Gray eyes traced Rishi’s neck.
He slightly parted his lips, then closed them, as if he wanted to bite into her throat that very instant.
His gaze, dark and humid, trailed down from Rishi’s neck to her chest, then to her abdomen.
It felt as though his sharp, piercing stare were slipping right through her dress, undressing her entire body.
She wanted to run.
Coming to find this man had indeed been a mistake.
She had known how ferocious he truly was, despite his reputation as the upright Guardian of Holy Relics.
Judging that his ferocity could protect her had been a grave error in judgment.
She had fled from one beast only to walk into a beast’s den.
But Rishi did not run. If it had been the Rishi of the past, her legs would have trembled, forcing her to collapse; yet this time, she didn’t even sink to the floor.
Rishi revealed no agitation as she lifted her chin slightly to survey him.
At her unwavering gaze, he twisted one corner of his lips.
However, there was no mirth in his eyes.
“I think I misheard you.”
A low, heavy voice spilled out from between lips as red as blood.
“Did the flower of the Wittlow Duchy just propose to me? And she even came here on her own two feet?”
“That’s right. Marry me, Count Cavebrand Green.”
Kay’s eyes narrowed.
It wasn’t a look of amusement.
It was a sharp, piercing look, trying to ferret out Rishi’s ulterior motives.
“The flower of the Wittlow Duchy…”
Kay strode forward, standing right against Rishi.
Kay smelled of something refreshing, as if he carried a forest within him.
“…doesn’t seem to know what she’s saying right now.”
His hand rose stealthily, heading for Rishi’s neck.
His large hand approached as if to wrap around her slender throat, but stopped just before touching her skin.
“Do you even know what marriage is?”
“I do.”
*I know it all too well.*
“If so…”
The hand that had been frozen moved to touch Rishi’s neck.
His cold palm swept down her nape and stopped at her delicate shoulder.
Rishi flinched, her body shivering, but she did not lower the gaze she had fixed upon him.
“Then you must also know what a husband and wife do.”
*I certainly do.*
*I know it so well it would surprise you.*
Instead of speaking her mind, Rishi raised her index finger to push away Kay’s wrist, which was resting on her shoulder. Kay’s hand fell away easily.
“We aren’t married yet, after all.”
Kay smiled thinly, raised both hands slightly in a gesture of surrender, and took a step back.
His eyes were still devoid of laughter, making Rishi feel a chill run down her spine.
“Lady Wittlow.”
He gestured toward the door with an upturned palm.
“Get out.”
It was a rude and explicit rejection.
Any other lady would have been too ashamed to even lift her head.
But Rishi was not.
This level of humiliation was nothing.
If she could only escape that house, if she could only live a proper life, she would do anything.
Rishi held her head high and stared straight at Kay.
“Alford, the master of the Hootchis Trading Company, promised the Duke of Wittlow the gold mines of Lavent to possess me. The Duke of Wittlow intends to take those gold mines and hand me over to Alford.”
“Your words have become short.”
“You spoke shortly first. If you prefer honorifics, you should use them first. Then I will show you the courtesy that matches.”
Kay’s eyes narrowed.
This time, the look was one of amusement.
He stared intently at Rishi’s face without a word, then turned sharply and walked toward the sofa.
He threw himself onto the sofa, crossed his legs, and gestured with his chin to the opposite seat.
It was an invitation for her to sit, but Rishi did not.
*No one will command me anymore.*
*My life will be on my own terms.*
*I will not let anyone drag my life around as they please.*
“If you give the Duke of Wittlow the gold mines of Benote that you possess, he will surely hand me over to you. The Benote gold mines are much larger than those of Lavent.”
“Does Lady Wittlow think she is worth as much as the Benote gold mines? I don’t think so.”
“Wouldn’t the flower of the Wittlow Duchy be better than a gold mine that will soon go bust? At least it hasn’t withered yet.”
A crease formed on Kay’s forehead.
He must have been wondering how the flower of the Duchy knew that the Benote gold mines were about to collapse.
But Rishi had no intention of resolving that doubt.
Instead of voicing his questions, Kay pointed a finger at the door.
“I’ll say it again, Lady Wittlow. Get out.”
When Rishi showed no signs of moving, Kay crossed his arms.
“I don’t care if the flower of the Duchy is in full bloom or if it’s withering. It means you aren’t worth enough to be bought with a mine that’s about to go under.”
Kay said firmly, looking at Rishi with weary eyes as if he had lost interest.
“So, Lady Wittlow, get out. Before I break that pretty neck of yours.”
Rishi already knew that Kay wouldn’t care about something like the flower of the Duchy.
She had only poked at him before revealing her hand.
*I have no choice but to bring it out now.*
Rishi took a quiet breath.
Bringing out this hand meant putting her neck on the line as well.
Once she revealed this, there was no telling if Kay would let her live or kill her.
No one knew that Rishi had visited the Count’s estate, and she knew that Kay was aware of that fact.
Perhaps Kay might even kill her to cover it all up.
*If I die here, so be it.*
Rishi knew what would happen to her in the future.
Rather than living such a life, it was better to die here.
She steeled her heart and opened her mouth.
“The King of the Beastmen.”
At her small whisper, Kay’s eyes widened.
His steady gray eyes wavered ever so slightly.
“I know what you are trying to do, Cavebrand.”
Kay stood up slowly.
Dark, murderous intent rippled behind him.
The murderous aura flowed out and engulfed Rishi’s body.
“The flower of the Wittlow Duchy will fall before it even gets to bloom.”
Kay’s hand grabbed Rishi’s throat.
Sharp fangs were visible between his blood-red lips, but Rishi didn’t blink an eye.
“If the flower falls, your head will fall, too.”
At Rishi’s calm voice, even in the moment her throat was being constricted, the strength in Kay’s hand eased.
The murderous intent that filled his gray eyes vanished, and curiosity took its place.
“I know your plan. That plan will fail, and you will die.”
“What else do you know?”
“That you have no choice but to marry me now.”
Kay opened his eyes wide, then soon smiled brightly.
“You won’t answer if I ask how you know all of that, will you?”
“That’s right.”
“If I say I won’t marry you, you’ll go out and reveal that I am a Beastman.”
“Exactly.”
“Even if I kill you here, you won’t even flinch.”
“Yes.”
“But if I kill you here, I die too.”
“You’re clever.”
“Do you think I believe that?”
“You already believe it.”
Rishi spoke in a tone so cheerful it sounded almost like a song.
Kay stared down silently at the fearless woman before him.
Skin so white that the veins showed through, a long, slender neck, ample breasts and a slim waist beneath beautiful, prominent collarbones.
She was a woman that men would drool over, and she had heard rumors that it was indeed the case.
There were countless men who wanted to get their hands on Iris, the flower of the Wittlow Duchy, who had been raised delicately in a greenhouse.
There would be no shortage of men agonizing over wanting to possess this body, but to Kay, such things were irrelevant.
It wasn’t the supple body or the face that was said to be as beautiful as a flower that drew Kay’s interest.
What drew Kay’s interest was Rishi’s attitude.
Kay’s murderous intent had a physical presence.
Although invisible, it had form and could physically crush an opponent, striking them with terror.
It was normal for ordinary women—no, even well-trained soldiers—to be unable to withstand his killing intent and lose their composure.
But Rishi did not.
She didn’t even show a look of fear.
That was what drew Kay’s interest.
Moreover, Rishi did not seem to be lying.
There was something in her eyes that made one accept her words as truth.
“Let’s sit and talk.”
Kay released Rishi’s neck and walked over to the sofa.
Rishi remained standing in place, looking haughty. Kay frowned, recalling what Rishi had said earlier. He gestured toward the seat opposite the sofa with formal courtesy.
“Would you please take a seat, Lady Wittlow?”
Rishi gave a slight nod.
“Very well.”
Watching her walk slowly toward the sofa, Kay felt he understood why people called Rishi the ‘Flower of the Wittlow Duchy.’
Her posture was straight, with her back and neck held rigid; elegance flowed from the tips of her hair to the tips of her toes; her movements were slow and graceful; and despite appearing as fragile as a frightened little bird, her gaze remained unshakable and strong.
Once seated, Rishi placed both hands neatly on her thighs and fixed her eyes on Kay. She waited for him to speak first, maintaining her haughty expression.
“That I am a beastman. That I am planning to do something. That I will die because it will fail. I will believe you on all those counts without asking for the reason.”
“…….”
“But I do want to know the intention behind proposing marriage to a beastman who is destined to fail and die.”
A ripple disturbed her otherwise steady purple eyes. As if recalling something terrible, Rishi’s expression faltered for a moment. Her gaze, which had drifted to the side, returned to Kay.
“Because I want to escape that godforsaken duchy.”
It was an unexpected answer.
“I thought you were a flower in a greenhouse.”
“A greenhouse?”
A cold smile formed on Rishi’s lips. For some reason, Kay found Rishi more attractive now than at any other moment since she had entered the room.
“It is no greenhouse there. And I am not a flower. I am a weed that has struggled to survive in the fires of hell.”
Not even an hour had passed since he first faced her, yet Rishi continued to surprise him. Kay found this situation immensely amusing.
“The Green Territory won’t be a warm greenhouse either, Lady Wittlow.”
“It will become a warm greenhouse, Count Green,” Rishi said firmly. “The most secure and warm greenhouse in this world. A greenhouse standing at the pinnacle of power, where no one can set foot without permission.”
*The pinnacle of power.*
Did this woman even know what that meant?
“In that greenhouse, I will do my utmost, with all my might…”
A sweet smile blossomed on Rishi’s lips.
“To live lazily.”
In an instant, Kay found that he liked Rishi.