Chapter – 09
“What’s with that look?”
Aiden walked slowly toward Brielle, who had turned to stone, completely forgetting to enter the café.
Brielle watched him approaching with a startled expression, her eyes fixed on him.
Then, Aiden, who had kept his lips tightly pressed together, finally spoke.
“Brielle Taylor.”
“…?”
But it wasn’t the man of artistic perfection in front of her who had called her name. Brielle turned to identify the voice she was more familiar with.
“Hah.”
It was her father, Viscount Taylor, who had called her. Beside him was her mother, Viscountess Taylor. The sudden appearance of unexpected visitors made Brielle frown deeply, showing clear annoyance.
“Why?”
“Speak with a bit more dignity…!”
The viscount was about to scold her furiously but quickly closed his mouth. Instead, the viscountess gently took Brielle’s arm and spoke in a soft voice.
“Let’s go inside and finish this conversation. Even though you’ve been so rude to us, we haven’t given up on you.”
“…Let go of me.”
Brielle violently shook off her mother’s hand, responding almost like a growl.
Despite the clear refusal, the viscountess remained undeterred. Still smiling, she whispered words sharp as thorns into Brielle’s ears.
“You should be grateful that the world hasn’t learned of your vulgarity. A girl running away from home—what a shameful act. It’s only because we disguised it as independence that it hasn’t caused a scandal.”
“I never asked you to hide it. I’m not covering it up to protect your reputation, am I?”
After her pointed remark, Brielle strode into the café, the viscount couple hurrying to follow.
As Brielle tried to drive them out, Viscount Taylor raised his voice.
“I’m giving someone like you the chance to live like a human being.”
Aiden had left the area briefly but returned to the front of the café building. He had intentionally stepped away earlier, sensing he wasn’t meant to be part of the tense scene.
“So the daughter of Viscount Taylor is indeed the owner of this café.”
He already knew from rumors and his research that the young lady of the house ran the café.
He also heard, secondhand, that some senior nobles were contemplating visiting the café to lodge complaints.
The fact that a noblewoman was running a business surprised Aiden, but that was all. Although unfamiliar, it wasn’t illegal, so there was no reason to criticize her.
That was until a few moments ago.
His plan today wasn’t just to inspect the café—it also included meeting her, perhaps to see if she had encountered his brother. She could provide useful information, so he intended to approach her as favorably as possible.
“What kind of utterly shameless behavior is that?”
Brielle’s behavior toward the viscount couple left Aiden dumbfounded.
Her tone showed no respect for her parents, and her gaze was cold and piercing—more like a rebellious boy in early adolescence than a grown young woman.
Having lost his own parents early, Aiden found it puzzling that the viscountess seemed so patient, while her daughter openly irritated them. Seeing the mother tenderly trying to calm her child from a distance made him understand even less.
Once he confirmed everything he wanted, he would leave this place for good.
Holding onto the last fragments of his human-like goodwill, Aiden patiently waited by the café entrance.
After about twenty minutes, he heard movement again. He quickly hid his large frame behind the opposite wall.
“You have no say in your marriage. You should be grateful just to have this chance.”
“I told you, I won’t! Don’t come again, it’s unpleasant.”
“You foolish girl. You can’t refuse. Noble affairs aren’t up to you! Be grateful we don’t know about your runaway.”
Brielle noticed Viscount Taylor’s trembling fists and twisted her lips slightly.
“You must be restraining yourself to avoid hurting me. You want to sell me off while keeping me intact, huh.”
“…You’ve gone off to live on your own, and even your manners have hit rock bottom. But don’t think we’ll give up—that’s something you should know.”
Their aggressive words clashed in the air, exchanging blows without touching.
Tilting his head slightly, Aiden muttered the word “marriage prospect” under his breath. His sharp mind quickly analyzed the situation.
“So she’s always been rebellious… Of course, the viscount couple probably intends to marry her off to a minor noble to settle her somewhere. But… didn’t she seem on bad terms with the youngest prince earlier?”
Runaway plus rumored romance. Whoever the marriage prospect is, it looks almost like a forced match.
Supporting the viscount’s plan to marry her off wouldn’t be right either.
Aiden shook his head. Brielle Taylor had become someone completely outside the circle of people he wished well. Disrespectful, sharp-tongued, and openly expressing negativity—everything he hated in a person.
“I just want to finish this and leave as quickly as possible.”
He leaned against the wall, observing the scene.
The viscount couple appeared much angrier than before, while their daughter’s expression was far sharper, cutting through the tension like a blade.
Then, suddenly, Brielle’s eyes met his. Aiden saw it.
In an instant, her icy, frozen expression melted away. Like a carefully crafted doll suddenly coming to life, she looked directly at him and spoke.
“I already have someone in my heart. That is… Duke Aiden Hill!”
Aiden’s flawless face seemed to crack in that moment.
Earlier…
“They actually want to marry me off to get rid of me. That’s unexpected.”
Brielle was genuinely surprised by the viscount couple’s sudden marriage order. Having always been regarded as a disgrace to her family, she never expected them to attempt passing her off to another noble.
In fact, she had thought her family would cut her off entirely for even running a business. She had misjudged.
“There’s only one possible reason for this. They need the Taylor name in exchange for something from the other family. Money? Or perhaps some rights over their estate?”
The estate the viscount couple hoped to send her to was in Hatwick, the northernmost part of Berkshire. Known for its harsh climate and unforgiving land, life there was notoriously difficult.
But the public already regarded Brielle as deserving of such treatment. The family on the other side of the marriage seemed willing to endure that reputation just to secure the Taylor name.
“That’s their problem.”
Brielle had no intention of obeying the marriage order. Even as she schemed to drive them out of the café, she thought carefully.
Should she send a refusal letter? Going into hiding briefly? No—she couldn’t just close the doors of her newly opened café. What if they spread even worse rumors about her…?
While Brielle pondered every possibility, she noticed someone.
“…Huh? That man?”
At the end of her unfocused gaze, a chiseled face appeared.
Like a lightning bolt, a clear plan struck Brielle’s mind. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth.
“I already have someone in my heart. That is… Duke Aiden Hill!”
If she expressed interest in another man—the most popular man in Berkshire—the prospective suitor would reconsider out of pride. Dragging things out like this could eventually cancel the engagement.
“Pride is everything in noble negotiations, Viscount. You can’t force it.”
Brielle smiled inwardly, thrilled to have found a solution. Her previously cold cheeks burned slightly with excitement.
“Always lying when you speak… Wait. Why is he here? Duke Aiden Hill!”
Viscount Taylor, now aware of Aiden, shouted to call him. Flustered, Aiden couldn’t even think of hiding and walked toward them.
Brielle rolled her blue eyes, trying to guess his expression.
A vein stood out slightly on his smooth forehead, and his straight lips twitched continuously, showing he was far from calm.
“I won’t actually agree to marry, so just let me use this for a moment.”
