Chapter 06
“Valley, wipe that look off your face.”
“What?”
“You’re so gloomy you’re scaring me—how am I supposed to do your makeup?”
Edel had gone to the flower market, so Rina’s personal maid was doing Valley’s makeup instead. The main task was to cover the bruise on her cheek from where her parents had struck her the day before, but the maid’s rough hands only made it redder.
Then she had the nerve to blame Valley. Valley shot her an incredulous glare, and the maid finally put on a frightened expression, glancing back at Rina for approval.
Rina was lounging comfortably on Valley’s bed, one corner of her mouth curled into a smirk.
“She’s not wrong, is she? With a face that long, what man would want to talk to you? Try smiling.”
Valley swallowed her anger for the sake of what was to come and waited for the makeup to be finished.
They dressed her in a calm sky-blue and crisp white dress, with pearl earrings to project an air of quiet grace. Her pale green hair was straightened as much as possible to remove any curl and then braided thickly.
It was exactly the kind of styling her family would approve of—the timid, frustrating type who couldn’t even speak up for herself.
“That’s enough. Stop.”
Valley pushed away the maid’s hand, which kept deliberately touching her sore cheek, trying to end the session.
“This is your first meeting with a noble from another house—you need to make a good impression. After all, someone has finally come to see you.”
The maid deliberately needled Valley’s pride, patting and prodding. Rina watched with a satisfied smile.
Valley ignored them both, shifting only her eyes to check the time. The thought of facing Battery made her heart churn.
In this life, she had avoided him even at the matching party, determined not to get entangled with him. Yet here he was, coming to the estate.
Was it fate? No matter how she tried to avoid it, would they still end up meeting?
Anxiety weighed heavily on Valley’s mind, but she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.
I swore I would never bow to fate.
Valley stared straight at the maid and asked, “Well? Do you think my face is acceptable for receiving a guest?”
“Yes. I think my work suits you far better than Edel’s.”
At the maid’s brazen reply, Valley didn’t look at her but shot a glare at Rina behind her, then rose from her seat.
“Your maid is the one doing my makeup for an important guest. You do realize that if anything goes wrong with this face, the responsibility falls entirely on you, don’t you?”
For the first time, the maid’s smug expression flickered.
“I may already be a daughter disowned by my parents, but you’re not.”
“What?”
“What do you think Father’s face will look like when he finds out that his trusted second daughter botched this?”
“Cover her cheek, now!”
Realizing Valley’s intent, Rina shouted at the maid. The maid flinched and hurriedly reached for Valley.
“Don’t you dare touch me.”
Valley’s gaze was icy, promising retribution if the maid so much as brushed a hair on her head.
Startled by an expression she had never seen before, the maid’s hand stopped short and withdrew.
“Stay right here and don’t move a step. You know better than anyone that if you try to run, Father will punish you even more harshly.”
Leaving the trembling maid—who had finally grasped the gravity of the situation—and the glowering Rina behind, Valley headed to the reception room.
“Good to meet you, Miss Valley.”
When Valley entered the reception room, Battery was already sitting there, looking as detestable as ever.
He was sprawled on the sofa, legs crossed, half-reclining. Even when he saw Valley, he didn’t stand properly but greeted her lazily, as if he were the owner.
“I’m Battery Babelt of House Babelt.”
His long red hair left his forehead bare. He smiled broadly, trying to appear innocent, and the dimples at the corners of his mouth made his impression even more favorable.
The assessments of Battery were remarkably consistent: an empty shell, a flashy peanut husk—all surface, no substance.
True to form, Battery now flashed a clear, bright smile and offered his hand for a shake.
Those were the same hands that had once strangled her to death.
Valley ignored him outright and sat down on the sofa first. Caught off guard by the rejection, Battery looked down at his awkwardly extended hand, quickly composed himself, and sat across from her.
“Haha, you’re shyer than I thought. Well, I prefer shy to bold anyway.”
Hearing him speak as if choosing a product, Valley answered firmly.
“It’s not shyness. I simply didn’t want to touch you.”
Battery’s smiling face cracked slightly.
“Let me get to the point. I have no intention of marrying you, Mr. Battery. Please go back.”
Her voice did not waver once.
“……”
Battery merely stared at her silently.
Then, “Pfft. Hahahaha!”
He burst into laughter as if he couldn’t help himself. Holding his stomach, he laughed for a long while, even wiped away a tear, and then met Valley’s eyes. His yellow irises were full of mockery.
“How amusing. For someone who looks like that, you sure can talk.”
“It’s not a joke.”
“Oh, really—.”
“I think we’re done here. I’ll be going—”
“Sit down.”
The moment Valley rose, Battery’s eyes turned razor-sharp. It was his true face, the one she knew well.
“I said sit. We’re not done talking.”
“I have nothing more to say to you.”
“Now you’re speaking informally to me?”
“You were the one who was rude first. I have nothing left to say, so go back.”
“I’m not finished.”
Battery raised his hand as if about to strike and moved closer. The gesture triggered memories from her previous life, and Valley froze stiff. Catching her reaction, Battery seemed amused. He bent down slightly to meet her eyes.
“You are under a huge delusion, Miss Valley Priatyn.”
“…What delusion?”
“The delusion that you have any say in this marriage.”
“What?”
“Of course, you’ll be the one wearing the wedding dress, but the one making the decisions is your father.”
Battery curled only one corner of his mouth in a sneer.
“The date and the bride price are already set. You just keep your mouth shut and follow along.”
“……”
“Seems like you want to rebel or something. But you’ll just end up like this again.”
Battery moved the hand he still had raised and lightly tapped Valley’s swollen cheek. When her parents hit her, it was physical pain. Now, it felt like her pride was being struck.
“I’ve set the date as soon as possible. Until then, take good care of your face. As a fifth-rank, the only thing you’ve got going for you is that somewhat pretty face.”
Having unilaterally ended the conversation, Battery turned to leave, then came back close to Valley’s ear and whispered.
“That rebellious streak was cute since it’s your first time, but if you keep it up, it’ll get ugly.”
“……”
“Well then, see you around, wife.”
Still mocking her, he patted her small shoulder and left the reception room. Left alone, Valley bit her lip hard and glared at the door he had exited through.
“Did you finish your conversation properly?”
Her father, who must have been waiting outside, came straight in.
“He’s a man far above your station. From now on, only think of and prepare for the wedding.”
“Why did you even bother making me meet him? You’ve already set the wedding date.”
“He’s going to be your husband—were you planning not to greet him? Next time you see him, be as affable and accommodating as possible. We can’t have him changing his mind.”
“You mean you can’t afford to lose the ten gold.”
When Valley named her own bride price precisely, her father’s brow furrowed.
“It’s a tempting sum. No fifth-rank noble daughter has ever married for that much.”
“Yes. No one else in the world would pay that much for someone like you. So don’t even think about messing this up. Behave yourself.”
It was what her father said to her most often.
Keep your mouth shut and behave.
Valley smiled bitterly, then nodded with a resigned expression.
“Understood. I’ll prepare well as you say, Father.”
“See that you do.”
“However, I failed to show proper courtesy to Mr. Battery today.”
“What?”
“With my cheek like this, I tried to cover it up, but Rina’s maid kept fussing with it, and he asked what was wrong with my face…”
Valley touched her swollen cheek and winced, as if it still hurt.
“Rina’s maid did that?”
“Yes. I asked her to cover it well, but she wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Hah. Anyone who doesn’t know their place has no business in my estate. Get rid of her immediately!”
Her father fumed at the butler standing behind him, then stormed out of the reception room. Left alone again, Valley sat back down on the sofa.
“If I pretend to go through with the wedding and then disappear, my parents and Battery will be in real trouble.”
Once they’ve received the bride price and the bride vanishes, her parents would have to return the money, and Battery would suffer the humiliation of being rejected while having to find another woman.
It was a chance to get back at both houses at once, but all of it hinged on passing Wayne’s test.
“I will definitely succeed.”
Valley clenched her fists tightly, fueling her resolve.
