Chapter 03
A Plan to Get Rejected
Lillian immediately crumpled up the paper she had just written.
“No, this won’t do. If His Grace reads a note like this, he’ll explode in anger!”
She felt like crying. No matter how many times she rewrote it, nothing felt right. Just last night, she had been full of fluttering excitement—but now it was the complete opposite. Her situation felt like a moth trapped in a spider’s web, desperately struggling just to survive.
After wasting several more sheets of paper, Lillian finally slumped forward onto her desk.
This mess happened because the note was delivered to the wrong person… Is it really okay to write another one?
On top of that, writing it down felt insincere. But going to say it in person was far too terrifying—she didn’t have the courage. Stuck between the two, her anxiety only burned hotter.
“Isn’t there some better way…?”
Whenever she thought of Duke Cartan, she didn’t know why, but she imagined the smell of sticky, metallic blood. As if it were pouring over her like a waterfall, eventually swallowing her whole like a swamp. Just standing in front of him made it hard to stay sane. He was frightening, terrifying—downright horrifying.
Well… it’s not just me.
Everyone probably felt the same way. They just didn’t dare say it out loud. That was why no one came to mind whom she could ask for help. After all, who would dare oppose the man who killed the late emperor and now ruled above the current one?
I definitely can’t tell the baron.
Lillian ruffled her hair in frustration. She sighed so deeply it felt like the ground might cave in, but no solution came to mind.
After sitting blankly at her desk for a long time, she glanced out the window. Dawn had already arrived.
“Ha… the wedding will start soon.”
She had wanted to neatly wrap up the end of her life—but instead, everything had turned into a mess. A husband here, the man she loved there, and yet another man in between.
“What even is this?”
Her head spun, as if she were playing the role of some legendary femme fatale that didn’t suit her at all.
Should I just run away?
Just as that thought crossed her mind, her eyes landed on a book on her shelf.
[30 Secrets to Making the Person You Like Yours]
She had impulsively bought it years ago, hoping to look even a little prettier in the baron’s eyes. She remembered closing it after only a few pages—the advice had been too abstract and unrealistic.
Maybe… there’s an answer in here!
Lillian reached out and grabbed the book.
“Chapter 1: Good and bad examples of appealing to men. Chapter 2: Why are you always the one getting dumped? Chapter 3: Fox-like secrets to making a man ask you out. Chapter 4: Seduction techniques to turn a man into your captive…”
The moment she read the table of contents, she nearly shouted, “Eureka!” A brilliant idea flashed through her mind.
That’s it. I just need to get rejected! Why didn’t I think of this sooner?!
If she couldn’t reject Duke Cartan herself, then she just had to make him reject her! It was such a simple solution—why had she spent all night agonizing over it?
She lacked experience with men and knew nothing about seduction—but getting dumped? That, she was confident in. If the duke became disappointed and sick of her, everything would be solved. She could cleanly undo her mistake without suffering any retaliation!
Proud of her own cleverness, Lillian straightened her shoulders.
“Let’s do this right away!”
She quickly flipped through the book, reading it carefully—then firmly decided to act in the exact opposite way of what it recommended.
***
I guess things really can work out like this.
A miracle had happened. According to her father, the wedding to Count Gewin had been postponed. On top of that, when she went to work, she learned that Baron Jeffrey had urgently received an imperial order and left the capital yesterday.
This might be the perfect chance!
Not seeing the baron for a while made her sad—but it also meant she had gained time to fix the situation.
I’ll clean everything up before the baron comes back!
Lillian walked over to where Jeffrey’s jacket hung alone and retrieved the note from its inner pocket.
The fact that it’s still here means…
One note had been seen by the grand duke, and the other had remained untouched in the jacket. In other words, the baron had never seen her confession at all.
Realizing that her confession had gone completely unnoticed, Lillian felt an inexplicable bitterness.
I really worked up the courage to write that…
“Phew.”
She sighed. Everything felt tangled and frustrating—but at the same time, part of her felt relieved. Her emotions were a mess.
No! I don’t have time to feel depressed. I need to get rejected by the grand duke—fast!
She quickly shook off the gloomy mood.
The plan was simple. According to the book, men found overly aggressive women burdensome.
So she should avoid approaching him too much and let the man take the initiative to ask for dates.
Lillian clenched her fist. Honestly, just imagining facing the grand duke was overwhelming—but she had no other choice.
“I have to do this no matter what!”
With her resolve set, she headed to Duke Cartan’s office.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The secretary’s voice came from inside. Despite knocking boldly, Lillian felt nervous when she actually turned the doorknob.
“I—I’m here to see Duke Cartan.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
At the secretary’s question, Lillian froze.
Right—Duke Cartan wasn’t someone you could just see whenever you wanted. She should have made an appointment in advance.
“N-No… not exactly, but—”
Cutting her off, the secretary replied firmly.
“Then that won’t be possible. Please make an appointment and come back later.”
“W-What? Ah… then when should I come?”
“Flustered,” Lillian asked hesitantly. The secretary checked the schedule mechanically and answered indifferently.
“Two months from now, at 10 a.m., it is open.”
Lillian doubted her ears.
Two months? When was time this critical?! And that wasn’t even the end of it—after that, she’d still need to arrange a formal meeting. At this rate, when would she ever get rejected?
Despair washed over her as she clutched her head.
“That’s a bit… I just need a moment. Isn’t there any way? Five minutes is enough.”
“No.”
She pleaded, but the secretary rejected her without hesitation.
Just as she was about to give up and leave—
“Let her in.”
The voice from inside made her breath catch. It was Duke Cartan.
Only then did the secretary gesture toward the inner office.
Lillian hesitated. Now that she actually had to go in, her legs refused to move—it felt like standing at the gates of hell. If she just went back and lived quietly, wouldn’t the busy duke forget about her eventually?
She looked back and forth between Cartan’s door and the exit, torn with indecision.
No. I have to be clear. I don’t have much time left.
Having made up her mind, Lillian glared at the door as if she might burn it down. Then, like a general marching off to war, she strode forward and turned the handle.
“Ah.”
A faint gasp slipped from her lips.
Contrary to her expectations, the duke’s office wasn’t scary or horrifying. Documents were piled high on his desk—and even spilled over onto the meeting table.
As she looked at the stacks, she noticed something out of place: a small bonsai tree. A smile tugged at her lips. Even to her trained eye, it was exceptionally healthy and well cared for.
“If you’re not here to look around, state your business.”
At the sound of his voice, her gaze snapped toward him. Only then did Lillian realize she had been silently admiring the room for quite some time. She spoke to Cartan, who hadn’t even looked up from his documents.
“Your Grace… Please go on a date with me.”
Clatter.
The pen in Duke Cartan’s hand slipped and fell.
