MTMD 8

Chapter 8

Having entered thus, he swept his eyes over the reception room and came straight to Eloise.

“My next birthday is about three months away, so it must be an early birthday gift.”

His expression was one of deep gratitude, but it was plain for anyone—especially himself—to see that a birthday gift was not the purpose of his visit.

In the end, his words were an order to leave if what he had brought was not good news.

“It’s been a long time. I’m glad to see you, Head of the Family.”

At those words, Castian smiled coldly.

“We are not on terms to be glad to see each other, even falsely. However,”

Unlike the rough stride with which he had walked in, he turned his gaze to Eloise with movements that had quickly softened.

Then he slowly approached and embraced her from behind.

The sudden contact startled her, but only briefly; Eloise forced herself to calm down.

For now, she needed to make him believe they were a couple about to marry.

While she tried to pass off her violently pounding heart as excitement.

Castian’s slow words fell.

“Have you not considered that my bride-to-be has traveled a long distance and must still be tired?”

His voice rang out softly, as if he were truly speaking to the woman who would become his bride.

Naturally, it was a voice Eloise had never heard before.

He is a mercurial man… As she thought this, the conversation continued.

“Of course I considered it, and that is precisely why I came, out of worry.”

Dofran smiled.

“I was afraid that the one who is to become mistress might collapse while concerning herself with the Head of the Family’s vital energy.”

“That won’t happen, so go back.”

It was a clear order to leave, but Dofran, with a shameless face, said something else.

“I am truly curious.”

Dofran’s gaze touched Eloise’s hand and fell away.

“She is not someone who has properly undergone training, nor do I sense any magical power—”

His smile stained with a fishy sneer.

“What ability does this person possess, that the Head of the Family—who discards anything unnecessary—chose to marry her?”

Then he asked outright.

“Why are you marrying?”

Eloise furrowed her brow.

Well, a public reason did seem necessary.

If rumors of the marriage spread like this.

Not only the people of Edgart but outsiders would wonder where Eloise Flodel and the Duke of Edgart met and decided to marry.

Should they have coordinated their stories in advance?

Dofran had clearly come charging in before the two of them could create such a “setup.”

In short, it meant he had approached with the conviction that this side must have some ability or usefulness, which was why the marriage had happened.

This person is just as tricky an opponent as the Duke—

The moment Eloise thought that.

“You must have already heard the rumor.”

Castian pulled her firmly into his embrace.

Then, in a voice without a single tremor, he answered.

“That I fell in love at first sight and am marrying.”

“That kind of lie—”

“If not that,”

Castian briefly kissed the top of Eloise’s head as he held her.

As if he truly loved her.

“Does it look like I would enter a marriage I did not want?”

At those words, Dofran paused, then opened his mouth.

“There are widespread unsavory rumors that the future mistress was the one who was to become the second wife of the Eden Marquess,”

He seemed to be asking whether Castian had stolen her away.

It seemed he meant to touch upon the Head of the Family’s honor, but—

“She is this beautiful, so why would I not steal her away?”

Castian took the words head-on.

At that, Dofran’s mask-like smile shattered.

“…What did you say?”

His bewilderment was plain.

But Eloise was just as bewildered.

What is this man saying?

Regardless, Castian covered Eloise’s eyes.

As if telling her not to even meet eyes with such a thing.

Then, like a man truly about to be married, with a soft and refreshing smile, he extended his hand.

“There is no need to deal with the ill-mannered, Eloise. Let us go.”

And he led her away.

Just like that, the two left the reception room, abandoning the dumbfounded Dofran.

“I have left some troublesome things at the villa, so if you wish to be safe, you had best not leave the main estate.”

Once they were away from the people Dofran had brought, Castian spoke.

Troublesome things? It was a puzzling remark, but there was something more important to ask.

“I understand. But the part about falling in love at first sight—what was that about…?”

She hadn’t denied it for now, but she had to ask.

Wasn’t it as if she had woken up to find a love story fabricated out of nowhere and thrust before her eyes?

Of course, there was nothing to gain by revealing it was a contract marriage, but…

To Eloise’s question, Castian answered immediately.

“You came here to find a way to suppress my vital energy.”

As he spoke, their eyes met.

“By finding the Key with your ability, and separately from that, by sharing vital energy.”

His vivid gaze examined Eloise.

“Dofran is a quick-witted man. To keep that ‘ability’ of yours from being exposed to the outside, we cannot let the contract be revealed, and yet we were not on terms to have any point of contact.”

There is only one method.

Having said that, he raised the corner of his mouth. As if asking whether she regretted it.

And well he might…

Wasn’t it the case that a woman who had been set to marry another man, on her way to that man, had fallen in love at first sight with a man she happened to meet?

And on top of that, she broke off the existing marriage and even married that man.

Society would surely rumor it as a love marriage of the most unprecedented kind.

Remarriage was already difficult in this society, but in fact, if such rumors spread, remarriage would be out of the question forever.

But Eloise had no particular thoughts about it.

“Indeed, that is the only way you could put it.”

She understood even the rumor-mongering.

Dofran was someone who had come running posthaste, suspecting this side had some unusual ability.

For someone that quick-witted and sharp, it would be troublesome if they couldn’t even present a scenario of this much.

Moreover, this side was, as Dofran said, someone who had even been rumored to be marrying the Eden Marquess.

And then to suddenly “steal” her away—how impulsive and intense must the love be?

And fortunately, this man of rumor, who above all else prioritizes his own interest before anything, was someone to whom the word “impulsive” suited.

Very differently from reality, that is.

“I understand.”

When Eloise accepted it easily, Castian turned to look at her for a moment.

Then he burst out laughing.

“How refreshing. It would be fatal if you were thinking of remarrying.”

“I have no intention of remarrying, and above all, I came here intending to stake everything on this place.”

Eloise answered refreshingly and met his eyes.

“Before thinking about remarriage or anything like that, I have to survive first.”

She had never once thought of surviving to meet a good spouse anyway.

At that, Castian’s eyes widened for a moment, then he burst out laughing again.

Then, when they had entered about the middle of the estate, he said.

“First, one must survive… A good saying.”

With the corner of his mouth drawn up, he cast his gaze outside.

“If you are willing to become my first love of rumor, then do not even stand in the same space as that one.”

Castian said.

“Because if I truly fell in love, I don’t think I could bear to watch my person face an enemy in the same place.”

Their eyes met.