Chapter 04
“I’ll say it again, Your Majesty. I already have someone I promised to marry. She’s not a typical noble lady, which is probably why Your Majesty hasn’t heard of her.”
“Not a typical noble? Duke, don’t tell me… you mean she’s a commoner?”
The king’s lips curled into a sharp smile. Curtis raised one eyebrow.
“Why ask that, Your Majesty? You almost sound like you hope she’s a commoner.”
“Hahaha!”
The king laughed loudly, slapping his knee as if he were a cheerful man. Of course, he wasn’t really amused.
“I was just making sure, in case you’d forgotten Ivannes law. You do know that nobles marrying commoners results in losing their titles, right?”
Curtis answered flatly, without emotion.
“I heard that law is so outdated no one takes it seriously anymore.”
“It’s still in the law books. And marriage involving the royal family must follow strict rules.”
Even though the king was clearly trying to pressure Curtis, his words were smooth and sweet—as if he were being kind.
“Of course, even so, if the woman you love is a commoner, I’ll still support the wedding. I’ll make sure it’s a grand celebration, no matter who she is.”
But nobody in that room was dumb enough to believe the king meant it kindly.
Even Chloe—just a junior noble—could now see what the king was really trying to do.
‘He wants to strip Duke Verck of his right to inherit the throne.’
Curtis Shan Verck had always walked a reasonable path as the king’s half-brother. He made it clear he had no interest in the throne and chose a military career instead.
Unfortunately for the king, Curtis turned out to be a brilliant soldier—just like many beloved rulers in Ivannes’ history.
Meanwhile, the current king had never stepped foot on a battlefield, never even got his boots dusty. His son, Crown Prince Frederick, was well-liked and friendly, but not exactly war-hero material either.
Naturally, the people of Ivannes often admired Curtis, the nation’s military hero, more than the royal family. His tragic past and handsome looks only added to the appeal.
Rumor had it that every time someone called Curtis a hero, a servant’s head in the palace would roll.
So it wasn’t surprising that the king brought up the issue of marrying a commoner—“low birth marriage” was historically punished with title loss.
Though most considered the law outdated now, it technically still existed.
‘Welp. Looks like he’s actually going to have to go on that blind date…’
Chloe did a quick mental calculation.
Sure, the Duke claimed to have a fiancée, but that was clearly a lie. The king had proof: his guard duty logs showed Curtis had no time for romance.
And the king wasn’t going to let it slide with a half-hearted excuse.
‘Whoever ends up marrying that guy… good luck to her…’
Just then—
“Did you hear that, Ensign Ambroise?”
Chloe flinched. Her beautiful—and extremely annoying—boss was smiling down at her.
And suddenly, she remembered the legendary saying passed around the Royal Guard:
“If Brigadier General Verck is expressionless, it’s either okay or it’s doomed.
If he looks annoyed, it’s definitely doomed.
But if he smiles—then you’re totally screwed.”
And right now, he was smiling. At her.
Chloe began to sweat.
‘What… What’s happening? Why do I feel like I’m about to get screwed over?!’
She clutched her sweaty hands tightly and asked cautiously,
“…Sorry, I didn’t catch that?”
Her tone clearly meant:
‘I’m just a background extra—why am I suddenly involved in this mess?!’
But Chloe had forgotten one important thing: her boss, Curtis Shan Verck, was the type of person who would drag you into trouble even without a reason.
Curtis kept smiling sweetly. Then, he gently reached out and stroked her cheek.
Chloe’s eyes went wide in shock.
And without even glancing at her again, he looked straight at the king and said:
“Chloe Ambroise. We’ve been in a relationship for a few months now—specifically, three.”
Chloe blurted out without thinking,
“…Me??”
Curtis didn’t respond. He simply added,
“She’s a bit slow, but that’s part of her charm.”
Even in the middle of her panic, Chloe thought:
‘I’m going to kill him.’
Of course, she wasn’t the only one completely caught off guard.
“What?!”
The king’s eyes bulged.
“What are you saying? That…”
“If you didn’t quite understand what I said, Your Majesty,” Curtis interrupted smoothly, “I’ll repeat it.”
Most people will never understand a king’s state of mind. But in this moment, Chloe completely understood the king’s awkward stammering.
She herself was so stunned she could barely function.
…Of course, the king didn’t know just how horrified Chloe felt.
After all, the king had no boss. He’d never had someone he wanted to punch suddenly call him their fiancée in front of an entire royal court. That experience? Totally foreign to him.
‘The king doesn’t have a boss but I—wait, focus!’
Whether she was shocked or not, Curtis kept going as if this were totally normal.
“Yes. I knew about the proposed marriage with Glintland. That’s why I brought her with me. I asked my aide, Chloe Ambroise, to become the owner of my soul.”
That phrase—“owner of my soul”—was an old Ivannes tradition. It was something men used to call their wives.
“…Sir,” Chloe said in a trembling voice.
She put all her feelings into that single word—like, is this some new form of punishment? Please tell me this is a joke.
Curtis looked down at her briefly. His violet eyes were as calm as always—but Chloe could see it. Something new.
A storm.
In the three months she had worked under him, she had never seen such a flicker of emotion in his gaze.
Anyone else might not have noticed, but Chloe wasn’t just anyone.
Sure, it had only been three months, but she had spent nearly every moment—minus sleep—by his side.
So she noticed it right away.
And because of that, her mind slowly began to clear from panic.
So… this is what’s happening.
Just as she started to piece it all together—
“I’ll explain everything later,” he whispered, so quietly it was almost like he didn’t move his lips. A soldier’s trick. “Just go along with it for now.”
Chloe blinked. She wasn’t trained in those kinds of whisper techniques—she was ex-navy, not army.
She couldn’t exactly whisper back with the king glaring at them like that. So she spoke out loud, clearly and slowly:
“…I’m very confused right now, sir. Marriage… what do you mean?”
Everyone in the room could hear it.
And her meaning was clear:
‘Why the hell would I marry him?!’
She looked at Curtis out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he understood her meaning.
Surprisingly, he did.
“That’s understandable, Chloe,” he said kindly, gently taking her sweaty hand.
Chloe screamed internally.
‘Did he just hold my hand?!’
Anyone who’s ever had a boss they wanted to punch would understand her horror.
‘He held my hand! Ugh! And wait—he just said my first name! Not even my last name!’
Still, instead of planning his murder and listing “boss assassination” as her reason for resignation, Chloe forced herself to focus.
She had survived three months under Curtis Shan Verck not just because of the bonus pay, but because she was good at reading the room.
So she quickly understood:
Curtis had chosen her to avoid being forced into the arranged marriage.
But just because he had chosen her didn’t mean she agreed to it.
“Marriage? Out of nowhere?”
She squinted at him in disbelief. But Curtis calmly brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“I’ll give you anything you want,” he whispered again.
Chloe’s fingers twitched.
And of course, the young war hero didn’t miss a beat. He continued softly,
“Promotion, bonuses, transfer—anything.”
“Brigadier General Ver—”
But before she could finish, Curtis turned around and spoke loudly to the king.
“Please forgive my poor fiancée. She’s just overwhelmed right now. She’s a timid, delicate woman.”
Even in the middle of this mess, Chloe had a thought:
‘At least put some lip balm on if you’re going to lie like that.’
Curtis turned back toward her, still speaking loudly for everyone to hear.
“When I first confessed my love, she was hesitant too, because of the difference in our status. That’s why this sudden situation must be even more overwhelming for her.”
Ah. So that’s the story you’re going with…
Of course, the king wasn’t just going to sit there and take it.
He had been caught off guard, but now he glared sharply and snapped back,
“Don’t lie, Duke. It’s obvious you’re just using your female aide as an excuse to get out of this.”
Anyone with a brain could tell that’s exactly what was happening.
But Curtis, without blinking, asked calmly,
“And why would Your Majesty assume that?”
