Chapter 1.2

One fine afternoon. 

The Barony of Leilia was a very small village, so even though Rosena was a noble, she freely mingled with the commoner children in the neighborhood. She often lent them new toys, and that day was no different.

“I’m sorry, Rosena. I was supposed to return your toy today, but… my little sister played with it and lost it!” 

“Lost it again?” 

“Yeah. Anyway, you have a lot of toys at the barony, so… it’s okay, right?” 

Emily’s expression and voice were apologetic, but Rosena could tell. 

“Emily, why are you lying?” 

“…Huh?” 

“Your little sister didn’t lose the toy.”

“W-what are you talking about?” 

“Where’s my toy?” 

“I just said my sister lost it.” 

“Then where’s your sister?” 

As Rosena looked around for Emily’s sister, Emily, flustered, suddenly burst out in anger. 

“You, you don’t believe me? Are you looking down on me because I’m a commoner?” 

Rosena, flustered by the reaction, also looked bewildered. 

She wasn’t trying to accuse her. She was just stating the truth… 

“It’s not like that…” 

“I thought we were friends, but you don’t believe anything I say! Nobles are all the same! You all saw it too, didn’t you?”

“…”

“If we keep playing with her, we might get punished by the Baron later! You’ll be accused of being a thief because of her lies!” 

At Emily’s words, the atmosphere around them instantly changed. The children who had been watching slowly moved away from Rosena. Emily, confident she had gained the upper hand, huffed and yelled. 

“I don’t need a friend like you!” 

Rosena’s lips trembled in dismay. Emily had clearly been caught in a lie and didn’t know what to do. However, the children whispered among themselves, looking at Rosena. 

“…I feel so bad for Emily. Rosena doesn’t believe her.” 

“Even if we told the truth, if Rosena denies it, we’d be doomed. Unlike us, Rosena is a noble.” 

Ironically, Rosena became a liar among her village friends that day. 

After experiencing that situation, Rosena realized the true meaning of the phrase, ‘one must become skilled at hiding.’ 

The truth was poison. People often turned away from the truth, and Rosena was to carry that poison within her for the rest of her life. 

‘I’m different from other kids.’

Was this eye truly a blessing? 

Finally, during her adolescence, Rosena was overwhelmed by her ability and fell apart miserably. 

Her father had clearly called it a blessing, but Rosena didn’t have the confidence to live her whole life with this ability. As time passed, she desperately wanted to trust people, but she became unable to. 

Rosena’s distrust of humanity reached its peak after entering the academy. Everyone outside the mansion was hiding the truth and speaking lies. 

“You idiot, Rosena! Can’t you even look people in the eye properly?” 

“And she calls herself a noble? Get lost, you bring bad luck!” 

“Hahaha! Look at that foolish face!” 

Hic. Hic. 

At some point, Rosena became afraid to make eye contact with people. Whenever she had to face someone, cold sweat would form on her palms, and she would hiccup. Rosena’s wounded heart was difficult to heal. 

And that was a fatal problem for someone living as a noble.

“Foolish Rosena Leilia!” 

When she turned ten, Rosena, who entered the capital academy, easily took first place, but by keeping her mouth shut instead of telling the truth, she also earned the nickname ‘fool.’ 

Baron Leilia, who had to soothe Rosena every vacation when she would throw tantrums about not wanting to go to the academy, was heartbroken. 

Nevertheless, as the years passed, Rosena gradually grew and learned how to coexist with her ability. 

Just like Baron Leilia did in the distant past. 

The only problem was that in the process of learning how to survive, Rosena… 

“139th place? There are 200 students in the whole school, and you’re 139th… you graduated last among the nobles, excluding commoners. Is this what you call a report card?” 

“I couldn’t help it, Father. The one in 138th is the second son of Count Taulrud. He has a very violent temper.” 

…Her childhood innocence had disappeared, and now, having just graduated from the academy, she had become utterly shameless.

Couldn’t she just spit at a smiling person’s face and say, ‘Come here’? And on top of that, she has intense distrust of people. 

This was the current Rosena Leilia, who had just graduated from the academy.

“…If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve told your grandfather to buy a higher title when he had the chance.”

“I know. Then my report card would have been different.” 

“…We couldn’t help it then. We had to avoid the suspicion of the temple and the imperial family as much as possible.” 

Living as a commoner would have been ideal, but God’s kin inevitably experienced manifestation pain. They needed a way to protect themselves while concealing their identity, and that’s why they needed a certain level of status and wealth. 

Rosena, who had been listening to Baron Leilia distractedly, paused. 

“So, are other God’s kin also living as nobles? Are there any of my age?” 

“Of course. Even if you run into them, pretend not to know. If you have a secret, best keep the tail short, right?” 

“Wow, so I might have crossed paths with one of them while I was at the academy?”

Baron Leilia smiled instead of answering. 

‘God’s kin, my foot.’ 

Even though they were erased from people’s memories, the remaining forces of the temple, still dreaming of resurgence, were searching for them with burning eyes, and the imperial family was secretly tracking them. 

In either case, discovery would mean the end of a peaceful life. 

One side would send them to the guillotine, and the other would use divine power to bring bloodshed to the empire once again! 

So, God’s kin? Give me a break. 

A long life being unnoticed by others. Rosena desperately hoped for such a life more than anyone else. 

But who would have known that her secret would be revealed not by the imperial family or the temple, but by some unexpected man?

* * *

“Say that again.” 

“I told you, the Baltinart family’s assets have all been frozen as of this moment. The previous Grand Duke expressed his intention to donate all of the ducal family’s assets to society.” 

“Ha.” 

Cassian let out a hollow laugh. 

It had been a week since the former Grand Duke Dierre Baltinart died of a chronic illness. 

As if the succession issues weren’t chaotic enough, how could such an absurd will be given?

The will, protected by preservation magic which is a magic that only a few mages in the Agzent Empire could perform, was fresh as if it had just been written. 

The witnesses were Duke Astra and the butler…” 

Cassian’s red eyes turned to the butler next to him, Ted. 

Ted’s already pale complexion turned bluish in the face. As Ted flinched and stepped back, a formless energy flew out the office window and struck, making a crisp sound. The window, made of special material to guard against external intrusion, cracked like thin ice. 

Ted felt blood trickling down his cheek and swallowed hard. His pale green eyes trembled with anxiety. 

“How can the back of my head throb so much?” 

“I-I’m sorry. The previous Grand Duke threatened to add a clause that I would be buried with the will if its existence became known…” 

“Oh, so he thought I couldn’t bury you?” 

“Hiek…!” 

As expected, Ted quickly dodged. He felt a formless energy gathering again from Cassian’s direction. 

It was a sword aura. 

Cassian, revealing a savage smile, wiggled his finger, and with an explosion, the floor where Ted had just been was deeply gouged. Ted cried, kneeling and shouting. 

“Please spare me!” 

“If you want to live, just dodge.” 

“…” 

“If you can’t dodge, what can I do?” 

You’ll die. 

Cassian tilted his head as if asking what the problem was.

Ted looked at Sion, the Baltinart family’s legal advisor, for help. However, Sion shrugged his shoulders as if it had nothing to do with him. 

‘That, that traitor!’ 

Ted trembled with betrayal. Sion had been there when the will of the former Grand Duke Dierre Baltinart was notarized, yet now was pretending innocence. 

Sion calmly adjusted his glasses and continued his report on the will in his characteristically sharp tone. 

“I will continue the report. If Your Grace fulfills the conditions written in the will, you can inherit the assets completely.” 

“What are the conditions?” 

“You must marry.” 

“…” 

“If you marry before the end of this year, maintain the marriage for five years or more, and have an heir, you can inherit everything, including the main estate.” 

So he intended to donate the main estate to society as well. Cassian couldn’t help but let out a laugh. It was truly an extraordinary will. His determination to make Cassian marry was evident.

“This is unbelievable.” 

This was the first time he had experienced such humiliation in his life. The ducal estate, the family’s businesses, bonds, land, buildings, etc. All of it was about to disappear with just a few words in a will. 

“Is that why he insisted on a quiet funeral?” 

Cassian’s mouth twisted upwards. 

“So he wouldn’t lose face?” 

Since the assets were frozen, if the funeral had been held according to custom, rumors would have been rampant in the capital by now that the Baltinart Ducal family had yet to pay for the funeral. 

Cassian massaged his temples. Fortunately, the title was granted by the imperial family, so it couldn’t be touched. 

But he was about to become penniless overnight. 

Who would leave such a will to their descendants? A will that might cause future generations to be ridiculed for life, or even end up on the streets?

Ted tidied his disheveled clothes and quietly got up, standing next to Sion. 

“S-should we find someone to marry right away? Since you need to marry within this year, we don’t have much time…” 

“Shut up, Ted.”

“…”

“Talking like this is some easy task.” 

The Baltinart Ducal family had to pay hundreds of billions of gold just this month. Including sponsorships for the Imperial Academy and the magic tower, the Baltinart Ducal family had enormous fixed expenditures. 

The will said ‘this year,’ but…

 “One month.” 

“…What? One month?” 

“I’ll definitely get married within that time.”

Cassian decided to comply with the will, which was transparent in its intent. The will had several other conditions besides what Sion had mentioned, and one of them was that any amount of money could be used for the wedding.

“Find a woman I can live with for five years.” 

“…” 

“The dumber, the better.” 

If it meant securing the entire fortune, marriage was a small price. The former Grand Duke must have left such an absurd will with a completely different intention. 

‘…He knew all this and still did it. If the former Grand Duke were alive, there would have been a huge fuss.’ 

Ted smiled bitterly. 

The Baltinart family, which existed for the imperial family, mainly performed the task of weeding out those who challenged imperial authority. However, as the imperial family shone brightly, shadows inevitably deepened. 

The members of the Baltinart family all had deep distrust of humanity. It was a kind of family trait, but Cassian’s was particularly severe. 

It was as if he hated humans so much that he loathed them. 

Indeed, he had been educated since childhood with phrases like ‘trust no one’ and ‘the human tongues never speak the truth willingly,’ so it was understandable. 

Even at this moment, Cassian probably didn’t trust his close associates, Ted and Sion. What he trusted was their abilities, not the people themselves. 

And the former Grand Duke worried about this aspect of Cassian. He worried that Cassian might never find someone with whom he could truly rest his heart. 

Ted sighed deeply inwardly and replied to Cassian’s command. 

“Yes, I will look into it as soon as possible.” 

Sion, who had been silently observing the situation, opened his mouth. 

“Then I will assume you will fulfill the conditions for asset inheritance. You can keep this will, Your Grace. I will keep the other copy.” 

“Very well. Ted, put it in the safe.” 

Cassian no longer wanted to touch the will.

There were two copies of the will in total, and when Cassian read the second one, he nearly lost his composure. The idea of recommending names for his great-grandchildren was ridiculous. 

The will, with preservation magic, wouldn’t even crumple, and it made his stomach churn. 

‘He’s still annoying me, even from the grave’ 

He never imagined he’d get married this way. After all, she would just be a temporary wife for five years, so there was no need for her to be exceptionally capable, remarkably beautiful, or have a grand background. 

In fact, such conditions would only be a hindrance. 

The wife should not interfere, only enjoy what Cassian allowed, and quietly hold her place before leaving. That would be enough. 

If she performed her role well, he was willing to play the part of a couple, at least while the marriage lasted. 

Five years was a long time, but what his future wife would give Cassian would be just as valuable.

* * *