Chapter 7: The Immature Little Villainess Appears on the Battlefield (2)

“What?”

Duke Xavier furrowed his brows as he looked down at me, a deep crease forming between them. His teal-green eyes, which I had silently admired for their beauty, now held a clear trace of contempt.

Perhaps thinking I hadn’t understood him, the Duke repeated himself, enunciating each word carefully.

“I’ve already told you before. I have no intention of marrying you, Lady Graham.”

“…Marriage?”

His sculpted face briefly twisted into an expression of disgust before quickly returning to its usual stoic demeanor.

Ah, that’s right. Yuria, this girl, was a stalker of the Duke.

Suddenly, memories of the things Yuria did to the Duke before I possessed her body flashed through my mind. Considering all the trouble she caused him, it’s no wonder Xavier reacted this way.

‘Calm down. I can’t mess this up right now. A good first impression is the key to a long life.’

I forced a smile, smoothing out my forehead that was about to wrinkle.

“Haha. It seems there’s been a serious misunderstanding. I didn’t come here to beg for marriage. I’m here as a representative of the Graham Trading Company. In that capacity, I’d like to have a private conversation with you.”

At that, the Duke’s elegant lips twisted, and a short sigh escaped them.

“Of course. Follow me.”

“Your Grace! I…”

Suddenly, General Jude stepped forward and shouted. Her voice was so loud that I flinched, startled, my shoulders trembling.

“Jude, this is a camp, not a battlefield. Lower your voice.”

“Ah.”

“Oh, it’s fine.”

At Xavier’s reprimand, General Jude apologized to me and stepped back. However, her violet eyes still glared at me fiercely.

‘Those eyes don’t look apologetic at all, though?’

After briefly glancing at Jude, Xavier turned sharply and began walking with long strides.

Was he heading to his private tent? Hesitating, I hurriedly followed behind him. He was so tall that I had to crane my neck to its limit just to see his profile.

‘He’s like a sculpture. If only he weren’t the ultimate villain… what a waste.’

No, what am I even thinking! Damn it! That man is someone who’ll kill me!

While I was lost in thought, the Duke, who had been walking straight ahead, suddenly stopped, almost causing me to bump my nose against his back.

“Stop staring at me already.”

“Pardon?”

“Your face has turned red.”

‘Ah, what the—what is he saying?’

Xavier turned his head to look at me intently. His emerald-like eyes shimmered with suspicion.

“What were you thinking while looking at me?”

Oh no, did he sense it?

My heart pounded wildly as if I’d been caught doing something bad. Pretending to be nonchalant, I replied smoothly.

“N-No, I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

“Your face is burning, yet you weren’t thinking about anything?”

“I-I have a condition! Rosacea!”

“Ha, rosacea? Now you’re making up all kinds of excuses…”

The Duke let out a hollow laugh before gritting his teeth.

“Considering what I’ve been through, let me make one thing clear.”

“And what would that be?”

Feigning innocence, I looked up at him with wide, naive eyes.

‘Act! Pretend you don’t know anything about Yuria stalking the Duke.’

However, his expression instantly turned cold.

“Was it someone else who wore out the road to my mansion by constantly visiting?”

Ahh! Of course, he remembers!

It was me, but I couldn’t admit it.

“…I apologize.”

“Sending a wedding dress to my house—how audacious.”

I wanted to explain that it was a delivery mistake.

“And vomiting on my suit? I can still smell the stench all over me.”

“Ugh, I blacked out that time…”

Right, after all the things Yuria did to him, there’s no way he wouldn’t remember.

Xavier vividly recalled every single one of Yuria’s stalking antics that Maya had told me about.

Ugh, just forget it already. Please, just forget!

But the Duke didn’t seem inclined to do so.

“And there’s more.”

What, more? The fasting?

“You sent me love letters almost every day.”

“What? I did?”

Love letters? Maya never mentioned that! Doing something like this without consulting me!

Damn it, why does she make the mess, and I have to clean it up?

“Perhaps that was a different ‘Yuria Graham.’”

Oh no, what did I just say? I just dug my own grave.

My face flushed hotly as embarrassment surged through me.

“Lady Graham.”

While I was struggling with my internal conflict, the Duke’s expression suddenly turned ice-cold, so much so that the air around us felt frigid.

“Yes?”

“I won’t speculate on why you’ve come here, but if you’re here to talk about marriage again, let me make myself very clear. I have no intention of marrying. Not just you, but anyone. I’m already overwhelmed by the war.”

His words were delivered with such conviction that there was no doubting his sincerity.

It would’ve been nice if what he said were true.

‘But I know how deeply you’ll fall in love with Saintess Rosetta. I know, heaven knows, earth knows, and so do all the readers who downloaded the story, Duke!’

I snorted internally. He doesn’t even realize he’s going to become an obsessive lover.

Still, I needed to respond politely. I’m the underdog here!

“…I see.”

“Especially with you, I have absolutely no intention of marrying.”

‘Oh, same here, buddy.’

Swallowing those words, I obediently nodded.

After that, the Duke didn’t bring up the topic again. As we walked to his tent, the only sound between us was that of our footsteps.

Thanks to the silence, I was able to observe my surroundings. The hygiene conditions of the tents scattered around were abysmal.

At the makeshift laundry area, uniforms stained with dried blood were piled up, and groans of injured soldiers leaked from inside the tents. Some of the wounded were lying on the bare ground with only blankets beneath them.

Nearby, volunteers and healers, likely brought from the Duke’s territory, were assisting them. They, too, looked disheveled, unable to wash properly, showing the toll of a war that had dragged on for over four months.

After passing several more tents, Xavier stopped in front of a large one.

“This is it.”

The inside of the tent was surprisingly spacious. It was furnished with a fur carpet, a cot, a small desk, a sofa, and maps of the Bern Mountains hanging on the walls.

‘He has everything he needs.’

“Please, have a seat.”

I looked around before sitting on the sofa he gestured to.

“Would you like some coffee?”

The Duke asked, holding a kettle heated by a magic stone.

“Ah-Ah¹iced americano, do you have any?”

“Ah. Ah?”

He repeated my words, looking confused.

Of course, he wouldn’t.

“Oh, never mind. I’m fine.”

“Understood.”

After a brief pause, he set the kettle down on the table and sat in the main seat of the sofa.

Coffee with the Duke. A faint coffee aroma wafted from where he sat. He’s brewing it himself—perhaps he’s more down-to-earth than I thought?

As I pondered this, the Duke spoke first.

“Well then, let’s hear it.”

Offering coffee seemed to have been mere courtesy, as his expression remained cold as he waited for my explanation.

I took a small breath, bowed deeply, and straightened up.

“I sincerely apologize for my past actions. Visiting you uninvited, pestering you about marriage—all of it. I formally apologize. I swear I’m not here because I like you.”

“Not here because you like me? How can I believe that?”

“I had a near-death experience, and it changed my perspective.”

“……”

His perfectly shaped black eyebrows briefly rose.

“I’ve completely given up on you, Your Grace. I’m here as a representative of the Graham Trading Company.”

At my words, he let out a faint sigh.

“Business, you say? That’s a welcome change. Go on.”

Not wanting him to change his mind, I quickly continued.

“I heard that you’ve been dragged into another war with the Beast Kingdom this year, just like last spring. I thought I might be able to assist you, even if only a little.”

“You’ve wasted your time. While this sudden war isn’t easy, I’m not so desperate as to rely on a frail woman’s help. The Auguste family lacks nothing in terms of supplies or food.”

Is he just being prideful? And ‘frail woman’? My hands are worth a fortune!

It was clear he found the presence of a noblewoman more of a nuisance and wanted me to leave quickly. But I had staked everything on this. There was no way I’d back down.

“But, Your Grace, I believe you’ll change your mind after hearing me out.”

“Change my mind? Just go back. The Graham Trading Company has already withdrawn from our contract. I don’t understand this sudden change.”

Oh, so he’s upset about the canceled contract. What a petty man.

I couldn’t give up here.

“The situation has changed.”

“Changed?”

“On my way here, I noticed that the volunteers and healers looked utterly exhausted. The tents were so overcrowded that injured soldiers were lying on the ground like dried fish. Surely the imperial family is sending aid soon?”

‘I know they’re not.’

I smiled brightly, baring my teeth. The Duke’s handsome face twisted in irritation.

No matter how wealthy the Auguste family was, handling a war that erupted almost annually would be a struggle. And the Crown Prince had been making excuses to avoid helping since last year.

His sea-green eyes, reminiscent of emeralds, darkened.

“So, you’re saying it’s urgent, and I should just take your offer… is that it?”

The sound of his teeth grinding was audible. His angered demeanor was terrifying enough to send chills down my spine.

After drumming his fingers on the desk, he crossed his arms and spoke.

“Go on. Let’s see how far you can push me, Lady Graham.”