Chapter 7
“Um, Miss, are you really planning to raise this bird?” Rosie asked, looking flustered as she stepped into Juliana’s room that morning.
“Yes, I’ll be taking care of it too, so it won’t be too hard.”
“It’s not that I mind, but where did you suddenly get a crow?”
It made sense for her to be confused. Even Juliana hadn’t fully gotten used to it yet.
“Look at those shiny feathers. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Oh, I see. Is that so?” Rosie didn’t look very convinced, but since Juliana seemed confident, she decided to just accept it.
“Are there no humans in this house with any taste at all?” Atlante said with a displeased look.
Juliana was relieved that only she could hear that voice. She gave an awkward smile, and Rosie tilted her head in confusion.
“It’s pitch black, but it looks decent enough. The voice, though, is not so pleasant.”
Atlante flinched at the blunt remark. Juliana expected him to raise his voice in protest as usual, but for some reason, he stayed silent.
What’s this? Is he actually insecure about his voice?
Seeing Atlante unable to argue back made her laugh for the first time in a while.
By the afternoon, a letter arrived from Duke Ortis.
“Dear Lady Barnett,
I would like to invite you on a date at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon.
I will come to pick you up, so I hope to see you then.
If circumstances do not allow, please let me know.”
The letter was curt, almost cold, matching the sharp and composed image of the man himself.
“He didn’t actually mean to use a dueling ground and just changed it to a date, right?”
Rosie looked alarmed as she read the letter. Convinced that something must have been left out, she started digging through the envelope, searching for anything that might have been missed.
“Why? I think it’s fine. I like how clear and straightforward it is.”
Juliana found it more interesting than any flowery letter filled with fancy words. The way he said only what needed to be said suited him. He had done exactly what she asked and invited her on a date, so there was no reason to be upset.
“Duke Ortis asked you on a date?”
When Countess Barnett heard the news, she raised her voice, which was unusual for her.
“Yes. What do you think I should do?”
At Juliana’s question, the countess clutched her head with both hands, not even noticing that her hair ornament had shifted, and began pacing around the drawing room.
She had thought it was just a brief moment of interest back at the ball, nothing serious. But was that not the case? What if he truly had feelings for Juliana?
Juliana gave a small, silent laugh. She knew very well that the countess had been weighing the Marquess of Everett’s family against the ducal house of Ortis.
No matter how prestigious the House of Everett might be, it could never match the only ducal family in the entire empire.
There was no way the Marquess of Everett could truly compare. If Duke Ortis ever made his intention to marry clear, the marquess would be tossed aside without a second thought.
“Father did say something about this, so maybe it would be better if I refused…”
“You! Do you honestly think that makes any sense?”
Countess Barnett cut Juliana off and shouted sharply. While the Count focused on gaining wealth he could hold in his hands, the Countess was someone who placed greater value on status and reputation. There was no way she would let an opportunity to tie their family to a ducal house slip away.
“I’ll talk to Robert myself. You just make sure to meet the Duke tomorrow, no matter what.”
Greed sparkled in her eyes. Juliana, who had once been pushed into a corner by the Barnett family’s ambition, found it all deeply ironic.
“Yes, Mother. I understand.”
She answered politely, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. Deep down, she was more determined than ever: This time, I will never let them control me again.
Braeden arrived in front of the Barnett estate at exactly two o’clock in the afternoon.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” Juliana greeted him. She was already dressed and ready in a soft sky-blue dress.
“Have a lovely time, my lady,” Rosie said as she handed Juliana her parasol.
That morning had been filled with chaos. Countess Barnett had fussed non-stop, telling her to wear this or that, insisting one thing looked better than another. But neither Juliana nor Rosie showed any trace of the stress they had gone through.
“Thank you. I’ll be back soon. Shall we go, Your Grace?”
Juliana smiled brightly, and Braeden offered her his arm.
With his escort, Juliana stepped into the elegant carriage marked with the crest of the House of Ortis—a shield and a sword.
As the carriage began to move and the Barnett estate disappeared into the distance, Braeden leaned back in his seat and asked:
“Was the timing of the date appropriate?”
That seemed to be what Braeden was most curious about. Juliana gave a slight smile and answered.
“Yes, it was perfect.”
A quiet smile passed between them, one that only the two of them seemed to understand.
“Do you have a place in mind for where you’d like to go?”
His unexpected question made Juliana pause for a moment. She had assumed their meeting was just for appearances, not a real date.
“Not really, no.”
“I see.”
Braeden stroked his chin with an unreadable expression.
“Then let’s stop by Ringlef Square for a walk and decide what to do next.”
Ringlef Square was located at the very center of the capital, Edisha. It was the busiest place in the city, making it the perfect spot to attract attention.
“That sounds good.”
A little while later, the carriage stopped in front of the square. Braeden stepped out first and offered his hand to help Juliana down.
People who had been watching the carriage, marked with the crest of House Ortis, began whispering in shock as they saw who had arrived.
But Juliana and Braeden acted as if no one else was around. They moved naturally, without hesitation or concern.
“It’s been a long time since I last walked here,” Braeden said as he stepped onto the neatly paved stone path.
“You’ve mostly stayed in the north, haven’t you, Your Grace?” Juliana asked, responding to his comment.
Braeden only came to the capital once a month, when he needed to report to the Emperor. Even then, he usually returned to the north as soon as his duties were finished. The nobles who tried so hard to invite him to their parties were often disappointed when he left before attending.
Juliana had often seen noble ladies at those events sighing and complaining that the Duke of Ortis had already gone back. Walking beside him now in the square, it still didn’t feel quite real.
“It’s colder and more barren than the capital, but it’s not as crowded. I think you might like it there too.”
“I hope you’ll consider it.”
At Braeden’s words, Juliana’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Hearing him speak of marriage as if it were already decided made her feel strangely breathless.
As they continued talking, they arrived at the fountain in the center of the square. It was the most iconic landmark of Ringlef Square.
Unusually, the fountain featured two statues—one with the face of a demon and the other with the face of an angel. The sculpture had stood there since the founding of the empire, or so the old stories claimed. Though worn with time, it still remained in its place.
People often threw coins in front of the statues to wish for good fortune, especially when something important was about to happen.
“Tsk. Humans…”
Braeden clicked his tongue without thinking when he noticed there were more coins at the angel statue.
“Do you prefer the demon’s side, Your Grace?” Juliana asked with a small smile.
In the empire, it was widely believed that wishes made to a demon came at a price. That’s why most people only threw coins at the demon statue when they had a desperate wish, they truly needed to come true.
“Well, I’ve never made a wish before.”
As he spoke, Braeden gave a small flick of his fingers. From a short distance away, Lochlan quickly understood the gesture and walked over, handing him a small pouch of coins.
People usually tossed the lowest-value coins into the fountain. Even those who were struggling financially avoided taking them, believing it was wrong to steal someone else’s wish. Instead, the city collected the coins regularly and used them to support the poor.
“Would you like to give it a try?” Braeden asked, offering a coin.
“Oh, thank you.”
Juliana blinked, caught a little off guard as she accepted it. A wave of emotions passed through her. In all her life, she had never once thrown a coin into the fountain at the square.
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked toward the demon statue. There wasn’t a clear reason. She had simply noticed a bird perched on the demon’s shoulder that reminded her of Atlante.
She couldn’t stop thinking about what Atlante had said—that humans were full of prejudice, that they judged without truly seeing. For some reason, those words stuck with her.
Braeden’s eyebrows twitched slightly, surprised that Juliana had chosen to stand in front of the demon statue.
Juliana took a deep breath, focused, and tossed the coin.
At the base of the statue was a small circular spot known as the “safe zone,” and with a soft plop, the coin landed right in the center.
“Did you see that? It went in!”
Her cheeks turned a soft pink, glowing with excitement.
For Braeden, who could easily land a coin there even while throwing a handful, it wasn’t anything impressive. But seeing how happy Juliana looked made it worth acknowledging. He gave her a gentle compliment.
“From the way you threw it, I’d say you’re better than most knights.”
Juliana’s smile sparkled under the sunlight. She looked truly beautiful in that moment.
As Braeden kept watching her, his eyes narrowed slightly. Something had caught his attention—something he hadn’t noticed earlier in the dark carriage.
Under the sunlight, even though carefully applied makeup, a faint scratch near the corner of her mouth became clearly visible.
Braeden stepped forward without a word, closing the distance between them in a few long strides. His face was serious as he looked down at her.
Feeling his gaze settle on her lips, Juliana swallowed nervously. She had no idea why he was staring so intently, or what he was thinking—but something about his expression made her heart beat faster.
Even from a distance, Braeden’s gaze was so intense and direct that the crowd, pretending not to watch, began to murmur as they stole glances at the two of them.
