Chapter 37: Get Lost in Front of My Woman

I pulled my scarf tighter to avoid Viscount Harris’s gaze.  

Xavier, who had been watching me, asked curiously, 

“Why are you covering your face like that?”  

“My face has been sold all over Pins—no, the entire empire.”  

“Ah, you mean the photo with me?”  

“Yes.”  

Thanks to the famous Duke, of course.  

“So what?”  

“Unlike the war hero Duke Xavier, I have this ‘little villainess’ title that people love to gossip about.”  

“Are you the type to care about that?”  

A large hand reached toward the top of my scarf-covered head.  

“!”  

“Why are you hiding such a pretty face?”  

Pretty?  

My cheeks flushed slightly.  

While I was caught off guard, Xavier untied my floral scarf.  

“Xavier, no!”  

Xavier rolled up the scarf and tucked it into his inner pocket.  

“Are you planning to keep hiding that pretty face even after we’re married? You haven’t done anything wrong, so hold your head up high.”  

“…Thank you.”  

At that moment, I saw Viscount Harris’s weasel-like face twist into a sly grin.  

He helped his confused fiancée to her feet, placed her hand on his arm, and strutted toward us with a smug expression. His poop-colored cravat swayed with every step, making my eyes hurt.  

It wasn’t that I was afraid of Viscount Harris.  

I just hated the thought of dealing with his nonsense about little villainesses and ‘supporting one’s husband.’  

It’s not fear; it’s disgust.  

“Xavier, let’s go.”  

“Hm?”  

I quickly grabbed Xavier’s hand. His elegant eyebrows lifted slightly.  

“Are we finally holding hands for the first time?”  

“It’s urgent right now. Let’s go.”  

I firmly tugged at his hand, which was now damp with my sweat. However, the cunning Viscount Harris was faster.  

“Your Grace, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Viscount Harris Bowman.”  

“Ah, Viscount Harris.”  

The entire café turned its attention to us. The previously noisy café fell silent as if a mouse had died.  

Viscount Harris, having greeted Xavier, glanced at me before continuing.  

“Oh, Lady Graham, you’re here too.”  

“Yes, oh my, Viscount Harris, you’re here as well.”  

My words made his face twitch slightly.  

At that moment, his fiancée, standing beside him, tapped his shoulder with an embarrassed expression.  

“Harris, let’s go. Why are you doing this?”  

“Hold on. His Grace needs to know this.”  

Ignoring his fiancée, Harris sneered and stepped closer to Xavier.  

“Your Grace, you may not know this, but Lady Graham is a fierce and wicked woman. You shouldn’t accept her just because she’s chasing after you. Even if she’s called the Saintess, her true nature won’t change. She’s a bad woman who doesn’t understand what it means to support her husband.”  

What a scoundrel!  

Harris’s nostrils flared as he glared at me with half-closed eyes.  

To think he’d repay the embarrassment he suffered during our matchmaking meeting like this.  

I was uneasy, wondering if Xavier might believe his words.  

But then I thought, ‘Wait. Why am I worried? Wouldn’t it be better if he hated me and ran away?’  

Confused by my own thoughts, I glanced at Xavier.  

“……”  

Xavier’s expression was blank.  

No, to be precise, he was looking at Viscount Harris as if he were an insect crawling out from under furniture.  

When Xavier’s handsome lips curved into a smile, Harris, misunderstanding it as friendliness, smiled back eagerly.  

“Haha, I’m just saying that you could’ve been in big trouble if it weren’t for me. With that in mind, perhaps you could consider a position for me as an aide in the Auguste household…”  

Even here, he was trying to secure a job. Truly consistent. His fiancée’s face crumpled in embarrassment.  

But Xavier didn’t respond to him. Instead, he spoke to me.  

“What’s the story with him?”  

“We had one matchmaking meeting, and I rejected him.”  

“I see.”  

Xavier’s gaze turned terrifying.  

Apparently, the smile he had given Harris earlier wasn’t a friendly one.  

“Are you done talking?”  

“Pardon? Your Grace?”  

Suddenly, Xavier pulled a glove from his pocket and dropped it onto the café floor.  

“A duel.”  

“W-what?”  

At the same moment, Viscount Harris disappeared from the ground.  

With a shriek, his fiancée collapsed to the floor. Harris was dangling in the air, his collar gripped tightly by Xavier.  

“How dare you insult the fiancée of Xavier Auguste? Do you have two lives to spare?”  

“Ugh, ack.”  

In noble society, once a duel was declared, no one could intervene. It could only end with one party’s death or the mercy of the challenger.  

Xavier’s teal eyes glowed fiercely as he glared at Harris.  

“Let me make this clear. This marriage is happening because I pursued her.”  

What?  

I stared at his side profile in shock.  

“I, Xavier Auguste, proposed to Yuria Graham. Spread the word.”  

Raising his voice so everyone could hear, Xavier tightened his grip on Harris’s collar.  

“Urgh.”  

Harris’s face turned pale. Xavier, who had been watching him with a cold gaze, spoke icily.  

“Get lost in front of my woman.”  

He then flung Harris to the ground like a sack. Harris clutched his chest, groaning in pain, possibly from a broken bone.  

His fiancée didn’t even think to help him and fled the café, trembling. The café owner, adept at reading the room, called the guards to remove Harris from the premises.  

Dusting off his hands, Xavier turned back to me.  

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”  

“It’s fine.”  

‘Get lost in front of my woman.’  

The words replayed in my mind as I looked at Xavier’s face.  

“Yuria, your face is red. Are you shocked?”  

“Yes, a little.”  

“If I frightened you, I apologize. But this is nothing. I declared a duel and didn’t even kill him.”  

“Yes, I know. It’s not that.”  

Honestly, my heart skipped a beat.  

I expected Xavier to mock me after hearing Harris’s words.  

‘I pursued her for this marriage,’ and ‘I, Xavier Auguste, proposed to Yuria Graham.’  

I never imagined he would say something like that.  

Xavier raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to speak.  

“Well?”  

“Thank you.”  

Xavier placed his large hand on top of my head, lightly ruffling my hair.  

“You’re welcome.”  

His hand was big and warm. Embarrassed, I quickly changed the subject.  

“Shall we get to what we planned to do?”  

“Shall we?”  

Thankfully, he didn’t press further and nodded at my suggestion.  

＊  

The Crown Prince’s palace, adorned with lofty spires.  

Jude had often visited the imperial palace while serving her lord, but this was her first time entering the Crown Prince’s quarters.  

The interior, finished with pure white marble and gold moldings, was so luxurious it felt like stepping into heaven.  

Following the attendant through the white corridor, Jude’s steps faltered slightly.  

The attendant stopped in front of a large door adorned with a golden sun.  

“Your Highness, General Jude has arrived.”  

“Let her in.”  

Beyond the door came the soft yet commanding voice of the Crown Prince, the same voice that had haunted Jude even in her dreams.  

“Please proceed.”  

As the attendant opened the door, a massive ivory marble desk came into view. Behind it hung thick white curtains, and the room was lined with mirror-like windows that reflected the light brilliantly.  

In the center, a chair with intricate floral patterns was placed at the table, and the Crown Prince sat there.  

On the sofa table, two steaming cups of tea had been set.  

“You’ve arrived.”  

“Jude greets the Empire’s Little Sun.”  

As Jude offered her greeting, the Crown Prince gestured for her to sit. Perched stiffly on the edge of her seat, Jude’s face was tense with nervousness.  

Seeing her, the Crown Prince smiled sweetly and spoke first.  

“You’ve made your decision faster than I expected.”  

“I’m rather impatient by nature.”  

Jude’s voice trembled slightly as she replied.  

The Crown Prince nodded silently, lifting his teacup.  

“What do you need me to do?”  

Arthur, savoring the tea’s aroma with his eyes closed, opened them leisurely and spoke.  

“Bring her in.”  

As soon as he finished speaking, a girl emerged from behind the white curtains. She was an ordinary-looking girl with brown hair and a plain appearance, someone who wouldn’t stand out.  

After glancing at her briefly, the Crown Prince turned back to Jude.  

“General Jude, place this maid in the Duke’s residence. I’ll handle the rest.”  

“This maid? What do you plan to do with her?”  

“She’ll monitor Yuria Graham and the Duke.”  

“What?”  

Jude abruptly stood up.  

“Your Highness, I can’t do this. Are you asking me to betray my lord?”  

“No, it’s not betrayal.”  

“Pardon?”  

The Crown Prince, unfazed by Jude’s resistance, shook his head gracefully. Placing his teacup back on its saucer, his golden eyes met her trembling purple ones with an icy gaze.  

“I need the Saintess. But I don’t want to force her. Some things can’t be obtained through coercion. So, I’ll take my time. It’ll benefit both you and me.”  

“Well, that’s true, but…”  

“This is merely an unspoken agreement. Even Xavier will understand someday.”  

Jude, who had been standing awkwardly, sat back down.  

Arthur smiled angelically, his voice soft.  

“As I said, this isn’t betrayal.”  

“Ah…”  

“For a better empire, you are simply lending a very small amount of your strength.”