Chapter 01
A Mistaken Confession
I’ve liked you for a long time.
I’ll be waiting at the fountain square until you come out.
— Lillian Dante
Lillian was in a hurry. She had taken longer than expected changing out of her dirty work clothes and into a dress.
By now, the baron must have read the note I left.
Even as she ran toward the plaza, her heart pounded wildly. Who would have thought that timid little her would ever work up the courage to confess her feelings?
The only reason she, someone so lacking, had been able to work as an exclusive gardener at the imperial palace was thanks to Baron Jeffrey Weather, the head of the court. Even when she made mistakes, he was always the only one who smiled kindly at her.
Before she knew it, she had been secretly harboring feelings for him for five years.
In the distance, the white marble fountain came into view. Water sprayed endlessly into the air, sparkling brilliantly as it caught the sunlight.
He hasn’t arrived before me, has he?
Her nerves refused to settle. She finally stopped, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself.
“Don’t be scared. Say it clearly. You’re really going to confess.”
Today was her last chance. Soon, she would become someone else’s bride. That was why she had stayed up all night, writing and rewriting that note.
Lillian closed her eyes and took another deep breath.
A gentle breeze brushed past, teasing the hem of her dress.
The weather was perfect. The sky was clear, without a single cloud, and the sunlight wasn’t harsh. There couldn’t be a better day for a confession.
What will the baron say?
Knowing him, he would probably be very surprised. And he must already know about her upcoming marriage. So he was likely on his way to gently comfort her right now.
As she walked slowly toward the fountain, Lillian thought of Jeffrey—his pale pink hair and eyes like hers, his small but sharp build, and the gentle smile he always gave her when their eyes met.
A smile naturally formed on her lips.
If she were her usual self, she never would have confessed her feelings. If she weren’t about to be married. If today weren’t her last chance.
“I like you very much. No… I’ve liked you for a long time.”
She murmured the words she had kept hidden deep in her heart for years, as if reciting something memorized. She had practiced all night, but she knew that once she actually saw him, her words might fail her.
My kind baron. I’ll soon belong to someone else.
Jeffrey’s answer wasn’t that important to her. She didn’t have much time left, and she was simply checking off items from her bucket list—things she wanted to do before it was too late.
Confessing to Baron Jeffrey was one of them.
Once her heart finally calmed, Lillian slowly opened her eyes. But the moment she reached the fountain, she froze in place.
The imperial guards had completely surrounded it.
D-did something happen?
As she quietly tried to turn back, the knights suddenly shouted and drew their swords, crossing the blades overhead as if forming a roof.
A military drill? I didn’t hear anything about one…
At that moment, a man standing with his hands clasped behind his back turned toward her. When Lillian saw who it was, her face went deathly pale with fear.
“Ah… D-Duke… Y-Your Grace…”
She hurriedly bowed her head in a proper salute, but the man simply stared at her in silence.
He’s terrifying.
Her heart felt like it was about to burst. Even after a long moment passed, he neither moved aside nor told her to leave. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as she cautiously raised her head.
“Ah.”
She stiffened completely. His intense, piercing gaze felt as if it would bore straight through her face. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest.
“I—I’m sorry. P-Please forgive me, Y-Your Grace.”
She quickly lowered her eyes again. A chill ran down her spine, and large beads of sweat rolled down her back.
Please… Just go.
Lillian was terrified of Duke Cartan—terrified to the point she could barely breathe.
Cartan Ladeon Kairos, Grand Duke. He had once been a member of the imperial family but was expelled.
The reason was horrifying: he had murdered the late emperor and empress who gave birth to him and slaughtered his own siblings without mercy.
Because of this, the council permanently stripped him of the imperial family name Richmond Kairos.
Even so, under the pretext of protecting his young nephew who sat on the throne, he ruled the empire as its de facto emperor—a truly frightening man.
When he still didn’t move, Lillian cautiously stepped back. Just as she turned to leave—
Cartan spoke.
“Are you planning to leave without even hearing my answer after confessing?”
Lillian slowly forced her stiff neck up. She swallowed hard as she met his pale blue eyes, still looking down at her.
Once, Duke Cartan had been known as the most handsome man in the empire, adored by countless women.
His red hair contrasted sharply with his snow-white skin, making women’s hearts flutter. His mysterious blue eyes enchanted them. Even a single glance from his usually indifferent expression was enough to make one dizzy with allure.
But to Lillian, he was nothing more than a power-mad, immoral monster—an object of pure fear. She couldn’t think straight.
“…Pardon?”
She finally managed to respond in a broken voice, but Cartan ignored her confusion and continued.
“Lillian Dante, was it? You’re bolder than I expected.”
Hearing her name spoken from his lips made her shoulders tense.
“Aren’t you about to be married? And yet you confess your love to me? What if I accepted it? Or were you planning to toy with me a little?”
T-Toy with him?! What is even happening right now?!
Her eyes widened in shock as she desperately tried to understand his words.
“This—wasn’t it meant for me?”
“…!”
When she saw the note in his hand, her mouth fell open.
Why does he have the letter I wrote for the baron?!
Their eyes met. His gaze felt dangerous, like a predator staring at its prey, making her chest tighten with fear.
“Th-that is…”
She was too scared to speak. Her mind went completely blank.
Cartan looked down at her quietly, then slowly curled his lips into a smile. Though it was beautiful, her heart raced in terror.
“What? Did your feelings change in the meantime?”
As he stepped closer, the knights all sheathed their swords at once. Faced with such disciplined movement, Lillian couldn’t bring herself to say that the letter had gone to the wrong person.
If I tell the truth here… he might order me executed for embarrassing him in front of the knights!
She might be terminally ill, but she couldn’t let any harm come to the innocent baron.
Panting, she quickly shook her head.
“W-Why would someone as great as Y-Your Grace accept such a t-trivial confession from me?”
She forced a smile, even though her lips trembled, but it didn’t work. Instead, Cartan seemed offended by something she said and closed the distance between them even faster.
Now directly above her, he bent down until their eyes met. His breath brushed against her face, burning hot.
“Why are you so certain I would reject your confession?”
In that moment, Lillian realized—
Ah. I’m completely screwed.
