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15. "Pardon?" At Croa's question, Julian let out a soft groan and leaned his back against the hard chair. "I have lived for a single purpose all this time. To be honest, I'm growing weary of it now. I want to cling to even the smallest glimmer of hope. Rebecca—I don't mean to say I trust that woman completely. But when I think about it carefully, there's no real reason not to trust her either. If she can use us, then we can use her in turn. At least, as long as I maintain this marriage with her, no other innocent woman will have to suffer in my stead." "...." Still, Croa remained dissatisfied, pressing her lips firmly shut and saying nothing. Julian crossed his legs with deliberate ease. "I don't understand what you're so worried about. Have you forgotten? I am the Duke of Johannes. Young, handsome, and wealthy besides. Even the Emperor cannot move against me. Do you truly believe that being toyed with by her hand for a few years would bring me to ruin? I need only think of ‌‌‌‌it as a brief moment of amusement, and it ceases to matter. And...." Julian fixed his gaze directly upon Croa. "You ‌‌‌won't simply stand idle while I'm being deceived. I trust that while I'm being ‌‌played with by her, you will find a way to break the ‌‌curse. Isn't that ‌‌‌‌so?" A gaze brimming with infinite trust bore ‌‌down ‌‌‌upon Croa's face with relentless intensity. ‌‌‌Croa suddenly recalled the moment when Julian had first extended his hand to her. He had not shed a single tear at his ‌‌‌‌mother's funeral. Yet when his nursemaid was laid to rest in the earth, that same boy had wept tears of profound sorrow. The boy, wiping away his tears roughly, had extended his ‌‌hand toward Croa. 'Now you are all I have left. Croa Chenister.' Until ‌‌that moment, Croa had served the young Julian out of a sense of duty to her house alone. But from the moment she grasped that small, resolute hand he offered, Croa had sworn to give him her unwavering loyalty. She had vowed to make him ‌‌as happy as possible, however brief his life might be. Croa searched for words to speak, but ultimately could manage nothing more than a slight nod of her head. Knock, knock— The sound of knocking came, and Rebecca opened the door and entered. "Ah, you've arrived already. I apologize for keeping you waiting." "No, I haven't been waiting long." Julian greeted her ‌‌‌and examined Rebecca's appearance. She looked unfamiliar without her usual elaborate adornments. Yet she radiated a vitality that surpassed her ‌‌usual self. Julian found himself momentarily entranced, gazing at Rebecca. As Rebecca offered him a brief greeting, her gaze suddenly froze in place. She had caught sight of Croa, whose eyes were narrowed in scrutiny. Reddish-brown hair with a fresh verdant gleam in her eyes, and those round spectacles she always wore. Though she appeared younger, this was unmistakably the Croa that Rebecca knew. A sudden heaviness seized her heart, and Rebecca stared at Croa, momentarily forgetting that Julian stood before her. Confronted by Rebecca's blatant gaze, Croa—who had been attempting to seize the initiative with a hostile stare—found herself taken aback ‌‌‌instead. Julian sensed something amiss in Rebecca's gaze and questioned her. "Do you ‌‌two know each other? Croa, you didn't happen to leak the Duchy's secrets to Rebecca, ‌‌did you?" At Julian's words, Croa jumped to her feet. "No! I swear by the heavens, I am seeing that lady for the first time today!" Rebecca quickly averted her gaze from Croa. On a day as crucial as this, to be swept away by emotion was unforgivable. Rebecca composed herself and offered a subtle smile. "That's impossible, Your Grace. I'm meeting this person for the first time as well. I was merely looking because there were cookie crumbs around their mouth." At Rebecca's words, Croa's face flushed crimson. Croa brushed away the crumbs from around their mouth with their hand, then cast a furtive glance at Rebecca. A woman I truly cannot stand. Julian finally relaxed the furrow between his brows and laughed. ‌‌"Croa, I ‌‌‌told you to eat in moderation. Well then, now that Rebecca has arrived, you ‌‌should step outside." "Pardon?" "I said you could come along, but I never said I'd let you participate in the contract negotiations." "But Your Grace!" "That's an order. We have an important contract to finalize now, so step out for a while." When Croa protested, Julian's eyes widened. His gaze was on the verge of shifting to gold. In the end, Croa was practically shoved out of ‌‌‌the room. They say raising children is pointless, and ‌‌tears welled up in my eyes at the sorrow of it all. 'We? Your Grace! You only use the word "we" when referring to me!' * * * Julian shut the door coldly behind them. From outside, I could hear Croa muttering complaints, but I paid ‌‌‌‌no mind and took my seat. Ever since ‌‌‌arriving at this place, ‌‌Croa had been desperate to find fault with Rebecca. I continued to regret bringing them along. Had I kept Croa in this room, they would certainly have nitpicked at every word of my conversation with Rebecca. The mere thought brought exhaustion. Throwing them out was the easier path. Julian surveyed the simple yet immaculate Reception Room and spoke. "I had no idea such a place existed. You said it belonged to House of Devon?" "Yes. I created it, but it belongs ‌‌‌to Zeppelin." Rebecca smiled bitterly, then quickly ‌‌‌‌brightened her expression. "However, I intend to reclaim it soon enough." "That's a fine idea, but how?" Rebecca smiled knowingly and produced a single sheet of paper. "We can discuss ‌‌‌such trivial details later. For now, here is a rough draft of the contract." Julian silently took the contract. The handwriting was so distinctly Rebecca's that I couldn't help but smile for a moment. It was flowing yet somehow rigid. <1. Julian, Duke ‌‌of Johannes, shall actively assist Rebecca of Devonshire in obtaining her divorce. 2. Julian, Duke of Johannes, must make minimal investments in Rebecca of Devonshire's plan ‌‌to bring down House of Devon. 3. Within the bounds of discretion and ‌‌without the other party's consent, either party may freely engage in romantic affairs at any time. 4. The contract period shall last until the death of Zeppelin, Count of Devonshire. Should Julian, Duke of Johannes, uphold all the above terms, Rebecca of Devonshire shall lift the curse upon House of Johannes.> Though brief, Julian examined the contract for quite some time. Rebecca, waiting for him to ‌‌finish reviewing it, made every effort to conceal her anxiety. "I have one question." "Yes, please ask." "If you're divorced, why do you need to destroy House of Devon? And why kill Zeppelin?" "It is merely a personal grievance, if I may be so bold. I shall elaborate on that ‌matter when the time is right." Rebecca averted my gaze ever so subtly. After all, Julian and I were bound by necessity alone. Once we exchanged what each desired, there was no need to conduct ourselves with such intimacy as to divulge every intimate secret of the heart. Rebecca sipped her tea ‌‌in silence, making it clear she would entertain no further questions. Julian propped his chin on one hand and ‌‌‌regarded me intently. 'She doesn't seem to harbor any ulterior motives....' Though Julian was young in years, his eye for people was sharper than most. He had observed countless schemers and charlatans seeking to curry favor with House of Johannes since childhood. 'Look, Julian. Did you see how she just averted her eyes? That means she's hiding something.' His mother had seated young Julian upon her lap and analyzed each person who met privately with his father, cultivating his ability to read people. Even after the Duchess's passing, Julian received education focused on worldly wisdom. Thanks to this training, even becoming a ‌Duke at the tender age of fifteen, he had never been deceived—though he had certainly deceived others. Julian's silence stretched on as he fell into thought. Rebecca let out a small, delicate cough before continuing. "However, there will be nothing that ‌harms you, Your Grace. Think of it as a form of investment. I shall handle all the work myself, so you need not lift a finger." "You're telling me to do nothing?" "Yes. Your hands need not be soiled. You need only provide me with the shelter of being a Duchess and financial support. Of course, I have no ‌‌‌intention of accepting this as charity. Whatever you lend me, I shall repay several times over. Would the entire fortune of the Count of Devonshire suffice?" It was an absurd statement, yet somehow Julian felt certain she would accomplish it. ‌‌There was no logical basis for this conviction. It was merely an instinctive premonition. Bewildered by his own baseless faith, Julian ‌‌‌‌let out a hollow laugh. 'Have I lost my mind? Or is this woman employing some manner of sorcery?' Moreover, while ‌‌‌many had asked him to do something, he had never encountered ‌‌‌anyone who asked him to do nothing. That alone was sufficient to pique his interest. "Well, very well. As you say, I ‌‌‌‌stand to lose nothing. Though there is ‌‌‌‌one thing I wish to revise." "Yes? What might that be...?" "Item three here. The phrase 'without the other party's consent' troubles me somewhat. After all, if we are to be husband and wife, shouldn't consent ‌‌‌‌be obtained before meeting ‌‌with ‌‌‌others?" Rebecca's eyes widened in surprise. She had written that clause with considerable deliberation for Julian's sake. Rebecca had been married before, but Julian was marrying ‌‌‌for the first time. Moreover, according to what ‌Croa had told her, in his previous life he had never experienced ‌‌‌‌romance even once, fearing an heir might be born. But now things were different. Since ‌‌Rebecca knew how to break the curse, it was acceptable for him to kindle love with young ladies of his station. And from what Rebecca understood, men detested constraint. Even Zeppelin would furrow his brow whenever Rebecca showed the slightest hint of jealousy or reproach. As Rebecca ‌‌‌‌pondered Julian's true intentions, she reached a conclusion. 'Was he showing me consideration...?' Rebecca had never properly explained to him the true reason for her divorce. So Julian must be assuming that Zeppelin's infidelity was the catalyst for the dissolution. A woman nursing vengeance over her husband's betrayal was commonplace. Julian was undoubtedly trying to show consideration and thoughtfulness toward my ‌position. Rebecca, anticipating Julian's intention, broke into a radiant smile. "Please don't concern yourself with me. However, if it troubles you, we can certainly revise that clause. It seems the ‌‌‌‌Duke is warmer-hearted than I expected." At the unexpected compliment, Julian's expression grew uncomfortable. Even if this marriage was merely formal, he had no intention of seeing other women while maintaining his marital bond with Rebecca. He had simply asked his father to amend that clause the moment he saw it. Julian wiped away his bewildered expression. Until now, he had heard countless epithets—cold-blooded, an ice sculpture, a savage beast—but never ‌‌once had anyone called him ‌‌warm-hearted. It seemed that meeting Rebecca was bringing about many unprecedented experiences. The Runaway Countess Returns E-book Publication January 12, 2022 Author Ginnamilbam Publisher Desert Fox Publishing House Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd. Submission Contact naver.me/54VzzLSn Blog ‌ blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox Twitter @wjt_fennecfox

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