After looking down at her for a moment, he finally began to tell her what had happened that night. He spoke in a tone like he was bestowing a favor. His voice also returned to being commanding.
“There was an appointment. I was waiting for someone in a small parlor on the third floor. But then you suddenly burst in through the door. You looked quite surprised when you saw me, so I thought you’d leave right away. But even after realizing I was alone in the room, you still came in.”
Sophia’s face turned red. She could clearly picture herself, swaying from the alcohol, walking into the room, and the duke looking at her in disbelief.
Whether Sophia felt embarrassed or not, the duke continued.
“As I said, I had a prior engagement, so I politely asked you to leave. I even offered to take you to your destination. But you lost your balance and fell into my arms. After staying still for a moment, you finally said something.”
“…”
“You said, ‘You smell nice.’”
The duke smiled slightly as he spoke. Sophia felt like fainting with her eyes wide open.
“And then you refused to let go. You held onto my arm tightly and asked what kind of perfume I was using. I said I wasn’t wearing any, but you begged me to tell you, saying you wouldn’t tell anyone. Even when I made up a name, you insisted it wasn’t that. You said you knew that scent, and this wasn’t it. Then, with tears in your eyes, you asked if I was looking down on you. You said, ‘Why are you treating me like a little girl who doesn’t even know perfume?’ Then you added, ‘Just because I’m not married doesn’t mean I’m a child.’ ‘I could’ve gotten married anytime if I wanted to.’ ‘It was my choice not to get engaged to Samuel. It wasn’t because I missed my chance like a fool.’”
The duke calmly exposed everything with a soft voice, like telling a story. In the end, Sophia couldn’t take it anymore, raised both hands, and shouted,
“That’s enough! Please stop!”
And amid the waves of embarrassment, she felt despair.
Oh, my goodness. She had lost her mind. Sophia Hilden, how could you say such things no matter how drunk you were?
Now she couldn’t even claim the duke was lying anymore. The story he told—how she had turned down a date with Samuel, the eldest son of Marquis Sandel—was something only Sophia, her mother, and Samuel knew. Even her close friend Solid, who was engaged to Samuel, didn’t know. And yet the duke did.
Sophia recalled the nagging her mother had given her the morning of the ball.
“Please, stop hesitating and give your suitors a chance. Unless you want to lose them like you did with Sandel! I know you want to have fun like a little girl, but you need to grow up!”
Now in her second year of social debut, her mother was growing impatient. But Sophia had always been confident. Suitors never stopped coming, and she preferred adventure over settling down. It wasn’t that she longed for passionate love, but she didn’t want her life to be tied down by engagement. She loved attending various social gatherings and chatting with others. No one had ever been charming enough for her to give up all that fun.
The conflict between a young lady who wanted to delay marriage and her mother—this was nothing unusual. But the problem was that Sophia had slightly regretted letting the Marquis’s son go. She had told herself it was wrong to have any lingering feelings for Solid’s fiancé, but it seemed a tiny part of her still held on.
Rubbing her flushed face, Sophia lifted her chin and tried to act like a noble lady again.
“Thank you for the kind explanation. I think I understand what happened.”
She probably had taken out her mixed feelings about Solid’s engagement on this handsome man in front of her.
“It must’ve been a terrible scene. I apologize.”
“I accept your apology, my lady,” the duke said playfully, as if performing in a play. Yet even now, he remained perfectly elegant. Sophia had to do her best not to lose herself in this embarrassment.
“I didn’t have feelings for Samuel Sandel. I probably said all that nonsense because of the argument I had with my mother that morning. And to be honest, I’m sorry, but my confession that night wasn’t sincere. It was probably just a mix of confusion and alcohol…”
“Sophia. Do you believe in love?”
The question came out of nowhere. She was just about to say something important—that her confession wasn’t real. Besides, that kind of question was usually asked by someone drowning in romance, not by a man who looked bored with life.
Believe in love? Did he?
‘Or maybe he means something like, “Since love doesn’t really exist, just be grateful for this engagement and live with it”?’
Thinking cynically, Sophia looked up at him. The duke was now looking at her with a serious expression, all humor gone.
“What if I don’t?” she said, a little defiantly.
The duke smiled softly and said, “I warn you—it’s better if you do.”
“Why?”
“Because in the end, you’ll have to love me.”
“…What?”
She frowned at the strange words. But the duke didn’t explain further. He only added,
“Whatever it is, if you must do it, it’s better to believe in it. Humans need belief, after all.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Sophia stood frozen, filled with an emotion she couldn’t name. From afar, the scent of lilies suddenly overwhelmed her.
From then on, Sophia often thought about the conversation she had with the duke in the garden.
“When you look at me with those guarded eyes, you don’t know how much it hurts. It’s like you think I’m lying to you. Seeing that look stings. I’m honestly confused. You’re the one who said you loved me, yet you treat me like a thief.”
He had sounded like he truly believed Sophia loved him. But when she later told him that her confession wasn’t real, he didn’t seem surprised. It was as if he had expected it.
Talking with the duke always felt like solving a riddle. And what did he mean by “You’ll have to love me in the end”?
After thinking about it for a few days, Sophia came up with an interpretation.
Maybe he meant that rumors couldn’t spread about how the duke had gotten engaged just because of a drunken confession—so she had to pretend it was true. She had to make her feelings real.
Considering the duke’s prideful nature, it sounded about right. Sophia felt a little insulted but accepted it.
Everyone knew this marriage was more than she deserved. She didn’t know why the duke had chosen her, but even if it was out of sympathy or a sense of duty, she had to do her best. If anyone’s life would be ruined by this scandal, it was hers, not his. The duke had taken on a responsibility he didn’t have to.
So whether he loved her or she truly loved him wasn’t the important thing.
She had to love him, no matter what.
Because that was the only way she could be happy in this marriage.
“And really, it’s not that hard when I think about it.”
Sophia leaned on her elbow and muttered to herself.
The duke wasn’t hard to love. He was incredibly handsome, tall, and strong. He had an unmatched appearance. And as long as she didn’t upset him, he seemed willing to be kind to her.
“Yes. Let’s get married.”
Sophia clenched her fist as she said it.
She had to marry him anyway. Becoming a duchess was overwhelming, but she would eventually adjust to all that power and wealth. She was about to reach a place everyone envied.
The next day, Sophia made her decision clear during a meal.
“Thank you for waiting. I’ve decided to be engaged to the duke.”
But the count and countess just stared at her with confused faces. The noble seriousness on Sophia’s face quickly faded.
“…Weren’t you waiting for me? Isn’t that why the engagement ceremony hasn’t happened yet?”
“Sophia, don’t speak like a child. The ceremony was postponed because the duke said your health was more important, not because of your tantrum,” her mother said firmly as she picked up her utensils.
Sophia stared blankly at her breakfast. Her father was flipping through a newspaper and some letters the footman had brought and didn’t even glance at her.
“Anyway, Solid is arriving today. Make sure you’re ready to greet her, Sophia.”
“…Yes.”
Even though she felt wronged and confused, the news that her closest friend was coming gave her some comfort. Forcing herself to smile, Sophia picked up her utensils.
That’s right. This engagement is happening no matter what. Who cares how her family views it?
Sophia swallowed her disappointment. Seeing her best friend again was what really mattered.
Absolutely.
