I’m Not the One Who Seduced the Grand Duke Chapter 25

“Haah…….”

I let out a long sigh and rubbed my forehead.

My head was so cluttered that I couldn’t focus on the documents in front of me.

As a result, I had been sitting there all evening, working on paperwork that I normally would have finished in one sitting.

No, more than these documents……

“Actually, I have a way.”

What on earth was that “way”?

1. Threaten him into giving it back.

“That would probably backfire. After even giving an interview to the newspaper, he’d probably happily provide it as evidence.”

If that happened, the public might become even more sympathetic toward Gerold.

2. Steal it back.

It was my property, and an heirloom of my family at that.

But using such an aggressive method wasn’t right.

Not for moral reasons, but because it would be a disaster if I got caught trying to pull something like that.

‘Besides, judging from the article, it looks like he’s wearing it on his finger all the time…….’

Unless I broke his perfectly healthy hand, there wasn’t exactly a way to get it off.

But Leon Obsidian didn’t seem like the kind of person who would do something like that.

“……No. I’ve got nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

No matter how much I racked my brain, those were the only two ideas I could come up with.

“If only there were at least a record of it being pawned.”

A foolish heir who had pawned the family head’s signet ring.

I would certainly be condemned by the public, but at least I thought it might prove that I had never given the ring to the Young Master, nor had I proposed to him.

‘The receipt I barely managed to find only listed the payment, with no detailed record of the item. And on top of that…… they’d sneakily checked the box for “purchase”!’

In other words, that stupid outsider had been scammed by a pawnshop owner in the back alleys.

She had effectively sold the head-of-house ring for a ridiculously low price.

‘No wonder……. She was so brazen even after selling an item that had supposedly been left as collateral.’

This was exactly why one should use properly licensed and notarized pawnshops.

The woman was partly at fault for using an unlicensed pawnshop in the back alleys, where scammers ran rampant.

“Haaaaah.”

I clutched my head and slammed my forehead against the desk.

It was then, when I was half-despondently running into the immovable wall of reality, that—

“Marquess.”

Laura hurriedly knocked on the study door.

“If it’s dinner, I told you I don’t have an appetite tonight.”

“It’s not that…… His Grace has come to visit again.”

“What?”

At Laura’s words, I instinctively checked the time.

11 p.m.

“At this hour?”

It was the time when most people would be getting ready for bed.

And he had come to visit this late?

‘Could something have happened? Or is it about the Young Master Valentine case……?’

“I’ve already shown him to the drawing room.”

“All right.”

I draped a thick shawl over my shoulders and hurried toward the drawing room.

When I opened the door, I saw Leon standing tall in the spacious room.

He had come quietly, without even a single attendant accompanying him.

“Leon. What brings you here at this hour?”

“Sorry for coming so suddenly this late. But I wanted to give this to you as soon as possible.”

Give me something?

What?

“Close your eyes.”

At his sudden request, I silently stared at him.

What on earth was he trying to do?

But he only smiled.

Well, fine.

I closed my eyes.

I stood there quietly like that.

Then I felt my hand being lifted, followed by the sensation of something smooth being slipped onto my index finger.

I didn’t even need to see it to know what it was.

“Done. You can open them now.”

I slowly opened my eyes.

And the first thing I saw was—

“Wait. This is……”

A ring with a large ruby of a fiery red hue that I knew all too well.

It was the signet ring of the head of House Zaherette.

“H-How did this happen? How did you……? Did the Young Master Valentine willingly hand it over?”

“Curious?”

“Of course I’m curious!”

I nodded as if to say, What kind of obvious question is that?

How had he managed to solve the problem that had been driving me crazy for days, to the point where I couldn’t even concentrate on my work?

I was dying to know and kept pestering him to tell me immediately, so Leon gave a small chuckle.

Then—

“If you’re curious, go on a date with me tomorrow.”

“What?”

“Then I’ll tell you what happened.”

Was he joking right now?

Negotiating at a time like this?

Anyone watching us would probably wonder what on earth we were doing.

But—

“All right. Let’s do it. A date.”

Fortunately, I happened to quite enjoy this kind of negotiation and bargaining process.

“But the date is the date, and can’t you tell me what happened now? I’m too curious to wait.”

I clung to his arm as I made my demand, promising I’d keep my end of the bargain and asking him to give me the information upfront.

He smiled slightly, looking a little troubled.

“Well. I have to admit, I’m quite happy that you’re holding onto me so eagerly and enthusiastically.”

Happy, but what?

“Unfortunately, I have something very important to take care of after this.”

“……At this hour?”

“Yes. At this hour.”

Leon genuinely looked troubled as he explained that, unfortunately, it was something he absolutely couldn’t put off.

At that, I slowly let go of his arm.

‘Ah, right. I’d completely forgotten. I thought he’d be busy for a while after returning to the Grand Duke’s estate after several years.’

He had been away from the Grand Duke’s estate for a full four years.

Naturally, he would still be incredibly busy for some time as he took over the work from his representatives.

I felt sorry for him, so I couldn’t bring myself to hold him back any longer.

I knew better than anyone how soul-crushing it was when overtime kept piling up.

“Then I’ll send someone over regarding the schedule. See you tomorrow, Erna. Ah, and one more thing.”

Leon lightly tapped the back of the hand bearing the ring.

Then, with a charming smile, he said,

“I’d appreciate it if you thought of me every time you wore that ring from now on.”

Well, I had a feeling I’d think of him even if I didn’t want to.

I chuckled and tightly clenched the hand wearing the ring.

“……Thank you so much for helping me.”

“Don’t mention it.”

With those words, Leon turned around, saying that he should be going.

Leaving behind a gentle goodnight.

 

***

 

After leaving the Marquess’s estate, Leon headed toward the carriage waiting in front of the main gate.

There were two carriages standing side by side.

When he opened the door of the larger one, a man greeted him.

It was Vincent, his chief aide, whose face looked utterly exhausted.

“Is everything ready?”

“……Yes. Everything is ready.”

Vincent answered weakly, his voice barely alive.

He even looked at Leon with a confused expression, as if he wasn’t sure whether this was really okay.

‘I’m going insane.’

The Grand Duke’s gaze toward the Marquess’s estate, which was gradually growing farther away beyond the carriage window, was unbearably tender.

Enough to make young ladies suffering from lovesickness faint on the spot.

But that lasted only for a moment.

As soon as the carriage turned the corner and entered a dark street, his entire demeanor changed in an instant.

As if the emotions he had shown moments ago had never existed in the first place.

‘And they call him a soft, angel-like man.’

Whenever young ladies described his master that way, Vincent had to resist the urge to scoff.

The carriage stopped in front of a low building.

It was the main headquarters of the city guard responsible for maintaining order in the capital.

When Leon stepped out of the carriage with an expressionless face, one of the guards waiting in front bowed and led him inside.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Your Grace.”

“…….”

“This way, please.”

 

***

 

“Damn it!”

Inside a dark prison cell.

The cold, damp air clung to the skin, and droplets of water gathered on the freezing walls, which were covered in mold.

And it was unbelievably cramped.

Gerold, who had grown up in relative comfort, was having the time of his life.

‘What the hell did I even do?!’

As if being thoroughly humiliated after his lies were exposed wasn’t enough, he had even been dragged into a place this horrible.

‘And after bringing me here, they’ve just left me sitting around without even interrogating me!’

He would have understood if they were questioning him.

Instead, they had simply dumped him here, telling him to wait because it would take some time.

Gerold knew that when suspects were brought in, it was customary to hold them in temporary detention rooms on the upper floors.

But they had brought him straight down to an underground cell where no one was around.

“This is all because of Erna Zaherette. That woman.”

Crack.

Gerold’s eyes glinted with rage.

“I can’t believe she actually filed a missing-item report. That sly woman.”

If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have been exposed so pointlessly.

Everything would have gone perfectly.

“Besides, the person who made the mistake was the one who handed such a family heirloom over to a pawnshop in the first place. I bought it with money I paid fairly. It’s my property now. Isn’t it up to me what I do with it?”

If she didn’t want something like this to happen, she shouldn’t have handed it over in the first place.

She had made the mistake herself, so why was she doing this to him?!

Gerold continued fuming, unable to contain his anger.

It was then.