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7.
Young and beautiful Princess Catherine was the most coveted bride-to-be among the surrounding nations. ‌
Yet Julian sat arrogantly in his chair, openly ignoring Catherine's greeting. ‌‌‌‌‌
It was discourteous behavior, but Zahidra paid it no mind.
Julian had been raised with the education that he need not heed anyone's gaze. ‌‌‌
Save for the Emperor himself, he was the supreme ‌‌‌wielder of power in the empire—a natural state of affairs.
The House of Johannes had ‌‌once stood behind the Church and threatened imperial authority.
Compared to his predecessors, Julian's words and conduct were somewhat rough, yet politically speaking, he was the more refined of the lot.
Thus Zahidra generously understood Julian's dismissive attitude.
Moreover, Zahidra was a man who cared far more for profit than for propriety.
Considering the gains Julian would bring, he could endure the man's rudeness a thousand times ‌‌‌‌over.
It was common knowledge that he frequented brothels as casually as one took meals, and his reputation with women was notoriously poor.
What's more, he occasionally spoke without restraint of his disdain for noble ladies.
If Princess Catherine were to marry him, what treatment she would receive was painfully obvious.
It was regrettable for Catherine's sake, yet he could not afford to ‌‌‍abandon this card.
Since Julian despised banquets, Zahidra had even fabricated a false rebellion to ‌‌‌‌force his attendance.
It was to introduce Catherine to him naturally.
But he could not allow this scheme to crumble to nothing.
Zahidra smiled wickedly, took Catherine's hand, and offered it to Julian.
"What say you—will you not dance the first dance with this ‌‌‌‌beautiful princess?"
Julian gazed intently ‌‌‌at Catherine's snow-white hand extended by the Emperor.
He glanced around seeking aid, but Croa was nowhere to be found.
'She must have slipped away ‌‌‌to smoke again.'
Grinding his teeth, Julian fell into contemplation.
His heart yearned to brush away her hand and escape this suffocating place.
But Emperor Zahidra was the sole force capable of opposing the Church. ‌‌
Julian despised the Emperor, yet he despised the Church far more.
The Duke of Johannes was obligated to attend the various events the Church held each year.
Each time, Zahidra would seize the moment to manufacture some incident, preventing Julian from attending.
It was something the Emperor himself desired, yet it remained true that Julian had benefited from it.
'If I were to marry the princess, even the Church would not dare easily demand I take ‌‌a concubine.'
As Julian's gaze settled upon her, a shy dimple appeared on Catherine's cheek.
Catherine had hesitated at first when the Emperor ‌‌‌commanded her to betroth herself to Julian.
The scandals that followed him were utterly sordid.
Yet now, facing him ‌thus with her countenance fully exposed, she felt a desire to follow him even into the depths of hellfire.
He was that beautiful.
Having ‌completed his brief calculation, Julian extended his hand to Catherine.
"Then, would you honor ‌‌‌me with the first dance?"
Zahidra laughed with satisfaction—indeed, what a fitting pair they made.
Julian wrinkled his nose at the heavy scent of deep rose perfume that clung to Catherine.
The sound of Catherine's racing heartbeat reached my ears, and my mother's final words suddenly came flooding back.
'Julian. You must never fall in love.' ‌‌
Even as she lay dying, his mother had poured out a curse—not quite a curse, but close enough—upon young Julian.
'It seems I was mad for a moment.'
Catherine bore no fault in this.
Julian could not give her his love.
He could not reveal the secrets of the House of Johannes to someone from the Imperial family, so Catherine would languish in ignorance, yearning for her husband's affection until madness consumed her.
Julian's face grew cold and distant.
Soon after, the music announcing the first dance began to play.
* * ‌‌*
'Is he in a foul mood today?'
As I danced ‌‌with Zeppelin, I caught a glimpse of Julian's face as he passed by.
Even ‌‌‌as he held the beautiful Imperial Princess's hand, his expression was that of a man being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
Noticing my sidelong glance, Zeppelin seized my ‌‌face and turned it toward him.
"Look at me, Rebecca."
"Ah, forgive me. I felt a bit dizzy for a moment."
"In ‌‌‌‌a ‌‌‌gathering like this, you must conduct yourself with care. Everyone is watching you intently. You need to show them that you see only me."
Zeppelin laughed pleasantly.
The beautiful Count and Countess of Devon were a couple that drew attention wherever they went.
The dress I happened ‌‌to wear to such occasions often set the fashion trends of the season.
Even now, the gazes of those greedily scrutinizing my attire burned hot against my skin.
'Disgusting.'
The first dance finally ended.
Throughout the dance with Zeppelin, I marveled at my own patience for not spitting in his face.
* * *
"Stay here quietly."
Another corner assignment.
From the second dance onward, I could dance with partners other than my husband, but that was merely wishful thinking for me.
Zeppelin's hunting dog, lurking somewhere in this place, would ‌be watching with keen eyes to ensure no man approached me.
But truthfully, I preferred it that way now.
I deliberately leaned my back against a large pillar that drew the least attention.
And I confirmed that Zeppelin was engrossed in conversation with the distinguished guests.
I glanced at the man ‌standing as if rooted behind the pillar I leaned against.
Julian, Duke of Johannes.
He was drinking red wine with an expression ‌‌‌of utter boredom.
Every woman at the party pretended not ‌‌‌to notice, yet ‌‌‌‌I could feel them stealing glances at the Duke.
Black hair and dark eyes. Skin ‌‌like melted milk chocolate.
This towering man, dressed entirely in black even down to his tailcoat, resembled a noble black lion.
Though he was infamous for sordid rumors, his face alone possessed a charm that captivated all who beheld it.
Like the other women, I ‌‌too found my attention drawn to him—though for a somewhat different reason.
Rebecca took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
"I haven't seen the cats today."
Julian paused mid-motion, his wine glass hovering before his lips.
He thought he'd successfully evaded the women's advances. But to think one had ‌‌‌pursued him this far.
Irritation surged through him.
Julian rose from his seat without responding.
Rebecca quickly continued before he could leave.
"Leo. That cat shares a soul bond with you, doesn't it? The rest are merely a means to conceal Leo's whereabouts."
Julian's eyes widened dramatically.
The world knew only that House of Johannes revered Leo, the divine messenger. Few understood the soul connection that bound ‌‌them.
He turned to face ‌‌this woman who dared know the House's secrets.
"Please, don't let anyone see us conversing. I'm being watched."
At her words, ‌‌Julian narrowed his eyes ‌‌and surveyed their surroundings.
Indeed, a servant carrying finger foods was observing them intently. ‌‌
Julian leaned back against the pillar.
"Who are you?"
"I'll be direct. I know how to break the Duke's curse."
"What?"
Julian nearly cried out.
He lowered his voice and repeated the question. ‌‌‌‌
"A curse? How dare you speak such nonsense about a house blessed by the Goddess herself?"
"I know everything. That if the cat bound by soul dies, you die as well. That it's a curse passed down through generations. That you've been gathering storytellers to break it."
"Well, this is the first I'm hearing of it."
It was ‌‌knowledge held by only the rarest few, yet it could leak.
But no one with any sense would carelessly spread such words.
Merely ‌‌‌uttering that House of Johannes was cursed could ‌‌‌result in arrest for blasphemy.
This mysterious woman had clearly picked up ‌‌‌strange rumors somewhere and approached him with them.
Who sent her?
The Emperor? Or was this some game of the Duke of Latrans?
"Then what about this—that the Duke, famous ‌‌‌as a depraved libertine, is actually a virgin?"
Julian nearly spat out his wine. This woman spoke of such embarrassing matters without the slightest change in tone.
"Though you've wrapped ‌yourself in all manner of scandal, the truth is you possess purity more pristine than anyone. It's only natural, given your reluctance to leave an heir."
Julian could no longer dismiss her words.
It was a rumor he had carefully cultivated to reject the endless marriage proposals.
Yet despite his efforts, ‌mad parents still thrust their daughters at him far more than expected—a failure by any measure.
Still, this was something no one knew except Croa.
Recently, the Duke of Latrans seemed to suspect the truth behind the rumors, but Julian had not yet revealed it to him.
"By now, you must be curious about ‌‌‌my identity. I wish to make a deal."
"A deal?"
"That is...."
Rebecca stopped mid-sentence. Zeppelin was walking toward her from across the room.
"If you dance with me, I'll tell you."
"Ah. So ‌‌that was your goal all along? To claim the seat beside me?"
"That, too, you'll discover if you dance with me. Please ask me to ‌‌dance in front of the Emperor. It must be somewhere everyone can see."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then, Your Grace, you'll lose your first and last chance to break the curse."
"Fine. Now tell me. ‌‌‌‌What's your name?"
"My name is Rebecca Devonshire. I am the first wife of the Count of Devonshire."
Julian's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected name.
"Rebecca, I've been waiting for you. The Duke of Latrans kept dragging out the conversation."
Zeppelin's voice reached them.
Julian could no longer avoid turning his head.
At the end of Julian's gaze stood Rebecca, a smile playing on her lips.
Her deep blue eyes fixed upon him with an unwavering stare.
As Julian stared intently at Rebecca, Zeppelin's brow furrowed.
"How ‌‌rude. To ‌‌‌‌‌gaze upon another man's wife in such a manner."
When Zeppelin spoke in a displeased tone, Julian finally withdrew his ‌‌‌gaze from Rebecca.
"Ah, Count. Your presence is so forgettable that I didn't notice you were there."
'This insolent brat!'
Zeppelin clenched his teeth at the man who spoke to him so brazenly.
Zeppelin and Julian's first meeting had been a ‌‌‌disaster from the start.
'Get out! You hideous thing!'
Those were the first words Julian had spoken when he had just begun to form sentences.
Zeppelin had never been called ugly in his entire life until that moment.
So the words from the innocent child's lips had imprinted themselves upon him like a trauma.
Zeppelin still occasionally had nightmares about that day. They were terrible ones.
But Zeppelin's dislike of Julian stemmed from more than just that.
Julian was discourteous to everyone, regardless of age or gender.
Yet no one dared to criticize his manners.
Even ‌‌‌the Emperor stammered in his presence.
His arrogant demeanor, as if ‌‌he were the king of the world, deeply displeased Zeppelin.
That such a man held a position higher than his own made Zeppelin shudder whenever he thought of Julian.
The Runaway Countess Returns
E-book publication.

January 12, 2022
Author.

Long Night Sky
Author.

Desert Fox
Publisher.

Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submissions.

naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.

blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.

@wjt_fennecfox

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org ‌‌‌‌
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