IRTHP 09

IRTHP

Posted by Zoe, Released on October 14, 2025

Chapter 9….

Deal Sealed

“Ahem.”

The meeting had resumed, but as the silence dragged on, one of the senators let out a pointed cough. Lloyd straightened from where he had been casually leaning on the armrest and looked at him.

He was someone close to Allan, the representative elder. He had also clicked his tongue in disapproval earlier when Eileen had left the room.

Lloyd wiped away the smile that had been on his face until just moments ago and put on a different expression—half relaxed, half bored.

“Leaving without saying a word… I worry whether she’s been properly educated.”

“We didn’t lock her up. What’s the problem if someone steps out of a room? You can tell she’s well-educated without even talking to her.”

Lloyd shot back nonchalantly. His gaze seemed to say, Do you want me to lock you up too?—and that was enough to shut the man up. Another vassal stepped forward.

“Still, no matter what, this is someone else’s estate…”

“It’s my estate. And if I say there’s no problem, who dares to make it one?”

Do you want to be kicked out of my house yourself?

The vassal immediately fell silent and sat down. All eyes were then drawn, almost instinctively, to one person—Lloyd’s uncle, Calix. After quietly observing the situation, Calix finally stepped in.

There was only one reason he would defend the beta woman his nephew had brought back.

“So you’re saying you’ll marry her?”

“That was my intention from the start.”

Lloyd clicked his tongue in disdain. The marriage was settled—not with Ethan of the Claudia family, but with Eileen.

“Let’s hurry the marriage along,” Lloyd announced to everyone, the same way he had to Eileen earlier.

Over time, Lloyd had grown accustomed to bending the Senate to his will, and now he displayed that domineering personality without restraint.

“Your Grace,”

It was Allan, the representative elder, who had been quietly observing the situation until now.

“We cannot treat a major event of the ducal house so lightly. There’s nothing more important than Your Grace’s marriage.”

When Allan spoke, his words carried significant weight. Lloyd stroked his chin thoughtfully and locked eyes with Allan.

This was the man who interfered with his affairs at every turn. The man who had tried to use Lloyd after he became Duke. There was no way Lloyd would back down to Allan—not even a step. A slow, confident smile spread across his face, as if to sweep away everything that had been said until now.

“Isn’t there something else just as important as marriage?”

“Something else…?”

“She says she wants to have a child.”

At those deliberately emphasized words, everyone’s thoughts went in the same direction.

The woman must be desperate. She wants him so badly she’s talking about having a child first.

“Well? What do you think?”

Lloyd fixed Allan with a provocative smile. Allan let out a small sigh at the trap-like remark.

“You were the one who pushed for this marriage so strongly. Surely you understand better than anyone the importance of an heir?”

Lloyd openly implied that the current situation was entirely Allan’s doing. Allan hesitated for a moment before looking back at Lloyd. It was all or nothing: either the entire arrangement would fall apart—including the marriage—or they would accept Lloyd’s chosen bride.

Finally, Allan lifted his wrinkled eyes and spoke:

“You must produce an heir.”

“As long as the marriage happens, what’s the problem?”

Lloyd’s grin widened, sharp enough to show his fangs.

Eileen was waiting nervously, unable to calm her racing heart. She had done everything she could. She hadn’t shown Ethan, and she had even proposed a deal to the Duke. She had emptied her pockets, offering up everything she had until she was left with nothing.

Honestly, she had known the possibility was slim. The offer to bear a child wasn’t something she made lightly—it was the best card she had. Who would casually stake something like that? If there were any real chance of it happening, she would never have said it.

“He definitely said he’d marry me, but I’m still anxious…”

Eileen slumped into a chair, ruffling her hair in frustration. She had made her offer, and he had said he’d expedite the marriage, but her heart wouldn’t settle.

It was because of the Duke’s expression. He hadn’t taken her words seriously. Even when he left, his face had been light and casual. She couldn’t imagine him asserting himself that forcefully at the meeting—not after seeing that expression. She sighed over and over, unable to stop.

“Brother… Am I doing the right thing?”

If Ethan were here, he would pat her shoulder and tell her she was. It had only been a few hours since they’d parted, but Eileen already missed him and worried to the point of tears. It might seem excessive, but Ethan had died in her previous life, and after her regression, she’d only seen him briefly.

“If I’d known, I would’ve hugged him before leaving.”

She missed her parents too. As her nervousness turned into homesickness, a knock sounded, and armored men entered, followed by maids in uniform.

Eileen swallowed dryly as they surrounded her as though preparing to drag her away.

Did the deal fall through? Are they going to take me away by force?

Maybe they knew that if they just told her to leave, she wouldn’t go. Maybe when she begged the Duke to take everything, he took it as her refusing to let go.

Her mind tangled with anxious thoughts. Then the man at the front knelt on one knee before her.

“We have been assigned to serve the future Duchess.”

One by one, everyone around her offered formal salutes. The knights knelt with one hand over their hearts, and the maids bowed deeply. Their weighty, reverent gestures left Eileen stunned and unable to respond.

“Duchess…?”

“By the Duke’s will, I shall devote my all to protecting the Duchess.”

“We will serve you with utmost devotion.”

The knight and the maid’s words reinforced her new status.

He said ‘Duchess.’

Eileen’s dazed mind slowly began to register the situation.

She had been acknowledged as the Duchess. That meant the Duke had accepted her proposal and, in the vassals’ meeting, officially approved the marriage.

Haah… Thank goodness.

Eileen closed her eyes in relief—not because she would become a Duchess, but because it meant Ethan wouldn’t die.

The next day, Eileen was informed that the Duke was waiting for her in the dining room. She rubbed her dry eyes, but the maid walking ahead of her gave her a look, making her awkwardly lower her hand.

Eileen still felt out of place in the ducal household. She knew any little misstep could spark gossip, so she had to act composed. But after a sleepless night, it wasn’t easy.

It still doesn’t feel real…

Ever since people came to “serve the Duchess,” they had waited on her with extreme care. Even though no one had touched them, the bedding was replaced, and the flower vases in her room were changed. Two or three maids stayed with her constantly—from bath time until she fell asleep—asking if anything made her uncomfortable.

I’m a count’s daughter too, you know…

If anyone heard her say that being served felt awkward, they’d laugh—but it was true. She came from a small noble family, with only one maid attending her. Even the knights took turns on guard duty. Here, everything was on a much larger scale.

She had even found herself lying in bed thinking, I didn’t have to lift a single finger today…

“This way, my lady.”

Eileen naturally followed the polite maid’s lead.

Is she not coming inside with me? she wondered. Then she felt someone’s gaze. Turning her head, she saw Lloyd watching her with his chin propped on his hand. The way he looked at her that morning made her awkward, so she greeted him first.

“Good morning.”

“Even with me here, you’ve got the leisure to look at someone else…”

She hadn’t expected him to respond, let alone nitpick like that.

“It wasn’t on purpose.”

“Then look at me. You should look at your future husband’s face.”

Lloyd straightened and tilted his head slightly.

“What comes to mind when you look at my face?”

“You’re… handsome.”

“That’s right. A face like this isn’t common.”

She had heard many times that Duke Rihast’s face was unreal. By any standard of beauty, his sharp eyebrows, deep eyes, and high, balanced nose were flawless.

She knew that—but she didn’t feel like giving him flowery compliments to his face.

“No, I mean, you’ve got all the right parts in all the right places—eyes where they should be, a nose where it should be, a mouth where it should be…”

“About the marriage contract…”

“You were so handsome when I saw you yesterday that I was honestly startled. I thought your face was glowing.”

He had started to bring up the contract in a threatening tone, but she cut him off mid-sentence. It worked—Lloyd’s expression softened in satisfaction.