Who gets married for that reason? - Chapter 11

“The only family I actually recognize are my sister and nephew. So you don’t need to worry about that woman either. Besides, it’s been ages since she left for her own country.”

Since no one else mentioned any other siblings, it seemed clear that the “sister” was the one who married and moved out of this mansion long ago.

‘Come to think of it, there really aren’t any family members in this huge house.’

Lydia’s head naturally drooped. There had to be some complicated family history that others couldn’t judge.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up their family situation just because…”

She felt bad for the man suffering under the curse, but she didn’t mean to stir up painful memories by asking about his past.

“There’s no need for you to apologize. Didn’t I tell you? I promised you’d be treated as the Marchioness. It’s only right that I share this basic information.”

“You’re going to be honest with me about the curse too, right?”

Despite the stiff, dismissive tone, Lydia persisted until she got a clear answer. Her determination was strikingly consistent.

Illian swallowed a long sigh and nodded.

“Yes.”

“That’s good. I’ll sign the document.”

Lydia’s response to signing the contract was refreshingly straightforward.

Still feeling her gaze on him, Illian took the paper to check it himself, then raised his head again at the sensation.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?”

She must have refused the maids’ help. Her usual high ponytail, with its big bow, was now tilted to one side.

“Wait a moment!”

Lydia’s small hand covered Illian’s ungloved right hand.

The touch was gentle, like feathers, but it made him stop in his tracks.

“…What are you doing?”

“Does it feel different?”

It flowed naturally from her lips, as it seemed the marquis’s face was even more furrowed than when she first entered.

If that wasn’t enough, the pain and screams that had been dimming his focus were once again coming sharply into focus.

It felt completely different from this morning, when he’d been refreshed after holding hands with her all night.

Illian swallowed hard as he saw her scrutinizing his condition with her purple eyes, not blinking once.

“…It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

“I guess my powers last longer after close contact with you.”

I grabbed onto her hand as she tried to pull away. I didn’t mean to.

But Lydia was already absorbed in thought while looking at the hands.

Illian awkwardly set his hand down as well.

That’s when Lydia looked up, her eyes sparkling. She spoke earnestly.

“I might be able to find out more if you let me access the royal library soon, like we talked about before.”

“Let’s plan to go once your basic etiquette lessons are done.”

“Etiquette lessons?”

Lydia tensed up, pulling herself up straight in her chair.

“Don’t worry too much.”

The Marquis suddenly opened the top drawer of his desk, pulled out a dark blue velvet box, and placed it on the table.

Lydia’s hopes soared briefly, but her interest quickly faded once, she noticed the box was a different shape from the one that held the ring of the Solem family.

“The countess Schunett will teach you. You’ll need to wear this from now on”

There was a strange amusement in the marquis’s voice, as if he could read the disappointment on Lydia’s face.

At Illian’s nod, Lydia reluctantly opened the box.

Inside was a ring so large she wondered if it would even fit on her finger.

Its dazzling diamond seemed almost too beautiful to be real.

She couldn’t figure out why he’d suddenly give her such a huge diamond ring after talking about etiquette lessons.

Lydia stared at it, not daring to touch it.

“This is……”

“A wedding ring. The countess Schunett pretends to be noble, but she’s vain and loves flattery.”

The etiquette between nobles is nothing more than a way to feed their sense of entitlement and vanity.

That’s why “etiquette ladies” who teach noble ladies are usually arrogant themselves.

They prefer to rely on wealth and power as grand as their arrogance.

Illian picked up the ring Lydian hadn’t dared to touch and carelessly spun it in his hand a few times.

“That’s how nobles are. They judge a person by their appearance. That’s why I am flaunting Esteban Wealth in a luxurious way, and declaring my intention to have you by my side with all my heart.”

Lydian watched as the Marquis casually took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

It felt awkward and uncomfortably heavy.

She tried turning it different ways, and it seemed to sparkle too brightly.

Unsettled by the loose ring, Lydia murmured.

“If I lose it, you won’t make me pay for a replacement, will you?”

“If you lose it, I’ll just buy another one.”

Lydia looked at Illian, bewildered, trying to gauge if he was serious. He simply shrugged in response.

“More importantly, you should pick another ring from that box to wear with it.”

She couldn’t help but be shocked at the thought of money being wasted as freely as water.

Lydia sighed as she recalled the brilliantly ornate jewelry box delivered to her room yesterday, seemingly flaunted by the sender.

She had opened it with trembling hands and barely glanced inside.

Still, she thought there might be at least one plain ring in the box that wasn’t worth as much as this diamond ring.

“Sir, the Countess Schunett requests your presence.”

The butler’s announcement interrupted the brief silence that had fallen, breaking in to inform her of the arrival of the person they’d just been discussing.

“I’ll be right there.”

Count Esteban responded, rising from his desk and tidying the scattered papers.

Lydia suddenly took his hand, the bare right hand that had just been gloved.

A warm silence surrounded Illian, almost as if he felt a sudden shift in his surroundings.

he couldn’t bring himself to pull his hand away as he looked down at Lydia while she stood up, still holding their hands together.

“I’m fine with holding hands often, Besides, we need to pretend to be close to avoid others becoming suspicious.”

“…And even when you’re not here, it’s tolerable.”

He pushed her away out of foolish pride, not wanting to show weakness.

I had a gut feeling that if I didn’t do it now, I wouldn’t be able to later.

Ilian Esteban was exhausted by all the memories, feelings, and circumstances surrounding him.

“We already signed the contract, so you can rely on me now.”

That’s right, They had signed a temporary contract, agreeing to meet for a set period of time.

If Illian couldn’t push her away, the end of the contract would resolve things between them.

Then Illian could return to his original state, with no one tied to him.

“Yes. As per our contract.”

In the end, Illian Esteban took Lydia’s hand, and held it tightly.

🍂

“It’s truly a beautiful ring, no matter how many times I see it.”

“…Do you think so?”

Lydia awkwardly fiddled with the problematic diamond ring, which the Countess Schunett had been eyeing every time she visited for etiquette lessons.

Indeed, the Marquis’s prediction had proven true.

From their first encounter, the Countess’s attitude had been cold and abrupt, but revised completely when her eyes fell on Lydia’s hands.

“I remember that in the past, the former Countess… that is, Princess Madeleine, also wore various accessories made from jewels belonging to the Royal Family of Ines. They were truly beautiful.”

“…I see.”

Lydia recalled how Illian had spoken about the former marquise with cool disdain, unlike the Countess’s envy of Princess Madeleine’s status.

This memory made her suddenly uncomfortable wearing the ring on her finger.

“The Marquis Esteban also has a tiara that once belonged to the Kronon royal family. I guess we’ll be able to see that beautiful tiara at this wedding, right?”

“Probably”

Lydia replied, not quite as enthusiastic as the Countess, who was grinning widely with anticipation.

Because she had heard about the tiara, which was studded with diamonds to match the ring.