MFHA 08

Chapter : 8 – Why, Why Are You Doing This

The Viscount Hacelian, who had come to the House of Duke Arius, was sitting in a relaxed manner that did not suit his rank.

Sitting carelessly without even straightening his posture, the Viscount Hacelian looked at the man in front of him with a rude gaze and finally opened his thin lips.

“Where is the woman you promised me?”

“I already sent the oath letter, so I said you would hear from her soon.”

Sanchez, Cielie’s uncle who was acting as the deputy of the House of Duke Arius, spoke.

“I heard it was sent twice, but ignored.”

“That is not something the Viscount needs to worry about.”

Sanchez spoke coldly to the Viscount Hacelian, who kept his arrogant attitude. He seemed to have completely forgotten that he had already used Cielie’s dowry.

“Then I will take my leave for today.”

“You should wait. A response will come soon.”

“It does not have to be Cielie Arius. As long as she is a daughter of the House of Duke Arius, that is enough.”

“How dare you!”

At those words, which clearly referred to his daughter Orcana, Sanchez clenched his fist tightly. He even thought that the House of Arius was not something a mere viscount should dare to aim for—how did it come to this?

‘This is all that girl’s fault.’

His niece—or rather, the niece he did not even want to call a niece—Cielie Arius. If not for her, who survived after her parents died one after another, he would have taken all the duke’s wealth.

But she survived and blocked him from taking the inheritance.

Because she ran away without handing over the property, Sanchez had to keep sending assassins after her, and in the end, he even fell into heavy debt with the assassin guild. If he did not repay them in time, he never knew when an assassin might appear, so he borrowed money elsewhere—and that was from Viscount Hacelian.

‘Damn woman.’

If only he could get the inheritance that his brother left behind, everything would be solved, but his niece would not budge.

And since she was a member of the Imperial Knights, he could not forcefully bring her back.

However, the marriage of the house was under his authority as acting head of the family. So as a last resort, he sent a marriage contract, but no signed document ever came back.

After the Viscount Hacelian left, Sanchez thought alone.

‘Should I go to the capital?’

“Father!”

Orcana ran toward him and hugged him. Sanchez smiled warmly.

Anyone could see she was a beautiful girl, and she was working hard to stand next to the Emperor, the highest figure in the Lind Empire.

“That awful Viscount looked me up and down before leaving!”

“That bastard…!”

“Please do something about it.”

As he gently patted his daughter’s head, Sanchez’s eyes sharpened.

“You said you met Cielie in the capital?”

“Yes. My sister even gave me pocket money.”

In reality, it was not pocket money but money taken by coercion, but Orcana did not add that detail. She always had to show Sanchez her image of a kind and obedient daughter.

That was the image Sanchez wanted from Orcana. And for that image, he spent a lot of money on her, and Orcana grew up with the same extravagant habits. Her mother was the same.

“Then can you go meet Cielie?”

“Me, alone?”

“How could I send you alone? You will soon have your debut anyway. I heard there will be a banquet to celebrate the return of His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Where is it?”

“The Imperial Palace.”

There was no better place for Orcana’s debut than that.

Sanchez smiled as he imagined his daughter standing in the Imperial Palace banquet and drawing everyone’s attention. Orcana was thinking the same thing.

“I should go to the capital.”

“I’ll need a new dress! And jewelry!”

“Of course.”

Even though it would be difficult to squeeze money out of the household, he answered as if it was obvious. He considered it an investment for Orcana’s future marriage and dowry.

“Let’s go meet Cielie in person. Then we will see if she still dares to refuse the head of the family’s order.”

Meanwhile—

“Ha, someone must be talking bad about me.”

At the same time Sanchez and Orcana were preparing to come to the capital, Cielie was busy working diligently as an aide.

‘I can’t even bring it up.’

That day, Cielie could not say the words “Commander, will you marry me?” to Leonard. She could not say it because of his terrifying gaze—but that was a secret.

‘Who knew he would release such killing intent?’

Pouting slightly, Cielie turned her eyes back to the documents. The numbers on the budget sheet made her dizzy.

“Knight.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“You are holding the budget sheet upside down.”

“……”

Cielie’s face turned bright red as she flipped the document.

She had been too distracted to even read it properly. Seeing her dark expression, Leonard put down his pen.

“So,”

“Yes?”

“Are you getting married?”

‘Why is he so interested in my marriage?’

She wanted him to focus on work instead, but she could not say that to her superior.

Cielie quietly chose to stay silent. Seeing that she would not answer further, Leonard also said nothing more.

‘The only one slightly usable was Sir Lante…’

Lante Francis, the second son of the Duke of Francis, had chosen the path of a knight because he did not want to fight over inheritance.

He was rigid and overly loyal to the Emperor, but if she asked him, he might agree.

‘Lante Francis…’

Cielie wrote his name on a white paper and circled it.

Saha would have been best, but since he refused, only Lante remained.

Thinking of asking Lante right after finishing work made her feel better.

She did not notice Leonard staring at the paper.

Thinking she had solved a problem, she smiled and blacked out Lante’s name.

‘Good!’

Now that she had erased the evidence, she turned back to work—but Leonard, who had been sitting in front of her, was gone.

“Huh?”

She had not noticed him leave.

Alarmed, she stood up quickly and searched around. But there was no trace of Leonard.

She ran outside the office and searched for him. Thinking he might be training in the training yard like last time, she ran there first—but he was nowhere.

“Cielie!”

“Saha, have you seen the Commander?”

“Huh? I think he went that way.”

“Got it.”

Cielie clenched her teeth. A magic bow appeared in her hand. Saha tried to stop her, but she was faster and moved in the direction he pointed.

“Hey! What is going on?!”

She did not look back at Saha’s voice.

Turning the corner with her bow drawn—

“Sir Cielie?”

“Sir Lante?”

“Why are you here? This is still working hours.”

“Ah, the Commander suddenly disappeared…”

Cielie quickly dismissed her bow and arrows.

She hesitated, thinking whether she should carry out her plan now.

“Is something wrong lately?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes. You do not look well.”

“Does it show that much?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”

Cielie hesitated while glancing at Lante.

She had planned to boldly propose marriage, but the words would not come out.

She closed her eyes tightly.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

“I—I will marry you!”

“Alright.”

“…What?”

Cielie opened her eyes wide.

The man in front of her was not Lante—but Leonard.

“Sir, I didn’t expect you to think that way of me.”

“N-no, Commander, that’s not it…”

“Then I will be the one you marry.”

She had planned to use Lante for a contract marriage and later separate naturally—but it was Leonard instead.

“C-Commander, that’s not what I meant…”

“You are lying to the Grand Duke of this country?”

“No, there is a reason…”

“A reason?”

His gaze was terrifying, as if he would punish her if the reason was not valid.

Feeling intimidated, Cielie shrank her shoulders.

“I mean…”

As punishment for speaking wrongly, she explained everything in detail.

Listening to her excuses, Leonard summarized it.

“So, to escape your uncle’s trap, you need a marriage?”

“Yes… it does not have to be you specifically.”

Her last words were almost a whisper.

“Then are you offering me a contract?”

“N-no, I was going to ask Sir Lante…”

“So I am undesirable?”

“No! That’s not it!”

Cielie waved her hands frantically.

Leonard sighed.

“Sir Cielie.”

“Yes?”

“If you marry Sir Lante, do you think he will stay silent when your uncle questions him?”

“Ah… well…”

She also thought that was dangerous.

Lante was too honest and rigid.

“And you are living in my house right now.”

“Living together?! I’m on the first floor…”

“Is that not the same thing?”

“No! You’re barely home anyway!”

Cielie protested with her eyes.

Leonard smiled faintly.

“From today, I will start coming home regularly.”

“For the sake of the one I will marry.”