Chapter 27: Chapter 27

“His Excellency, the Grand Duke, is here.”

From the moment the proposal arrived until today, the day of the wedding, Asella had never met Calix Benvito.

She was heavily restricted from going outside, and he had never visited her.

“Finally, he arrived. I’m sure His Excellency is eager to see his bride.”

Asella turned her gaze away from Madame Efredieu’s comment.

As soon as Assella saw the door open quietly, she lowered her eyes instantly. She was too frightened to face him. She remained frozen in place but finally opened her mouth to say a few words of greeting.

“I am pleased to meet you, Grand Duke.”

Following Asella’s greeting, the people who were in the room with her lined up to pay their respects.

But there was no response from him. Instead, the only sound was the click of shoes as he crossed the room and approached her.

“Asella Chartus.”

The voice, which seemed to resonate deep into the earth, was low enough to give her goosebumps.

“Raise your head.”

Asella felt dizzy at his sweet scent in the air. Her legs spontaneously gave out, and she felt like she couldn’t even breathe properly.

She thought of a conversation she had heard at a banquet a while back.

‘That’s right. It smells like wine or chocolate?’

‘The young lady? I know all about how she deliberately approached His Excellency before.’

‘Did you notice that?’

‘It’s weird that you didn’t know that! By the way, what kind of perfume are you wearing?’

The scent was too overpowering for her nose. Her body almost staggered for a moment, but she barely managed to keep her balance by focusing on the strength in her legs.

Calix Benvito was right in front of her.

“Can’t you hear me?”

The terrifying voice made its way to her ear.

“Or are you pretending not to hear me?”

‘How can someone be so wonderful?’

‘Is that all? What about the scent wafting through the air?’

Calix reached out with his long fingers and held Asella’s chin. The force of his touch lifted her head helplessly.

Startled out of her daze, Asella gasped as she faced the piercing eyes of her enemy.

She hurriedly turned her head away and averted from his gaze, but it was to no avail. The firm grip on her chin did not falter. Eventually, Asella squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s okay. You’re just so nervous.”

The Grand Duke drew his mouth into a smile, and in a flash, his face stiffened again.

He looked around slowly with an eerie blank expression.

The people who were staring at him jerked back and lowered their heads. Even though their eyes only met for a moment, it sent a shiver down their spines, as if they had been thrown out as bait in front of a raging beast.

In the midst of the tension that filled the air, everyone waited breathlessly for the Grand Duke’s following words.

“Everyone, get out.”

As soon as the order came from Calix, everyone moved quickly. It took less than a few seconds for Calix and Asella to be the only ones in the room.

“Open your eyes.”

Unable to refuse, Asella slowly opened her eyelids, which had been closed tightly in fear.

“Look at me properly.”

His black hair, a trait of the Benvito family, looked as if it had been ripped out of the thread of the night and woven together. His bright red eyes looked as if they had been filled with blood. The glint in his eyes seemed to hold a hint of madness, causing Asella to shudder.

“It looks good on you.”

Hesitating for a moment, Asella noticed that Calix was now looking at the tiara.

She uttered what she was taught over a few practices.

“I’m thankful for the gift you sent me.”

As soon as she opened her mouth for the first time, Calix thought her voice was so pure.

He slowly began to run his thumb down Asella’s chin, holding it firmly, while she was completely frozen by the unexpected gesture, but she stood still and accepted his touch.

“Do you know who I am?”

“…Yes, Your Excellency.”

Calix smiled in satisfaction at the soft answer that came out of her small lips.

“How much do you know about me?”

“You are the one and only Grand Duke of the great Harmenian empire.”

“Continue.”

“The head of the Benvito family…”

“Go on.”

Though Asella’s words were muffled, Calix demanded a response.

“…”

The young and wealthy head of the Benvito family, the Empire’s one and only Grand Duke; in addition to that, he was the best groom candidate in the Empire, both in name and reality, with outstanding looks.

Countless terms were used to describe Calix Benvito, but the most famous among them were Harmenia’s war hero, the bloody grand duke, the battlefield slaughterer…

Four years ago, he had made his appearance in a war that was already doomed to defeat.

He was 18 years old; a young man who had succeeded to the Grand Dukedom less than a month before.

The war nearly ended with multiple defeats and devastating losses. The Empire was about to surrender and give up all its southwestern lands; however, his arrival turned the tide.

Everything that was alive died in his path.

Each time he swung his blade through the air, several dozen soldiers fell to the ground, dead.

The sight of him on the battlefield, drenched in the blood of the enemy troops, was enough to terrify even his allies.

What made the soldiers tremble with fear even more, was his emotionless face, which never changed its expression even as he mercilessly sliced people to pieces.