Chapter 06
‘Was my memory wrong?’
Maya desperately tried to recall the face of the Grand Duke from before her regression.
“Maya Pendragon?”
The man asked, seeing her frozen in place. His voice was languid yet heavy, and it made her ears tingle.
But only for a moment—her heart sank.
‘Even his voice is different.’
The Grand Duke in her memories had a much softer, more delicate voice.
Wasn’t he a boy back then?
‘Could the curse be related to age?’
Then why had he called her here? Why had he proposed?
Everything she had prepared to say now felt meaningless.
‘What about the deal?’
Maya bit her lip to hide her growing confusion. She needed time to collect her thoughts.
The person she had seen before her regression was definitely the Grand Duke.
His commanding tone when giving orders, the subordinates who called him “Grand Duke” as they ran toward her—that all confirmed it.
So did the image of him in his black helmet, and his noble, composed demeanor.
…The man standing before her now did resemble that boy from before.
‘But he’s clearly not a boy.’
That was what confused her most.
“Your complexion doesn’t look good.”
The man narrowed his brows and stepped closer to Maya.
He had a large frame that made her tilt her head up to look at him, exuding an overwhelming aura.
An ordinary person would have flinched.
But Maya saw this as an opportunity.
‘Now I can get a good look at his face.’
To confirm that she hadn’t grabbed hold of a rotten rope, she needed to examine the Grand Duke’s face carefully.
To be sure he was the same person from back then.
Luckily, she remembered his face clearly.
How could she forget?
He had shown kindness even to criminals and respected her choices, even though he was still under the effects of a curse.
‘And honestly… he was the most handsome person I’d ever seen.’
She had to admit, that fact played a big role too.
That pretty boy had grown into a truly striking man.
Maya stared at the man fiercely, studying him with wide eyes.
The man showed no signs of being unsettled—in fact, he seemed intrigued by her gaze, watching her just as intently.
‘He looks similar… but different.’
His jet-black hair lay neatly across his forehead, and the dark brows peeking through matched his deep voice well.
But what truly captured Maya’s gaze were his blue eyes, visible up close.
‘Beautiful.’
For a moment, Maya was entranced, staring into his eyes.
Even as she’d entered the castle, snow had been falling from the sky.
His eyes reminded her of that endless blue sky stretched over the snowy mountain peaks.
In the space between their locked gazes, a fleeting spark ignited.
The man before her looked like a god that didn’t exist in this world.
The way his gentle eyes, sharp nose, and slightly parted lips fit together—it was as if he’d stepped out of a painting, too perfect to be real.
Like a dream.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Maya snapped out of her trance only when the man’s hand touched her forehead.
She had rudely stared without answering his earlier question.
But the Grand Duke wasn’t angry—he simply tilted his head, withdrawing his hand.
“No fever…”
Just like the Grand Duke before her regression—warm and considerate.
The sunlight-like kindness she had never experienced made her heart flutter.
The warmth from his hand still lingered on her forehead.
Her heart pounded like she had just finished a training session.
‘He’s too close.’
She’d never lived a life with much physical contact.
Before becoming a knight commander, she’d spent her time training or out hunting monsters.
After Kendrick’s death, she had thrown herself deeper into swordsmanship.
It was all to avoid more unnecessary deaths—but in truth, it had only enabled a tyrant.
And afterward, during the years she’d been trapped under the emperor’s erratic rule, there had been no room for real relationships.
Lost in her past, the man before her once again filled her mind.
The image of the boy from back then began to overlap with his face.
Though his features were more defined and mature, he was unmistakably the same person.
‘Stay calm. If he called me here, there has to be a reason.’
Maya took a deep breath to compose herself.
There was no way the Grand Duke, who had hidden himself from the world, had proposed to her without a reason.
Even if he no longer looked like the boy she remembered, the curse surely still existed.
The Grand Duke spoke.
“Is there something on my face?”
Though his tone still carried a youthful playfulness, there was no hint of anger.
Still, it was only polite to respond properly.
Maya stepped back and bowed.
“I apologize, Your Grace. You’re so handsome that I rudely stared without realizing it.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie—her excuse held more than a hint of truth.
“That’s the first time someone’s complimented me so directly to my face.”
The Grand Duke murmured, resting his chin on his hand, eyes wide in surprise.
‘How could anyone not compliment a face like that?’
Maya couldn’t comprehend it.
‘Is he testing me?’
Her guard immediately went up.
“First of all, I want to apologize for making you wait until this late hour. Was the meal to your liking?”
Maya realized he was very skilled in conversation.
Asking about the food she ate immediately raised her affection for him.
Anyone who made sure you ate well was a good person.
She was a bit troubled by how easily pleased she was.
‘Am I just that simple?’
Admittedly, it might be both.
She had no intention of lying in front of the Grand Duke, whom she needed to build trust with.
Her goal in life was to live true to her own heart, so she answered honestly.
“It was the best meal I’ve ever had. I’m honestly jealous of Your Grace for having such a talented chef. Especially the meat—it melted in my mouth. I heard it was caught locally, and it made me want to try hunting myself.”
The Grand Duke lowered his head, his shoulders trembling, as he reacted to her compliments.
He cleared his throat and added:
“I’m not laughing at you. It’s just that I haven’t met someone so honest in a long time. It’s refreshing.”
“I thought it best to show you my honest side. Better to surprise you now than later.”
Maya replied with a gentle smile.
She knew her behavior was unusual.
True nobles were expected to speak indirectly and with modesty.
Maya understood that—in theory. But she didn’t want to pretend anymore.
‘That’s not who I am.’
She was tired of living as someone else.
Besides, if they were going to be together under contract, hiding her true self would be pointless.
The Grand Duke’s eyes shifted, visibly intrigued by her words.
“I’m glad you enjoyed the meal. I’ll reward the chef responsible. You can expect delicious meals for as long as you stay here.”
That was one more reason to look forward to life in this place.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Looking forward to delicious food every day sounds like happiness to me.”
The man silently watched her after that subtle hint at the future.
“By coming here, I assume it means you’ve accepted my proposal.”
“Yes. However…”
There was something she had to confirm first.
“I’m curious why you proposed to me.”
He really is cursed… right?
If not, the contract she had brought with her would be useless.
The Grand Duke studied her, seemingly trying to read her intentions.
“Are you asking to renegotiate the terms?”
Maya quickly shook her head, realizing how it must have sounded.
“No. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have come at all.”
She just wanted to know if her contract was still valid—or if she needed a new approach.
‘I’m not very quick on my feet, after all.’
As someone who was pretty simple-minded, she needed information quickly so she could think things through.
Maya calmly explained the situation.
“I never even made my debut in society. I’m not exactly well-known. So I know better than anyone that there’s no real reason to propose to someone like me.”
She continued matter-of-factly.
“I’m sure there were plenty of better families you could’ve chosen from. You’re the Grand Duke, after all.”
“…”
“But you chose me. Someone obscure and, frankly, useless.”
“You’re used to calling yourself useless, aren’t you?”
The unexpected question caught Maya off guard.
‘Calling myself useless…?’
She was simply stating facts.
Before awakening as a Swordmaster, she’d always been treated like an unwanted burden.
“It’s just an objective fact, Your Grace.”
As if it were obvious, she said it without hesitation.
The Grand Duke quietly stared at her.
His blue eyes grew darker as they fixed on her, and Maya asked herself silently:
Why?
Why are you looking at me like that?
Before becoming a Swordmaster, her life had felt meaningless.
She had neither value nor purpose.
‘Even now, I’m powerless.’
Wasn’t that the case for the Grand Duke too? That was the only reason he had proposed to her.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even known she existed.
“…Very well.”
Maybe he realized the contradiction in her words, because he nodded without resistance.
Still, the question he had asked earlier lingered in her heart like a thorn.
Even though she had answered correctly, her heart felt uneasy.
“It’s going to be a long conversation. Shall we sit down?”
