Chapter 07
Perhaps because he was obsessively avoiding sunlight, Drury’s snow-white hands began to tremble unusually.
‘Who on earth is the Duke of Sarkis announcing his engagement to?’
Drury was the daughter of the venerable Marquis of Thoreau.
And using that halo, she reigned like a queen among her peers.
Even here, in the empire beyond the West, there was never a young lady of a similar rank to her.
The position of the next Duchess of Sarkis should naturally belong to Drury.
‘What the hell is this nonsense?’
How much trouble did I have to endure to suppress my dirty temper and pretend to be friendly in front of Cassian!
“A sudden engagement? Isn’t that a bit hasty? We’re not even close to adulthood.”
“Well then, is there any reason to rush?”
“Oh, you’re really that into her, aren’t you? Enough to want to make her your fiancée, even if we can’t get married right away.”
The boys whistled and giggled among themselves.
Drury, whose words sounded like mockery of his situation, turned his head sharply and glared at them.
The startled boys belatedly shut their mouths as they looked at Drury.
At the same time, the door to the mansion opened and the Duke and Duchess walked out with great elegance.
But Cassian wasn’t escorting the Duchess as usual.
“Who’s next to you? Was there a young lady who stood out like that?”
Cassian was holding the hand of a pretty, doll-like girl with silver hair and purple eyes.
Soft exclamations of admiration burst out here and there.
To Drury’s chagrin, they were a picturesque pair.
“What, who are you?”
“It suits you well…….”
Drury bit his lip as his peers murmured about the girl’s identity.
There was no way I could not recognize him.
‘It’s Damia Ponti.’
The young lady of the countess always wore rags and rarely attended social events.
Even though it had no presence, it was always so beautiful that it gave me goosebumps when I looked closely.
There was a time when I secretly felt relieved that Damia Ponti was so thin and disheveled.
Because Drury had no intention of sharing the attention around him with anyone else.
“Why is he here…….”
Drury’s hand holding the parasol turned white.
* * *
Cassian Sarkis looked at his temporary fiancée with a slightly weary expression.
“This is Damia of the Viscount Ponti.”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Yes, I’m embarrassed, but I am the fiancée of the Duke of Sarkis.”
Damia’s violet eyes sparkled with life. Despite her calm demeanor, her wit was second to none.
‘When did you ask me to reconsider announcing your engagement because you don’t want to stand in front of others? … .’
On the very day that Damia Ponti, holding Cassian’s secret, made a bold proposal, Cassian ordered his adjutant to investigate the girl.
The fact that he had a limited lifespan was still unknown to anyone in the duke’s household except for his mother and a few loyal retainers.
‘I simply cannot fathom how my secret leaked to a mere young lady.’
Cassian didn’t believe Damia’s absurd excuse that she had seen everything in a dream.
If only this extremely fragile-looking girl were a spy for the royal family.
The imperial family has long been wary of the Sarkis Dukes, who are secretly called the masters of the West.
‘I accepted that forced proposal so I could keep her by my side and keep an eye on her.’
But to be a spy, he was too young, too small, too skinny, too poorly born, had no connections, and was in no way special.
“Damia, you’re so pretty, I didn’t recognize you!”
“I guess it’s because I was promised a lot of money, no… love, by the little duke.”
Except for a pretty face, a head that spins quite quickly, and an unexpectedly bold personality.
‘What, it’s more useful than I thought?’
It was a generous assessment, unusual for Cassian, who was known for being picky about everything.
‘But it won’t make any difference anyway.’
Cassian had no intention of getting into a serious relationship with anyone until his terminal illness was resolved.
After he died, he was disgusted with the idea of a woman named Amen acting as the widow and mistress of the Sarkis Dukes.
So, this engagement was also nothing more than a contract with a fixed term.
‘I accepted the proposal because it would be dangerous to leave her alone since she knows my secret, and I would not have any repercussions if we broke off the engagement later.’
The treatment seemed to have been so effective that he seemed to have let his guard down a little.
One morning, after waking up from a sleep that was more painful than usual, I swallowed the medicine the girl gave me in a fit of anger, and the miracle that came from that impulse.
‘It’s a bit annoying that you have a crush on me, but it’s useful, so I can tolerate it.’
Cassian clicked his tongue slightly and nodded.
I felt a little sorry for the girl who fell deeply in love for the first time with no hope at all.
“Your Majesty, congratulations on your engagement.”
“You two look so good together!”
Even as he responded to the congratulatory greeting with a picturesque smile, Cassian’s mind was filled with thoughts of Damia.
* * *
“This is ridiculous!”
After the tea party, Drury burst into Marquis Thoreau’s office and shouted in a huff.
Drury’s eyes, which had been trying to imitate the perfect lady, flashed blue with anger.
“Casian Sarkis has announced his engagement! And it’s not me, it’s some viscount’s daughter!”
A hissing sound echoed from the cages of pet snakes that filled the office.
The snakes seemed frightened by the girl’s screams.
“The count’s daughter?”
“Yes! That’s right!”
Drury’s pale face flushed with excitement.
The girl began to stamp her feet in front of her father, the Marquis of Soro.
“What a disgrace! You said Cassian Sarkis was mine from the moment he was born!”
Drury shouted with his whole body, his clenched fists shaking.
“You promised me that if I just waited a little longer, Cassian would be mine! You said Father had a way!”
“Drury.”
“This won’t do! What if the Duke’s heart stops? I can’t just wait quietly any longer!”
“Drury Thoreau! I told you to watch your words!”
Whether the Marquis looked around with a serious, hardened face or not, Drury could not calm down at all.
It was an explosive anger that made even the snakes inside us curl up.
* * *
A few days later, Cassian came to the Viscount Ponti’s residence.
The perfect little duke was a guest who was completely out of place in the old and bare reception room of the Count’s residence.
“I need to write an engagement contract.”
“Huh? A contract?”
Damia, who was savoring the weak tea brewed because there were not enough tea leaves and admiring the beauty of the little peacock, stopped in her tracks at the unexpected words.
Because it’s from a past life, the contract only contains bad memories.
The old count used to treat Damia badly, saying that everything was a contract.
“Do you even need to write a contract? You already sent my father a proposal. Oh, and are you worried I might not give you the medicine on time?”
“That’s not it. I know you’re faithfully providing the medicine.”
Cassian glanced at the purple liquid in his teacup.
“But how old are you? Are you thirteen?”
“Huh? Yes, that’s right.”
Damia flinched at that sudden, sharp gaze.
Why are you suddenly asking my age?
Damia looked back on her past words and actions.
Did he act suspiciously?
“I’m thirteen.”
Cassian narrowed his eyes and sat lost in thought.
The red eyes, shining brighter than usual in the sunlight, seemed to pierce through Damia.
‘Are you, are you doubting me right now?!’
The little prince tried to speak as maturely as possible, perhaps because of his status.
Was it a mistake to not act like a child in order to get to that level?
“you…….”
Damia wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and waited for the next words.
