The Duke was handsome, even mesmerizing. Even the God of beauty would likely not deny it. A handsome man was a rare find in any world, and the Duke was undoubtedly one of the most handsome among them.

However, that was as far as it went. Despite having a face that could captivate anyone, Edith’s heart was not easily swayed by love.

“I don’t think so. Well, it doesn’t matter.”

Fortunately, the Duke eased Edith’s concerns. His reaction to such a question was surprisingly straightforward, leaving Edith somewhat taken aback.

“Let’s get back to the main point. Our marriage.”

The combination of ‘our’ and ‘marriage’ coming from his mouth felt incredibly strange. As Edith nodded, the Duke lowered his gaze and then raised it again.

‘His eyelashes are quite long.’

While it wasn’t the most appropriate time to have such casual thoughts, the long eyelashes complemented his elongated eyes very well. It almost felt like looking at a celebrity.

“I’ll ask you directly. Did you come here simply because it’s difficult to refuse the Emperor’s command, or do you have the intention of marrying me?”

However, that feeling quickly disappeared as her mouth hung open. While she had gathered that he had a straightforward personality, she didn’t expect him to ask such a direct question.

“If it’s the former, I will handle His Majesty, so you don’t need to worry. You won’t suffer any consequences.”

“…If I say it wasn’t burdensome, it would be a lie, though it’s not solely because of His Majesty’s command.”

Edith responded calmly after a momentary surprise. The Duke, still with an unreadable expression, asked again.

“If not that, then why do you want to marry me?”

“That’s…”

Even though she did have a reason, she wasn’t sure if she could honestly tell the Duke about it at this moment. In fact, she hadn’t expected to be asked so directly on their first meeting.

Whether Edith was confused or remained silent, he continued speaking.

“You mentioned that you don’t particularly have any romantic feelings for me. It seems that way in reality, so it must be true.”

There was no disappointment in his indifferent tone. It was more of an explanation of the existing situation as his words persisted.

“You don’t seem passionate about seeking social elevation, and if it were for wealth, you would have accepted it on the spot, and you wouldn’t waste your time here.”

All his words were true. She didn’t desire such things from the Duke.

“Do you have any other expectations from me?”

At the moment Edith was about to answer, the view of the office caught her eye. It was only now that she realized that everything in the room was symmetrically arranged, with razor-sharp precision, and not a single thing out of place.

She then turned her gaze back to the Duke.

From the perfectly buttoned collar to the stiff shirt, his appearance and demeanor revealed a compulsive and perfectionist nature.

‘…Talking in circles won’t work with him.’

Coming to a decision wasn’t difficult.

“In fact, I wanted to meet you to discuss a matter. However, it’s not a request I want to make to you…”

Swallowing dryly, she took a short, deep breath.

“I have a favor to ask of a wizard.”

As her gaze followed the slow movement of the Duke’s head, his sharp eyes stopped at the clear emerald eyes.

“You’re not asking the Duke but the wizard for a favor?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

After committing to her request, Edith’s heart raced unexpectedly.

There was no guarantee that the Duke would grant her favor or that the plan she had been thinking about would come to fruition. Yet, the mere realization that she could bring up the matter she had been contemplating all along made her heart tremble.

“Interesting.”

His eyes, which had been consistently dry, showed a hint of interest. Edith realized that she had made the right choice.

“Understood. We can discuss that later. However, before that, there’s something you should know.”

Feeling reassured, she swallowed a sigh and blinked her eyes. However, instead of asking what that something was, the Duke unexpectedly brought up a different topic.

“Something I should know?”

Not understanding what he meant, she unconsciously tilted her head as the man in front of him began to speak about his younger brother.

“I have a younger brother who is sixteen years younger.”

Considering the Duke’s age of twenty-three, his brother would be seven years old. The age difference suggested that their parents were in good health.

“He must be adorable!”

Even if the brother didn’t resemble the Duke, children were inherently charming, so Edith responded cheerfully.

However, his expression became unusual as he talked about his brother.

Sensing a chill in the atmosphere, she became puzzled, wondering about the sudden change.

“My brother is possessed by the devil.”

…Excuse me?

What did he mean by that all of a sudden?

* * *

“Edith Irene Brusell. From Barony Brusell, aged twenty-two, fluent in both Imperial and Continental languages. Is that correct?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s take a look at your career.”

A middle-aged man with a strict impression began looking at the documents with indifferent eyes.

“Worked as a tutor at Viscounty Linguini for a year, then at County Moselle for a year, and later at County Heddon for another year…”

“I also worked at Viscounty Brosia for six months after my time at Viscounty Linguini.”

Edith, who was standing nervously in front of him, quickly added. After glancing at her for a moment, he asked a question.

“Normally, people prefer those who have worked for a long time in a single family rather than those who have worked briefly in several families. Is there a reason for having worked in so many families?”

If he were a different noble, the abrupt tone might have been off-putting, yet Edith remained unfazed.

Her memories of living in Korea were still vivid, and in the current era post-war, where wealthy merchants were rising to prominence, fallen nobles like her received less-than-ideal treatment, and she was quite accustomed to being treated poorly.

“I had plans to come to the capital from the beginning. Spending too much time in a single-family might eventually hurt the feelings of the family members when I decide to leave…”

“Oh my.”

Despite her positive and adaptive attitude, even she couldn’t help but pause at the seemingly mocking response.

Startled, Edith stopped speaking, and the man, with a sly smile, made a cutting remark.

“Are you afraid that the young heirs of the noble families will be saddened by parting with a mere tutor? Well, you should say something that makes sense. If you’re going to make up an excuse, come up with a more plausible one next time.”

“It’s not like that…”

It’s not an excuse, it’s the truth!

Although she wanted to defend herself, instead of making excuses, she lowered her head. The man, convinced that he was right, continued with a dismissive expression.

“…I can commit to working for at least three years this time. If there’s an opening, please contact me.”

With a polite request until the end, Edith left the job placement office. As she stepped through the door, she was greeted by the intense sunlight.

‘Phew.’

The sky was clear and refreshing with its bright blue color, but Edith’s mood didn’t match. Edith’s shoulders slumped as her energy seemed to drain away.

“That’s right. My brother has been branded as a devil by the Pope and is imprisoned in the temple as punishment.”

In her mind, the Duke’s voice resurfaced.

Yesterday, he had told her about his brother. It was an astonishing story. His younger brother, possessed by the devil, was imprisoned in the temple.

“So, marrying me means becoming connected with a household tainted by the blood of a devil.”

Shocked and speechless, Edith remembered his words. The Duke had even gone on to explain further.

‘Well, that’s right. Why hasn’t such an outstanding man married yet?’

A heavy sigh escaped her lips.

In truth, she had been suspicious from the beginning. Why would a war hero like the Duke want to connect himself with a fallen family like hers? What could he possibly lack?

‘But the devil….’

Even in a world with wizards where the devil might exist, it might not be strange. But it was still unsettling for her.

‘…Scary.’

She had always been afraid of ghosts or spirits, to begin with—especially the devil. It was the influence of horror movies she had seen as a child. The fear-inducing movie involved a devil possessing a child’s body, and even now, thinking about how well the makeup was done sent shivers down her spine.

If fictional movies were that scary, seeing a person possessed by a devil in reality was unimaginable for Edith.

‘I have to visit the Magic Tower tomorrow. I need to find out roughly how much is needed.’

It was disappointing that the Duke was sent away.

Thunk.

Edith, walking weakly, collided with someone. It was because she was looking at the ground. It wasn’t a strong collision, though a collision nonetheless.

“I’m so—Daisy?”

In a hurry to apologize, Edith raised her head, and her eyes widened.

__