Chapter 8. After the Explanation

Thud. Thud.

The heavy metallic sound of knocking at the front door made Serenia frown with reluctance as she peeked through the curtains.

She worried about the kind of articles the reporters would write tomorrow about a beautiful host visiting the Barishart estate first thing in the morning.

However, to her relief, it wasn’t Ain at the door, but a mailman.

‘At least there won’t be a headline like, “Shock! Betrayed Duke’s Pure Love—Host Seen Entering Barishart Estate Early in the Morning!”‘

With that thought, she quickly stepped outside, making sure to cover her face with a scarf.

Even so, the sound of camera shutters echoed relentlessly from every direction, so loud it almost drowned out the mailman’s voice.

“Good morning, my lady. I apologize for coming so early,” he said, bowing with an apologetic look.

Serenia noticed the mailman’s rumpled green uniform and couldn’t help but feel guilty. He had clearly struggled to make it through the crowd of reporters to get here.

“Huff… Anyway, this is an urgent delivery.”

He said, pointing behind him as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

Serenia followed his hand and saw a massive box sitting in front of the large green mail cart. It was plastered with warnings like “Fragile” and “Handle with Care” and was easily big enough to fit a small wardrobe.

Her mouth fell open involuntarily.

‘Could it be something from Raskal? A collection of poisons, maybe?’

While she was lost in her wild imagination, the mailman handed her a ledger and a pen.

“Please sign here to confirm receipt.”

Half-dazed, she scribbled her signature while the mailman heaved the box to the front door, panting heavily.

“Well then, have a good day, my lady.”

He tipped his hat and started heading back toward the cart, but paused and called out cheerfully.

“Oh, and congratulations on your upcoming marriage!”

“…”

Serenia saw him off with an expression as sour as if she’d bitten into raw dandelion roots. Then, groaning, she dragged the box inside.

After locking the door and taking a deep breath, she turned to the box and said coldly.

“Come out right now.”

The moment her words fell, the box began to shake.

After a few loud rustling noises, the top of the box creaked and burst open.

From within, a head of bright red hair emerged, dyed an unnatural, fiery hue.

“Ah, caught already.”

Ain said with a sheepish grin, pushing his hair back and adjusting his tinted glasses.

“But how did you know? I wasn’t even breathing loudly.”

“Is that really the issue here?”

Serenia snapped, her voice rising.

She glared at him and shouted.

“How could you even think of getting yourself delivered in a box?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

Feigning a sorrowful expression, Ain replied dramatically.

“But it was the only way I could get through the reporters to keep my promise. And I couldn’t just break my word to pick you up.”

His forlorn demeanor, like a lone daffodil in the snow, momentarily captivated Serenia.

Unaware that she was falling for a classic act of charm, Serenia stammered in a flustered voice.

“I… I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry…”

Taking advantage of her distraction, Ain slipped gracefully out of the box and brushed off his rumpled coat. Then, with his usual dazzling smile, he added.

“By the way, while I went to such lengths to keep my promise, you broke yours and didn’t even apologize.”

“…What?”

Caught off guard, Serenia blinked in confusion as the atmosphere shifted abruptly.

Before she could respond, Ain pretended to realize something with mock surprise.

“Oh, my mistake. I should be addressing you as the future Duchess, shouldn’t I?”

That’s when she remembered the source of this morning’s chaos.

‘Right! The ‘extra edition’!’

She had been so shocked by Ain’s dramatic arrival that she had completely forgotten about it.

‘How could I forget something so important?’

Chastising herself, she frantically waved her hands.

“No, no! That’s not it! Not at all!”

Ignoring her protests, Ain casually pulled the extra edition from his coat and unfolded it.

The headlines, packed with speculative nonsense about “Raskal Admancanon’s Proposal,” all but declared their marriage a done deal.

Skimming the article with a smirk, Ain commented.

“Well, considering the Admancanon family’s wealth, six million krovats is probably nothing.”

“That’s not it! Let me explain! I’ll explain everything!” Serenia pleaded.

Ain, unbothered, continued with exaggerated despair.

“Well then, as someone who pales in comparison to the Duke, I suppose I’ll just take my money and leave.”

“Wait! Just listen to me!”

“Oh, and congratulations on your wedding. Don’t worry about sending me an invitation.”

“Hey! Hold on!”

“And please make sure the compensation is fully paid by the end of the month.”

With that, Ain turned toward the door, leaving Serenia scrambling to block his path.

She darted forward like lightning and grabbed his collar, forcing him to stop just shy of the exit.

Meeting his gaze through his tinted glasses, she shouted with all her might.

“Will you just ‘listen’ to me?!”

“…I’m listening,” he replied calmly.

“No, you’re not! It’s all a misunderstanding! I swear!”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes! I can explain everything, from start to finish, perfectly!”

Ain studied her desperate expression for a moment before his lips curved into a sly smile.

“Alright.”

His low voice carried a strange resonance that made Serenia flinch.

That’s when she realized how close they had become.

Flustered, she tried to back away, but the door blocked her escape.

In the brief moment of hesitation, Ain slid his gloved fingers between hers, gently prying her grip loose as he whispered, “Then let’s hear it.”

And then—

Wham!

Ain stumbled back, clutching his chin where Serenia’s fist had instinctively landed.

* * *

Serenia handed Ain an ice pack filled with snow she had scooped from outside.

Ain, sitting on the worn-out sofa in the Barishart estate’s parlor, accepted it without protest and pressed it to his bruised, purpling chin.

Watching him, Serenia hesitated before speaking cautiously.

“Um… I’m sorry for hitting you. It was just reflex.”

“…No, it’s my fault.”

Serenia quickly agreed.

“Exactly. Why would you do something so ridiculous?”

“…”

“Ahem. Anyway, at least nothing got broken, dislocated, or fractured. That’s a relief.”

“…Yes.”

“And the bruise… well, you can just cover it with makeup, right? It shouldn’t interfere much with your job.”

That much was true.

Except the makeup artist would probably freak out and report him to the theater director, who would then storm over, ranting about how he wasn’t taking proper care of himself.

Suppressing those thoughts, Ain replied gloomily, “…Yes. Thank you for your concern.”

His lackluster response made Serenia feel a twinge of guilt.

But since there wasn’t much else she could do, she decided to change the subject.

“Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that the ‘extra edition’ was completely fabricated.”

Still holding the ice pack to his chin, Ain narrowed his eyes.

“Completely fabricated, you say?”

The subtle emphasis in his tone made Serenia laugh awkwardly and correct herself.

“Well… If we’re being technical, it’s not ‘completely’ fabricated. Maybe about… ninety percent false?”

“Oh, I see. ‘Something like that happened,’ you say. And what exactly might that be?”

He tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze paired with a crooked smile.

Serenia avoided his eyes and stammered, “Well, you see…”

“Yes?”

“There was… sort of a proposal… kind of?”

Before she could finish her explanation, Ain interjected.

“My lady, just in case you’re unaware, double contracts are a textbook case of fraudulent deception.”