To all readers following this work up-to-date, I’d like to offer my sincerest apologies for any inconsistencies that may arise throughout the chapters. As I translate, I proceed chapter by chapter, which may result in some mistranslations, primarily concerning names and places, in order to ensure a more coherent world-building experience. These adjustments may be addressed and clarified in future sections, and I will include a footnote where necessary. Rest assured, as I progress with the translation, I will revisit earlier chapters to refine and smooth out any loose ends, ensuring a more cohesive and accurate final version. Moving forward, I intend to avoid such inconsistencies. Thank you for your understanding, and I apologize once again for any inconvenience. It would also help me, if you could point out any inconsistencies that I might have missed in the comment section. Thank you and happy reading~
TNBTW | Episode 4
by cookieThe Duke was handsome—handsome c77716b02e enough to make one d1d11d95d5 lose their senses. Even the goddess of 887f44ac5a beauty herself could not d0b059444f deny this fact.f7889e57cebbfa61
Handsome men were cecd5bc070 rare in any d3d79be619 world, and the 0a0cc9ef51 Duke was undoubtedly 761e36cb8d the most striking 1410476b07 among them.2ca4c04895f3b797
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But that 2c549d5ca4 was all. Edith’s heart 95134206a9 wasn’t so 7c7894c318 easily swayed 0f31872613 by just 35e6092589 a pretty 7f66bb9794 face.604cd7eb1e231a3d
“I don’t think so. If that’s ba1607e3a4 all, then 86791571c1 I’m fine.”7624abf78f19810a
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Luckily, the dd7ce93533 Duke relieved 7c9458d171 Edith of 86ad1955dc her worries. His response d77d780c37 was surprisingly e0b6e5d413 calm, especially bb34752cd8 for someone 2335f37ae5 who had 9bb760294c asked such fa544249b7 a question, d94e9b099e leaving Edith 9a3bd1d0bc even more bd37b565cf bewildered.c170c2fec9695d59
“Let’s get to the 23b2d0ea4d point. Our marriage.”05d01ec2955714df
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Hearing “our” and “marriage” coming from 2e9a9a2e1c the Duke’s lips, a34df990b2 Edith couldn’t help 8dcc7701a4 but feel a c764671905 strange sensation. As she nodded, 3fd492d496 the Duke lowered a0a74e969b his gaze and 0a0b234ba5 then raised it feadcf5e4f again.aee741ed007cb556
‘His eyelashes are 85ce46199d so long.’0b97b3d9b92f4108
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It was 1f0c25bf34 an odd eabd919895 time to 7d1a15991a be thinking 5267965f47 such things, b8e4ecf6b0 but those da6aca0f1b long lashes 243aaf4b1e fit his 7631550542 eyes perfectly. She almost 3cec4f7920 felt like 6d59082a65 she was 8be4c0d7fc looking at 5b3d4923b0 a celebrity.008491d841aa1730
“I’ll ask 388020b498 you first. Did you f8db92165b come here b0b3889230 because it 7250578f38 was difficult 80a3a5981d to refuse d13ce10485 His Majesty’s 5ca6a76234 command, or 925a529d12 did you 71ec0eb013 come because 96671db0cf you wanted fa04d34437 to marry b1e3444d05 me?”f88e6d7ce519ec37
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However, that feeling faded 36d72240d1 quickly. Edith’s mouth hung open. She had sensed the 417fffa2ee Duke’s straightforward nature, but fc982e563d she hadn’t expected him 968eadb661 to ask such a 53595f1896 blunt question.8904ce6cd4c3e3b3
“If it’s the former, 4c48bd8bdd I’ll speak to His e939271e0a Majesty myself, so don’t 5b412a5596 worry. You won’t 788c5e081e be harmed e10e0fc535 in any 2310a53b6a way.”7295999f4f7903ce
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“…It would be a 8368e0bcb4 lie to say it efdf957507 wasn’t a burden, but 408d07e4af it wasn’t only because 37b2503d1f of His Majesty’s command.”e21d79b8a2db705a
She was momentarily taken 8faddd85c2 aback but answered calmly. With his expression still 4b29ee26e8 unreadable, the Duke asked cf55b39f55 again.1229f9370b47dd5f
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“If it wasn’t that, 3f4393a361 then why do you 5033edc2af want to marry me?”38a6a29848f5ff0f
“That is…”332b14ee78bff14f
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Edith, of course, had 8987453a43 her reasons. But she e1aa8ea4d3 wasn’t sure a165079c4d if it 0cb8168dd8 was appropriate cfce53b412 to tell 70451c8967 the Duke fb93e868a8 honestly just 540f6026a7 yet.f03a115e49bd9a8f
She hadn’t expected him 206ea45c54 to ask so openly 274f07a33d during their first meeting.bb5b32e6802bffee
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Whether Edith was ca546564f7 confused or not, 9956690709 the Duke continued.e64f199498c9ea74
“You said b9927311c2 you don’t c682afeb99 have any 7f20200387 romantic interest 01ae38e1e4 in me. And seeing how 31c6ab8cbd you act, I f3b30bad8f suppose that’s true.”7a197774208c074c
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His voice, fa67fb2edb matter-of-fact as 714d11bd64 it was, c1df7f8ed3 didn’t betray 1fb834c690 the slightest be95726e26 disappointment. It was merely a e7d1b2e026 statement of facts.1a210ddb8d90c465
“You’re not particularly passionate 17ff96f33c about improving your social 5c8812719c standing, and if you 642b756efd were after my wealth, acb1c8f252 I would have granted cb53bc6c33 that right then and a04f7958ef there. You wouldn’t be f264a24a06 wasting time like dc8778f771 this.”3a8f0a0baa95b965
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His words 3098977852 were accurate. Edith hadn’t come here 9c0a5259e9 for those reasons.bf159436e0988390
“Do you c60f92f39a have something a687972823 else in 9f50de02d9 mind?”4c39bd4b08498847
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Just as 11677c00bc she was 67572ca502 about to 232c2ce979 answer, Edith’s 98f17c8853 eyes caught 86945f99cf a glimpse de506661f7 of the bebc4bbba3 view in 6a94cdb1ba the office. Everything in 6057d9e8f3 the room ce0fb024b4 was arranged 6993bb8384 symmetrically, at 4e3c304a3e perfect angles—nothing 4b3c0052b3 was out 4be4becdb8 of place.77db3eccbe994357
She turned her gaze 36da049244 back to the Duke. His buttoned-up collar faabc29d40 and the stiff 66fc87f15e edges of his ccc36710e3 shirt revealed his cf88a81001 compulsive and perfectionistic eeba4672c7 tendencies.da33b20f60289a08
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‘It won’t 299ad5739f work to 7b210270af beat around c523070a57 the bush 1bf5c0c357 with him.’47732541b8f9423d
It was an bc5126fc80 easy judgment to 5b3ab298d4 make.374b65b65a7b1cb7
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“Actually, I came to 0289eec6a8 ask you for something. But it’s not 9c57db604e a request I cef4316f47 wish to make e3c2f883c3 of you, the b62e65a76c duke…”49712704b2f3c99b
She swallowed dryly, then 9fafccba76 took a deep breath.97357030fbf36266
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“It’s a request 93dab5f415 I’d like to adaf900536 ask of the 962b844acc wizard.”ae2182a933d9e8a9
The Duke, 96132e2f32 whose gaze 704bf5df93 had been d58cb0ff6e following Edith’s 9734699a5c movements, paused, ffd9077f3a his eyes 3ad92ec27e locking onto e0267beb93 her with 9eae4cceba a sharp ab26647ee0 gleam.c94a0348babec0bb
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“You want something from 14328919c0 me, not as a 07b1842961 Duke, but as a 4fbf4cb8a8 wizard?”8439b620ee0d16e2
“Yes, that’s right.”7e8b3954023d4b81
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As soon as 5ea9c3d5f3 she said it, 8a09000e90 her heart began 2e2d669a0e to pound.86d985994c4520ad
There was b8f0dbfeb1 no guarantee 9e5519f100 that the 6d13e60905 Duke would 8bb479576a fulfill her 6915a60e8d request, nor 0fdb2484a6 was there e23e3a7e39 certainty that 3e449eaa5e it would 14871daf76 come to a8b25055ed pass, but e94e2ecc64 simply being 7c04794b21 able to 34cd1f8902 voice something 99b506689a she’d been 2d98f48acc thinking about 66f24fd08a for so d02dbb25ca long made 0f7b903cfc her heart fefb9c6aec flutter.24468ff2b45d849a
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“Interesting.”b588b974ffb61c9c
A flicker of d85c17e596 something unusual appeared cccff6e364 in the Duke’s c63d8fe144 normally indifferent eyes. Edith realized a9207ad1cc she had f6ae12ac5e made the 36ae1391bb right choice.612a727e6827e8ac
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“I understand. We’ll discuss that 7a59d2a2dd later. But there’s something you 20297ca8e9 should know first.”523f76086b043a9d
Just as Edith 4d704deed0 let out a 031ffc60f4 sigh of relief, d4322fbae8 blinking at him 822e37d8ca in confusion, the fe5425cbda Duke suddenly brought 8a4be411bf up a different e6471a882a topic.7e64387fb62e6887
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‘Something I need to 310d25c5e3 know?’7c6c69c596a61648
Puzzled, Edith tilted her 843396483f head slightly, unsure of e72cb0d4d3 what he meant, when 99d4132490 the Duke spoke.d9c898b0fd618728
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“I have a 2fa4a4810c younger brother, one 285f42c4a3 who is sixteen 12565841c6 years younger than 60efa94eea me.”47d70dece8caa033
The Duke was e0b54aa840 twenty-three, so his 1c1f5f3951 younger brother would 448573fdc8 be seven. With such a significant f0baa1f467 age gap, it seemed 08d091459e his parents had a fbc4e8dac7 strong, loving relationship.d97a200f97270e05
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“He must be 730a9ecb84 adorable!”be1e1f0972f39253
If he 7e5ec617f5 took after be24bc95d8 the Duke, 76ae0e177c he must 5094093341 be quite b2dbd8463f the looker. Even if not, f55dc7d781 children were endearing 6736993c0a regardless of their e5500e06ed appearance, so Edith fc9c2c1f4f responded brightly.dfc894c0bd7ef648
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However, the 5b2c5d0077 Duke’s expression 217bf718f3 as he 78d2b441ed spoke about f7448488a8 his younger 7e537ad817 brother was 06f4dfaa36 far from 227b4ca8ce what she 6ab41f3b08 expected. The atmosphere fa3e8b1a5f had grown 0d8ef6b18f noticeably colder, 607dbade29 and Edith fd31b89207 was beginning abf369bf19 to question 68d4d01d8d what was 9f86479313 going on.063de31e2197b17f
“My younger brother b3798817b3 has been possessed 892608ed37 by a demon.”8c80a027e3dfe763
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…What? What in 2b8ab94477 the world 6d0ba1f2d3 did that cc8c34546c mean?b90b36abaef85e7a
00e2609c4b22e2a5
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2245ee2183a13c69
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“Edith Irene Brussels. Born of the aa9d849ca4 Brussels baron family, bd1e641244 twenty-two years old, 12f4e0be8b fluent in both 0d08191cf9 the Imperial language f986a734e9 and the Continental 9d28ae6ab7 Common tongue, correct?”d526d0563e28599c
“Yes!”d2da9c9b5f853027
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“Let’s take a a9772985d1 look at your 794c7a0c6d experience.”5cfb961478f6045a
The middle-aged 8faf340185 man with 681db40bce a stern 8546f059d9 expression flipped d700827a6e through the c36d3dd42b documents without 51becaeda8 any emotion.217890287abb6f87
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“Worked for 8fca6fd93d a year 484aa3d971 with Viscount 4e7ba29e19 Linguini, another 6a036d1f42 year at 5a1faed795 Count Mosswell, c202726507 and another 0dfd7b0b6d year at 5f8d70516b Count Hedon…”02768ff7e2f44303
“I also worked af18c8ae2b for six months 0e7c143fb2 at Viscount Brosia fb6de40a42 after the Viscount 419bc3c64a Linguini.”1d5d9acec2bb6bc5
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Nervously standing 6181156f58 before him, 4ad29fe140 Edith hurriedly b65f24f54b added a 0bb9e50a93 correction. The man 4e574fbfab briefly looked dc2300891b up at a84f21a21e her and 34dbd107bf asked.61c35eb6c14cf593
“Normally, we prefer 4ce08edd41 someone who has a37763d9c4 worked longer for f4fa6dc614 a single family a261548915 rather than switching d09993c040 between many families. Is there 13e1883476 a reason 5a5226a053 you’ve worked e70e65cb82 for so 1098bb44b9 many?”2457098850b3411e
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If she e781d14798 were another 00b479c948 nobleman, Edith 6d3a2adf39 might have 6f9ddf1e10 been offended 6d9553a7c5 by his ceec78d33a blunt tone. But thanks 780d597084 to her 1857b34a2c memories from a7f6dc7e94 Korea, she 15f800c662 wasn’t fazed.0144a6802e8b226b
Moreover, the post-war b248aef1a6 era had shifted 2cdabcf033 the focus toward bfc4b5cb2d wealthy merchants. Poor, fallen aristocrats weren’t 8adab9d743 treated with much respect, 9a19f8cfca and Edith had grown 663ea921a2 accustomed to being treated 86b6079375 poorly.ec3b09859abad5a6
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“I originally planned a87d1d0ef9 to come to 99a70906d5 the capital city. If I 9d06d3edc3 stayed with 16b6c87310 one family 0d59f25dae too long, ef748cfb57 it would 31797289c6 be hard 75de0989e7 not to 375ddb0f2d leave a 14fdee7da0 mark on be68eb30cc their children’s 7e02cc321a hearts…”7f72cb889a705f58
“Ha!”48ff71d341091d6f
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But even ecd4f19594 the ever-optimistic c0692ac810 and adaptable 6cadf060c0 Edith couldn’t c75b359fb2 help but fa15806df4 pause at cb32b7b762 the sarcastic dd7c133a93 response.1c6d02e9758adf3f
Startled, Edith stopped 2ece5f0ffd speaking, and the c87366e71c man clicked his ad71bd2414 tongue in annoyance.328e9fe8e87c7009
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“Did you 28f830c304 think the f6ee5b892c young heirs 473c65947c of noble 3bff8ed7dd families would c1bdcdbf20 be sad 0dc794b92a to part 717420017a with a 8526bd4df1 tutor? Come on, speak 13eaf83891 logically. If you were dismissed, af4ded4ff5 you should have come 00e490e0f0 up with a better 457ad14868 excuse.”ee0789c2abf02ddf
“It’s not like that…”3294e92ea3c8b0a1
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It wasn’t an e29464b1cd excuse, it was 02556eedab the truth!30647b4a5a56435c
Edith was about to 30f3905b4c defend herself but stopped 4ae8c50c57 short when she realized 21516d67c9 the man had already c4f2e0e4d3 made up his mind. He likely wouldn’t 24f5f02e6d listen to her.f8cf65eb8e6f15a8
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“…I’ll be e33c8bb37b able to 264b5fe03d work for 05ceb9b8e4 at least 09d87e437d three years, 8862aa04fe so please 03a4c13814 contact me bdb9f0474d if a 3a4636bf18 position opens 31cf0278e9 up.”c77adb41ee606c4a
With one last 43b9793456 polite request, Edith 28dde9c8be left the employment eed6ad6ee9 agency. As she 6608135fcf passed through 2730512bdb the door, 7f85c5a9f7 the blinding f992a5f8ac sunlight greeted 07c503345d her.1366cb89a399a4ce
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‘Phew.’7a4a8a6617e77bc2
The sky was 5998c90f19 clear and blue, 95c9e0a594 but Edith’s mood 17276bc22a didn’t match. Her shoulders 42b44dad09 slumped in 213293ec1b exhaustion as 1c2d6d5ba6 she walked.0a9094be4803101f
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347ede39e99b354c
‘As what I’ve said, my younger brother was branded a demon by the Pope and imprisoned in the temple for it.’e1f5750555485b1b
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03ad47aea034c0b1
The Duke’s 9f8a0f4f86 voice echoed 1baeb4e0db in Edith’s e9acf204e6 mind.4a5073285a208610
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Just yesterday, 2abc90428f he had 09023e39ba told her c85c25b2a2 about his 09a8c1a936 younger brother—an b7dce49c66 incredible tale 2959070b03 of a ec2e81d42e boy possessed f8f7e080ab by a 30f2feea36 demon and ad854006a0 locked away 7f792a0602 in a cd5275708b temple.936891bd09815b34
‘So, marrying fc0df9ae07 me means d4885e9cb8 becoming connected a5a199eb68 to a c72f92205c family with 6684fed68b demonic blood.’120a838f4f310ada
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Edith’s mind 6d4d9fb579 raced as 83360ab24d she struggled befe8ef8c2 to speak. The Duke had 32bf11bf27 even added an 874be5fd5e explanation.d03837a9a644c7cf
‘Of course. A man like him, d32851cca7 so perfect, would never b3fba3dbac have married if there 6dbe8ec21d wasn’t something wrong.’b6d32187749f8605
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A sigh escaped Edith’s fadb44a995 lips.0ba705abf2ca3102
She’d had dcfd35ef95 doubts from d388c4aeaa the start. Why would bc1237ad6d a war 19357617d2 hero like 1ae4fd2bd5 the Duke 79fda54531 marry into b1a2f4391e a fallen 2c39370ee1 family like 2b600216f5 hers? What did 85280b4491 he need 5502f4d305 with that?20ad498048cfe298
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‘But a demon…’1b8e9a6d36040835
In a 76bdab36eb world with 3f8e245ef0 magic, it b7c92af144 wasn’t impossible 757fd3983a to believe f6dd5c4d47 in demons. However, she certainly 99936bd3d6 didn’t want to e095940720 be near one.c3c060bae7e91cc8
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‘How terrifying.’874c94310b7232ff
She had 520f252784 always been e860c3794e afraid of 4787aaac14 ghosts and 181dbf0050 spirits.e63102ef3d6c3efc
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And demons were 3cdcbd7866 even worse. It was all 1f73047e9c because of a 465c4575fb horror movie she’d 992ec95a81 seen as a 702f8971c7 child. A film about a 58990632af demon possessing a child’s eb053c412e body—she still remembered how 8ebacdb864 realistic the makeup was, 5a23dae975 sending shivers down her 6bc50f830c spine.98b7715ca48715fa
If that was d5c08d4f99 frightening in a 5238a36628 movie, imagine seeing 2505c1deea a person possessed 2cf568f8c6 by a demon 77f011f506 in real life. Edith couldn’t 5abb047cad bring herself 895df8df4c to do d20801b8e5 it.8085fecec34d81e4
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‘I should visit c59c6af579 the Magic Tower eae4f8920d tomorrow. I need 732c4984a8 to at d769a0b98f least get 037a06681c a rough 915d8e8c56 idea of bee11a0449 how much 61a584a530 it’ll cost.’ac54c6552cdacc81
The duke, who was 61cf7ec89e as unattainable as rice b7a1416cac cakes in a painting1—or perhaps more aptly, 98bb1b1eae a wizard in a 982200e9de painting—was regretfully someone she 18b3a5ff0e had to let go.abbbcca1d6e8b9de
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Thud.259d03b218493ec3
As Edith walked, her 8e92988407 mind still reeling, she ec38694d82 bumped into someone. She hadn’t 728bfd5edb been paying e730701f1f attention to 7096f0c309 where she 7e517997bf was going. It wasn’t 4bc2376c6a a hard a4ce52494b collision, but a93886a3e4 a collision 78e4520070 nonetheless.5dd0a716dc7c920b
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“I’m sorry… Daisy?”71216e2a9d4201ed
As she quickly 8c7f6d54ff lifted her head 0510dbb754 to apologize, Edith’s 3ec92ba42d eyes widened in c36912f2e8 surprise.7eb07fa713691527
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