Chapter 010
Out of pure curiosity, Hazel flipped through the asset list.
As she had heard before, the wealth of the Bernier ducal house was truly immense.
‘All these mines? And they’re scattered across the continent too. More than five feudal territories, summer residences… one could say they exist in every corner of the kingdom.’
The sheer scale of the fortune was astonishing. Yet it did not whet her appetite.
Or rather, it did—a little—but her rational judgment that none of it would belong to her was far stronger.
“I’ve finished reading.”
“That’s all?”
While Hazel had examined the list carefully, Theodore’s expression had remained calm. But it wavered slightly when she set it aside without hesitation. He stared at her without blinking.
“What more do you want?”
“Your opinion?”
“You are rich. Richer than I heard.”
Hazel lifted her teacup as if she had said all she intended to say.
The tea had cooled a little, but the taste was not bad.
Theodore felt a touch of confusion.
Choosing the asset list as his proposal had been the result of careful calculation.
After realizing Hazel was different from ordinary women, he had conducted thorough research during the days he had not visited the Easton family.
Based on information gathered from her boarding-school teachers, friends, and even Charlotte and Andre, it was clear she was extremely rational and shrewd when it came to interests.
To be precise—contrary to what Hazel believed—Theodore had not cut contact with the Easton family over the past five days.
He had been in regular communication to win Charlotte and Andre’s support.
Although they both insisted that “our sister’s opinion is the most important,” they answered his questions honestly.
Details such as the fact that she worked as a writer at a printing house and saved money despite having no need to work, the subjects she loved at boarding school, and the books she had been reading lately helped him understand Hazel’s character.
With that knowledge, Theodore devised a plan to win her over.
Since she was rational, he could not seduce her with illusory promises of the future.
He needed to present a tangible, abundant future backed by solid evidence.
Thus, he had spent two full days compiling the asset list.
In the process, he even discovered parts of the Bernier family fortune he had not known about. One could say it was thanks to Hazel.
Theodore had planned that if she showed interest in the wealth, he would tell her the annual budget available to the duchess, the decoration allowance, and even the size of the settlement she could receive if the marriage went wrong.
He had expected everything to go according to plan. Yet although Hazel was interested in the list, she stopped there.
“If you marry me, all of this will be yours, Miss Easton.”
“Well, nominally, perhaps. But you know, Your Grace, that nothing would truly be at my free disposal.”
Joint marital property, communal assets—beautiful words, but empty shells.
The word “communal” was mere decoration; there was nothing a woman could freely dispose of.
Everything required the husband’s consent, and even when acting on it, the husband had to be present. Meanwhile, the husband could do whatever he wished with the wife’s dowry.
“What is this if not exploitation?”
Hazel considered the term “communal assets” not just an empty shell, but outright fraud.
Theodore thought for a moment and rubbed the corner of his lip with his thumb.
He had not expected refusal, but after hearing her reasons, he realized his own foolishness.
Still, he had plenty of ways to compensate.
“Let us draw up a marriage contract. After the wedding, I will transfer ownership of any land, mine, or company you desire to you alone. It will not be communal property—it will be yours, Miss Hazel.”
Hazel immediately frowned.
“Your Grace, I believe there is no favor without reason, and no kindness without recompense. There may be kindness born of pity or mercy, but if we look closely, even that is done to satisfy one’s own heart in return.”
“Do you think I’m hiding ulterior motives?”
“Aren’t you?”
Hazel’s eyes were clear.
So transparent that one could see straight to their depths.
Theodore paused for a moment, then gave a smooth smile.
“There is no hidden motive in wanting a beautiful woman.”
For some reason, Theodore did not wish to mention the will.
It was a topic that would bring no good if it spread.
He felt there were other reasons to keep it hidden, but he couldn’t recall them at once and stopped thinking about it.
Hazel frowned.
Theodore lightly rolled his tongue inside his mouth to hide his tension.
The more he met this woman, the more he discovered about her.
‘Even when she frowns, she is beautiful.’
Hazel possessed an aloof aura that made her difficult to approach easily.
Theodore had said she was beautiful, but until now he had never closely examined her features.
He was not usually interested in people’s appearances and considered staring impolite.
But today, he wanted to look at her closely.
Not to evaluate—he had already decided she was beautiful.
Theodore slowly studied Hazel’s face.
A small oval face filled with large eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
It was amazing how all these features fit into such a small face.
Her cat-like eyes were long, deep, and dark.
Her straight nose suited the phrase “sharp-featured,” and her full, lively lips were proof of her good health.
Her transparently pale skin looked as though it would bruise at the slightest touch, and her glossy ebony hair contrasted beautifully with that delicate whiteness.
Her perfectly balanced features—where nothing, not even her hair color, stood out—exuded an elegant charm.
And among them all, her eyes drew Theodore’s attention the most.
They were the only place where one could glimpse the changes in Hazel’s usually expressionless emotions.
When uninterested, her eyes grew lazy. When curiosity sparked, they turned sharp. When surprised, tiny ripples appeared. And when angry, they became as cutting as a blade.
Theodore had been unable to tear his gaze away from them throughout the conversation. Perhaps that was why he liked them.
‘They say constant looking breeds affection.’
With that passing thought, Theodore’s smile deepened.
He uncrossed his legs and rested an arm on the table.
When he suddenly leaned forward, Hazel instinctively recoiled and furrowed her brow. But her back hit the sofa, and she failed to increase the distance between them.
“Your Grace?”
Hazel called him in a tone that clearly meant “back off on your own,” but he pretended not to understand and leaned in further.
As his handsome, smooth face drew near, Hazel unconsciously held her breath.
“Let us meet just ten times.”
“What?”
“Give me a little of your time.”
“What good will that do me…”
“There will be benefit. I will spare you from meeting Miss Charlotte Easton’s suitors.”
Life flickered in Hazel’s eyes.
It was a tempting offer.
Listening to monotonous courtship songs was exhausting.
Though she would have to spend that time with Theodore instead, it was still better than being surrounded by Charlotte’s suitors.
And perhaps…
“I have one condition.”
“Name it.”
“I want Friday afternoons free.”
“Alone?”
Hazel nodded.
Theodore hesitated for a moment.
It was forbidden for a noblewoman of marriageable age to walk the streets unaccompanied.
They always needed an escort—a fiancé, parents, a male sibling regardless of age, or even a servant—to move freely.
“If you tell me where you wish to go, I will accompany you like a shadow.”
“You cannot be a shadow, Your Grace. Your presence is far too conspicuous.”
The corner of Theodore’s mouth twitched.
He seemed to be suppressing laughter.
Hazel tilted her head in puzzlement.
She did not realize her words had sounded like high praise to Theodore.
“If you do not accept my condition, I will not accept your offer.”
Theodore adjusted his posture and looked at her with a faint smile.
He sensed her condition was no ordinary matter.
“Is the destination a secret?”
“Yes. But I will need your full cooperation. Take me to the place I want, at the time I specify…”
“And I must come to fetch you from there.”
“Yes.”
Hazel was utterly confident despite her highly suspicious request.
Theodore’s thoughts tangled.
What place might an ordinary woman want to visit in secret, even from her family?
No matter how he thought, nothing suitable came to mind. Nor any reason for it.
Ah—a scene from a novel suddenly flashed through his mind.
A secret rendezvous between a man and a woman.
But the Hazel he had seen was not the type to enjoy clandestine meetings.
She had no interest in men.
She was far removed from love, romance, and all those sentimental words.
If she were interested in such things, she would never have failed to show even the slightest interest in him.
It might sound like boasting, but it was a fact proven by years of experience.
‘No help for it. I must accept Miss Easton’s condition, if only out of curiosity.’
Theodore was currently the one in greater need and greater haste.
“Very well. But in return, except for Fridays, you will spend that time with me.”
Hazel smiled.
It was a bright, genuine smile, different from any before.
And at the same moment, the smile vanished from Theodore’s face.
For an instant, he felt as though his breath had been stolen—helplessly, powerlessly—by Hazel’s smile.
