Chapter 06
Wait, how much does the Duchess know?
‘You must have told me about the medicine I gave you, or at least the precognitive dream, right? That way, the Duchess would have been interested in me… … .’
Damia unconsciously glanced at Cassian. Their eyes met, and the boy shrugged with a relaxed expression.
At that moment, a chilling feeling struck the back of Damia’s head.
‘Seo, you’re not saying you didn’t say anything, are you?’
Damia was frozen in bewilderment, staring blankly at the Duchess’s trembling lips.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young-ae. And you’re so calm and dignified….”
Yeah? Are you happy?
Damia’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly friendly and kind response.
“You said Cassian was so devoted to Young-ae that he confided his secrets to her? Even knowing about this child’s condition, Young-ae embraced him.”
The Duchess’s blue eyes, looking at her terminally ill son and Damia, were already moist.
“I wanted Cassian to experience all the happiness that others experience.”
“hmm…….”
“But ever since Cassian realized my condition, he has been extremely reluctant to form deep relationships with anyone.”
“ah…….”
“I am grateful to Young-ae for giving me the courage to do so.”
I think you’ve seriously misunderstood something…
Damia swallowed dryly and glanced at Cassian.
I thought the boy would run away and ask what he meant, but instead he just nodded.
It seemed that Cassian was the one who had planted such a romantic misunderstanding in the Duchess.
“Even if Cassian were to leave this world first….”
Duchess Sarkis stood up, as if she had been struck by a sudden commotion while speaking.
She approached Damia and took her hands in hers.
Contrary to his cold appearance, his hands were warm and soft.
“The Sarkis Dukes intend to take responsibility for Youngae. If necessary, we will support her to the end, whether it be through remarriage, study abroad, or anything else.”
‘Huh? Even remarriage?’
At that point, Cassian frowned as if something was bothering him.
“Right, Cassian?”
But when the Duchess turned to ask for consent, only a faint smile remained on Cassian’s handsome face.
“Of course. I want my fiancée to be happy in a world without me.”
It was a voice that sounded so sincere that it was almost disgusting, even though it didn’t contain the slightest hint of sincerity.
‘This is how it’s supposed to turn out.’
Damia’s purple eyes sparkled as she realized the situation.
“Please don’t say things like that.”
“…Your Majesty, Viscountess Ponti?”
“How could I be happy without you, Little Duke? I… sob!”
Damia buried her face in her hands and bowed her head. She even sniffled, pretending to sob.
Even Cassian, who knew the whole story, was fooled by his acting skills, which were of a high standard.
“How can a heart be this beautiful…….”
Duchess Sarkis’s voice trembled faintly.
It seemed like he was moved by the sight before his eyes.
“Can I call you Sae-a-ga?”
“Oh… yes, mother!”
When Damia answered quickly, the Duchess was moved to tears.
‘Maybe I can be quite loved during this fake engagement period?’
Cassian seemed to be shaking his head in disbelief, but it was a much smoother start than expected.
* * *
A few days later, Damia was sitting in the reception room of Duke Sarkis’s residence with a sad face.
“Are you really serious? Are you going to introduce me as the Duke’s fiancée at this tea party?”
Damia chewed her lips nervously.
“Wasn’t that just a kids’ tea party? You’re suddenly announcing your engagement?”
“If other people hear you, they’ll think you’re not a kid.”
Well, contrary to what I see, I’m not really a kid…
Damia swallowed the truth that she absolutely must not reveal with a sigh.
“Are you dissatisfied that it wasn’t a proper engagement ceremony?”
“That can’t be true. I just….”
I want to quietly live with the Duke as his fiancee in name only, then break off the engagement and go into exile in another country.
So, even if my face becomes known everywhere, it won’t be good for either of us.
Damia bit her lip tightly to avoid revealing her true feelings, even if it was a mistake.
“Why don’t we just be satisfied with an engagement announcement? If we prepare a grand engagement ceremony, I, who has a limited time left, might just die in the meantime.”
“Huh? No, Little Duke, that’s not much….”
According to my memories from my past life, it’s not like you have that much of a time limit.
There was nothing I could say comfortably.
Damia eventually gave up on refuting and pursed her lips obediently.
“Well, if you think even announcing your engagement is too much, then hold back. I think your mother wants to show you off like that.”
“Your mother?”
Instead of answering, Cassian gave the butler a slight nod.
The silent butler bowed his head and opened the door to the reception room.
“Your Majesty has prepared an engagement gift. Due to the tight deadline, I’ll only be able to deliver a portion today. Please understand.”
Along with the butler’s explanation, a crowd of people who seemed to have been transported straight from the capital’s shopping district poured into the reception room.
“This is, some…?”
Damia swallowed dryly without realizing it. The group of merchants all bowed their heads.
“I will do my best to serve you!”
The spacious reception room of the duke’s residence was filled with Damia’s dresses, jewels, and various ornaments.
“What if you’re already surprised? I haven’t even brought you my gift yet.”
“Huh? Did you prepare a gift for the little duke too?”
“Of course. You are my precious fiancée.”
Cassian approached Damia, who was trembling with fear, and answered.
When they were alone, he was constantly nagging, but in front of others, he acted like an affectionate fiancé.
“If you don’t break the contract and act like a jerk, I will provide you with material support.”
At his whisper, Damia’s heart began to pound like crazy.
“Really?”
Although he was a master of herbal medicine, he had demanded an engagement from me without any hesitation, so I felt ashamed to ask for financial compensation, so I kept quiet.
But since he was going to take care of it himself, there was absolutely no reason to refuse.
‘I wonder if the funds needed to emigrate to the kingdom will come together quickly?’
Because of my past life, I was now sick of men. In fact, even if I offered to give the little duchess my heart, she would have rejected it.
Suddenly, the confusion disappeared from Damia’s purple eyes.
“I like you so much, Little Duke, it’ll be hard, but….”
The girl abruptly rose from her seat, whispering her embarrassing confession into Cassian’s ear.
“I will take good care of my heart so that you will not be disappointed.”
And he extended one hand to the Duke as if asking for a handshake.
It was more like treating someone as an employer or business partner than as someone you have a crush on.
“…Let’s shake hands? Now?”
Cassian felt a sense of discomfort and raised his eyebrows, but he couldn’t bring himself to shake off Damia’s hand.
Damia smiled with great satisfaction and shook hands with Cassian.
The Duke didn’t take off his gloves until the very end, wondering if the rumors about him suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder were true, but that didn’t matter.
* * *
“Have you all heard the news? At today’s tea party, the Duke of Sarkis will personally introduce his fiancée!”
“What? That’s ridiculous!”
A commotion broke out among a group of noble ladies.
Cassian Sarkis, the most beautiful boy in the empire, was every girl’s object of interest.
“…Your fiancée?”
At that moment, a blonde girl standing under a parasol in the shade of a willow tree opened her mouth.
Drury Thoreau was a charming girl with honey-bright blonde hair and piercing eyes.
“Oh my, I thought it was a story about Marquis Soro’s daughter, but it wasn’t?”
Drury blinked slowly to hide his embarrassment.
‘That Cassian Sarkis is engaged?’
