~Chapter 03~
“…Marriage proposal?”
Asthan’s eyebrow twitched at the strange word that came from the woman’s mouth.
“Did you just say ‘marriage proposal’?”
“Yes. You heard me correctly.”
“You’re saying I proposed to you?”
“That’s right. Duke Asthan von Schulzmeier proposed to Gloria McCain.”
Gloria answered with a serious expression.
Am I dreaming? Or is this woman just spouting nonsense?
Asthan let out a dry laugh at the ridiculous situation.
“I have heard most weirdest things in my life, but this is the most bizarre.”
“It’s not strange. I even have proof.”
“Proof?”
“If you don’t believe me, see for yourself.”
Saying it wasn’t a joke, the woman handed him a crumpled piece of paper.
Asthan took the old, worn-out paper that looked like trash and asked,
“What is this?”
“A proposal letter sent to me by the Duke.”
“A proposal letter?”
A proposal letter from me? That’s impossible.
More confused than ever, Asthan stared at the paper.
The ink was smudged, and the writing was hard to read. As he squinted at it, Gloria helpfully added,
“See the bottom line? You can see your name and the seal too.”
Asthan, still suspicious, moved his gaze to the bottom of the letter.
[Asthan von Schulzmeier]
Just like she said, his familiar name was written clearly, and next to it was his official seal—no doubt it was his.
Then why don’t I remember this at all?
Trying to figure out where the letter came from, Asthan finally spoke,
“There must’ve been some sort of mistake.”
“Mistake? After making me come all the way here, you’re going to call it a mistake?”
Gloria asked, looking disappointed.
Out of things to say, Asthan awkwardly looked at the letter again.
It had supposedly been sent from the Schulzmeier estate seven years ago.
If someone didn’t just fake this using my name…
Only one person would’ve dared to send something like this.
Getting to his feet, Asthan suddenly threw open the study door.
“Eek!”
Logan, who had his ear pressed to the door eavesdropping, jumped and fell on his butt.
Asthan swallowed his rising irritation and said,
“Logan, go get Collin. Now.”
“Huh? Oh—yes, sir!”
Sensing danger, Logan ran down the hallway without delay.
Asthan clenched his jaw and turned back.
Gloria, acting like she had all the time in the world, was casually looking around the study.
“Did you catch this deer yourself?” she asked, pointing at a mounted deer head.
“Yes. Don’t pull on the antlers.”
“Sorry, I was just curious. What about this old bearskin rug—is it your taste?”
“It was my father’s.”
“Ah, I see.”
As Gloria wandered the room with curious eyes, Asthan struggled to keep his patience.
Finally, Collin arrived looking disheveled.
“You called for me, Your Grace?”
“Collin, is this your doing?”
Asthan held the proposal letter up in front of the half-awake butler.
Collin looked at the crumpled paper in confusion, then rubbed his blurry eyes and began reading.
As he reached the end, his eyes slowly moved to Asthan—then quickly darted away, guilty.
So it was Collin, after all.
Under Asthan’s glare, Collin cleared his throat and tried to explain.
“Ahem. As the butler of the House of Schulzmeier, I couldn’t stand by and watch Your Grace grow old alone…”
“So you sent out a proposal letter to some random family?”
“It wasn’t a random family! I carefully selected families that met high standards and matched the Duke’s status…”
“Collin!”
Asthan shouted, then paused.
Wait. Did he just say “families” plural?
“How many did you send?”
“About thirty…”
Asthan collapsed onto the sofa.
“I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Don’t worry, Your Grace. None of them replied.”
How is that supposed to be reassuring?
Asthan suppressed his anger and gave a short nod.
“Get out.”
“Have a restful night, Your Grace.”
Collin quickly fled.
Now alone with Gloria again, Asthan looked at her, his face clearly tired.
“You heard all that, didn’t you?”
“Yes. The butler of House Schulzmeier sent a marriage proposal to my family.”
“Right. Along with thirty others.”
“And I was the first one to reply.”
Gloria smiled sweetly, the kind of calm confidence that came from winning a bet.
It was frustrating, but Asthan had no intention of letting her lead the conversation. He decided to push back.
“How old are you, young lady?”
“I’ll be twenty soon.”
“So you were thirteen when you received the proposal.”
“That’s how arranged marriages work, don’t they? I’ve always been mature for my age, too.”
“Hah.”
He had thought she wasn’t easy to deal with from the start—but now he realized she was even sharper than expected.
Realizing he couldn’t win with words, Asthan decided to rely on his title and age instead.
“Did you get your parents’ permission?”
“In the Empire, any adult over twenty can make their own decisions.”
“You said you’re not twenty yet.”
“Would it be alright if I ask again in ten days?”
“Are you planning to stay here for ten days?”
“Unless Your Grace plans to throw me out into the freezing snow.”
“…”
No doubt about it—this woman came here to drive him crazy.
He briefly considered kicking her out as he stared at the snow falling heavily outside.
Feeling a headache coming on, Asthan grabbed a bottle of liquor and took a long drink straight from it. Then, setting down the empty bottle with annoyance, he asked,
“So, you want to marry me?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s you who wants to get married. I’m just accepting your proposal.”
“I don’t see the difference.”
“It’s the last bit of pride I have as a lady.”
Gloria lifted her chin with mock elegance. Asthan chuckled at the act and shrugged.
“And why should I believe anything you say?”
“…Excuse me?”
For the first time, her confident face showed a hint of confusion.
She blinked her big eyes, hesitating. Asthan pressed on, amused.
“How do I know you’re really the daughter of Count McCain and not someone pretending to be her?”
“…”
Gloria opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she didn’t know what to say—or maybe had too much to say and didn’t know where to start.
Asthan tilted his head and waited, thinking her shifting expressions were surprisingly entertaining.
Finally, she spoke.
“Ah, sorry to keep you waiting. It’s just… This is the first time anyone’s asked me to prove my identity.”
“Don’t mention it. So, what’s your answer?”
“This.”
Gloria pointed to the proposal letter on the table.
“Isn’t the fact that I came here with a marriage letter sent by your butler proof enough?”
“Not really. At least not to me.”
“What part isn’t enough?”
“The letter might be real. But how you got your hands on it—I can’t be sure. You could’ve stolen it from the McCain household or picked it up somewhere. Or maybe someone sent you to trick me.”
Asthan narrowed his eyes at her.
He wondered if she would get flustered, angry, or maybe even cry. Anything but that last one would be fine.
Then Gloria—
“Pfft.”
—burst out laughing.
Her round eyes curved gently as she smiled and raised a brow playfully.
“You’re quite different from the rumors. Either that or you have a vivid imagination.”
“Rumors? Imagination? Wait, did you say rumors?”
“Yes.”
Her amused gaze ran over him.
“They say you’re blunt, violent, and cold. And that you once ate a live shikun—whatever that is.”
“…What?”
Asthan looked stunned by the completely unexpected answer.
Gloria continued carefully, as if feeling a bit awkward talking about her future husband’s bad reputation.
“Your eating habits may not be… normal. But as long as you don’t force them on me, I can respect that.”
“Unbelievable. And?”
“I also heard you were over two meters tall, bigger than a bear, and had a terrifying face. I guess that last part was false.”
She smiled again, gently narrowing her eyes.
Should I be grateful that she came to see me even after hearing all that?
Trying to settle his mixed emotions, Asthan spoke again.
“Enough about that. Even if you really are the Count’s daughter, I still don’t see why I should marry you.”
“Oh? But you’re the one who sent me the proposal.”
Gloria tapped the proposal letter with her fingertip as she replied.
