Chapter 04
I knew the layout of the duke’s residence like the back of my hand.
Thanks to Linzel’s memories that had seeped into me, I was able to find the drawing room without a maid’s help.
By the time my breathing began to grow unpleasantly labored, I had reached my destination.
Fortunately, the drawing room where Hernan was waiting wasn’t too far.
I instructed the maid standing guard at the door to announce my arrival.
As soon as she did, a smooth voice rang out from inside.
“Come in.”
Gulp.
My mouth had gone dry for no reason, and I swallowed hard.
For some reason, I felt nervous.
What would it feel like to see Hernan up close?
The maid opened the drawing room door wide.
I took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The very first thing I noticed was the scent.
A fresh fragrance—something reminiscent of spring.
In the drawing room, which had almost no furniture and felt devoid of any sense of living, my gaze was drawn somewhere as if possessed.
At the end of my line of sight stood the owner of that spring-like scent.
A man. Standing in front of the sofa in the center of the room.
No—more precisely, a beautiful man.
The most beautiful man I had seen since entering this novel.
Translucent skin, dark crimson eyes staring straight at me, long eyelashes decorating them…
His black hair looked smooth and well-kept.
His expressionless face was extremely dry.
Yet that dryness was strangely captivating.
Perhaps because it felt unreal.
The name of this beautiful man was Hernan.
Hernan was practically a warrior, and in truth, he spent more time on the battlefield than in the imperial palace.
Because of that, people called him a war demon or a killing demon.
I had heard that when children saw him, even those who were crying would immediately fall silent.
That was how ominous the aura surrounding him was said to be.
But to me, he just looked like a handsome man.
Rather than being intimidated, I found myself wondering what it would feel like to be held by someone with such a solid build.
How could his physique stand out so much even in a black uniform?
Gulp.
I swallowed again.
This time not from nervousness, but from being captivated by his well-trained body.
Anyway, the man who carried a pleasant, spring-like scent didn’t feel scary at all.
Our gazes remained locked for a long moment.
My heart began to beat faster.
My heart, being extremely realistic, only reacted to good-looking people.
The one who approached first was Hernan.
As he took his first step, he lightly flicked his cloak with his fingertips, causing it to draw a wide arc.
The crimson cloak swayed elegantly with each step he took.
It looked like a very expensive, high-quality cloak.
A black uniform and a red cloak—it suited him perfectly.
Soon, he came to stand right in front of me by the door.
I looked up at him, and he looked down at me.
“…I am Hernan Clerman. You are Lady Linzel, correct?”
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you. As you know, I’m Linzel Valencia. You may call me Linzel comfortably.”
“I will.”
After the awkward greeting, silence fell.
Hernan slightly parted and closed his lips repeatedly.
He seemed to have something to say.
But he hesitated, as if unsure about what exactly to say.
Hmm. What could he be trying to say?
At that moment, his face twisted slightly, and he began fiddling with his red cloak.
My gaze naturally shifted from his face to the cloak.
That fluttering, high-quality cloak…
I decided to break the awkwardness with a remark.
“Your Highness Hernan, your cloak is very nice.”
Almost at the same time, a sound close to an exclamation slipped from his lips.
“Ah…”
I lifted my gaze back to his face.
The tension in his expression had disappeared.
And the corners of his lips lifted slightly—just slightly.
It was a fleeting smile, but it was beautiful even in that brief moment.
“Thank you. Please, sit.”
After saying that, Hernan turned around first.
His cloak fluttered once more, and the tips of his ears had turned red.
…Was he embarrassed?
Surely not. Could a man known as a war demon really be embarrassed over a simple compliment about his cloak?
“Yes, of course.”
I replied to his back and followed him.
We sat facing each other on the sofa.
His crimson gaze didn’t leave my face.
The smile that had appeared earlier was completely gone.
That smile… I wanted to see it again.
While I was wondering what to talk about, a maid came in with warm tea.
After finishing her task, she left, and the chilly silence returned.
It seemed Hernan was rather shy. That was certain.
A handsome face, a well-built body, and shy enough to have few friends…
He was my ideal type.
In other words, the perfect man to marry—at least for me.
A faint affection began to form in my heart toward this silent man.
“Your Highness Hernan.”
He nodded.
“Do you know that I’ve replaced your original political marriage partner?”
Another nod.
“Is that why you came to see me?”
Only then did Hernan explain his reason for visiting.
“That’s right. It seemed improper to meet for the first time at the wedding without even greeting beforehand.”
“That’s true.”
“And…”
He trailed off again, staring at me.
Once more, he hesitated, opening and closing his lips.
Then, as if frustrated, he pressed beneath his eyebrow with his fingers.
Silence followed again. His face twisted slightly.
The longer the silence continued, the more I wanted to see his smile again.
If I complimented his cloak once more, would he smile?
The thought came—and the words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Your Highness, your beautiful cloak is a little wrinkled.”
The moment the word “cloak” came out, his body flinched.
For some reason, he reacted strongly to anything about the cloak.
So I teased him a bit more.
“I wonder how you managed to wear such a wonderful cloak.”
A blush spread across his pale face.
As if realizing it himself, he turned his head to the side.
Even though his face was partially hidden, his left ear—now exposed—was completely red.
This man definitely gets embarrassed whenever the topic of his cloak comes up.
I was a bit disappointed I didn’t get to see his smile.
But watching him get flustered was just as enjoyable.
He even seemed a little cute.
I ended up grinning foolishly.
This was a marriage I had taken in place of Rike, but being with him didn’t seem so bad.
But… was Hernan this cute in the novel?
Just as I was about to recall his original character, his voice interrupted.
“…Are I not frightening to you, my lady?”
It was a short question, but one filled with meaning.
Before meeting him, I had assumed he would be a terrifying person.
Because of all the brutal rumors surrounding him.
But after speaking with him, my thoughts had changed.
So I answered honestly.
“Frightening? Not at all. You’re actually quite cute… the way you react to every mention of your cloak…”
I stopped there and let out a small laugh.
Then my chest started to hurt, and I had to force myself to stop.
This weak body couldn’t even handle laughing for long. Damn it.
When I looked back at him, his head had turned toward me again.
He was staring at me as I smiled—almost blankly, as if mesmerized.
Then he said,
“I think I understand your feelings.”
“My feelings?”
“That you fell at first sight… No. I’ll tell you that another time.”
He gently rubbed his sharp jaw.
His atmosphere had softened even more than before.
“Besides the cloak, is there anything you like about me?”
“About you, Your Highness?”
He nodded.
Something I liked…
That would obviously be—
“Your face?”
That cold, icy expression like a winter glacier.
Yet somehow unreal, irresistibly drawing the eye.
A face that looked good whether frowning or smiling faintly.
“…My face?”
“Ah—did I say that out loud?”
“You did.”
Oh no. I only meant to think it!
What if he gets offended?
I’m not someone who judges people by their looks alone!
…Even if I am staring at his face.
But that’s just instinct, isn’t it?
How can anyone ignore something beautiful?
I like handsome men!
Anyway, I hurried to fix my mistake.
I didn’t want him to think lightly of me.
“—I mean, what makes your face stand out is…”
At that moment, I noticed the geometric embroidery on his shirt.
“Your shirt! I really like your beautiful shirt. Cough, cough.”
Perfect timing—I even coughed.
Covering my mouth, I glanced at him nervously.
Fortunately, his expression didn’t change much.
He only asked, somewhat concerned,
“…A cold?”
I shook my head.
“No. I’m just not in good health.”
“Then I shouldn’t keep you long.”
“….”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
“What? Didn’t you come because you had something to say?”
He replied,
“I already said it, didn’t I?”
I replayed our conversation in my mind.
Cloak…
Cloak?
Cloak!
Surely he didn’t come all this way just to show me his cloak.
Though puzzled, I nodded since there was nothing more to say.
“Then please take care on your way back.”
“Mm. Tomorrow, I’ll…”
He trailed off again, then stood up.
And then he quickly left the drawing room, as if something urgent had come up.
