a hurry, the hall, filled with fresh flowers, clearly showed the care that had gone into preparing it.
Holding her breath, Beatrice ignored the gazes fixed upon her and looked ahead.
At the man standing on the luxurious white aisle.
Deep blue eyes like the sea.
A straight, elegant nose.
Strong masculine features.
And lips curved into a gentle smile.
With golden hair that looked as though it had been drenched in honey, the man stood there like a perfect prince from a fairy tale.
It was Clyde Dalton.
The man who would soon become her husband.
‘Even I have to admit the exterior is impressive.’
No wonder everyone got fooled.
Thinking once again that humans were pitiful creatures who relied too heavily on appearances, Beatrice walked toward him.
As the two held hands and smiled warmly for everyone to see, they quietly whispered to each other.
“If you try to kiss me during the vows, I’ll kill you.”
“Just make sure you get the angle of the veil right.”
A light scoff.
A hand squeezing back in refusal to lose.
Up close, there wasn’t the slightest trace of an affectionate couple between them.
And yet, there was a reason these two had ended up getting married.
Standing beside Clyde before the officiant, Beatrice recalled what had happened a month ago.
The day she had proposed to him…
No, wait.
The day she had been proposed to…
Well, anyway.
That day.
***
One Month Earlier
Inside the glass greenhouse of the Dalton Ducal Estate.
A place normally reserved for members of the ducal family.
Beatrice sat naturally sipping the head maid’s special iced tea while carefully reading a note she had written herself.
Things to say if Clyde Dalton asks why he should marry you:
- People will start nagging us both about marriage soon anyway. How about we use each other as shields?
- Because I’m cute.
- …Uh, because I’m… cute?
- (Use only as a last resort! ☆☆☆☆☆)
Get on your knees and beg.
“It’s the wish of a lifetime. Please help me out. Think of it as saving a life.”
Looking at what was essentially a plan with no actual plan, Beatrice shoved the note into her pocket and pressed a hand to her forehead.
“…Sigh. What’s the point of regressing if I can’t even figure out something like this?”
Suddenly, she remembered the advice her academic advisor had repeated countless times.
“Remember! The ability to create appropriate lies and maintain proper appearances is a noble’s virtue!”
Hearing the professor’s sharp voice echo in her mind, Beatrice sighed again.
‘I should have listened more carefully.’
Who would’ve thought she’d regret ignoring those lectures because she had no interest in high society?
‘If they were going to send me back anyway, they could’ve at least sent me back one year… no, three years earlier!’
A shameless thought slowly emerged.
‘Then this time I would’ve become a model student and graduated top of the Liberal Arts Department!’
If Clyde had heard that, he would’ve laughed himself sick.
As Beatrice drifted into pointless fantasies, the greenhouse door opened.
A head of golden hair appeared.
Her target for the proposal.
Clyde Dalton.
“Haa…”
A sigh slipped out before she realized it.
Clyde, who had been pulling out a chair, raised an eyebrow.
Sitting down, he tilted his head slightly before casually picking up her iced tea and taking a sip.
“What was that sigh for?”
“…Because I saw your shameless face. Why?”
“Ah, so it was a sigh of admiration because I’m too handsome.”
“Are you sick? Did His Highness hit your head because you’re so bad at your job?”
“You know that’s treason, right?”
Watching him continue drinking her tea while claiming it was the fee for keeping quiet, Beatrice instinctively pouted.
The person who needed that tea was not the idiot commenting on how good the peaches tasted.
It was her, whose throat was dry from nervousness.
‘How do I even start this?’
Clyde, the years we’ve spent together…
‘No. Too cheesy.’
I’ll be direct, Clyde. You should become my husb…
‘Aaaagh! No!’
Just thinking about it made her fingers curl up in embarrassment.
She fidgeted with the proposal letter she had nearly crumpled and took a deep breath.
‘Pull yourself together. You can do this. No, you have to do this.’
Only then could she avoid reliving the tragedy she never wanted to see again.
Just as Beatrice finally gathered the courage to speak…
Clyde set down the iced tea.
Looking directly into her eyes, he suddenly said:
“Bea, marry me.”
