《The Fake Villainess is Obsessed Over by the Grand Duke》 The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 2 – I Want To Break Off The Engagement [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 2 ¨C I Want To Break Off The Engagement Selina was dumbfounded. ¡°Are you seriously going to use the royal decree you got as a birthday present the other day like this?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how desperate I am!¡± ¡°Are you a child? How can you, someone who¡¯s already debuted in society, fall for a girl and use a royal decree to ask me to become a villainess? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m crazy, insane, out of my mind. That¡¯s how people in love are. Don¡¯t you know? If you don¡¯t, go study. After marriage, you¡¯ll have to at least pretend to love Young Master Patel, right?¡± Selina, speechless for a moment, hardened her expression. ¡°You can never become a villainess with words like that, so you better think again. Honestly, get a grip and grow up. ¡± Hearing this Selina turned to leave. Eric shouted, ¡°Exclusive rights!¡± Selina stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll continue to support your business even after I become emperor. How about I promise you exclusive rights to three items after you inherit the business?¡± Exclusive rights granted by the imperial family. It was as good as a promise of immense wealth. And not just one, but three items. Selina turned around. ¡°I get to choose the items, right?¡± ¡°Not essential goods like wheat or salt. You know that. But other than that, I¡¯ll give you exclusive rights.¡± Even Count Arsene, Selina¡¯s father and a comrade of the current emperor, hadn¡¯t been able to secure exclusive rights. For Selina, who wanted to become the head of the family and lead the business, it was an offer she couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Write a contract so you don¡¯t go back on your word later.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the Crown Prince. Do you think I¡¯d go back on my word?¡± ¡°Write a contract so you don¡¯t say anything different later.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll write it. But do your job properly. If this contract gets out, it¡¯s all over. Got it?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m staking my reputation on this. You better keep your promise.¡± The contents of the contract were simple. [Selina Arsene, the eldest daughter of Count Arsene, enters into a contract with Crown Prince Eric Constantinus Gable of the Sephia imperial family. The details are as follows: Selina Arsene will play the role of bullying Ingrid Hazel, the third daughter of Baron Hazel, whenever they meet. This will provide Eric with an excuse to approach Lady Ingrid. As compensation, Selina will be guaranteed exclusive trading rights for three items, excluding essential goods. This matter will be kept strictly confidential. The contract period will last until Eric proposes to Lady Ingrid. In case of breach of contract, the breaching party will take full responsibility and provide appropriate compensation for damages.] They each signed and kept a copy of the contract. And thus, Selina sold her reputation. For the sake of her foolish friend¡¯s love. For the exclusive rights that would secure her future. The villainess act started small. ¡®Close your eyes and just do it.¡¯ Selina, seeing Ingrid at a ball, approached her with a fruit juice. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so clumsy. But it¡¯s the same color as your dress, so it won¡¯t be noticeable, right?¡± She spilled the juice on Ingrid¡¯s shabby dress and made a big fuss about it. The next day, Eric, as if waiting for the opportunity, gifted Ingrid a new dress as an apology on behalf of his friend, and Selina also sent a small accessory out of guilt. It was an expensive accessory compared to the ruined dress, but she sent it with an apology message, feeling remorseful. Thus, over the past two years, Ingrid¡¯s social appearances increased, and so did the amount of gifts from Eric and Selina. Eric¡¯s demands also increased. ¡°How can you be so unimaginative? Stop using drinks. Can¡¯t you do something bigger? ¡°I don¡¯t want to bully her, you know. People don¡¯t know the situation, so they only criticize me. They say I¡¯m terrible and avoid me. How are you going to take responsibility for that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have to be clever and not get caught.¡± ¡°How can I not get caught? It has to be known for you to step in.¡± ¡°Do something that makes me look more heroic. That¡¯s the only way Lady Hazel will fall for me.¡± ¡°Easier said than done. A fan club for Lady Hazel formed a year ago, and they¡¯re very wary of me. They form a human shield if I even have food in my hand. It¡¯s hard for me too!¡± ¡°How can you complain when Lady Hazel only attends a few parties? Do you know how hard it is to give you exclusive rights? I promised exclusive rights with everything on the line. Do you think it was easy?¡± The two, bickering and refusing to back down, eventually turned their heads away with a ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill the contract, so please hurry up and make your move, Your Highness.¡± ¡°If you can pull off one big incident, I¡¯ll be able to move faster, Lady Arsene.¡± And the big incident that happened three months ago was the fountain incident. Everyone, including Eric, thought Selina was behind it, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t her doing. * * * That day was a celebration for Grand Duke Justia¡¯s victorious return from war. Selina was quite pleased to see Ingrid wearing the pin and brooch she had gifted her. As she watched Ingrid laughing brightly by the fountain with a glass of wine, Selina was a bit surprised when Ingrid suddenly approached her. To think she would leave her usual protective group and come alone. Ingrid clenched her fists as if she was scared but trying to be brave and said, ¡°T-to become friends, you have to greet each other properly, right? Hello, Lady Arsene.¡± At that moment, Eric¡¯s voice echoed in Selina¡¯s head. ¡®How can you be so unimaginative? Stop using drinks. Can¡¯t you do something bigger?¡¯ ¡®Alright, let¡¯s get creative. I can apologize later. This is a necessary step for Eric and Ingrid to be together.¡¯ Selina, having made up her mind, said with a cold expression, ¡°What did you just say, Lady?¡± ¡°To become friends¡­ greetings¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they teach etiquette at the Baron¡¯s estate?¡± Selina intentionally raised her voice. Eric glanced at where the two were standing. ¡°How long has it been since your debut, and you still can¡¯t greet properly? In a setting like this, only the person of higher status can end the greeting with ¡®hello.¡¯ The person of lower status should add a word or two. It¡¯s polite to mention the weather.¡± ¡°Oh, I just¡­¡± Seeing Ingrid trembling, Selina smiled with satisfaction and turned around. Splash! Startled by the unexpected sound, she turned back to see Ingrid, soaked from head to toe, having fallen into the fountain. Ingrid, struggling to get up, said with her eyes barely open, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be more careful in the future, Lady Arsene.¡± Eric and Ingrid¡¯s followers, pale with shock, rushed over. s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Take her to the lounge, quickly!¡± Eric ordered. People whispered, saying Selina had pushed Ingrid. ¡®I didn¡¯t push her. I didn¡¯t.¡¯ Something was strange. There was no one else nearby, so there was no reason for her to fall into the fountain. Unless she fell in on her own. Overwhelmed by the accusing stares, Selina eventually left the banquet hall. She hadn¡¯t even congratulated the Grand Duke on his return from war, but she couldn¡¯t stay there any longer. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Selina, who was running away, bumped into someone. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Thanks to the other person catching her, she was able to regain her balance. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Without even looking at who she bumped into, Selina immediately got into her carriage and left. The following three months were a living hell for Selina. Word quickly spread that Ingrid had been bullied by Selina ever since she made her debut in the society. Ingrid¡¯s supporters began to demand an apology for Selina¡¯s past wrongdoings. The bad news didn¡¯t end there. ¡°The young lady seems to be getting more and more violent as the days go by. I want to break off the engagement.¡± It was an engagement that was naturally made when the Arsene and Patel families decided to collaborate on trade. ¡®It¡¯s difficult because the trade contract hasn¡¯t been officially signed yet.¡¯ Selina, who had no affection for Morgan Patel but was afraid of the damage it would cause to her family, tried to persuade him somehow. ¡°The rumors about me circulating in society are exaggerated. How about reconsidering breaking off the engagement after I¡¯ve restored my reputation?¡± At those words, Morgan chuckled and said, ¡°Does the Lady not understand even this simple matter?¡± ¡°What does that¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m here on my own? This is something the elders of the family have agreed to. I told them how horrible it would be for a young lady who attempted murder to become my wife.¡± Selina¡¯s face drained of color as she clenched her fists and drew in a shaky breath. She couldn¡¯t understand why things had gotten so out of hand. ¡°I hope you live a little more kindly in the future.¡± With these words, Morgan left the room. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 3 – Who Were You With? [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 3 ¨C Who Were You With? For the past two weeks, Selina hadn¡¯t seen her fianc¨¦¡ªno, soon-to-be ex-fianc¨¦¡ªwho now looked at her as if he¡¯d always known something like this would happen. She glared at Eric, seething with anger. ¡®This is all because of him.¡¯ Selina felt wronged. She wasn¡¯t a true villainess. Of course, their contract offered the benefit of exclusivity, but if she had thought it would truly harm Ingrid, Selina would have refused. She agreed because she believed she was helping the naive but sincere Crown Prince find happiness with Ingrid, the Baron¡¯s daughter. Selina had planned to apologize to Ingrid formally once she and Eric were engaged. She believed that Ingrid, who always accepted her apology gifts, would understand everything. Selina¡¯s role as the villainess highlighted Ingrid¡¯s gentleness and purity, and gradually, it became fashionable in society to see people for who they were, not their status. Eric¡¯s strategy was quite brilliant, as it showed the royal family and society how deeply he cared for Ingrid. Although Selina became the villainess, she was willing to sacrifice her reputation temporarily if it helped overcome the high wall of class difference in society. But to be accused of causing an international incident because of this? The victim was the Second Princess of Furon, and it was certain that Selina had no alibi at the time the dress was torn. It seemed that Crown Prince Eric, who could resolve all of this, had no intention of intervening. ¡°If your only defense is a denial, perhaps it would be best to inform His Majesty and allow him to ascertain the truth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you haven¡¯t even apologized for this situation.¡± Despite the mounting accusations, Selina remained silent, biting her lip in frustration. ¡®Apologize¡­ no, I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t just about ruining a royal dress. The Count of Arsene family owned an international trading company and was about to enter a joint venture with the Patel family. If Selina apologized to escape the immediate crisis, it would be admitting guilt, and if that were to be misconstrued, it would affect the company. As the only legitimate daughter of the Count of Arsene, Selina had always strived to avoid being overshadowed by her stepmother, stepbrother, and half-brother, even agreeing to a beneficial marriage for the family. If this incident escalated, she could even be asked to step down as acting head of the family. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen at any cost.¡¯ She needed a way out. ¡°My lady, can¡¯t you at least tell us where you were and what you were doing at that time?¡± Princess Helena spoke to Selina as if she pitied her. ¡°I¡­ was with someone else.¡± ¡°Who? Multiple people? If they¡¯re not here, call them and have them testify.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Eric frantically signaled with his eyes for her to remain silent. ¡°Your Highness, are your eyes¡­ hurting?¡± Ingrid, who was watching from the side, interjected. Eric cleared his throat and spoke. ¡°My¡­ my eyes are uncomfortable from witnessing such an unpleasant incident. How about we remove that dress first?¡± But Princess Helena retorted sharply. ¡°No. This is evidence of crime. We will decide whether to remove it after Selina tells us who she was with and we secure their testimony.¡± ¡®She won¡¯t even let us destroy the evidence.¡¯ Eric ran a frustrated hand over his face. ¡®How did things get to this point?¡¯ She knew what she was doing was insane, but she had to make her engagement work. Recently, they had even gone on a few secret dates, and people had started saying they were the most well-suited couple in society when they stood together. She couldn¡¯t back down now that they were so close to their goal. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, my friend. You¡¯ll have to find your own way to survive. I¡¯ll make sure you get that exclusivity, no matter what.¡¯ Selina closed her eyes in despair, watching Eric quietly turn his head away. ¡®That bastard¡­ he¡¯s thinking of bailing.¡¯ Never before had Eric¡¯s nickname, ¡°The Lucky Crown Prince,¡± felt so apt. Others took the blame for him, and he took credit for the praise that others had worked hard for. That was the nature of being the one and only Crown Prince, recognized by the Emperor as the next in line to the throne. Thanks to this, Eric could comfortably focus on his first love. ¡®Even if it means framing someone else.¡¯ Seeing Selina¡¯s self-deprecating smile, the young master Patel asked, as if displeased, ¡°Who were you with? If you¡¯re so certain of your innocence, bring them here.¡± ¡®As if it¡¯s not a lie anyway.¡¯ The unspoken words seemed to echo in her ears. ¡°The person I was with¡­¡± All eyes were on her. Selina, with a resigned sigh, replied, ¡°I cannot reveal their name.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Does this seem like a trivial matter to you?¡± ¡°This is a matter for the Imperial Court!¡± In the midst of the commotion, someone entered the lounge. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace.¡± Janus Justia, the only Grand Duke of the Sephia Empire. He was the same age as Crown Prince Eric and his cousin, but he was already a war hero who had fought in five battles. He was the hero of Sephia, who inherited the mysterious power of the dragon passed down only through the royal bloodline. Janus, who always returned victorious from battle, was now revered by all the people of the empire as the God of War. ¡°Greetings to the Little Sun of the Empire, Crown Prince Eric.¡± S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Will Chase, Janus¡¯s adjutant and childhood friend, also greeted him from the side. He continued smoothly,¡±The Grand Duke is curious about what you were discussing.¡± Will often conveyed Janus¡¯s intentions, as the Grand Duke was a man of few words and did not enjoy being in the limelight. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Grand Duke will be surprised to hear it as well¡­ ¡± ¡°Princess Helena of Furon, the guest of honor at this banquet¡­ ¡± Everyone stepped forward to explain what had happened in the lounge. Janus and Will, due to the frequent wars between Autumn and Sephia, often had to return to the battlefield as soon as they arrived in the capital. Since anyone rarely had the opportunity to see and talk to them, everyone was eager to speak up and try to get a word in. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Selina, isolated from the heated crowd, pondered how to resolve the situation. Suddenly, she felt a gaze fixed upon her. Cautiously, she looked in that direction and her eyes locked with Janus¡¯s. The red eyes of the one who possessed the dragon¡¯s power were undoubtedly focused on Selina. ¡®Does the Grand Duke also suspect me? Just from listening to those people?¡¯ Selina, who had lowered her head as soon as their eyes met, slowly raised it again. Janus was still looking at her. As if there was no one else in the lounge but Selina. ¡®That¡¯s not a look of suspicion¡­ It¡¯s more like¡­¡¯ Selina shook her head, dismissing the absurd thought. ¡®What am I thinking? That he has feelings for me? In this situation, no less. Right now, I need to find a way out of this mess.¡¯ Before Selina could come up with a plan, the others had finished explaining the situation to Janus. ¡°We believe the culprit is the Lady Arsene, who caused another incident recently.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the only one who hasn¡¯t been able to properly explain where she was and what she was doing at that time.¡± ¡°All she says is that she didn¡¯t do it.¡± Morgan, who had broken off his engagement with Selina, asked urgently, ¡°So who were you with? Why can¡¯t you say? Surely you¡¯re not going to tell us now that it was a lie?¡± At Morgan¡¯s words, Princess Helena nodded and said, ¡°Lady Arsene, if you don¡¯t give a proper explanation, people will think you did it.¡± Selina could neither reveal the truth nor apologize for something she hadn¡¯t done. Even if it seemed shameless, she had no choice but to repeat what she had said before. ¡°As I said earlier, I was with someone else. But as for who that person is¡­¡± ¡°Me.¡± A pleasant baritone voice resonated heavily. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 4 – Say You Were With Me [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 4 ¨C Say You Were With Me Everyone in the room was startled, their eyes fixated on the person who had just spoken. The voice wasn¡¯t particularly loud, nor was it soft, but it resonated clearly within the chamber. ¡®Did he just say¡­ with me?¡¯ Selina, too, looked at Janus with a mix of doubt and anticipation. Despite the numerous gazes directed at him, Janus¡¯s eyes remained locked on Selina. ¡°You could have simply said you were with me. There was no need to go through such trouble.¡± The nobles began to murmur amongst themselves. ¡°Is¡­ is that true?¡± ¡°With the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± ¡°But His Grace wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡± Morgan, who had been aggressively interrogating Selina, sputtered, ¡°Is that true? If it is, why didn¡¯t you say so in front of everyone?¡± ¡°Exactly! Why didn¡¯t you say anything when you were being accused like that?¡± The sudden turn of events had left Selina just as bewildered. ¡®Why is His Grace telling such a lie?¡¯ This was the first time Selina had seen Grand Duke Justia face-to-face since she was five years old. After Janus inherited the mysterious power from the pact between the Sephia imperial family and the dragons, he had been constantly deployed to the battlefield. ¡®I heard he has no interest in anything but war.¡¯ The Sephia Empire and the Autumn Empire. The war between the two empires, which had been going on for ages, was gradually turning in favor of Sephia due to the dragon¡¯s blessing bestowed upon the imperial family. The person who had contributed the most to this was Janus¡¯s late mother and the current Emperor¡¯s older sister, Princess Christa. The people of the empire respected, cherished, and revered Janus, the war hero who continued to bring victory to Sephia. The nature of this power and the specific abilities inherited by each successor were kept strictly confidential by the imperial family. The reason was the fear that the information might be leaked to enemy spies, putting the empire at a disadvantage. However, two characteristics were known to all citizens of the empire: the successor gains superhuman combat abilities, and if the successor does not marry their designated partner, they will die young. This led to the spread of romantic tales about the successors and their partners, capturing the imagination of the people. The young ladies couldn¡¯t hide their envy and jealousy at the thought of Selina being alone with such a figure. Even the young men were puzzled as to how someone like Selina could have been with their hero, the Grand Duke. ¡®I don¡¯t know the reason, but this is an opportunity. An opportunity I must not miss.¡¯ Selina decided to play along. ¡°Well¡­¡± She felt a pang of guilt lying in front of everyone, but she calmed herself and said, ¡°It was to protect the Grand Duke¡¯s honor.¡± Seeing Morgan¡¯s contorted face, Selina continued, ¡°Although it¡¯s true that Young Master Patel and I have decided to end our engagement, the formal process isn¡¯t complete. If it were known that His Grace was alone with someone like me, wouldn¡¯t that tarnish his reputation?¡± The nobles nodded in agreement with her reasonable explanation. ¡°Indeed, it would have caused quite a scandal for the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Count Arsene¡¯s daughter made a wise decision.¡± ¡°My Lady.¡± Janus¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside her. Selina was startled by his sudden proximity and looked up at him as he continued speaking. ¡°In the future, please speak up right away to avoid such unjust situations. You shouldn¡¯t have to suffer any injustice.¡± ¡°Th-thank you, Your Grace.¡± Ingrid, who had been quietly standing next to Eric, asked,¡±Forgive me, Lady Selina, but I find this difficult to believe.Were you really with the Grand Duke? Didn¡¯t you two meet for the first time today? And how is it that you were alone, without even Young Master Chase as an escort?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes, at that time, His Grace and I had something to discuss in private¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m curious about. Could it be that His Grace is lying out of pity for you? He is a benevolent person who loves all the people of Sephia.¡± Will, who had been observing Ingrid, asked, ¡°May I ask which family you are from?¡± Ingrid replied somewhat shyly, ¡°I am Ingrid, the third daughter of Baron Hazel.¡± ¡°Lady Hazel, forgive my rudeness upon our first meeting.¡± Will¡¯s eyes suddenly sharpened. ¡°Listening to you, it seems like you¡¯re convinced that LadyArsene is the culprit.¡± Ingrid was visibly flustered by his words. ¡°Th-that¡¯s not true. When did I ever¡­?¡± ¡°Both Lady Arsene and His Grace have confirmed that they were together. Isn¡¯t it strange to demand an explanation of what they talked about before you¡¯ll believe them?¡± The other nobles nodded in agreement. ¡°Right, they both said the same thing.¡± ¡°What more needs to be said?¡± ¡°Since when¡­¡± Will leaned down, closing the distance between himself and the slightly shorter Ingrid Hazel, his gaze unwavering and intense. ¡°Did we become obligated to report our every move to you?¡± ¡°Will Chase!¡± Seeing Ingrid¡¯s frightened expression, Eric immediately intervened. ¡°This isn¡¯t the military. You shouldn¡¯t be so aggressive towards a noble lady!¡± He then turned to Ingrid and gently asked, ¡°My Lady, are you alright? Would you like to move somewhere else to rest?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I apologize for the trouble today. I think I should be going now.¡± With those words, Ingrid¡¯s tears began to flow anew. Selina sighed as she watched the scene unfold. ¡®Nothing¡¯s been resolved.¡¯ She looked at Eric, who patted Ingrid¡¯s shoulder as she buried her face into his chest and cried, signaling Selina for help. ¡®Looks like I have to clean up his mess again.¡¯ ¡°Um¡­ Your Highness Princess Helena, although we are all eager to find the culprit, the banquet is far from over. Might I suggest we focus on finding you a suitable replacement for your gown? If you could tell me your measurements, I¡¯ll prepare something for you as quickly as possible. Would a traditional Sephia dress be alright?¡± As if on cue, the maid attending to the princess recited a detailed list of Her Highness¡¯s measurements, preferred colors, and favored patterns. It was quite a long list, but Selina memorized it on the spot, wrote it down on a borrowed paper, and asked a servant to deliver it to the Arsene County estate. The Arsene County merchant group was quite large, and they had traditional Sephia dresses amongst their goods. Although ready-made clothes were not as high quality as custom-made designer clothes, Selina decided it would be better to have a dress altered to fit the princess¡¯s measurements than to borrow someone else¡¯s dress. The princess was very pleased with the new dress that arrived shortly after. ¡°I think this suits me better than the dress I saw earlier. Thank you, Lady Arsene.¡± Seeing Princess Helena¡¯s delight, the nobles who had gathered to watch knew that the incident had been smoothly resolved. * * * After a good cry, Ingrid left the lounge with the Crown Prince and went home even before the new dress arrived. Eric expressed his regrets at her early departure but offered her a royal carriage, instructing the coachman to take good care of her. Leaning back against the soft carriage seat, exhausted from crying, Ingrid clenched her jaw, her teeth grinding silently. ¡®What¡¯s the relationship between those two?¡¯ She was shocked when Janus was the one to say that Selina had been with him. ¡®I know that woman was with the Crown Prince.¡¯ Ingrid was the one who tore Princess Helena¡¯s dress. She had orchestrated the incident, knowing that neither Selina nor Eric could defend themselves publicly. ¡®I wanted to make her the most notorious villainess in the empire this time. But Grand Duke Justia, of all people, resolved the situation. Was he protecting her? Or was he stepping in for the Crown Prince?¡¯ In any case, Ingrid¡¯s outburst in front of so many people was a mistake. Ingrid composed herself. She silently vowed to be more careful in her actions to achieve the future that she desired. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 5 – Shall I Send The Proposal? [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 5 ¨C Shall I Send The Proposal? As soon as Princess Helena left the ballroom, the nobles who had been insulting Selina also left in a hurry. Eric, too, excused himself to escort Ingrid, leaving few people in the lounge. Selina, oblivious to the situation, frowned at Morgan Patel, who was looking at her and the Grand Duke with disapproval. ¡®Why hasn¡¯t he left yet? He needs to leave so I can ask His Grace what¡¯s going on. I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight if I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Morgan, unaware of Selina¡¯s thoughts, said, ¡°Lady Arsene, you are being rude to the end.¡± Will let out a scoff. ¡°It seems Young Master Patel is quite the coward.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You accuse the vulnerable Lady Arsene of being alone with His Grace, but not the Grand Duke himself. To me, that seems cowardly.¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± ¡°Have I been rude?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­¡± ¡°If I have misunderstood you, would you care to clarify in a more gentlemanly manner outside?¡± Will made a gesture of throwing down his glove, prompting Morgan to quickly apologize. ¡°My¡­ My apologies.¡± A duel with Will Chase, renowned for his swordsmanship? Morgan, who had never held a sword properly, immediately backed down. ¡°Ah¡­ I must return to the ballroom. Let¡¯s discuss this later, Lady Arsene, Your Grace.¡± With that, Morgan left. Now only three remained in the lounge. ¡°I shall go check on the situation in the ballroom. If anyone asks, all three of us were here.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Before Selina could finish, Will had disappeared. ¡°Were you surprised by my sudden intervention?¡± Now that they were alone, Selina froze at the sound of Janus¡¯s voice. ¡°I merely wished to help, since you seemed to be in trouble.¡± At his words, Selina looked up at Janus and thought, ¡®The Grand Duke, who is rumored to know nothing but war, has such a pleasant voice. And his gaze has been so intense¡­¡¯ ¡°My lady?¡± Seeing Selina¡¯s silence, Janus took a step closer and spoke, a hint of anxiety in his voice. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about your reputation, I will take responsibility. I heard you are soon to break off your engagement. Once that¡¯s settled, you can marry me¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Selina, who had been listening quietly as if entranced by Janus¡¯s voice, snapped back to reality and asked, ¡°Your Grace, are you proposing to me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have claimed we were alone if I didn¡¯t intend to.¡± Janus¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°It¡¯s a great dishonor for a noble lady to be alone with a man without a promise of marriage. I may have been on the battlefield for a long time, but I¡¯m not ignorant of such things.¡± Janus lowered his head, looking directly into Selina¡¯s eyes as he spoke. ¡°I put you in a position where you had to say such things in front of everyone, so I will take responsibility for you.¡± ¡®No, no, this isn¡¯t right.¡¯ Selina, trying to regain her composure, took a step back and closed her eyes. This was the first time Selina had seen Janus since they were children. Back when Janus lived in the imperial palace before he left for the battlefield. Their only encounter was when she used to play with Eric in the palace, before Janus had earned the title of Grand Duke of Justia. ¡®That was over ten years ago. After that, I was busy at the academy. And when I came to the capital at fourteen, I couldn¡¯t attend the victory banquet because it was after my debutante ball.¡¯ The victory banquet held after Selina¡¯s debutante ball was the same one where the fountain incident had occurred three months ago. ¡®Even then, I couldn¡¯t properly greet him because I was running away. We¡¯re not close enough to lie to each other, let alone discuss marriage.¡¯ Selina, who had been trying hard to figure out why Janus was acting this way, suddenly started to see things from a different angle. ¡®This situation isn¡¯t bad. Thanks to the Grand Duke, I escaped today¡¯s crisis, and I have three exclusive rights to claim from the Crown Prince.¡¯ Janus Justia was the only Grand Duke in the Sephia Empire and had a significant influence on the surrounding empires. Naturally, he was a marriage prospect who could greatly benefit the family business. ¡®And I could become the wife of the next most powerful man after the future emperor. The Grand Duchess. It¡¯s a prestigious position. But such a good position suddenly falls into my lap? Why?¡¯ As Selina was racking her brain, a shadow fell over her again. ¡°Shall I send the proposal to Count Arsene tomorrow?¡± Selina couldn¡¯t keep up with Janus¡¯s relentless pace, as he seemed determined to forge ahead before she could fully process the situation. ¡®Why are so many crazy things happening today?¡¯ She had narrowly escaped being branded a traitor to the empire, and now she was on the precipice of becoming the Grand Duchess, a position that would make her the object of envy and jealousy to the entire empire. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Calm down. Don¡¯t fall for that handsome face.¡¯ Selina took a step back and tried to answer calmly. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Janus looked at her with deep, unreadable eyes. ¡°I¡­.¡± * * * Back at the Count¡¯s estate, Selina gave instructions, exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Nora, help me change, and Cathy, please check the bathwater.¡± The Arsene family was wealthy and ran a large trading company. However, Selina couldn¡¯t live like a delicate flower in this wealthy family. Her living quarters were in the east wing of the mansion, a separate building previously used for guests. Only Count Arsene, Selina, a minimal number of maids, two ladies-in-waiting, and the butler were allowed in this area. It was only in recent years that she had been able to impose such restrictions on access. ¡°Miss, the bath is ready.¡± Selina closed her eyes for a moment as she soaked in the warm water. She recalled what had just happened and laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡®They were openly rejoicing about the prospect of my broken engagement. What would they say if I told them I received a proposal from the Grand Duke today? Would they even believe me?¡¯ Them. The main reason Selina had to separate her living space was due to the current family structure of the Arsene household. When Selina was seven, exactly one year after her mother passed away, Count Arsene went against everyone¡¯s wishes and married a commoner woman with a child. That woman was Flora, the current Countess of Arsene and Selina¡¯s stepmother. ¡°Selina, this is the woman who will be your mother from now on. She will take care of you when your father is away.¡± ¡°Count, I will take care of her as if she were my own. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Clinging to Flora¡¯s skirt as she said this was Brandon, Selina¡¯s stepbrother, two years older than her. As time passed, Brandon grew taller and bulkier, and together with his mother, Flora, they tried to drive Selina out of the family. He openly declared that he was the next head of the Arsene family, claiming it was only natural for the eldest son to inherit the family. ¡®He¡¯s not even of our bloodline, what nonsense.¡¯ As much as Selina wanted to get rid of Flora and Brandon for their ridiculous claims, she was always held back by her half-brother, Sebastian. Sebastian, nine years younger than Selina, was Flora¡¯s son and bore a striking resemblance to Count Arsene. ¡°Miss, let¡¯s get you ready for bed.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After her bath, Selina dried her long hair and sat down at her desk to write in her diary. Her hand, reaching for the diary, paused, and instead, she opened a red velvet box that was kept on the desk. Inside was a luxurious quill pen with the inscription ¡°Top Graduate of the 35th Sephia Academy.¡± Selina gently stroked the tip of the quill. ¡®How hard I worked to get this.¡¯ To avoid direct conflict with ¡°them,¡± Selina had decided to enter the academy at the age of ten. The scholarship student at the academy. Even now, this was an inseparable epithet attached to the name Selina Arsene in social circles. What might be a source of pride for others held a slightly different meaning for Selina. ¡®I learned a lot there. Thanks to that, I haven¡¯t given up yet. I will inherit the Arsene family. I will never let it fall into their hands.¡¯ Selina¡¯s eyes shone with determination. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 7 – The Scent Of Her [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 7: The Scent Of Her For two days after the imperial ball, Janus could only sigh in the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. ¡°Your Grace, why did you say such a thing?¡± ¡®Talking recklessly about marriage, I¡¯d run away too if I were her!¡¯ Will swallowed the rest of his words. ¡°I couldn¡¯t control myself. All I could think about was making her mine. At least I spoke kindly.¡± ¡°So you proposed directly and were rejected?¡± ¡°I¡­ I dare not accept your proposal. Please forgive my rudeness in refusing.¡± ¡°I said I wanted to marry you. Are you refusing?¡± ¡°Yes, I am, Your Grace.¡± Janus, who had been sighing, smiled as he recalled the situation that day. ¡°She rejected me outright.¡± Seeing Janus speak joyfully about being rejected, Will was also moved and said, ¡°You¡¯ve finally found the real one.¡± Then, clenching his fist, he muttered, S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Then what have we been searching for all this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ve found the real one now.¡± Will, trying to calm his anger at Janus¡¯ words, asked, ¡°Does it really feel different?¡± Yes. First of all, the scent is different. I recognized her by this scent alone. It¡¯s a scent that only I can smell. I should inform the research society about it.¡± ¡°Then if you smell that scent, you¡¯ll know where she is right away.¡± ¡°Right. But why didn¡¯t I know until now?¡± ¡°Lady Arsene would have been in the capital all along. There was almost no contact. You know there are cases where you can¡¯t find your mate until the end, like the former emperor.¡± The former emperor Will was referring to was Janus¡¯ maternal grandfather. He ascended to the throne with the power of the dragon but couldn¡¯t find his mate. In the end, he voluntarily confined himself to the imperial palace, afraid of harming those around him due to the power consuming him. The dragon¡¯s power was passed on to the next generation only when the one possessing it died. And if they didn¡¯t marry their destined mate, they died young. The current emperor thought the former emperor¡¯s dragon power would naturally be passed on to him. He was the only surviving son. To seize the throne, he killed his other brothers before he even turned 20. But the heavens didn¡¯t give him a chance. He was expecting the inheritance of power after dealing with his brothers when news came that the emperor who entered the imperial palace was weakening day by day. The dragon¡¯s power was passed on to Janus¡¯ mother, Christa, a sister who had been spared because she was on the battlefield. The current emperor, Charles, blinded by jealousy, sent his own sister back to the war zone. He was wary of Christa, so much so that it was questionable whether the unpleasant nickname ¡®Black-haired Witch Who Calls for Blood¡¯ truly came from the enemy forces. And Christa¡¯s power, who died on the battlefield, was passed on to young Janus. This happened when he was 3 years old. Becoming the youngest successor, he collapsed as soon as he received the power and hovered between life and death for over a week. It was because his young body couldn¡¯t handle the immense power. ¡°Janus!¡± Janus¡¯ father, Philip, burst into the study without knocking. He was Christa¡¯s mate, and the two had fallen in love instantly when they had first met on the battlefield. Philip was taken aback when Christa suddenly approached and cornered him against the wall, but soon they became sincere towards each other. Thus, a man who was once a mere common soldier came to marry a princess. Christa, enjoying a happy married life, soon became pregnant with Janus. The Emperor, fearing that Christa would use pregnancy and childbirth as an excuse to stay in the capital and covet his position, sent her back to the battlefield by any means necessary. The task of caring for Janus naturally fell to Philip. Around the time Philip was clumsily adjusting to childcare, Christa died in battle. Despite losing his wife at a young age, Philip did not remarry and lived solely for Janus. He passed on all the know-how he had acquired from being a soldier to becoming a knight commander, and always stayed by Janus¡¯ side when he was sent to the battlefield at a young age by imperial order. ¡°So, you met your mate?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure this time.¡± ¡°How did you become certain?¡± ¡°There was a strong scent that I couldn¡¯t smell from anyone else.¡± ¡°Oh, a scent. Your mother said she saw some kind of light from me.¡± ¡®That¡­ wasn¡¯t that just saying you fell in love at first sight?¡¯ Janus swallowed those words and looked at Philip, who was speaking cheerfully. Philip established the Dragon¡¯s Power Research Society for his son. He wanted to record everything about Janus¡¯ growth and changes, and to understand as much as possible about the dragon¡¯s power, which was largely unknown. But this was not easy either. The imperial family refused to share information under various pretexts, and the data available to Philip and Janus alone was severely lacking. ¡°I still wonder if I was really her mate.¡± Christa had said that Philip was her mate, but Philip still found it hard to believe. ¡°It¡¯s true that I tried to be a person worthy of standing by Christa¡¯s side, but I never experienced any special changes. Even after making¡­ ahem! love with Christa.¡± The large, red-eyed warrior speculated that if he were the true mate, he would have felt a special change by assimilating with the successor¡¯s power. ¡°I wonder if Christa¡¯s short life was because I wasn¡¯t her true mate.¡± ¡°Mother died from the enemy¡¯s concentrated attack. It happened because the enemy country deployed all their mages and paladins towards her.¡± ¡°I should have been there to protect her.¡± On that tragic day, Christa was on the battlefield while Philip was in the capital. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] He heard the news late and rode his horse without rest, but all he could do was hold Christa¡¯s cold body and weep. ¡°It was too late then. That must never happen again.¡± Before the knot in his heart could unravel, Philip had to return to the battlefield with his young son. The Emperor showed no mercy. ¡°He¡¯s not even ten years old yet!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve waited four years since he inherited the power at three! Should we let that power rot away? If a war breaks out, he must go and protect the empire. We need to show those Autumn bastards, who are rejoicing over my sister¡¯s death, that the Sephia Empire is far from over!¡± He raged, threatening fiercely. ¡°Defiance means death. You, as a warrior, would know that better.¡± His sister, and then her son, possessed the power that he couldn¡¯t have. While Janus, who manifested his power at three, was hovering between life and death, the first thing the Emperor did was appoint Eric, who was the same age as Janus, as Crown Prince. ¡®Were you that scared?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even laugh at the Emperor¡¯s fear of losing the throne. From then on, Philip had to save his son by any means necessary. From the time he first went to the battlefield at seven, until now. He stayed by his son¡¯s side without fail and taught him all the tactics. He had warriors as teachers, making Janus learn all kinds of martial arts, including spearmanship, archery, and swordsmanship. Young Janus had only ever learned how to survive on the battlefield. So he had no idea what to do when he met his mate. ¡°It seemed like she didn¡¯t want to marry me.¡± Seeing his son with drooping eyebrows, not befitting his reputation, Philip laughed heartily and said, ¡°Son, a woman¡¯s heart is always a mystery. I never quite understood your mother¡¯s heart either. Let¡¯s try to understand it little by little from now on.¡± Patting his son¡¯s shoulder with a loud clap, Philip spoke as if he was delighted. ¡®What would our future daughter-in-law like? How can we get her to happily agree to marry?¡¯ It was the moment when the father and son, who knew nothing about women¡¯s hearts, decided to join forces to win Selina¡¯s heart. * * * ¡°I can¡¯t live with this shame!¡± ¡®I explicitly forbade her entry to the east wing.¡¯ Three days after the commotion at the ball, Flora barged into the east wing, having heard some rumor. ¡®Is she incapable of learning? Very well. I¡¯ll make her regret coming here.¡¯ Silently enduring was something Selina used to do when she was young. The current Selina knew very well how to repay Flora and Brandon in kind. Flora, who had been making a fuss from the entrance, flung open the study door without knocking. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 8 – On The Verge Of A Broken Engagement [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 8: On The Verge Of A Broken Engagement Selina rose from her seat. ¡°What brings you here today?¡± Selina was slightly taller than Flora. When Flora barged in like this, the quickest way to deal with her was to stand there with a cold face, listen to her say a few words, and then look down at her condescendingly to chase her away. But today, Flora glared at her as if she wasn¡¯t going to back down. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much you can disgrace this family!¡± Selina was a little taken aback by Flora¡¯s overly confident attitude. ¡®What is it? Does she know about the dress incident at the ball? No, it couldn¡¯t have spread that far.¡¯ It was an unspoken rule not to spread rumors about what happened in the lounge. It was considered a private matter, known only to those who were present. ¡°I asked you what brings you here. If you¡¯re not going to answer properly, then leave, Flora.¡± Despite her words, Selina didn¡¯t immediately dismiss Flora, wanting to see what she was up to. Flora, emboldened by Selina¡¯s lack of orders to the maids or butlers, said, ¡°So, it seems you¡¯ve finally realized that you¡¯ve brought great shame to the family this time.¡± ¡°Tell me, Flora, what great shame have I brought?¡± ¡°You really¡­¡± ¡®Flora, Flora, all the time! Am I your friend or stepmother?!¡¯ Suppressing her rising emotions, Flora put on a smile and said, ¡°The Patel family just entered the family council chamber. I don¡¯t need to tell you why they¡¯re here.¡± ¡®Ah, that¡¯s what this is about.¡¯ Selina was relieved to know it wasn¡¯t about the dress incident. If Flora or Brandon found out about the incident with the foreign princess, they would surely demand that Selina be stripped of her title as the acting head of the family. And Count Arsene might not take the matter lightly either, as a conflict with a foreign country could be a major flaw for the head of the family. ¡®If they were going to bring that up, they wouldn¡¯t have come to my quarters so politely. They would have said it in front of my father and demanded that I be replaced with Brandon as acting head of the family.¡¯ Seeing Selina nodding her head in thought without responding to her words, Flora sneered in irritation. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was right for you to be the acting head of the family since you were engaged to the heir of the Patel family? And now you¡¯re on the verge of a broken engagement right before the joint venture between the two families. Do you really think someone like you, who causes harm to our family, is fit to be the acting head of the family?¡± Selina¡¯s expression hardened at Flora¡¯s words. This was definitely a problem. ¡®If the engagement had been broken off after the contract was signed, I wouldn¡¯t be this worried.¡¯ They were about to start the joint venture after several trial trades, and once the contract was finalized, there shouldn¡¯t have been any major issues. Three years of coordination had gone into this trade, and once it was successful, it would bring great benefits to both families for generations to come. If this contract was affected because of Selina¡¯s relationship with Morgan Patel, the consequences would be dire. Seeing Selina¡¯s expression, Flora seized the opportunity to add, ¡°Honestly, your reputation in society is nothing but trash. The Patel family has been patient because of the good business relationship with our family. It must have been so hard for them for three years.¡± She laughed, clearly enjoying it. ¡°And now that you¡¯re getting dumped, you¡¯ll never have a good marriage, so you better start trying to please Brandon and Sebastian. Apologize for all the rudeness you¡¯ve shown them so far. Show them with your actions, not just words, that you¡¯ll follow them like a mouse from now on. Do you understand?¡± Flora sneered with a smug look on her face. ¡®She¡¯s not wrong. Even if Eric and I try to explain later, who would believe us? No family would accept a woman with a bad reputation who hasn¡¯t even married yet as their head. Even if I break off my engagement with Morgan, I need to marry someone the family can¡¯t ignore.¡¯ At that moment, a voice echoed in Selina¡¯s ears. ¡°Shall I send the proposal to Count Arsene tomorrow?¡± It was the man who had ardently proposed to her three days ago. ¡®No, no. This isn¡¯t right. No matter how difficult my situation is, how could I possibly¡­¡¯ ¡°I said I wanted to marry you. Are you refusing?¡± ¡®The way he looked at me when he said that¡­ Do all men look at women with such intensity? Or is it just His Grace, the Grand Duke?¡¯ ¡°Hey!¡± Flora, realizing that Selina was once again ignoring her and lost in her own world, shouted angrily. ¡°You¡¯re ignoring me even in this situation? You just wait, as soon as the Count finishes his meeting with the Patel family, you¡¯re done! There will be no mercy, do you understand?¡± Flora screamed at the top of her lungs and stomped out of Selina¡¯s study. ¡°Cathy.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± ¡°Spray some air freshener and don¡¯t let that woman back in this room.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± After getting rid of the lingering scent left by Flora, Selina sat down at her desk and pondered. ¡®If I want to keep my position as acting head of the family after the broken engagement, the rank of my new fianc¨¦ should be higher than a Count. But there won¡¯t be any families of Marquis rank or higher who would propose to me right away.¡¯ The young lords of the families she had met at the academy briefly came to mind, but she shook her head. ¡®It¡¯s not just anything, it¡¯s an engagement, so I can¡¯t just grab anyone and ask them to play along. But if I get dumped like this, my position in the family will only get worse. It could even lead to the joint venture falling apart. I can¡¯t afford to lose out on something I¡¯ve been preparing for three years.¡¯ She was frowning and contemplating a solution. ¡®If I were the Grand Duchess, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about this, would I? As the only Grand Duchess of Sephia, I would be respected even in other empires.¡¯ As the thought crept back into her mind, Selina shook her head to clear it. ¡®That¡¯s really not an option. His Grace must have been mistaken about something when he said those things to me. I can¡¯t take advantage of someone who helped me like that.¡¯ Worrying alone wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Selina headed to the conference room in the central wing of the main building, where the family council was in session. Inside, the discussion about the broken engagement, which threatened her position as acting head of the family, was taking place. Selina clenched and unclenched her fists before entering. ¡®How much will my words matter in there?¡¯ It was a meeting between the heads of two families. Their decision would affect the time it would take for Selina to achieve her goals. ¡®It¡¯s not right to break off an engagement just based on rumors. Even if they don¡¯t know me, it¡¯s still not right. And doesn¡¯t Morgan, that idiot, even think about what¡¯s more profitable for him?¡¯ He was a fool, if he had just quietly gone through with the marriage, he would have secured a contract that would have brought great benefits to the family members without him having to do anything. But of all times, he had to break off the engagement now because Selina was a villainess with a bad reputation. It was hard to see it as simply a failure to analyze profit and loss. ¡°Announce me.¡± At Selina¡¯s words, the attendant went in and informed the people inside of her arrival. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Count Arsene, Count Patel, and the other participants, whose faces had hardened for a moment, allowed Selina to enter. The closer she got to the conference table, the louder the voices inside became. ¡°Good. We can get an explanation from the person involved herself! Tell her to come in!¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely a misunderstanding. My lady is not that kind of person!¡± The conference room buzzed with a chaotic energy. ¡°I heard she even attempted murder recently. That says it all.¡± ¡°If all those rumors were true, the young lady who was harmed would have taken the matter to the Imperial Court for a trial. Why is she silent? It¡¯s because this is all a misunderstanding. To every single one of those misunderstandings¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a misunderstanding, how did the rumors spread like that? To the point where everyone knows about it?¡± ¡°Lady Selina has arrived.¡± [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 10 – Selina’s Letter [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 10: Selina¡¯s Letter Count Arsene felt a surge of satisfaction as he watched the Patel family leave with sour expressions. However, he was also worried. Turning to his daughter, he asked, ¡°Selina, how exactly do you plan to fix this? If you had such a quick solution, why didn¡¯t you use it sooner? Your reputation is now¡­¡± ¡°In shambles, Father. Utterly in shambles.¡± As if waiting for the others to leave, Flora appeared with her two sons. ¡®She must have thought I was in trouble and brought Brandon and Sebastian to gloat. It¡¯s so obvious.¡¯ Selina saw Brandon standing behind Flora, smirking as if he was enjoying her predicament. He was now a tall young man, unlike the small child she remembered. And although he didn¡¯t resemble Count Arsene, he was still quite handsome. This suggested that Brandon¡¯s deceased father must have also been a handsome man. ¡®If only he knew how to be content.¡¯ If he had been satisfied with the grace shown by the family and lived quietly, Selina wouldn¡¯t have been determined to send them away. Selina smiled leisurely, causing Flora¡¯s face to harden. Unaware of this, Brandon pushed his mother¡¯s restraining hand away and stepped forward. ¡°Count, no, Father. Now that the relationship with the Patel family, who were supposed to share the family¡¯s important matters, has fallen apart, I think we need to question the Acting Head¡¯s capabilities.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit early to make that decision.¡± Brandon glared at Selina, who replied nonchalantly. ¡°You, disgrace to the family, how dare you interfere! Do you still think you¡¯re the Acting Head of this family?¡± ¡°Brother.¡± Selina always tried not to provoke Count Arsene in front of everyone. Very occasionally, she would call Brandon ¡°Brother¡± like now. Of course, she did it knowing how much Brandon hated it, just to spite him. Today, she addressed Brandon, who was looking at her with disgust. ¡°Before worrying about my marriage, you should worry about your own, Brother. Considering our ages, shouldn¡¯t your engagement come first? You should start looking for a suitable family for a long-lasting relationship with ours.¡± Flora clutched her handkerchief behind them. ¡®That little wench!¡¯ Selina¡¯s words were undeniably true. Brandon was 19 years old, two years older than Selina. Compared to Selina, who had been engaged since she was 14 due to the family¡¯s wishes, Brandon¡¯s situation was indeed different. He was even older than the average engagement age for Sephian nobles. Naturally, Brandon was not considered a good prospect among the Sephian aristocracy. Even Flora, who had risen from commoner status by marrying a wealthy noble, was often looked down upon in social circles, leading Brandon to avoid social gatherings. Since he didn¡¯t attend events where he could present himself, no noble ladies fell for him based on his looks. This was why Flora and Brandon coveted the position of Acting Head even more. They were convinced that if Selina became the Head before Sebastian, Count Arsene¡¯s only son, they would be kicked out of the house. While they boasted in front of Selina that Brandon would be the next Head, Flora knew deep down that they had no legitimate claim. However, she believed that if Brandon became the Acting Head and married into a powerful family, they could stay by Sebastian¡¯s side more confidently and help him become the Head. Contrary to Flora¡¯s thoughts, Brandon firmly believed that he was the rightful heir. Despite being the stepson of Count Arsene, he was the eldest son officially listed in the family registry and thus, in his mind, the next Head. ¡°Surely Brandon is of age, so we should start looking for a suitable match for him.¡± Count Arsene looked at Flora with a troubled expression. ¡°Count, Brandon prefers to find a partner on his own. He will soon find a good match and inform you, so please don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡®I can see right through her.¡¯ Selina laughed inwardly, mocking Flora¡¯s words. ¡®She¡¯s just waiting for the Acting Head position. She¡¯ll probably grow old and die alone.¡¯ ¡°More importantly, since the relationship with the Patel family has been severed like this, I believe someone should take responsibility.¡± Flora concluded, glaring at Selina. ¡°As the lady of the house, you should know. Yes, Selina broke off her engagement with the Patel family today. But she has agreed to get engaged to someone who can benefit the family and restore her reputation within three months, so let¡¯s trust and wait.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s words left Flora speechless, clutching her handkerchief in frustration. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡®How can she possibly restore her reputation in three months? If it were that easy, I wouldn¡¯t have been looked down upon in social circles all this time.¡¯ She barely managed to calm her boiling anger, believing that Selina would ultimately fail. * * * ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A letter has arrived for His Grace, the Grand Duke.¡± Janus, who was in the office with Philip, looked up at the butler¡¯s words in disbelief. Everyone knew that the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion in the capital was empty more often than not, so it was rare for letters to arrive. ¡°Who sent it?¡± ¡°How many times have I told you to burn it if it¡¯s from the Imperial Palace!¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯ve been using the imperial letters as kindling. There are two letters today, one from the Princess of Furon and the other¡­¡± ¡°The other?¡± ¡°Well¡­ From Selina of the Count Arsene family¡­¡± Before the butler could finish his sentence, he dodged two large men who lunged at him, placed the letters on the table, and quickly retreated behind the door. ¡°There was a message to deliver it directly to His Grace, so please read it yourself.¡± Ignoring the butler¡¯s words from behind the door, Janus stared at the letters with excitement. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Janus, a woman¡¯s heart is truly unpredictable. Didn¡¯t you say she clearly rejected your proposal and looked displeased?¡± Janus silently looked at the letters on the table and carefully smelled them. ¡°That¡¯s right. This scent. It¡¯s faint, but it lingers. It seems she wrote it herself.¡± Seeing Janus carefully sniffing the lettere again, Philip said joyfully, ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s your soulmate, and fell in love with you at first sight. That¡¯s it, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.¡± The thought of his only child not finding their soulmate and possibly dying young made him feel sick to his stomach. What did the power of a dragon matter anyway? Was it worth losing his wife and child? For Philip, whose only dream was to protect and live for his family, there was nothing more horrifying. ¡®Honey, Christa. It seems our child can finally live in peace.¡¯ As Philip quietly shed tears of joy, Janus carefully opened the envelope with a letter opener and unfolded the letter. [To my dearest Janus Minerva Justia, Grand Duke of Sephia] The moment he read the first line written in neat handwriting, Janus gasped, carefully put the letter down, and took a deep breath. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, son?¡± ¡°The handwriting is so beautiful that I momentarily lost my breath.¡± Philip looked at his son and quietly nodded. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s how I felt when I received my first letter from Christa.¡¯ Janus¡¯s eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck after reading the letter for a moment. Curious about what it said, Philip asked, ¡°May I see the letter for a moment?¡± ¡°If possible, please wear gloves while handling it.¡± At the polite request, Philip fumbled for his gloves and carefully unfolded the letter. His eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Janus and the letter. Janus asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t misread it, did I?¡± ¡°No, son.¡± [I hope this sudden letter hasn¡¯t surprised you too much. If it¡¯s alright with you, I would like to invite you to the cafe I run, Tea N, tomorrow at 3 PM.] ¡°She wants to meet tomorrow.¡± [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 11 – Engagement Contract [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 11: Engagement Contract With the small letter from Selina spread out between them, the two men continued their conversation. ¡°But¡­ she refused the proposal¡­¡± ¡°That must have been because you brought up marriage so suddenly, the young lady must have been flustered.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, it must have been my haste that was the problem.¡± Janus nodded earnestly. ¡°I mustn¡¯t make the same mistake again when I meet her. Father, what should I do? What should I wear? I should have asked what color the young lady prefers.¡± Behind his large son, Phillip could almost see the illusion of an invisible tail wagging excitedly. Philip found his son so endearing that he wanted to hug him tightly. But he could only manage to grasp half of his son¡¯s shoulder, who had grown up so much, and said, ¡°Son, you need to calm your heart. You mustn¡¯t repeat the mistake you made recently.¡± ¡°Yes, Father. I will try to be calm this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough. Remember, this is the most important negotiation of your life.¡± ¡°Negotiation?¡± Janus¡¯ eyes sparkled at Philip¡¯s words. * * * Janus, cheeks flushed from the scent of Selina wafting from afar, entered the cafe. ¡°Lady Arsene.¡± Janus greeted her as he strode into the room where Selina was, even before being shown in. The cafe manager, greatly flustered, bowed to Janus. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Selina was also taken aback but did not show it and greeted him back before speaking to the manager. ¡°We¡¯re fine here. Please go and prepare the tea.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± After the manager left, the two sat facing each other. ¡°My lady.¡± ¡°Your Grace.¡± Selina gestured for him to speak first. Janus, after a moment of thought, spoke what he had come to say. ¡°First, I would like to apologize to you, my lady.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± ¡°It was natural for you to refuse a proposal from someone you barely knew. My thinking was shortsighted. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Janus bowed his head as he spoke. ¡®The man whom everyone in the Empire looks up to is apologizing so sincerely and bowing his head before me.¡¯ Selina bowed her head along with Janus and thought, ¡®Perhaps this man would listen to my request?¡¯ After breaking off her engagement with the Patel family, she spent several days searching for a suitable family. Although during the council meeting, Selina acted as if she could secure a match with any family she desired, when it came time to actually follow through, her bad reputation in society kept haunting her. ¡®How many people would be willing to get engaged to me, knowing my tarnished reputation? Wouldn¡¯t it end up ruining the good relationships I have?¡¯ After much deliberation, Selina had arranged this meeting. And seeing Janus¡¯ attitude, she felt she had made the right decision. After the manager brought the prepared tea and left again, Selina got to the main point. ¡°Your Grace, in truth, I asked to see you today because I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± Janus asked, his gaze fixed on her as if he didn¡¯t want to miss a single moment. ¡°Yes. Of course, I understand if you refuse after listening. It¡¯s not an easy favor.¡± Janus looked at Selina attentively, but the words wouldn¡¯t come to her easily. ¡®Should I try to be indirect? No, it¡¯s best to be honest about this kind of thing. I never thought I¡¯d be saying something like this to a man, though.¡¯ Clearing her throat with a ¡°hmm,¡± Selina spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Would you be willing to get engaged to me?¡± That afternoon, returning to her mansion, Selina recalled Janus¡¯s expression of utter devastation at her proposal. ¡°Would you give me some time to think about it?¡± ¡°Nora.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± ¡°The tea tastes awful. Take it away.¡± ¡°Pardon? But¡­¡± ¡°The one I had at the cafe this afternoon was much better than this. Were you distracted today? This is a waste of tea leaves.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, just take it away.¡± Her mouth tasted bitter, literally. Selina hadn¡¯t imagined Janus would react that way to her proposal. ¡®Why did he look so resentful when I¡¯m just asking for a temporary engagement that we¡¯ll soon break off? Does he think he¡¯s too good for me because he¡¯s popular in society? He was the one who proposed first! Was his proposal all a lie?¡¯ Recalling Janus¡¯s expression once more, Selina frowned and let out a dissatisfied sigh. ¡®Is it such a big deal to ask for a temporary engagement?¡¯ ¡®And to think he was looking at me so passionately before¡­¡¯ ¡°My lady.¡± ¡°Ben. I believe you forgot to knock.¡± Ben, who had knocked three times but received no answer, had no choice but to open the door and enter. He spoke without revealing his feelings. ¡°The Count is looking for you.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Selina put aside her thoughts, which were complicated by Janus¡¯s reaction. She had matters to discuss with her father regarding the business, so she headed straight to the Count¡¯s room. * * * ¡°What does she want?¡± S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°An engagement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news, isn¡¯t it? The young lady is willing to get engaged. This is working out so well¡­¡± ¡°She also wants to break it off.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She proposed a contract engagement. To get engaged and then break it off. In two years.¡± ¡°What? What nonsense is that? Break it off? Tell me more.¡± Janus sat down heavily on the chair, loosening his cravat as if it were choking him. ¡°At first, she said she was grateful that someone of high status and good reputation like me had proposed marriage. After thinking it over, she asked if it wouldn¡¯t be better to get engaged first.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°I was about to say that I find engagements cumbersome and would rather get married, but remembering what happened a few days ago, I said engagement would be fine too.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all good. But after the engagement, you should get married, why break it off?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Janus, eyebrows drooping, sighed. ¡°How can she talk about breaking up before we even get married? Lady Arsene said she doesn¡¯t dare hope for a real marriage with me.¡± Pausing to rub his forehead, Janus asked in disbelief. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why even bother getting engaged? Especially with all these conditions attached. Is marrying me that difficult?¡± Phillip, who also couldn¡¯t understand why Selina was avoiding marriage, tried to soothe Janus. ¡°It will take time for Lady Arsene to understand your feelings and reciprocate them. It must be confusing. Maybe she said those things because she doesn¡¯t know your true feelings. Anyway, what did you say?¡± Janus sighed deeply and said, ¡°I asked for time to think.¡± ¡°Well done. Now that you¡¯ve bought some time, let¡¯s think of a way to resolve this. The young lady wants to get engaged and then break it off, right?¡± ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s what¡¯s written here.¡± Janus pulled out a stiff envelope from his pocket. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the engagement contract proposed by Lady Arsene.¡± ¡°Engagement contract?¡± Phillip took out the documents from the envelope and spread them out on the table. Three pages detailed the things Selina wanted Janus to do over the next two years and the corresponding rewards. ¡®She¡¯s meticulous. To think my son would receive such a proposal.¡¯ ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± Phillip asked, taking off his reading glasses. ¡°Of course, I want to marry Lady Arsene right away. This cumbersome contract is unnecessary between us.¡± ¡°What if the young lady insists on these terms? What if she ultimately asks you to break off the engagement? Will you comply?¡± Janus thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, ¡°I will make the young lady mine, no matter what.¡± Seeing the look in Janus¡¯ eyes, Phillip nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. You mustn¡¯t waver. You need to be clear about what you want in order to think of the means to achieve it.¡± Looking at the engagement contract proposed by Selina again, Phillip said with a hardened expression, ¡°You should think more about how to approach this. I need to meet with Lady Arsene.¡± This was Phillip, the commander of the Autumn Empire¡¯s army and genius negotiator, feared even in the dreams of his adversaries. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 12 [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 12: You have no intention of getting married, do you? Philip, meticulously dressed, was riding in his carriage when he suddenly asked the coachman to stop. ¡°My lord, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The coachman asked, puzzled. Philip, his face slightly flushed, replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to try something I read in a book.¡± He approached a flower vendor on the street and bought a large bouquet of roses. ¡®This is the first time I¡¯ve bought flowers since I got them for Christa.¡¯ The large gentleman¡¯s ears were already red from the unfamiliarity of the task. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± he said, getting back into the carriage. The strong scent of roses filled the carriage, making him feel a little dizzy, but Philip sat upright, careful not to disturb his gentleman¡¯s hat, holding the flowers preciously in his arms. Meanwhile, Selina was waiting for Philip at the cafe, trying to calm her nerves. ¡®Why did he ask to see me?¡¯ No matter how much she thought about it, clutching her pounding heart, she couldn¡¯t come up with any other reason. ¡®Is he going to be angry and say, ¡°How dare you make such a proposal to my son?¡± He must be terrifying when he¡¯s angry.¡¯ Knock, knock. ¡°The guest you¡¯ve been waiting for has arrived.¡± ¡°Show him in.¡± Selina wiped the cold sweat from her hands and was about to greet him with a curtsy when she froze in surprise. Philip, as large as Janus, entered, carefully holding a bouquet of red roses. ¡°Yo¡­ Your Grace.¡± Selina finally came to her senses and greeted him. ¡®The Grand Duke really resembles his father.¡¯ It was like seeing Janus 30 years in the future. ¡°First impressions are important in any encounter. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Janus¡¯s father. This is a gift to signify our future relationship.¡± With a bright smile, Philip held out the roses. After a brief hesitation, Selina accepted them, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Do you dislike flowers?¡± Philip was adept at reading people¡¯s expressions, having seen countless soldiers on the battlefield. It was a skill he had developed by unknowingly observing people in order to distinguish between imperial spies and enemy spies who approached his son. Selina was a little surprised that Philip had read her mind so easily, but she calmly replied. ¡°It¡¯s not that I dislike them, but I¡¯m not used to them. No one has ever given me flowers before.¡± ¡°I heard you had a fianc¨¦. I guess he didn¡¯t give you gifts like this. Good riddance. A beautiful and intelligent young lady like you shouldn¡¯t date a man who doesn¡¯t even give you flowers.¡± ¡®Even the Grand Duke hasn¡¯t given me any flowers yet¡­ Haha.¡¯ ¡°Shall we sit down?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As the two sat facing each other, the manager entered at the perfect moment. ¡°My lady, the tea is ready.¡± ¡°Bring it in.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The manager came in, poured the tea, placed the cookies, and left. Philip tasted the tea and remarked, ¡°If you serve tea like this, I can see why people would want to come to the cafe and pay for it. Excellent, my lady.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment. I manage the cafes in the capital myself. It¡¯s only been two years since I started, but it¡¯s been a great help to the company¡¯s profits lately. There¡¯s still a lot of room for improvement, though.¡± Philip nodded, watching Selina speak with sparkling eyes. ¡°You seem to truly enjoy your work at the company, Lady.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not something I do because I¡¯m the Acting Head of the family. I do it because I want to.¡± ¡°Then is this also¡­ something you want to do?¡± With that, Philip pulled out the engagement contract he had brought with him. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡­¡± ¡®How did that get into Duke Philip¡¯s hands¡­?¡¯ As if reading Selina¡¯s bewildered expression, Philip calmly said, ¡°This is a family matter, so I had no choice but to read it. I review and decide on the signing of any contracts related to the family.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± ¡°If you truly want to do this, speak more confidently, Lady. Do you think entering into this engagement contract is a big mistake?¡± ¡°I thought it might not be seen favorably by the elders.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to interrogate you, Lady Selina. I just have a few questions. Why are you only getting engaged to my son, even going so far as to sign a contract?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean, why only an engagement?¡± Philip continued, not even looking at the puzzled Selina, as if excited. ¡°Why not get married? Wouldn¡¯t marriage be beneficial to you as well? The Grand Duke has wealth and honor that everyone desires. The territory is vast and the profitability isn¡¯t bad either. With such a family offering an alliance, why settle for a mere engagement? Why not marriage?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Philip, suddenly grasping Selina¡¯s intent, asked, ¡°You have no intention of getting married, do you?¡± At Philip¡¯s words, Selina lowered her head. ¡°You have no thoughts of marriage at all. That¡¯s why you set the conditions of engagement and annulment.¡± Philip nodded, as if he finally understood. * * * ¡°How dare they ignore my summons to the palace?!¡± The Emperor raged, his body trembling with fury. Ruth, his closest advisor, observed the Emperor¡¯s hand tighten around his glass and responded. ¡°It¡¯s not unusual, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°No, this time it¡¯s different!¡± As if to prove his point, the Emperor hurled the crystal glass he held onto the floor, shattering it. The shards grazed Ruth¡¯s long socks, drawing blood, but Ruth remained unmoving, standing respectfully in place. ¡°Who am I? I am the Emperor of this nation! The only one in this country who can bear the name Sephia. This name, forbidden even to Eric, is mine alone.¡± Unable to contain his rage, the Emperor screamed like a madman. ¡°And yet, that mere Grand Duke, banished from the imperial family, dares to defy me? Just because he possesses the power of the dragon? It¡¯s not even the power of immortality, so what right does he have to ignore me, the Emperor? The audacity of that Grand Duke!¡± Ruth kept his head bowed in silence until the Emperor¡¯s fury subsided. ¡°Those who always defied me, only ever knelt and bowed their heads to receive the spoils of Christa, which I bestowed upon them as rewards for their victories. Every time they pleaded, I swore to myself that one day, I would have their heads.¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°But now, the time has come, and they have not arrived. Do you understand what this means?¡± Ruth¡¯s face hardened for a moment. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± the Emperor said, nonchalantly pouring wine into another crystal glass. ¡°They¡¯ve finally found his true mate. Those fools must be fuming right now, realizing they¡¯ve been deceived by me.¡± He took a sip of wine and chuckled. ¡°Fools. For 12 years, they¡¯ve been chasing the false leads I planted, their eyes bloodshot as they scoured the empire. Ha! Did they really think finding the ¡®real one¡¯ would solve everything?¡± The thought that the empire might once again be plunged into bloodshed made Ruth uneasy, but he suppressed his feelings. ¡°Ruth, come closer and show me your face.¡± Ruth approached the Emperor and presented his face. A large scar ran above his right eyebrow. It was a wound he received while protecting the Emperor during a battle for the throne. The Emperor looked at it with satisfaction, then patted Ruth¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We must show them that finding the true mate is useless.¡± Ruth flinched at the Emperor¡¯s words but then silently lowered his head. ¡°Do you have any objections?¡± Ruth squeezed out a single sentence in response to the Emperor¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s just a Count¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Of course, they can marry, but she will never ascend to the throne as Empress. We¡¯ll just have her sign a prenuptial agreement beforehand.¡± ¡°As always, your wisdom is unwavering, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Proceed as quickly as possible. We must secure Selina¡¯s loyalty to the Crown before she discovers her true identity.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡°As Emperor, I cannot be tainted with the accusation of killing my friend¡¯s family. Handle it well, Ruth.¡± Ruth bowed his head to conceal any trace of apprehension. ¡°Your orders will be obeyed, Your Majesty.¡± [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 13 [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 13: The Right Marriage Partner Finding the right marriage partner. That was the goal of most noble young ladies as they attended countless social gatherings. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, the young lady sitting calmly before Phillip, sharing her story, was different from the usual noble ladies. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what a happy life after marriage is like, or what happiness as a wife and a mother means.¡± Knowing that Philip had already understood her intentions, Selina confessed honestly. ¡°My mother passed away when I was six years old. Her health deteriorated after giving birth to me, and she suffered greatly until her last day. My father was always out, searching for medicine for her and working to earn money for her treatment. I rarely saw them share a tender moment.¡± Phillip sipped his tea quietly. ¡®She didn¡¯t have a happy childhood. But despite that, she seems to have grown up well-educated and well-mannered.¡¯ Recalling a moment from her childhood that had deeply shocked her, Selina continued. ¡°Exactly one year after my mother passed away, my father brought home someone he intended to marry. That person is the current Countess Flora of Arsene.¡± Philip thought to himself, noticing the slight frown on her face as she spoke. ¡®She¡¯s not close to her stepmother, and this is her way of saying it.¡¯ Nodding in understanding, Phillip asked, ¡°But you had a fianc¨¦, didn¡¯t you? Even then, you didn¡¯t want to get married?¡± ¡°That was a condition I accepted when I was fourteen, in order to become the Acting Head of the family.¡± ¡°So what you want is to continue working at the merchant group. You think you won¡¯t be able to run the Arsene merchant group if you get married and become a member of the Grand Duke¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t get married.¡± Seeing Selina¡¯s firm words and gaze, Phillip thought for a moment and asked, ¡°What if I told you that you could continue to run the Arsene merchant group independently even after marriage?¡± Surprised by Phillip¡¯s proposal, Selina questioned, ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Philip thought it was adorable how Selina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and he answered her kindly. ¡°My lady, the world is vast, and there are still many things you don¡¯t know yet. If you truly want to become a merchant group leader, you need to see and learn more. There are countless families where the husband and wife run separate businesses. Ask your father, Count Arsene, too. If he¡¯s willing to appoint his daughter, not his son, as his Acting Head, he must have seen and heard a lot already.¡± Phillip smiled warmly and continued. ¡°Honestly, my dream is to see my son marry the person he loves, have children, and live a long and happy life. That¡¯s the only way I can face my late wife with pride in the afterlife.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°But I understand why you wrote this contract, Lady Arsene. I can imagine the thoughts that went into writing each word. As a father, I shouldn¡¯t say this, but¡­¡± Philip paused for a moment, then made a serious suggestion. ¡°How about changing this from an engagement to a marriage? Marry my son and live together for two years without getting a divorce. I won¡¯t ask you to have children, and I won¡¯t force you to be a housewife. Just try it for two years.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Through this you can achieve what you want, Lady Arsene, and Janus can live happily for two years. It¡¯s not a bad deal. If you want a divorce after two years, bring the revised contract to me then. I¡¯ll help you get the divorce you want.¡± Selina¡¯s heart wavered. ¡®I was just planning to have a short engagement with the Grand Duke to improve my bad reputation¡­¡¯ She needed public opinion to shift in her favor ¨C the idea that a woman engaged to the beloved Grand Duke couldn¡¯t be a true villain. She thought that having Janus by her side would make people more likely to believe her when she and Eric revealed the truth later. ¡®Marriage¡­¡¯ Seeing Selina¡¯s hesitation, Philip drove the point home. ¡°Shall we make a bet? I¡¯ll bet that you won¡¯t bring the contract back after two years. If I lose, I¡¯ll give you the most fertile land in our territory, Lady Arsene.¡± * * * The following evening, Count Arsene entered the room where the Emperor was having dinner. ¡°Oh, Count Arsene. Welcome.¡± ¡°I heard Your Majesty summoned me and came right away, but were you in the middle of your meal?¡± ¡°I had a busy schedule today, so I couldn¡¯t eat until this awkward hour. Would you like to join me?¡± Although he said that, the Emperor had already prepared this meal, knowing that Count Arsene had not yet eaten. There were many dishes, mostly Count Arsene¡¯s favorites. Count Arsene also noticed the table setting and immediately realized. ¡®It seems His Majesty has a favor to ask of me.¡¯ Thanks to this intuition, he was able to survive by the current Emperor¡¯s side. On the battlefield, he sacrificed his shoulder for the Emperor and eventually put down his sword. Afterward, he took the initiative to handle troublesome matters before anyone could even mention them. Not only that, but every time he boarded a merchant ship, he brought mysterious items from other continents to the imperial family, making Dale Arsene an irreplaceable figure. ¡°I hear you¡¯re busy with the joint venture these days?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been preparing for three years, and it¡¯s on the verge of collapse, so we¡¯re struggling to salvage it.¡± ¡°Oh dear. The other party in this venture¡­ Isn¡¯t it the Patel family? They have no foresight. I permitted the marriage between the two families for their future prosperity, but they broke off the engagement. What¡¯s wrong with our Selina that they would throw away such good fortune? Shall I punish them instead?¡± The joint venture hadn¡¯t completely fallen apart yet, so the Emperor¡¯s intervention was troublesome. Knowing the Emperor was saying this deliberately, Count Arsene bowed his head and spoke. ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t have to go that far for someone like me. The two families will work together to resolve this matter.¡± The Emperor took a sip of water and then said what he had prepared. ¡°Honestly, the rumors circulating in society about Selina these days¡­ They really upset me. How could they know her better than I do, who has watched her grow up? Selina is a kind and sensible girl. I would gladly welcome her as my daughter-in-law.¡± At those words, Count Arsene looked up in surprise. ¡®Daughter-in-law?¡¯ ¡°Why are you so surprised? We talked about this in passing before. The little ones adorably refused snacks, saying they didn¡¯t like each other, and we laughed it off. But they¡¯re not at the age to mindlessly refuse anymore.¡± Beside the chuckling Emperor, Count Arsene couldn¡¯t bring himself to smile. The Count hastily lowered his head and said, ¡°Your, Your Majesty. Back then, it was fine to joke like that because the children were young, but it¡¯s different now. Our family¡­ is too humble. The thought of my daughter as the Crown Princess is quite frightening.¡± ¡°Indeed, if she marries my son, her status would surpass yours. It must be daunting. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Count Arsene looked up, his eyes pleading for the Emperor to take back his words, but the Emperor calmly replied, ¡°Hearing that the lovely girl was jilted, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. How could she find another suitable partner after this? I¡¯m merely trying to ease your concerns.¡± ¡°Selina is¡­¡± ¡®If she goes to the imperial family, it¡¯ll be a path filled with thorns. This distance from the imperial family is just right. We can¡¯t get too close, nor too far.¡¯ ¡°She¡¯s not ready yet.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Selina is 17 years old.¡± ¡°I understand, Your Majesty, but¡­ There¡¯s someone else in our family who should marry before Selina. It wouldn¡¯t feel right to prioritize her happiness over his.¡± The Emperor clicked his tongue in disapproval at Count Arsene¡¯s excuse and asked, ¡°Are you talking about your stepson?¡± ¡°Yes. He came to the mansion with Flora when he was young.¡± ¡°Your commoner wife must be quite envious. Selina must be having a hard time at home.¡± Count Arsene forced a smile and remained silent. ¡°But you¡¯re only seeing one side of the coin. Think about it. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for the nobles to accept your stepson¡¯s commoner background if he were the Crown Princess¡¯s brother?¡± Count Arsene¡¯s heart sank. ¡®Such persistence means the Emperor has made up his mind. Is there a specific reason why he wants Selina?¡¯ He felt sick to his stomach but forced himself to nod in agreement. ¡°We¡¯ll skip the engagement and proceed directly to the wedding.¡± The Emperor excitedly laid out his plans, but Count Arsene heard nothing. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall] The Grand Duke is Obsessed with the Fake Villainess Chapter 15 – An Unexpected Visit [Translator ¨C Kie][Proofreader ¨C Starfall] Chapter 15 ¨C An Unexpected Visit Janus sighed as he dried his damp hair with a towel after his bath, water droplets still clinging to the strands. The image of Selina, whom he had last seen two days ago, came to mind. ¡°I¡¯ve written the details here. Please review them carefully, and if you agree, sign and return it.¡± She asked to break off the engagement two years after they had become engaged and even brought a contract for him to sign. His heart hammered in his chest despite her cool demeanor and impersonal treatment. Janus was confused by these emotions, which he had never experienced when he was with the fake mate the imperial family had found for him. An unknown force seemed to be pushing him towards Selina, and it was agonizing that Selina, unaware of his feelings, wanted to break off the engagement. ¡®I thought everything would be fine if I found my real mate. But it seems like there¡¯s no harder task than this.¡¯ As he was thinking this, the scent he longed for began to waft around Janus¡¯s nose. Janus quickly raised his head. The scent was getting stronger. * * * Selina was visibly flustered, as this was the first time she had visited another family¡¯s mansion at this late hour without prior notice. ¡®I said, ¡°I¡¯m Selina Arsene. I¡¯m here to see His Grace, the Grand Duke.¡± And they let me in?¡¯ She had rushed to the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion, as she couldn¡¯t enter the Imperial Palace unprepared, but she had wandered around for a while, unsure of how to get inside. Then, she mustered the courage to speak, and the servants guided her as if they had been waiting for her visit. ¡°This way, please.¡± The butler escorted Selina, who was wearing a wide-brimmed hat to conceal her face, to the drawing-room. ¡°Lady Arsene.¡± Selina burst into laughter at the sight of Janus pinching his own cheek in disbelief and then looking at her again in pain. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace. I know it¡¯s late, but I came here because of an urgent matter. Could you spare me a moment? Along with Duke Philip.¡± The butler approached Janus, who was inwardly thrilled to see her again, even if he didn¡¯t know why she was here. ¡°I¡¯ll bring His Grace, so please go in first and keep her company.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Janus, regaining his composure, washed his face and immediately entered the drawing-room. Selina took off her hat, sat down, and adjusted her clothes. Then, she spoke to Janus, who still couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. ¡°Am I so beautiful that you can¡¯t get tired of looking at me?¡± Instead of looking away in embarrassment, as she had expected, Janus replied without averting his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s like an irresistible force.¡± Selina¡¯s face flushed at his words. ¡®How can he say such things so casually?¡¯ S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Selina once again carefully examined the man in comfortable clothes sitting in front of her. ¡®It seems like he just took a bath.¡¯ Selina¡¯s gaze kept returning to the way his indoor shirt revealed his toned muscles, forcing her to quickly avert her eyes. ¡®Oh, there¡¯s a water droplet on the tip of his hair¡­¡¯ Selina hurriedly raised her handkerchief to the back of Janus¡¯ head, where the water droplet was about to fall. Janus softly closed his eyes without even asking Selina what she was doing, as she suddenly closed the distance between them. ¡®Wh-what? Why is he closing his eyes?¡¯ Selina¡¯s blush deepened as she saw Janus¡¯s long eyelashes slowly lift again.. Her heart pounded loudly, as if it were in her eardrums, but she tried to ignore it and explained. ¡°Your Grace, a water droplet on the back of your head¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I know. You wiped it off for me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, so I just wiped it off¡­¡± Janus spoke without taking his eyes off Selina. ¡°Your beautiful face came so close, I was afraid I would be blinded and closed my eyes without realizing it. But¡­¡± Selina, who had been standing awkwardly, was startled by Janus¡¯ approaching hand and ended up sitting on his lap. ¡°I want to see your face up close, even if it blinds me¡­¡± Janus¡¯ hand touched Selina¡¯s cheek as she unconsciously gulped. ¡®What is this man doing? No, now is not the time¡­¡¯ As Janus¡¯ face gradually got closer, Selina closed her eyes this time. Knock, knock- As if the knock was a signal, the two of them hurriedly separated. Philip, who appeared with Hans, the butler, pretended not to notice the awkwardness between the two and said calmly, ¡°I hope we haven¡¯t kept you waiting too long, Lady Arsene. You said you had an urgent matter, what is it?¡± ¡°Greetings, Duke Philip.¡± ¡°Please, have a seat. I prefer to be called ¡®Father¡¯ rather than Duke Philip. Is that too much to ask?¡± Philip was subtly hinting once again that he wanted Selina to become his daughter-in-law. Selina smiled awkwardly and took a sip of the tea that the butler had placed in front of her. The quick-witted butler left the drawing room, and Philip began, ¡°Lady, now tell us what the matter is.¡± Philip and Janus sensed something was wrong when Selina quietly put down her teacup and her expression darkened. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to confirm. This is the contract I gave you, Your Grace.¡± Selina said as she took out a familiar envelope from her pocket. ¡°Did you bring the revised version right away?¡± At Philip¡¯s words, Selina smiled lightly and then tore up the contract in front of them, throwing it behind her. ¡°Now, would you tell me the real reason why you proposed to me?¡± * * * The next morning, Selina dressed in her finest attire and visited the Imperial Palace. Eric, clueless about the situation, was summoned and found himself sitting before his father with a sour expression. ¡°I called you both because I wanted to have breakfast together.¡± ¡°Father¡­ no, Your Majesty, have you ever seen me eat breakfast? And why is she here so early in the morning¡­¡± ¡°Crown Prince, watch your words.¡± Eric flinched at the Emperor¡¯s words, but then decided to play along for the moment and adjusted his posture. ¡°Bring out the food.¡± The Emperor remained silent as the appetizer, main course, and dessert were served, and the two ate in silence. After the meal, when tea was served, the Emperor smiled warmly at Selina and said, ¡°My dear, did you enjoy the food?¡± Eric suddenly snorted and spat out the tea he had been sipping. ¡°Crown Prince, how long has it been since I told you to watch your behavior?¡± Eric thought for a moment and said, ¡°The tea isn¡¯t even the right temperature. Replace the maid who prepared my tea today.¡± ¡®So, he¡¯s trying to set me up with this kind of guy.¡¯ Selina forced a smile and said to the Emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, how old am I that you call me ¡®my dear¡¯? The Crown Prince and I are the same age. I¡¯m old enough to be someone¡¯s wife and have a child.¡± The relationship between the Emperor and Selina was not bad. But it wasn¡¯t as if he cherished her like a daughter either. Maintain a moderate distance from the Imperial family. Count Arsene always emphasized that. ¡°Well said. You¡¯re indeed old enough.¡± The Emperor nodded in agreement with Selina¡¯s words. ¡®Did you eat something wrong today? Didn¡¯t we just eat the same food? Why are you looking at Selina like that today? Surely not. This can¡¯t be.¡¯ Eric looked at Selina in confusion, but she was smiling calmly. ¡°Your Majesty, are you perhaps¡­¡± ¡°I see the Crown Prince isn¡¯t as clueless as I thought. Yes. This is a matchmaking meeting for you two. What do you think, Eric? Wouldn¡¯t Selina make a suitable wife?¡± Eric¡¯s face paled, and he exclaimed, ¡°Your Majesty! This is unacceptable. If you don¡¯t want our precious friendship to be ruined, please take back your words.¡± Saying so, Eric immediately stood up and knelt on one knee, glancing at Selina. ¡®What are you waiting for? Kneel beside me and beg!¡¯ Selina didn¡¯t even look at Eric and quietly sipped her tea. The Emperor clicked his tongue in disapproval and gestured to Ruth. ¡°Your Highness, please rise. You need to leave now.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get up until His Majesty takes back his words.¡± ¡°Your Highness, if you don¡¯t leave now, you¡¯ll be humiliated in front of Lady Arsene. Are you sure you want that?¡± ¡°Ruth, I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m not leaving¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s will, please stand up.¡± At Ruth¡¯s words, Eric glanced at the Emperor, then slowly stood up and left. [Translator ¨C Kie] [Proofreader ¨C Starfall]