Chapter 6: Rainer Hayes (2)
Rainer narrowed his brow as he turned to Harry.
“I would have thought you’d at least turn them away politely.”
Ever since he had grown close to the crown prince, the duke’s mansion had rarely seen a quiet moment.
Lately, in particular, noble families had been lining up to offer their daughters to him—the Empire’s most desirable match.
Of course, Rainer had refused them all.
He couldn’t risk tangling with anyone who might have connections to Elise.
At a time like this, unnecessary attachments were the last thing he wanted.
Harry, fully aware of this, nonetheless seemed displeased that he had allowed guests inside today.
“You should’ve filtered them out yourself.”
“It’s not like that—”
But Harry’s tone was different from usual.
When Rainer heard the name and purpose he relayed, his gaze sharpened instantly.
“…Who said what, just now?”
“This place, as a guest…?”
At that moment, Cecilia sat in the reception room of the duke’s mansion.
With Gilbert’s recuperation requiring Elise and the duke to visit their estate, Rainer was alone in the capital.
This was the same place where, in her previous life, Cecilia had lived alongside Evan and Elise.
The surrounding scenery hadn’t changed much.
But… would Lord Rainer even meet me?
Ever since she had left Rozena and her mother behind, she had been pondering who could serve as a reliable shield against the Osborne family.
After much thought, one name had come to mind: Rainer Hayes.
If she married him, she could finally escape the Osborne household, and even the formidable Duke Dylan would think twice before confronting the Hayes estate.
And with memories from my previous life, I can help him too.
Cecilia knew Rainer wasn’t Elise’s biological son.
In her past life, Elise had repeatedly warned her to be cautious of him.
At the time, Cecilia had been startled by the hidden depths of the Hayes family—but now, that very knowledge had become her greatest asset.
I know the secret of the matriarch of the Hayes family. If I choose, Lord Rainer could ascend to the dukedom tomorrow.
The aide, who had politely suggested she wait outside, had immediately sought his superior upon hearing Cecilia’s words—a sign that this was indeed a matter of importance.
Yet she wasn’t entirely certain whether Rainer would intervene personally.
What if he thinks I’m insane?
In her memories, Rainer had always fixed her and Evan with a cold, piercing gaze.
In their previous life, they had been on entirely opposite sides.
Under the weight of his silent ridicule and overwhelming presence, Cecilia had often avoided facing him directly.
As a result, she hardly had any memory of actually conversing with him.
Can I really do this?
Tension made her fingers tighten around the cufflinks she held.
At that moment, the reception room door opened.
The man whom every newspaper in the Empire currently praised stepped inside.
Behind him stood the aide she had seen earlier.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Rainer Hayes,” Cecilia said, rising out of respect.
Rainer, however, waved her off and took a seat on the sofa opposite her.
His deep blue eyes scanned her deliberately, as if evaluating her every detail.
Considering the chaos she caused at the wedding…
Rainer had already read the reports. A woman who publicly exposed her fiancé’s shame and even kicked him in the shin? This was unlike the shy, delicate noblewomen he had encountered before.
Yet in person, Cecilia was nothing like the image he had imagined.
Soft, silver-brown hair, translucent skin, and a delicate visage.
Contrary to the rumors, she looked like someone who would weep and cling to her unfaithful lover.
For a moment, he found himself intrigued.
“So… why have you come all this way?”
Rainer gestured with his hand, inviting her to speak.
Cecilia hesitated, biting her lip as if deliberating, resembling a deer before a black panther.
The silence stretched. Harry, standing by the door, glanced at Rainer in surprise.
Rainer was a man with little patience for idle talk with ladies.
By all rights, he could have left by now. Yet, unusually, he remained.
Though Cecilia had mentioned Elise first, his reaction was still extraordinary.
Finally, Cecilia drew a short breath and spoke.
“I will make you Duke Hayes.”
Rainer’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
Harry had briefed him beforehand, but hearing it from her small, full lips left him dumbfounded.
Even a man celebrated across the Empire, accustomed to lowering his body and biding his time, could not fathom such confidence from such a fragile-looking woman.
“My, my… I hardly know how to respond to this gracious proposal,” Rainer said, tilting his head and smiling wryly.
He treated her claim as nothing more than a joke.
Yet Cecilia remained unflinching, pressing her case.
“Of course, you shall require appropriate compensation.”
“Compensation?”
“Marry me, Lord Rainer Hayes.”
A heavy silence filled the room.
Rainer chuckled, disbelief flickering across his expression.
Women who courted him typically boasted of their cooking or embroidery skills, hinting at marriage obliquely.
Predictable gestures like that had never amused him.
Perhaps that was why Cecilia’s straightforwardness piqued his interest.
Of course, he had no intention of taking her seriously.
“Ah… a delightful jest,” Rainer said, reclining against the sofa and crossing his long legs.
“Perhaps you should try writing a novel. It might sell well.”
“I’m not asking to be your real wife. Just maintain a marriage for three years. After that, I’ll leave cleanly.”
Cecilia answered calmly.
Three years—that was the deadline she had set for her revenge.
From her past-life experience, she already knew what would unfold during that time.
And she knew precisely what information Rainer needed.
“Duke Hayes has already passed away. Last month.”
Rainer’s hand froze mid-motion.
Yet Cecilia remained composed.
“The matriarch has kept her son’s death hidden, desperately searching for the grandson she abandoned. She doesn’t want you to inherit the title.”
“And… has she found him?”
Rainer asked casually, though a subtle tension betrayed him.
“Not yet. But once I leave, she will. Evan March is the biological son of Duke Hayes.”
“…Did you just say?”
“Evan March. My former fiancé.”
Disbelief spread across Rainer’s face.
Demanding proof, Cecilia slowly drew the cufflinks from her pocket.
“These were given by Duke Hayes to the maid he loved. The only keepsake she left for her son.”
Rainer narrowed his eyes at the cufflinks.
The initials “G.H.” glimmered in the chandelier’s light.
Clearly, too exquisite a piece for a commoner to own.
Its design was lavish enough to appeal even to someone like Gilbert.
Yet such cufflinks could be forged by anyone with sufficient intent.
“You cannot prove the heir of a ducal house with just a single item,” Rainer said.
Perhaps someone had prepared this after learning of Elise’s whereabouts.
Fraudsters claiming to be illegitimate children of noble families, seeking inheritance, were plentiful.
Cecilia, however, remained unshaken.
“Visit the public medical records in Western Brisen. Twenty-two years ago, a woman named Sella gave birth. There should be a record.”
“Sella?”
“That was Evan’s mother’s alias. She likely used it to avoid the matriarch’s pursuit.”
Cecilia’s voice was confident.
In her past life, Elise had ultimately located Evan based on this hospital record.
Having heard it directly from the matriarch, there could be no doubt.
Unfortunately, the maid had died of puerperal fever two days after giving birth, leaving the child to the care of an orphanage.
“So… now, will you marry me?”
