Chapter 1.4

“Your Grace, thank you for the dress.”

I can see the intention behind this gift.

Inwardly gnashing my teeth, I gave Rubellian a greeting so awkward it could only be described as moth-like. I’m not joking.

Watching me run over in high heels and suddenly brake, Rubellian, who had been drinking tea, stopped short. The maids lined up on both sides were frowning at me.

Oh my, why are you frowning already? The real show is yet to come.

As I sat down in the chair as if I had just arrived, Rubellian gave a slight nod. Soon people began slowly setting desserts and teacups. Meanwhile, looking at the sparkling dishes and tea sets, I couldn’t help but make an ecstatic face.

Ah, this wasn’t acting but genuine.

“Ah, how pretty.”

The only enjoyable thing about coming to this world was being able to see with my own eyes the pretty tea sets I had only seen on the internet before. I was weak to pretty things.

“Do you like such things?”

“Yes, I like them.”

This wouldn’t matter, right? Since it didn’t seem like it would arouse his interest, I obediently nodded.

At this, a slight smile appeared on Rubellian’s calm face.

“The ducal residence has many pretty things. You should be satisfied.”

“Ah, actually, when I came in just now, I discovered a very pretty candlestick.”

At his words, I immediately opened my mouth. Even if I get rejected, I want to take at least one candlestick. That candlestick was really pretty.

“If you like it, take it.”

I was briefly letting out an exclamation when I couldn’t help but freeze again at his following words.

“After all, a husband’s property is soon his wife’s property.”

Um, excuse me?

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at his words. While I was pondering how to refuse his words normally, Rubellian suddenly changed the topic.

“But you must have seen many pretty things going in and out of the imperial palace.”

“Ah, yes, well…”

“Are there many pretty things in the imperial palace?”

“Yes, there were many.”

I don’t know how to react to this sudden topic change.

Looking closely, this man has a subtly pushy style. He just grabs me and drags me around, doesn’t he?

I sighed deeply while pondering how to execute plans B, C, D, E, F, G.

But then, Rubellian continued.

“I heard you proposed to the crown prince.”

Hey, How could you just throw that out without warning!

I don’t know why he has to specifically mention someone’s dark history like that.

Hearing the most embarrassing moment of my 5-year transmigration life from someone else’s mouth, no matter how thick-skinned I was, I couldn’t help but blush. I hung my head low from embarrassment.

But perhaps interpreting my appearance differently, Rubellian tilted his head.

“You were rejected, but do you still like him?”

“…No, wait.”

How did you reach that conclusion?

Confusion overwhelmed me. I was so stunned that no words could form. After a while, struggling to piece together my muddled thoughts, I finally spoke.

“Absolutely not.”

“No?”

“No.”

Rubellian frowned slightly.

Right, I know how I must look to him, but even if I had seen the crown prince as my lifeline, I had never truly liked him even once.

“I have never loved His Highness.”

“Love… then, you must have had some affection.”

Ah, my blood pressure… Should I just spill everything? Should I reveal that I transmigrated? And that you’re the mastermind so I’m going to die because of you, so let’s just not get married?

In my frustration, I attempted Lamaze breathing. Eventually, discovering that quickly ending this topic would be good for my well-being, I smiled brightly and asked.

“Um, but this, did you prepare all of this for me to eat?”

When in trouble, it was best to redirect attention to food.

“Yes, I heard you like eating, so I instructed them to prepare a lot. Do you like sweet things?”

Whether I liked them or not wasn’t important. It was obvious this would become a prop for today’s highlight performance.

Soon all the food was arranged on the table.

For today’s highlight performance, I rolled up my dress sleeves to my elbows, then clasped both hands and moved my wrists. Since I would have to do vigorous exercise now, it was courtesy to loosen up my body. I covered my face with my hands, opened my mouth wide several times, then smiled naturally again.

“It looks delicious.”

“The ducal residence’s patissier is quite skilled. In the future too, often…!”

At that moment, before he could finish speaking, I reached out and grabbed a small piece of cake in front of him with my fingers.

There was no mistake. I genuinely grabbed it with my fingers.

“Ah, mmm.”

Opening my mouth wide, I put one side of the cake in my mouth and stuffed it in as much as possible. Whether cream got on my lips or not, I first took a bite and chewed while smiling happily with a blissful expression.

“Delishush!”

“……”

“Ah—”

I put down the cake in my hand and picked up the green tea cake in front of him. At least this one was small, fortunately.

I put it all in my mouth and devoured it, making as much noise as possible with my lips to show just how much I was enjoying it.

“Goodness, how can it be this delicious!”

I cupped my cheeks with both hands still covered in cream and exclaimed ecstatically.

However, separate from my ecstatic exclamation, everyone except me, including Rubellian, froze completely.

Rubellian’s face showed it even more clearly than anyone else’s.

Since I first saw him, I had never seen him make such a disgusted expression.

Well, even if he didn’t hate dirty things, I could confidently say my current appearance was a bit excessive. Though I didn’t show it, actually I was very, very embarrassed.

Mrs. Jena beside me widened her eyes and stared at me. She had frozen in the exact position she was in while pouring tea for Rubellian and stared at me, but when it seemed like I had no intention of wiping the cream from my hands, she quietly offered a napkin.

However, I refused her napkin and waved my hands.

“Ah, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

Now, following Plan B comes Plan C.

I stared at my fingers, then put my hands covered in cream and jam into my mouth. There’s nothing dirty about it. I sucked my fingers a lot as an infant, didn’t I?

Ah, but why am I feeling so nauseous?

“Hmm.”

I made appreciative noises as I sucked each finger in turn. The first sensation was disgust, despite these being my own hands, before the sweet cream took over. After persistently sucking all my fingers, I blinked.

“Ah, delicious.”

“…The fingers?”

Rubellian’s face contorted.

Oh yeah, finally contorted. I looked at him with frightened eyes and shook my head.

“No, the cream.”

“……”

“May I eat that?”

Following my gaze, just as Rubellian was nodding while staring at the tart, I smiled brightly and picked up the tart.

“Nom nom.”

Ah, so embarrassing.

No matter how much I was struggling to get rejected by him, embarrassing was embarrassing.

But anyway, I had a duty to preserve my life, so I continued eating desserts while smacking my lips.

Now, all the employees were staring at me with contemptuous looks, as if they’d silently agreed to do so.

It was understandable. A commoner coming and going to the ducal residence was already annoying, but such an uncultured woman on top of that. No one would like someone who was not only uncultured but dirty.

However, what was a bit strange here was that Rubellian, who seemed like he would immediately get up and tell me to get lost, was instead looking at me with a somewhat solemn expression.

Perhaps that was some kind of way for him to express his anger? I was really dirty to that degree.

“Ah, I ate well.”

“Are you done eating?”

Rubellian leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. I patted my full belly and even burped while grinning.

He was looking at me with an expression of “Is it finally all over?” but actually I still had plans D, E, F, G left. I curled up the corners of my mouth and spoke.

“I’ll eat just a little more.”

“…Eating like this?”

Rubellian’s face hardened slightly. He asked back with bizarre eyes as if looking at the dirtiest, most vulgar, and strangest thing in the world.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but rejoice.

Oh yeah, finally shaken. This man is finally shaken!

“Yes.”

“I’ll tell them to bring out more.”

When I nodded, Rubellian made a gesture to Mrs. Jena as if he had no choice.

But I waved my hands and smiled innocently.

“No, no.”

“……?”

“Father told me. Leaving food is something that deserves divine punishment.”

Of course, Father had never said such a thing to me. But brazenly advocating frugality, I slowly picked up a dish while facing Rubellian’s expression that was impossible to tell if he was smiling or crying.

Then, disbelieving gazes poured onto me.

Lick—

“Ugh!”

The moment I lifted the plate and licked it with my tongue, finally one of the maids couldn’t hold back and retched.

Though she quickly covered her mouth, her expression already clearly showed how extreme I had been.

Sure enough, Rubellian pulled out a handkerchief, wrapped it around his hand, and grabbed my wrist.

When I widened my eyes at this, he let go of my hand again.

“Ah, sorry. Did it hurt?”

“Not really?”

As if. I shook my head.

At this, he made a somewhat relieved face but wore a reluctant expression as he spoke.

“I’ll tell them to bring out other desserts.”

“No. I find this delicious.”

“You don’t need to lick it.”

“But it’s delicious?”

“It’s dirty.”

“That’s exactly why I’ll lick it clean for you.”

I knew it was too dirty, even as I said it. Yet, because I had chosen this path, I had to finish it, tears or not. Ignoring Rubellian’s attempts to stop me, I licked the plate spotless.

Soon after putting down the plate that was now shining with luster, I swept my mouth once with my tongue and giggled.

“Ah, delicious. Really, really delicious.”

“…If it was delicious, that’s fortunate.”

At my words, Rubellian nodded as if he had already given up. This would be shocking not just to someone with germaphobia but to any normal human.

“Hehe, please invite me again next time too.”

Now, a dirty woman is asking to be invited again next time. Honestly, wouldn’t this be enough to get immediately rejected?

Thinking that, I lifted my head, and suddenly his red eyes looked directly at me.

‘Ah, completely sexy.’

What kind of human is so handsome? Now that my stomach is full, the whole world looks beautiful. Perhaps because success was near, I felt even better.

Rubellian was still looking at me as if to pierce through me. Entranced by his face, I looked at him then shook my head.

Right, he must be flabbergasted. How flabbergasted must he be to look at me like that?

Honestly speaking, objectively, Rubellian was quite a decent man. However, that didn’t change the fact that he would grab my ankle and walk into hell together, so I had no choice but to continue my plan.

Soon, I made another idiotic smile and said.

“Um, you’ll invite me again next time, right?”

At my cautious question, Rubellian gave no answer. He was just thinking about something, and even in the midst of that, just staring at me intently with those sexy eyes.

I smiled as stupidly as possible. No matter how beautiful someone was, if they showed such behavior, it didn’t seem like affection would remain. So I called him with inward anticipation.

“Your Grace?”

Say no. Tell me to get lost quickly. Say you don’t like women like me!

Crying out inwardly over five hundred times, I twisted my body. But even so, Rubellian said nothing.

How much time passed like that? When I was about to make plans for next time during the long silence, he suddenly opened his mouth.

“No.”

Hallelujah. He said no. He won’t invite me again! He doesn’t like me! Kyaaaah!

Fireworks went off in my heart and I met the golden age of my life. But I couldn’t show this too much either, so I asked Rubellian cautiously with teary eyes.

“Why, why not? When it’s so delicious…”

Ah, even I have to admit I’m a pretty strange woman.

Coming to the ducal residence and eating five whole plates of dessert, sucking each finger, licking plates three times, asking to be invited again in the midst of all that, and when rejected, treating the ducal residence like some dessert shop.

I couldn’t help but admire my character setting too much. Of course, outwardly I spoke while hunching my shoulders and shedding tears.

“Sob… Why, why not… Why won’t you let me eat something so delicious…”

Ah, this is the finishing touch. Plan F.

According to information I obtained exclusively, Rubellian terribly hated crying women, so, if I started bawling, this man would now get angry and look at me with contemptuous eyes and tell me to get lost—

“From now on, you’ll be the one doing the inviting.”

“Hic, sob… I understand, I’ll leave… what?”

—he should.

At the unexpected words, I stopped short. What does that mean? What am I supposed to do?

I stopped crying and lifted my head.

“What… does that mean?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like. From now on, all invitations from the ducal residence will have to be done by you.”

“I, what right do I have?”

I stared at Rubellian with a frightened expression. It’s not really the reason I’m thinking of, is it? No, it can’t be. There’s no way things turn out this way. I’ve come too far for it to end like this!

“All internal affairs of the ducal residence are the mistress’s responsibility.”

Hey, hey, surely not…

“So such dessert parties should also be done by the person who will become the duchess.”

No, hey, I’m not interested in that.

“So naturally, you who will marry me should do it, shouldn’t you?”

The sky collapsed. I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t speak.

No, what are you saying? You’re going to marry me? After seeing me in that state? Before that, after all the crazy things I did in front of this man, you’re determined to marry me?

This doesn’t make sense.

Pushing aside the urge to deny reality, I chose my words carefully as I spoke to him.

“I… I don’t have thoughts of marriage yet…”

“But you proposed to the crown prince.”

No, why does that come up here!

Was that why you brought up that topic just now? You meticulous bastard!

My hands started trembling from panic. I tried hard to look directly at his face and giggled.

“That, that was just a joke.”

“A nouveau riche daughter proposing to the crown prince was a joke?”

Of course it wasn’t. The world wasn’t so lenient that a nouveau riche girl could lightly toss a proposal at the crown prince.

Eventually I hung my head low, and Rubellian continued.

“I’ll give you everything from the ducal residence. Since you like luxury, indulge as much as you want.”

I don’t need it.

“If you need food, tell the head chef.”

Am I a pig?

“Instead, you’ll need to clean up that promiscuous private life.”

Why am I bearing all the misunderstandings of being promiscuous, luxurious, and loving food!

I glared at Rubellian with teary eyes. But even so, Rubellian still looked at me calmly and delivered the decisive blow.

“So marry me, Evangeline Clauda.”

Looking at his face that would make even a statue cry, I muttered inwardly.

God is dead. Even if alive, I’ll kill him soon.

Now I’m ruined. Ruined.

After doing all those crazy things one by one, this man’s mouth finally uttered the words “let’s get married.”

I looked at my saliva-covered hands in despair.

After five years of transmigration, I did all I could, but… it’s gone. There goes my peaceful life.

Lifting my head to stare at Rubellian, not knowing what lives in his head, he opened his mouth quietly.

“Why, do you dislike it?”

Do you think I’d be happy about that? Marrying you means bringing a coffin for a dowry. I made a face brimming with injustice and hung my head low.

“My grandmother was a ghost. She said my fate was harsh, and it really is harsh.”

I gritted my teeth and asked Rubellian as kindly as possible.

“I’m shorry but—”

Ah, this won’t do. Too obvious. I shook my head and said.

“I’m sorry, but, Your Grace, Don’t you think marriage should be done after understanding each other a bit more?”

At my words, the faces of people around me turned fierce. How dare you reject our Duke! I tried to ignore their faces and smiled brightly.

No, even if he’s a duke, marriage is such an important matter—is there some law that says I must accept just because he’s a duke?

However, Rubellian seemed not very interested in my objection and answered with an indifferent face.

“Not particularly. We can get to know each other slowly even after marriage, can’t we?”

“That’s not…”

“And I think I know the Lady quite well.”

How do you know me so well after only meeting me twice?

But Rubellian continued speaking regardless of my frowning face.

“The only daughter of Clauda Trading Company head, famous in social circles for promiscuous relationships with men, became a lasting gossip topic in social circles for being rejected by the crown prince.”

“Excuse me, Your Grace… are you picking a fight?”

“Likes eating, likes pretty things, likes flashy things, doesn’t look particularly healthy, doesn’t seem particularly smart either.”

“Are you asking me to fight right now?”

“And most decisively, very dirty.”

“……!”

“I think I can confidently say I know you quite well.”

“Gack.”

As soon as his words ended, I grabbed the back of my neck. I don’t know whether to send admiration for his summary skills that properly captured the essence, or whether I should lie down nicely in the grave I dug myself.

I was so dumbfounded that words wouldn’t come out.But who ruined me like this? All this happened to someone as talented as me, just because I didn’t want to get married!

But my trembling seemed to look different to Rubellian. He tilted his head for a moment, then made a wondering face and asked me.

“Why are you trembling and shaking like that? Are you perhaps sick somewhere?”

“If, if I’m sick, I don’t have to get married?”

“No. I’d have to call the empire’s finest doctor to treat you.”

“I’m practically a corpse except for my health. Ah, with a little beauty added to that.”

My question asked with a glimmer of hope was immediately denied.

I immediately put my hands down as if I had never been trembling. It was a foregone conclusion.

This marriage had to happen even if I died.

As soon as I realized this, strength drained from my body.

For a moment, my eyes welled up and I wanted to spew all kinds of harsh acts and harsh words at this man right in front of me.

“Then let’s eat this much today. Are you done eating? Shall I give you more?”

I looked at Rubellian with a face full of resentment.

Soon Rubellian stood up and asked me for an escort. Then, recalling how earnestly I had sucked my fingers just moments ago, he withdrew his hand again.

“If you can’t even handle my saliva, then marriage…”

I muttered quietly.

In the midst of this, Rubellian somehow heard and raised an eyebrow.

“What was that?”

“If we marry, we’ll have to witness things better left unseen. What’s saliva? It’s just saliva.”

The surrounding employees frowned, yet I, who could no longer focus, simply pouted and looked at Rubellian.

“I’d gladly hold that hand if it only had the Lady’s saliva.”

“What are you saying?”

“But there’s cream on there, and tart, and bread crumbs too…”

“Ugh—”

At Rubellian’s vivid description spoken nonchalantly, suddenly stomach acid rose from my overly full stomach. I unconsciously closed my eyes at the surging food.

“Ah, ugh, enough. I’ll return to my room. Excuse me.”

The nausea in my stomach went beyond bloating. I eventually left immediately without caring about courtesy or anything.

* * *