CHAPTER 04
The next day.
As promised, I visited the Grand Duchy of Delua.
‘I expected it, but… it really is huge.’
I looked up at the mansion, a bit overwhelmed.
True to its reputation as the home of one of the Empire’s three wealthiest families, it was an enormous townhouse.
Soon, the carriage stopped, and an elderly butler stepped forward to escort me politely.
“Welcome, Duchess. His Highness has been expecting you.”
I clasped my slightly trembling hands together to hide the nerves and followed behind him.
I was the one who requested this meeting, but considering who I was dealing with, I couldn’t help but feel tense.
An illegitimate prince born in the slums.
Scorned by the nobility because of his origins, he silenced their resentment with victories on the battlefield…
Then crushed their tongues with his wealth through immense business success.
‘The Mad Dog of the Palace. The Grim Reaper of the Battlefield. The Demon Obsessed with Money…’
He had just about every terrifying nickname imaginable.
But I couldn’t afford to falter.
Show weakness in a negotiation, and you’ll be devoured whole.
As I steeled myself, we arrived in front of the reception room.
“Your Highness, the Duchess of Farnese has arrived.”
I stared at the closed door, swallowing hard.
Then, a low, languid male voice came from within.
“Let her in.”
I entered the reception room and met the eyes of the man waiting for me—
and froze.
“It’s been a while, Duchess.”
His black hair looked like it had been cut straight from the night sky, and beneath it, golden eyes glinted sharply.
The moment I met his gaze, my heart dropped.
It felt like I had come face-to-face with a predator in the dark—his presence alone was suffocating.
But that feeling only lasted a moment.
Because something else immediately grabbed my attention.
It wasn’t his overwhelming aura or his impossibly handsome face…
‘…Why is his face sparkling?’
The man himself—Idris Delua—was glittering.
He wasn’t an object. He wasn’t jewelry. But he sparkled more than anything I’d ever seen.
So basically…
‘This is a sign—I have to succeed in this negotiation and bring this man to my side.’
As if responding to my thoughts, his glow sparkled even brighter.
Alright then.
‘If this man can benefit me…’
Let’s do this.
With a bright, confident smile, I greeted him.
“Thank you for receiving me on such short notice.”
“I was far too curious to ignore the Duchess who’s been avoiding me suddenly asking for a meeting.”
Oof. That hit a little close.
How did he know?
Only I knew he was the villain of the original novel, so I was always careful not to make my avoidance obvious.
Still, even if it was obvious, admitting it here would be foolish.
“Avoiding you? Of course not. Just… a series of coincidences, I suppose.”
Idris stared at me, unconvinced, as if he could see right through my lies.
But he didn’t press further.
“Would it be too rude to jump straight to business?”
“If Your Highness is pressed for time, I’d be happy to. I wouldn’t want to take up too much of your valuable day.”
Truthfully, I was hoping we would get straight to business.
But as the one who came here to propose something, I couldn’t just dive in headfirst.
‘Still, that voice… where have I heard it before?’
It was languid but chilling—like the air before dawn.
Before I could place it, Idris broke the silence.
“Do you play chess?”
…Chess?
Come to think of it, there was a chessboard between us.
“A little…?”
“Perfect.”
Before I could reconsider, Idris began setting up the pieces.
“Then how about this: if you beat me at chess, I’ll listen to your proposal.”
His golden eyes curved slyly into a smirk.
The moment I saw that smile, I knew.
This man was not going to be easy.
“Ladies first.”
Leticia took the white side, gaining the first move.
At first, they were evenly matched.
But as the game progressed, Idris began to fall behind.
Leticia read several moves ahead.
And Idris played them exactly as she anticipated.
Yet even as he steadily lost piece after piece, Idris remained unbothered.
That’s because from the very beginning, he had decided to let her win.
But there was a reason he had suggested this chess game in the first place…
‘…She’s not afraid of me.’
He had been watching her closely.
People typically had one of two reactions when meeting Idris Delua:
They either trembled from fear, having heard the rumors…
Or they became entranced, unable to look away from his stunning appearance.
Leticia, in his past encounters with her, had clearly belonged to the former group.
Aside from her striking eyes—which reminded him of someone—she had seemed ordinary.
But now…
She wasn’t afraid of him.
And she wasn’t dazzled by his face either.
She was just focused—desperately trying to win this game.
‘What changed her?’
Her behavior, so unlike before, piqued his curiosity.
As Idris watched her silently, Leticia, who had been intensely focused on the board, suddenly looked up.
Unlike others, who instinctively averted their eyes from his, she met his gaze head-on.
“Isn’t it boring to play a game where the outcome is obvious?”
Before he could respond, Leticia dropped her chess piece onto the floor.
Clack.
The sound echoed in the quiet room.
And then, she began dropping more—one by one, knocking her own pieces off the board.
Idris’ expression stiffened for the first time, his brow furrowing.
“What are you doing—?”
By the time Leticia stopped, she had put herself at a clear disadvantage.
“How about this, then?” she said, rotating the board so her white side now faced Idris.
She had realized he had been playing with her.
Usually, when women realized that, they giggled or blushed at his charm.
But Leticia? She fought back.
That audacity…
“…You’re interesting. Truly.”
She had caught his attention.
But she wasn’t the only one analyzing during the game.
Leticia had also been studying him.
Because games reveal character.
‘Idris has no interest in guaranteed victories.’
He found no joy in games with predictable outcomes.
But there was one thing he was interested in—
Leticia Farnese.
A woman who had always avoided him, only to suddenly come to him now, with unclear motives.
Her unpredictable actions had captured his curiosity.
‘Which means…’
Leticia curled her lips into a smile and tossed out the perfect bait.
“Then how about a different game? One with unpredictable results. For example…”
She picked up the black queen and placed it in the empty white queen’s square.
“…teaming up with your rival’s ex-wife to destroy him?”
For the first time since she arrived, a ripple passed through Idris’ calm eyes.
“…Ex-wife?”
“We’re getting divorced. And I intend to ruin him.”
At that moment, his gaze shifted from confusion to intrigue.
Leticia didn’t miss the opening.
“I plan to become the wealthiest person in the Empire.”
With a confident smile, she leaned in over the chessboard.
“Would you like to be my lover?”
Idris stared at her, stunned by the ridiculous, bold proposal.
Then, he let out a soft, incredulous laugh.
The entire game had just changed.
