Episode 9

Elouise lay on her bed, holding her head.

The words that had risen to her throat were originally: "Are you trying to buy me with money? Are you trying to insult me?"

…but—

...It was just too much money to get mad over.

No—it was a diamond.

She had never seen anything like it in her life.

It was as if a blinding light had burst forth from the box. The overwhelming radiance of such wealth nearly made her dizzy, and she had stopped mid-sentence, staring dazedly at the diamond in stunned silence.

By the time she came to her senses, it was too late.

Marcus had smiled brightly at her loss for words and, when she finally snapped out of it, promptly pushed the diamond box into her hands.

“N-No…”

“I’ll give you plenty of time to think it over, Lady. Let’s have dinner together tonight. I look forward to your answer.”

You lunatic—dinner’s in four hours! What do you mean, plenty of time?!

Ordinarily, Elouise would have barked that back at him—but her soul had not yet fully returned to her body. Swept up in the chaos, she came to, shaking her head, and realized she was already back in her room, holding the box that contained that very diamond.

From her spot on the bed, Elouise stared blankly at the nightstand beside her.

There sat the diamond box Marcus had given her. Even the box itself was dazzling, polished to a shine and intricately carved to announce its value.

She slowly sat up in bed and leaned toward the nightstand. Then, with one cautious finger, she opened the lid. The box creaked open bit by bit under her touch—and then:

Flash. The diamond burst into light, reflecting the faintest incoming beam into a searing glow.

“Good heavens!”

Elouise flinched and snatched her hand away. Tap, the box shut itself with a whisper-soft close—the velvet lining along its seams working far too smoothly.

She folded her hands together, hunched her shoulders, and stared at the box with a vacant look. Then she reached out and opened the lid again.

Flash.

“Hiick—”

Tap.

This time she had prepared herself, so she managed to open it slightly wider. Still, the flash of light struck her like lightning. Elouise had never known light could such a strong impact—it hit her eyes like a punch.

She tried again.

Flash.

Tap.

Flash.

Tap.

She repeated the act several times until, finally, she could keep the lid fully open. The diamond inside sparkled madly, asserting its existence. Marcus had claimed it to be the size of a fingertip, but for Elouise—who had small hands—it looked like two thumb joints combined. The sheer unreality of it left her breathless. Without realizing it, she clutched her chest with one hand.

Is this what hyperventilation feels like?

She couldn’t calm down. Elouise stood up with the box and began pacing the room, trying to steady her breathing.

And then—it happened when she stood by the window, flooded with the golden afternoon sunlight. The diamond, bathed in that light, exploded in brilliance—far beyond what it had shown under the lamplight.

“Oh my goodness…”

Marcus had said it was worth thirty million shings.

“Of course, the gemstone itself would cost somewhat less, but having the best artisan in the country craft the setting brought it to that price,” he had whispered, escorting the dazed Elouise back to her room.

Now, the thirty million shings worth of light filled her room. The reflections from the finely cut gem bounced across the jade-colored ceiling, the paintings, the ornate fireplace, the soft couches, the bed—it spawned rainbows everywhere.

Suddenly, Marcus’s words came back to her, about how his heart would burn and pound when the duchess looked at him coldly.

Elouise wondered if love had finally come to her—at age thirty-two.

The only problem was… the object of her affection was a rock.

But if she borrowed Marcus’s phrasing, then yes—she had indeed fallen in love.

With a thirty-million-shing diamond.

The man had said, “This gem was rejected by the duchess, so it’s useless to me. Though our marriage would be fake, the ring would still be the best in the nation. What do you think?”

Elouise closed her eyes before the brilliance.

If one of her students had asked her, "Teacher, a man offered me money to marry him. What should I do?”—she would have advised them firmly to decline.

But real life was not a classroom. It was a battlefield.

Elouise's mind wandered to the Starwood estate. Her debt. Juliet. And not even enough money for a train ticket back to Maine.

A breeze stirred somewhere nearby. The ostrich feathers on her slippers fluttered and tickled her ankles, and instinctively, Elouise opened her eyes.

And before she could even glance at her feet—

Flash.

The diamond struck her eyes again.

Elouise made up her mind.

She would take part in the madman’s adultery show.

---

Before dinner, the First Thing Elouise Requested Was an Appraisal Certificate.

Marcus was impressed by how thorough Elouise was—more so than he’d expected. With her level of caution, it seemed unlikely that their fake marriage would be exposed due to sloppy preparation.

“I figured you might ask, so I’ve prepared one. Logan.”

With a snap of Marcus’s fingers, Logan, who had been standing behind him, responded with a look of utter despair.

“…I’m not dreaming, am I, young master?”

“Nope. Not at all. So bring it here.”

“…Damn it.”

Logan disappeared briefly, returning with a diamond appraisal certificate in hand. Marcus proudly presented the certificate to Elouise.

“It’s an appraisal guaranteed by the Bon Sina Bank.”

Bon Sina Bank was a major institution with branches in the capital, other major cities, and even in Maine. Elouise recognized both the name and the logo. She carefully examined the certificate.

She quickly realized that she had no legitimate method to tell whether the certificate was real or fake. She had never even worn a cheap quartz ring, let alone handled a real diamond. Elouise set the document down on the table and turned to Marcus.

“To be honest, I don’t know how to read these things.”

“…Huh.”

It was just before dinner. Marcus, holding a pre-dinner aperitif to his lips, looked at her in surprise. Elouise felt a little embarrassed, but not enough to lie and pretend she understood diamonds.

“As you’ve probably guessed, I’m not exactly wealthy.”

“Well, I assumed raising a daughter alone might lead to such circumstances.”

Logan quickly stepped beside her.

“I’ll explain it to you. This is the bank president’s name, and—”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Elouise raised a firm hand to stop Logan, then smiled politely. “But thank you very much for the offer, Logan.”

Logan bowed respectfully and stepped back. Elouise turned to Marcus again.

“Sir Hanger, you plan to act as if we’re married, correct?”

“I do.”

“And you’ve described this as a transaction.”

“That’s right.”

Elouise straightened her shoulders and sat upright.

She decided to be honest. Her father had always believed that honesty was the final virtue a person must hold onto. There was nothing to gain by pretending or putting on airs in a situation like this. She spoke again.

“I believe the foundation of any transaction is honesty.”

Setting aside the irony that their deal was essentially a marriage scam aimed at a duchess. But that was exactly why Elouise wanted to clarify things properly with Marcus.

“Let me be clear: I’ve lived a life far removed from great wealth. To be frank, if you swapped this diamond with one made of glass, I wouldn’t know the difference.”

Marcus spun his aperitif glass slowly, waiting for her to continue.

“But even so, I’m going to trust that you won’t deceive me and cooperate fully with your plan. So please promise me that you won’t lie to me either.”

Marcus was convinced. He had chosen the right partner. Though Lady Starwood’s blue eyes still held some caution, they also carried gravity and sincerity.

He had lived impulsively for twenty-nine years, but he had never lied in matters of love. And Lady Starwood was the perfect partner to pursue that love—albeit deceptively. He smiled gently.

“I give you my word.”

“One more thing."

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