(7) Northern Duke Cyrus Carha (3)
It was only after a long time that Ariana came to her senses.
She could still feel Cyrus's palm on her back.
The hand pressing down on her back, like the one that had covered her mouth earlier, was cold. The chill seeped through her thin, unseasonable dress, making her shiver.
She slowly tried to pull away from him, but his crimson lips moved first.
"I did you a favor. Now you owe me a debt."
Ariana was stunned by the unexpected words.
If he hadn't shown up at the storage in the middle of the night, this wouldn't have happened. What a blunder.
But Ariana didn't reveal her true feelings and replied,
"I didn't know Your Excellency the Northern Duke would pay off a debt with an unsolicited favor."
"No way. We've only just met today. I think it's best to keep that in mind."
"We won't meet again, so I don't think it's necessary to know any more."
"Well. Neither you nor I know what the future holds, do we?"
Ariana raised her head and glared at him.
Cyrus, speaking as if flirting with a woman, still had a cold gaze.
However, his excessively beautiful appearance concealed the coldness coiled in his eyes.
If Ariana were an ordinary woman, his words might have thrilled her.
But Ariana's heart, having endured all kinds of hardships and even been killed, remained unshaken by Cyrus's kindness, as beautiful as the moon god.
"Is there anything the Northern Duke desires from me?"
"You, who are not even treated as a Princess, have something to offer me?"
"We just met today, but Your Excellency seems to know me well."
"There's nothing I don't know."
Isaac was perplexed, to the point of worrying about Cyrus's health.
Feeling Isaac's gaze, Cyrus asked,
"Why?"
"Is something wrong? Your head... a little... ache?"
"I'm in my right mind."
Cyrus knew what Isaac was thinking, but he didn't make excuses to ease his worries.
Normally, Cyrus would have grabbed Ariana by the throat and threatened her, forcing her to confess everything.
But Ariana didn't seem like she'd easily give up her cards.
He couldn't understand why such thoughts came to him, considering she was only sixteen.
Ariana didn't look like an ordinary girl.
Except for a brief flicker of light when Cyrus' eyes met, Ariana remained composed and calm throughout.
Even someone who had been through a lot couldn't have acted so calmly in the face of the 'rumored Northern Duke'.
"I didn't know Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, would be visiting the Duke of Bronte at this hour. If I had known, we would have all come out to greet him."
The moment he saw her, who had barely concealed her embarrassment before turning sarcastic, he was certain there was something about Ariana.
So, to test her, he mentioned the secret of Helena's birth, which was difficult to uncover but of little use. Ariana seemed to already know the truth. The fact that a girl imprisoned and abused in the mansion knew the secrets the Western Duke, Rachel, and Jacob had kept so closely hidden was not something to be taken lightly.
'If it's useless, I can just throw it away then.'
It was only after a long time that Ariana came to her senses.
She could still feel Cyrus's palm on her back.
The hand pressing down on her back, like the one that had covered her mouth earlier, was cold. The chill seeped through her thin, unseasonable dress, making her shiver.
She slowly tried to pull away from him, but his crimson lips moved first.
"I did you a favor. Now you owe me a debt."
Ariana was stunned by the unexpected words.
If he hadn't shown up at the storage in the middle of the night, this wouldn't have happened. What a blunder.
But Ariana didn't reveal her true feelings and replied,
"I didn't know Your Excellency the Northern Duke would pay off a debt with an unsolicited favor."
"No way. We've only just met today. I think it's best to keep that in mind."
"We won't meet again, so I don't think it's necessary to know any more."
"Well. Neither you nor I know what the future holds, do we?"
Ariana raised her head and glared at him.
Cyrus, speaking as if flirting with a woman, still had a cold gaze.
However, his excessively beautiful appearance concealed the coldness coiled in his eyes.
If Ariana were an ordinary woman, his words might have thrilled her.
But Ariana's heart, having endured all kinds of hardships and even been killed, remained unshaken by Cyrus's kindness, as beautiful as the moon god.
"Is there anything the Northern Duke desires from me?"
"You, who are not even treated as a Princess, have something to offer me?"
"We just met today, but Your Excellency seems to know me well."
"There's nothing I don't know."
"I envy you. I only know things I don't know."
"Then shall I grant you another favor?"
"There are countless people who desire Your Excellency's favor, so I will yield to them."
“Haven’t you ever wondered why your mother cherishes her eldest daughter more than you, her own daughter?”
Ariana’s eyes widened.
She already knew why Rachel was so vulnerable to Helena. She’d only found out by chance.
She’d kept that secret so tightly hidden, if it weren’t for the Third Prince, she would have never known why.
'How does this man know such things?'
Ariana wanted to know just how much Cyrus knew, what his true intentions were for sneaking into this mansion. She didn’t want to get involved with him, but knowing his intentions would make it easier to deal with him in the future.
So she meekly answered,
“Please, teach me your precious lessons.”
“What will you give me in return for these precious lessons?”
“What do you want from me, trapped in the ducal household, treated worse than a maid?”
Cyrus gently lifted Ariana’s chin with his index finger.
He looked down at Ariana with amusement, then said,
“You’re not the least bit ashamed of your situation.”
“Because I’m not the one who should be ashamed.”
As Cyrus lowered his head slightly, his overly beautiful face drew closer. Only then did Ariana realize she was still pressed against him in the narrow space between him and the storage rack.
As she tried to pull away, a low, secretive voice drifted from his lips, now close to Ariana's ear.
"Helena is not the Eastern Duke's child."
Ariana clenched her jaw.
"Actually, she's Rachel Bronte's biological daughter."
Cyrus knew exactly what was happening. The truth that the Western Duke, Rachel, Jacob, the old Duchess, and Helena had kept so thoroughly hidden.
"Are you surprised?"
"Surprised."
"You don't seem particularly surprised."
"You're too close to see my face, so you can't even sense my surprise, do you? "
"You're not asking any deeper. Did you already know the situation?"
"No way. I was simply too surprised to express it in time."
Cyrus, who knew the secret of Helena's birth, could not have been unaware of Ariana's situation.
It would be suspicious that Ariana, treated like a plaything, already knew the truth about them, so Ariana decided to play dumb a little longer.
"How could Helena be my mother's biological daughter?"
"You don't seem particularly curious, but I'll answer. Rachel was already pregnant with Jacob's child when the topic of marriage to the Eastern Duke came up."
The Western Duke, who had planned to marry Rachel to the Eastern Duke, was furious upon learning the truth. He immediately called a doctor to have the child removed, but Rachel and Jacob knelt and pleaded.
"Rachel threatened the Western Duke, saying she would kill herself if the child were killed. The Western Duke, who had no choice but to give Rachel to the Eastern Duke, had no choice but to give in. So, the Western Duke found the daughter of an unknown nobleman with only the title of Baron in the countryside of Western Territory and brought her back."
Marianne of the Wood Barony. The Duke of Bronte's first wife.
Coming from a powerless family, Marianne had no choice but to obey the Western Duke's orders and marry Jacob.
She feigned pregnancy immediately after marriage and raised Rachel's daughter, Helena, as her own.
Rachel, unable to properly recover after giving birth, married into the Eastern Duke, while Marianne, under surveillance, assumed the role of Duchess.
Until Rachel returned to Western Territory.
“By the time Rachel returned, Jacob had divorced Marianne. Jacob claimed Marianne had been unfaithful, divorced her, and sent her back to the countryside, but Marianne never arrived at Baron Wood’s mansion.”
"Then shall I grant you another favor?"
"There are countless people who desire Your Excellency's favor, so I will yield to them."
“Haven’t you ever wondered why your mother cherishes her eldest daughter more than you, her own daughter?”
Ariana’s eyes widened.
She already knew why Rachel was so vulnerable to Helena. She’d only found out by chance.
She’d kept that secret so tightly hidden, if it weren’t for the Third Prince, she would have never known why.
'How does this man know such things?'
Ariana wanted to know just how much Cyrus knew, what his true intentions were for sneaking into this mansion. She didn’t want to get involved with him, but knowing his intentions would make it easier to deal with him in the future.
So she meekly answered,
“Please, teach me your precious lessons.”
“What will you give me in return for these precious lessons?”
“What do you want from me, trapped in the ducal household, treated worse than a maid?”
Cyrus gently lifted Ariana’s chin with his index finger.
He looked down at Ariana with amusement, then said,
“You’re not the least bit ashamed of your situation.”
“Because I’m not the one who should be ashamed.”
As Cyrus lowered his head slightly, his overly beautiful face drew closer. Only then did Ariana realize she was still pressed against him in the narrow space between him and the storage rack.
As she tried to pull away, a low, secretive voice drifted from his lips, now close to Ariana's ear.
"Helena is not the Eastern Duke's child."
Ariana clenched her jaw.
"Actually, she's Rachel Bronte's biological daughter."
Cyrus knew exactly what was happening. The truth that the Western Duke, Rachel, Jacob, the old Duchess, and Helena had kept so thoroughly hidden.
"Are you surprised?"
"Surprised."
"You don't seem particularly surprised."
"You're too close to see my face, so you can't even sense my surprise, do you? "
"You're not asking any deeper. Did you already know the situation?"
"No way. I was simply too surprised to express it in time."
Cyrus, who knew the secret of Helena's birth, could not have been unaware of Ariana's situation.
It would be suspicious that Ariana, treated like a plaything, already knew the truth about them, so Ariana decided to play dumb a little longer.
"How could Helena be my mother's biological daughter?"
"You don't seem particularly curious, but I'll answer. Rachel was already pregnant with Jacob's child when the topic of marriage to the Eastern Duke came up."
The Western Duke, who had planned to marry Rachel to the Eastern Duke, was furious upon learning the truth. He immediately called a doctor to have the child removed, but Rachel and Jacob knelt and pleaded.
"Rachel threatened the Western Duke, saying she would kill herself if the child were killed. The Western Duke, who had no choice but to give Rachel to the Eastern Duke, had no choice but to give in. So, the Western Duke found the daughter of an unknown nobleman with only the title of Baron in the countryside of Western Territory and brought her back."
Marianne of the Wood Barony. The Duke of Bronte's first wife.
Coming from a powerless family, Marianne had no choice but to obey the Western Duke's orders and marry Jacob.
She feigned pregnancy immediately after marriage and raised Rachel's daughter, Helena, as her own.
Rachel, unable to properly recover after giving birth, married into the Eastern Duke, while Marianne, under surveillance, assumed the role of Duchess.
Until Rachel returned to Western Territory.
“By the time Rachel returned, Jacob had divorced Marianne. Jacob claimed Marianne had been unfaithful, divorced her, and sent her back to the countryside, but Marianne never arrived at Baron Wood’s mansion.”
The powerless Baron Wood didn’t dare ask the Duke of Bronte about his daughter’s whereabouts. He probably had an idea of what had happened to her. But he remained silent, fearing death would follow if he opened his mouth.
Rachel, who had remarried Jacob immediately after returning after giving birth to Arianna, was so happy that they became pregnant right away and gave birth to Victoria.
However, Helena was Rachel’s sore spot.
“She must be worried. Helena is of the Duke’s lineage, but at best, she’s the daughter of a country Baron.”
“That’s why she’s even weaker towards Helena than towards Victoria, the third child.”
Rachel told Helena the truth when Helena was old enough to keep a secret.
Upon learning the truth, Helena chose to hate Arianna rather than resent Rachel and Jacob.
Because of Arianna, she couldn't reveal her lineage as the Northern Duke's daughter, feeling she had to live as Marianne's daughter. Arianna hadn't wanted to be born that way either.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I'm interested in what you're planning to do."
"I have no intention of doing anything."
"Really?"
"Yes, Your Excellency. I'm just a woman who doesn't deserve to be treated as a Princess."
Arianna pushed his chest with both hands, and his palms, which had been pinning her back, easily fell away.
Arianna took a step back from him and looked up at him with a dignified expression.
"Meeting Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, has been a once-in-a-lifetime honor."
"Only once in a lifetime. Does that mean you never want to see me again?"
"If you understand, you should at least show the courtesy to ignore it, Your Excellency."
“If you’ve heard rumors about me, you’ve probably heard that I have no manners.”
“Rumors are just rumors; I only believe what I see and hear firsthand.”
“So, what about me, after seeing and hearing it yourself?”
Cyrus seemed unwilling to let Ariana go just like that.
Ariana swallowed a sigh and replied,
“How could I possibly judge Your Excellency? However, the infinite glory is too much for me, and I’m very tired, so I’ll be going now.”
She quickly took off before he could stop her again.
“Second Princess Bronte.”
Ariana stopped walking and glared at him, hearing that title for the first time in her life, both in this and in her past.
Cyrus watched quietly as her calm blue eyes blazed with flames.
“I’m not a Bronte, nor a Princess.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Nothing.”
A cold smile twitched at Ariana’s lips, then vanished.
“I guess there’s no need to call me, right?”
Cyrus no longer held her.
Only after Ariana's footsteps had faded from the kitchen and down the hallway did he emerge from the cellar.
Isaac, perched on a tree outside the cellar, had a look on his face as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have seen.
"Cyrus... what the hell have you done?"
Isaac couldn't believe what he saw.
Cyrus had gone into the cellar even though he didn't need to, chatted with Ariana even though he didn't need to talk, and used stealth magic to pull Ariana close even though they didn't need to be close.
And even though Ariana was making it clear she didn't like him, he kept flirting with her like a street urchin, and he even revealed all the secrets of the Bronte family that he had found out with difficulty.
Ariana was surprised by Cyrus's coldness in front of her, but he thought his heart was sinking because of Cyrus's unfamiliar demeanor. No, perhaps he had already fallen and rolled away.
Cyrus's attitude toward Ariana was unusual. Unlike Isaac's shock, Cyrus remained calm.
"She's useful."
Even that answer didn't answer Isaac.
He flirts and spills secrets just because she's useful? The world-renowned Cyrus Carha?
What kind of person was Cyrus?
If she's useful, he'll torture anyone, regardless of age or gender, to extract something useful. If Cyrus needed to, he could even turn a sword on an Emperor, so why wouldn't he do the same to a woman treated as a servant in the Bronte household?
But to be flirting and talking about usefulness after doing something he normally wouldn't do?
‘Where does it hurt? Is the water not to your liking?’
Rachel, who had remarried Jacob immediately after returning after giving birth to Arianna, was so happy that they became pregnant right away and gave birth to Victoria.
However, Helena was Rachel’s sore spot.
“She must be worried. Helena is of the Duke’s lineage, but at best, she’s the daughter of a country Baron.”
“That’s why she’s even weaker towards Helena than towards Victoria, the third child.”
Rachel told Helena the truth when Helena was old enough to keep a secret.
Upon learning the truth, Helena chose to hate Arianna rather than resent Rachel and Jacob.
Because of Arianna, she couldn't reveal her lineage as the Northern Duke's daughter, feeling she had to live as Marianne's daughter. Arianna hadn't wanted to be born that way either.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I'm interested in what you're planning to do."
"I have no intention of doing anything."
"Really?"
"Yes, Your Excellency. I'm just a woman who doesn't deserve to be treated as a Princess."
Arianna pushed his chest with both hands, and his palms, which had been pinning her back, easily fell away.
Arianna took a step back from him and looked up at him with a dignified expression.
"Meeting Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, has been a once-in-a-lifetime honor."
"Only once in a lifetime. Does that mean you never want to see me again?"
"If you understand, you should at least show the courtesy to ignore it, Your Excellency."
“If you’ve heard rumors about me, you’ve probably heard that I have no manners.”
“Rumors are just rumors; I only believe what I see and hear firsthand.”
“So, what about me, after seeing and hearing it yourself?”
Cyrus seemed unwilling to let Ariana go just like that.
Ariana swallowed a sigh and replied,
“How could I possibly judge Your Excellency? However, the infinite glory is too much for me, and I’m very tired, so I’ll be going now.”
She quickly took off before he could stop her again.
“Second Princess Bronte.”
Ariana stopped walking and glared at him, hearing that title for the first time in her life, both in this and in her past.
Cyrus watched quietly as her calm blue eyes blazed with flames.
“I’m not a Bronte, nor a Princess.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Nothing.”
A cold smile twitched at Ariana’s lips, then vanished.
“I guess there’s no need to call me, right?”
***
Cyrus no longer held her.
Only after Ariana's footsteps had faded from the kitchen and down the hallway did he emerge from the cellar.
Isaac, perched on a tree outside the cellar, had a look on his face as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have seen.
"Cyrus... what the hell have you done?"
Isaac couldn't believe what he saw.
Cyrus had gone into the cellar even though he didn't need to, chatted with Ariana even though he didn't need to talk, and used stealth magic to pull Ariana close even though they didn't need to be close.
And even though Ariana was making it clear she didn't like him, he kept flirting with her like a street urchin, and he even revealed all the secrets of the Bronte family that he had found out with difficulty.
Ariana was surprised by Cyrus's coldness in front of her, but he thought his heart was sinking because of Cyrus's unfamiliar demeanor. No, perhaps he had already fallen and rolled away.
Cyrus's attitude toward Ariana was unusual. Unlike Isaac's shock, Cyrus remained calm.
"She's useful."
Even that answer didn't answer Isaac.
He flirts and spills secrets just because she's useful? The world-renowned Cyrus Carha?
What kind of person was Cyrus?
If she's useful, he'll torture anyone, regardless of age or gender, to extract something useful. If Cyrus needed to, he could even turn a sword on an Emperor, so why wouldn't he do the same to a woman treated as a servant in the Bronte household?
But to be flirting and talking about usefulness after doing something he normally wouldn't do?
‘Where does it hurt? Is the water not to your liking?’
Isaac was perplexed, to the point of worrying about Cyrus's health.
Feeling Isaac's gaze, Cyrus asked,
"Why?"
"Is something wrong? Your head... a little... ache?"
"I'm in my right mind."
Cyrus knew what Isaac was thinking, but he didn't make excuses to ease his worries.
Normally, Cyrus would have grabbed Ariana by the throat and threatened her, forcing her to confess everything.
But Ariana didn't seem like she'd easily give up her cards.
He couldn't understand why such thoughts came to him, considering she was only sixteen.
Ariana didn't look like an ordinary girl.
Except for a brief flicker of light when Cyrus' eyes met, Ariana remained composed and calm throughout.
Even someone who had been through a lot couldn't have acted so calmly in the face of the 'rumored Northern Duke'.
"I didn't know Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, would be visiting the Duke of Bronte at this hour. If I had known, we would have all come out to greet him."
The moment he saw her, who had barely concealed her embarrassment before turning sarcastic, he was certain there was something about Ariana.
So, to test her, he mentioned the secret of Helena's birth, which was difficult to uncover but of little use. Ariana seemed to already know the truth. The fact that a girl imprisoned and abused in the mansion knew the secrets the Western Duke, Rachel, and Jacob had kept so closely hidden was not something to be taken lightly.
If we get our hands on what Ariana is hiding, dealing with the Western and Eastern Dukes will become much easier going forward.
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