LI | Chapter 013

Six years have passed since Hazel Langbein Easton entered aristocratic society. She was known as the only spinster in the Easton family; this was because she viewed marriage as nothing but a grave for a woman. Hazel had always been confident that no man in this world could make her heart race. But someone once said: [The gods are exceedingly cunning; they do not favor humans who declare with certainty that something is impossible. Thus, the moment one asserts that something cannot happen, events take an unexpected turn, leading precisely to that very thing occurring.] * * * Hazel placed her hand on her forehead, staring at the handsome man seated before her. A woman uninterested in marriage, ostracized in aristocratic society, often referred to as a black crow bringing bad luck. In contrast, Theodore Caron Bernier, the most renowned bachelor and the finest suitor in the entire kingdom. Hazel had never imagined he might ask for her hand in marriage… “Will you marry me, Miss Hazel?” Thump, thump. Hazel’s heart pounded fiercely. With a single sentence, Theodore had managed to make her heart tremble. Hazel opened her mouth slightly, clutching her chest as her heart raced from the shock. How could Duke Theodore propose marriage to her? It was a complete shock to her. But it was not a joyful shock by any means.