Translator: Jis...o...b..>Proofreader: Arie Bee

Chapter 9

"……."

Ariel was so shocked that she could not even blink and just continued to stare at his face.

'The person back then…… was actually the Grand Duke's son?'

She never could have guessed.

Since there was no mention of an heir at the La Carte family at all back then.

She did not know much about the things that happened in the world because she followed 'him' and his group of wizards, but even she knew that much.

The story of the Young Grand Duke who became the Grand Duke when he was just twenty years old.

By that time he was already the grand duke, people didn't even know there was even an heir in the first place.

And the previous grand duke…… what happened to him?

It wasn't just a normal pa.s.sing of status. She couldn't really remember what was it.

The face of the boy in front of Ariel took away all other suspicions. His looks were not realistic at all. His pitch-black hair was neat, and his exposed forehead looked hard and elegant like gypsum.

But the gradient in the shape of his eyes gave off a dangerous atmosphere. Not only did it place fear in the people who looked at him, but it also enchanted them at the same time.

His long eyelashes covered his eyes as he looked down arrogantly. One could feel an incredible feeling by watching him do this and Ariel felt her heart pause for a moment before thumping fast once more.

'How could someone look like this?'

His long nose and red lips were perfect, and his jawline and neck, which were not developed enough to be called a man's, were white like a boy's. The little mole at the edge of his eyes added on a s.e.xy atmosphere to him as well. Not only was his face different, but the air coming off of him was simply different from all the other average men.

This was why she could be sure of it.

The boy she had seen in the past was the same person as the Grand Duke's son. The Grand Duke's son's appearance was much younger than she remembered. He was already tall and had a strong aura that was incomparable to normal fourteen-year-olds, but he was still a boy.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ariel answered as if she had been hypnotized at his sudden question.

"B-because you're pretty……."

Her face turned red as she blurted out the truth subconsciously. Lucian twisted the corner of his mouth and smiled.

"I thought there was something wrong with your beauty standards, but I guess that wasn't the case."

"What?"

He completely ignored Ariel's question and climbed into the carriage.

"Let's go."

Seriously, he only says whatever he wants.

Ariel complained in her head and wiggled out of his arm to take her seat in the carriage. The seat in the carriage was high, so her feet were in the air instead of the floor.

Ariel moved her feet a little in the air. The inside of the carriage was silent. She felt like the Grand Duke's son was gazing at her, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze and continued to stare at the floor.

'I was too scared in the past to think about it, but he really is a beautiful person.'

I can't believe I have to stand next to someone so beautiful.

Ariel could feel her confidence disappearing completely. Of course, his face was one that would make anyone's confidence disappear.

"Raise your head."

A command fell over her as she was staring at the patterns on the bottom of the carriage. Ariel instinctively lifted her head. Lucian spoke as he stared down at her coldly.

"Only those in front of me can put their heads down. I won't forgive anyone if it was someone standing next to me was staring at the floor."

He added arrogantly as Ariel blinked.

"Standing next to me means you belong to me."

In conclusion, he meant to say was ‘stop staring at the floor and raise your head'.

Ariel nodded as she wet her dry lips.

"Yes."

He loosened his lips in satisfaction as Ariel faced him. The scene looked just like a piece of art.

"……."

Ariel finally felt a sense of realization.

Ah.

'Come to think of it, I actually did meet that person.'

The one person she truly wanted to meet when coming to the Grand Duke's mansion. The man with black hair and blue eyes. The fact that he was actually the Grand Duke's son made it a little difficult for her, but one of her greatest wishes had been granted today. She felt as if she had moved onto a new chapter in her life.

'Is it…… changing?'

Warm and soft dresses, soft leather boots that don't even need getting used to, and even the people she was with……. Many things changed in a short amount of time and as she saw the morning scenery through the carriage's window, another realization hit Ariel.

'Yesterday already pa.s.sed!'

The day her life had begun breaking apart in the past. The night she supposedly lost her left leg from her father's beating had pa.s.sed. The little girl who had gotten her hair grabbed, pulled down the stairs, and beaten till she fainted was not here anymore.

Just like how the sun pushed away the darkness to create morning. Ariel, who had pushed away the tragedy of the past had definitely changed.

She smiled slightly as she saw the Marquis' mansion approach from far away.

* * *

Marquis Lucilleon was not in his right mind.

He had poured all his attention into serving the Monica couple for a mine business but received a report early in the afternoon telling him that the cursed bas.e.m.e.nt girl had disappeared.

"What? How did she run away when we locked her up?!"

"T-the thing is…… the miss used magic……."

The Marquis grabbed the ashtray and threw it.

"I told you not to speak of magic in this household didn't I?!"

He beat up the servant who reported the issue to him and sent out people to find the girl.

d.u.c.h.ess Monica did point out the messy atmosphere of the mansion, but there was no impact on their business proposal.

But Ariel had not been found even after the Monica couple left late at night. They could not even find a single strand of red hair.

"You're trying to get money out of me but you can't even find a ten year old girl!"

The Marquis' anger had stacked up all the way to the tip of his head, and he began grinding his teeth.

I provided a girl who wasn't even my real daughter with food and clothing, and this is how she repays me?

"Just wait till you're caught. I'll fix your manners for good this time!"

She won't even think about running away if her limbs are broken. The Marquis drank endlessly as he thought of how to punish Ariel the moment she was caught and fell asleep afterward.

And when he woke up the next morning feeling sick, he received shocking news.

"The heir of the La Carte Grand Duke is visiting our house?"

Lucian, the Grand Duke's son.

Even the Marquis had only ever heard of him through rumors.

He had been telling his thirteen-year-old son Jerome, who would begin attending the academy next year, that he had to befriend the Grand Duke's son.

But he was coming to visit!

'It hasn't been long since the new year began, and I've met the Duke and now the Grand Duke. I seem to be having good luck this year.'

The Marquis laughed inside. The thought of Ariel disappeared from his mind as soon as he heard the news about the Grand Duke's son.

Ariel's existence was insignificant to him.

He kicked out the fat butler who had fainted yesterday and ordered the servants to clean the mansion again.

And he went out to greet the carriage at the time the Grand Duke's son had said he would come.

As expected of the Grand Duke's family, the carriage was majestic despite the fact that only one person was riding in it.

There was a seal of the Grand Duke etched into the wall of the carriage in gold, and four healthy horses pulled on it. The coachman, who was dressed as well as the Marquis, opened the door and a boy got off elegantly.

His look was one that dominated the surrounding immediately.

"Sir La Carte."

He pressed his son's head as he lowered his body to greet the Grand Duke's son.

Jerome lowered his head as he made noises of complaints.

"Are you going to stay like that?"

An arrogant voice poured over them. The Grand Duke's son smiled as the Marquis lifted his head slowly. It was a smile that somehow sent chills down one's spine.

"Not everyone has gotten off the carriage."

The Marquis turned his gaze towards the carriage at his words.

If it's someone with a status that can ride in the same carriage as the Grand Duke's son…….

'Perhaps……!'

Did the Grand Duke come as well?

If that was the case, this was something big.

The Marquis gulped at stared at the person getting off the carriage after the Grand Duke's son.

The Grand Duke's son offered his hand and gently pulled the person out. It was a little girl who looked about eight. The Marquis could not recognize the face of the girl who was dressed so regal for a moment.

Right then, Jerome, who had been standing next to him, opened his mouth with a surprised expression.

"Huk, dad, that's……."

And the Marquis realized.

The n.o.ble young lady in front of him was none other than the bas.e.m.e.nt girl he was determined to punish just a few hours ago.

* * *

"You……!"

Ariel could see the Marquis' face had turned red and blue in a matter of moments.

She imagined that she would get grabbed by the collar or get hit by a fist instantly. The Marquis' expression was so uncontrolled to the point Ariel thought this way.

Cough.

Dalton, who had followed Lucian's carriage, had come up and coughed awkwardly. The Marquis, finally noticing the Grand Duke's son, changed his expression. Lucian flicked his finger in an unfriendly way.

"Dalton, tell Marquis Lucilleon how this happened."

Dalton began speaking skillfully.

"Sir. The Grand Duke's son found Miss Ariel, who was lost, while on an outing yesterday. He called the doctor to heal her as well because she seemed injured."

That wasn't the case at all but it was a story that made sense. The fact that Ariel, who was the daughter of a Marquis, was outside without a supervisor was enough to ruin the Marquis' reputation.

Which was why there was no way the Marquis could deny this lie.

Lucian added on smoothly.

"But the Grand Duke seemed to take a liking to this lady. He says he would like to take her in as his daughter-in-law."

There was no hesitation in Lucian's voice as he used his father as an excuse.

"Of course……"

He lowered himself to kiss Ariel's hand and looked up at the Marquis.

"I also have taken a liking to this young lady."

The Marquis began stuttering after looking at the two of them with a pale expression.

"Y-you mean."

Lucian twisted his red lips into a devilish smile.

"I'm officially proposing to Ariella Lucilleon."

END OF CHAPTER 9.