134. The Second Proposal

Anette’s eyes were so swollen from crying too much that she had to lean on Darius to get into the carriage on their way back.

Her face was so soaked with tears that it was hard to believe she was someone who had just received a proposal today.

“Where did you even find the diamond? I’ve never heard of pink diamonds being available.”

Even in the place where she used to live, whenever pink diamonds appeared at auctions, they made the news. Despite the fact that they had started developing diamond mines, it wasn’t a gem that could be easily obtained.

“My love for Anette reached the heavens……”

“You hid the proposal, and now you have another secret? What are you trying to surprise me with this time?”

Darius tried not to reveal it until the end, but when she clung to him in his arms, he finally disclosed the secret.

“It was Boyer’s token of gratitude.”

“Boyer?”

“Remember when we found Ann in the capital and immediately contacted Boyer? To tell him that Ann, whom he thought was dead, was actually alive.”

Darius said that he had been searching for pink gemstones—from pink rubies to pink sapphires to pink topazes—to decorate the ring for her with something pink.

But even after coming all the way to the capital to search, he couldn’t find any pink gemstones, and he was contemplating whether to modify his proposal plan.

When Boyer heard the news that they had found his daughter in the capital and were planning to persuade her to return, he was so deeply moved that he personally took a pickaxe and went to the diamond mines in the South.

〈I won’t be able to fully express my gratitude unless I mine the raw stone myself and refine it.〉

So he went to mine just one diamond. But perhaps the heavens were moved by Boyer’s heart rather than Darius’s, and a pink diamond rough was discovered.

Indeed, a man loved by the fire spirits despite having no spirit power. Boyer was undoubtedly favored by metals and ores.

“When I heard the news that a pink diamond rough had been discovered, I couldn’t propose with any other gem.”

So that’s why he had been postponing the marriage registration and proposal until the ring was completed and delivered.

“Everyone did a good job keeping me in the dark.”

For news of a special gem being discovered in the diamond mines not to reach her ears, it would have been impossible without the cooperation of the servants.

“All for Anette’s most special day.”

Looking at his smug smiling face, she suddenly realized. That card from Bertang Dress Shop!

“Well, I only told Bertang Dress Shop that I was ordering new clothes to commemorate our official marriage registration. But they sent such a meaningful card that I was so startled. I was afraid you might notice something.”

As Darius spoke with a wink, Anette couldn’t help but smile along.

His glances, his tone, his every action never failed to make her smile. It was truly a happy day.

* * *

Happiness didn’t visit everyone equally. While Anette and Darius were spending a happy day at the Inkheart townhouse, Caitlyn was experiencing the worst days of her life.

These days, there was a famous client among the fortune-tellers in the back alleys of the capital—a young noble lady who persistently asked if she would become queen.

“I see a future where a crown is placed on a Sagittarius virgin.”

“Miss, you’re a Sagittarius, aren’t you? Seeing that everyone is saying this, it seems you will indeed become the crown princess!”

Caitlyn’s face momentarily lit up with joy at the flattery from the fortune-teller and her maid.

“Looking into my crystal ball, I can see that you’ve been raised preciously since childhood. You are inherently noble.”

“If you overcome the current small adversity, I see a future of lifelong happiness ahead.”

“If you go south today, you’ll meet a benefactor who will help you.”

The maid, unable to bear Caitlyn’s temper tantrums, had suggested visiting a fortune-teller as a diversion, but unexpectedly, Caitlyn became completely absorbed in fortune-telling.

As Caitlyn’s situation was deteriorating, only fortune-tellers gave her courage and hope. Every fortune-teller she consulted told her that she would definitely be the crown princess.

‘If only one fortune-teller had said so, it might have been a mistake, but all the renowned fortune-tellers have told me that a precious destiny awaits me!’

So what happened that day must have been a dream. It didn’t happen at all.

When Simons sent someone to tell Caitlyn to return home immediately because now was not the time to focus on the crown princess selection, something must have been wrong.

〈The Marquis never returned! Because of that, the Pochet household is in complete chaos. So Master Simons said to tell you that this is no time to worry about the crown princess selection and urged you to return immediately, Miss.〉

It was the day Anette had humiliated Caitlyn at Bertang Dress Shop. After leaving the dress shop, Caitlyn encountered a servant who had come looking for her.

Her father was missing?

So she should stop participating in the crown princess selection?

Go south? After coming all this way?

Stop participating in the crown princess selection immediately and come down to the South.

〈How hard did I work to get cooperation from that Anette girl! What do you mean go back!〉

〈Right now, the South needs the Grand Duke’s help more than you do, Miss. Currently, the Marquis’s household has no money and public sentiment is bad…… Oh, Miss! Miss!〉

Caitlyn ignored the servant’s words and ran away. Later, another message came to the Grand Duke’s townhouse urging Caitlyn’s return, but she ignored that too.

‘Don’t be ridiculous! How can I abandon my destiny to become empress here!’

The more anxious she felt, the more Caitlyn relied on fortune-telling. Even with the little money Caitlyn had left, it was enough to get her fortune told and buy talismans.

“Once I enter the crown princess selection, I’ll become the crown princess.”

“Y-yes, Miss.”

Caitlyn’s maid inwardly worried about how to appease Caitlyn’s anger that would explode after the crown princess selection while outwardly humoring her.

After hearing all the favorable fortunes she wanted, Caitlyn was about to calm down and return to the townhouse.

“Wait, let’s catch a carriage from the southern direction. The fortune-teller said south was auspicious.”

Remembering what the fortune-teller had said, Caitlyn deliberately went to the southern carriage stand to catch a carriage.

There, Caitlyn met her benefactor, just as the fortune-teller had predicted.

“Are you the young lady who wants to become the crown princess? The one who asks fortune-tellers if she can become the crown princess?”

She was a woman whose face flushed just from making eye contact. A woman who looked like an angel that would never exist in this world again asked Caitlyn.

“Shall we talk for a moment? I think I can help Miss Caitlyn.”

Lilith gently took the hand of the entranced Caitlyn. The maid, who should have warned against approaching suspicious people, not only failed to advise against it but was also blushing alongside her.

Caitlyn Pochet’s life could be summarized in just a few lines: stupid but greedy, unable to see situations clearly due to vanity, and someone who ignored those around her. A common human type.

“We can help each other.”

Lilith looked at Caitlyn with loving eyes. Lilith loved the foolishness of humans who willingly walked into the noose that would strangle them.

* * *

After the incident at the dress shop, Caitlyn, who had been cooped up in the townhouse for a while, suddenly went on a shopping spree.

“She says everything is on credit. The goods are delivered here, but the bills are to be sent to the Pochet Marquis household. I don’t know what kind of nerve she has to spend money like that when she still doesn’t have any cash.”

Apple clicked her tongue, saying it was truly extravagant, as if trying to make up for what she couldn’t buy until now.

“Let her be. Maybe she got permission from the Pochet household to spend money.”

Caitlyn was originally like that—ostentatious and wasteful. It was strange that she had been subdued for a while; this was her true personality.

There was a bigger issue now.

“Anette, wait just a little. I’m working hard to make this and I’ll feed it to you.”

Darius was in the kitchen, holding pudding mixture in his hands.

That damned pudding! I should have exterminated it all before leaving the North.

As punishment for not eradicating the worst invention in the history of desserts—pudding—Darius was now stirring that mushy thing as an event for me.

“I’ve always eaten what you made for me, so it would be nice if I could make something for you too.”

“Oh my…… how…… thoughtful.”

Oh my, how unnecessarily thoughtful!

I! Hate! Pudding!

Anette didn’t have pudding-phobia or anything like that. This was simply a neurosis that developed after Darius repeatedly requested, “But make it pudding,” “It has to be homemade pudding made by Anette,” and “I don’t want anything else,” whenever he asked her for a snack.

Do you know how many puddings I brought to Darius when he was bedridden? Even now, whenever he feels upset, the first thing he looks for is pudding! Why does he insist on confirming my love through pudding?

So, pudding, to me!

“My lady, you must be so happy. The Grand Duke is even making snacks for you.”

“When he’s with Lady Anette, isn’t the Grand Duke so affectionate? I’m envious, I want to meet a husband like the Grand Duke too.”

The attending maids who followed me were looking at Darius, who was sweating profusely, with very pleased expressions.

“Come to think of it, I remember when Lady Anette first made pudding.”

“She was really bad at it.”

“You all praised it back then, saying it was well-made, and now you’re revealing the truth?”

If you’ve told a lie once, you should have kept it forever, you fools!

“You got better at making it later. Beginners can’t help it.”

Darius was currently producing a series of misshapen puddings, unable to get the hang of it, just like when I poured pudding mixture into glass cups.

With the encouragement of the maids, Darius was diligently making the pudding he loved. With the sole intention of giving it to me.

“Anette, I’ll pick the prettiest one for you.”

It’s not as easy as I thought, Darius smiled as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“A husband who makes pudding for me…… wow, I am…… so happy……”

Tremble, tremble. My will defeated my taste.

“Oh my, the lady is crying!”

“She must be touched.”

“What should we do? She hasn’t even tasted it yet!”

“Ah…… so this is why people get married…… I’m so…… so. Sob.”

Miserable.

I’ll definitely cry more when I eat the pudding Darius worked so hard to make tonight. Because there’s no way to escape this hell.

I actually hate pudding! But my husband loves it so much that I can’t say it!