<Chapter 82>

Luckily—or unluckily—Blondie was beautiful.

Despite making it clear that she couldn’t bring much of a dowry but wanted as many wedding gifts as possible, there was no shortage of suitors approaching her discreetly.

However, how respectable could such underhanded proposals truly be?

The best offer was from a man in his forties who had never been married. The rest were either widowers or propositions to live as a mistress in some remote estate.

Still, how the illegitimate daughter was treated didn’t matter to Baron Mirban. All that mattered to him was money.

In the end, the candidates Baron Mirban focused on for negotiations were an old tycoon and a bachelor from a collateral imperial family—who already had four illegitimate children.

But trying to play both sides and delay to raise the price backfired.

While he stalled to squeeze out more money, Lady Khodchen fled, and Blondie caught the Emperor’s attention while he was pondering whom to send north.

“I’ve been wanting to apologize to Duke Winstein for quite some time now. To be honest, I was planning to run away no matter who was chosen as my groom,” Blondie confessed.

“Really? So you didn’t run away because it was the Monster Duke?”

“Even if it had been His Highness the Crown Prince, I would’ve fled. I just couldn’t stand the thought of Baron Mirban making a single coin from my marriage.”

Not only did the baron fail to make any money, but after Blondie’s escape, he was dragged to the imperial palace and brutally tortured. He was accused of helping his daughter flee.

Fortunately for Viscount Khodchen, there were plenty of knights who could testify to his alibi and innocence.

In addition, stepping down as the knight commander allowed him to narrowly avoid punishment. But Baron Mirban had neither the connections nor the ability to defend himself.

After enduring a month of the Emperor’s wrath, he was finally carried back home on a stretcher.

“And that’s the gist of it, Duchess.”

“Huh? The gist?”

“Yes. So, how’s the tea I made for you?” Blondie asked, her expression tense.

I glanced down at my teacup, already half-empty, and gave her an honest answer.

“It’s good. The fragrance is lovely, and it’s not bitter.”

“I’m not just good at making tea. I’m great at cleaning and laundry too. And I don’t eat much. I’ve gotten used to skipping meals since I was always dieting to maintain my figure as a noble lady.”

“No way! Hunger is one of the worst things to endure. In my household, dieting for anything other than health reasons is absolutely not allowed.”

“Yes! I’ll eat three meals a day if that’s what you want! So, does that mean you’ll let me stay here as a maid?”

“Well… uh, wait a minute. Weren’t you a noble lady? Are you seriously willing to work as a maid?”

With a resolute expression, Blondie nodded. “I have nowhere else to go. If I’m dragged back to either the Mirban estate or the palace, I’ll be as good as dead. Please have mercy on someone like me, Duchess… Please…”

“You don’t have to work. You can just stay as a guest.”

“No! That would only make me anxious. Guests are temporary. If I think I might be kicked out someday, I won’t be able to eat properly and will end up skipping meals again, Duchess…”

Her tearful gaze reminded me of a kitten drenched in the rain.

I barely swallowed a groan. How did she know I couldn’t resist that look…?

“I told you, no skipping meals!”

“Then could you please ease my anxiety by signing a work contract with me? I promise I’ll repay this kindness in the future.”

“……”

“Please…”

At that moment, a growling sound came from Blondie’s stomach, as if trying to help her case.

I turned to the head maid standing behind her.

‘Didn’t you just feed her some soup?’

The head maid silently formed a small circle with her thumbs and index fingers, showing its size to be about that of an orange.

It seemed Blondie’s meal had been just that—a small plate about the size of the circle.

‘Goodness me…’

“Fine. Fine. But first, eat more.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

“And don’t overdo it. If you eat too much and get sick, it’ll only make things worse…”

“Yes, thank you!”

Her beaming smile softened my heart a little.

I instructed the head maid to prepare a proper meal for her and bring me a standard maid contract.

*  * *

“So, did you really sign a maid contract with Lady Mirban?”

“What choice did I have? I couldn’t send her back home, and she doesn’t have anyone like Viscount Khodchen to rely on.”

Besides, Blondie’s appearance was far too eye-catching.

If I let her leave, she’d be at risk of being captured by either the Emperor or Baron Mirban—or worse, falling into harm’s way.

‘Even as a fellow woman, I can’t help but admit how stunningly beautiful she is.’

Her golden hair, so lustrous it seemed like silk, perfectly matched her name.

Such radiant gold hair was rare to see…

And then I realized…

“It’s right in front of me too.”

“Pardon?”

“I have a question for you.”

Temenos, who had been reading over the maid contract, turned to look at me.

His crimson eye and his reptilian slit pupil both focused on me simultaneously.

I habitually started counting the scales around his left eyelid as I asked, “You’ve seen Lady Mirban’s face, haven’t you? What did you think?”

“I haven’t.”

“Oh, come on. Be honest with me. I won’t get mad.”

“I’m not lying. I really haven’t.”

His calm tone and expression were completely devoid of deceit.

“You really haven’t? Why not?”

“Why would I? I don’t understand the question.”

“She could’ve been your wife, you know. Aren’t you at least curious about what she looks like? She’s stunningly beautiful.”

“…So that’s where this is going.”

Temenos sighed lightly, set down the contract, and pulled me up from where I lay sprawled on the bed.

Looking me directly in the eyes, he said, “In my eyes, you’re the most beautiful. So you don’t need to worry.”

“What?”

“I’m not saying this because I’m your husband. Objectively, you’re a beauty. There’s no need to feel jealous of anyone else.”

He even patted my back reassuringly.

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Wait! I wasn’t jealous!”

“Right. No need to be. You’re prettier.”

“I’m telling you, I wasn’t jealous! Besides, how can you say I’m prettier if you haven’t even seen her?”

“I just know. You’re prettier.”

“Unbelievable! You can only say that because you haven’t seen how gorgeous she is!”

Temenos frowned slightly and tilted his head.

“Shall I go see her now, then?”

He even started to rise, as if genuinely planning to go. Reflexively, I grabbed his sleeve.

He looked down at me with a crooked smile as if to say, ‘Didn’t you just tell me to go?’

Feeling strangely flustered, I stammered, “Well, it’s late now…”

“Then tomorrow, during the day? When it’s bright out?”

“No, she just signed a contract to start working. If we don’t honor it immediately, she’ll feel uneasy again…”

A soft chuckle escaped him from above. My face burned with embarrassment.

‘Wait, I wasn’t making excuses—this is how I really feel!’

While I faltered, Temenos sat back down beside me.

“Then it would only trouble Lady Mirban if I went to see her unnecessarily.”

“Exactly.”

“And there’s no reason for me to see her face, is there?”

“Exactly.”

At my curt reply, Temenos burst into laughter.

Flustered, I grabbed a cushion and started whacking him with it.

“Don’t laugh! What’s so funny?”

“It hurts. Stop it. What if my handsome face gets bruised?”

This man is insufferable!

“…Let me check. No bruises, right?”

Temenos chuckled again, and now genuinely upset, I buried myself under the covers and turned away.

He apologized, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

“Everything I said earlier is true, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“…I wasn’t worrying.”

It was true. I had admired Blondie’s looks purely out of awe, not jealousy.

Yet, oddly enough…

…Why did I feel so happy?

*  *  *

One week remained until the Harvest Festival Ball.

Everyone’s attention was on it: What dress designs would be in vogue this year? Who won the red diamond at last month’s secret auction? Which lucky lady would partner with the crown prince?

But amidst all the buzz, a certain rumor spread like wildfire, capturing the attention of the social circles: Viscount Khodchen, it seemed, had gone mad.

<To be continued>

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