The letter sent by Gwendolyn finally reached its destination after a long journey.
Madam Rosemarlin of House Constantine opened the letter.
Her elegant fingers—soft, without calluses—lifted her glasses.
“Hmm. Gwendolyn?”
Rosemarlin raised her eyebrows after checking who sent it.
She had known Gwendolyn since she was young, but they weren’t close enough for her to send a personal letter from so far away.
‘What could this be about?’
Her curiosity grew, and she began to read the letter slowly.
At first, her eyes widened. But as she read more, they narrowed.
“Baldwin… and a woman?”
Rosemarlin’s expression hardened.
Just the thought of a woman approaching Baldwin—who lived with a disability—was shocking.
She was sure the woman was only after his fortune.
Learning that the woman had even been divorced before made Rosemarlin certain:
She was planning to marry Baldwin, then divorce him to take a chunk of his wealth.
If this woman had taken over Graham Bank so cleverly, that sort of scheme wouldn’t be hard for her.
Rosemarlin clenched her teeth.
Men like Baldwin, who seem cold and stiff, are the worst if they fall for a woman.
There’s no saving them then.
“And she’s from the Barnaby family?”
Such a low-status, insignificant family!
This wasn’t just an insult to Baldwin—it was an insult to the entire Constantine family, and especially to Rosemarlin herself.
In the past, Rosemarlin had suffered mockery for being born into a humble family.
She had worked so hard to shed that image.
And now… to accept Anais as her daughter-in-law?
People would gossip. They’d criticize both Rosemarlin and Anais.
They’d say:
-
“Like mother, like son—they both have poor taste.”
-
“Constantine has been defiled again!”
-
“This is what happens when you make a bad example once!”
Some high-ranking nobles might even go as far as to say that Baldwin ended up like this because of the inferior blood running through him.
That the Constantine line had been tainted.
It hadn’t been that long since Rosemarlin had finally escaped all that judgment and criticism.
Now she was about to be thrown right back into it.
She had just begun to enjoy life as the Duchess, free of shame.
“I can’t let that happen again.”
Rosemarlin clenched her teeth even harder.
She needed to return to the capital immediately.
Stomping her foot, she practically screamed:
“Pack my bags right now! We’re leaving for the capital immediately! We’re getting on the train tonight—hurry up, quickly!”
“Y-yes, Madam!”
Even if she got on the train tonight, it would be a long trip with two transfers.
It would take at least five days to get there.
Of course, noble marriages weren’t something that happened overnight—it usually took at least a month.
But still, Rosemarlin felt uneasy.
At her urgent command, the maids hurried to pack her things.
The capital of Estus was about to be hit by a cold, sharp spring wind—
a powerful storm that could make even fully-bloomed flowers wilt.
Meanwhile…
Last night, I sent Baldwin both a marriage proposal and a formal invitation.
The invitation included the address of a restaurant I had reserved.
Today, I wore the most beautiful dress I own.
Among all my outfits, this one always got compliments—it suited me best.
It was a bright, soft lavender dress, and I wore a diamond necklace to match.
I styled my hair in a half-updo and added a sparkling amethyst hair ornament that shone brightly.
My makeup wasn’t too flashy, but not overly plain either—it looked beautiful, even to me.
It was a more polished look than usual.
“Well, if I’m going to propose, I should at least look like this.”
I swallowed hard. This was my version of armor for battle.
I gently touched the brooch on my dress.
It was a gift from my grandfather—an amethyst brooch with the finest craftsmanship, top-grade stones, and diamonds set in as accents.
“Do you know the value of a good jewel?”
“Hmm… a luxury item?”
“You’re not wrong. But a fine gem can also raise your own value. I hope you live a life that matches this brooch.”
And to build that kind of life—one worthy of that value—I was walking into this moment.
To protect myself.
I had booked the most luxurious restaurant available for this meeting.
“What if I really get divorced from Egbert?”
“You never know, right? If I divorce him three years from now and end up owning the bank…”
“Then good luck to you. Your good fortune will mean peace for Graham Bank. I told you once—your face has gold coins written all over it. If you succeed, the bank will succeed too.”
I could still clearly picture my grandfather’s bright smile.
It felt like I could hear his laughter in the gentle spring breeze pushing me forward today.
He had always been the only umbrella shielding me.
If he were alive, he would definitely be cheering me on.
I touched the brooch one more time, as if to feel his encouragement—and then, I left.
Baldwin had arrived about 20 minutes early and was already waiting for me.
Even though I thought I came early,
he had arrived even earlier—and looked more radiant than ever.
His dark blond hair was neatly swept back,
and though his clothes were luxurious, they suited him perfectly.
You could see restraint and elegance in his outfit—nothing flashy, just quietly dignified.
Baldwin smiled at me, his gaze softly traveling from my face down to my lips.
“I should’ve come earlier. I shouldn’t have kept Your Grace waiting.”
[Not at all.]
What should I say first?
I had planned out all kinds of scenarios…
but now my mouth wouldn’t open. I was completely stuck.
“Yesterday…”
I managed to say something, but the words wouldn’t follow.
Nervously, I bit my lip.
My voice cracked slightly from the tension.
I took a sip of water and cleared my throat.
Then, taking a deep breath, I finally said it:
“Have you had time to think about my proposal?”
He looked at me silently, his gaze calm and quiet.
His violet eyes were especially beautiful today—
like they had absorbed the light of the entire world.
I had thought about this over and over.
Why would Baldwin do this?
[It’s the return for your kindness.]
Even if Baldwin was being gentle with me,
I didn’t believe he was giving me this chance out of pure goodwill.
He must want something from me—whether that’s the bank, or something else.
One thing was clear:
He needed something from me, which meant
he was unlikely to reject my proposal.
As long as I could meet his need,
there was little chance our marriage would fall apart.
Figuring out what Baldwin wanted and giving it to him—
That was easier to understand than vague things like love.
And because of that,
I knew I could do this well.
I pulled myself together.
Baldwin slowly twirled his fountain pen.
It felt like time had frozen.
[Before we move forward… there’s something I want to ask.
Do you know the rumors about me?]
If he was bringing up rumors in a conversation about marriage…
“Are you referring to the rumor that…
you can’t have children, Your Grace?”
[That’s included.]
High society was basically built on castles made of rumors.
There were plenty of rumors about him,
but none worth paying attention to.
I never believed them.
I slowly opened my mouth and said,
“Let me say this first.
Whatever the rumor may be, it doesn’t matter, Your Grace.
Because what I’m proposing…
isn’t a marriage based on love.
It’s a clear and straightforward business deal.”
This wasn’t the time to chase after sweet dreams.
I had already woken up from the fantasy of romantic marriage a long time ago.
The man who once spoke of “eternal love” had driven a nail into my heart so easily.
“I want to escape my current situation through marriage.
No matter how much society claims to have changed, social status still matters a lot.”
[I understand what you gain from this marriage.
Then what do I gain?]
“You get a shield—someone who can protect you from scandal.”
But honestly, I had a stronger card to play than that.
The thing everyone desires.
What those well-dressed suitors hanging around my house really wanted was obvious.
“And in this entire capital… I’m probably the wealthiest person right now.
Naturally, people tend to side with their spouse.
Wouldn’t I take your side too?”
That’s right—the money and business potential of Graham Bank.
No one was trying to woo me out of love.
They wanted what I had.
As I spoke, my mouth went dry from the tension.
The restaurant’s fancy lights seemed to focus only on Baldwin.
He looked like he belonged in a place like this—everything about it suited him perfectly.
My heart pounded hard.
Baldwin wouldn’t reject me.
He won’t reject me.
I told myself this, trying to stay calm as I continued.
There was no need for a long speech.
With the kind of information network the Constantine family had, he probably already knew who I’d been meeting and what situation I was in.
Still, I didn’t want to beg.
Even though, in reality, I had come here to ask him to save me.
I straightened my back and looked Baldwin in the eyes.
I didn’t look away.
I didn’t know exactly what Baldwin wanted from me.
But I could tell he didn’t hate my true nature.
“I’ve already prepared everything, Your Grace.
All that’s left is your signature.”
I spoke as myself, as confidently as I could.
“I can’t promise to make you happy… but at the very least…”
I gave him a bright smile.
“I promise to protect you.”
It was a promise:
As long as he protected me, I would protect him too.
From the rumors. From the judgmental stares of society.
Because we both knew, better than anyone, how cruel and heartless those things could be.
Maybe… just maybe, we were the best possible choice for each other.
Baldwin, what do you think?
