Chapter 9
Felix Everett had been in the middle of marriage talks with Count Barnett.
Of course, it wasn’t a discussion between equals. The proposal came entirely from Count Barnett’s side, and Felix was fully aware of that.
He had planned to give Count Barnett his answer after spending some time with Juliana at the party held at Duke Fraser’s estate.
This marriage could only happen if Juliana managed to spark his interest.
But before he could even come to a decision, someone unexpected had appeared and disrupted everything.
That man was none other than Grand Duke Braeden Ortis, now standing right in front of him.
Without meaning to, Felix clenched his teeth.
He had never failed to get something he wanted. Not once.
Except when it came to Juliana Barnett.
His chest burned with frustration. After the party, he had taken his anger out on Robert Barnett, but it hadn’t helped.
Instead of calming down, he felt even more furious.
Why did it have to be Grand Duke Ortis?
Felix could have handled most noble ladies if he wanted to. But Grand Duke Ortis was not someone he could influence.
That alone was enough to bruise his pride. And now, he was openly going on a date with Juliana Barnett?
The moment Felix heard the news, he was overwhelmed with anger. By the time he came back to his senses, he had already made his way here.
“It seems Your Grace may not have been aware, but the Everett and Barnett families have been in the middle of marriage discussions,” Felix said.
He spoke as if Braeden were some intruders interfering with what was rightfully his. He didn’t even realize how arrogant his tone had become.
“Is that so?” Braeden replied calmly, just as Juliana tried to lower her hand from his arm.
He gently stopped her and placed her hand back on his arm, then smiled casually at Felix.
“Then I suppose the Everett family should continue those talks with Count Barnett. As for me, I simply asked Miss Barnett on a date.”
“What? What are you saying…?” Felix frowned, unable to hide his irritation.
Braeden’s calm and confident manner only made him angrier.
At this point, even Braeden’s handsome face was starting to get on his nerves.
Just looking at him made Felix’s anger rise.
“Viscount Everett, you should focus on your own affairs. I’ll take care of mine.”
Braeden’s calm confidence, filled with a sense of superiority and certainty that no amount of resistance could defeat him, finally pushed Felix past his limit.
“Miss Barnett! Are you really someone who’s so easily swayed by a man?”
But his anger was directed at the wrong person—the one with less power.
Juliana, who knew Felix’s nature all too well, wasn’t surprised by his attitude. She answered him calmly, without a trace of emotion.
“Weren’t those marriage talks arranged without any input from me to begin with?
Did you ever express your interest in me directly or ask how I felt?”
Her quiet words held a clear and firm rebuke. In a situation where she was never given a say, how could anyone claim she was being swayed?
Felix was left speechless. He had thought of her as a fragile, obedient doll—but she clearly wasn’t.
He suddenly realized that aside from her appearance, which suited his taste, he knew almost nothing about Juliana herself.
“I… I was going to, soon…!” he stammered.
Felix stumbled over his words, then stopped speaking altogether.
Even he could tell how pathetic his excuse sounded, and he couldn’t bring himself to continue.
“His Grace is kind and thoughtful. He clearly expressed his feelings for me.
Does that answer your question about why I’m with him?” Juliana asked calmly.
At her response, Felix’s face turned red with humiliation.
He was never the type to admit he was wrong.
Instead, he would often lash out at those who pointed out his faults, making sure they never dared to challenge him again.
A dark, twisted desire began to rise in his chest.
He wanted to make Juliana his, force her to surrender, and see her beautiful face twisted in tears as she begged him.
“And what if I said I have feelings for you too, Miss Barnett?” Felix asked, hiding his true intentions behind a mask of politeness.
“Would you give me the same chance?”
Juliana didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at Braeden.
“My heart only belongs to one person,” she said softly.
“And someone already has it.”
Her voice faded slightly at the end, but her eyes stayed fixed on Braeden.
Anyone could see it. She had already fallen for Grand Duke Ortis.
“Didn’t I already say it earlier? Viscount Everett can continue discussing the marriage with the family, as he wishes,” Braeden said, finally stepping in.
His casual tone only made Felix angrier, and his face began to turn red with frustration.
But Braeden didn’t seem to care. He clearly had no intention of wasting any more time and ended the conversation without giving Felix a chance to respond.
“It seems there’s nothing more to say, so we’ll be going now.”
He turned to help Juliana into the carriage, guiding her up with calm confidence.
Juliana, caught off guard, allowed herself to be helped in.
Even as she took her seat, she couldn’t shake off the tension.
Her eyes drifted toward Felix, who stood there with clenched fists, his shoulders shaking.
She remembered all too well how badly Felix had acted in the past when things didn’t go his way. That memory made her uneasy.
But before she could dwell on it, Braeden tapped twice on the carriage wall, and the vehicle began to move.
Watching Felix’s figure grow smaller through the window, Juliana finally spoke.
“Viscount Everett looked really upset. Do you think he’ll be alright?”
Braeden narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at her, surprised by the worried tone in her voice.
“Well… my heart is only one, and someone has already taken it,” Juliana had said.
She had been the one to openly reject Felix Everett. And now, seeing her worry about him made the situation feel a little ironic.
“Even if he’s angry, what can he do? A person only has one heart,” Braeden replied calmly.
Juliana blinked quickly when she saw the subtle curve in Braeden’s expression.
She had been too tense to realize earlier, but now the weight of what she had said hit her all at once.
“I… I didn’t mean… that is…” she stammered.
Her concern for Felix vanished instantly, replaced by the overwhelming presence of Braeden’s red eyes, fixed on her.
Heat rushed to her face, making her cheeks burn.
Braeden kept his gaze on her, watching her lips move as if trying to find the right words.
Her soft, full lips parted and closed again, and for some reason, he felt a dry tightness in his throat.
When he saw her flushed cheeks and the red tinge spreading down her neck like a ripened apple, that strange thirst only grew stronger.
She seemed delicate, yet showed strength in the most crucial moments.
She looked calm and still, like a dense forest covered in fog, yet sometimes acted in unexpected and unpredictable ways.
She appeared careful and composed, but could also be surprisingly clumsy.
A woman full of contradictions, and Braeden found her oddly fascinating.
For someone who had lost interest in life and lived in quiet detachment, this feeling was unusual.
“That confession was quite memorable,” Braeden said with a teasing tone.
Juliana’s face turned even redder.
Braeden fought the urge to reach out and touch her flushed cheek, instead smiling quietly to himself.
“I just thought… maybe it would be better if people believed I had feelings for Your Grace too,” Juliana said, stammering slightly, as if trying to explain herself.
While they spoke, the carriage arrived in front of Count Barnett’s estate.
Braeden didn’t move. He leaned back in his seat, showing no sign of getting out, as if he had no intention of leaving yet.
Juliana, unsure of what he was thinking, began to feel tense.
She held her hands tightly together, trying to calm her nerves.
“People will likely assume we have feelings for each other,” Braeden said at last.
“And maybe that’s for the best.”
Juliana gave a small nod, quietly agreeing with what he said.
“Now that I think about it, we should act like a real couple, at least for appearances,” Braeden said, almost as if speaking to himself.
Juliana tilted her head slightly. This time, she couldn’t agree.
After all, just looking back on their day together, anyone would already see them as a couple.
“What exactly do you mean?” she asked carefully, not sure what he was suggesting.
“If we were truly lovers, we wouldn’t just say goodbye plainly. We’d probably share a farewell kiss.”
“Oh…”
Juliana let out a soft breath. She hadn’t thought of that at all.
She had never been in a relationship before, so something like that hadn’t even crossed her mind.
It was true that couples would part with a kiss, not just words.
But when she imagined kissing him, her mind went completely blank. It felt overwhelming.
“I’m not saying you have to,” Braeden added gently.
Braeden took a step back, giving her room to decide.
Even then, Juliana didn’t feel at ease. She was the one who had suggested the contract marriage, and yet Braeden had willingly agreed, even if it meant taking on the disadvantage.
“I-it’s fine. Let’s do it,” Juliana said, nodding with quiet resolve.
To him, she looked almost too serious—like someone about to march into battle—over something as simple as a goodbye kiss. It was oddly entertaining.
“Then, I enjoyed today, Miss Juliana.”
The moment he said her name, she flinched slightly in surprise. And right then, his lips touched hers.
The soft contact lasted only a moment, a gentle brush of warm skin, before he pulled away.
Juliana, relieved that it hadn’t lasted long, let out a quiet breath and allowed her body to relax.
But before she could fully settle, Braeden leaned in again and kissed her once more.
This time, it was deeper and far more intense.
Juliana trembled from the sudden closeness, her body reacting before her mind could catch up.
Braeden didn’t let the moment pass. He leaned in further, his lips lingering and moving more deliberately against hers.
A soft breath escaped her lips.
And in that moment, both of them realized something.
The contact had triggered a response in the red flower bud mark.
If the stimulation continued, the flower bud might eventually bloom, and that could lead to her awakening.
As Braeden realized this, a strange light passed through his red eyes.
His gaze grew calm and thoughtful, as if he had just uncovered something important.
