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Chapter 3
Twenty-two-year-old Conrad was, without a doubt, a dazzlingly beautiful young man. Shining golden hair, a pure white frock coat, and those sparkling gray eyes…
She had never once thought she loved him. And yet, there had been a time when things between them had been pleasant. When had it all gone wrong?
While she was lost in such thoughts, someone suddenly extended a hand toward her.
A familiar face. Caleb, the second son of Count Martine—a notorious playboy. It was around this time that rumors of his affairs with countless women had begun to spread.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline, sir.”
“You won’t be able to,” he replied smoothly. “If you don’t dance with me right now, I’ll jump off the balcony.”
“…That sounds like your problem, not mine.”
In the end, Caleb persisted, but eventually turned away, his face flushed red with embarrassment.
“Vanessa, are you really not going to dance even once? That’s your fourth rejection already.”
Mason asked as he handed her a glass of champagne.
“Seems so. I just… don’t feel like dancing anymore.”
“Then what about that one?”
“That one”—meaning, of course, the man who had been staring at her from across the hall the entire time.
“Well… I’ve heard the rumors, but that man is… well… how should I put it…”
Mason hesitated.
“Gloomy?”
“Mm…”
Phileas Sairan. Among young nobles, he was nothing more than a subject of gossip, but in truth, he was not someone to be taken lightly at all.
After the death of the Empress, the former Emperor had taken a foreign noblewoman as his new Empress—a woman young enough to be his daughter.
The Emperor already had two grown sons—Arthur, the current Emperor, and Grand Duke Bastian—so this decision had been highly unusual.
However, the young Empress gave birth to a son: Phileas.
Not long after, she died prematurely.
Six years ago, after the old Emperor grew weak and Arthur ascended the throne, the new Emperor exiled his half-brother Phileas to the remote northeastern territory of Ashka.
Ashka—an ancient fortress built atop a cliff. The surrounding tundra was so cold and barren that in summer it turned into toxic marshland.
The rugged mountain range and dense conifer forests made travel to and from the capital nearly impossible.
And then there were the privateer isles—harsh, scattered islands in the northern sea adjacent to his territory.
A decade ago, the island lords had staged a coup, slaughtering the ruling baronial family, and afterward the Imperial Court had effectively abandoned the entire northeastern region.
It was land no one wanted.
And into that place, an eighteen-year-old boy had been sent as its new lord.
‘It was no different from being told to go and die.’
And yet, something entirely unexpected happened afterward. All the island lords voluntarily pledged their loyalty to him.
Even now, the northeast remained a place no one would willingly live in—but since he had unified all those island lords, even the Emperor had no choice but to acknowledge him as part of the imperial family.
‘How he managed it alone is only known through rumors. I’m curious too… but I wish he’d stop staring like that…’
Vanessa nervously sipped her champagne.
When the music finally ended and the dancing crowd began to disperse, the Grand Duke stood up.
His black cape drew attention as he walked across the hall. All eyes followed him, and even the Crown Prince raised a hand in greeting.
‘He’s certainly cheerful…’
Yet Phileas did not look at anyone else. He walked straight toward Vanessa.
No way.
“U-Um, Your Grace… I don’t think this is appropriate…”
Before she could stop him, he knelt on one knee in front of her.
A ripple of shock spread through the hall.
Ignoring everyone’s reactions, he looked up at her and asked,
“Lady Vanessa, isn’t the final dance of a debutante quite symbolic?”
“Well… yes, I suppose?”
In many cases, it did lead to courtship—just as it had in her previous life.
“Then may I make a request of you?”
As expected. He intended to ask for a dance.
Vanessa quickly thought of how to refuse without causing embarrassment.
‘I should be polite, since he’s a Grand Duke… but if I’m too indirect, he probably won’t understand…’
“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but tonight I—”
“Don’t dance.”
“…Pardon?”
Don’t… dance?
“Don’t dance the final dance, Lady Vanessa. If possible, I would prefer you remain seated for the rest of the night.”
Even as he spoke, his face remained hidden in shadow. Only the outline of his jaw could be vaguely seen. Whatever he was doing to conceal himself was almost impressive.
“Wait—what are you saying? I mean, I was already planning not to, but telling me not to dance on a night like this—”
“That’s why I knelt.”
‘This is ridiculous.’
Vanessa tried to argue, but his shamelessness left her speechless.
“Fine. I won’t dance. Now please get up.”
The Grand Duke obediently stood.
Yet he did not leave. Instead, he remained standing in front of her.
“…Aren’t you going?”
“Must I leave?”
“Well… you’re blocking my view.”
“Is there anything behind me worth seeing?”
“Are you seriously telling me not to watch other people dancing now?”
“Would that be a problem?”
‘What even is this…’
“No. Please go back, Your Grace.”
At her firm words, he surprisingly complied. He returned to his seat and stared at her intently again.
Now, everyone around them was looking at Vanessa with curiosity.
‘I feel like I’ve been completely dragged into something strange.’
“Vanessa, are you alright?”
Mason asked, but after looking at her expression, he chuckled.
“Never mind. That was a pointless question.”
Vanessa realized she was smiling.
After that, no one else asked Vanessa to dance. She did make eye contact with Conrad a few times, but he never approached her.
‘Well, in my previous life, I had worked quite hard to make Conrad come to me…’
All the other young ladies danced their final dances with partners, and the night finally came to an end.
Mason left early after being called by his father. Vanessa also left the estate before the crowd thinned.
A two-horse carriage waited for her at the gates—the last one remaining in the household.
Agnes, the family’s last remaining maid, greeted her anxiously. She was already past middle age, and in her previous life, she had left the manor after Vanessa’s marriage.
“I’m sorry for making you travel alone, young lady. I should have escorted you, but I had to prepare the master’s meal…”
“It’s fine. The wind is cold—let’s go inside.”
Then Agnes’s face turned pale.
“Ah… Miss… I think it might be my time to leave this world soon…”
When Vanessa turned around at the thought, as expected—he was there.
“It’s alright, Agnes. Go inside first.”
The Grand Duke approached silently.
“…I may look like I’m following you around.”
“Isn’t that the case?”
“That would require your permission first.”
“I assume you’re joking.”
The Grand Duke let out a small laugh.
“Well… in any case, I just wanted to wish you a peaceful night.”
“And you as well, Your Grace.”
Vanessa studied him for a moment.
She knew he was unusual. But the way he treated her was still excessive.
Was there any reason for the Grand Duke of a nation—the Emperor’s own brother—to treat a mere count’s daughter with such formality?
“Your Grace… aren’t you being unnecessarily polite to me?”
He tilted his head slightly.
“Do you not treat me the same way, Lady Vanessa?”
“That’s different. You are… you are the Grand Duke.”
“And what does that mean?”
Vanessa fell silent for a moment.
What kind of question was that?
“…I don’t even know where this conversation is going anymore.”
“What is the point of it all? Just because I am a Grand Duke, does that necessarily affect you in any way?”
“Oh? Do you want to affect me somehow?”
It was a teasing question, but he answered immediately.
“You are already doing that.”
To me.
Once again, Vanessa was the one taken aback.
“That’s a strange thing to say…”
From afar, the sound of guests leaving the estate could be heard.
The Grand Duke gave a slight bow, then disappeared into the darkness.
