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“Your Majesty! As the next head of the family, I am deeply concerned for the well-being of Miss Whitehouse. How can such a young lady be left alone without a guardian? Imagine how worried the late Henry must be!”
The king nodded.
“Indeed. It is unacceptable for a noble young lady with no one to rely on to be placed in danger. Her older brother, who left her alone, would not be at ease either.”
Just when it seemed the king, who had been pressing me so hard, was finally listening, he turned to agree with Nathan again. Something felt very wrong.
“Nathan Barrett has requested your hand in marriage. I will give my blessing, so you shall marry him.”
“What?”
Marianne wanted to scream inwardly.
A chill ran down her spine, and the nape of her neck trembled.
“If the two of you become family, there will be no reason to quarrel.”
It felt as if all the blood had rushed to her head. She knew Nathan was grinding his teeth, but she hadn’t expected him to go this far!
“Marianne, thank the king for his consideration. This will be a great honor for the Whitehouse family.”
Nathan giggled gleefully, as if the marriage vows had already been completed.
“Your Majesty! I am already an adult. I do not require a guardian. I can manage myself just fine. I cannot marry Nathan Barrett.”
Marianne’s voice trembled faintly. But the king did not hide his displeasure at her answer.
“Do you dare refuse my consideration? You would live alone in that huge house without a guardian while in danger? I cannot allow it. The late Henry would not rest peacefully even in the afterlife!”
Darkness seemed to close in before Marianne’s eyes. Seeing the king raise his voice, she realized he would not accept this easily.
“Your Majesty, I am not alone. I am currently operating Whitehouse as a guesthouse.”
People began to murmur. “Guesthouse” was an unfamiliar term to them.
“A guesthouse? What is that?”
“You may consider it as me using part of the Whitehouse estate like a hotel.”
“What did you say?!”
“There are guests and guards at Whitehouse now, so there is no need to rush my marriage.”
However, the king’s expression grew even darker.
“A guesthouse, huh? This makes me even more convinced that your marriage must be expedited. Who knows what sort of people will be staying at your house? You need someone trustworthy there as soon as possible.”
“How can every conclusion always lead to marriage?!”
Marianne felt a cold dread creeping over her. It was as if the world around her had twisted, and no one would listen.
“Do I have to follow the king’s orders no matter what?”
Desperately, she scanned her surroundings, seeking even a straw of hope. But only mischievous curiosity met her gaze.
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Then, her eyes met a pair of red ones.
“Calix!”
She realized Calix had approached, his footsteps measured. As he walked forward, people parted into two paths.
Gasps echoed through the hall. No one had ever seen Calix without his mask.
“Who is that?”
“Good heavens! That’s Duke Bloodstone!”
“The Duke Bloodstone? But his face is… clean!”
“Not just clean. Was the Duke ever that handsome?”
Yet as he stood before the king, the hall fell silent. Whispering continued, but no one moved. His mere presence seemed to command submission.
“Calix…”
Marianne’s green eyes silently pleaded.
“We have a contract. We agreed to pretend to be dating!”
Her gaze locked with his red eyes again. Black hair fluttered softly beside his mask.
“Calix…”
His gaze remained fixed intensely on her. He tilted his head slightly, as if not understanding her intention.
Still, merely having him at her side made Marianne feel as if she were inside a secure fortress. She felt reassured already.
Calix stared into Marianne’s eyes for a long moment. It seemed he wanted to ask something.
‘Are you okay?’
Or maybe,
‘What’s the matter?’
Eventually, he nodded silently, as if reassured. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but his upright posture was unwavering, as if telling her to trust him alone.
Marianne nodded instinctively. Then Calix, still holding her gaze, spoke.
“Your Majesty. I, Calix, will ease Your Majesty’s worries.”
“Speak.”
Finally, Calix turned his head and looked the king squarely in the eyes.
“Previously, Your Majesty told me to leave the cliff castle or handle its interior, did you not?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“I have requested the cliff castle’s interior work for Miss Whitehouse. In the meantime, I plan to stay at her guesthouse.”
“What…?”
“Her safety is connected to the interior project I invested in. If I stay as a guest, there will be no cause for concern regarding her well-being.”
Calix gave Marianne a faint smile, unnoticed by others, reassuring her silently.
“Calix…”
Marianne’s heart raced with an indescribable feeling.
His smile disappeared almost immediately, unnoticed by most. But the king’s eyes widened instantly.
“…”
The king, standing directly before Calix, could not miss it. And since the fire incident six years ago, it was the first time Calix had smiled.
“When did I ever tell you to freeload in someone else’s house? And wouldn’t everything be resolved if Whitehouse married Barrett? Why insist on staying there yourself?”
Calix hesitated briefly, then replied calmly.
“Watching Miss Whitehouse’s business acumen and interior skills piqued my interest in her.”
The entire hall went silent, eyes wide.
“Interest? What does that mean?”
“Ah, so that’s why he wanted to invest in her business!”
Marianne glanced upward, dumbfounded.
‘Interest because of business acumen and interior skills?’
If he was going to lie, couldn’t he at least say it was because she was beautiful or something? Was she really that unremarkable as a woman?
All eyes fell on Marianne, but she could only blush, unable to speak.
‘Right… we agreed to pretend to be in a contract relationship. I didn’t plan to announce it like this…’
The king’s gaze was sharp, his tone suspicious.
“Bloodstone, it astonishes me that you suddenly develop interest in someone. Surely the greatest Bloodstone would not choose a woman for such a trivial reason. Are you pretending to like someone just to avoid my orders?”
The king pressed him relentlessly, narrowing his eyes. Those unaware of the king’s previous command to Calix only tilted their heads in confusion.
Calix’s face revealed slight embarrassment. But now that he had stepped forward, there was no turning back.
“No, Your Majesty.”
“You do realize deceiving or tricking the king is tantamount to treason, correct?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
The king stared sharply at Calix.
‘Audacious fellow!’
In truth, the king greatly favored Calix, his loyal vassal and distant cousin. That he had gone so far as to threaten to confiscate lands to force marriage to the princess had a reason.
‘It’s because you claimed you would never marry!’
If he had loved someone, the king would not have insisted on a marriage with the princess, and would not interfere regardless of who it was.
‘But now he’s interested in Marianne Whitehouse after just a short time? And because of her business and interior skills?’
A man who had avoided the social scene and women for years? And the lady in question had stayed reclusive at home.
‘How did they even meet?’
The king noticed Calix sending a displeased glance toward Nathan Barrett.
‘So that’s why he’s annoyed with Barrett… I heard he tried to purchase Whitehouse but failed.’
“Tut-tut-tut…”
The king clicked his tongue, observing Marianne Whitehouse.
Her green eyes were clear, retaining the brilliance of Henry Whitehouse. Yet, considering the princess’s upcoming visit to Leongrad, the king could not look favorably upon her.
‘You cannot compare the heiress of a bankrupt family to the empire’s princess.’
The king frowned, pressing his hand to his forehead.
