Chapter – 10
Unaware of Brielle’s scheme, Marquis Taylor blinked in surprise and lifted the large silk hat from his head.
“Ma-Marquis Taylor, at your service, Duke. I hope you’ve been well. I still regret what happened with the previous Duke. I had sent you a letter before.”
“Ah, Marquis Taylor. I was deeply touched by your warm words of consolation. I was just about to send a reply…”
Aiden trailed off, and his gaze unintentionally shifted toward Brielle. Noticing this, the marquis’s wife quickly spoke up.
“Could it be… what my daughter said is true? Has this child taken a liking to the Duke…?”
“Ah…”
Honestly, I have no idea. I’ve never even spoken to your daughter.
That would have been the honest answer.
But Aiden, polite and strict by nature, couldn’t bring himself to insult a woman’s feelings—or embarrass her in front of others. So he settled on a compromise answer.
“Even so… I have no intention of marrying. Miss Taylor… deserves someone far better than I am.”
Yes, that was a gentle refusal and a perfect answer. Feeling reassured, Aiden glanced down at Brielle for confirmation.
Her large eyes began to glisten, and from between her red lips poured words that made no sense at all.
“There is no one better than you, Duke. Even if I am but one of the dozens of butterflies drawn to the flower that is you, intoxicated by your fragrance, I can no longer help myself.”
“No, Brielle! What on earth are you saying?”
Marquis Taylor’s wife reached out hastily to stop Brielle, but Brielle easily dodged her hand and continued her courtship toward Aiden.
Somehow, the noble speech she had learned from her twelfth prince conversations flowed effortlessly, feeding her confidence.
“Every time I think of you, my heart flutters like a freshly caught fish on the shore. Will you truly ignore someone like me?”
Hearing a metaphor she had never used before, Aiden’s mind momentarily spun. This Taylor girl… seems insane. It’s wise to avoid a mad person.
“You seem to be so worked up, perhaps you should see a doctor.”
With that, he turned his back and fled the scene. It wasn’t until he reached the Duke’s residence that he realized he hadn’t even formally greeted the marquis and his wife.
Marquis Taylor and his wife glared fiercely at Brielle, warning her to watch her behavior before leaving the café.
Of course, Brielle only scoffed.
‘If played right, I might even completely remove their marriage pressures. They can’t openly object when someone of higher rank is involved.’
She did feel a twinge of guilt toward Duke Hill, who had been manipulated. Just a tiny bit.
‘Consider it the price of being looked at that way.’
When her parents arrived at the café and saw Aiden frowning at her behavior, Brielle noticed it all clearly. At that moment, when Hazel’s previously indifferent gaze flickered with clear contempt, Brielle felt a flash of anger.
“What do you know? What makes you think you can look down on me like that?”
For an instant, she wanted to argue, but she decided it was more urgent to remove the obstacle in front of her, so she ignored it and walked into the shop.
‘I won’t use him for long, so it should be fine.’
Her actions carried no true meaning of revenge. It was just a desperate thought she quickly decided to act on.
Recalling Duke Hill’s last words, “You seem so worked up, perhaps you should see a doctor,” Brielle let out a sigh-like laugh.
Not only had she been mistaken for an ungrateful child, but now she had become a madwoman.
Back at the café, having dinner with Octavia, Brielle recounted what had just happened.
Octavia was horrified at every word Brielle had spoken.
“What kind of noble speech is that?! That’s just Bernard Prince’s unique way of speaking!”
“What? Really? No wonder he looked at me like I was crazy. The marquis, Duke Hill… all of them…”
“You should have asked me first! Your thoughts go off in such strange directions sometimes.”
Brielle quietly averted her eyes, letting out a sheepish smile. Octavia laughed softly and added:
“Although you should apologize to Duke Hill, it’s honestly a relief your nonsense actually worked on the marquis and his wife. Those people are cruel—never checking up on you, then suddenly thinking of sending you to Hatwick?”
“I really got them this time. Seriously, no one in Berkshire would be as ruthless as them.”
“That’s not true. If you really set your mind to it, you could easily beat them.”
Brielle smiled, revealing her perfectly aligned teeth. Octavia shivered at the sight of the devilish smile, brushing her arm repeatedly.
“Oh, right. You wanted to ask me something.”
“Yeah. Do you know Baron Bohr? He’s apparently a famous figure in society these days.”
“Of course I know him. He’s all over the parties. The model of a young, handsome gentleman.”
Like a magic box, Octavia answered immediately, prompting a satisfied smile from Brielle. She had found a truly excellent source of information.
Without doubting it, Octavia continued, delivering the kind of intel only a newspaper heiress could.
“Apparently, countless women are infatuated with him. They give him jewels, carriages, money—you name it.”
“That’s basically a marriage dowry, isn’t it?”
“Wow, you’re sharp. Actually, there’s more behind-the-scenes gossip about Baron Bohr that hasn’t been made public yet. What it is…”
Brielle’s heart raced like a freshly caught fish as she listened.
At the break of dawn, Baron Andrew Bohr hummed cheerfully while returning to his mansion.
The source of his joy was clear: today, at his favorite jeweler, he had snagged a rather impressive woman. Her face was passable, but most importantly, her family wealth delighted him.
The woman had been coy, but by the end of their conversation, she openly showed affection for him. They parted with a promise to meet again.
With just a little more coaxing, he could easily secure a substantial fortune. The thought thrilled him endlessly.
‘Just up to here, then I’ll leave for the capital immediately!’
Lost in happy thoughts, he arrived at his mansion in high spirits.
“Welcome home, Baron.”
“Yes, yes.”
Passing by his maid, Doiley, he headed straight to his bedroom on the second floor. Entering the room, the exhaustion of the day hit him all at once.
“How shall I prepare your bath, Baron?”
“Have it ready for when I wake. Leave me be for now.”
Normally, the Baron would have thrown a polite smile at his devoted maid, but today he lacked the energy.
He collapsed straight onto the bed without even untying his perfectly knotted cravat.
‘Why am I so tired… well, I did spend a lot of energy teasing that woman at the start.’
She was an unfamiliar young woman, clearly from a wealthy business family who had just returned to Berkshire. The Baron had thrown his dazzling, toothy smile at her without hesitation.
At first, the woman, maintaining a wall of composure, openly ignored him. But under the Baron’s confident and persistent pursuit, she finally yielded. She even voluntarily shared details of her life.
“I’m the only daughter of a business family that recently returned to Berkshire. It’s my first time in the capital, and you seemed so wonderful, Baron… I was so shy that I missed a few answers. Please forgive me.”
Upon hearing she was the only child of a wealthy family, Baron Bohr internally cheered.
Although she was technically a commoner, she had plenty of money! This woman fit perfectly into his plans.
He forced down a rising smile and tried to be even more charming.
By the end of their conversation, he had secured a promise for their next meeting.
“Let’s meet again soon, Baron.”
“Of course, Miss Baker.”
“Next time… just the two of us, if possible.”
Recalling that exquisite moment when she shyly revealed her desire, the Baron drifted off into a deep sleep.
About five minutes later…
