I’m Not the One Who Seduced the Grand Duke – Chapter 22

Author: isuzuuy

How on earth had it ended up in his hands?

“Goodness, what on earth is going on? Everyone is in an uproar right now. Surely…… you really didn’t propose to Young Master Valentine, did you?”

“There’s no way I did.”

Of all people, suddenly proposing to someone whose very name had always made me visibly uncomfortable.

Laura shook her head, saying she simply couldn’t imagine it.

Then she stopped short.

“My goodness, it’s a mess over here too. —this is that publication, isn’t it? The one that spread baseless rumors about the Marquess before.”

“Give it to me.”

What on earth had they written this time to make Laura react like that?

[Accusations are pouring in against the Marquess of Zaherette for ‘playing both sides.’ One young lady tearfully expressed her relief that the truth had finally come to light.

Meanwhile, various voices have emerged from high society, including those saying, ‘Honestly, I don’t see what charm the Marquess possesses that could have seduced the Grand Duke.’ Some have even pointed out that perhaps the Zaherette family has passed down some sort of ‘special technique for bringing men to their knees.’

There are even comments circulating that, ‘It would explain how Zaherette’s Roar managed to achieve such tremendous success under the current Marquess.’ The controversy is causing a heated reaction throughout the capital.]

The gossip paper in my hand crumpled.

This had gone too far.

“How dare they drag Zaherette and Roar into this?”

“No, shouldn’t we say they’re dragging the Marquess into this? Is your family and business really more important to you than your own reputation?”

“Of course they are! Those are places my ancestors, and my father who raised me alone, protected and passed down to me.”

Frankly, I could ignore whatever people said about my reputation.

But I couldn’t tolerate them attacking Zaherette and Roar.

Should I just sue them?

‘But as long as the ring is in their hands, no matter what I say, my credibility will be questionable…….’

Ah, seriously.

‘This is all because of that outsider.’

Why, out of all the things she could have pawned, did she have to hand over that ring to the pawnshop?

‘It’s not like I can steal it back.’

The anger surging through me made it difficult to breathe.

People around me were attacking both me and my family, and even the servants of the Marquess’s household were looking at me with anxious eyes.

And yet, the biggest problem was that I had no solution.

What on earth was I supposed to do……?

“Goodness. But I’m really worried.”

“……About what?”

“What else? Of course, the Grand Duke. His Grace must have seen this article too.”

Ah.

At Laura’s words, I froze.

Laura let out a deep sigh and murmured in a troubled voice.

“What do you think His Grace thought when he saw this?”

Exactly.

‘I hadn’t even thought about that.’

For a moment, my mind went blank, and a chill ran through my insides.

The head that had been burning with anger suddenly cooled, leaving me cold and tense.

If Leon had seen this article…… Then what would he have thought?

“Your Excellency.”

Just as I was lost in thought, the butler entered with his head bowed.

“His Grace the Grand Duke of Bernstein has arrived.”

Right at that moment. Again. Exactly when I least wanted it.

A brief silence.

The air inside the study grew strangely rigid.

“……I’ll come down right away.”

I rose from my seat.

***

Has the walk down to the entrance always felt this heavy?

It was a path I walked every day, yet today it seemed unusually long.

My not-so-heavy dress tangled around my legs, and it felt as though the carpet itself were dragging at my feet, making it difficult to move forward.

At last, I reached the top of the staircase.

Down below, I saw a man standing in front of the entrance.

A face I hadn’t seen in a while.

As always, he was perfect from head to toe, yet an unfamiliar feeling emanated from him.

It was almost like the cold air of early morning.

“Leon.”

“Ah, Erna.”

At the sound of my voice, his head immediately turned toward me. The moment our eyes met, his blue eyes and faint smile drew me in.

What was this?

‘I think I’m nervous right now.’

With a heavy heart, I descended the stairs and approached him.

“You could have waited in the drawing room. I heard you’ve been busy lately. Apparently, there’s a line of marriage prospects waiting for you.”

“Apparently. Proposing to a man who already has someone waiting for him. Everyone must have lost their minds.”

Leon seemed genuinely amazed at how much the world had changed while he had been a priest.

He even looked slightly exhausted.

“I suppose that’s because you’re such a desirable marriage prospect.”

“You mean the false advertisement? I’d rather be called that. At least things weren’t this troublesome back then.”

“There were people bothering me even then, but they never crossed the line,” Leon said with a sigh.

“Will someone hurry up and take me off the market?”

As he said that, he gazed intently at me.

An awkward laugh escaped me.

Why was this happening?

For some reason, it was strangely difficult to laugh.

“Th-That aside, what brings you here?”

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

Leon smiled gently and suggested that we move somewhere else.

Wondering if he was conscious of the eyes around us, I nodded and led him to the small garden behind the mansion.

Once we had moved somewhere quiet, he took something out from inside his coat.

A newspaper article.

It was a clipping containing an absurd, completely fabricated story, along with a photograph of Gerold Valentine giving an interview with a forlorn expression.

The moment I saw it, I froze.

Leon silently looked at me before asking,

“Erna, is this true?”

At his question, my mind began turning sluggishly.

Even my breathing slowed, and I had to inhale and exhale several times before I could finally manage to speak.

“No…… it isn’t.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I know what I’m saying probably doesn’t sound very credible. Whatever the reason, it’s true that my ring is currently in the Young Master’s possession.”

“…….”

“But I didn’t give it to him. I lost the ring. No, to be precise, I did leave it at a pawnshop. No, not me—the woman…… No, that’s not it. I mean…… Anyway, I did leave it there.”

Damn it. What am I supposed to do?

My mind had gone completely blank, and I couldn’t put my words together coherently.

At this rate, I was bound to make him even more suspicious.

But why?

‘I don’t want this man to doubt me.’

That I had been involved with Gerold Valentine.

That I had been playing both sides, weighing the advantages of two men before me.

In the end, I had chosen the Grand Duke simply because he offered better conditions.

The world had already painted me as a horrible person, but none of that was true.

“……I’m sorry. I know simply insisting that it isn’t true would be difficult to believe. I understand. Even if you think I’m lying, I can’t blam—”

“Erna.”

Leon gently called my name and took my hand.

“It’s all right. So calm down.”

Calm down?

What exactly did I need to calm down about……?

I was about to ask when I noticed that my hand, held in his large hand, was trembling slightly.

What?

Me……?

When did I start trembling?

I was too startled to say anything.

And then, the next moment, a warm embrace enveloped me.

“I believe you didn’t do it. So calm down.”

What was it about those words?

Suddenly, I felt reassured, and it was as though all the strength had drained from my body.

“……Sob.”

In the end, I let out a small sob and buried my face against his shoulder.

“I don’t care what people around me say. I’m used to ignoring things like that. Whether people misunderstand me or point fingers at me, I don’t care.”

“…….”

“But I have to get the ring back somehow……. It’s a family heirloom of Zaherette, but more than that, it’s something my father left to me because he trusted me…….”

I wasn’t someone who cared much about jewelry, but this ring was different.

In front of the servants, I had pretended not to care, acting strong and telling them it was fine, but the truth was, I felt completely lost.

I couldn’t see any way out.

I didn’t know what to do.

I couldn’t bring myself to say those words aloud, so I swallowed them again and again.

And yet……

‘Why do I become so weak in front of this man?’

This was something I should have been embarrassed about, something I should have felt ashamed of.

But I didn’t even think about it.

In the end, I remained in his arms for a long time, until I had finally calmed down.

“……Ahem. I’m sorry. This isn’t the time for me to be acting like this.”

“No. It’s all right.”