* * *
What on earth is Giselle thinking?
Count Florette had found himself with more time to oversee various matters since his estate responsibilities had lessened, which was why he sat in the council meeting room in the imperial palace now. Yet even here, surrounded by the drone of political discussion, his thoughts circled back to Giselle like a moth to flame.
What kind of life has that child lived?
His fingers drummed against the polished table in a restless rhythm. A noble beside him cleared his throat delicately.
“Count Florette, the meeting will begin soon.”
“Ah.” He blinked, pulled from their reverie. “My apologies.”
“Best to be mindful—Duke Kalinos is expected to arrive shortly.”
The very mention of that name sent a ripple of tension through the room. Duke Kalinos had returned from the northern monster war, and the tales of how he’d handled that conflict had turned him into something of a living nightmare. Count Mo had thrown himself in front of a departing carriage just to avoid an encounter, and was now bedridden after being trampled by horses. Viscount Haud had even made a pilgrimage to the temple for expensive holy water, as if preparing for an exorcism.
“But did you hear?” someone whispered. “Rumor has it there’s a lady in the Kalinos household now.”
“A lady?”
“Nobody knows who she is. Given how terrifying that family is, people are joking she might be a two-meter-tall troll.” The speaker’s voice dropped to a prayer. “Whatever the case, I hope they head back north soon. Please.”
Jake, head of the imperial security force, looked ready to tear his hair out as he slumped over the table. Word was that ghosts had been spotted near Duke Kalinos’ residence, keeping him on patrol every damned night.
Duke Kalinos’s family doesn’t concern me. Count Florette mused. He had his hands full with spice trading and managing his southern territory. He shook his head dismissively. “Hang in there. They’ll leave soon enough. If he finds a fiancée, he’ll leave even quicker.”
It wasn’t his problem to solve.
To ease the suffocating tension, light chatter began to flow.
“Oh, speaking of which, do you remember Giselle?”
“Pfft.”
“Ah, the lady from House Florette—the family’s embarrassment? By the way, Count, are you holding up alright?”
Every person in that room seemed to have an opinion about Giselle, and each word dripped with disdain that made Count Florette’s jaw clench.
“What did you just say? Giselle is an embarrassment?”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? That she went around begging for a betrothal?”
Count Florette had heard the whispers, yes. But something felt wrong about how perfectly everyone’s stories aligned, like pieces of a puzzle that fit too neatly together. While Count Florette pressed their lips into a thin line and glared, two oblivious nobles chuckled between themselves.
“Poor Count Florette, really. Stuck with such an ugly duckling.”
“That last ball was quite the spectacle when she got hit in the face with an onion. She didn’t look very noble, did she? Crying as she was chased out like some commoners.”
“Are you planning to send her away, Count? When will you do it?”
As their laughter continued, something snapped inside Count Florette. His hand shot out, seizing the offending noble by the collar. “What nonsense is this about getting hit with an onion?”
“Ugh—ugh!”
Years of sailing and surviving on remote islands had made Count Florette physically formidable. The frail noble caught in their grip went wide-eyed with panic.
“Gah—gah!”
“What kind of disrespect is this toward Giselle, you—!”
“N-No—”
The noble struggled against Count Florette’s iron grip, but he only shook him harder, his other hand clenched into a fist.
“Speak up!”
The clock’s chime cut through the chaos, marking the hour. At that exact moment, Duke Kalinos appeared in the doorway, his expression suggesting he found the entire scene beneath his notice. “What is going on here?”
“D-Duke, it’s just that—”
Everyone knew Duke Kalinos’s reputation. Ruthless. Merciless. The vassals’ mouths went dry as they scrambled to explain the situation.
Duke Kalinos moved with predatory grace toward the two still locked in their collar-grabbing altercation. Count Florette tightened his grip, chin raised in defiant anger. But what on earth is that expression on Duke Kalinos’s face?
Without warning, Duke Kalinos seized the noble by the neck and slammed him to the ground. A tooth skittered across the marble floor, broken from the brutal impact. At that moment, Count Florette jerked his face away, muscles rigid with shock.
“Write down your name and title. Then leave.”
A tooth wasn’t something you lost quietly. It certainly wasn’t something you walked away from without consequence.
“Y-Your Grace—”
“What?”
“I-I’m sorry.” Blood dripped from the noble’s mouth as he scrambled backward, every instinct screaming danger. He fled.
Count Florette stared at Duke Kalinos—the man who had just avenged him—with complete bewilderment etched across his features. I’m grateful, but why?
Duke Kalinos met his gaze, his voice carrying an odd formality. “I simply did what needed to be done.”
“Pardon?”
“We’ll meet soon. No.” His eyes flickered, betraying the slightest tremor of uncertainty. “Let’s meet soon.” The words hung awkwardly in the air, stilted and formal in a way that didn’t match the brutal efficiency he’d just displayed.
Everyone in the room wore matching expressions of confusion. Duke Kalinos—the nightmare of the northern wars—acting… protective? Over Count Florette?
What does he mean by meet soon? What the hell is this about?
But the person they needed answers from had already vanished, leaving only the echo of his retreating footsteps and the sight of his slowly unclenching fists.
The meeting dissolved into chaos, conducted more through violence than words.
* * *
That night, Duke Kalinos closed a romance novel with an expressionless face. [A Guide to High Society Lovers] bore delicate floral illustrations across its cover—a jarring contrast to the hands that held it.
At least I’ve made a good impression on my future father-in-law.
A husband who stayed silent while his wife faced insults was a failure. He’d researched extensively what one typically did when their lover was disrespected.
The chances of getting marriage permission have increased. That’s pleasing. Yet unease still coiled in his chest like a living thing.
He’d summoned the gossiping servant and extracted every rumor surrounding Giselle. According to his trusted aide, Giselle had suffered greatly at the hands of both her family and society.
Looks like more people may try to hinder her path again.
Mariposa Florette posed the greatest threat. Any impurity that might contaminate his new research subject—this contract marriage—couldn’t be tolerated. Since his perfect eldest brother’s untimely death, Duke Kalinos demanded nothing less than perfection in everything he chose.
In that case, I’ll handle it myself.
The next morning arrived with clockwork precision. Duke Kalinos had calculated the exact moment for this meeting with Giselle.
“I’ll help you.”
His abrupt declaration left Giselle blinking in confusion. “What? With what? All of a sudden?”
“You intend to confront Mariposa Florette. From my observations, that much is clear.”
“Huh? Lord, this is a family matter—”
“I want my employee focused solely on my research.”
Giselle tilted her head, confused at first, then nodded in understanding. “Ah, I see! But I’ve already made plans to confront Mariposa!”
“I’d like to assist with that plan.”
Everything served the pursuit of perfect employment.
“If you want, I can lend you my family name. No—”
“…?”
His voice dropped to a whisper, carrying an edge sharp enough to cut. “I could lend you myself.”
