"Over there, that's Kendrick, the youngest Duke of the Adrian family. You just have to win his heart. Do you understand, Stella?"
Ever since Stella attempted suicide, the Duke and Duchess had no expectations of her. This had left Stella feeling anxious. But seven years later, at the age of eighteen, she had a new job to do: seduce Kendrick Adrian.
'I have to marry that man. For Lanedict. For Mother and Father.'
"Yes, I understand."
"If you become Duchess Adrian, the reputation of our Lanedict family will rise even higher. Our business will prosper. I trust you, Stella."
He wasn't a shadowy man like Anton Geron. Kendrick was someone who wouldn't be pushed back even if he faced Skyle. Stella approached Adrian with impure intentions.
"Hello."
A gentle personality. Her distinctive purple hair, pale skin, and large eyes combined to create a captivating aura. Stella's reputation was so high that ordinary young people wouldn't dare speak to her. Constantly comparing herself to Skyle, Stella was unaware of her own reputation.
"My name is Stella from the Lanedict family."
Stella didn't shout, didn't wear revealing clothes, and didn't wear heavy makeup, yet she possessed a captivating charm. Even with her dry expression, she shone, and her manners toward her attendants were elegant without being typical of a high-ranking noblewoman.
"If you don't mind, would you like to go out for some fresh air together?"
Stella spoke confidently, but her heart was racing. Kendrick stared at her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable.
"Yes. Let's go."
Stella thought it was fortunate and went out with him.
"I heard that Young Master Skyle and Young Lady are siblings."
"Yes, that's right."
"But I've never seen you talk."
Her eyes trembled sharply and then sank as if in resignation.
'Skyle again...'
Stella had long been tired of hearing his name wherever she went.
"I see Lord Kendrick is also interested in Skyle?"
Kendrick burst out laughing at her words. Stella looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you laughing?"
"No. The one I'm interested in is Lady Stella."
Stella stared into Kendrick's eyes. Dark, dark black eyes. They were starkly different from the reddish-tinged Lanedict. The atmosphere, the feeling those eyes gave her. Stella thought Kendrick was joking.
'...To me? Not Skyle?'
But there was no playfulness on his face until a gust of wind blew through her hair, and it was gone.
“Didn’t the young lady ask me out because you liked me?”
What can I say? Kendrick was quite different from Skyle. He was more serious, more profound. Stella came home late that day. No, to be precise, she walked with Kendrick until dawn and then returned to the Duke of Lanedict's mansion. It was the first time in her life that she had ever stayed out with a man.
"Good. Very good, Stella."
"You captured Kendrick's heart right away. You're amazing."
The Duke and Duchess of Lanedict were delighted to hear that Stella had spent a long time with Kendrick.
'How long has it been?'
It had been a long time since Stella had gotten the Duke and Duchess' attention without injuring herself. She smiled shyly and accepted the compliment. It was a delight to be praised, but at the same time, it felt empty.
'To be praised like this.'
It certainly felt good, but something felt off. How many wounds had she inflicted on my body just to hear those sweet words? Several scars had already formed on her wrists.
"Thank you."
She greeted them with a trembling expression. Her mother and father, their faces flushed with emotion, their pupils dilated and their lips slightly parted, seemed genuinely delighted that their daughter had spent the night with such a capable man.
'It's definitely something you'll enjoy.'
She was always happy when her parents liked her. Their wishes were Stella's wishes, and their desires were hers. She strove to be a useful tool for her parents and was saddened by her inability to be as competent as Skyle. That was Stella's life.
‘Why don’t I feel good...?’
"Stella, you can't stop here. Keep working hard until Duke Kendrick proposes."
"Yes. Now let's see some of Stella's virtues. You've been so annoying all this time. Capture the heart of the Duke of Kendrick."
Stella had to win Kendrick's heart, and Kendrick was a man who was curious about Stella.
"Yes. Mother, Father."
Stella was drawn, above all, to Kendrick's attitude, which was quite different from Skyle's. Skyle was vicious and cunning. He'd slyly sneer at her if she didn't like him, and she'd been subjected to it more than once.
"Did you get home safely?"
Kendrick, on the other hand, was a man of few words, but one who showed his true colors through his actions. If someone behaved unpleasantly, instead of pushing them away with harsh words, he would filter them out with his actions. Skyle, with his crimson eyes, and Kendrick, with his dark hair, who was quiet and collected.
"You must have had a lot of worries at home."
At first, she approached him with the thought of impressing her parents, but soon, Stella was drawn into Kendrick's silence.
"Why didn't you show up at the meeting place yesterday? I waited for you."
The only problem was that Stella hadn't yet broken her habit. She didn't want to lose Kendrick. Her way of getting attention was to physically hurt someone she knew.
"I wasn't feeling well. I fell here."
Kendrick bent down and looked closely at Stella's wounds.
"Your knees are all scraped up."
She, who had not known that it would go this far, took a step back in embarrassment.
"You don't have to do this."
But Kendrick grabbed her leg.
"I'm saying this because I'm worried."
For the first time, Stella had seen someone who truly cared about her. She didn't want to lose him.
"Why do you have a scar on your wrist?"
Kendrick's gaze fell on Stella's left wrist. She had been fond of wearing long-sleeved clothes to avoid revealing the scars of her suicide attempt, but Kendrick, caressing her body, discovered the scars.
“This, this is...”
Her voice trembled, terrified at the thought of showing Kendrick her bottom. But.
"Kendrick?"
Kendrick kissed Stella's wrist without saying a word. She tried to pull her hand away in surprise, but he held on, clinging to it and licking it with his tongue. It was dizzying. Stella felt her hair stand on end. She twisted her wrist in vain, trying to escape him. But unlike her body, her heart felt like it was flowing towards him.
"Stop it, it's dirty."
Kendrick smiled, kissing Stella's hand. It was a thrill, for some reason. How could anyone not fall for this man?
"How could you be dirty to me?"
Kendrick's breath rose from her wrist and touched Stella's cheek. A humiliating squelch was heard. Stella squeezed both of Kendrick's cheeks.
"We're getting married, Kendrick."
She didn't want to let this man go.
"Have you ever dated a guy?"
The day before the wedding, Kendrick asked. Stella shook her head. Anton Geron's face flashed through her mind, but she didn't bother to say anything. They weren't dating, and Stella didn't have any feelings for him. Moreover, she didn't want to disappoint Kendrick by mentioning another man's name.
"Nothing like that. You're my first man."
She proposed first, desperate to hold onto him, but in this society, it was rare for a woman to propose first. It was especially embarrassing for a noble lady to confess her feelings first.
"Honey, just a little bit. Can't you stay with me just a little bit longer?"
"Stella, I can't always be with you."
She always wanted to be reassured of his love. Stella, who had been compared to Skyle since childhood and had been scarred by her parents' lack of love, remained by his side, anxious that Kendrick might change. She worried that Kendrick might grow tired of her, but she couldn't stop her suspicions.
"I'm a Duke. If I hang with you and ruin Adrian, my reputation will certainly suffer."
Kendrick tried to instill trust in Stella. He made every effort to spend as much time with her as possible, and he was consistently affectionate, both in bed and out.
"I had a nightmare. It kept me awake, and I'm scared to be alone in this room."
"Come back and talk to me, Stella."
But she was growing increasingly weary. The decisive moment was Sia, Kendrick's female secretary. Stella had felt an uneasy feeling from the moment she first saw Sia. It was a face she'd never seen before, but it felt strange. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was part of one of those twisted, evil relationships.
"Sia."
"Yes, Stella."
Her beautiful brown hair and jewel-like blue eyes were both annoying.
"Tell Kendrick to come back as soon as possible. I'm not feeling well."
One time, she was ordered to tell Kendrick something.
“His Excellency, now...”
Sia trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. Then, as if remembering something, she nodded and answered.
"Yes, I understand, Stella."
The repercussions of this incident were greater than Stella expected.
"Stella. Why are you acting so childish?"
"Kendrick..."
"It was a dinner with His Majesty the Emperor. We were having a very important discussion about tax negotiations!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't know, I just missed you so much."
Kendrick went back, talked to the Emperor, had a drink, and came back.
'If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have given that order then.'
If Sia had told her about Kendrick's schedule, Stella wouldn't have been so hung up on. She buried her face in her pillow, feeling sad for no reason.
Fortunately, the tax issue seemed to have been resolved. However, their relationship remained unsolved. Kendrick was as affectionate as ever, but Stella noticed something different about him.
"I'm late today."
"Why?"
"I have an appointment with the ministers."
Stella had no family to lean on. In other words, she was always alone. All she could do was wait for Kendrick to return.
“...Are you going to drink again?”
Ever since Stella attempted suicide, the Duke and Duchess had no expectations of her. This had left Stella feeling anxious. But seven years later, at the age of eighteen, she had a new job to do: seduce Kendrick Adrian.
'I have to marry that man. For Lanedict. For Mother and Father.'
"Yes, I understand."
"If you become Duchess Adrian, the reputation of our Lanedict family will rise even higher. Our business will prosper. I trust you, Stella."
He wasn't a shadowy man like Anton Geron. Kendrick was someone who wouldn't be pushed back even if he faced Skyle. Stella approached Adrian with impure intentions.
"Hello."
A gentle personality. Her distinctive purple hair, pale skin, and large eyes combined to create a captivating aura. Stella's reputation was so high that ordinary young people wouldn't dare speak to her. Constantly comparing herself to Skyle, Stella was unaware of her own reputation.
"My name is Stella from the Lanedict family."
Stella didn't shout, didn't wear revealing clothes, and didn't wear heavy makeup, yet she possessed a captivating charm. Even with her dry expression, she shone, and her manners toward her attendants were elegant without being typical of a high-ranking noblewoman.
"If you don't mind, would you like to go out for some fresh air together?"
Stella spoke confidently, but her heart was racing. Kendrick stared at her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable.
"Yes. Let's go."
Stella thought it was fortunate and went out with him.
"I heard that Young Master Skyle and Young Lady are siblings."
"Yes, that's right."
"But I've never seen you talk."
Her eyes trembled sharply and then sank as if in resignation.
'Skyle again...'
Stella had long been tired of hearing his name wherever she went.
"I see Lord Kendrick is also interested in Skyle?"
Kendrick burst out laughing at her words. Stella looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you laughing?"
"No. The one I'm interested in is Lady Stella."
Stella stared into Kendrick's eyes. Dark, dark black eyes. They were starkly different from the reddish-tinged Lanedict. The atmosphere, the feeling those eyes gave her. Stella thought Kendrick was joking.
'...To me? Not Skyle?'
But there was no playfulness on his face until a gust of wind blew through her hair, and it was gone.
“Didn’t the young lady ask me out because you liked me?”
What can I say? Kendrick was quite different from Skyle. He was more serious, more profound. Stella came home late that day. No, to be precise, she walked with Kendrick until dawn and then returned to the Duke of Lanedict's mansion. It was the first time in her life that she had ever stayed out with a man.
***
"Good. Very good, Stella."
"You captured Kendrick's heart right away. You're amazing."
The Duke and Duchess of Lanedict were delighted to hear that Stella had spent a long time with Kendrick.
'How long has it been?'
It had been a long time since Stella had gotten the Duke and Duchess' attention without injuring herself. She smiled shyly and accepted the compliment. It was a delight to be praised, but at the same time, it felt empty.
'To be praised like this.'
It certainly felt good, but something felt off. How many wounds had she inflicted on my body just to hear those sweet words? Several scars had already formed on her wrists.
"Thank you."
She greeted them with a trembling expression. Her mother and father, their faces flushed with emotion, their pupils dilated and their lips slightly parted, seemed genuinely delighted that their daughter had spent the night with such a capable man.
'It's definitely something you'll enjoy.'
She was always happy when her parents liked her. Their wishes were Stella's wishes, and their desires were hers. She strove to be a useful tool for her parents and was saddened by her inability to be as competent as Skyle. That was Stella's life.
‘Why don’t I feel good...?’
"Stella, you can't stop here. Keep working hard until Duke Kendrick proposes."
"Yes. Now let's see some of Stella's virtues. You've been so annoying all this time. Capture the heart of the Duke of Kendrick."
Stella had to win Kendrick's heart, and Kendrick was a man who was curious about Stella.
"Yes. Mother, Father."
Stella was drawn, above all, to Kendrick's attitude, which was quite different from Skyle's. Skyle was vicious and cunning. He'd slyly sneer at her if she didn't like him, and she'd been subjected to it more than once.
"Did you get home safely?"
Kendrick, on the other hand, was a man of few words, but one who showed his true colors through his actions. If someone behaved unpleasantly, instead of pushing them away with harsh words, he would filter them out with his actions. Skyle, with his crimson eyes, and Kendrick, with his dark hair, who was quiet and collected.
"You must have had a lot of worries at home."
At first, she approached him with the thought of impressing her parents, but soon, Stella was drawn into Kendrick's silence.
"Why didn't you show up at the meeting place yesterday? I waited for you."
The only problem was that Stella hadn't yet broken her habit. She didn't want to lose Kendrick. Her way of getting attention was to physically hurt someone she knew.
"I wasn't feeling well. I fell here."
Kendrick bent down and looked closely at Stella's wounds.
"Your knees are all scraped up."
She, who had not known that it would go this far, took a step back in embarrassment.
"You don't have to do this."
But Kendrick grabbed her leg.
"I'm saying this because I'm worried."
For the first time, Stella had seen someone who truly cared about her. She didn't want to lose him.
"Why do you have a scar on your wrist?"
Kendrick's gaze fell on Stella's left wrist. She had been fond of wearing long-sleeved clothes to avoid revealing the scars of her suicide attempt, but Kendrick, caressing her body, discovered the scars.
“This, this is...”
Her voice trembled, terrified at the thought of showing Kendrick her bottom. But.
"Kendrick?"
Kendrick kissed Stella's wrist without saying a word. She tried to pull her hand away in surprise, but he held on, clinging to it and licking it with his tongue. It was dizzying. Stella felt her hair stand on end. She twisted her wrist in vain, trying to escape him. But unlike her body, her heart felt like it was flowing towards him.
"Stop it, it's dirty."
Kendrick smiled, kissing Stella's hand. It was a thrill, for some reason. How could anyone not fall for this man?
"How could you be dirty to me?"
Kendrick's breath rose from her wrist and touched Stella's cheek. A humiliating squelch was heard. Stella squeezed both of Kendrick's cheeks.
"We're getting married, Kendrick."
She didn't want to let this man go.
***
"Have you ever dated a guy?"
The day before the wedding, Kendrick asked. Stella shook her head. Anton Geron's face flashed through her mind, but she didn't bother to say anything. They weren't dating, and Stella didn't have any feelings for him. Moreover, she didn't want to disappoint Kendrick by mentioning another man's name.
"Nothing like that. You're my first man."
She proposed first, desperate to hold onto him, but in this society, it was rare for a woman to propose first. It was especially embarrassing for a noble lady to confess her feelings first.
"Honey, just a little bit. Can't you stay with me just a little bit longer?"
"Stella, I can't always be with you."
She always wanted to be reassured of his love. Stella, who had been compared to Skyle since childhood and had been scarred by her parents' lack of love, remained by his side, anxious that Kendrick might change. She worried that Kendrick might grow tired of her, but she couldn't stop her suspicions.
"I'm a Duke. If I hang with you and ruin Adrian, my reputation will certainly suffer."
Kendrick tried to instill trust in Stella. He made every effort to spend as much time with her as possible, and he was consistently affectionate, both in bed and out.
"I had a nightmare. It kept me awake, and I'm scared to be alone in this room."
"Come back and talk to me, Stella."
But she was growing increasingly weary. The decisive moment was Sia, Kendrick's female secretary. Stella had felt an uneasy feeling from the moment she first saw Sia. It was a face she'd never seen before, but it felt strange. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was part of one of those twisted, evil relationships.
"Sia."
"Yes, Stella."
Her beautiful brown hair and jewel-like blue eyes were both annoying.
"Tell Kendrick to come back as soon as possible. I'm not feeling well."
One time, she was ordered to tell Kendrick something.
“His Excellency, now...”
Sia trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. Then, as if remembering something, she nodded and answered.
"Yes, I understand, Stella."
The repercussions of this incident were greater than Stella expected.
"Stella. Why are you acting so childish?"
"Kendrick..."
"It was a dinner with His Majesty the Emperor. We were having a very important discussion about tax negotiations!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't know, I just missed you so much."
Kendrick went back, talked to the Emperor, had a drink, and came back.
'If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have given that order then.'
If Sia had told her about Kendrick's schedule, Stella wouldn't have been so hung up on. She buried her face in her pillow, feeling sad for no reason.
Fortunately, the tax issue seemed to have been resolved. However, their relationship remained unsolved. Kendrick was as affectionate as ever, but Stella noticed something different about him.
"I'm late today."
"Why?"
"I have an appointment with the ministers."
Stella had no family to lean on. In other words, she was always alone. All she could do was wait for Kendrick to return.
“...Are you going to drink again?”
“I couldn’t possibly not drink at all.”
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