CH 13.1

What did she just say?

Cade approached while slowly sweeping his black hair up.

“Did you just say that you can’t wait for a moment to become one with me?”

Cherryl even danced round and round.

‘We possessed a love that no one can separate.’

Did she say that, as well?

As she recalled her statements several seconds ago, she had no time to explain to them since her cheeks were too hot.

The king’s ears had shouted at the donkey’s ears at the bamboo forest, but what would it feel like if the king was listening to him from behind?

The metaphor was bizarre, but it was the only way to describe this sad and dreadful situation.

With Cherryl’s image reflected in them, Cade’s golden gaze fluttered softly.

“Do you want to leave for the North with me? Are you serious?”

Cade lifted an extended index finger and gently swept her cheek.

Silky strands of hair brushed against his fingers and trembled.

This must have represented what Cherryl was feeling right now.

When she realized that many eyes were on her, including Natasha, Cherryl straightened her spine.

She already made up her mind so she shouldn’t get caught up in her personal feelings.

Pretending to be calm, Cherryl nodded.

“I mean it. I want to marry you, Your Grace.”

The corners of her mouth trembled slightly, and her red-hot cheeks clearly revealed her chagrin.

She had no idea if she was fortunate or not based on the fact that only Cade seemed to have noticed this as he stood in front of her.

As everyone watched with bated breath, Cade broke the silence.

“Do you think it will be alright? I thought you don’t want to be coupled with a man you don’t know very well.”

Sneering laughter bounced across the walls as Cade repeated Cherryl’s bold declaration on why she didn’t want to marry the Duke in the first place.

She turned down his proposal immediately when he opened the subject not long ago.

Cade’s lips curled into a smirk.

“I will never allow you to get back on your word like what you did in the past, Lady Cherryl.” He used a tone that sounded like he was giving her one last chance to run away when she added, “If you want to chicken out, you can tell me right now.”

‘I had to be all right with marrying you no matter what. There is no better option than this.’ She repeated this like a mantra as Cherryl swallowed her dry saliva.

“Now that the two of us finally agreed, I don’t think it’d be a bad idea to get to know each other first.”

From the eyes of Cade’s three companions, the two seemed to have suddenly shifted into affectionate lovers in that instant.

The rest of them might have found their conversation quite confusing, but Cherryl and Cade appeared like a couple in their prime, just playing around with each other.

Natasha gasped in great agitation.

‘Well, well, well. Is this the kind of relationship you have with Duke Blkanov?’

Natasha secretly wanted Cherryl to marry Count Maxon and not the Grand Duke.

Yet, if she considered the money they had requested from the Grand Duke, including some other conditions, it would be good for the Marquis to choose him rather than the Earl.

On the day Cherryl announced that she was going to marry the Grand Duke, she had looked like a precious lump of gold to Natasha.

‘This spoiled brat will be a powerful man’s wife.’

Just Natasha thinking about it made her stomach hurt so much.

After all, Cherryl had fired a sharp shot from yesterday.

The fancy title she would have to force her mouth to call Cherryl ‘Duchess’ and ‘Your Grace’ devastated Natasha.

The Duke was a man that Natasha would have considered perfect if it wasn’t for the terrible rumors circulating that he had wiped out his entire family.

How could her mean stepdaughter to be the new bride of such a perfect man?

At that moment, the Marquis of Milrose appeared while shaking off the hem of his garments.

Cherryl glanced at her father, who had never shown her genuine affection in her entire life.

“I’m determined to marry you, Your Grace. I want us to leave together as soon as I’m ready. Let’s not delay it anymore.”

The Marquis of Milrose stopped at her announcement without even greeting them.

“What do you mean?”

The Marquis could barely cover up his attempts to hand over his dilapidated building to the Grand Duke in exchange for a ridiculous amount of money.

Frankly, he wasn’t even sure it was over.

“Are you going to marry Duke Blkanov right here, Cherryl?”

“Not only that, but I’m going to leave the mansion right away and come with him.”

The Marquis stared blankly at Cherryl, who boldly insisted that a priest wed her and Cade this instant.

Natasha came running to him and whispered something in the Marquis’ ear. “Is this the news that you don’t know whether to laugh or cry about because you’ve had a headache all the way home caused by this mysterious business of yours?”

The Marquis of Milose’s countenance changed noticeably as he looked at Cade with trembling pupils.

Was this a sign that everything she had seen and heard so far was true?

“Is this all true, Your Grace? Do you feel the same way she did?”

“Of course.” Cade affirmed briefly without looking at Cherryl.

His smooth response made her exhale a long breath.

This development was different than he planned.

Marquis Milose’s face hardened as if he’d been struck by lightning and quickly turned his head to the side.

“It’s quite sudden, but–”

The Marquis carefully observed his daughter and the Grand Duke acting like lovers.

“If both of you really have a relationship, I will be your friend. It’s a great honor, Your Grace.” He groveled while rubbing his hands. “Why don’t we talk about it for a week or so? Perhaps, you should go to the North with my daughter next week, instead.”

“Father, does our marriage need to be this troublesome?”

Cherryl intervened coldly.

“No one knows what he’s trying to get from the Grand Duke and take advantage of it.”

I didn’t want to see my father flirt with him anymore.