HSMLHP 07

Chapter 7

 Evading the Hidden Schemes

In reality, Ulrich had no way of knowing that Eshaphe believed this because she trusted the rofan trope that contract marriage periods are never actually honored.

“Then I will have this contract brought to you later.”

“Very well.”

Once Ulrich withdrew, Eshaphe took another sip of her iced Americano. Arkas’s voice reached her once again.

“Lastly, keep this in mind.”

Arkas’s dark eyes, as she looked up at him, were firm and profound.

“It would be problematic if you expected genuine marital treatment just because you are marrying me.”

No matter how much warmth she might seek from a husband, there was none he could give. This marriage was fake, after all.

They wouldn’t have many occasions to cross paths anyway.

‘Right. I understand, male lead.’

Everyone always starts out this way.

Eshaphe put on an innocent face and smiled gently.

“Are you just being shy? Don’t worry. Anyone is like that when they first meet someone.”

Arkas became completely convinced.

The woman seemed a bit—no, a lot—peculiar.

Eshaphe was given a brief tour of the interior of the ducal castle by the head housekeeper. The housekeeper was a middle-aged woman named Oran.

True to the fame of the Bexborn Ducal House, everywhere her eyes landed, her pupils raced and her irises trembled in awe.

Every time Oran introduced a section of the castle to her, she had to struggle hard to keep her voice from shaking with fury.

‘For such a disruptive element to take the seat right beside our noble and precious Grand Duke of Bexborn!’

Not a single person who served the Duke of Bexborn as their master welcomed Eshaphe. Everyone knew she was an uninvited guest sent by the imperial family.

Even before Eshaphe’s arrival, Oran had plotted to get rid of her. All the servants shared the exact same sentiment.

‘The position of the Duchess of Bexborn is a sacred place that some nobody like the Duke of Andover’s daughter has no right to occupy!’

Even if the married life was to last only two years, it was completely unacceptable. The fact that they were entering a contract marriage was a secret known to only four people: Arkas, Ulrich, Oran, and Eshaphe herself.

‘Hehehe. Before even a fortnight passes, she’ll be begging to run away.’

Yet, the daughter of the Duke of Andover whom she confronted with burning fighting spirit flaunted a loveliness that made her eyes pop wide open.

Her pinkish hair, resembling a modest rose, was extremely rare in the North, and combined with clear, sky-like eyes, it gave off a refreshing atmosphere. Her skin was so milk-white that she had never seen anyone so pretty in her life.

All the servants who saw Eshaphe for the first time looked completely smitten. She planned to give them a piece of her mind once they returned.

‘Time to move on to step two of the harassment plan.’

Oran led Eshaphe to her room. Originally, a room like this should never have been assigned to a prospective duchess.

However, the Grand Duke didn’t care about anything concerning his fiancée. He had left everything entirely to Oran.

He probably wouldn’t care whether the grand duke’s daughter was given a rundown room used as a storage closet or not.

Oran laughed inwardly.

“This is your room, my lady. You will be staying in this room until the wedding ceremony.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Eshaphe smiled brightly. The housekeeper pointed toward the doorknob with a subtle, gentle smile. Was she telling her to open it herself?

‘As expected, surprise gifts are best opened yourself.’

While the housekeeper was burning with a strong determination not even to open the door for her, Eshaphe had no intention of picking up on that.

‘I wonder what my room looks like. I’m so excited.’

Eshaphe suppressed her excitement and reached down to pull the doorknob. The door was supposed to open when pulled—

Clunk.

—or so it should have been…?

Eshaphe stood blankly staring down, holding the handle that had abruptly detached from the door. The housekeeper’s gaze sharpened into something extraordinary.

Eshaphe panicked in shock. She stared in horror at the handle, holding it like a piece of fried chicken.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry! To think I’ve damaged the ducal family’s property on day one!”

Who does this on their very first day?!

Could it be that she was too excited and failed to control her strength?

Ah, wait a minute.

Wasn’t she being far too ungracious just now?

Her past-life habits had popped out again, making her forget her gentle and elegant grand-duke’s-daughter persona.

Eshaphe quickly gathered tears in her eyes and put on a pitiful expression. Her voice came out as thin and delicate as silk being drawn from a cocoon.

“Sob, I’m sorry. I suppose I was just too excited and couldn’t control my strength.”

Her soft, fragile voice, sorrowful gaze, and deeply apologetic expression blended together to transform Eshaphe into an infinitely pure and delicate little doe.

Oran was startled.

“N-No, there’s no need to be this apologetic…”

In truth, she had deliberately broken the doorknob in advance.

If it were a fussy grand duke’s daughter from the capital, she would surely throw a furious tantrum, and when that story reached the Grand Duke’s ears, he would look down on her with contempt.

That was how her plan for Phase 1 of instigation was supposed to succeed, but it had failed.

Instead, she showed excessive apology, making the other person feel awkward.

However, there were still a couple of traps left.

Therefore, her plan would surely succeed.

“We will have it fixed as quickly as possible. For now, please hand that over to me.”

“Thank you.”

With a mournful look, Eshaphe handed the chicken-leg-looking doorknob over to the housekeeper.

‘Do I still need to adapt more to Eshaphe’s physical condition? Good grief, it’s been a long time since I broke a door just by opening it.’

Through the open doorway, she slowly inspected the interior of the room revealed before her. A feast of ash-gray colors filled her vision first.

The walls were finished like exposed concrete, and in one corner stood a wardrobe with a detached hinge tilting crookedly. A blanket draped haphazardly hung down as if striving for an indifferent, chic naturalness.

Next to a small table beneath a dirtied-looking curtain sat an even smaller chair.

Stone walls combined with wooden furniture?

Could this be…!

Eshaphe was genuinely impressed.

To think she would get to see a room imbued with the aesthetic sense of an Instagram-style café right here in a rofan world!

It had been a while. It gave her a nostalgic feeling.

How on earth could a room evoke such Korean sensibilities out here? It was a marvel.

Oran glanced sideways at Eshaphe and smiled wickedly.

‘How do you like that? Looks like rats would live here, right? Feels like you can’t even step foot inside, don’t it? I can tell just by looking at your expression! Hehehe.’

Eshaphe’s eyes were wide with astonishment. She had never seen such a trashy room in her entire life. She must be unable to stand it.

‘Come on, now throw a tantrum complaining that you’re being looked down upon. Scream and demand that the Grand Duke be called right this instant! That way, you’ll fall out of favor with our master and end up chased out.’

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

Oran counted down in her head. Scarcely had she counted to 1When Eshaphe turned back to look at her. Seeing those wide-open eyes made Oran’s heart skip a beat.

“Housekeeper, does this even make sense?”

“Y-Yes? What makes sense?”

“I’ve missed a place this modern and emotional so much. It feels just like returning to my hometown.”

“Your hometown?”

Out of nowhere?

“Ah, you know, that kind of nostalgic feeling like something straight out of a dream?”

“What on earth does that—”

When was she going to get angry?

Eshaphe beamed a wide smile.

“I’m saying I absolutely love it. The people at the Bexborn Ducal House seem to have a truly modern sense of interior design.”

“?”

Eshaphe stepped into the room with a demure, soft chuckle. Oran remained stuck across the threshold, her jaw dropped wide open. What on earth did she just hear?

Though Eshaphe’s words made no sense, one thing was crystal clear.

She hadn’t felt an ounce of outrage upon seeing that wretched room. Instead, she had praised it and genuinely liked it.

Did this make any sense?

Feeling utterly dazed, Oran managed to force her feet to move. It was still too early to despair. She had two more traps waiting.

‘Right, let’s calm down. Once she sees the bed, the grand duke’s daughter is bound to explode.’