~Chapter 10~
Maybe it was uncomfortable for her because I wasn’t Dad’s real daughter.
Or maybe she was just embarrassed by how I always acted differently from other noble girls.
Either way, I could understand.
So it made sense that I found her sudden suggestion to join the festival a bit suspicious.
“Me… why?”
The answer didn’t come from Harry—it came from Dad.
“A letter arrived just now from Duke Romanov.”
‘Duke Romanov?’
I had literally just seen him earlier today.
I tilted my head, confused.
“A letter?”
“Yes. He’s asked to be your partner for the Founding Festival.”
…What?
‘Ugh… partner?!’
Instantly, that scary face of Duke Romanov flashed through my mind, and I could almost hear his sharp voice ringing in my ears.
Just imagining walking next to him, holding his hand, made me feel dizzy.
It was like I was a helpless animal being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
Or being escorted to the afterlife by the Grim Reaper.
“Ughhh…”
I let out a weird noise without meaning to, the thought alone made me squirm.
Dad saw my horrified face and just chose to ignore it, continuing the conversation.
“…He said he respects your wish to break off the engagement. But now he’s doing something totally out of character, and I can’t figure out what he’s thinking.”
Just as Dad mumbled that in a low voice, Lucian—who had been quietly
sitting—suddenly jumped up and shouted at me.
“What?! Breaking off the engagement?!”
His yelling made Dad frown and cover one ear.
But Lucian didn’t care that Dad and my brothers were glaring at him.
He was fuming.
“Breaking up the engagement?! Hey! Hazel! Did you do something crazy again?!”
His nostrils flared like he was showing off some hidden madness, and his face turned red like a ripe apple.
I looked at his face with an annoyed expression and snapped back.
“Me? I didn’t do anything, okay?”
I always told myself I’d deal with his hatred.
But when he’s right in front of me like this, there’s no way I could just stand there and take it.
Maybe it’s because even if we’re not blood-related, we’ve spent so much time bickering like real siblings.
“Then why’s the engagement breaking off?!”
“I’m not being dumped, okay?”
Dad, who had been watching us argue, sighed and waved us off.
“Everyone out. My head is pounding like never before. Hazel, think it over slowly. Let me know if you need anything.”
The moment he kicked us all out, Harry grabbed Lucian by the shoulders and started dragging him away with a smile.
Watching that, I also quietly stepped out of the room.
I was heading straight to my room, but Eden followed me.
At first, I thought we just happened to be going the same way.
But the way he subtly matched my pace made it obvious—he was definitely following me.
‘Uh… why is he following me?’
I glanced at him.
Our eyes met.
Unlike me, who flinched, Eden looked calm.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to accept Romanov’s offer.”
I blinked at him.
I was a little confused.
“It was unexpected, sure… but since we’re not officially broken off yet, don’t I need a good reason to say no?”
“You don’t need a reason.”
Of course, I needed one.
It was Duke Romanov.
He was still my official fiancé.
Turning down his request without a good reason would be rude, and I knew that much.
“It’s fine.”
And honestly… I meant it.
‘I used to avoid going outside like the plague…’
But now I had a reason to go out.
It was time to start becoming independent.
Time to learn how to adjust to the world outside.
In the side story, the future had always been with Duke Romanov, so there was no reason to look beyond that.
‘But things are totally different now.’
I needed to explore and gather as much info as possible.
Check out different places.
See how others live.
“Actually… I’m kind of looking forward to the festival.”
“…?”
Eden looked like he was trying to figure me out.
Maybe it was weird to him that I, who always avoided stuff like this, suddenly acted so differently.
His stiff expression gradually relaxed.
His eyes widened slightly as he looked at me.
And yeah… I noticed it too.
“Well, I’ll head in now.”
I acted like I didn’t notice and quickly slipped into my room.
—
Duke Romanov found it hard to get Hazel Lindbergh out of his mind after meeting her for the first time.
“…What the hell is this feeling?”
He had never paid this much attention to anyone before.
But the moment that weird girl showed up in front of him, something inside him shifted.
His entire focus started zeroing in on her like a drawn sword.
It felt like she was constantly getting under his skin.
“She suddenly appears, claiming she’s my fiancée… and demands to break it off.”
“…Unbelievable.”
Of course, he had never cared much about the engagement either.
It was just a symbolic act—a kind of rebellion against his fate.
Marrying and producing a strong heir to preserve the power of eternal night… that was all the engagement had meant to him.
But then, why did it feel like he’d been betrayed?
Why did his jaw ache every time he thought about her?
That’s why… he couldn’t just let Hazel Lindbergh go so easily.
That’s why he added conditions to the break-up.
“There’s still time. I’ll just figure her out slowly.”
Maybe he’d gone crazy.
Or maybe that strange woman had something he hadn’t expected.
Either way, he wasn’t letting her go.
He needed to observe her more.
The engagement was his safety net.
“If she ends up with someone else, that’d be a problem.”
She talked a lot, but Hazel was still a noble lady of the Empire.
To unmarried men blinded by status, she was a very desirable bride.
And despite the rumors calling her ugly, she was actually stunning—so beautiful you couldn’t forget her face after seeing it once.
“Tch. I’m thinking too much.”
Knock knock.
Just then, as he sat in thought, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
It was Joel, the long-serving butler of House Romanov.
“We’ve received a reply from House Lindbergh.”
Duke opened the letter Joel handed over.
As he read it, his lips curved into a smile.
They had accepted his proposal to be festival partners.
“I thought she’d come storming over, demanding why I’d even suggest this. But she accepted this easily?”
Joel hesitated for a moment, then carefully asked,
“Your Grace… have you met Lady Lindbergh before?”
Duke shook his head slightly at the unexpected question.
“Why would I have any connection with such a strange woman?”
“…I see. It’s just that… I’ve never seen you act like this with anyone before, so I asked something I shouldn’t have.”
As Joel spoke, Duke once again felt that unfamiliar, uncomfortable feeling wash over him.
Meanwhile, Joel—still looking calm—was thinking something else entirely.
He had been by Duke’s side since birth.
He prided himself on understanding his master’s moods.
‘His Grace only entered this engagement to rebel against his fate. He had zero interest in the lady herself…’
Joel barely stopped himself from smiling.
He saw it.
The change in his master.
‘But now that he’s met her… he likes her. And it’s no wonder—she was nothing like the ugly rumors. She was breathtaking.’
When Hazel showed up at the mansion saying she was Duke’s fiancée, every servant in the Romanov household had to work hard to hide how excited they were.
‘They’re a perfect match. Our duke is finally gonna settle down… husband… future father!’
Even though Duke and Hazel were still acting like the other was some kind of alien creature, Joel was already daydreaming about her becoming the next Duchess Romanov.
