Chapter 9
Chloe quietly swallowed.
At that moment, she remembered meeting her father before leaving the house.
Perhaps… even Father might end up like that too.
But now—
Chloe had already realized that she was completely alone in that family.
No one was on her side.
So there was no reason to hesitate anymore.
“Even so… will you still do it?”
Karsein asked lazily, tilting his head.
“As Your Grace already knows, I’ve made my decision. But since you added marriage as a condition, I need to know the reason. What do you gain from marrying me?”
Chloe calmly met his gaze.
The corner of Karsein’s lips lifted slightly.
“Soon, pressure from the imperial family will start forcing me to marry.”
He continued,
“My noble stepmother and younger brother will keep whispering to His Majesty about how dangerous my existence is, making sure I never return to the imperial family.”
That meant—
The current Empress of Babelheim and the Second Prince.
“If things continue like this, I’ll end up marrying a woman chosen by the Emperor. Most likely from an insignificant family. And that would mean being buried in the North forever with her.”
Then—
He straightened his posture and rested his chin on his clasped hands.
“But you are different. The daughter of Count Dmitri Enrite.”
His red eyes grew cold.
“If I marry the daughter of one of the Emperor’s most trusted nobles, a central figure in Calentia—”
“As the son-in-law of the Enrite family, I’ll be able to move in and out of the capital freely without suspicion.”
“And naturally step into places closely tied to the imperial family.”
“From there, I’ll gather the key people who will stand on my side.”
That meant—
…
A frown formed on Chloe’s forehead.
“Don’t tell me… you’re planning to reclaim imperial power and build a new empire…?”
Even saying it out loud was dangerous.
But Karsein did not deny it.
He only stared at her quietly with burning red eyes.
“But even if not other families, conflict with the Edmont Marquis family is unavoidable. As far as I know, the Marquis is also one of the Emperor’s trusted men, along with my father.”
“That’s not something you need to worry about.”
Karsein leaned back on the sofa, crossing his arms with a faint smile.
“The Marquis Edmont will also become mine.”
“How? And my father… if I marry you, he won’t be able to ignore the Emperor’s reaction.”
Chloe frowned slightly.
Karsein looked at her and said meaningfully,
“Think again about why you chose to have an affair with me in the first place. Wasn’t it because of my power and position?”
…That was true.
“Yes. That’s why I trust Your Grace. I will stand on your side—not my father’s.”
Her father, who was closely tied to the Emperor, would strongly oppose it.
But Chloe did not care.
Rather—
She wanted to see him suffer.
A father who ignored the affair between her fiancé and her stepsister—
Had no right to stop her.
And he deserved to pay the price.
As Chloe clenched her fist quietly—
Karsein spoke with certainty.
“Good. I can prove it.”
“That Karsein Bloodien is the perfect son-in-law for the Enrite family.”
There was sincerity in his eyes—
Something rarely seen from him.
“I won’t even compare to Lucian Edmont… the man who abandoned you.”
At the sudden mention of her fiancé—
Chloe’s fingertips turned cold.
“Now… give me your answer.”
…
Karsein leaned forward toward her.
Then—
He gently touched the wound on her cheek with his thumb.
Slowly.
Carefully.
And asked,
“Even if it means facing every danger and storm… are you willing to marry me?”
Chloe’s pale gray eyes trembled at the unexpected warmth.
Still—
She looked straight into his red eyes at close distance.
“I can prove it.”
For some reason—
Those words calmed the tangled chaos inside her heart.
At the same time—
She felt that her choice…
Was not wrong.
Finally—
Without taking her eyes off him—
Chloe grabbed his wrist tightly and answered:
“I will.”
Her shining eyes held a firm resolve.
“It’s like a contract marriage, isn’t it? I accept it.”
Karsein read the determination in her eyes.
It was not light.
Not shallow.
He thought—
Was she hurt that deeply?
To accept such a dangerous proposal without hesitation—
Her wound must have been far greater than the scratch on her face.
…
At first—
He had thought she was a useless and troublesome woman.
But now—
That was no longer true.
If he married Chloe Enrite—
It would be a perfect deal.
He would gain power.
She would gain revenge.
Each would use the other.
That was all.
And yet—
She accepted it seriously.
After organizing his thoughts, Karsein spoke:
“Now that we’re done talking, I’ll call a doctor.”
Chloe blinked.
“…A doctor?”
Karsein glanced at the wrist she was still holding—
Then looked at her again.
He gestured toward her cheek.
“It’s not proper to ignore a wound on the face of the woman who will become my wife.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Chloe realize—
And quickly let go of his wrist.
Her hand moved to cover her cheek.
“It’s just a small scratch. I can treat it at home.”
Karsein looked at her with a tilted gaze.
“As the future Grand Duchess, you should learn to take care of your body.”
Then—
He rang a bell and called Raul.
…
Raul appeared immediately and bowed.
“Call the physician.”
“Yes.”
Raul bowed again and left.
“A physician? Someone might think I’m seriously injured. I’m really fine.”
Chloe widened her eyes and tried to stand up.
But—
Karsein grabbed her wrist.
“Sit.”
His large hand firmly held hers.
Chloe stared at it blankly.
Since loving Lucian—
She had never had such physical contact with another man.
And yet—
Even though this “proper affair” hadn’t even begun—
Her heart started beating fast.
As if she had done something wrong.
But—
Chloe scolded herself.
She had already crossed the point of no return.
Getting uncomfortable over something like this—
Was ridiculous.
“I’ll get treated before I leave. So please let go.”
She said calmly, pushing down her confusion.
Only then did Karsein release her wrist.
“Then tell me… what I should do for you from now on.”
Leaning back on the sofa, sipping his now-cold tea—
Karsein looked at her and said,
“Speak, Miss Chloe.”
