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“So the story about a forced marriage is true?”
Calix quickly turned his head.
Josh, busy organizing documents, replied briefly.
“Yes. It seems so. Unfortunate, isn’t it?”
“…Even if Barrett becomes the Count of Whitehouse, it’s unlikely that His Majesty would force a noble lady into marriage.”
Calix’s voice grew sharper.
Only then did Josh look up, carefully observing Calix’s mood.
“My lord…?”
“…Continue.”
Calix turned his head again and opened a bottle of whiskey.
Josh hesitated for a moment, then resumed his report.
“Well… it appears they plan to emphasize that Lady Whitehouse has been a recluse for several years. That she lacks the ability to make her own decisions and needs protection.”
“But that’s not true.”
“No, it’s not. But making it appear that way might not be too difficult. After all, no one really knows the Lady of Whitehouse.”
“……”
“If Baron Barrett petitions the king, there’s a high chance His Majesty will order the marriage under the pretext of protecting her.”
“……”
Silence fell.
Clink.
Clear whiskey was poured into a glass.
With a hardened expression, Calix brought the drink to his lips.
Sensing his master’s dark mood, Josh tried to change the subject.
“By the way, the interior renovations of Cliff Castle were just completed.”
There was a hint of pleasant excitement in Josh’s tone.
Calix responded as if he’d forgotten all about it.
“Interior?”
“Yes. Lady Whitehouse is staying at Cliff Castle, remember? You’ve been so busy that it slipped your mind?”
“……”
Calix gave no reply.
“They finished just in time for your return. I hope the interior suits your taste.”
“We’ll see.”
Calix gave a half-hearted response as he strode toward the window.
The sky outside was already dusky.
“In any case, I fully support letting her handle the interior this time.”
“……”
“Though if you gave the job to Lady Whitehouse, Viscount Ferridan might be a bit disappointed.”
“Ferridan?”
Calix frowned slightly, as if the name didn’t ring a bell.
“Yes. Viscount Ferridan has long wanted to handle the interior of our castle.”
“Did he…?”
Calix looked indifferent, as if it didn’t matter either way.
“…But it’s true that Viscount Ferridan’s house is now considered the best in Leongrad, especially after Count Henry Whitehouse’s death.”
Calix had a very keen artistic sense—something hidden behind his beast-like image.
There was no way he would entrust the interior of his castle to the second-best.
Even when he saw the palace interiors designed by Henry Whitehouse, he wasn’t particularly moved.
The same went for the imperial palace of the far more developed Arsen Empire.
“And don’t you remember how many gifts and invitations Viscount Ferridan sent over the years?”
“Gifts?”
Seeing Calix’s sharp gaze, Josh quickly added,
“O-Of course, we returned all the gifts.”
“…But His Majesty only recently ordered the renovation of Cliff Castle. Why would Viscount Ferridan insist on doing it?”
Calix frowned in confusion.
No one knew better than Calix what kind of reputation he had within the kingdom.
Murderer, arsonist, hideous.
There was no reason to try and be associated with the Duke of Bloodstone.
“I’ve heard Viscount Ferridan is expanding aggressively and struggling financially from over-borrowing. Apparently, even his daughter joined the interior business.”
“His daughter?”
“Yes. Edith Ferridan—she’s reputed to be a great beauty.”
Calix pressed his forehead, clearly weary.
“It hasn’t been made public that the king ordered the renovation, right…?”
—
Cliff Castle, Calix’s Office
Knock knock.
A butler entered.
“My lord, have you recovered from your journey?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Lady Whitehouse has arrived and is waiting. Would you like to see the completed interior?”
“Let’s go.”
Calix closed the documents and slowly stood up.
Josh followed behind with a cheerful expression.
“But… where are we going?”
The butler was leading them in an unexpected direction.
As they descended a staircase, Calix furrowed his brows.
“…The basement? She decorated the basement?”
“Yes. That’s correct,” the butler replied awkwardly.
Even before seeing it, Calix felt displeased.
“……”
He had told her she could choose any space to work on.
It was meant as a gesture—an opportunity to show her full capability.
But the basement? What could she possibly see in the basement?
The unpredictability of her choice made him even more uncomfortable.
“We’ve arrived, my lord.”
The butler cautiously opened the door and stepped aside.
The wooden door creaked open, letting in light.
“This is…?”
Calix took one step inside and froze.
It was bright.
Unbelievably bright for a basement.
“Duke of Bloodstone…?”
He turned to the voice and saw Marianne Whitehouse giving a gentle curtsy.
“……”
Her light brown hair fluttered in the air.
A fresh scent of herbs drifted in from somewhere.
Lush green plants, seemingly untouched by winter, greeted him.
And her face—with a shy smile—seemed to bend the space between them.
Her ivory dress, cinched at the waist, looked vibrant.
“…It’s been a while, my lady.”
He bowed politely, forcing calm into his voice.
He felt like he could finally breathe.
“I heard you’d be arriving today, so I waited.”
“…Didn’t expect that.”
Only then did he remember—he hadn’t come here to see her, but to inspect the interior.
And yet again, his eyes had been drawn to this delicate woman.
He told himself it was just the lingering fatigue.
“I worked here during your absence.”
Her face was filled with expectation and nervousness as she approached.
A refreshing scent surrounded her.
But the closer she got, the more uncomfortable he became.
It felt like something inside him was being invaded.
“Why… why choose this place? Were there no other parts of the castle that you liked?”
“Of course there were.”
He tried to shake off his unsettled feeling by looking around.
Then his words caught in his throat.
“What… What is this…?”
A massive boulder dominated the center of the room like a bench.
And that wasn’t all.
Two or three smaller stones protruded from the sides.
“This space used to be a storage room. I turned it into a lounge.”
“A lounge…?”
Calix looked around again.
Upon closer inspection, there were tables and plants arranged in front of the smaller rocks.
“…Those rocks are chairs?”
“Yes.”
“Why… did you choose this kind of interior design?”
In any artistic work, the explanation mattered most.
“The space itself had a very unique structure that already drew attention from noble guests.”
“……”
“I wondered if we really had to cover up all of that individuality. Instead, I wanted to highlight it.”
At that moment, the butler chimed in,
“Lady Whitehouse said the strong boulders remind her of the duke’s unyielding will and strength!”
“Unyielding will and strength…?”
The butler had served Calix since childhood.
While he had the freedom to speak casually, it was rare for him to speak so supportively of someone else.
“But your image, my lord, isn’t like a rugged stone.”
Calix’s face remained hard, prompting Marianne to explain quickly.
He listened closely—this was a rare evaluation of himself.
“As you can see, I used golden-yellow marble for the flooring to level the surface. The tones were adjusted to suit the dignity of a noble household.”
Looking down, he saw she was right. The golden and weighty marble lent an elegant atmosphere to the entire space.
The boulders on top looked as if they’d been deliberately placed.
“I see…”
Looking up, the ceiling was filled with neat navy rafters.
The navy beams gave a sense of order to the rugged, wild feel of the boulders.
The crude space, combined with the marble and navy rafters, had become something elevated and sophisticated.
“……”
Tap, tap.
He walked toward the rocky windowsill.
Through the open window, he could see the estate far below the cliffs.
The glowing sunset bathed not only the room but also his body in red.
Even when the sun set, the lighting would keep this space bright.
As if it would never darken.
“Incredible…”
With rafters above and a window view of the land below—it felt more like the castle’s rooftop than the basement.
It was as if the topmost room of Cliff Castle had be
en transformed.
Bookshelves lined the back wall, hinting that it could even serve as a study.
Though called a lounge, this space clearly wasn’t meant for servants who couldn’t read.
It was made for the master of Cliff Castle.
“How did you think of this…?”
Calix could no longer control his expression.
