A guest came at this hour?

Raphine was bewildered, the butler added in a low voice.

"That's because the customer asked me to deliver it only to Mrs. Only the young lady quietly asked me to come out of the mansion...."

Raphine's forehead narrowed.

Who the hell is that?

Raphine asked as she followed the butler in a shawl hung over the armchair.

"Who is the guest?"

"that...."

The butler carefully said who should listen. Raphine's eyes widened for a moment when she heard that name.

* * *

In front of the back door of the Aston Mansion.

A wagon was parked secretly under a large tree.

And a tall man was standing impatiently in front of the carriage....

cackle....

The huge iron door opened, and Raphine came out with the butler.

"Raphine."

Someone who had been waiting found Raffine and hurried to the front.

"... Clyde."

The secret visitor was Clyde Bastien, a friend of Luca and Lois.

Raphine looked up at him with a confused expression.

As it was a secret meeting late at night, the Aston housekeeper turned on the lights and stood behind Raffine, staring at him.

'The twin masters are close friends, so I had no choice but to call them.... How dare you call my girl at this hour?'

Clyde said over Raphine's shoulder, ignoring the butler's gaze.

"I'm sorry for calling you at this hour."

"What the hell is going on? Luca, did Lois oppa have an accident?"

Raphine asked if Luka and Lois had an accident without the family's knowledge, and he came to discuss the matter.

But Clyde shook his head.

"It's not.... I called because I had something to give. I want to give it to you."

"What?"

Raphine tilted her head, hesitating for a moment, then pulled something out of her arms.

Then, suddenly, he bent one knee and held out a small box.

"Raphine, I want to propose to you."

"...."

Raphine's expression crumpled at the unexpected proposal. It was the same with the butler Brown's face, standing behind him.

"The marriage proposal must be formally sent...."

The butler stopped when he tried to nagging.

It was because Clyde's expression in the moonlight was very serious.

Soon, the butler coughed heavily and took only one step back.

It must be an important moment of a lifetime for that man.... Because it didn't seem like it would interfere.

However, it was only one step back to protect the young lady from any danger.

Clyde stared at Raphine, wondering if he knew that kind of consideration.

he said in a sincere voice.

"I have loved you ever since. I have the confidence to make you happier than anyone else."

Raphine looked down at the ring case he held out. Inside the case was a fairly large diamond ring.

* * *

'It's amazing.'

Same time, same place.

A place not far from the place where Raphine is being proposed. There someone was listening to all the conversations.

It was Zerkan standing with his back against the wall beyond the corner, a blind spot.

"...."

His face, revealed under the moonlight, was colder and colder than ever.

Immediately after leaving the restaurant. He came here right away.

He was about to enter through the front door, but soon changed his mind and headed to the back door.

The Duke and Duchess would be surprised to find out that he had come at this time, so I thought I'd only call Raffine separately.

'But there must be sailors.'

Besides, witnessing such a situation....

I don't know how many thoughts ran through my head during the short distance I got here.

Zerkan felt like he had been betrayed by a colleague he trusted.

Is it a coincidence? contract marriage?

Why is Raphine arranging that promise?

The pouring questions were just gloomy, unlike the ones I had been thinking about until yesterday.

I was going to ask Raffine why he did this.... Are you getting a marriage proposal?

Moreover, when he saw Raphine who hesitated to answer the proposal and thought about it, he suddenly seemed to be upset.

"... majesty. What should I do?"

When the escort driver who was waiting next to him asked a question, Zerkan hesitated for a moment and then turned around.

He strode without hesitation to where the carriage had been parked.

It was because he looked so foolish that he was waiting to hear Raphine's answer.

* * *

"Sorry."

Raphine pondered how to convey the word of rejection, but decided to just be honest.

"...."

"I, to be honest...."

"stop."

Clyde slowly got up. Then he said with a small smile.

"Raphine, I didn't mean to trouble you. It's okay if you don't answer."

"...."

"But tomorrow, I will formally send a proposal through the butler. I'm not forcing.... I just want to get a little hope like everyone else."

Raphine was blotchy and touched the nape of her neck.

"Sorry."

"No, I have no regrets. My heart is sincere. just... I came to you in a hurry, thinking that I should confess my heart to you before sending the proposal."

"...."

"I'll stop. Sorry for being late. Come on in."

"... Okay."

The butler opened the iron door as if waiting. Raphine glanced at Clyde and went inside.

The butler, who followed her, did not forget to look at Clyde Bastien one last time.

"after...."

Clyde, who looked back at Raphine until she disappeared, let out a light sigh.

I was rejected gracefully, but my heart was light.

He climbed into the carriage with a sad expression on his face.

* * *

'Oh, that's inconvenient.'

Raphine returned to her room and exhaled easily.

I thought I was going to die of suffocation.

Luca and Lois told me in advance, so I expected Clyde to send me a proposal, but....

I never thought that I would come to you at such a late hour and propose to you.

'It's embarrassing.'

Clyde, who proposed the marriage at first sight, might be comfortable with her, but Raphine, who was rejected, was uncomfortable.

Clyde obviously didn't mean to trouble you, but....

To be honest, I would have known that it would be difficult if I had come to you at this first glance.

'Anyway, it's okay because I politely declined.'

Raphine sat comfortably in the armchair, but for some reason she felt uncomfortable.

Besides, strangely, I keep feeling uneasy about something....

'What the hell?'

Raphine was confused because she could not figure out the identity of the gloomy feeling.

* * *

the next morning.

Zerkan regretted not hearing Raphine's reply last night.

It was because I couldn't sleep all night because I was curious about the answer, and I slept for only about an hour and had a strange dream.

In the dream, Raphine accepted the strange man's proposal.

I don't want to devalue others, but to be honest....

'There's no way that a guy who secretly visits you at such a late hour and proposes to you is a guy with a good brain.'

However, Raphine in the dream accepted the proposal with a bright smile and embraced the man.

When I saw that, my heart was strangely burned.

I didn't understand why I had to feel that way.

If we try to guess, it is probably because Raphine is precious to Zerkan.

As a child, he owes Raffine a debt.

Besides, not only herself, but Violet would have felt the same way if she had had such a dream. No, I would have done more if it was Violet.

Yes, so it was.

However, the dream was a dream, and when I remembered what it would have been like in reality, my heart was pounding.

Did Raphine accept the crazy man's proposal?

'... Raphine has had a strange look at men since she was a child.'

Of course, it's embarrassing to evaluate Raphine like that, but....

'That's because he fell in love with the prince from a strange fairy tale book and proposed to me.'

My mind was complicated. It was difficult just to untangle the tangled skein, but it felt as if the skein had plunged into the mud.

It means there is no answer.

Then, someone knocked on the office door and entered. It was Percy, the chief aide.

"Sir, good morning. Today's schedule!"

Percy walked in casually as usual, but stopped when she saw Zerkan's face. Some of the piles of papers he had been carrying fluttered and fell.

It was rare for Percy, who doesn't make the mistake of drinking, like that.

Percy hurriedly put the papers down on the desk and picked up the papers that had fallen on the floor.

"I, my lord.... Well, shall we cancel today's schedule?"

"Why?"

"You seem to be in a bad mood."

"I? why me?"